Lazy Sunday and Banana Pancakes

Last week, the view from  my window looked like this...

A beautiful winter wonderland!  I've hibernated a lot so when the sun made a brief appearance today, I braved the cold and went outside to enjoy it.

I got my dress and shoes in the Christmas sales from Urban Outfitters.  The dress is Sessun, a French label I can never usually afford but I always love!  It is made in a lovely wool and I really like its little details: the shoulder pleats, the buttons up the back, and the curved waistband.  As for the fox shoes, they called to me!

The top underneath was a basic requirement or I would have frozen, wool dress or not!  I was very thankful for the warmth of this fire and burning turf is one of my most favourite, comforting smells.

Dress -  Sessun   Top - Uniqlo   Shoes -  Deena and Ozzy for Urban Outfitters

And for the grand Sunday finale.....I came home and made the effort to make buttermilk banana pancakes to warm up (O.K I confess I had a pancake mix that made them turn out beautifully!) 

I'm sure I'll still have plenty of reason to wear my lovely warm Sessun dress for the next while, but the burst of blue sky today had more than a touch of Spring about it.  Traditionally, Spring begins next week at the start of February so while it may be cold, I still saw a glimmer of the rebirth that Spring will bring us all.  It has not been an amazing start to the year and I am ready for positive change and thankful for every carefree, blue skied Sunday.  I hope you had a lazy Sunday or have one in front of you very soon!

xox

May Your New Year Dreams Come True

I hope everyone is having a happy and healthy 2013 so far!  I never really feel the new year kicks in until February. January is still so dark and cold and I have too many boxes of chocolates from Christmas still in the house to prevent any detox!  Instead, I have been using the first few weeks of 2013 to think about what I might like to achieve.  I try not to get overwhelmed or put too much pressure on myself, both of these are my defaults when it comes to goal setting and resolutions.  I have been thinking of things I've thought about trying for a long time, even something simple like learning to sew, and am trying to challenge myself to just give things a go and procrastinate less! More or less the same as last year's hope and I think I did well in 2012 and can only get better in 2013 (well, here's hoping!)  I have many hopes and dreams for this year but I will try not to overthink them and simply work hard and see what happens and who I meet along the way.

We got a few snowflakes today.  Though they melted as soon as they touched the ground, it was our only snow this Winter so far and the little flurry felt magical!  I've dreamt of Spring all week but seeing snow made me pause and remember to enjoy the last few days of Winter.  With this in mind, here is an outfit I wore and loved over the festive period. 

By 'Savida', a range in the Irish shop Dunnes, this dress caught my eye one lazy window shopping day in town. I love the vintage feel to it and the unusual mauve-pink shade.  I also loved that the details were navy instead of black.  I'd just treated myself to some lovely navy rib Tabio tights and so I felt the dress was fated to be mine!  It has a tea dress feeling to it, so I paired it with my only t-bar shoes, bought 7 years ago in Topshop (my first ever Topshop purchase!)

The 'eyelash' lace detail is so delicate and a lovely touch for a dress that was a reasonable £34.  I posed with this front door before and I have had so many blog hits for Farrow & Ball front door so before you ask, this door is painted in their 'brassica' and I think it's gorgeous.  I also like the fresh wreath hanging for Christmas!

The muff was a Christmas present.  I hadn't had one since I was a little girl but they are honestly so much warmer than gloves and looked pretty when dressing up in Winter!  I have also worn this Revlon Black Cherry lipstick non stop for a month.  I was thinking of doing a little beauty/skincare post of things I am enjoying at the minute if anyone is interested?

Keep warm and keep wishing for the year ahead!

xox

2012 in Photographs

Part II (see previous post!) My photographic 2012 continued with...

August Last evening's sunset on the walls of Dubrovnik's Old Town

September  A crazy hectic month with work and not a picture taken  (except of work which isn't worth sharing!)

October Paris and the wall of amour in Montmartre

November Sadly, reflecting as bleak as November usually feels to me, the month of the Dead, I have no photographs.
December  A trip to a friend in London at the start of the month before Christmas overtook all my photos.

Happy 2013 - to more time spent with family and friends, to more travel, to continue taking the time to smell the roses and enjoy the sunsets and to remembering all we have to be thankful for.
xox

Chapter 1

Happy New Year.  May 2013 be happy, healthy and peaceful!

I am not a huge fan of New Year's Eve and I find New Year's Day a bit overwhelming.  The slump after all the Christmas festivites, people returning to work and back to their new homes over the water and yet we are still in the depths of dark Winter.  January can feel like a long month and I don't know what I have to look forward to yet so instead I will reflect on 2012 and try to stay hopeful and open for what 2013 will bring.  Sometimes it's scary to think ahead so this month I will take it one day at a time and maybe when I read this in another year's time I will marvel at all the wonders that took place!

Until then, here is how I started 1st January.  Herbal tea (from my Christmas stocking) in my yellow china cup while cracking open my new Frankie diary.  After seeing them on blogs last year, I treated myself to this - maybe only the second diary I've ever bought myself and last year's cost £1 so this is a nice little luxury.

And now, a photographic reflection of my 2012.  Photos I liked, some I have shared here already and some not (and I might split this into 2 posts to squeeze the pictures in!).

January A rainbow in Donegal

February

March

April in Amsterdam

May 

June Sunset on Midsummer's Day

July

To be continued....