7 Year Blogiversary

We’ve been so busy over the last few weeks that I completely forgot my 7 year blogiversary. I’ll be honest and say that it doesn’t feel as big of a deal this year [since I’m being kept very busy by our baby boss], but it still is an important date for me. So many projects an opportunities arose thanks to my blog, and I’ve met so many amazing people through it. It’s weird to think where I would be now and how different things would be if I hadn’t sat down that afternoon and decided to start a blog.

Last year I didn’t write about my blogiversary because I was heavily pregnant, and thanks to illegal levels of hormones, I didn’t have the energy or want to write about it. This year though, even though I’m late writing about it, I still remembered. And more importantly, I’ll be celebrating with our own little Hydrangea Girl this time around.
Thank you for reading over the past weeks, months or years. Even if it’s just been every once in a while.

Anybody? No? Dust.

Earlier this week I finally made it in to Dust. After stalking Sarah and Lisa on their Dust journey and updates on all the amazing things they find and stock, I finally stopped in to their shop. And can I just say. Yes.  
Zebras, unicorns, faux hydrangeas and viridian. Dark moody hues splashed with vibrant colours and accessories. High gloss black floors, stairs and banister. I could not fault the place. My eye balls were in heaven … 

Dust sell the most beautiful [and convincing] faux flowers. Faux-rangements? I love how they’ve mixed them too in their presentation – not just strictly one group of flowers. 

And can we talk about the colour on the walls? Lisa and Sarah went with Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue that acts almost as a neutral. A deep oceanic hue that makes everything stand to attention and changes so much as the light changes. I’m seriously thinking adding this wall colour to our apartment. Maybe repainting our burgundy wall with it? I now want to change our entire apartment.

Everywhere you turned, there were more gems. It wasn’t possible for me to leave empty handed, so I picked out a few things. One of which is a nihilist’s screen cloth to perfectly match The Dude’s rug mouse pad husband got me for Christmas last year [I painted the final wall in our living room which is behind our desk, so I’m hoping to share an update on that space soon!]. 

I was unfortunately very limited with what I could buy that day as they all had to fit into my handbag as I was on my bicyclette. But I’ve learned my lesson. Next time I’m bringing the car. 

Dust is located just off of Camden Street on Grantham Street. Don’t ask, but for some reason I thought it was nowhere near that. Now that I know Dust is a stones throw from the beginning of one of my favourite charity shop routes, I will be stopping in every. single. time. 

And finally, I am forever reminded of the below whenever I see a Dust update pop up in my social media feeds … Anybody? No? Dust.

Happy Friday everyone! Why not enjoy some Dust this weekend? It’s actually very low in fat, so you can have as much as you like.

Teal obsession: I’m cheating on my favourite colour

This isn’t going to seem like a big deal to most of you. I see so many pictures through social media of people’s colourful lives. And I really wish I could be so bold. For me, colours are a big deal. In the past, I’ve tried to introduce many colours into our home. But the truth is, it drove me IN.SANE. I hope that doesn’t sound rude? I’m well able to appreciate when people share they’re colourful homes and if anything, I’m jealous. But I just can’t do it. Call it DOCD – design obsessive compulsive disorder.

But that all changed a couple of weeks ago. It’s really lame, but it started with a hoodie my husband bought in H&M. It was a really dark teal. Oh. It was nice, and that freaked me out. But no, this isn’t a dark berry colour, so just no. But the more I thought about it this new hue, the more I realized it might actually go really well in our home. So I tested it out with an easily disposable item – candles. I headed to my local Tiger store and picked up two teal candles for €1.

They pretty much sealed the deal. Last week while I was doing my lunch time charity shop route I spotted two particularly interesting gems. Both of which were within range of my new colour obsession. First I saw this Achill Pottery bud vase. I’d seen a few of them before in charity shops here and there, but never had I seen one in this colour. The bottom half is pushing it with the brightness factor, but I like the top half so it makes it okay. It’s a rather cute little wobbily vase with different sized holes in it for buds and off-cuts. 

I then spotted this picture frame in the same charity shop. While I know it itself is not teal, the thick wedge of glass on it glints teal whenever I walk past it. I should say this frame was in a very sorry state in the shop. It had a massive old sticker across the glass, rendering it pretty severely gross. But I saw past the ugly. I steeped it in warm soapy water, and laughed a menacing manner at all those who disregarded it. 

CONFESSION: we have no photos in our home. Now that I think of it, ever since I moved out from my parent’s place close to 8 years ago, I haven’t had one photo printed and framed. Not even one from our wedding, which was almost 2 years ago. So I’m hoping that now I have this pretty little number, it might encourage me to get my ass in gear.
xx A