Star of the Sea, a Good Read for Irish-Americans

This Christmas, I gave my Irish-American husband Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor. Like most people, his leisure reading time is limited, but when a book captures his interest it pulls him back at every spare moment to read. Star of the Sea did just that! Though it can by no means be considered a light read, he enjoyed it and the detail-rich experience that Irish would have had as famine era immigrants heading to America.

Post-Holiday Shopping

I usually avoid the crowded peak times of sales, but the sales themselves pull me in. I was up before Next opened at 7 a.m. this morning and got there while it was tame and my sizes were in stock. Then food to refuel before Debenham’s and Brown Thomas opened at 10 a.m.

Picked up quite a few things at all three stores, but only one was on my ‘to get’ list – a versatile black satin clutch (€3.50 from Next).

One thing I learned this year was that Brown Thomas is all about the handbags when they first open and to go to stores the week before to try things on to double-check each label’s sizing. Today, I picked up two pairs of Next jeans in the size and style of my other pair and they barely zip even though the others fit perfectly.

My shopping attire is something comfortable, warm (but in layers), and easy to take off for trying things on. Today was very icy out so I wore my all-weather boots which are easy to lace up and untie – though I often just push my jeans down over my shoes when trying on dresses to save time.

Worth reading on the subject… Great advice from The Glamourous Grad Student on How to Get the Most Out of January Sales.

Eat Locally, Shop Locally

Monday through Saturday, Corkonians have the opportunity to shop at The English Market. And as an added treat, some days there are festival markets or other local markets, like Mahon Point or Elizabeth Fort, to meet new favorites.

Foodbuzz Chose My Photo for Today’s Top 9

This morning, I awoke like most mornings. Well, not exactly since the sun was shining which is somewhat rare given it’s Ireland. But the blue skies put me in an instant good mood. Then I checked my email and saw that my photo of homemade Christmas cookies was chosen as #6 on Foodbuzz in today’s top 9. Quite thrilling to know that my photo was appreciated enough to choose.

More of my food photography is on Flickr.

Post-Christmas Shopping

The incessant beeping plucked me from my dreams into the dark of night. Why did my alarm go off before seven o’clock on a Saturday? In a second I remembered, I asked it to wake me fore the post-Christmas sales. Sigh. With the promise of crawling back in bed and avoiding mad crowds, I was dressed and out the door within 15 minutes of opening my eyes. First stop, Next on Opera Lane. Today, they are open from 7 a.m. To 7 p.m. The deals were plentiful and minimal crowds when we arrived. Honestly, Next seemed to be the only place open at 7:00 a.m. We walked on the icy path to Debenham’s and Brown Thomas – they are not opening until 10:00 a.m. I will be back in bed well before then! Monsoon is supposed to be good if you arrive early in the day for sizing options and I think H&M has some good sales on though they were not open yet at 9:00 a.m. Though I enjoy a good sale and shopping deal, I certainly don’t enjoy icy sidewalks and crowded stores.