Friday Finds

July 20, 2012

Sunset in Howth, Ireland

And it’s here again! Happy Friday! This week flew by pretty quickly and I’m so glad. Michael comes home tomorrow after being gone for the bulk of three weeks! I missed him!

(Plus our sink is really leaking and I didn’t want to deal with it. Welcome home, babe!)

This weekend they’re forecasting dry weather.  Mind you, not warm at all. But dry. I’m not holding my breath. Saturday is full of a few projects and so is Monday, but Sunday I might just get a hike and a picnic. Or maybe it will be just like last Sunday, where we lit a fire in the fireplace and snuggled up for a movie. Who can predict these things?! (Certainly not the Irish meteorologists…)

And since we’re being unpredictable, here are a few somewhat random links for you to enjoy!

Incredible huge sketches with wire.

Paralympic inspiration.

Kindle prices versus bookstore prices.

Blueberry tartlets.

Yummy braided pesto bread.

And in case you’ve never noticed – FCV on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Have a happy weekend!

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Me, Elsewhere: Pretty Vacant on Poppytalk

July 19, 2012

Today I’m sharing a really cool initiative in Dublin – Pretty Vacant. They repurpose vacant buildings in Dublin for temporary art exhibitions. And this latest one is cool – a virtual gallery! See the full story here!

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DIY Diamond Polka Dot Pants

July 18, 2012

This pair of white pants had been languishing in my drawer for the last year or so. They had a few small spots (who on earth can keep white pants really white?!) and bleach makes me nervous, so I came up with a plan to reinvent them. Little pink diamond polka dots!

I laid them out flat on the living room floor, cut a diamond shaped stamp out of an eraser, and used fabric paint to print diamonds in diagonal rows about three inches apart.

Here are a few tips I picked up along the way:

Choose a really light shade of paint – everything looks darker on a white background.

You need more paint than you think. Not tons, but a bit more than you’d imagine – and most of that will be white!

Pair diamond pants with a neutral top so you don’t make everyone dizzy!

Special thanks to my darling friend Naomi for taking the photos! Isn’t my neighborhood pretty?

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The Marriage Reset Button

July 17, 2012

That’s a pretty happy (albeit blurry) photo of me and my darling husband on vacation last month. We look happy, and happy with each other. We were, generally, but a few months of stress was starting to take its toll. We had fallen into a pattern of joking a little too much, making sarcastic comments a little too often, and reacting with words that felt a little too strong.

Has that ever happened to you – in a marriage or in a relationship?

We decided to hit the reset button and get us back on the right track – the track of appreciating each other, speaking kindly to (and about!) each other, and assuming the best intentions from the other.

When I returned to Ireland and Michael stayed in America for another week, we played a little reset game. Each evening when we were going to bed, we’d email each other with our stories from the day and then include one thing we missed about the other.

It did just the trick.  In that short week of making a conscious effort to express our gratitude for each other, we set a new pattern in our marriage. We’re back on track – kinder, sweeter, and more appreciative. And by the end of the week, I really missed my husband! 

Do you have any tricks for resetting your relationships? I’d love to hear!

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Friday Finds

July 13, 2012

My dears. How happy are you that it’s Friday?!  I am beyond excited. I finally get to catch up on my life! I’m going to be spending the weekend getting a grip and visiting with my husband. He’s been in the gaeltacht in Dingle for the week, brushing up on his Irish, and he’ll be home for a few days before going back again next week.

I’m hoping for a few dates, a lot of lounging, and a little yard work. But he doesn’t know about that last part yet!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been feverishly planning and plotting a few projects that I can’t wait to share with you in the coming weeks. I think you’ll get a kick out of them! Fingers crossed we should be having a very exciting August here at FCV!

And now for your weekend links. Enjoy!

Chilly, wavy artwork.

Tie-dyed sheets.

Chili garlic sauce.

Paint chip animals.

 Not new, but still great.

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Truly Irish // Nine Design

July 12, 2012

I can’t remember how I stumbled upon this video, but I’m so glad I did. Paul Coyne is living the dream and I’m so happy for him. He articulated perfectly the gratitude I imagine working for yourself would create.

See Paul’s designs here.

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Garden Party 2012

July 11, 2012
{image from here}

It’s summer. The days are longer, the weather is milder, but the rain just keeps coming.

I’ve been mulling (again) the idea of a summer garden party but keep running into the obstacle of the incredibly unpredictable weather. Last year we managed to have a dry, somewhat warm evening in September, but this summer seems totally different. I have no faith that it won’t rain at any given moment – and I mean really, really drench you to your skivvies rain.

So when I saw this image last week, it struck a chord. Outdoor but indoor. Maybe that’s the solution! Now I’m on the hunt for a barn. Know of any in the Dublin area?

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Maine Exploring: Cellardoor Winery

July 10, 2012

Are you sick of me talking about America? Yes, me too. I’m nearly done, I swear. It’s just we did so much! That was one long, productive vacation! Bear with me, and Mainers, this one’s for you!

We had a parade of visitors from Ireland during our time in America, so I went looking for inspiration for the new spots to show them in my home state. I picked up a copy of Maine Magazine (great resource if you’re visiting, by the way) and saw an advertisement for Cellardoor Winery in Lincolnville. I’d never heard of it before, but when I visited their website and saw they offered guided tours and wine tastings, we hopped in the car.

Wine is by no means a typical Maine product – we’re known for lobsters and blueberries. That said, we were all pleasantly surprised by the Cellardoor Winery experience. Set in a refurbished 1790’s barn, the tasting room overlooks a pond, mountains, and the new vineyard that’s just ready to be harvested for the first time this year! They import their grapes from around the country, but can’t wait to start using Maine-grown grapes! Across the road sits the newly expanded winery, built in 2010. Things are going so well they’ve started expanding again and hope to double their production in the coming years.

Owner Bettina Doulton joined us in the tasting room after the tour and let us in on the story of Cellardoor Winery. She bought the winery in 2007 after a long career managing mutual funds with Fidelity Investments in Boston. When the winery went up for sale, she decided to make a change. She moved to Maine and started to learn the ins and outs of the wine business. Bettina hired a Maine couple who trained as vintners in Washington state, and built a large function space to accommodate cooking classes, private dinners and even a few weddings.

In the tasting room, you’re given a sheet with around twenty options and are asked to choose six to taste. Bettina explained they want you to learn more about your own preferences from the tasting, as well as obviously experience the range of Cellardoor wines. We were intrigued by the Clary Hill Blue, a blueberry wine made with local Maine blueberries. It didn’t taste at all like I anticipated. Make sure to try their dessert wine infused with 20% Maine maple syrup – so delicious!

I love this last photo – doesn’t it look like one of those fake backdrops they put behind you for your school picture? It’s so pretty it couldn’t be real!

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Things I Forgot I Missed: Ireland Edition

July 9, 2012

When I first returned to America last month, I wrote about the things I had forgotten I missed. But when I got back to Dublin after being away for nearly six weeks, I got the same feeling!

So here are five things I forgot I loved about Ireland, in no particular order.

1. Extra friendly drivers. When you let them squeeze into traffic in front of you and they flash you with their blinkers. It makes driving on the wrong side of the road a little sweeter.

2. Long evenings. It’s not even dark until well after ten!

3. Having the sea so close. That photo above is from Saturday night’s rollerblade along the coast – just around the corner from our house!

4. Whole milk. It just tastes different here and makes coffee way, way better.

5. Fewer options. Everywhere I turned in America, there were so many choices – at restaurants, the grocery store, you name it. So hard to choose!

It’s nice to appreciate being exactly where you are. Know what I mean?

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