Weekend Recap

And....we're officially boring! The wedding season is over. We're not planning anymore holidays, and it's no longer fun to stay out until 4 in the AM. I've got nothing to entertain you with. This weekend, we...

• Looked for a house cleaner (See?! BORING) 
• Watched a lot of baseball (Red Sox) and football (Eagles and Patriots) 
• Went for probably our last dinner and movie date for the next 18 years. We watched Prisoners which was good and suspenseful. 
• I finished up A Beautiful Day (easy light reading) which was really necessary after finishing up Still missing  and A House in the Sky (both books about kidnappings and so was the movie. I sense a theme here.) 
• We also went to Kiliney hill because I got a new camera and wanted to test out how to use it. (I don't know what to do with it as you'll see in the pics below). 

How was everyone's weekend? Any book suggestions!? 

The Witch's Hat 

Irish Sea 

Walks in the park at Dusk 

Probably our last movie date for the next 18 years?! 

Fade Street Social

Last night, my lady friends and I headed to one of the newest restaurants in Dublin - Fade Street Social owned and operated by Masterchef star Dylan McGrath.

Holy Celtic Tiger!

The massive restaurant was packed with gals dripping with diamonds and designer handbags sipping cocktails -very Sex and the City.

The gals and I started with some lovely red wine and ordered 10 different dishes between us (and 4 desserts). My favorites were the Lobster Hot Dog  (reminded me of a New England summer) and the Pumpkin Macaroni.

It's a lovely place for a treat, but I definitely wouldn't go there often. See that teeny tiny burger below? 8 euros. EKKS!

Yum! 

{4 years}

I can't believe I've been in Ireland for four years today. It's strange, it feels like forever and no time at all.

I moved to Dublin without ever even stepping foot in the city, and I have to say I love this little place. Even though my friends and family (and Target) are far, far away, I've made some amazing friends. Plus the closeness to travel opportunities are amazing. I'm looking forward to many, many more years here. x

Next year, I get to apply for my Irish Citizenship. Hurray!

First visit ever to Dublin 

Five...

The number of trick or treaters at our door last night - a huge improvement from the four last year :) Irish children don't really take Trick or Treating seriously which is unfortunately for them- All the potential candy!!! The first year, I bought 8 bags of candy. I learned my lesson and only bought 3 this year, and we still have tons left over.

Halloween in Ireland is very different then back home. It involves bonfires and fireworks. It feels much more like mischief night here then Halloween. Hope you had lots of treats and not so many tricks! x

{Professor}

Guess who will be shaping the minds of the Irish people in Online/Digital Marketing?

This girl!!

Scary thought, no? :) I'll be popping in to give lectures on online advertising for the Masters program at UCD. I won't actually be a professor (obviously), but I will get to be an official UCD lecturer. How cool?!?! 

Celebrity Sightings!

Guess who I saw yesterday as I was walking along Wicklow street? Louis Walsh!

I was staring at him cause I couldn't figure out where I knew him from (which obviously I do not!). We made eyes. I think his reaction was something like this...

In reality, it was probably more like this

ROAAR!

Yesterday, we got to leave work early for a team outing. The sun was shining (again!) which was lucky since a Viking tour was organised. It's a tour on the open-air, old WWII boats that go both on-land and in the water. I kept calling it the Duck tour since that's what they call it in Boston- Quack!

The tour was great, and I would recommend it to any of my tourist friends. The guide was witty and funny, and I learned some new facts about Dublin which I never knew (won't spoil the surprise here).

Terrible pic of me (ekks-chipmunk cheeks), but I got to wear the hat! 

Rival Vikings on the Liffey 

Happy weekend!

Thank goodness the weekend is FINALLY here. Was it the longest week for you too, dear readers? Work was mental. Emails and issues came at me non-stop this week!

I'm so grateful it's a long weekend here. Hubby and I are on going on our first official road trip! Hope you have amazing plans this weekend :) 

Freedom!!

Look what's in our driveway... Hubby surprised me by picking it up after work.

Our new car! We went practical and trendy with a Honda Civic Hybrid. Think of all the places we can go.... basically anywhere NOT on the Dart or bus routes. It's gonna be a whole new world :) Excitingly enough, our first trip in the car together.... the grocery store. We're loads of fun. 

Fallon & Byrne

Last night I had the most glorious catch up with my pal A at Fallon & Byrne's wine cellar.  I've only been down there once before, and I don't know why I haven't gone back.

It's a lovely, dark and romantic setting with a huge selection of wine and a small selection of nice nibbles- perfect for a girly catch up or cute date night. We ordered a selection of cured meats and smoked salmon - best salmon I've had in ages!

I tried to take a sneaky picture without flash and this is the blurry shot I got- makes you want to run over there, right? :)

Oozing romance 

The best part of Fallon and Byrne is that it also has a quaint grocery store and a proper restaurant in the building. The grocery store has loads of American stuff like Aunt Jemima syrup, Lucky Charms cereal (I'm not kidding) and other random American goodies. 

Since I was there for dinner, A and I popped into the grocery store and picked up dessert on our way out. It tasted like AMERICA :) Yeah!

Devoured before I could take a proper picture 

I object!

Thursday night, some gal pals and I went to celebrate our friend's birthday at the Grand Canal theatre. I had grudgingly booked tickets to go see Legally Blonde the musical. Don't get me wrong I loved the movie, but I couldn't imagine how this could be entertaining as a musical.

I was so very wrong. It was SUPER entertaining! The cast and production were really good. I found myself laughing throughout the whole show even though I knew what was going to happen. It's here in Dublin until April 21st. I highly recommend you go see it.

One sneaky picture before the show began 

Somewhere over the rainbow...

We kind of had the day off yesterday because of the Easter Holy Monday. Kind of because I was working from home for a bit (good times...nothing like Easter hot cross buns and emails)

I did manage to escape into town for a couple of hours and walk around with hubby, and I'm going to share the prettiness with you.

This is a photo from my camera phone with no funky filters, photoshop, Instagram ($1 billion!!), etc

How gorgeous is this house and its flowers?

St. Stephen's Green 

The weather kept changing, and I kept having to take my scarf & coat off and then put it back on and take it off again, but the annoyance was worth it for the pretty picture below.

Rainbow over Merrion square

Summertime in Dublin

It's real! It's here! Summertime hit Dublin this weekend. I hope it stays!

Hubby and I had a crazy going out weekend- me with the gals for a hen party and hubby with the boys for a night out. We did a small housing switcharoo where the boys stayed over at our house and the gals went out and stayed at my friend's house. I stayed up all night drinking, dancing and chatting with the gals so was sooo tired.

Hubby and I met back up on Sunday afternoon. We were both exhausted from our nights out but really wanted to enjoy the sun so we took the nicest nap out in the garden.

Summer dress, picnic blanket and reading materials in the sun 

View of the sky from my garden napping spot. Not a cloud in the sky!

Today is gorgeous as well. I hope the nice weather sticks around!

More Visitors!

This week I had gal pals from work come stay with us over the weekend. Poor husband has been such a good sport- watching girly holiday movies, going shopping with the gals and generally catching up on celebrity gossip from both sides of the pond :)

The girls arrived on Saturday- a bit jet lagged. After a little nap, we headed into town for a lovely brunch at Odessa. Hubby joined in afterwards where we showed the gals all the different pubs of Dublin -12 to be exact. It was good fun! Some pics from Saturday.

The gals and I- fresh faced at the second pub 

Hubby joins... 

and turns into a creep. He's gonna hurt me for putting this picture up :)  

Pub 6- not too bad 

Outside a pub in Temple bar. Second time in a month I hang out in Temple bar. Never again! 

Restaurant break after pub 9 

Last pub of the night - look at the poor guy in the back just trying to get in 

After a raucous day out, this is what our Sunday looked like :)

Chocolate Treat

I was showing the ladies around Grafton Street on Monday and it was sooo lovely and Christmasy. We stopped in for a hot chocolate treat at Butler's which is HIGHLY recommended. I had heard so much about them, but never had one. So sorry glad I tried. It was sooo rich and warm and chocolatey! Can't wait for another one next time I'm in town.

Christmas Happiness Indeed! 

Relaxing

With the wedding only a couple weeks away, I've been focusing a lot in the past weeks on relaxing (even though we have engagement/housewarming parties and visitors every week!). This past weekend, BF was away so I was able to take it easy and have a lovely girly weekend.

I spent Friday evening, wedding dress shopping with two gal pals for both (!!) of them, not me. It was so fun! I bought my dress at Kleinfeld's in NY where they ask you what kind of dress you like and bring it out to you. I didn't get the browsing (except online) experience, so I really enjoyed going through the dress racks and looking at wedding dresses. Saturday, I went for a reflexology treatment. My weekly massage therapist (I realise I am SPOILED!) mentioned that I indeed was stressed, and suggested reflexology along with massage. No need to twist my arm here! Basically, because there are so many nerve endings in your feet, massaging different areas of the feet massages corresponding  internal organs. While she was massaging, it felt like different parts of my internal organs were responding (not sure if that was imaginary or not!)

After that relaxing day, I headed over to a friend's housewarming/engagement party (seriously, everyone is getting married or buying a house over here!) Her house is beautiful!!!

How cute is her little birdhouse!?

Then Sunday, I spent the entire day in my sun room, catching up on fashion magazines and reading a book. Lovely! 

One Month!!!!!!!!

YEAH!!! Only one more month, until I get a hubby. So excited!

I'm ready to be done work and ready to fly to the US to get the little wedding things done. Thankfully, I'm able to fly home earlier then expected to work from the Boston office so only 2.5 more weeks in Ireland until the wedding.

This past weekend, BF and I attended our friends' engagement party. It was so lovely to see an amazing couple at the start of their wedding planning. Lots of champagne was passed around and all kinds of shocking things happened!

First, BF proposed to my friend Gina. What the heck?

Wait... you're already engaged!  

Then BF proposed AGAIN to my friend Davey.

How come his ring is sparklier then mine?!!? 

Then the guest of honour decided to give BF kisses. Out of control!  

Me and the guest of honor  

After the party, Kieran and I were walking down Baggot Street to find a Burger King  grab a cab and we ran into Anne Doyle out on the town at 2:00 in the morning!! Anne Doyle is a news reporter for RTE. I tried to chase her down to no avail. Surprisingly, she didn't show up for the Sunday evening news...must have been a rough night for her! :) 

Dublin Mountain Way

BF and I continued our staycation and decided to do the Dublin Mountain way on Saturday. We started off taking the DART to Shankill and walked through the cute little village before heading onto the hiking path. To be 100% honest, it isn't well marked and it felt like we were sneaking into people's backyards to get to the start of the path.

Once we were there though, it was gorgeous! Only a 20 minute ride from the city, and you're in the countryside! Here are some lovely pics from our 3 hour hike.

The start of the trail 

The lead chimney 

I think... I can... reach it... 

Look at this crazy mushroom! I've never seen such a thing and it reminded me of fairies and elves...(or the super mushroom in Super Mario brothers!)

Crazy Mushroom! 

We finally got to the top and this is the view! We wished we had the foresight to bring a picnic lunch up here. Would have been amazing.

On the way to the top! 

Check out my 80's wind blown bangs! 

Once we reached the top, down we went to head to Johnny Foxes. We've been here once before with BF's sister, but this time we had to walk there...uphill...after not having anything but breakfast five hours earlier... in uncomfortable shoes...whine whine whine...that was me :)

Above the valley 

We finally got there, and I enjoyed an excellent Fish pie. I would have taken pictures of the cuteness inside, but I didn't want to be a tourist so here's a pic of me waiting outside for the cab to take us home!

Come on cab... I need a nap! 

Weekend Recap

Not only did I help BF finalise his wedding outfit, I also found some time to booze it up with my lady friends for our linner get together. Linner is actually one of my favorite things in the whole world- boozy lunch that leads into a late night of drinking? Yes please!

We started at Chez Max, and I can't get over how adorable this place is. I always forget about it as an option for food, but every time I go, I swear I'm going to become a regular. It's a cute little French Bistro with a lovely back garden. We were relatively lucky at first with the sun warming our faces, but then there was a major downpour. No big deal for this little bistro as they have a roof to pull over their garden. Lovely!

We started off fancy with some Champagne.

Yum!  

And had some fresh baguettes with meats and cheeses

How cute are the French flags?!

After a large steak frites dinner, creme brulee and multiple bottles of wine, we got kicked out it was time to go to our next stop.

Now I can't remember the name of this cute little pub, but it was just around the corner from Chez Max's. It's a pub with a snug! I had never heard of this before, but apparently, it's a little private section in the bar that was once used for secret rendez-vous or for ladies to have drinks in when they weren't allowed to be seen in a pub. This pub was full of little "sections" and the one we got was ADORABLE.

Locked in for privacy

In the snug 

Happy Guinness 

Taste of Dublin

Over the weekend, my foodie gal pals and I decided to check out the Taste of Dublin which is a food festival that allows you to try little meals from different restaurants around Dublin. I LOVE trying new foods and sampling different bites for my meals so this was right up my alley. We got super lucky because the weather was gorgeous (for Ireland). The only con about the Taste of Dublin was that they charged an entrance fee of 28 euros (ouch) and that doesn't include the food tastings which were about 5-8 Euros. Luckily the prosecco was inexpensive!

We started off classy with some sausage and prosecco.

Here are the ladies in the sun with picture evidence that it actually stopped raining in Ireland this summer!

My amazing pasta bowl that was actually really good value for money. 

 Thai dancers in front of the food stall for Baan Thai (one of the best Thai restaurants in Dublin in my opinion)

Oysters. Yum! This was my first time trying them. I love seafood of all kinds so not sure why I never had them before. I'm now obsessed. 

My friend the unicorn... not sure what it was doing there! 

A Gordon Ramsey treat- Raspberry and chocolate mousse 

Doing a 90's line dance to Smash Hits, a 90's cover band 

The gorgeous Ivegh Gardens. I love this little house!