A Date Idea

So I was pottering about the Farmers Market in the University today and I decided that I was going to treat myself to a brownie. I ambled up to my favourite bakery stall, batted my lashes at the owner and asked, pretty please, if I could have a corner brownie... I love edges... chewy goodness. And of course being the wonderful and customer pleasing baker that he is he obliged my request. His laughter at my request turned into a quick chat about business in general. Mr Baker informed me that he was going to be opening a cafe/bakery in Limerick city soon... In the Milk Market... In June (shameless plug). To which I replied that  as a loyal Facebook fan of his company I already knew about it. So we fell into chatting about different bits of information about his new cafe. He said that he was thinking of possibly doing a late opening night but that he wasn't too sure yet whether it would be a good idea.

To which I replied.... Go For It! 

We all know of my love of coffee here, and also my fondness for cake... so the potential to combine them both...  at night time... WIN

So I started chatting to Mr Baker about having a Cake Date night once a week... as an alternative to a night in the pub, or a trip to the cinema, or having to stare at each other for two hours over dinner. What do you think? Would if fly as an idea? Do you think that you would enjoy a night out... aromatic coffee... twinkling fairylights... ambient music... a piece of cake? Or maybe even having a 'Cake Date' special - two drinks and a taster plate of mini cake slices to share... maybe three flavours, two forks and just one plate? 

Or course this is all still very hypothetical and made up in my head for now but I'm sure that with enough people interested we could persuade Mr Baker to go with it. At the moment there are few venues in Limerick for people to enjoy their evening away from the pub and while a cozy night tucked away in a pub snug is hard to beat sometimes a body just wants an alternative... what do you think? 

Do you like cake?

Thinking Time

Right now things are good, really good. Everything is looking up.

Do you know what would make things go from good to great? Water pressure. I've recently moved into a new place with some guy friends and it lovely. They're fun, flirty, and make me cups of tea, win. Everything is great except the shower. I was lucky at home to have a power shower at my disposal and got spoiled. This shower? It's more of a dribble than a drenching. There is always plenty of hot water but just not enough of it. I'm one of those people who like to spend the first five minutes of a  shower just letting the hot water work it's magic and soothe everything away in a torrent of loveliness. I had forgotten that it was a sort of luxury, and I miss it.   


Are you a 'stop and think for a while in the shower' kind of person or do you like to just get in there, get washed, and get out again?

Moving Day

So today is moving day - seven years of Limerick and two years of that wonderful house.

Goodbye... Halloween Parties

Goodbye... Brew?

Goodbye... A jarful of Penguins

Goodbye... Manny in our spare room

Goodbye... movies projected onto the sitting room wall

Goodbye... en suite bathroom

Goodbye... wonderfully huge wardrobe

Goodbye... 20MB broadband

Goodbye... to so many memories

Internet relations between our router at home and my laptop are not particularly good so for now it is goodbye to you too. I'll be popping back into blog-land about once a week or so.

Hugs

Things I Love Thursday

Wonderful Weather - It's a beautiful day here in Limerick, just like yesterday and the day before and the day before. The shades are out 24-7 and I'm just loving it. Any excuse to put my shades on makes me pretty happy.

Perfect Plaits - Not! I got a little bored yesterday and randomly threw a few plaits into my hair - mostly to keep the short bits at the front from falling into my eyes all day. It was rough, it was messy, it was just thrown together and it was perfect for the day that it was. A bright, beautiful spring day spent with friends and food and a few beers.  

Gorgeous Grey - Infinitely more simple to wear than white, perfectly neutral and much less harsh than black on an Irish skin tone. Grey is now my go-to neutral in my wardrobe. In the last few weeks I've picked up some grey skinnies and some grey vests to go along with my grey cardigans, jumpers and dresses. Think I might even do an all grey day next week. What do you think? Do you have a go-to neutral in your clothes?  

Honourable Mentions - making pavlova for Easter Sunday dessert because it's my dad's favourite, hot chocolate made with nutella, blush coloured knits, thinking of buying lemon yellow nail varnish for my toes, getting my flip flops out from the bottom of the wardrobe, Angry Birds on my phone, coloured staples holding my research papers together, cranberry flavoured water, hugs from friends, sweating it out at aerobics - you know it's doing you good, thinking of going to the French Market at the weekend and sampling food from the top of the street to the bottom, looking forward to my first beer garden cider of the season this bank holiday weekend 

Lunchtime Love

Lunch in Aubars with Raymy obviously wasn't nice at all. 

Judging by our empty plates (don't count Raymys lack of salad love) you should try it too. Aubars can be found on Thomas St here in Limerick. 

P.S I can vouch for the fish pie (and maybe the flourless chocolate cake too) - yum

Bar Boot Sale

Seemingly the newest and chicest way to sell your items is through a Bar Boot Sale. 

Get yourself down to Sarsfield St. this Saturday to snap up a bargain or two, have a little bit of a boogie and totter around the stalls with a drink in hand.

For more information about the event you can find them HERE on FaceBook.

A Quick Question

Hmmm... Mumford and Sons are playing Dolans on the 16th of March.

To go or not to go?

Legal If This Was America

Here in college I have a 'sort-of-sister', her name is Laura and she is just like the little sister that I never had. Today she is a grown up.

happy 21st Laura

Roll Up, Roll Up, Roll Up

All Photo Sources

I got my ticket!

The Circus of Horrors is doing one night only in the UCH here in Limerick and I got myself a front row seat to watch all the madness, mayhem and midgets.

I am refusing to watch any of the show online so that I can be properly wowed by it all, but I've heard good things about it.

Have you ever seen The Circus of Horrors show? What did you think?

Had a Nice Day

Raymy and myself went for a little wander yesterday around the city center, it being a lazy Sunday and all, and we decided to start our wander at the newly refurbished Milk Market. To be honest - I really wanted to call and see Ruth's new stand at the market.

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The new market site is so pretty and fresh looking, and even though the market has only been open a few weeks and every stand wasn't occupied there was a lovely atmosphere to the space. I predict that the Friday, Saturday and Sunday markets will only get bigger and bigger as the summer progresses.


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I decided to treat myself to several of Ruth's beautiful badges (if you want to get some, and can't get to the market, Ruth has a great shop on etsy). The 'Domestic Goddess' one was a present for S (she did a monster clean up in our house this week - Thank you S!), the 'Tea' one is most definitely for me and I saw the bulldog badge and just couldn't help but think of Naomi, Josh and, of course, Kingsley over at the Rockstar Diaries. I must get their address and send it over to them.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Why I Love Gingers

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Can you close your eyes and image something for me? Please?

Imagine finding a brownie that thinks that it is a truffle. A brownie that is so dense and fudgy that you have to lick your fingers after just touching it. Can you imagine that? Can you smell the overpowering scent of dark chocolate and butter and sugar? A brownie that you would carry wrapped carefully in your hand because you know that to put it into your bag would destroy it's delicate state of being.

Well today I found that brownie.

We are lucky enough here in UL to have a farmers market on campus every Tuesday. All sorts of stands fill the courtyard with fruit and veg, preservatives, chocolate goods, baked goods, cheeses, organic meats, sushi and other delights. And today I approached the gingergirl stand. I had spotted a jar of rhubarb jam, and my dad absolutely adores rhubarb jam, and seeing that this Sunday is Fathers Day I thought that I would get him a jar. As I was standing at the stall and listening to the owner,Helen, banter with some customers about the variety of Northern Irish accents between them I spied a cake stand ladened with brownies and I heard a little voice in my head. 'Ah go on Maggie, you deserve a treat today. You can be good tomorrow' and of course I believed that voice.

All I can say is 'wow', what a brownie. It takes a brownie like that to make me understand why REAL brownies are served in small portions. Of course I thought on the way back to the office that I would just have a little nibble now and save some for later on. Not a chance. That brownie tasted of more! I had the best of intentions of photographing it for the post, sitting in it's shroud of greaseproof paper, all sticky and chocolaty and made of nom but alas, in the words of my 4 year old self, 'I eated it'.

Gingergirl - I will see you next week.

What A Weekend

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What a busy weekend. I decided to head home to spend some time with my parents, and ended up helping with 2 wedding cakes and the catering for a neighbours twin baby girls christening. It was oh so busy so I decided to cut my loses and spend my Bank Holiday Monday back in Limerick where I can sleep in and curl up on the couch with a book and a coffee and head to the pool a little later on.

How was your weekend? Did you get up to anything special for the August Bank Holiday?

I Went Shopping

I was in town yesterday afternoon and decided to check out the summer sale in New Look.

I found a gorgeous cream flower ring and a dragonfly necklace but look at these sandals - gorgeous and so comfy.

Ring - reduced to 3 euro
Necklace - reduced to 1.25 euro
Sandals - reduced to 12 euro from 34 EURO

Shower Me

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So much rain has fallen here in the last few days. I don't think it will ever stop.

This Little Piggy...

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Today was a really great day so far.

This Little Piggy... had a workshop.
The workshop this morning went smoothly and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I hope tomorrows group goes just as well, I might need to shorten the project a little - we didn't finish the whole task this afternoon.

This Little Piggy... had some lunch.
I popped home for lunch with the girls and managed to avoid all the showers falling today. Vegetable noodles and apple juice, I almost feel healthy and I saved some money by doing it.

This Little Piggy... is having takeaway.
A bunch of us are meeting up later on for some Chinese takeaway and gossip - JC and Fredrick, you have been warned. The Monday night tradition lives on.

and This Little Piggy... wants to paint her little piggies.
I was thinking here to myself in the office that I might just treat my little toes to a pedicure tonight. I can't decide between metallic purple or black polish.

I hope your day has been going well.

Summer Camp

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Yea! I've been asked to be part of the Introduction to University Programme here in UL for the next few weeks. I get to run the Engineering 2 Design Engineering Workshop, which is a basic introduction to 3D computer modelling using Solidworks.

I'm so excited to be doing something with kids this summer and if it goes well there is a chance that I could be asked to do the Explore Science & Engineering Camp.

I'm a little apprehensive though... I know how to hold the attention of a bunch of college students but 15 year olds are a whole different ball game. What if I'm boring and lame and crap? Does anyone have any hints for me for working with teenagers? Any hints at all?

Birthday Barbie

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Today is Fredrick's birthday barbeque.

It has become a tradition in Limerick to have some sort of a barbeque on this day, but Fredrick is moving away to Dublin for his postgrad soon and we will have no more. But we wish him well and will have a mighty knees up to celebrate this evening. We only wish that his girlie, Sarah, was down here and not stuck in Dublin studying for her exams.

Best of luck Fredrick!

and Happy Birthday!

Test Time

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I probably won't get a chance to post tomorrow as I have to drive all the way to Nenagh to get my car a new NCT cert. I can't believe that the waiting lists in Limerick are so long that you can't even be put on the waiting lists. It's such a ridiculous problem.

So tomorrow, me, my little red car, a good book and some takeaway coffee are going to the bright lights of Nenagh (chuckle) to sit and wait for a, hopefully, nice man to tell me that there is nothing wrong with my car. Keep your fingers crossed for me - I can't afford to fix Geoffery if there is something serious wrong with him.

(Geoffery is my red Honda Civic, if you haven't already guessed. He would have looked like the pic below when he was all shiny and new. Isn't he pretty?)

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Homeless

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Please please keep your fingers and toes crossed for me that we get a house today.

Our current landlords have decided that they want their house back even though we have a lease until next January. We have spent the last week looking at everything we can view and afford, and we might have found a really nice house in our price range. Maybe...

*Update - We are not homeless anymore... we gave a deposit today and we get the house at the end of the month. Yea!

Finally, snow!

I had kinda given up on seeing a proper fall of snow in Limerick this year but lo and behold, when I pulled up the blinds this morning I was greeted with a 3" blanket covering the city.

YEA! And the cherry on top is that most of the rest of the country didn't get as much as we did.

For the entire winter everyone else got snow around Ireland... we had calls from friends in Dublin who got 'snow days' and texts from Tipperary saying that they didn't think they would be able to drive to work, and now it is finally our turn.

If you would like to see a much prettier picture of what the snow looked like in the city last night check out this post from Ruth over at Nice Day Designs