bullet points

Oh wow, we’re past our first quarter of the way through 2013! I haven’t felt like time is flying past like I usually do but I put this down to being super busy all the time and squeezing in my daily life with my work schedule makes me feel like the days are never ending. Which is a good thing really.

At the beginning of the year I made a hell of a lot of resolutions, some big goals that take time to carry out and some small goals I can tick off easily as I go along, most of my small goals are actually only jotted down in my notebook, too silly for MFH! I’ve since gone through some, had a rethink about others and ticked off a bunch too! As a frequent list keeper I’m forever adding and taking from the goals I set myself, forever adding more and continuously keeping myself aiming for higher things. No wonder I’m always busy!

I’ve come to a conclusion that some of my resolutions are a bit vague or too basic, like being positive should be an all time thing. by having it on the list it’s not really a goal but more of a reminder to stay happy, positive and thankful for lots of things in my life. Which I am!

• I completed a week long detox at the beginning of March, originally I aimed for 2 weeks like I had previously done at the end of last year but I wasn’t properly prepared for the detox I had previously done so instead did a week of juicing, soups and broths. End result had me feeling fuller for longer, trim and that super healthy feeling that I love. Definitely doing it again for those benefits.
• I’ve purchased The Master TEFL Course and will be starting this in a few days, so excited to start and work towards getting my cert! Working abroad teaching English has been in my brain for a couple of years now. It’s also something that I think will make  travelling a lot easier with this qualification on my back, should I need any extra cash or like a place long enough to live/work there.
• I’ve been travelling back and forth to the UK a lot this year, twice in two months! Which is rare for me, working full time means I’m able to regularly see my loved ones back home. Next visit will be this May! The next adventures after that are Spain and Hungary.
• I’ve taken up sending letters across the globe once more, sending snail mail is a favourite past time. I used to regularly snail for about 6-7 years to my best friend in England. I miss writing physical letters to friends and family, taking the time to write is a a little bit of calm for my soul and I love sending trinkets and cute things to friends.
• Shane and I took our first holiday ‘abroad’ together last January, visiting London and all the sights. And ultimately, the big one.. my family over there! The first of many little trips away together we hope!
• I’ve given up sugar and those god awful sweeteners completely. Tea is bloody yummy without it. Coffee is now a treat to myself every once in a while if I’m passing coffee shops on the way to work! I like it this way.
• Mushrooms are making a little appearance in my diet more, to the point where I even like how they taste! I still haven’t tried mushroom soup but I’m keen!
• My happy list is something I regularly revise for sweet little reminders when Adult Life is getting too hectic. I’m yet to share it on MFH but I’m pretty sure it will be laugh-able, some of the things that make me genuinely happy are so ridiculous.. i.e,  blueberries or bullet points make me happy…(i know..weirdo!)
• Ultimately, the big goal. Travelling the globe. Now I’ve been made permanent in my job (hurray!) this means I can really crack down on saving more and more. I’m good with saving but it was hard before when I wasn’t in a full time job. Now that’s happened, I can really see an awesome future ahead of me.

It’s been a bit of a roller ride learning to deal with my work life vs home life and finding time to squeeze in all those extra little things I used to do regularly, like draw or spend all day at my sewing machine. It used to really bother me, I felt like I was loosing myself with this new life that had sprung up on me but hey, that’s being an adult I suppose. I can still do these things, I just have to make time for it in-between the thousand and one things I do every week! Rome wasn’t built in a day and all.. I’ll get there! XO

Leather

It’s been a well awaited weekend, not for any particular reason other than having two glorious days off work! Sleeping in past 7am.. taking time to eat a thought-out breakfast, not something just thrown together and rushing out the door with, getting to wear my new favourite ox-blood cardigan I recently bought in the last of the sales (and my only chance of shopping the sales..real life means no time for anything!) along with my trusty fluffy blue house boots. Its been a good day, I have cleaned, made banana bread, caught up on season two of American Horror Story and got some work done to my newest scrapbook that I’ll be sharing with you in my next post!

The jacket was another treat to myself before my dentist appointment last night. I’ve been meaning to get myself a little black faux leather jacket for a while now. It was a case of not being sure if I wanted real leather or fake.. and then finding the right type of jacket etc so eventually it just led me to forget about wanting one and not bothering to search for one and surely enough it found me as I was wasting time wandering the shops last night. It wasn’t on sale but I figured what the hell, I’ve wanted it since mum gave me my brown faux jacket last year for my birthday (which started my love for the look of these jackets). The teal dress is something else I spotted a few weeks ago but ran away as soon as I saw the price, it was reasonable but not for my pocket. The tight arse I am thought if I really wanted it I would buy the fabric and make my own…which would be okay if I didn’t have my job taking up all my time. So again I forgot about it and then saw it for less than half price in the last of Primarks sales, woo! It makes me feel like a Daphne from Scooby-doo or Florence Welch. Both of whom are awesome. It feels really nice one too, the flow-y arms are what made me need to have it.

I seem to have returned to my teenage days as Avril Lavigne’s ‘Tomorrow’ has been stuck in my head all day.. What?! Along with Tori Amos, so it can’t be all that bad. I’m excited to share my new scrapbook with you all tomorrow..it involves spilling a little secret I’ve been keeping quiet for a while :) Bye! xo

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Hello 2013

The first week of 2013 is over and it’s slowly slipping back to normality from a much needed Christmas break. I’m back at work, back to my 7am starts and back to not having time for anything again. And that’s only the first week!

So this weekends been all about relaxing and getting lazy. I know I planned to make more out of my weekend (see resolutions here!) but truthfully I’m still in that slack-mode to do nothing except enjoy not having to do anything when I have time off. So far this weekend I have finished my first book of the new year, the Alchemist. A lovely and beautifully written book about searching for your destiny and not giving up on your dreams. Pretty appropriate reading material for me I think. 

I started a simple crochet project, filled some more pages with drawings in my moleskin and even got around to painting some sketches I started a while ago. Documentaries and re-watching favourite seasons of Dexter have been on constant in the background and list making and planning for holidays is already fully under way. 2013 will be spectacular but for now I’m more than content to just binge until it’s pay-day.

How was your first week of the new year? xo

Oh, hello you

Things have been changing a lot lately. I haven’t been blogging at all properly in the last few months if I’m honest. I have mixed feelings about this, a big part of me wants to just cut it all out and stop blogging because it felt so great when I quit my tumblr account and another part of me wants to continue because its been a thing I’ve done for the last 4 years, documenting my life. Even if it’s only interesting to some. Maybe I can meet halfway and just start a new fresh blog on some other domain (i’ve been considering blogspot for far too long now!).

It’s not that I’ve been neglecting my blog on purpose. My dear laptop, Lenny is currently living in my parents house withering away amongst the more than likely many boxes of my stuff that’s been cleared into a back room. My old bedroom now lives a beautiful tiny girl who most certainly deserves it and will love it but still I am sad that my place at home is no longer available. Shit happens. So until I am reunited with Lenny, blogging and all updates of what’s been going on will have to be on hold. For now.

I’m currently enjoying my first Saturday off from my new job working up in Holyhill in Cork city. Getting used to waking up at 7am reminds me of when I was in secondary school, waking up at the crack of dawn walking to the bus in the dark and frost. It still feels like that in the mornings although instead of the countryside crunching under my feet I have the harbour greeting me each morning with it’s deep blues and crisp air. Train rides to work make my day, it’s not unknown that I love a good train ride. However strange that sounds. I’m too used to travelling on buses and trains are far and few between for me. I like my train journey especially because we travel over water and it seems really alien to be able to do that. Does that sound silly?

I wont bore you with the details of my job. I do however get to take as many coffee and bathroom breaks as I like. Which comes in handy when the coffee is free. Also, the sounds of the keyboard being used at rapid speed is fast becoming my favourite sound. I love typing. I love people who type properly. With both hands. People who don’t button bash or attack the space bar like they have a personal vendetta against it. Its just one of those things that make me happy.

I’m weird I know.

Life lately

Hey there! Things have been a little busy here in Sylvies HQ.. Mostly all to do with zombies & gore (work) but some awesome nice things too! Because I haven’t been the best little blogger out there I thought I would share with you some snippets of my life…since I’ve been MIA as of late.

From top left:

I’ve been shopping for some autumn staples, some favourites being a few pairs of good skinny jeans and a pair of black boots that make me feel like Mildred Hubble from The Worst Witch. I love them! OH and not to mention my super cute sponge-bob nerd socks :)

Del Rivo make the nicest smoothies ever. Recently I’ve become obsessed with passion fruit  it’s SO yum! I’ve taken a few of these to work because it’s easier to drink food rather than eat it when you’re caked in latex masks and fake blood!

Myself and Darla the clown posing for sneaky pics at work! Have you met Darla yet? She’s mostly nice to our victims… :)

Being even more of a Gremlin than I am and taking the Upside down game to another level. I roped a few of the lads in on this game on one of our staff nights out. We ended up turning most of the downstairs pub and smoking garden upside down! It also carried on over town in the early hours of the morning.

Washing my work costume, a full length wedding dress in the bath has become such a natural thing to me. Blood everywhere! Speaking of..it needs another wash soon.

When I’m not sleeping too much or at work running around after screaming adults you’ll find me playing my new obsession. Dexter the iPhone app! I love it. The newest series is INSANE, none of us can get enough of it!

More upside down games..This time at Mc Donald’s at 6 in the morning.. Let’s just say we weren’t very happy with their breakfast menu they had on offer!

Posing for Red FM on our opening night a few weeks back with Shivers the creepy clown.

Stripy jeans! OKAY I gave in to the trends. At least I didn’t go with those black and white ones that everyone’s wearing these days..

It’s Halloween every day for us ghouls.. so getting a big group photo with some of the middle and top floor monsters put a smile on all our faces last night! We plan to get a bigger better photo taken soon, one with everyone in the picture!

Last but not least..some of the amazing 3D artwork inside the clowns rooms at work. Ah-maze-ing!

Also! The Irish Examiner wrote an article about the ins and outs of where I work this month! Read it here! and that gruesome Corpse Bride you see in the main photo…yeah that’s me! :) Hope you’re all enjoying October! I’m making a conscious effort to photograph more day-to-day things for the blog that doesn’t involve work! xo

Photo an Hour: 15th July

Hello hello! Last month I finally got around to doing that photo-an-hour post! I’ve been meaning to start these things since January but to be honest, the days that end up being most interesting always go unphotographed! I decided to just start it the weekend I got my new camera as I had a big case of the new-camera-must-take-photos-of-everything-and-anything vibe!

8am: The only things I need to have a good run in the early morning sunshine. Water is essential!

9am: a shower is well needed post-run. I brush my teeth when i’m in the shower, is that weird? Also, the citrus-y shower bomb was so lovely on my toes. Will definitely be using these again!

10am: Breakfast time! Unfortunately my omelette ended up shit after I flipped it (ALWAYS HAPPENS!) so I gave it to the chickens. Toast and a sneaky mocha had to do!

11am: General cleaning up around my bedroom as it gets so messy followed by some light reading/learning all about what my new camera can do. (I promise I’ll stop gushing about it soon!)

12pm: Catching up on my 365 project! I let it slip about 9 days.. oops. It took longer than an hour to get up to date on it but that’s the price you pay when you slack off!
1pm: Lunch break! Ellie’s cheeky little face is smiling because she knew I had stolen her breakfast fruit bread and wanted to eat mine as well as her own..It really is amazing toasted with butter though!

2pm: Okay I know this looks weird but the sole padding of one of my running shoes came loose and it was annoying me for days, so I fished out my art supplies for my glue gun and finally got around to gluing the bugger back in! I also cleaned up all the tiny cut up pieces of paper from my 365 project / general desk area.

3pm: I’ve recently been asked to do some paintings for the Irish college in the village, all based around local heritage such as Gougane Barra and standing stones. These are just some rough sketches but doing them reminded me how much I dislike painting!

4pm: quick tea break to rest my eyes from painting and a sneaky stolen treat from little brothers stash! He caught me eating it though. Little bugger doesn’t skip a beat!

5pm-7pm: Tackling my ever growing pile of alterations. This time I was down-sizing some basic H&M dresses.7pm: Sunday roast with the fam. I freaking LOVE my mums roasted veggies she cooks for me.. All those Parsnips and broccoli.. YUM!

8pm: Organising blog posts, emails and to do lists. It always takes longer than I original plan!

9pm: Phone call from my boo filling me in on everything that’s been happening. Excuse awkward angle of this photo!

10pm: Decided to have an early night as my old lady knees were screaming for a rest. The joys of running hard ground eh? So I popped on a film, The Darjeeling Limited (again!) and snuggled up in bed. Also got around to finishing a good book before passing out!

Well that was my photo-an-hour post! What did you think of my boring day? These kinds of things tend to be really photo-heavy but that goes with the title! Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my boring life, hoho. I’m not too sure if I will continue this idea each month like I wanted to do in my resolutions but for now this will do! *This post is from last month! Currently travelling South Africa!* xo

Paisley

Outfit posts won’t be a regular thing on this blog, there’s enough fashion bloggers out there that do a far better job without my contribution! I bought this dress in the Primark sale a few weeks ago with the intention of being able to wear it out in Africa. It’s not my usual style of dress, paisley being something I’m not usually drawn too but for a euro I couldn’t refuse. It’s one of those easy to throw on outfits-perfect with sandals. It is certainly something to wear when it’s too hot for clingy shorts and the pretty detail is just that right amount of girly for me. With my mum’s black crochet sling on, my favourite elephant purse (mums too!) and sunnies I’m set to enjoy traipsing around the streets of Joburg, Limpopo or Cape Town, where ever I end up! Hope your all having a good week (: xo

DIY No-Sew : Workout Shirt!

Hey guys! I have a nice little tutorial for you all today. What makes it special is that not only is it really easy it involves ZERO sewing. Yup, my first tutorial without the help of needles and thread or a sewing machine! Shock! I was asked a few months back to help a friend make one and we didn’t actually get around to it but instead I decided to create the tutorial on my blog! Let’s get started.

What you need: A t-shirt of your choice, scissors.

The shirt I chose to slice up was actually given to me from a friend, who stole it from a bar in Dublin! naughty naughty. I just want to state that football in no-way interests me (except maybe when they fall over and cry about it) but it wouldn’t be like me to turn down a free super soft tee to cut up!

*the knotting in step 5 can be done anyway you like. I chose to slip knot it which is the basic starting knot to crochet. It just happened out of habit but the knotting looked cool so I kept it up! You can wrap it, criss-cross knot it or crochet knot it. Whatever way you choose the choice is up to you!

**In step 6 the curved cut makes the shirt shorter in the front to show off your tummy so if you don’t want it like this you can either make the cut less curved or leave the cut out all together! I’ve tried loads of different versions of how to make a workout shirt and this one is definitely the easiest! The no-sew factor is such a bonus if you’re feeling lazy or can’t sew. Enjoy your new awesome racer style work out shirt! Would you like to see more of these no-sew tutorials? Leave me a comment and let me know! :) XO

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