Eileen Gray

We visited IMMA last night to view the retrospective of Eileen Gray, designer of E1027

Architect Fiona O'Herlihy gave a talk about the work of Gray - Here's the blurb: Architect’s Response | Ruth O’Herlihy

Thursday 17 October, 7.00 – 8.00pm, Galleries, IMMA
Eileen Gray regularly commented on how her Enniscorthy family home was the genesis for her architectural and design practice. As a frame of reference to discuss her retrospective exhibition Ruth O’Herlihy (Architect, Teacher, Director of McCullough Mulvin) reflects on domestic contexts, juxtapositions and the associated memories of spaces that act as a catalyst for her built work and ideas, coming from a rich architectural family context. Please note exhibition fee applies for gallery talks on the exhibition Eileen Gray Architect Designer Painter.

While O'Herlihy's talk was quite interesting I got the feeling that Eileen Gray and her work was not something that she was influenced by.  

I also am not convinced by her statement that Gray was a "good architect but not a great architect".

Here's a few pics of some of the furniture pieces designed by Eileen Grey.  The side table pictured is hugely iconic.

This piece was designed for and built in to E1027.

A drinks trolley designed by Gray

The retrospective in IMMA is on until early 2014 and I urge you to visit.  There is also the permanent Eileen Gray Exhibition in Collins Barracks Museum.  I visited this a few years ago and thought it was quite brilliant!

KTribe Lamp

We got a new floor lamp from Patrick in ShadowLight

It's the KTribe designed by Phillipe Starck and it is gorgeous!

It has a stainless steel frame with a bronze lampshade.  

Patrick had given us a loan of a show lamp for the House Beautiful shoot nearly a year ago - Ciaran thought it was so nice that he decided to order it.  Delivery time was not too bad, he ordered it about 4 weeks ago.  It looks great in situ by our brown leather armchair.

For more great pics of lights in our house click here

Baileys...

As if Bailey's was not luscious enough!!!

I just saw this ad for the new "Bailey's Chocolate Lux".  It is Real Belgian Chocolate mixed with Bailey's Irish Cream.  I like the sound of that.....a lot!!

My shopping haul

I met my mother during my lunch break today and we swept through TK Maxx and the Gap Outlet in Blanchardstown.

These boots are great - perfect for wearing with skinny jeans or even with a skirt.

I love these boots too!  They are really comfortable and the leather is really good.

They are by Earth Spirit and are biodegradable!

In Gap I got this Navy Cardigan and pink vest.  The cardigan is really light and practically see through.

I also got 3 pairs of trousers in Gap.  There was a great sale on cords - only 25 euro!  I bought a wine pair and a dark brown pair.

The other trousers I got are these black chinos - or as Gap calls them "Jeanos"!!

Final item was this black cardigan - a total bargain at 9 euro!!

Sunday Family Time

Met my two sisters and Mother in town today.  My younger sister travelled from Athlone (where she lives and work after recently graduating) to meet us.  After browsing in TK Maxx, Mam treated us all to a Chinese meal.  It was lovely food and great to take our time over and chat.

I walked home through St Stephens Green (a park in the centre of the city) which looked so nice.  I particularly liked these beds of tall wild flowers.  These beds are completely unlike the tidy well manicured beds to the centre of the park.

Above is a family feeding the ducks

A very pretty Autumn Scene

Girl's night out

Yesterday was a fun day.  I took the train from Pearce Station to my sisters house.i

I passed the now called Navan Road Parkway.  It was previously called Phoenix Park but was changed due to complaints from tourists getting off at this stop and finding themselves a long distance from the Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo!  It was a tad misleading.

Amy served up a fantastic spread of lasagne, salad & coleslaw with rosemary potatoes and crinkle cut chips. Amy and I drank a Chilean Red while Alice drank white wine.

Drinks were served from Amy's upcycled bar which she did herself!!

After dinner & drinks we went in to the city.  We had tickets for "Maeve's House" which was written and performed by Eamon Morrissey.  It was an excellent play about the writer Maeve Brennan of the New Yorker - she being the "Long Winded Woman".  

All three of us thought the play was excellent, we really enjoyed it.

Alice and I above.  Amy and Alice below.

After the play we went on to the Vintage Cocktail Club on Crown Alley, Temple Bar.  This is another speakeasy-esque place, hidden away and hard to find.  We only found it because some girl heard us looking for it and called out to us and directed us to the dark small doorway.

We all ordered cocktails including our cousin Kasey and her friend Sam who we met in the VCC. Alice ordered a "Mary Pickford" and Amy had a rum based drink with molasses in it.  Alice and Any swapped cocktails!

My glass was greatly admired.  I had "The Chaser" which was Marmalade Vodka based.

Next bar was Amy's pick - a good choice of Dakota in South William Street.  We got a great big booth!

Another bar and another change of scene - this time to the very classy "Davy Byrnes" which I think features in James Joyce's Ulysses!

And after this it was home time!  Amy and Alice to the train with Amy's husband.  Me into a taxi for the short ride home.  But not home time for Kasey and Sam they stayed in town to continue the adventure....

Retain this!

About a week ago I was able to pick up my new retainers.  Wow what a difference!

My old retainers were the more traditional style with the metal bar and plate.  Look at the state of them - Eeeek!

My new retainers are far more sleek and seem more like a tooth guard.  They came in a cute pink box!

They are barely visible when wearing them

I generally find it difficult to sleep when not wearing my retainers so I worried that it would take me a few nights to get used to my new retainers.  It didn't!  I slept soundly the first night I put them in.  

I go back to the orthodontist in a few weeks to check that they are working out ok.  They seem fine so I wonder should I just give this a miss.

My new ortho now has my teeth on file so if I lose, break or want new retainers he will be able to make them up for me with ease!