Weekend Question

I'm flying out to Amsterdam  
tomorrow for a quick break and a catch up with some friends who will be in the city for the weekend.

What do you recommend that I do while I'm over there? 

So far I've been told that I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to see the Sex Museum or to just walk around the Red Light District and see what all the fuss is about. That I should walk around the '9 streets' to soak up the pretty atmosphere and that I shouldn't miss the Dappermarkt.

Personally I'm just looking forward to seeing all of the beautiful Dutch people, marveling at strange looking items in the grocery stores and enjoying some great coffee with great friends. Oh and I'll be watching them all compete at the 2012 Face2Face archery tournament too. 

Things I Love Thursday

Bubblicious - Oh I love blowing bubbles... it makes me feel like a kid again. Sunny days just call out for a little child-like entertainment in my day. Some bubble blowing while sitting on the lawn, maybe a little kite flying, toss a frisbee about for a while, build a massive sand castle if you can find a beach or a sand pit. Love the feeling of being a kid for a little while! 

Denim Shorts - This is something that everyone and anyone can wear. Smart, casual, trashy, chic, distressed, high waisted, daisy dukes, anything. just like your trusty jeans anything goes. My favourite way to wear them? I always cut my own shorts from much loved jeans that have become too ragged to keep, and pair them with a black vest, slouchy boyfriend cardigan and some wedges. A long necklace or two to break up the boring vest, maybe a loose braid or bun and I'm all set for a cool, casual day.

Americana - Now... I'm not American so this is not a very late patriotic, 4th of July thing. I have been really attracted to strong outfits lately. Bright red and cobalt blues paired together really grab your attention and brim with confidence and the red lips just add an air of womanly sophistication to an otherwise garish look.

Honourable Mentions - honesty - sometimes you are hard to hear but exactly what I need, steaming hot cappuccinos, peach smoothies - so fresh and summery tasting, vintage style underwear, only two weeks today until S&C get hitched, clean cars and loud tunes on the stereo, studded wrap around bracelets layered over your watch, fresh wedges of ripe melon, warm day and even warmer sun showers, the feeling of accomplishment after a particularly good work out 

I Love You Raymy

My pretty friend Raymy is a self confessed toe hater, so today's post is especially for her - to help get over her hate of tootsies, piggys and whatever else you like to call you podiatric digits, cause summer is just around the corner and toes are becoming much more visible every day.

When are your toes at their happiest?

When they have a kitty keeping them warm?

When they get to stretch in the morning?

When they get to come out and play?

When they get to wiggle in the sand?

When they get to be shown off in a beautiful pair of shoes?

When they touch the ground for the first time in the morning?

When they get to play dress up?

When they get to go for a swim?

When they are all cozy?

When they get to jump?

When they get to bask in the sunshine?

When they get to play in the mud?

Do you have any strange hates? Are you another foot-phobe?

Things I Love Thursday

Being A Big Kid - At least when it comes to easy entertainment. Give me a jigsaw and I'll be amused for several hours and I know that I'm not alone on this one. Recently myself and my club had the honour of attending and competing at the Irish Student Nationals, and guess what the girls brought as half time entertainment.... colouring books! Lots of colouring books, and markers. At my last count I saw at least 15 archers curled up in the bleachers at the shoot, markers in hand, trying to out do each other with how well they could stay between the lines. And they all put them up on display when they were done too. Me? I'm more of a scrabble or board game type... my mum even surprised me at Christmas with a beautiful backgammon set.

Juicy - There are few things that remind me more of good weather and sunshine than a huge glass of cold juice. I'm not awfully picky about my flavour either, give me orange, pineapple, tropical, apple and no matter what... I'll be happy. 

Movie Solos - My favourite way to watch a movie is all alone in a dark and empty cinema in the middle of the day, when it's just me and the movie and maybe a bag of Haribo. No one asking questions, no one going out to the bathroom in the middle of the movie, no one rustling food wrappers. I started liking being on my own at the cinema when I was researching my final year thesis for my degree. I was looking into redesigning the experience of going to the movies and seeing what needed to be changed to make the whole thing more enjoyable. I spend many hours of my labs in the cinema sitting, and watching, and eating, all in the name of research. That was a great time.  

Honourable Mentions - being 'tiggerific' (if you're my friend on facebook you'll understand this one), having blue varnish on my toes, birthday cake, finding clothes in my wardrobe that used to be snug and now hang a little loose, putting Nevermind on in the car at full volume and feeling like an angsty teenager again, keeping up with my 4-5 classes per week 'In the gym' schedule, this week I'm all about bags... so this one, this one and this one are on my wish list, and maybe this one too, leftover Christmas lights still strung around my room, open toe shoes 

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.

Gossip Guys

source

Aren't the boys of Gossip Girl awfully pretty looking? Now I'm all for the metrosexual male, I highlight the benefits of moisturing to all my guy friends, I comment on the cut of their jeans and the fit of their shirt but enough is enough...

Women, well this woman at least, want a REAL man. A man who looks like he could whip his top off and change the oil in a car, a man who looks like he could mow the lawn, a man who could climb a tree to get your kitty back for you.

Real men have stubble sometimes, and mussed up hair and calluses on their hands from doing manly things - GRRRR!

BUT... before all you guys out there stop shaving and showering there is a limit on how manly I like my men. Fingernails must be clean and short, unibrows must be controlled, bodies should not be smelling of a whole can of lynx. It is a fine line that you must tread - tread carefully.

What are the dealbreakers when it comes to men? How metro is too metro?

Things I Love Thursday

source

Changeable Weather - I know most people hate the rain and wind and sleet and snow and sun style weather we've been having lately but I think that there is nothing as lovely as curling up in bed listening to the rain hammer against the windows, pulling back the curtains to watch huge flakes of snow falling out of the sky, and waking up in the morning to find everything washed away and ready for another day. It's so very refreshing.

source

Mini Adventures - I have a dream - where one day we will head to IKEA with thermos flasks full of hot tasty beverages. We will buy some cheap IKEA mugs and return to the showroom, where we will sit in one of the show living rooms and offer tea and coffee, maybe even hot chocolate, to everyone who comes into our 'house'.

source

McSteamy - No reasons needed.

Honourable Mentions - this water - it is so tasty, I particularly love the lemons, limes and spring water flavour, bagels - I have fallen back in love with a bagel and cream cheese breakfast, new haircuts, easter eggs and lots of chocolate this weekend - guilt free, filling my new 1TB drive with tons and tons of TV shows

Irish Blog Awards Roundup 2010

Here are the top things I learned this weekend;

- It is not unusual for EllyBabes to walk up to you at the Irish Blog Awards, tell you that you have amazing cleavage and proceed to put her face into your chest

- There is no dress that I can't fit into - with enough spanx that is!

- Dawn is an amazing person to spend a weekend with

- At least one person, in each group of female friends, should carry a handbag large enough to fit everyone's flats into

- Drag queens make for the best acceptance speech writers, congratulations Panti!

- Captain Morgans and coke is actually a lovely drink

- Some pairs of tights are worth spending more than the cost of the dress on - with thanks to Val

- Salthill to the Radisson Blu isn't really a 40 minute walk - only took us less than 30

- Bosco is still a legend when you're 27

- Laughing at a funeral cortege is perfectly acceptable to the world of Irish bloggers

- Not being bothered to take your camera out of your handbag all night is a really stupid move - please hurry up and put up your photos Ruth!

- The Ladies Tea Party is a must to attend next year

- The Irish Blog Awards is a savage party - thanks to all of the organisers and sponsors

Things I Love Thursday

source

Writing - I write so rarely that today it was an incredible novelty to write up a quick article covering all the amazing events of the past two weeks for our archery club. Nine days, four competitions, 19 medals, 12 Personal Best scores, another National Champion for UL Archery, and a fundraiser. I feel very proud to be part of such a great bunch of people.

source

Feeling Better - Having been plagued with sinus and chest infections since Christmas I am finally on the mend. I have taken 2 weeks off and am getting enough sleep, good food, no stress, antibiotics and plenty of vitamins. I hope to be back to full Magatha Mode by next week and will start taking on the world again.

source

Treating Yourself - This week, just to make myself smile, I bought a small bunch of orange roses for my bedroom. I really didn't think that something so small and insignificant could make me feel so good. Every time I walked into my room I caught sight of them, all cheerful and pretty, when I walked up the stairs I could get the smell. I don't know if I would buy flowers every week - but treating myself might just become a more regular occurrence.

Honourable Mentions - soup (there really is nothing better when you're feeling unwell), the buzz that comes with Students' Union Elections on campus - all week long we've had flyers, guys in very bright t shirts, buskers, a sky dive on campus and even a candy floss machine, sleeping in with no alarm set, finding new ways to tie my scarf - courtesy of Dawn

Things I Love Today

source

Jenga - With friends, in the pub, on a Tuesday evening.

source

Hair Bands - So retro, so 80's, so Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf. While I'm waiting to go get myself a new shiny haircut I'll just entertain myself with a selection of hair bands to keep my tresses under control. My fake hair plait is my favourite at the moment.

source

Simple Desktops - I love, love, love this site. You just have to go check it out and update your desktop.

Honourable Mentions - ham and cheese jambons, feather duvets, my flat black boots, Easter eggs in the shops already, non-working weekends.

Things I Love Thursday

source

Girls Coming Back - Thumbelina is finally back in Limerick after her Christmas holidays (she's been gone since the middle of December) and Laura is finally home from France (I haven't seen her in a whole year), along with Sonya and Raymy all my Limerick gals are back in my life. I am thinking of having a huge girlie sleepover sometime soon.

source

Being Secretly Mean - And by 'mean', I mean that we were just being a little critical of silly fashion. But seriously - who could possible think that its ok to go out in a very tight jumper and a pair of lacy tights and think that it's an outfit? One of the guys at our table in the cafe even commented that the girls jumper was so short that if she sits down somewhere unsavory she could actually catch something from a seat. Our whole table agreed.

source

Team Spirit - At the 2 day competition last weekend, between 12 of us, we brought home 16 medals, the National Barebow Plate and a new National Champion. Everyone is still so fired up from the whole weekend that all they want to do right now is more and more shooting. I don't ever remember a group of archers ever being this enthuastic before - and their enthuasiam is so unbelievably contagious. Yea!

Honourable Mentions - Its 18 months, to the day, until Sonya and Colins wedding, Laura going up a cup size while she's been away and having no problem at all anouncing it to the whole table at lunch, finding pretty printed dresses in the sales, wearing my hair curly, hot chocolate on a stick

A Tuesday Ritual

source

Tonight is a night for some Chinese takeaway, a fire in the hearth, good company from some wonderful women and McSteamy. I love our Tuesday ritual. And to make ourselves feel extra good we added a 2 hour slot in the gym to our Tuesdays, to make up for the takeaway.

Do you have any rituals in your week? What makes it into your routine?

Hilda Pin-Up Series

all sources

I came across the Hilda pin-up series over the weekend and fell in love with Duane Bryers artwork.

If you changed her hair to an inky black and put some glasses on the bridge of her nose you have a cartoon me.

Is there any character in the art world that you identify with? Are you a closet Mona Lisa, or a bashful Betty Boop?