Booze and Schmooze

Calling those of you in the lovely city of Dublin…

The second Media Booze and Schmooze has been confirmed and will be held at D|two from 6:30pm on Wednesday 24th February.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to the first one (shame on you!) and aren’t entirely sure what the event is and what it aims to do, read on…

The first Irish Booze and Schmooze was organised by Alan Duncan, PR and Marketing Manager of D|two, last month, and due to its success and demand for another, has become a free monthly networking event for journalists, PRs and other media workers.

The aim of Booze and Schmooze is to provide a relaxed environment in which to make useful and interesting contacts – essential to their success in the industry – without the awkwardness involved in formal networking. It is targeted at professionals, who are starting out or about to start out in their chosen industry and, of course, anyone who can employ them…and even better, there are great drinks promos and lots of free finger food.

To twist your arm even more, D|two will be mixing up the B&S events on a regular basis. This one has been affectionately dubbed ‘Booze & (hair) Doo’s’ as there will be some lovely prizes given away courtesy of the lovely people at The Grafton Barber and Cowboys & Angels.

If you fancy going (and you really should) send Alan Duncan an email on info@dtwonightclub.com so he can book you in. There are only 100 places so get in there quick!

Time & Date: 6:30pm til late, Wednesday 24th February

Location: D|two, 60 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2

Fancy a cool, bland contemporary interior? Not this season you don’t! Metallics, blooms, bold colours and mix and match are most definitely in!

All images courtesy of Osborne & Little.

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

I am totally looking forward to watching this tonight. It is on Channel 4 at 9pm. The Cutting Edge series will be following four Gypsy and Traveller brides as they plan their wedding day. 

As a short bio to the programme tonight, Channel 4 states:

“Gaining rare access to this fascinating and often misunderstood community, Cutting Edge uses the prism of the weddings to reveal a culture where brides compete to have the biggest dress but having children out-of-wedlock is still taboo and divorce is unheard of.

The weddings are visual spectacles: girls parade into church in enormous dresses that sometimes weigh more than the bride herself. Although the women look sexually provocative there is a tradition of premarital chastity that is increasingly unusual in Britain today.

This is a community that lives alongside but detached from mainstream society. It is a community of contrasts, living by centuries-old religious and cultural traditions but at the same time embracing the gaudier extremes of the celebrity- and fashion-obsessed times in which we live.”

There’s not really too much else to say about this as the images speak for themselves so tune in if you can and be prepared to gawk at the TV in shock (unless of course you like that sort of thing)!

Heart Shaped Pancakes

Cheesy as it sounds, I am going to be enjoying some heart-shaped pancakes tonight. My boyfriend was enjoying the bright lights (and casinos) of Las Vegas over the weekend and only got home today so we are going to celebrate Pancake Tuesday in conjunction with Valentine’s Day. 

Looking forward to feeling sick on a concoction of strawberry, banana, nutella, maple syrup, lemon, cream and sugar pancakes!

Mooch This

I came across this site a while ago, but only recently it has come to my attention again…Mooch does have a shop in Buckinghamshire but I think it’s better known for its online shop. It sources a wide range of eclectic products from one-off designer cushions to Italian high-end accessories and furniture. 

These quirky cushions have caught my spying eye and although they are expensive (£49.95 a pop!!) they give off a fantasy vibe and are a great way to create a diverse style in your home and play on the trend of nature and animals which is very much in this season.

The cushions showcase vibrant shades of lime, pink and turquoise alongside cream or light blue backgrounds. In a range of designs and colours, these contemporary cushions are just perfect for giving block colour sofas an edge.

If you fancy picking up a couple (or one if you’re broke) you can pre-order them on the website now as they aren’t available until March.

Barbie goes Gaga

A few months ago I blogged about Christian Louboutin saying Barbie had cankles and now I’m blogging about Barbie…in a completely different way!

An upcoming designer from Beijing, who goes by the name of Veik has spent months recreating Lady Gaga’s wardrobe in miniature for his Barbie doll collection.

Veik explained to Joonbug why he chose Gaga as his muse…

“Just look at her in those amazing wigs, makeup, and outfits! I was thinking it would be fun to make those wigs for dolls, and that a Lady Gaga doll must be interesting. Since then, I pay close attention to her; her music, clothes, glasses, makeup, everything! Every detail makes me love her more and more.”

Veik created perfect Barbie-sized versions of Lady Gaga’s infamous Jean Charles de Castelbajac Kermit dress, her red lace outfit from the VMAs, her hair bow made of hair, and various exacting iterations of her “Bad Romance” looks, including her Alexander McQueen claw shoe.

To see more of his amazing designs click here.

Blow Me Away

I came across this fantastic product when I was doing a bit of research for our magazine. It looks like your average chair but it is in fact an inflatable armchair which can be used either inside or outside.

The Inflatable Chesterfield Armchair is made from robust material used in life rafts which may seem a tad odd but this ultra modern garden furniture is comfortable and practical and we can buy it safe in the knowledge it won’t pop anytime soon! Designer Jeroen van de Kant has been busy designing more inflatable furnishings for Blofield - A pouffe/ottoman and a larger 3 seat sofa are also in development which will add to the sofas and children’s armchairs (very cute) already available. 

You don’t even have to worry about spending hours on end blowing it up as it comes with an electric pump which is a major advantage! It also comes with a handy hold all so you can carry it around (if you really wish). 

Check out www.design-conscious.co.uk for more funky products!

No Fixed Abode

No Fixed Abode is an Irish company to watch out for this year. The magazine I work for featured them in our Irish Hot 100 (House & Home January/February issue) which is something to be proud of! The majority of their products are sourced from small independent designer makers and local manufacturers.

Peter and Sarah MacCann are a brother/sister run team. Peter has worked as a freelance designer under the name No Fixed Abode Design for almost 10 years for clients including Heals, Habitat, Thorsten Van Elten and more recently for Innermost and new Irish brand Made*. Sarah’s background is in online publishing and business.

Alongside their own designs they offer homewares by Donna Wilson, Thorsten Van Elten and Lush Designs which are available online. If you fancy checking them out in the flesh, you can see a selection of their stuff at the Designer Studio in Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

Featured in the image above is the Barcelona Bedside Cabinet and the Barcelona Console Table both designed by Peter MacCann, Round Pots by Yoyo Ceramics for Thorsten Van Elten and Numbers Poster by Ink Posters all available from No Fixed Abode.

Kim Kardashian’s Clobber

I am rather loving Kim Kardashian’s clobber right now. This girl is either really liked or really hated but I admit I don’t mind a bit of her and the other mental Kardashians.

I am going out this weekend for a friend’s birthday and shall be wearing the outfit above. I bought my leather leggings from Topshop a while ago but haven’t worn them that much (guilty as charged) so I have decided now is the time to have a good look in my wardrobe and put some new outfits together.

Just a pity I don’t look like Kim! Sigh…

Smile with Glee

My first contact with Glee was when I saw an advert for the first episode on E4 and immediately thought it might be fun to watch. I decided to read a few reviews of it (which wasn’t hard as it was promoted everywhere) and thought to myself,

“Hmm I’m not too sure about this!”

Why did I think this I hear you ask? Well, many people were saying it was a try hard version of High School Musical which I am most definitely not into, and others were saying it was good if taken with a pinch of salt. I decided to go with the latter and try it out and I was not disappointed.

Will Schuster, an idealistic teacher (and an older looking version of Justin Timberlake) pines for the days when Glee Club was the cool thing to do in school. Nowadays it’s made up of five kids: Rachel - the stereotypical overachiever, Finn – the usual high school jock, Mercedes - the diva, Kurt - probably one of the only guys who can hit a high F, Tina - an Asian girl with a lisp and Artie who is in a wheelchair.

Sue Sylvester is probably the best bad/funny character ever created on TV. As the head of the Cheerios, the award-winning school cheerleader team (which we all know is majorly important in US School Dramas), she uses most of the schools funding which irritates Will which leads to the overall plot of the series.

The cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” is actually the number one downloaded song in the Irish iTunes store which shows just how popular this show has become. Some may see it as cheesy but if you watch it with the view that they are taking the p*ss out of themselves you will laugh instead of cringe.

If you haven’t already seen Glee you can watch it on Fox, E4 or if you are from Ireland, 3e or TV3.

Here are a few quotes to whet your appetite:

Rachel Berry: “Mr. Schuester, do you have any idea how ridiculous it is to give the lead solo in “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” to a boy in a wheelchair?”

Sue Sylvester: “All I want is just one day a year when I’m not visually assaulted by uglies and fatties.”

Mercedes Jones: “Oh, Hell to the no! Look, I’m not down with all this background singing nonsense. I’m Beyoncé, I ain’t no Kelly Rowland!”

Enjoy!