Finished. Finally.

And so, another college year is over. It all ended last night with an exhibition of our final project. You can see a part of mine above. I also wrote a bit about it here. I shot portraits of the most influential women in my life, asked each of them what the most important or valuable thing they learned was and then I made it all into a zine. It was printed by The Newspaper Club and seeing the finished product delivered to my door made my week, it is so so beautiful and felt so real.

A part of my own essay and some photographs from the project were featured on the Optiko blog this week too.

I am feeling pretty exhausted today but it’s a mighty nice feeling being on summer holidays…especially as the sun is actually shining today! I have no immediate plans except relaxing and eating and watching lots of my newest (old) addiction.

Happy Friday folks, I hope you have a lovely weekend :) 

xoxo

Shiny and Sparkly and Diamondy

Aoife & Gary are engaged!

To say that my heart is full up of love after this weekend is an understatement. I could not be any happier for my beautiful sister…it is such a treat to see her so excited and full of the most wonderful kind of anticipation. G-Dawg did so well and took her away to a lovely hill by the sea and a fancy hotel and they managed to keep it a secret for over 24 hours! Although I must admit I totally knew it was going to happen and all day on Saturday I was on edge…every text message, phone call and ring of the doorbell had my heart leaping out of my chest. She is a cruel sister for making me wait like that all weekend but I didn’t dare ask her.

Congratulations sister and soon to be brother-in-law! xoxo

Happy Birthday Richard!

It’s crazy to think that this day four years ago I was wrapping up a CD for your first birthday that we were together. Four years? That is a long time friend, we have grown and changed and travelled and danced, ate lots of good food and kissed a ton in those four years.  I am so proud of you, thank you for being my boyfriend, I really love you. Happy Birthday. xo 

Four More Years

Yes, indeed. I think I’d like that. I think he agrees too. 

One of my favourites, of which I realise now there are very few. I had to go back to early 2012 to find a photograph (not taken on my iphone with an arm in the way!) of the two of us. This is a polaroid from my birthday last September. Maybe this year we will try and take more photos together. They always make me smile.

I love that I get to navigate along in this world with someone standing beside me, someone who I am honoured to be friends with, proud to support and unbelievably thankful that I get to love. xo



PS…this time 3 years ago. 

Happy Birthday (little) brother!

 Happy Birthday to my littlest AND tallest brother! You are one seriously handsome (or so you keep telling me anyway) pain in the ass and I love you!

PS I can’t wait to try the beer you’ll brew with your new home-brew kit. xo

Moving Out/Moving Home

Last night Richard and I moved back home after nearly a month of housesitting for my cousin and her new husband. To say we were sad to leave is an understatement. What didn’t help matters were (in no particular order) being locked out, lashing rain, very heavy bags of shopping, Richard’s car battery AND phone battery both dying at the same time, not having enough money in my bank account, counting coins in Dunnes AND a pizza dropped on the floor (destroying it!) when I was at my hungriest. It was laughable. Well today anyway, last night…not so funny.
I will definitely look back on this time, the first time we lived together properly, fondly. Living amongst the red brick buildings, leafy streets and old but beautiful shop signs of Dublin was a joy. I heard a woman say to her friend that they were visiting her friends in ‘the burbs’ the following day and realised that that‘s where I live now. That’s where I have always lived. Given the chance I would definitely jump to live somewhere more central again. There’s always something going on in town and you never have far to go.
Thanks Katie & Ado for having us be your pretend ‘tenants’ for a month. We enjoyed (almost ;) every minute of it! xo 

On differences

  I like bikes. I do. They’re cool. But, I kind of find cycling pretty scary. All those cars whizzing past and me on my two little white wheels? I need to man up.
I like cars too. I mean they get you from A to B. They’re comfortable. They smell nice usually. They carry all your stuff. I don’t quite like doing the actual driving just yet. Learning takes away the enjoyment. But I like being driven around. I like Valerie, she’s a nice car. Messed up enough to be relatable but reliable enough to be loved. I like being the car’s resident DJ and looking at the dogs and people as we fly by. What I really don’t like is when she breaks down. I have no patience. I like when the car goes and Richard drives and we all get where we wanted to be. I don’t like sitting, waiting and pretending to be patient while things go awry. But Richard? He loves that shit. For the most part anyway. He loves spending time fixing and cleaning and working it all out. I just think it’s boring. But I listen and watch and try to be patient, ’cause that’s what good girlfriends do right?

PS That’s us, in traffic, reflected in a window…world’s tallest bike on top of world’s smalled car. 

Love Love Love

 My beautiful cousin married her beautiful husband in a beautiful church on a beautiful day in Dublin on the second last Saturday of September.  The day was stunning. The ceremony was poignant and one of my aunts welled up as Katie walked down the aisle. I had butterflies, I couldn’t help but feel so nervous and SO excited for herself and Ado. As her mother, my aunt, Anne read a blessing for the couple I myself had tears in my eyes. Love is seriously the best.
We came out of the church to blinding sunshine and happy faces. There were drinks and there was food and there was definitely dancing. But most importantly there was so much joy. Katie was floating all day long. The speeches were gorgeous. I could not help but think of how one day it will be me up there speaking as my sister gets married, or my brother or myself. That’s cool. That’s love. Katie & Ado I wish you all the love in the world as you being this exciting new adventure. xo

Wedding

My beautiful cousin Katie and her fiancé Ado are getting married next month. I was lucky enough to be granted the task of making their wedding invitations. While I have made wedding invitations and other freelance works for both people I know and people I don’t, each new job comes with its own challenges and apprehensions. Especially when it is family, family can get awkward sometimes can’t it?

Well, I needn’t have been worried at all. After an initial brainstorming session with the lovely couple (which was hilarious, we laughed our way through a hundred or so ridiculous ideas), I got to work on a few different concepts and then Katie & I sent each other a million or so emails…which resulted in the above final project.

Katie & Adrian couldn’t be happier. Over a hundred people received something I designed (and loved it, apparently!) so I couldn’t be happier.

I am excited to do more work like this, are you getting married any time soon?

day dates are for oldies (but we don’t care)

 Before Richard left for scout camp (he’s home now! and still alive! yay!) we had, hands down, the best date we’ve gone on in ages. We drove towards the sea and headed up Killiney hill before wandering down to White Rock where we saw hundreds of jellyfish (the non-stinging kind) washed ashore and in the sea. It was crazy! Then as we walked back up over the hill the clouds started to creep in closer. They had gotten dark and looked fit to burst. We were minutes from the car when the heavens opened and set about drowning everyone out and about without a coat (or tights!). We ran through the mud and made it before we were drenched. We got to Richard’s house a few minutes later driving on dry roads; the shower, it turned out, had been very, very local. After hanging out for a little while watching the dog try and eat the hose we went down to Dun Laoghaire Market for falafel wraps, an impromptu classic car show and sweet crepes with a side of frozen yogurt for dessert. We were full and warm and happy. The best way to be if you ask me.

yesterday

Richard “I don't really like Valentine's day. Can we just have Clío and Richard day?”

Me “OK” 

We didn't do anything special, I made Richard a disaster-pie (as in it was kind of a disaster) and he got me flowers, a city guide to Berlin AND a t-shirt with Elmo on it. Then we all got Thai food and watched the proposal special of Don't Tell the Bride  followed by Suits.

(It’s not every day where one gets flowers like that though!)

v-day

until tomorrow lovelies, xxx

source

I'm not a big fan of Valentine's day. 

I'm a BIG fan of love. Obviously.

I don't go out for all that chocolate and teddy bears and ridiculously priced restaurants etc. 

But I believe in saying 'I love you'. 

A Lot.

On the 14th and on any other day for that matter.

{What better way to say I love you than in a lovely card?}

Do you send Valentine's cards? 

Or any other cards for that matter?

I'd love to know :)

P.S Valentines cards available here AND here AND here AND also here! Or direct from me xx

Lovely People on New Years Eve

I love my friends.

lovely people at Christmas

they keep calling me back for more

It's love. Always has been. Always will be.

Dunst as Marie Antoinette and Tim Walker in Bed (in case you didn't already know).

 For some peculiar reason

All I want to do right now is 

Run nowhere with wild abandon.

best buds

                           This is Lily.                                                                    This is Richard

They are the best of friends.

Sometimes it makes me jealous. She is my dog afterall.

But mostly it makes me smile.

reasons for not blogging:1

too busy making owls get married.

(it's a hard life I lead)

Round One

 

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