Here’s another shot…

While scraping down the layers of an encaustic painting last week, I realized that my piece had suddenly morphed into a graffiti wall!

I carved letters into the layers of wax & added orange sea glass to finish.

Hope you’re having a great weekend,

One late afternoon, I hiked several miles from Dalkey to Killiney & documented the journey with my camera. Once I reached the beach, I sat & listened to the song Almost Lover (by A Fine Frenzy) on repeat as I sat staring at the Irish sea. Words can’t describe Killiney’s beauty, and pictures don’t do it justice. I decided the best way to share my experience with you was to re-create it with a video taking you along on my hike. The background music is my interpretation of Almost Lover arranged on my Clavinova. Hope you enjoy it & get some small understanding of the beauty of the place.

All the best,

There are a number of fabulous hotels in Dublin’s city centre (The Clarence, The Merrion, & The Shelbourne to name a few). But for this trip, I decided to venture out & stay in a boutique hotel called The Fitzwilliam. Its location is perfect…right on St. Stephen’s Green (the main park in the city centre). It is also located right at the top of the primary shopping street, Grafton.

The Fitzwilliam’s lobby has eclectic decor & I love the purple & green color combo. In fact the purple theme went through the entire hotel. Even the doormen wear purple coats with tails & there are purple umbrellas hanging in each room! *LOL*

When I arrived in my room, I was greeted with this fresh plate of fruit & a box of chocolates.

Orchids were sitting on a table near a window overlooking the Green.

I decided to head outdoors with my camera & get some shots of the area. I started off on the Green. On any given day, you’ll see dozens of folks lounging around on the lawn, having a picnic during their lunch break, feeding the birds, or just sunbathing (on those rare days of Irish sunshine). There are several small ponds in the Green as well as a center section with fountains & manicured lawns:

I noticed several monuments built for famous men & women in Irish history. I was really taken with the female sculpture in this one. The monument was built for a man called James Clarence Mangan who was a famous poet from the 19th century. (Some of the greatest writers in the world have been Irish by the way – Yeats, Beckett, Shaw, Heaney, Joyce, Wilde, and the list goes on. Even Bram Stroker of Dracula fame was Irish. Weird, eh? ) According to the park directory, the woman in the middle of this monument represents Roisin Dubh, the last work of Willie Pearse.

Whenever you’re in an Irish garden, you’re bound to find gorgeous Irish roses. They almost look painted here:

Most of the street lamp posts in Dublin are decorated with flower baskets like this one. I love that… just makes you smile to be surrounded by flowers, ya know?

Grafton Street is a terrific place to go “people watch”. You can see all sorts of folks there since it is the main pedestrian shopping street in the city. There are always a number of street musicians performing, like this fabulous brass band. Have any of you seen the movie “Once” that won the Oscar this year for best song? In the film, the two main characters meet on Grafton street.

You can also find several vendors selling fresh flowers along the street. They were selling all kinds of varieties – from lilies to daisies to wildflowers. Just beautiful! If I had one of these on my street corner, I think I’d have fresh flowers in the house every day!

At the bottom of Grafton Street is Trinity College (the main college in Dublin). This is where the famous Book of Kells is housed. This beautiful monument sits in the center courtyard of the campus:

Eating out in Dublin can be a bit pricey (as can any European city with the dollar so weak right now), but there are still some great deals to be found. When I wasn’t in the mood for a big meal, I dropped into this lil’ restaurant. Not sure who came up with the name, but it’s a great place. It’s actually a fast food restaurant with a healthy twist. They sell stews in bread bowls, fresh lean meat & vegetarian wraps, & homemade smoothies. Really good stuff – the chicken pesto wrap was to die for!

That’s all for now – tune in for more pics from Killiney & London soon!

Hope you’re having a great week,

When I think of Rome, I am reminded of the incredible trip to Italy that my mom & I took together in the fall of 2004.  Not only were we able to see Rome, but we also spent time in Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Capri, & Pompeii.  It was a special adventure for us since my mom’s side of the family is Italian. 

My favorite memory from the trip, hands down, was our first gelato experience.  For those that may not know, gelato is a creamy, Italian version of ice cream that is to die for.  As we were traipsing through a side street of Florence on one of our first afternoons, we decided to pop into a gelato cafe.  When we walked in the door, the person behind the counter asked us to pick out our cones.  My mom pointed at what appeared to be a waffle cone.  Little did she know what she had just ordered.  About 30 seconds later, the man behind the counter handed her this:

No kidding – this gelato cone was as large as her head! *LOL*  I immediately started laughing so hard that I doubled-over to the ground & she lost it as well.  I somehow managed to grab my camera & take a few shots to capture the moment.  Here’s another pic from the side.   I mean really…this is ridiculous!!! 

Needless to say – we couldn’t finish it & our gelato cravings were seriously diminished for the rest of the trip.  

Italy was fabulous, though, and I can’t say enough good things about our tour company, Perillo Tours.  We stayed in beautiful 4 & 5-star hotels like an incredible converted monastery with ancient gothic arched windows.  We started off in Florence visiting some of the wonderful art museums there.  We took a day trip to Venice where we travelled in gondolas under the bridge of sighs, visited the famous Murano Glass Factory, and experienced the wonderful architecture of the city.  Here are a couple of my favorite shots:

Southern Italy is gorgeous…especially along the coast line.  We went through Naples to Sorrento & spent a day on the isle of Capri visiting the famous blue grotto, drinking or first Limoncellos, & having lunch in a small cafe overlooking the ocean.  After Capri, we went to Pompeii where we saw amazing preserved structures still standing from hundreds of years ago.

Then there was Rome.  I remember the Vatican & standing in the Sistine Chapel.  It was recently restored so the colors were all so vivid. Kind of surreal to be somewhere you’ve only seen in books!  There was a trip to the Trevi Fountain…

…and an amazing dinner in a privately-owned castle.  Of course, we also went to visit the Coliseum where gladiators used to battle to the death! 

How strange that in a modern city, there stands so many ancient pieces of architecture, and yet how thrilling that it is all preserved.  I used one of my snapshots of the Coliseum in the Hero Arts card below.  All supplies are HA & the instructions can be found on their website here. Thanks for dropping by!

London has always  been one of those cities that I have traveled through to get someplace else.  I don’t think I spent any time there until the end of college when I was studying abroad.  My Danish friend Maiken & I decided to take a Spring Break holiday and we chose Dublin & London as our destinations.

Now I have to admit that at the time, I was a pretty “enthusiastic” U2 fan.  So a trip to the Emerald Isle was a sort of mecca for me.  After several fabulous days in Ireland, we ended up in London not really knowing how it would compare.  We had a great time during our short stay, though.  I remember touring Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, seeing the Tower Bridge, London Dungeons, & Buckingham Palace.  We trolled through the shops at Camden street market (bringing a few treasures home with us) & purchased discount tickets to see a production of The Phantom of the Opera (which as I recall, we watched from behind a large pole. *LOL*)

I have returned once or twice since, and there are certain things I love about the city.  I love that it is a massive metropolis, and yet you can find small quaint neighborhoods with darling private gardens in the middle of it all.  I love the British dry sense of humor, and how can you not adore a country that can produce TV shows like The Office, Extras, & Coupling?  I love the intense national spirit of the British that emerges anytime one mentions the words “football”, “Manchester United”, or dare I say it, “David Beckham”?  *LOL*  …although maybe Becks isn’t so popular now that he’s joined us on this side of the pond.

Yes – London has some fond memories & is a city with many hidden gems.  It’s latest is the addition of a dear friend that moved back to the city last month.  I miss you Minu and hope to see you soon!!!

The image used in the card below was taken during my trip with Maiken.  It was originally in color, but I converted it into B&W with photoshop before printing.  Don’t you just love how striking & regal monuments look in black & white?  All of the stamps used on this card are from Hero’s new 2008 catalog.  The full instructions & supply list can be found on Hero’s site here.  Thanks for dropping by!