BODYFLASK

Chloe and I miss a lot of things from our recent pasts. Living together, living in Edinburgh, working together, working full stop, the list could fill an entire notebook should I write it all down. Chloe, being as talented and creative as she is, remains determinedly hopeful that one of these days everything will sort itself out just fine. Resilient to the repeated rejections of the recent-graduate job seeker, she had an idea. What if we were to collaborate? A long distance, post delivered creative venture where we draw, make and do, in response to the most recent parcel received, following a vague thematic concept of hygge, friendship, cinnamon buns, the seaside and Paul Simon. For now it's an exciting project that could take us somewhere even more interesting in the not too distant future. If you are curious, you can follow our adventure online on instagram @bodyflasks

east to west and back again

a cup and saucer, please

feeling homesick for a place where I cannot return

no not this year...

What a rainy summer there has been this year... And so nature is showing it too. We took a drive out the countryside in search of blackberries but our foraging trip yielded only half the bucketful we expected. Still, we got enough for a crumble and a few bags for the freezer so that's nice. The sloes were even fewer and further between. No fruity boozy fun this year...

when two plus two equals five

Yes yes it's my birthday and I am now an age of a scarily large number... but who cares... because... well... because. Celebrations were on a t i n y scale. I baked myself a coffee cake and felt nostalgic for Edinburgh. One year Jenny and I baked Chloe a surprise birthday cake, 4 glorious tiers of chocolate, mocha, coffee and vanilla layers all sandwiched with buttercream filling. That was epic.

Mum was a sweetheart and brought a yellow theme to the afternoon in honour of my favourite colour. 

The evening brought with it a casual dinner at McCambridges and a very good bottle of wine.

I t was nice to be in Galway and feel at home in the place.

industrious much

Whatever makes something pop into your head? I wonder why we sometimes remember something out of the blue that we haven't thought of for such a long time? Well, this evening I can pinpoint the something that was the memory trigger. Sitting looking on pinterest I saw a pin (this pin is also the pinpoint) that reminded me of a print I did in second year for a fashion collaboration, which made me want to see photos of the final garment, which reminded me I once set up a cargo collective to archive all my work. This was back before any of us were ever told we should have a website. Go me. Or not really, because a log for this particular dress project wasn't actually there, meaning my trip down memory lane was left untaken. However, it seems my current liking of 1970s colours is not happening for the first time round, it seems that approximately four years ago give or take a few months I was digging the trend like these old gals... 

www.cargocollective.com/zaranugent

music is my boyfriend

Last Friday Galway had its first ever Night of Culture. Already with fantastic festivals for the Arts, film and literature, it was about time the city took to the streets to celebrate like other European cities. The lovely Ellen friend took the bus down from Dublin to arrive on time for Thomas's performance at the Opening Ceremony, which was a quiet affair before the very busy schedule of the evening. People took to the streets in their hundreds, with venues, restaurants and bars overflowing with those keen to enjoy the culture, the atmosphere, and the good times. With a full Harvest Moon in the sky, an early-morning walk along the beach took me home to my bed as a goodnight to the night. A few groggy hours later I was back on the beach saying hello to the day and good riddance to the cobwebs.
Save

and it was all yellow

When sun shines out and we all feel better. But when you put nice weather with good coffee, old friends and interesting chats, it's a day to feel happy all round. So smile. And smile. Then smile some more.

sunday through monday

one week = seven days = what's a girl to do?

from left to right

This little piggy from the West of Ireland travelled across the skies to meet this little piggy in the Middle East. Little piggy #2 had warned little piggy #1 of the roaring hot temperatures yet for some reason against common sense, the journey happened anyway. And you know what? But she was right, it was too damn hot.

We visited the Grand Mosque at sunset, just before the evening prayer. Sexy parts covered up, we looked like a right pair - just call us Biddy and Bridie... will ya have a cuppa tea? Ah go on... go on...

On holiday and what did we do? We went on holiday! Driving two hours down the road to Dubai, where we saw a lot of skyscrapers. No surprise there.

Back in Abu Dhabi we were little piggy princesses who got a manicure pedicure at the spa and took a couple of photos of green things to remind us of the land of home. Not a potato in sight.

a night in a tent

We are the girls of the textile gang and we went on a wild camping trip to the great outdoors. Minus Miss Holly Lil Hands, who had to dash off to London at the last minute to start a short-notice new job that was totally worth missing the trip for. Berwick is somewhere down the east coast from Edinburgh, somewhere just further north of Newcastle. It's Holly's hometown and she's been inviting us to visit for years. Finally we got there and alas! she wasn't there to share it. Her mum picked us up from the station anyway, squeezing us in the back of her car, kindly taking us to Asda to stock up on supplies, then driving us along on a guided tour of the town. That night it didn't rain but it POURED. Typical British weather. And in true British camping spirit, we stubbornly sat outside getting wet and cold, drinking our beers, insisting we were having a good old time. During the night I was afraid I'd have to call Noah to come and get us with his ark, while worst-case-scenario nightmares of flash flooding worried me to the point of sleeplessness. Yet lo and behold, come 4.30am on the dot, it stopped. I slept two heavenly hours and woke up to a simply beautiful sunny day.

afternoon delight

Last night I went to bed and there was nobody home. This morning I woke and left really early. Then around lunchtime I return again to a flat where again there was nobody home, except the giraffe, the three flamingos, and the plants. So I turned on the radio for company, as you do. 

Then what should I find but this wonderful note and some freshly picked strawberries! Invisible flatmate #2 had been up North and spent the day on strawberry farm, eating her way through the afternoon and bringing home a box full. Well, when somebody is so kind as to share, the least I can do is to share in return. Yes, I baked. Google-ing strawberry recipes, I was on the search for something other than a victoria sponge or eton mess. One blog had a recipe for fruity oatmeal cookies, so, with a lot of butter at the ready, that is what I made.