Fridays child is loving and giving..

Fridays are my favourite day of the week. Fact. Everyone is in a great mood, my office is full of excitement - discussions of where the girls are going that night...what outfits they are wearing (spending money they don't have to wear something that they can't be seen in again for fear of fashion/social suicide)...the countdown to half five so that they can run out the door and start their weekend. Now that's enough about the 23 year olds in my office, as for me.....
Fridays are for huge hoodies, baggy trousers, hair tied up in a messy bun and the biggest decision to be made is what SKY+ programme we should watch first. Tonight boyfriend announced 'it will also be a PIZZA night' accompanied by beer (my contribution) some Modern Family, An Idiot Abroad 2 and possibly some inappropriate comedy from Fresh Meat.
And to be perfectly honest I ADORE these nights. I won't admit it to boyfriend as I need him to think that I still expect romance after nearly four and half years together.
Following a week of work where I am surrounded by fashion and beauty...what's hot and what's not...stressing over which outfit I should wear to work and wondering why oh why I can't justify spending all my Rent on a new Celine Shopper. I love to switch off and just go back to basics.
Friday is MY night of rest.

Fast forward ten hours and all systems are go!
Saturday morning: a nice long hot bath while reading this weeks Grazia magazine and I am energised, hair blow dryed, make up applied (fail-safe process: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, YSL Touche Eclat, Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, Nude Shadow from my Chanel Prelude Eye Palette, a slick of Sephora Black Eyeliner, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara, some coral blush by Chanel 'In Love' and a pout full of Benefits 'What are you wearing' and I am good to go)
I love to play dress up depending on my mood, one day I am going for preppy chic the next I am full on biker girl in leather jacket or the caped crusader in my selection from Zara, Selected Femme and ASOS. I admire peoples style and I love to take aspects of what I see on the street, catwalks, magazines and blogs but I still know that when I switch off and remove this I am equally as happy.
Something I wish my 23 year old self realised at the time.

These are some of my favourite things.....weekend edition

Dissecting NYLON Magazine for lover's of popular culture & fashion; this month's cover features my new style/acting crush Elizabeth Olsen

Mary-Kate & Ashley who?





Getting inspiration from cookbooks for Sunday dinner..

Taking 'Norma' for a cycle to visit my parents

Lusting after this Topshop MAC...oh pay day please arrive!

Meeting up for brunch with friends

Catching up with The Rachel Zoe Project season:4
Too much Chanel for one person :)

My newest obsession....at home

Hammered metal lamps - my bedside table needs them!  

And finally....this weeks hidden gem

In case you hadn't realised already I love food and cooking, the whole experience that comes with it. Whether it be preparing a meal and chatting while entertaining friends or eating out in a restaurant.

Thankfully my friend, let's call her Fashionista (wardrobe I wish I could raid, introduced me to the world of fur..sadly mine is faux) is equally as obsessed with food as I am.

We sometimes email each other descriptions of what we made for dinner the previous night, drooling and then deciding we are so hungry we must go for lunch immediately!

So that's how we found this weeks hidden gem, accompanied by Fashionista I stumbled upon a cafe situated in the world of music...well a record store. On the top floor of Tower Records, Soundbites cafe is nestled behind cd stands with views of Wicklow Street.

If I hadn't overheard someone talking about the tasty food they had there I probably would have walked right out. But as I approached the cafe I realised why this is slowly becoming the place to go for lunch by all City worker's looking for a relaxing yet affordable lunch(two things that are missing from the majority of cafes in the city).

Soundbites is quirky with a mishmash of chairs, posters hanging on the ceilings, sweet music playing (I recognised the Edward Scissorhand soundtrack while I was there), retro wallpaper and friendly staff.

The real attraction is the food..open for breakfast and offering bacon butties, granola with fruit...lunches of curried parsnip soup, brie and spinach focaccia ..goat cheese tartlets, stews and scrumptious desserts - we wanted the brownie but for once resisted (next time it will be mine) 

We left the cosy cafe after a good gossip,with a full tummy..making plans for our return.