observations of the week #1

This. 

New year. Fresh start. Different perspective. This is a very lovely video that you should all watch. We like to whinge but would we be any different if we left this place?

Driving Home for Christmas is the worst.

I got the bus home to Cork on Christmas Eve and the bus driver thought it'd be gas to play it. No. Then in the car home with my dad it came on again and his reaction was so perfect I just had to write it down. "I hate Driving Home for Christmas with a passion Claire. The only thing that could possibly make it worse would be if James Blunt recorded it. James bloody Blunt." I can't help but ultimately agree and thank whomever responsible for James Blunt bowing out of the music industry that we will never be subjected to such melodramatic hardship.

Some people should never wear leather leggings.

Okay, so I work in a club where the dress code isn't crazy girlo but we still see a lot of thighs wedged into very very tight pants. Now I'm all for a good pair of leather leggings but some of these girls take the biscuit...and have obviously eaten quite a few too. (Sorry, not sorry.) Anyway, please think twice, for all of our sakes.

Grafton Street needs a fast lane.

For people who value their sanity, MOVE. One more Sunday stroller and I swear! It's the day before Christmas Eve, I have no presents, get out of my way.

Blue Ivy was my fave celeb baby of the year.

How could she not be? Despite the fact that Bey and Jay's offspring is almost one, and we haven't heard much of her since those cries on Jay's track Glory, (can you say one hit wonder?) JOKING, SHE'S ONLY A TINY BABY and has already had more success than most of us, becoming the youngest person ever to feature in a Billboard Chart, AND at less then a week old - let's all give up now. Even her feet are cute, and I don't particularly like feet. Baby Adele might have made the cut if she wasn't so damn private, oh well.

Hope y'all had lovely festive times and ate, drank lots of these ...
and were merry with all of your favourite people.

12 MOST annoying things about 2012

It has been an excellent year in many ways, (topped off by one of my moments of the year, the IKEA monkey squee) but there's always those few things that have caused intense aggro during 2012's reign as, well, year. So here's the most annoying things that I'd like to leave in 2012...

1. Peplum. EVERYTHING became peplum and now I never want to see anything with a peplum ever again.

2. Speaking of peplum, Kanye taking over Kim's wardrobe was the ultimate fail. The man can dress himself but has zero style savvy when it comes to girlos. Take your furry sandals (yeah) and go back to letting Kim "pour her curves" (thanks daily mail) into her own choices.

3. Taylor Swift is as dull as dishwater. I'm sorry, but I just can't like the girl, no matter how hard I try. "We Are Never Getting Back Together" was possibly my worst song of 2012 and her endless cycle of failed romances is just ridiculous. I know a lot of people out there adore her and that's fine, congratulations on your success but please just someone give her the worst break up ever, one that cuts her so deep she can't even write about it, forces her to take a break from the music industry and let's us take a breather from her simpery idiocy. (Does this make me a hater?)

4. YOLO - leave ih ouh. Actually leave that out too.

5. Timeline. Remember the RAGE when we all gradually were switched over to the new Facebook profile, or when our friends did it for us? Brats. Now we don't bat an eyelid, but at the time it was a race as to who would hold out the longest before Zuckerberg's minions got their hands on our (sadly) extensions of our lives.  Also Facebook related, I was definitely angered when they changed the hearts and smiley faces to colour. So tacky, completely lowering the tone.

6. X Factor slash all reality contests. These shows are so stale that I can smell the mould growing from here. More judge shake ups, more draining contestants (Christopher Baloney amiright?) and it's just getting worse. Go away please.

7. 12/12/12, end of the world blah blah blah. Okay I didn't need a social network to tell me what date it is, I have a calendar and if in fact, the world does end this Friday, while I am at work, probably cleaning vomit, I will take my hat off to them, if hats are allowed in the next zone or whatever. Why are we even talking about this?

8. Celebrity break ups and make ups. More than likely spurred on by the horrendous Taylor Swift, we saw countless relationships fall apart - Rob and Kirsten, the teen dream Justin and Selena, the list is endless. In the words of the (terrible)(but thankfully on a break) Black Eyed Peas, where is the love?

9. Fifty Shades of Shite. Go away please, and read something more beneficial to your life. Also now we have the movie to look forward to, joy.

10. If you asked me last week, I would have said 212 by the now infamous Azzy B (just made that up cos I wasn't bothered googling her name) but then they played it at work on Saturday and I enjoyed a little rap while collecting glasses so I've decided to let it join me in 2013. A song that does need to move on and take its spot in music heaven is Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know." JUST UGH. THOSE WAHWAHWAH VOCALS. What started as a quirky little break up number ended up as the overplayed bane of my life. Hearing that dippy intro now makes me want to painstakingly tear my nails off. I think he might be the male Taylor. They should toddle off and make each other very happy.

11. Example getting engaged. I mean, it only takes one look at his Twitter and Instagram to know how happy we could have been together. BIG EATS. Alas it wasn't to be.

12. STILL not knowing the name of Adele's (one of my fave girlos) baby. So unfair but I am also enjoying the mystery. My money's on something normal like James (great name) but then she's chummy with James Corden so maybe not. Someday we will find out and maybe even get to see the little mite and it will be glorious.

Here is my excited for 2013 face. This all makes me sound like an awful whinger, when in reality, I'm just trying to be gas. Always. Forever gas. 

good buzz

just some good shit around the internet, happy monday.


Never ever tiring of this slice of 80s beauty. DISCO.

Caine's Arcade: video here. If we have ten minutes to arse around on the internet, we have ten minutes to watch this video. This kid is the best.

One of my favourite blogposts I did for my faves over at 9crowstreet.com. Sappy memories girlo eh?

Now we all know how much of a onesie advocate I am, but I think we all deserve to own something more grown up and together for nightwear. The Monki Mara kimono will make every morning better and, most importantly, more glam.

And the obligatory Instagrams from the last week; overindulging in Nandos and Avoca, Christmas Ball was funzo and if it's on the milk, it's almost here!

21 Reasons to love Charity Shops

...just another lil silly for Flux...

1. Old ladies. 
Between the staff and the patrons, a healthy proportion of charity shop folk are (generally) cute old ladies. For the most part, they will be so delighted to see someone young that they will either fawn all over you, throwing compliments left, right and centre or tell you exactly how best to sew and alter the clothes. Watch out for the mean ones though, and excuse them, we all have bad days. 

2. Cheap clothes. 
Perhaps the most obvious but you’re never going to pay more than a tenner, and that’s for a coat. You’d be mad to spend any more.

3. Supporting charity. 
Another obvious one – spending a few squids equals more of the charity’s work happening, yay!

4. Gas fights. 
Sometimes, but only sometimes, if you’re very lucky you will get to witness two snarly customers fighting over the one garment. Enjoy, until it happens to you.

5. Colour blocking. 
Some charity shops place everything of the same colour in the same place which makes it really easy to buy your whole outfit so that it matches and is all the same colour. Obviously joking, but it does help you to filter out those murky grey satin blouses. Ignore and avoid, at all

6. The element of surprise.
You never know what you might find – going through that door in no mood for a trawl through reams of clothes, you just might come out with your new favourite garment.

7. You don’t have to be dolled up in your best Topshop rig out.
Nobody cares how you look in charity shops. I’m not saying we should all look tip-top while shopping high street but we’ve all got “that” look from that overdressed sales assistant; you know the one.

8. It’s not just about the buying.
As this list exhaustively reveals.

9. THE BRAG.
“Love this, where’s it from?” “Oh, charity shop.” Nonchalance is key.

10. Memories.
I can’t remember most of the times I have bought anything in Topshop, and admittedly, there have been a lot, but you will almost always remember your charity shop times and purchases. For some of the other reasons listed here.

11. Books, books, books. 
Just like the clothes, some may freak at the thought of owning a second hand book but frankly I like it. And who has the dosh to be forking out for new releases these days? So long, Easons. Even better if they have a note or inscription, you can have a little imagine about who might have thumbed those pages before they were yours.

12. Junk. 
Look around and be glad that you don’t own it. Most of it. Then buy some.

13. Community spirit.
Support local trade! Phibsborough (scoff all you like) has an excellent array of charity shops and is a very nice place for a stroll around.

14. They don’t play horrendously loud “urban” music.
I enjoy it as much as the next person, just not when I’m despairing over the price of that dress you’ll wear once but just need so that you’ll have something new for the next night out. “Miami to Ibiza” in December Topshop, really?

15. They don’t like using electricity.
Hence the dressing rooms are dimly lit, meaning you always look gorge. 

16. The bric-a-brac is the best.
Browse that retro crockery and dream about the deadly apartment that you’re definitely going to own in the future because there will be loads of jobs when you graduate.

17. They sell clothes I would describe as pleasantly awkward. Fix them, it’s not that hard.

18. Failures.
Sometimes they can’t be fixed. Or you just can’t make that absolutely massive jumper work. An XXXL does not make you look smaller it would seem, you just appear to be drowning in oversized vintage Nike. 

19. They usually come in threes.
Browse all of them in one swoop while you’re in the mood!

20. You could find loads of dosh in a set of curtains. 
Remember that? Staff in the Rathmines Barnardos were shocked to find a large sum of cash hidden inside some curtains earlier this year. Granted, the owner of the cash came back and claimed it but you never know…

 21. CHRISTMAS JUMPERS.
Everywhere. Not those new slick ones but the best kind, baubles, sparkles and excess wool everywhere. Real geansaís.

Happy shopping!

ps, this is my "just found something in the chazza excited" face, lolz.

birds of a feather

Just another thing I wrote, this time about about my faves...

9 Crow Street is Emma Fraser, Dean Ryan McDaid and Melissa McDermott. Started in December 2010, perched on the corner of their namesake, 9 Crow Street quickly developed a reputation for its deadly vintage clothes, lovely atmosphere and amazing team. Working with them for the summer, I soon saw why. Their enthusiasm and creative ideals are infectious so I caught up with the gang for a chat about how it all began, the move online and their future plans.

At the beginning of the summer, 9 Crow Street moved the entire business from Temple Bar to their new home, 9crowstreet.com. Transferring online was a big move but a move that has worked for the team.

Not being in the shop has given them the space to fix up the little things and the time to figure it all out and think about the direction they want to take the brand in. Mel particularly misses the customer interaction; “I miss the regulars that we had coming in, we miss the community of Temple Bar.” Emma adds that even though they miss having the shop, they’ve been so distracted with working really hard on the website and thinking about the future of 9 Crow Street.

“We’re planning loads of big things in the next few months” Emma says, “big expansion plans.” For now they are playing their cards very close to their chests but we can be sure of some exciting developments in the not too distant future. “More nice clothes,” as Dean puts it.

Individualism is key, each of the three have their own role to play. Together, the business they have carved out now is a result of years of hard work, putting a lot of us onlookers to shame at their achievements and their general attitude towards their work and the people around them. It just fits. There’s not many businesses you could think of who would take on seven summer interns and give them the space to develop their ideas, be it for shoots, blog posts, and videos. The intern programme has become a big part of what they do.

Moving online has allowed 9 Crow Street to sell to a much wider market. “We’re international now, we weren’t before,” Mel says. People all over Europe, America and Australia have all had vintage wear from Dublin sent their way. A major part of this is blogger collaborations, bringing onboard the stylish folk who influence us and invoke jealousy at the same time has proved to be the perfect pairing.

Leaving in a flurry of hugs – there are more scarves to be photographed, new stock needs to be put up, and a quick shoot to be done – you can see why 9 Crow Street is the business that it is. Who knows what the future will bring? One thing is for sure, 9 Crow Street will keep inspiring us and our wardrobes for a long time to come.



All images by 9 Crow Street. Find them all over the interwebz: SHOP, Facebook, Twitter.