Pretentious musings on events, happenings and other sophisticated things to do …
Every year I try to do a Valentine's day blog post, if only because my name IS Valentine, so here is my 2016 little guide on Valentine things to do in Dublin and Ireland, from special events to go to with your special one, to Valentine's Day for singles, families and charities, because "love is all around us" and Valentine's Day is for all.
City guide coming soon ... This is Belgrade for lovers or architecture and design... Places to see AMBAR COMMUNALE DIJAGONALA FRIDA GALDOLFINI IGUANA KRAN LABORATORIJA MIKSER HOUSE RADIONICA SAKURA SOFA PLAY SUPERMARKET TORO SMOKVICA
City guides and pretty pics coming soon ... Bucharest's urban oases and design hotspots to visit this summer Origo by Lama Architectura Control Eden Monteoru Lokal Plastilina + Acuarela Image: Cătălin Georgescu Foto: Cristian Niculae CreArt La Un Ceai. Ceai la Vlaicu La Metoc Yardini Grădina SoLemn Grădina Viitorului Vecchio Voilà & Eclecticó Studio - Localul cu rinocer mov Palatul Știrbei Galateca … Continue reading Buzzing Bucharest
In IMAGE Interiors & Living Some time ago I was on the lookout for a low-key, rustic retreat when I came across Lake Isle Retreats in Fermanagh, a small rural hideaway where you can regain your physical and mental strength through yoga, t’ai chi and meditation – while enjoying an intoxicating feast of Eastern food … Continue reading Sublime Simplicity
There is origami, and then there is paper sculpture. Just discovered the work of American Stephanie Beck, paper artist. She creates sculptural paper compositions of imagined urban landscapes, all featuring multitudes of handcrafted small-scale paper shapes and structures that are cut and glued together. By hand. “My work is inspired by images of archaeological sites, architectural history, aerial photos … Continue reading Paper Art
What did the world look like through Van Gogh's eyes? Mac Cauley, a New York based animator created this astonishing virtual visit of Le Café de Nuit ( “The Night Café”), painted by Vincent Van Gogh in 1888, depicting Le Café de la Gare in Arles, where he lived towards the end of this tumultuous life. Ever wondered how many … Continue reading When Art Meets Animation
This is the story of the If you weren't able to join us last weekend for the preview event, consider a trip into town October 16-18! Interested in media please contact hello@theflower.house. @hsaundersphoto #handmademodern #americangrown #americangrownflowers #flowers #flowerhouse #flowerhousedetroit @toddoldham @handmademodern A photo posted by flower house detroit (@flowerhousedetroit) on May 11, 2015 at 6:43am … Continue reading Urban Decay: When Flowers Fight Back
Are you a big film fan, love food but can't cook to save your life? Or perhaps you are just lacking motivation in the kitchen lately? One of the best ways to get in the mood for cooking, get over your fear and learn a few things is to watch cookery programmes and YouTube recipe videos. … Continue reading Cinematic Cravings
This photoset of the Polish photographer Sebastian Luczywo reminds me of the imagery of Black Cat, White Cat, Emir Kusturica's best known films. (Scroll down to the end to see why.) Read a short review of the film here, and see a short visual summary here. The soundtrack (mostly by Goran Bregovic), as with all Kusturica's films, is … Continue reading Weird, Wild, Wonderful
I am perennially in love with fairy tales and a great fan of the fairies. Most recently, I went scouting for the best fairy fashion in shops and on the www, and these are little treasures I found ... Fairytale femininine frocks have been a noticeable trend in the SS15 collections, and they translated wonderfully into … Continue reading Fairytale Fashion
Meet and marvel at Malin Menningsson's wearable jewelry art: and this is how it's made: Malin's story Shop Malin here.
On image.ie From gorgeous geometry to wondrous water features – check out la crème of French garden design… When you think ‘France’ and ‘the French’, ‘garden’ does not immediately come to mind. Perhaps it should though, since the French are responsible for the largest and most splendid gardens in Europe – the Gardens of Versailles – … Continue reading Top Topiary
A selection of the best gardens from the image.ie house tours... An inspiring gallery of gorgeous gardens from the #ImageInteriors house tour archives. 1. An outdoor-indoor garden area in a renovated mews in London’s Hackney. | 2. An inviting penthouse garden with a view of the Dublin Docklands.| 3. A beautiful example of rustic topiary in Cork. … Continue reading Irish Gardens
#lifeindublin
Their spelling is not great but these young parkourists (parkourers?) more than make up for it with their acrobatics.
They were a nice bunch.
Mimi asked me if they didn’t mind me taking their photographs and posting them on the internet.
They didn’t.
They were far from camera shy.
I enjoyed spending 15 minutes with them.
They were fit, enthusiastic, sober, did not bother anyone.
They don’t care much about cartilage, or joints (the ones that act as an articulation between two limbs), or sprained ankles, or broken wrists.
They are young.
They are having fun.
Fair play to them.
Like it or not, the little mememe2U will be doing parkour from now on.
Shag all extortionate registration fees, licences or bored instructors.
All you need is a pair of runners, a few rocks or elevated walkways. And go bare chest.
I may allow Mimi to wear a vest.
On image.ie If you’re passing through Dublin Airport this year, you’re bound to come across the Design Island Exhibition, one of the very first events in the upcoming Irish Design 2015, a year-long programme exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design on the island of Ireland as well as major locations abroad. The exhibition celebrates the growing success … Continue reading Irish Design 2015
From real flowers art to digitally-enhanced flowers from www.isabellemenin.com Intensely beautiful and wonderfully eerie ... The dark side ... and the light
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Japanese for sublime simplicity ...
Non-touristy photos by a professional photographer friend and my own amateur efforts and Instagrams
I have been going to Budapest for twenty years, and am still in love with the city ... This spring I will put together a proper guide of my favourite European capital. Stay tuned!
This is flowers to the power of ten! At least! Flower installations, part of this new wonderful trend of bringing the outside in, are a powerful thing ... The first one I came across was a project of Tokyo’s Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Still haven’t have enough of the Japanese cherry blossom images … Continue reading Flower Power
Inspiration gallery for Mambos, Mysteries and Masquerades and for when you want to dress or glam up
Published on: THE DAILY GLOSS ART | METHOD & FORM, April 25 In collaboration with the Dublin Decorative and Fine Arts Society, the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks will host an afternoon of talks exploring how past and present come together in contemporary Irish applied arts. The event will take place in the magnificent The Palatine Room and the … Continue reading Culture Guide: 20–30 April
Published on booksgosocial.com Pembrokeshire-born Kate Hamer won the Rhys Davies short story award in 2011, and her winning story was read out on Radio 4. She has since been awarded a Literature Wales bursary. She lives in Cardiff with her husband and two children. She talked to us about “The Girl in the Red Coat”, her first novel (Faber … Continue reading Interview: Kate Hamer
Published on: THE DAILY GLOSS Sunny evenings prompt a cultural reawakening. Plan your week around a daily shot of art and culture. MUSIC Record Store Day | Friday April 18 Celebrate the 7th World Record Store Day 2015 in Ireland in your local independent store around the country. Commandeered by David Grohl, #RSD15 has prepared an impressive celebratory … Continue reading Culture Guide: 10-20 April 2015
Published on: http://booksgosocial.com/2015/03/23/sheena-lambert/ Sheena Lambert is an author from Dublin, Ireland, where she worked as a engineer before deciding to take a leap and focus on writing novels. She has been shortlisted in a number of prestigious UK competitions. Her second novel, The Lake, is published by HarperCollins Killer Reads. How did this book come about? I am … Continue reading Interview: Crime writer Sheena Lambert
Published on: http://booksgosocial.com/2015/03/27/the-celtic-myths/ Miranda Aldhouse-Green is Professor Emeritus at Cardiff University. She specializes in the study of shamanism and archaeology of the Iron Age. She has published widely on the Celts and their world, including: Celtic Goddesses: Warriors, Virgins and Mothers, Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, and Exploring the World of the Druids. Tell us about … Continue reading Interview: Miranda Aldhouse Green
If you’re like me, you’ve just returned from your latest holiday and you’re counting down the days to your next escape. Fly away but stay close this coming bank holiday… For a short and sweet getaway you want direct flights from Dublin at reasonable times. These are my top short-haul destinations for the a long weekend that are not London or Paris and don’t involve painful wake-up calls:
On services4authors.com, @KayACairns and @_DianaValentine compile their top tips on how authors can promote books around and over the holidays … Valentine’s Day is behind us, and soon comes Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day, Easter, the Summer Solstice, etc. Plenty of public and bank holidays – plenty of opportunities to get your book out and marketed. But … Continue reading Promoting Your Books
I want to read Ulysses, but I need to finish the Internet first. Anonymous, quoted here In the the old world – circa fifteen years ago – B was for books. In our world, B is for bytes, beta, back-up, big data, bitcoin… You know all of those – they are our daily reality, where we need … Continue reading Return of the Book
I've always wanted to have a fairy door tree and, when I came across from this lovely post from Grammarly here (Every year on February 26th, Tell a Fairy Tale Day celebrates the art of storytelling), it made me think of all the fairy stories of my childhood. So, Fairy Day was some time ago, and it took … Continue reading Fairy Fiends
“The course of true love never did run smooth”, which is why – we are told – we need an annual reminder to rekindle and celebrate love, and everything that comes with it … chocolate, sexy lingerie, romantic getaways, expensive gifts... Well, all cynicism and circumspection aside, here are some things to do on Valentine’s Day that … Continue reading For The Love Of …
This week is the 150th anniversary of Alice In Wonderland. Loving the celebratory book cover illustrations here: and have you seen the lovely stamps Royal Mail issued this January?
http://www.image.ie/Living/TRAVEL/Majestic-Markets/ If you're planning a trip to one of Europe's Christmas Markets, now is the time to book. Here’s our pick of the best Christmas markets in Europe opening this weekend – all with direct flights, yuletide magic and guaranteed snow! There is something about Central and Northern Europe that makes them do Christmas so well … Continue reading Majestic Markets
Opened in 2008 and based in an historic warehouse building in the North Inner City, D-light was initially a photography studio, the brainchild of the multi-talented Agata Stoinska. It's now a versatile multimedia space and latterly became the place to go for a seemingly inexhaustive list of events, ranging from art and photography, exhibitions, workshops, indoor market parties, fashion, film and TV shoots, DJ … Continue reading D-Light My Fire
Published on image.ie These may not be popcorn movies, but if you want to see the best of the Irish and foreign cinema’s latest offerings, these are the places where you’ll want to go. So get in your car, get your film buffs friends together, and enjoy these film festivals in Ireland ... Clones Film … Continue reading Arthouse Autum
Published on image.ie Get your costumes out and welcome the dancing season in style with these fantastic masqued balls this autumn: The Film Fatale Swinging Sixties Vintage Party | October 18 | Sugar Club This 1960s-themed Mad Men-esque party will celebrate the fashion and music of one of the greatest decades. The night starts with … Continue reading Mambos, Mysteries and Masquerades
Published on: www.image.ie/Living/Culture/Essential-or-Extravagant-The-New-Dublin-Libraries Essential or Extravagant? The New Dublin Libraries 2014 saw the (re)opening of two new libraries in Co. Dublin: Dún Laoghaire and Blackrock, two exciting but expensive projects that generated some controversy. Do we need more libraries built in the age of technology, with its ecological concerns about paper production and where Amazon sells … Continue reading Love Libraries
Diana Valentine Design 