Getting in the mood....

.....for Christmas!!

Ciaran is off playing squash so I am watching "The Holiday" - I love this movie!  It's got 2 love stories and it is set at Christmas......what's not to love?!

I have to watch it on my own because Ciaran doesn't entertain Christmas songs or films for another few weeks!  Me, I'd watch Christmas films all year long if I could.... ;-) 

Oh btw, The Holiday is a bit of a tear jerker too, but sure you can't go wrong with that.

Open House!

We have a lot of exciting events taking place in the house in the next few weeks.  In two weeks we have a photographer from a UK magazine visiting to take photos of the house.  Exciting!!!  
Ciaran, myself and the dog will also be featured!  

Then in December we are holding an Open House event.  This is being organised through Ciaran's Architectural Practise.  If you are based in Ireland and would like to attend, click here

Organising all of the above is certainly going to keep us fully occupied for the next while!

Malbec!

I had my sister and best friend over for dinner the other night.  It was a lot of fun and really great to catch up.  

My twin sister brought a beautiful malbec with her which between the two of us we had no problem polished off - it was delicious.  Amy has been on a big malbec buzz since she was at a recent wine tasting event and she picked up a couple of bottles.  I had got a few nice bottles of wine at the annual French Wine Sale Event in Superquinn but Amy turned her nose up at them.  It's all about the malbec with her!    ;-) 

We ordered a Thai meal from Diep.  Wow, it was amazing.  Their green curry is fantastic!

And then we took a dip in the hot tub.  We are going through a cold snap in Ireland with a polar air front over the country.  Personally I think this is the best time to go in the out door hot tub.  The colder it gets the better the warm water feels.  I can't wait to get into it when there is snow on ground!

                                   Here's Amy & Alice

                                    and Amy & I

Rathmines/Ranelagh

A lot of people have asked about the area I live in and what it is like.  I live in the village of Ranelagh which is in between Donnybrook and Rathmines.  I went for a walk with the dog this morning and took some pictures of some of the stores and restaurants in Rathmines and the surrounding area.

Hope you enjoy looking at the pics!

"The Farm" Organic Restaurant in Donnybrook.  Ciaran ate breakfast here the weekend that I went to Belfast, he said the food was excellent.  They give you lovely purple blankets to wrap yourself in if you are cold when eating outside.

                      Flower Shop on Mespill Road, Dublin 4

                           
               The old Rathmines Town Hall - now houses a college

The Post Office in Rathmines, 1934

Roddy Boland Pub

Zen Chinese Restaurant

                         Connollys Fish - they sell scallops! Yum!  
I also like their sign on the street "Do you get it twice a week?" 

 Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society (est. 1913) - in an old National School that has a girl's entrance to the left and a boy's entrance to the right.

The Swan Shopping Centre (or Mall if you are from USA!)

This is possibly the tiniest shopping centre I have ever been in.  It has a small 3 screen cinema, a Dunnes Stores, a Kylemore Cafe, House of Tea and a few little gift shops - and that is it!!!  Well maybe it has a hairdressers and a few boutiques also. 

I also found a "Fothergills" Deli up at the top of Rathmines (but I forgot to take a photo).  There was one of these close to our last house and I loved to buy their home made desserts and fresh pate and hummus.  I need to pay a visit there and see what lovely stock they have over this side of the city.  

Wardrobes!

Check out my new wardrobes!

Over 3 metres tall, floor to ceiling!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Raining very heavily here in Dublin at the moment.  The forecast is that it will clear up late on.  I always like if it stays dry when the little kids are out trick or treating and they stay nice and warm but then I love when it starts to pour rain after that - this obviously quenches the dangerous unofficial bonfires that are planned in different areas of the city.  Last year I read that clean up costs for Dublin South Parks was over €200,000 for the damage caused by bonfires :-( 

Have a safe Halloween folks and remember to take care when handling fireworks!!

Hot tub is open!

The hot tub is open for business!  

Finally!  

The Hot Tub company sent up two guys to replace some parts yesterday.  They drove 2 hours from Cork.  I thought they would be in and out in an hour but they were at it all day.  I think they had to practically rebuild the Hot Tub operator.  They left at 5pm and the hot tub began to heat.

This morning, I got a text from Ciaran who is in Belfast to check if it was warm.  I dipped my foot in and it was so nice that I promptly hopped in and sent him a text of the steam rising!

It was -1 degree celcus last night, so today is perfect weather for hot tubbing in the garden.

Here's my twin sister and I enjoying cocktails in the hot tub!

The view from the hot tub - what a beautiful sky!