Oil Painting is My Jam!

I mentioned in a blog post last week that I have finally gotten back into a painting groove. When we first arrived here in Ireland I decided to give acrylics a try. I painted two large canvases and while they turned out well I was less than impressed with the medium. I found it frustrating because it dried so quickly and didn't seem to allow for a lot of blending and fluidity. You can adjust the drying time by adding a slow drying medium to the paint, but I found it made for a rather sticky mess. So I switched back to oil and realized that oil is totally my jam! 

Yes, I did just say "my jam" when I know full well I am probably not cool enough to use that phrase. What I mean to convey by saying oil painting is "my jam" is that it is my preferred medium to work in. As soon as I switched back to oil paints I got a little painting high! Maybe the high was just from inhaling the turpentine fumes, but whatever it was it jumped started my desire to paint.

So today I wanted to share with you some of the things I have been working on. Mostly Irish city-scapes and landscapes for now. Not sure what I am going to do with them, maybe set up a shop on Etsy? What do you think?

The Four Faced Liar
Oil on canvas
16 x 12

Down Patrick's Hill
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 28

Up Patrick's Hill
Acrylic on Canvas
36 x 28

In Progress

St. Finbarrs
Oil on canvas
14 x 10

In Progress

Sheep on the Slea Head
Oil on canvas
10 x 14

In Progress
oil on canvas
10 x 14

Kissed The Blarney Stone, and Proud of It

Tourist attractions, every country has one. It might be a natural wonder, or possibly a man made marvel. You may think it is overrated or something only tourists do, but obviously there must be something to it or people wouldn't flock to places like the Eiffel Tower in France, The Colosseum in Italy, or the Great Pyramids in Africa. In Greece you would be remiss to not climb to the top of The Acropolis and marvel in the ancient ruins. No visit to China would be complete without trip to the Great Wall right? Visiting America? You don't want to miss the Statue of Liberty or The Golden Gate Bridge! So where do people flock to when in Ireland? Besides the pubs?

Answer: The Blarney Stone

We have been living in Ireland for almost nine months now and I am actually surprised I have not written a blog post about it, especially because the Village of Blarney and it's magical stone lies just about 10 kilometers to the northwest of us.

So what exactly is the Blarney Stone? Interestingly enough, no one really seems to know.  One legend says it was Jacob's Pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. Some believe it to be the stone Moses struck with his staff during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Maybe it was a coronation stone used by the Scottish monarchs perhaps? 

The stories are many, but the most widely accepted is that the stone was given to Cormac Mc Carthy, King of Munster, in gratitude for the Irish support at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Eventually, the stone was built into the walls of Blarney Castle. The legend says that a witch saved from drowning by the King, rewarded him with a spell. If he was to kiss the stone he would gain a speech that would win all to him.

That somehow morphed into the practice of kissing the Blarney Stone today. Now it is believed that the power of eloquent speech will be bestowed upon all who kiss the stone. Who doesn't want that right? That is why thousands of visitors make the pilgrimage to Blarney Castle each year in search of the gift of gab. I am proud to count myself among those tourists. It might be a silly thing to do, but at least I can say I did it!

Kissing the stone is not for the faint of heart. Not because of the horrible rumors that the local's relieve themselves on it. I highly doubt that happens. It is because to reach the stone you must ascend a long and narrow spiral staircase to the very top of the Castle about 90 feet above the ground. Then while hanging backwards over the edge while someone holds your feet you align your head with the stone and reach back for the kiss.  Here is what it looks like.

For some it is difficult to look beyond the tourist trap that kissing the stone has become. However, if you can look past the exploitation of it this tourist attraction is absolutely worth the visit. The grounds are lovely and the castle is very much a part of the rich history of Ireland. It is a fun daytrip, and you just never know, the gift of gab may just be waiting for you!

Blarney Castle

View from the top

Silly Husband!

Croissant Craic Travel Tip #6 - Interpreting the Menu

Oops, I totally forgot about What's Cookin' Wednesday yesterday. Sorry!  This week my brain has been elsewhere; finalizing travel plans, cleaning house, and preparing for my parents' visit.  I can't believe they will be here tomorrow!


Because I forgot my food post for the week and I'm still working on sharing Irish travel tips I thought I would make up for it by combining the two! 

If you travel to Ireland you may be surprised to discover that Irish Stew and Corned Beef with Cabbage are not commonly featured on the local menus. They are Irish dishes, just Irish-American!  Bacon and cabbage is a much more common and traditional dish here in Ireland.  However, bacon over here is totally different than American bacon. Hopefully this does not confuse you if you read my post about The Great Bacon Debate. Irish bacon and rashers are not the same thing.  Irish bacon is actually a thick cut of cured pork loin. Bacon and Cabbage is prepared in a similar way to Corned Beef and Cabbage, so it seems Americans have only slightly altered the dish.


As for the remainder of typical Irish cuisine the best way to describe it is like farmstyle home cooking, hearty and simple.  Soups, stews, game, pork, an abundance of seafood, homemade brown bread, and potatoes done just about every way imaginable are the most common elements.  This is not to say Irish cooking is limited to being simple, but if you do something well why change it right? 


The food culture here is growing and changing. I feel lucky to live in Cork, which is without question the gourmet capital of the country! Check out my friend Evin's blog where she traversed Cork city on the Cork Gourmet Trail sampling some of the best cuisine available here.


Arriving in Ireland from the US you would not expect a language barrier, aside from the accent of course.  However, open up a restaurant menu and you may question weather English is in fact the national language.  Some things are obvious and I'm confident you'll figure them out on your own, while others may leave you scratching your head.  Here is a short list I've compiled of typical Irish menu items you may encounter:


Boxty - an Irish potato pancake typically made of shredded potatoes and fried on the griddle

Black Pudding- don't be fooled this is not a sweet dark chocolate treat.  Far from it!  It is actually blood sausage.

White Pudding - similar to black pudding minus the blood, often has oatmeal and spices in the mix


Bacon - Cured pork loin

Rashers- Irish breakfast meat most similar to Canadian bacon

Courgettes - zucchini 


Aubergine - eggplant 


Rocket - Arugula.  This bitter green is in just about every salad here.


Coriander - Cilantro.  In the states we only call the dried seed of the plant coriander and the green leafy part is cilantro.


Hake - White fish similar to cod or haddock.  This fish is available in the US, but nowhere near as common as here in Ireland.  


Prawns - No brainer right?  Prawns are shrimp!


Goujons - Chicken fingers or fish sticks depending on your protein.  

It is also worth mentioning that tap water is perfectly OK to drink and there is no need to order bottled water in a restaurant.  Additionally ice is not common.  You may receive a few cubes in your glass, but don't expect it everywhere you go.  Better yet, skip the water and wash your meal down with a pint!

Surely I have missed a few things, but what I did not cover I am sure you can ask your server to clarify for you. My best to you on your dining adventures in Ireland.  Bon Appetit!

Calendars Aren't Just for Dates

I woke up this morning thinking about the blog and came to the realization that it has been a while since I posted anything about our apartment here in Ireland. Being a renter again, and a short term one at that, has left me with little flexibility when it comes to transforming this place. With a full overhaul out of the question, I am left to find simple and inexpensive soulutions to help brighten up my new digs and turn them into something a little more me.  Before moving on may I remind you what it looked like the weekend we moved in?

Kind of gloomy hun?

This is the artwork that was hanging on the walls between the windows.

Before we came over to Ireland my mother gave me this beautiful Flora & Fauna calendar for Christmas. She gave it to me knowing full well that I would not be using it to to keep track of my busy schedule, meetings, and appointments (mostly because I currently don't have any!). She thought the pages of the calendar would be perfect for framing and make for a quick and inexpensive artwork fix! Of course, she was right.  

I selected four of my favorite images, trimmed them up and popped them into some €4 frames I picked up at a discount store here in Cork. I would have preferred a more substantial frame and a mat around the illustrations, but then it may have been too heavy to hang with velcro picture hanging strips, and driving nails into the 150 year old plaster walls was not an option.

Once they were framed and up on the wall they were looking a little puny, until I came across these for €2 a piece at TK Maxx!

They are perfect because they are melamine (aka plastic), therefore lightweight and easily hung with more of those handy dandy picture hanging strips! Also I'm a sucker for red as an accent color, and they added more height and balance to the arrangement of frames between the windows.

So take one more look at the dark and drab BEFORE:

and now the brighter and more colorful AFTER:

It's amazing what a few splashes of color, and a mix of patterns can do! Already feeling more like home!

To Market, To Market, to Buy...

Walking down the streets here you might not know that tucked away behind the unassuming brick facades of the city buildings lies one of the oldest markets of its kind. The English Market has been serving the people of Cork since 1788! Today the market boasts a large variety of stalls such as:  produce, poultry & eggs, butchers, fishmongers, cheese shops, bakeries, chocolates, spices, etc. There is even a lovely cafe called the The Farmgate Cafe upstairs.

I've only been living in Cork for two months now, but I am doing my best to take advantage of everything the market has to offer. With the help of my friend Evin, and suggestions from Adam's co-worker Ciaran, I am learning which butchers have the best prices, who to go to for fruit and veg, and where to buy the best eggs.  It's such a different and wonderful way to shop. No shrink wrap and styrofoam here! It did freak me out a little when the man at the poultry stall picked out my chicken portions with no gloves, and then took my money and handed me my change with the same non-gloved hands. I'm over it, as long as I wash my hands and cook the chicken well it's all good!

Simply showing you pictures will not do it justice. The beauty of the English Market is taking in the entire thing with all of your senses. Smelling the fresh baked bread, feeling the slick wet floors of the fish hall under your feet, hearing the butchers sharpening their knives, gently squeezing that perfect piece of fruit to check its ripeness, and stopping by the olive stall to have a sample of a briny, juicy kalamata.

But since you can't be here to do all of those things, here are a few photos to tide you over until you come for a visit!

Apartment Anguish

A few posts back I mentioned I had a melt down and that our new apartment was the source of it.  I also promised to give more details.  So here it is.

While the Clarion Hotel was perfectly lovely, after three and a half weeks life in any hotel can start to lose its novelty.  Although I can’t really complain about having a maid every day.  That will never lose its novelty!  However maid or no maid, the pressure was on to find an apartment.  We were both desperately in need of a home cooked meal and a chance to get some laundry done.  In addition the pending arrival of our 13 boxes that we shipped from the US fueled our fire to make a decision.  We couldn’t very well receive a pallet of boxes in our hotel room! 

I spent about a week and a half and viewed at least a dozen apartments.  Nothing was really quite right and the situation was looking bleak.  That is until Adam and I went to view a top floor one bedroom.  This place was on the South side of the river, very modern, and very clean!  In addition it had a huge rooftop outdoor space.  I was totally sold and excited about the prospect of moving in.  And then we got the bad news.  Unlike the advertisement which stated that the apartment was available immediately, we were informed that the current tenant would not be out until April 1^st.  There was no way we were going to wait three more weeks to get into an apartment.  Even as I type this post it’s only March 30^th.  I can’t imagine still being in a hotel.

So if I’m not in the hotel where am I?  I’m in the second choice apartment… the distant second choice.  It couldn’t be more opposite than the first choice that didn’t work out.   It’s on the North side (up the hill, and apparently the "less desirable" side of the river) OLD (we’re talking 150+ years) and dirty!  Did I mention the pressure?!  Well, we signed the lease and there is no going back.

The first few nights I cried sobbed and sulked about making a stupid decision.  The dishwasher was broken, one of the heat registers wasn’t working properly,  there are scary cracks in the ceiling, bubbled paint on the grimy walls, the main hallway into the building is dark and kind of smelly, refuse collection is not included in the rent, and neither is parking, and the décor left little to be desired. With all that wrong why the hell did we sign on the dotted line?!  I was wondering the same thing, but now after almost 3 weeks and a lot of elbow grease (I’m quite certain the apartment had not been cleaned since the building was erected in the 1850’s) the reasons why are starting to show. 

If you can make it through the smelly hallway and into our front door, look past the cracks in the ceiling and the dingy red patterned carpet in the bedroom, you may just be able to see the charm. We have 15 foot ceilings, three huge south facing windows, a beautiful arched stained glass transom, two marble fireplaces, granite counter tops in our updated kitchen, crown molding, built in bookcases, and by European standards this a pretty big one bedroom apartment. 

So without further ado here are few pictures of move in day.  Please keep in mind these are the BEFORE pictures! I plan on putting my fancy design education to work, even if on a budget!  I am looking forward to showing off the changes I’ve made in the next several posts a la Young House Love style. So keep checking back!

Past water damage.  The leak is fixed, but the ceiling sadly has not :(