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And So It Begins..
It was a disgusting morning, the wind was howling, and the rain was coming down in sheets. My shoes got wet and my clothes were soaked through on the way to work, wading through the flash floods. In addition there was no heat on, on the DART (the Irish answer to the Metro, but along the coast) and when you start a morning like that, it seems to snowball throughout the day. You just feel rubbish for the rest of the day! Sitting down for my lunch, my phone lights up with a message from my Husband, it’s a photo of a set of keys, THE SALE HAD CLOSED ON…
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House Update: One step forward and well…?
Everyone is asking with the best of intentions, how the house is coming along. I appreciate all your kind comments and encouraging words, you’re all so sweet. We were absolutely promised July/August when we bought the house, September at the very-very latest, if Summer weather was bad-indeed it wasn’t, anything but! We were rushed into signing the contract for the house and knew there was something fishy when the builders refused to sign the contract unless we reapplied for our mortgage, for a sanction expiring at a later date- they obviously knew it wouldn’t be ready. Why were we rushed into it so quickly? We moved in with an elderly…
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Wool Blankets: How To Wash Wool At Home
While we’re discussing Autumn, BLANKETS! Can I we please discuss these little wonders? They shroud us when we’ve a broken heart, sick & cozy on those cold winter nights. We even clutch them as children during times of insecurity, hence the phrase ‘Security Blanket’. But what happens when you wash them the standard way in your washing machine or dryer? I know of people who’ve invested in beautiful handwoven blankets and have put them in the washing machine, only for them to be destroyed. My Mum made sure I knew how to do this and understand treating different textiles, so I learned from her. There are Foxford blankets at home…
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The First Walk Through Of Our House!
Well now I feel it’s really happening, we got inside our new house this week. The company that installed our ‘air to heat’ system invited us to come along for a demo in one of the complete and occupied houses. Air to heat is like a big fridge in my utility room ?. Basically, you don’t need gas or oil to heat your home, it’s an Eco friendly way of heating your house and works like a refrigerator only in reverse, pulling heat out of the air outside down to -22ºC. In the extremely unlikely event of Ireland going into a cold snap, below these temperatures, a back up boiler…
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Interiors Update: Downstairs
Whilst we’re still waiting for our snag notice to come through from the builders of our new house, I’m doing all the fun bits and picking necessary pieces of furniture like sofa’s and dining tables. Okay, it’s fun to shop but not good for your blood pressure when you see your account balance getting lower and lower, it’s sort of like seeing your favourite expensive bottle of perfume fall and smash on the floor whilst the precious contents seeps down through the floor, once it’s gone it’s gone and you can’t pick it up. I’ve designed the kitchen, ordered it, got a great deal on floor tiles, bought them and…
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There’s Light at The End of The Tunnel: Our First House is Happening!!
It’s been an exciting week!! You might have gathered from previous posts, that this blog started out as my adventures of living life on a budget whilst saving for a house in the middle of a national housing crisis. I’m a girl born in the wrong decade with expensive tastes and austere living has taken its time to get used to, not to mention an education.. Well, this week, after reaching an appropriate saving level to apply for a mortgage (insert squeal of delight here) and we think we’ve found the perfect house!! The house hasn’t been built yet but the development is to break ground shortly and we have…
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Jo Malone Candle Dupes at Aldi
I love Jo Malone as much as the next girl! The scent lasts all day and the feeling of femininity that accompanies it is just gorgeous, I even chose it for my wedding, combining Red Rose Cologne with White Jasmine & Mint, a heavenly scent to match my 1940’s themed wedding.. However.. their candles are divine but (I sound like a broken record here) saving for a mortgage restricts my luxuries.. Therefore I was delighted when Aldi came out with three dupes, Pomegranate Noir (LOVE IT), Lime Basil & Mandarin and Freesia Pear, They smell almost identical to the real thing priced at €52, but at €4.99, I’ll make do…
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Guest Post from ‘The House That Will’: Scandi Rustic Christmas Garland
I have a very special guest post for my lovely readers, a really good friend of mine has started a beautiful new blog called ‘The House That Will’. Like myself, Norma is heavily into craft & DIY. Unfortunately, I don’t get much time to do any these days with a full time job and a house deposit to save up, but as soon as I get my house, the blog will be awash with craft projects, all my craft and cake decorating supplies are buried in boxes and I can’t get at them, our apartment rental is way too small to even swing a cat… so I would like to…
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To The Hosts: Let Tesco Help You Make The Perfect Christmas
It’s definitely starting to feel like.. C H R I S T M A S! The festive feeling kicked off for me earlier last month when I was invited to the Tesco Christmas Press Launch in 25 Fitzwilliam Place, hosted by the beautiful former Pussycat Doll, Kimberly Wyatt. Kimberly began the day with a cooking demo of her favourite holiday treats and the evening continued at the Fitzwilliam Place venue afterwards. When I say Tesco went all out, I mean they went ALL out! The door was dressed with a beautiful wreath, garlands and glistening lanterns and as you arrived the host and hostess welcomed you in, took your…
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The Calor Mini BBQ Review: Best invention for foodies, EVER!
My hubby and I share the same birthday week (this week) and we’ve bought ourselves a gift…We love to BBQ and we love entertaining and we’ve been suffering with a sorry excuse for a BBQ for the past two years. So we bought a Calor Mini-BBQ, I wasn’t ready for how awesome this product is. Before, we had a crappy little cheap tripod barbecue that burns charcoal, the grill spaces are too wide and your hot dogs fall down between, into the fire. Also, the charcoal cools down very quickly.. this infuriates me.. there’s nothing worse than waiting around, fumbling about the BBQ for the initial fire to die down,…
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A Minute With……Moss Cottage
Hands up if you’re lusted over table settings on Pinterest? Hands up if you’ve seen eclectic decor on Instagram and wished you could get your hands on it? Can I tell you a secret? You can! In Dublin! Right opposite the church in Dundrum village, a quaint little row of red brick cottages, and in there, you’ll find Jen and her treasure trove of fabulous stock, from chalk paint to party accessories, golden tassel garlands to Kate Spade notebooks and pens, hen party and accessories, there is SO much! Well… I’ve done a little interview with Jen, to see what inspires her to create such an exciting shopping experience.. Jen,…
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Spring Cleaning & Need Storage Ideas?: Why you need to get to this store right now to get your life organised…and for just a few euro’s!.!
Have you spent hours, lusting over posts on Pinterest, lusting over table settings and neat storage solutions for trinkets and tools, how about clear acrylic makeup storage? Anything to make life easier, right? One day, I was in Dun Laoghaire for a work meeting and I happened to find this amazing store on Georges St.! ‘Søstrene Grene’ is the latest Danish store to hit our shores, set up in the 70’s by two Danish sisters, Anna & Clara. The sisters believed in the little things that brought happiness: “With a curious & creative mind, even the smallest things can become something wonderful.” You enter the store, which is painted brown,…
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Chalk Paint: Upcycling Furniture
I’m sure you’ve heard of Chalk Paint by now!? It started to blow up in popularity about 2012 with Annie Sloan’s collection and ever since, women have been upcycling everything from mug trees to wardrobes with it! It’s popular because you don’t need a primer, so you can paint on a shiny surface and finish with a wax or a lacquer to finish the job! I’ve been toying with the idea of painting something with chalk paint but as we’re sticking to IKEA furniture until we buy our house and get the French Antique furniture we want, we don’t have much that can be ‘upcycled’ and I’m certainly not painting…
A lifestyle blog by Sarah Cooke-O'Neill
