Sass and Class

Sometimes, a girl needs to treat herself, particularly when life begins to get a little hairy {metaphorically speaking, of course}.

Shop Priceless had a great sale on some of its items, which, naturally, entailed a wee bit of indulgent spending on a few wardrobe-enhancing pieces. Their ribbed dresses are the bees' knees and I quite fell in love with the pointed, reflective-toe flats I had selected and a simple choker.

Taking myself out for a nice quiet lunch at one of my favorite restaurants for a late-birthday treat provided an excellent occasion to show off the hard work I had been putting into the gym, as well as aid in the enhancement of body confidence, an ever-going practice I have been forcing myself to continue.

Similar design: Sandy Basic Dress Set

I'm diggin' the olive green color, which stands out well against my vampire tan. I much prefer black, but a little bit of color won't hurt...I guess.

Mummy hooked me up with this lovely green cardi from Old Navy, as well as different styles in charcoal, black, and white - four new cardis = 4x happiness.

My love of cardigans still remains strong after many, many moons. Simple and cozy. Dressed up or down, one cannot go wrong no matter the season.

A little bit of sass is not inherently "wrong," especially when it is this particularly sassiness that is holding your sanity together while the chaos only intensifies with the increasing burdens which come along with going to school while working both a full-time and part-time position.

My little lunch with myself offered some loner loser time of self-reflection on my mere 24 {relatively short} years and how I want to shape the upcoming year{s} of life in order to be more positive and achieve the goals for which I have set for myself. I've also come to the epiphanous revelation that my level of sass has only increased/improved with age.

With time slipping away too quickly, long days at work often becoming more challenging knowing that I have a pile of projects due professionally and academically, sometimes it's that tongue-in-cheek attitude that can truly carry us through the day and be the stones upon which we depend to see us through the crumbling positive outlook.

xxxx

V-Day & Walks along Cliffs

Today was my trip to the beautiful Cliffs of Moher. WOW. {No, not the airline on which I traveled.}

Not quite as early as a start, thank goodness. I felt myself quite drained after such an adventurous past two days. 10am start after a brisk walk down to the meeting place - the Abercrombie & Fitch store on College Green.

Our driver was a little pushy, but nice. We had a 4hr drive ahead of us with a brief stop at the Barack Obama Plaza {no joke}. A quick brekkie of fizzy bubble bottles {sour bottle-shaped gummies} and a Monster {absolute zero for the win!} and I was set to retire back into snooze position for the duration of the drive {sitting, in my case}.

The view....let's just say, this spot should be on one's travel destination bucket list.

Much mud. Few wanderers. Many struggles.

While there were quite a few people on the easy roads - the pathways without all of the clay-like sticky mud, going off and wandering to the more difficultly accessed areas was worth it for the view and the serenity....

Much tranquility and peace found simply gazing down and smelling the sea.

Obligatory traveler selfie, eh?

Looking down, I could see how one may be captivated by the waves and hear that irresistible calling played by the lapping water many hundred yards down below... A large stone with a dedicated inscription for those who've lost their lives at the cliffs made this moment all the more somber. One could easily be enchanted by such a poetic death... and while I certainly did not feel that urge to leap upon the clear blue H2O, I felt that if, for some ungodly reason, I were to perish on the spot, I would die a happy gal.

Ireland! Beautiful green lands and kind people. Constantly feeling pulled, as usual when I travel. I fall in love with lands and its people, fellow travelers I meet along the way, the food and sights and smells, and yet yearn for my bed back home and the lovely people I have in my life back home, wishing I could so easily combine every happiness into one little space.

Mais, c'est la vie....life and happiness is scattered about the globe for a balance and it also makes traveling all the more worthwhile.

Ending this post with lunch. Naturally.

No, ma, it's not alcoholic, albeit the ginger was quite prominent in very swig.

xxxx

Luck of the Irish, eh?

Being friendly has its perks....or maybe it has something to do with being an American girl who doesn't quite look like an American girl in a foreign country? ...or it's the septum ring. Okay, multiple layers/factors... Or, I'm just a bright-eyed girl who somehow always manages to make friendlies with people, especially the English!

Met a few lovely English lads in a crowded bar when there was nowhere else to sit. Ah....how I've missed European pubs! Live music and people out for a good camaraderie, not to get into girls' knickers {okay, maybe there's a little of that, but it's more subtle and I never felt any of that nonsensical vibe}.

Getting ahead of meself, though. oi.

Early morning start with a quick, brisk walk down to the bus station, yummy Bueno bar tucked readily within reach in my bag for a light brekkie, my belly all wobbly from excitement and anticipation for the day.

Our tour guide was great, complete with commentary and a rad Irish accent! He filled in the void with witty stories and random facts about Ireland - not your typical tour guide! First stop after about a 2hr drive {and a brief pit stop for noms, Monster, & loo break}, was the Rock of Cashel, from which I nabbed a small pebble just for Teets! A beautifully constructed stone structure, it was abandoned after upkeep became too expensive & out of control....the priests left its cold walls for warmer confines and the ruins remain.

We walked about the ruins for a bit, taking advantage of the free toilets available as one does... Travel tip: use free loos whenever possible.

Then it was off to Blarney Castle! It was about a 15-minute drive from Cork city, but dang, it was mighty purdy. The castle sets upon a great hill so one can't miss it. Aside from that {of course, the main agenda for everyone was placing their plump lips upon that stone}, there were caves and waterfalls and walkways to explore. Wishing the rain would have held up a tad, but that deterred no one.

The walk up the castle is not for the feint of heart, practically climbing up the tight, spindly spiral staircase with not but a thick rope upon which to hold. I have tiny feet {US 6, UK 36}, but even so, if my blood wasn't flowing from exhilaration and excitement, I may have been a bit afraid of falling down upon the nice German lady following behind me.

Walking around was the only way to keep warm {as well as explore} and sooo, I did! In Cork city, I met a lovely Finnish girl named Jenni who was also on the tour and we walked around to find a late lunch, which was, of course, good ol' fish & chips at Thomond Bar as she had not yet experienced this wonderful tradition {sadly, not haggis on the island to be found}.

Mushy peas are the worst...

Afterwards, we ventured back to the lovely city of Dublin where I settled in at the hostel, attempted to FaceTime with a superhero, and made my way down to River Bar, where I was merry with my new English mates and danced with the locals. Live music and crazy dancing - yasss.

Tried some tasty beers, one in particular: Galway Hooker. When in Rome Dublin, eh?

Feet aching and a shit-grin on my face, I'm ready for what tomorrow shall bring!

Packing is the worst.

As much as I love to travel, packing is probably the worst part....aside from unpacking. Excitement builds but I always worry about over-packing or under-packing {I'm not sure which is the worse problem...}.

Naturally, I waited until the utmost last minute to finish packing before rushing out the door early, eager beaver that I am... Surprisingly, my pack was roughly 6-7lbs heading out. Thank goodness, as there is a weight limit with WOW Air, the relatively inexpensive airline with which I flew.

Tree picked me up and we were off to the airport! He kindly offered to take me as he did not have lessons and it proved a lovely catch-up and jam session, listening to the rough mixes for STT's upcoming album. Dayum. The guys only continue to get better and better! >gushing like a proud little sister<

We made a pit stop at Diner 83 en route to BWI, a small treat for his kindness. Omelettes and pancakes for fuel, anticipation mounting as we gained mile after mile towards the departure terminals....holy cow, I was doing it, I was heading to Ireland on my own!

The queue for boarding wasn't too terrible and relatively smooth ride over. Iceland was beautiful from above!! The Northern Lights were dazzling in the skies as we made our way across the Atlantic - no words, no words at all.

Toodle-oooh, Baltimore!

Icelandic beer from among the clouds - not too bad.

From Iceland to Ireland, let's go!

The adventures started upon touchdown at roughly 8:30AM GMT aka 3:30AM back home - my poor Mumsy stayed up for each leg of my journey.

So. Green.

After a brief bus ride to the center of Dublin city {none the worse for wear, surprisingly}, I made my way to the Old Jameson Distillery and discovered I really do not like whiskey. Jameson + ginger ale, tolerable. The tasting room made my stomach churn in all the wrong ways.... I don't know how Lovely acquired such a love for that vile concoction; I can appreciate the history without divulging in any...

Complimentary samples woot woot

From there, off to the Guinness Storehouse! Naturally. I'm in Ireland, so of course I have to take the Guinness tour and pour a perfect pint. FYI: it takes 19.6 seconds to pour the perfect pint from start to finish. I received a certificate saying I'm a pro, so I should know now. >giggle<

Obligatory dork pic.

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church, so many churches and sites before checking in at the Ashfield House hostel, quick shower, and out for a delicious dinner of fish & chips and trying some local beers. Found a new favorite cider called Orchard Thieves!

>if you have the app Untappd, available on both iTunes & Android, let's be beer-appreciating friends! Handle: g33kandchic<

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Christ Church

Dublin Castle

Ha'penny Bridge

Early start tomorrow with a trip down to Cork to see Cashel Rock and kiss the Blarney Stone!

Heed Caution, Take Care

With hectic schedules and desire to care for everyone around us, we often put ourselves to the wayside, neglecting basic little routines or maintenance-keeping. Today was spent doing little things to pamper myself and actually put some effort into my appearance, and getting dolled up for the heck of it.

Today would have been Grammie's 89th birthday and it needed celebrated with good eats, sissy hugs, and dreaming of the wonderful, kind, and vivacious woman that she was {okay, I spent half the morning ugly-crying, but that's beside the point}.

Eyebrows freshly plucked; pores duly unclogged, extracted, primped; old nail polish removed; YouTube videos on makeup technique watched and absorbed; newly gained skills put to the test.

Bright, sunny day as Grammie's spirit lives on, making today especially vivid for her birthday.

I opted for curls on curls and my new Shop Priceless crop top paired with my never-fail ultra-high AE jeggings. Incredible: it's December and nearly warm enough to go without a jacket....nearly.

Found these lovely boots at the thrift store down the street and I've been relying on them heavily to complete my {hopefully} BA outfits.

The end results: little loop curled into the wild curls, falsies {the last time I attempted these was senior year of high school, and Lovely had to apply for me}, eyeshadow {something I've avoided until today}, Star Wars lippy...

Quite pleased with the results.

While I did not really have anywhere I needed to go, I put this look to the test with my errands and a visit to see my Nana later that night.

Sister date warranted the Dragonite tee, so a swift change was in order! A stay-in night with pizza, beer bread, questionable&slightly burnt brownie bites, and Cranberry blush wine. Can't complain.

Grammie would always offer us good noms and Pap Pap would let us taste his wine, so in a way, we're kicking off her birthday shin-dig in a way she would have definitely approved ^_^

i carry your heart
i carry it in my heart

Happy birthday, Grammie. I miss you. I love you. I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places.

*waterproof makeup is a lie as mine starts to leak down my face*

Roundup of Days Gone By

Once again, time is getting the best of me, passing by altogether too quickly, which is both good and bad.

I have been up to a few productive things {please see my post on lazy productivity}...and I consider catching up on sleep and improving my cooking abilities to be two of them. I also consider showering daily as being productive on one's day off because let's be real, that can be a chore - I have a lot of hair on my head that needs conditioned!

I digress as usual....

I've managed to stomach doing a little Xmas shopping for my bestie. For someone who can't stand Xmas carols until December 24th and gets quite irritated seeing tinsel and garland prior to that same date, that is quite an ordeal. {No, I do not do Black Friday shopping either, unless my Mum wants accompanied, but only because I love her.}

Lots of hair & attitude - perfect for a Parisian day off, non?

Aside from that, cat-sitting for Tree {considering this as a future career}, helping my sis pack for her new digs, working, and sleeping, I'm a boring lady...

My snuggle buddy; neediness and cuddliness at its best.

Max & Jax: on the warpath for pets and snugg's.

Mais regardez!! J'ai fais les nourrritures! C'est quelque chose, je pense....

For those of you unfamiliar with English traditions....Guy Fawkes Day, or Bonfire Night, was November 5th. While I am no longer in the UK, much to my chagrin, I could not resist a bit of English-ness in celebration {albeit by accident}.

I nearly forgot about this wondrous day until I was divulging in my crumpets and mango chutney {thank you, Wegman's international aisle} and mindlessly scrolling through Facebook.

My stomach was trying to tell me something with its cravings for an English brekkie...or I was simply feeling peckish for 'shrooms, eggs and carbs.

Experimentation {that sounds kinky....} is often the best way of cooking, I've found. Case in point: late-night hunger from forgetting to eat since lunchtime calls for a light late-night meal and one a bit creative considering I haven't had time to restock the fridge properly since my birthday hiatus from real life.

Ta-da! Simple pimple pizza using Pillsbury low-fat buttermilk biscuits. Low-fat plus veggies and pesto makes it healthy, non?

The things I tell myself so I can sleep at night....

Since I've started salivating from looking at these delicious pictures, I'll share a few songs I've enjoyed this week, thus proving I'm not totally out of sync with the world. I'm currently reading a book on quantum theorems throughout history and the world's acceptance of the uncertainty associated with such matter, so that's something worldly...

• Arctic Monkeys: Stop the World I Wanna Get Off with You
• All-Time Low: Break Your Little Heart
• The Word Alive: Heartless
• Silverstein: The End

I shall leave you with that, kind readers. Auf wiederlesen!

Netflix and Chill

Proof of my naïveté and innocence: I thought "Netflix and chill" meant actually binging on House of Cards online with some friends or a S/O....little did I know...

Thank you, Superman, for correcting my ignorance before I made a complete assclown of myself in front of someone.

23: it seems every year that I become increasingly astonished that I'm this old ha. I don't feel this old, nor particularly old in the least for that matter.

I feel ready to take on life, my career {eventually, at some point, when I figure out what I want to be when I "grow up"}, travels...hell's bells, I've taken on Paris, Chicago, and Nashville all by my lonesome, so I'm feeling quite confident, albeit avoiding cockiness...

A brekkie suitable for 5- and 23-year olds. Lovely's mummy had bought this wonderful sealife waffle iron for me 2 Xmas's ago and I'm only now digging it out, feeling it would be rather dangerous {knowing my luck} to attempt to make waffles in a dorm room.

Huzzah!

C/O of Mum and Sis: BA Vader watch and R2-D2 sweats and socks. "Growing up" means wearing all the cool things I never knew existed nor had the nerve to wear...

Obviously, I'm a mega man-repeller, but that's A-ok to me.

Love....my only advice: run away. Or, enjoy and run with it, letting your heart gain experience, while simultaneously living on the edge, where at any point, that heart of yours could be pulverized and beaten to a pulp, cast aside like an old sweater now overly stretched and holey, no longer suitable for its basic job of warmth.

Perhaps I grow ever more pessimistic on the surface with age, while remaining a total vulnerable softie underneath, afraid of any deep-rooted leaps of faith unless they're out of an airplane {hello, future skydiving excursion!}.

Fear. Fear is a terrible emotion to feel...one with which I've become quite accustomed to taking head-on.

Currently finishing up the last season of Glee and this quote from lovable Brittany caught my attention:

You know...these Mounds bars are delicious but you have to eat them. If you just hold them in your hand, hoping that you might get to eat them one day, they're going to melt. Then you'll look like somebody just pooped in your hand. Don't let waiting for things to maybe work out with Blaine turn you into the guy who looks like somebody just pooped in your hand.

Now, this seems silly, but can be applicable in love and life: grab Mounds bars life by the proverbial horns and run with it, fear or no.

Untangling my thoughts on love and my career: we crave those comforts in life, those which come with familiarity and safety nets but perhaps what is needed are those giant leaps of blind faith to get to somewhere truly wonderful...

Okay, enough deep feelings for today. I'm craving chocolate, which means water for this grouchy dieting wench.

Nobody likes you when you're 23

Solo birthday adventure to Chicago was a success!

First part of the journey: trek to the Amtrak station to get to Harrisburg for my departure...pouring down rain, but luckily, I still had that ridiculous poncho I chuckled at when the concierge gave it to me as I left the hotel in Philly.

Lesson learned from all of the walking accomplished: I walk a lot faster than MapQuest predicts for directions and therefore able to cover a lot more ground in limited time frames. 

What travel blogs and social media doesn't always show: the mess behind the artsy-fartsy pictures. Adrenaline was pumping and despite the bitter chill from the rain, I was kept quite warm under my jacket and clear poncho.

I stayed on the bus at the first pit stop, during which I was serenaded by 2/3 of Small Town Titans for my birthday promptly @00:01. I felt loved and sleepy...

First mandatory pit stop taken: Pittsburgh, where I bought myself a cookie in celebration {and hunger}. Interesting place and perched in my chair, well away from anyone, I was able to do some people watching as I tried desperately to conserve phone battery.

Goodbye, Akron! It was nice seeing you, bleary-eyed and groggy from being awakened by the blinding bus lights....the finer points of travel: reality.

Long bus rides, exhilarated and tired, fueled by the anticipation and sensory overload that comes with exploration of new places and new people all around.

Cleveland, OH! Nice little stop and a chance to catch my breath, checking in with Mummy so she could have some peace of mind.

{Sowwy, Mummy. I don't mean to worry you with my crazy strong-willed sense of adventure and stubbornness in seeing the world alone.}

Irony: I find comfort in traveling by myself and feeling safer in doing so. One would think the opposite: safety in numbers. However, there's no need to coordinate with another and it causes one to have heightened senses to look after themselves....

Toledo, OH! Wavy lines as we get closer and closer to Chicago...

These boots have traversed many miles....an identical pair took me through London and Berlin, where they finally fell apart on the cobblestones and pavement after over 35 miles in 2 days {22+ the first day!}

By now, I was quiiiiiiiiite awake ;)

My Gramps studied and worked after high school. Knowing that brought me a sense of calm and comfort, thinking of him walking around the Windy City around the same age I was... Thought the city has most definitely changed since '54, I love visiting places family has been before...

I have this theory that a small piece of one's spirit and soul are left in a city that touches their heart. Gramps left a piece of himself in Chicago as I did on my birthday.

*Obligatory cheese-tastic picture in front of a city landmark*

I posed in front of the Eiffel Tower on my 21st and so, posing in front of the Bean on my 23rd. Tourist-y and that's A-ok.

A trip to Chicago wouldn't be complete without some original deep dish pizza. Despite not being an über-fan of pizza, this was pretty dang good after walking several miles around the city, trying to take in as much as possible during my short stay.... The serving size for the smallest pie was for 2, and I did, indeed, devour half of the pie, "1 serving," but holy cow, was I quite full!! Plenty to eat during my next layover :)

And with that, it was a wonderful birthday spent across different cities and I was quite sad to go...but more adventures awaited in the next city.

Next up: NASHVILLE!

....just have to stay up since a strange man sat next to me on, of course, the longest stretch en route to Nashville.

Oh, and Louisville bus station is no bueno.

Sentimental thoughts: flickering lights and the "D" sliding down from the Spanish header, Damas, above the women's restroom entrance sums up the shape of this area. Get me the hell out of here.