Page 54 – From China Village

Four Festive Dublin Pop Up Shops for Christmas

November 25, 2013

I know we still have Thanksgiving to celebrate this week, but I have to take a minute to tell you about a whole bunch of festive pop up shops happening in Dublin in the coming weeks. I’ve been trying to restrain myself from jumping head first into Christmas, but it’s very difficult when the sparkly decorations are up all over town and all these fun shops are filled with festive goodies. It certainly makes Christmas shopping very easy. So here’s what’s going on around town!

Christmas on the Square

This Saturday, December 1st, the second annual Merrion Square pop up shop will be taking place in Number 45 Merrion Square. The lovely ladies of the Irish Design Shop have curated a collection of products from leading Irish designers and artisan food producers and they’re setting up shop in a gorgeous old Georgian building. I’m especially looking forward to picking up some of their specially designed Christmas cards (above right). They’re so bright and cheery!

Makers & Brothers & Others Tiny Department Store

Last week, I had the chance to visit the Makers & Brothers & Others Tiny Department Store at 5 Dame Lane and it’s such a beautiful space. True to the Makers & Brothers style, it’s very spare and utilitarian, but also utterly gorgeous. Wildflour Kate has a selection delicious treats which go perfectly with a hot cup of 3FE coffee. There are even tables where you can rest your weary feet before browsing the pretty things on the shelves. It’s open every day until December 24th.

Wishlist at the RHA

From December 3rd – 20th, the Irish Design Shop space in the Royal Hibernian Gallery is going to be turned into a pop up called Wishlist. Isn’t that the best name for a Christmas pop up? So festive! Jenny Walsh and Merle O’Grady are curating it, and it’s going to be chock full of stunning Irish designed products – perfect for everyone on your Christmas list!

Industry Christmas Pop Up Shop

Industry, the Temple Bar shop that sells great industrial design products, has a pop up shop on Drury Street for the month of December. The fun news is that after Christmas, the pop up will pop down for a few months, and then come back as a permanent shop/wine bar/cafe in the same space!

Happy Christmas shopping!

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A Creative Layover in Dublin

November 21, 2013

Last spring, my friend Anne, who writes the wonderful travel/Paris/design blog Pret a Voyager, finally caved to my not-so-subtle hinting that she should come over to Dublin. Anne and I met at the Hive Conference in Berlin a year and a half ago, and we kept in touch, Skyping and emailing back and forth. At the end of almost every email, I suggested she zip over to Dublin at some point, since she had never been, and she eventually did!

Anne is actually the person who introduced me to Vayable, the company through which I give my walking tours of Dublin. So it was especially fun to give her a combination of my Dublin Like a Local tour and my Made in Dublin tour. It was also a little nerve-wracking since Anne gives Vayable tours in her adopted home of Paris!

Anne had booked a long layover in Dublin (I didn’t even know this was possible!) on her way from New York back to Paris, so she had nine hours to spend in Dublin. Of course, that’s about three times as long as my usual walking tours, so we were able to pack lots in. She wrote a really fun summary of our nine hour tour of Dublin on her website. We managed to cover lots of ground – the Chester Beatty Library rooftop garden, the Glenisk yogurt pop-up shop, the Irish Design Shop, the Design Tower, and so much more. It’s a good thing she’s really used to walking!

It was so lovely to have a friend in town to show off my adopted city to, but it was even more wonderful to know that Anne left with a very different impression of Dublin than she had when she arrived, which is always my goal with my tours and with my friends! Thanks so much, Anne, for visiting! Come back again soon!

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Re-entry

November 20, 2013

Re-entry into Ireland is kicking my behind at the moment! Every single time I come back from a trip to America I forget exactly how miserable the jet lag is coming in this direction. Going to America is awesome. You wake up really early and feel amazingly productive until you fall asleep mid-sentence around 9:30pm. This direction, it means waking up every morning, not even that early, whining while Michael practically has to drag me out of bed. And it means lying awake until 3am willing myself to fall asleep.

We have a friend who swears by the jet-lag busting remedy of staying awake from the morning you arrive until you can’t keep your eyes open that evening. He says that cures it, but I’ve never been able to keep myself from crawling into bed as soon as I get home. This time was no different. I arrived at 4:40am and promptly conked out until noon, which I think was my big mistake and I’m paying for it now.

We have a lot of other friends who say it takes at least a week to get over the jet-lag coming east. It certainly doesn’t help that it’s so dark until 8am and the sun sets so darn early in the evening! Thank goodness it’s Wednesday already!

Do any of you amazing travelers have any tips for getting over jet-lag or do I just have to wait it out? I fear I’ll be checking your suggestions at 3am tonight!

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Lifestyle Blogger Meetup / Super Sponsors

November 19, 2013

A few weeks back at our Lifestyle Blogger Meetup at Peperina, I mentioned we had the sweetest goodie bags. I picked up some white bags and printed some autumn leaves on each one – just to make them extra festive. Then, I went about filling them with the incredible work of our generous sponsors. I’m excited to introduce you to those talented Dublin folks today!

Rachel Corcoran Illustration & Design First up, Rachel Corcoran’s delightful prints. Rachel’s Etsy shop has these inspiring graphic prints, as well as really lovely illustrations. She also does custom illustrations which would make lovely Christmas gifts.

Mayfly Handmade Curiosities and Accoutrements

Mayfly is a shop in Temple Bar (they also have an online shop that’s very thorough) that is simply packed with Irish designed accessories, hats, jewellery and a little furniture. They sell lots of Irish designed pieces I’ve spoken about before (remember Jenny Walsh’s cute clocks?), like Chupi jewellery and Stickman furniture. It’s one of those shops that has something for everyone on your Christmas list!

Nikki Doyle // Ceri Rua

I mentioned that Nikki Doyle came to give us a little craft tutorial, and she also filled our goodie bags with paper and glitter from Daintree Paper. Nikki just started her own blog! It’s sweet and colourful and I think you’ll just love it.

LemonKind

One of our fellow bloggers, Emily of Lemon Yellow Journal, just opened a shop called Lemon Kind that is filled with so many pretty things at really reasonable prices. Those gorgeous scissor? Only €11! She also has a whole range of Rifle Paper Company cards for the holidays!

Giant thanks to all our sponsors for helping make our lifestyle blogger meetup such a wonderful success! If you’d like to be involved as a sponsor of our next meetup early in 2014, please let me know!

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Happy Friday and a Blog Survey

November 15, 2013

Hello, friends! I’m spending today trying not to get too sad while I say goodbye to my family in Maine. I’ll be flying back to Dublin overnight and though I’m sad to go (it’s hard knowing I’m missing both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year), I’m excited to see Michael after two weeks away from him. And I’m excited to see the chickens and have fresh eggs every day!

Today I have an extra favor to ask you. I’ve put together a really short, simple, and anonymous survey about your experience reading From China Village. Would you mind filling it out? I’d love to get a sense of what you like and don’t like, so I can take that into account when I’m planning out the next few months. Thank you in advance!

And now, some fun links for your Friday. Happy weekend!

Cheesy Italian winter squash bake – yum!

Simple lunch salad with quinoa, kale and avocado. Also yum!

The cutest DIY pom pom gloves!

Cranberry cake with hot butter sauce – perfect for both upcoming holidays!

How to make a DIY lucite tray. Plug in the power tools!

I received this origami bead necklace as an early birthday present – it’s so sweet!

It’s too early to decorate for Christmas, but I’m allowing myself freedom to get festive on Pinterest!

Happy weekend, friends!

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30 Before 30 // Update #2

November 14, 2013

Today, another update on my 30 Before 30 photo series – for those of you, like my husband, who are stubborn and refuse to get on board with Instagram! As the days go by, the lessons apparently keep getting longer! And here’s update #1 in case you missed it!

Day 9: In my 20’s I learned how much I love and need to write. Because of my blog, I learned how to process and think and analyze through writing, and I learned what it feels like when nothing else will calm your whirring brain except putting words to paper and fingers to keyboard. And good grief, am I ever grateful to both my parents for instilling in me their love of words and proper grammar and a well crafted sentence from an early age. What a giant gift.

Day 10: In my 20’s I learned when to stop talking. High school and college taught me to pipe up with any old idea that might be relevant. Being the youngest member of all my presidential advance teams (too young to rent the rental cars in my motorcades, in fact) taught me to hold my tongue and make sure what I’m offering is the best I can give at the best possible moment. In an age of constant noise, it’s an invaluable lesson I try to remember.

Day 11: In my 20’s I learned how to make girlfriends. Until college, I never had close girlfriends and it bothered me. I knew something was missing. In my 20’s I worked on making and appreciating girlfriends. It’s not instant and it’s not always easy, but it’s a giant help in coping with the outside world (and sometimes in coping with husbands ;).

Day 13: In my 20’s I learned that I am not suited to sit at a desk 9-5, 5 days a week. I set a goal 2 years ago to get out of my desk job and 10 months later it became a reality. It is a constant hustle but I LOVE it. I work harder and longer than I have since my political campaign days but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Day 14: In my 20’s I learned that it is entirely possible to keep a kitten in your dorm room. Pretty sure this and skinny dipping in the pool at 3am one night were the only rules I broke in college. Also, sorry to my roommates. I think they just about tolerated Ginger. Outside of our room they had a code name for her: The Goldfish. Now she lives at the country house, aka my parents’ China Village house.

Day 15: In my 20’s I learned that just because you’ve lost a battle doesn’t mean you’ve lost the war or that you will always lose the battle. It was one of the hardest things to learn when I got married. Losing an argument doesn’t mean anything other than losing an argument. I’m still smart and good enough and we are still equal. The slate is always wiped clean for next time. And sometimes losing an argument means you learn something you needed to learn.

Day 16: In my 20’s I learned that no one gets to walk exactly the path they thought they would. Wise words from one of my oldest and best friends, who has dealt with obstacles and tough decisions with incredible grace and strength. Our paths have been different than we imagined when we became friends at 18, and both have included disappointments and adjustments, but she’s still teaching me about putting one foot in front of the other when we are faced with those tough seasons. Thanks, Beck.

Day 17: In my 20’s I learned that life is made up of seasons that come and go, wax and wane. For someone who has never liked change, it has been both difficult and freeing to learn this lesson. As much as I usually want it to, everything cannot stay the same forever. But this is an especially encouraging reminder when the current season is particularly hard. Good or bad, this too shall pass.

Thanks for following along!

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How to Make an Autumn Foraged Bouquet

November 13, 2013

I was driving into town from my parents’ house a few days ago. The sun was shining and I kept seeing flashes of red and orange on the side of the road. I returned home with a brilliant idea – to forage myself an autumn bouquet! It was extremely simple and very adaptable to most climates. I’m not totally sure Arizona will have much autumn foliage to work with, but if that’s you, just make one from bougainvillea and we’ll call it even!

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own: a beautiful vessel for your arrangement, a chunk of floral foam, and all the branches, leaves and berries you can find by the side of the road or in your back yard. Or your back forty, if you happen to be in rural Maine.

sumac autumn bouquet autumn bouquet berries I had great hopes for an afternoon autumn walk in our back woods, but it’s hunting season in Maine, so I thought I’d play it safe and scavenge from the side of the road. The other thing to keep in mind, try to take only what you need. We don’t need to clear out the woods in the name of bouquets.

autumn foraged bouquet autumn foraged bouquet 5 I ended up with red oak branches, bittersweet berries, sumac blossoms, a cat tail, a sprig of pine and one of hemlock, some gone-by goldenrod, and an unidentifiable crab apple/plum branch thing.

autumn foraged bouquet 3 Cut your floral foam to match the size of your vase, and add water to cover it. Then start with your largest branches/blooms. I like to keep things a little asymmetrical and not too evenly spaced. Work your way down to smaller branches, and work your way around the vase making sure there aren’t any gaping holes. The floral foam is really critical because branches are heavy and don’t like to stay in a vase like this without a little leverage. Try to keep an eye on the height of the overall arrangement relative to the vessel, and fill in with smaller branches or leaves. Add a few sprigs of the contrasting color like the pine or hemlock to finish it off.

autumn foraged bouquet 2 I added a little green because this bouquet will last a while and can easily transition into the Christmas season.

autumn bouquet plums

It’s not perfect, but it’s natural and festive for the late autumn season!

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Autumn Bouquet Foraging / A Preview

November 12, 2013

Last week, I dragged my dad out for a little side-of-the-road foraging expedition. He snapped a few photos of me – caught in the act! Caption contest? I was definitely saying look! berries!

It’s hunting season in Maine, so I wasn’t allowed to get too far into the woods without wearing orange. But I still managed to find lots of colorful branches for my bouquet!

Come back soon to see what my foraging turned into!

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Celebrating 5 Years in Dublin

November 11, 2013

Today, although I’m still in Maine for another week, I’m celebrating having lived in Ireland for five years. FIVE. Since I’m turning thirty later this month, that also means I’ve lived in Ireland for 1/6th of my life, which feels like a fairly significant fraction. Part of me can’t believe it, and part of me feels like I’ve lived in Dublin for an eternity. But, thankfully, a happy eternity.

Last year, I celebrated the anniversary with a week of posts about an Irish institution – tea, and the year before I wrote a lot about adjusting to living in Dublin. This year, I just want to stop and take a minute to express my gratitude for this space. If there’s one thing that has made the last few years full, happy, and an enormous learning experience, it’s From China Village and the readers who choose to come here every day. (Or every Friday, as my mom and a few close friends like to do!)

Whenever I’m asked about my blog, I explain that I started it when I first moved to Ireland to let my friends and family back home know I was okay. I wanted them to be able to picture where we lived and what our lives were like. Little did I know that From China Village would be a name that’s now known around the world, whether they quite understand the reference or not! My time here has connected me to so many people from my past – many of them from China Village! – and have led to many rekindled friendships as well as wonderful new relationships, both personally and professionally.

My writing on From China Village has also led to me really working on my skills as a writer, which is something that I’m incredibly proud of and grateful for. It gives me such freedom and release to be able to write about what I want, when I want. Because of that freedom, I can practice my writing without it feeling like I’m practicing my writing. There is no feeling of chore in writing a post for my blog.

That practice has also led to creating and realizing the dream of writing and creating full time. I love telling people what I do: I am a freelance writer and blogger. It may change, but at this very moment, it suits me. It’s a large umbrella that captures the range of projects I do every day and every week, and one that gives me almost no boundaries. If I’m interested in a topic or an idea, I can write about it, either here or somewhere else. It keeps my mind ticking constantly, in the most comforting and therapeutic of ways.

Finally, I give giant credit to this space for continuing to help me learn and grow, years after moving to Dublin and starting a career as a freelance writer. I now realize how much writing helps me process new ideas, helps me come up with solutions to problems, and helps me figure out who I am and what I believe. The fact that I have a generous, kind, warm-hearted group of readers to share those words with means so much to me. I know some of you, but those of you I don’t, I do know you’re there. I feel your spirit and I appreciate that you keep coming back here, even if you don’t say a word.

So, on the 5th anniversary of my moving to Dublin, thank you for being here. Thank you for reading, commenting, tweeting, pinning and Facebooking. You make this place what it is, which is one of my favorite things in all my 30 years.

And that, my friends, is exactly what I wanted to say on my five year anniversary of living in Dublin. Here’s to another five!

{That photo isn’t the most flattering one I’ve taken, but it’s one of my happiest moments in Ireland lately. Also, it reminded me of how windblown my arrival in Dublin was five years ago.}

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How to Make Fake Apple Cider / For Ex-Pats and Other Seasons

November 8, 2013

I’m still in Maine, so there’s a big jug of real apple cider in the fridge. I’ve been sipping cold cups of it with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s one of my favorite things and always on the list of things I request when I come home anywhere near autumn because it’s impossible to find in Ireland. There’s alcoholic, fermented cider, but that is not the same thing. In fact, it’s even a little difficult to explain to Irish people what exactly I’m talking about when I say real apple cider. I mean the pressed kind that comes from the apple farm only in autumn.

Because it’s one of my favorite things, I’ve figured out a way to fake it when I’m not in Maine for the season, and it’s really very yummy! It totally satisfies my craving for that autumn, cider flavour, although it is not very delicious cold. This is a hot drink, and very like mulled apple cider. An added bonus? It fills your whole house with the most delicious smell. I made it a few weeks ago when we were back in Dublin and Michael walked in the house half way through brewing it and exclaimed, “It smells like…autumn!”

Exactly! It smells and tastes like autumn and it’s really simple to make.

Here’s what you do. Find the cloudiest apple juice you can. It also works with the cheap, concentrated stuff, but the cloudy apple juice works best. Pour the juice into a pot and turn it up to medium heat. Add two cinnamon sticks, 12 whole cloves, 5 allspice berries and 2 star anise pods. Sometimes I use a few slices of orange if I want to mix it up as well.

Let the juice and spices come to a simmer and then turn down the heat to low. I usually leave it for about half an hour for the juice to totally take up the flavor from the spices. You can leave it for an hour or so if you want it to be very strong, but you’ll want to make sure you have enough apple juice in the pot because it will evaporate over time.

When you’re ready to serve the apple “cider”, strain the liquid from the spices and pour it into mugs. The spices will probably have some life left in them, so you can add some more apple juice and make a little more if you like!

I used a tea strainer that just happened to fit these sweet little glass mugs perfectly!

So there you go, fake apple cider for ex-pats and other seasons! Enjoy!

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