Wide-Eyed and Wishlist/Lovelist.

Things I'm loving, digging more of and craving.

1. Hello Kitty.

I have a serious problem. This is the only jewellery I've been wearing. I also now own a Hello Kitty purse, pen, jewellery making kit and mug. HELP. I just love her so. Must have more.

2. A decent toner.

I've been trying to find a good, organic toner. It's the only step missing in my skincare. This one from Hairtrade looks good. CRAVE.

3. The Only Lovers Left Alive soundtrack. 

It's just perfection. Growing up on Buffy made me think nightclubs were these hazy, mysterious places where music like this played and you may or may not meet sexy vampires...oh, real life, why do you let me down so thoroughly? I direly want this soundtrack on vinyl.

4. Only Lovers Left Alive, Her and the Veronica Mars movie.

Major love for all three of these. I do appreciate not being let down by movies.

5. Topshop Nails.

Want. Every. Colour. So frickin' good this season.

6. TanOrganic's Bronzing Powder.

I'll probably be posting a full review soon but I LOVE this product. Organic, Irish, packaged adorably - it's all I want from a bronzer. It's also a great multi-tasker; a bronzer, contour, highlight and I also use the matte shade to fill in my eyebrows for a more natural look.

7. Austen.

I've been binging...

8. Pastels.

Makes everything cuter. Immediately.

9. Pink Lemonade.

Is gone. Need more. NOM.

10. This Unicorn Clutch from Dolls Kill.

Holy God. I want. AMAZING.

Christmas Gift Guide - Part III - Food and Drink.

I like eating. And drinking things too. Here's some suggestions for tasty gifts.

1. Seasonal beer/Hampers.

There's a pretty decent selection on Amazon. I've chosen this Spirit of Christmas Gift for £18.50 and Brewdog's Punk IPA Gift Set for £8.99. Most good off licences do up little selections or hampers as well and there are plenty of beer subscription sites if whoever you're buying for is seriously into their beer.

2. Cheese!

M&S do an awesome plate which supposedly serves 15-20 people. To me, that sounds like it'll serve me 15-20 times. It retails at £25.00 and can be bought in stores or online.

3. Lindor.

I'm crazy for Lindor and when I first saw their Maxi Ball, I fell in love a little. I know there's one waiting for me in my stocking and I'm gonna bet many other people would be happy to be in the same position. They cost thirteen euro and are available in Superquinns, Supervalus, and other stores nationwide. 

5. Coffee Angel.

Daniel and I went to a talk about Coffee Angel at Electric Picnic a couple of years ago. I'm not a coffee drinker (which makes Italians despair) but I gather this is good coffee and good coffee equipment. They have several locations in Dublin and you can buy this great kit with a grinder, aeropress and single-origin coffee for 64.95e. 

6. Lorina Pink Lemonade.

I'd bathe in the stuff if I could...no, wait, that'd be a waste...never mind. Still, I think a few bottles with a cute bow would be a lovely gift. Lorina usually retails around 3 quid a bottle but there's often deals, so keep an eye out! 

7. Dunnes Ice Cube tray.

I love giving anything heart-shaped to people I love. I'm kinda cheesy like that. Ergo, this ice cube tray. A cute stocking-filler retailing at 5 quid, it'll save money on buying ice. Which I just don't agree with. At all.

8. Avoca Cookbooks.

This trio of cookbooks from Avoca can be bought online or in stores for 26.95e. As well as being cute, they contain deliciousness that any previous visitors to the cafe wouldn't mind having in their home.

9. Where Chefs Eat.

This book from Phaidon is a great idea for serious foodies and can be found in most bookstores, online and in Urban Outfitters. It's a pretty thick volume and designed beautifully so I think the twenty quid pricetag is pretty good value.

10. Nik's Tea.

Best green tea, hands down, that I've ever had. I'm IN LOVE with this brand! It's Irish and can be found in food stores like Liston's, Fallon and Byrne and online and retails around 4 euro. 

BONUS IDEA: Man of Aran Fudge.

This crap is AMAZING. My brother and I used to eat it to stave off boredom when we went to my sister's Irish dancing competitions and it was salvation. I had some recently and it did not disappoint. Like several entries on this list, it's Irish and buying Irish is something we should all be doing as much of as possible. (Even if you're from elsewhere - it all helps!) You can buy gifts of a selection of their 23 different flavours and they're all great. I actually can't say enough good things about this brand. Prices start at just 4.60e.

MY GOD. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

A little lemonaid for making the perfect Lorina substitute!

So, as with makeup, I feel a little bit like a fraud giving anyone advice on cooking/recipes/whatever. However, this is a thing I made and made well. You need not heed my advice but I'll leave it here just in case.

Ingredients

2.5 cups lemon juice

2.5 cups sugar

1 cup cranberry juice

1 cup sparkling water

1. Juice enough lemons for two and a half cups worth.

2. Bring sugar and one cup of tap water to boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool.

3. Add lemons, cranberry juice and sparkling water. It's genuinely that simple!

Serve with cute cupcakes as below or bottle and add a ribbon for a cute gift! The lemonade should survive pretty well for a few days if refrigerated. 

A touch of NYC even though I can barely see...

Oh, the hayfever is bad. Very, very bad. I can barely open my eyes, they're so poofy. After getting up, ready for a day where I might even do something constructive, it hit me like a brick flung by an angry hick. Gone were any ideas of doing something and so began a Sex and the City binge. Which lead to a Carrie influence in my outfit of the day. The shoes I originally wore are much higher and much more Carrie but I had enough pain in my eyes and throat and said "Screw it" to the shoes. The dress - vintage - is kind of fifties-like and very adorable, I mixed it with elements one might not automatically match; oversize jumper, Betsey Johnson pale pink tights and an amazing, colourful bag. The all-over-the-place-ness made me think of Carrie and it was a playful outfit for smiling and the summer (despite the fact that the summer is trying to kill me). Mam took me comfort food shopping and we hit five different supermarkets. I'm not even sure what we bought...The cakes I got didn't survive to see the camera or tell their story but my pink lemonade is still hanging in there! Despite everything else, today is a good day. My pseudo-sibling, Paula, is having her 18th birthday party tonight (which is disturbing because that means my little bro and sis are nearly 18 too) and my oldest and wisest of best friends, Bev-Wev, turns 21. Celebrations of a very indoor related kind x

Dress - Vintage - Jumper - Vintage - Earrings - Betsey Johnson - Tights - Betsey Johnson - Shoes - Topshop - Bag - Boutique in Carlow - Gunmetal bracelet - Topman - Twisted bracelet - Boutique in Spain - Bangles - Assorted - Belt - Penney's