Order restored. I am home. Fiona, Richie and Niamh picked me up from the airport last week, dressed in coats and scarves. They had a massive sign that read 'Ms. Thelma'. I cried, but only a little. Also, this week, Fiona and Damien got engaged! I cried, a little more. It's all adding up to make this Christmas the best one yet! It's so great to be home. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours. xx 
Sunset at the Water Towers, Ruwais, Abu Dhabi. Photos by Donal (well, the good ones).
€5 has been donated to the Irish Red Cross for the completion of this ‘thing’. Click here if you too would like to donate online.
Driving home for Christmas, Noticeboards; finding something interesting to read; buying new pyjamas; feeling like a local; the people who run after you to return something you dropped in the street; Rodrigo y Gabriela; bank holiday Mondays; giving your ice-cream cone to your Dad in order for it to be ‘cleaned-up’; DVD nights in bed; ambitious resolutions; recalling first impressions; neighbours who water each other’s houseplants; talking to your car; rereading old letters; letting the waiter choose what you should order; having a bath in your hotel room; giving barbie a makeover; a basket of lemons and limes; Simpsons’ quotations.
I accidentally checked this off my list.
Actually, I accidently completed this thing many times over- if I had known, I would have made it into something special; ‘Don’t use my car for a month’ or ‘Don’t use my car for a year’ even? Except I’ll probably rent a car pretty soon and I think that would be cheating.
For those of you who don’t already know, I moved from Ireland to Ruwais, Abu Dhabi this year (Read back and catch up please!). The transition has been going pretty smoothly, except for the absence of a few home comforts- driving or any means of getting around independently being one of them.
On the plus side, I ticked this off my Day Zero List and I didn’t even have to try!
€5 has been donated to the Irish Red Cross for the completion of this ‘thing’. Click here if you too would like to donate online.
Recently, while procrastinating in the fitting rooms at Bloomingdales, over buying (yet another) plain black dress, I scolded myself for being so boring. Do I really need another black dress, I asked myself, the store assistant and my friends (whom I had dragged halfway across the mall to see this mundane ensemble)? Probably not. I bought it of course, under the pretence that I might bring it back if I changed my mind. Not a chance. I’m not really inclined to feel guilty après-purchase, but if I was looking for any justification for my impulse buy, it would come in the form of this little black dress:
Isn’t it perfect? If I seen it in Bloomys’ tomorrow, I would whip it up and stash it away greedily with the rest. This image (via Stockholm Streetstyle) reminded me of the appeal of simplicity in dressing- and so, November became the month to celebrate it:
via Facehunter
Perfect glossy black nails, and laid-back November chic (that’s what I’m calling it), via Zipped and Turn it Inside Out. I love that three of the ladies featured are wearing black ballet pumps- I wear mine to death.
I’m newly obsessed with these earrings (via Hey Pretty Thing). Added bonus: they are only €6 from Topshop. They should be in my ears right now, if I could only find them in-store.
Let’s keep it short and finish with the perfect winter outfit (via Zipped). Minus the snakeskin brogues. I’m not so sure about those. The colour makes me feel a little ill. But a snuggly cable-knit and leather? Yes, please.
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Something totally unrelated (hence the page-break): I will be starting the long journey home to Ireland in two more sleeps’ time. For three glorious weeks (three!). I cannot ever remember being this excited. What are your plans for Christmas?
I stumbled upon this the other day and couldn’t stop laughing:
Little confession: I was a bit of a nerd in school and memorised whole passages of Macbeth word-for-word. I’m quite feather-headed when it comes to any kind of useful information, but for some reason this has stuck with me and I still remember.
Also, some other brilliant insults by famous people throughout history (that my Dad will love):
I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it - Mark Twain
I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play. Bring a friend. If you have one. - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill. (To which Churchill replied) Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second… if there is one.
He has Van Gogh’s ear for music - Billy Wilder
He has delusions of adequacy - Walter Kerr
