Bogus blind date!

So I thought it might be about time that i updated you on the internet dating. I must admit while it was a bit of a novelty at the beginning and kind of fun, I have since been finding it quite time consuming and a bit weird at times. It's amazing how quickly though you can weed out the lunatics, desperates, weirdos and the over 60's from the bumch!!

It came to the point where I had narrowed it down and was just emailing two guys. Rk78 and shyguy2010. I know, I know, it does take a while to get used to the screen names and eventually I found out that Rk78 is actually called Brian and shyguy2010 is Greg.

All was going well and I would be online with either one for an hour or so sending emails back and forth and after a couple of weeks of this slightly unnatural communication Brian asked to meet up for a drink!

Now I hadn't told anyone I was doing this apart from a close friend Rachel who has also dipped her toe into the pool of internet dating in the past. I decided to tell her I was meeting Brian incase he turned out to be an axe murderer or a train spotter...

We agreed on a mutual meeting place, full of people for security but I also had to pick a place I never normally go because I would be mortified if anyone found out I was on a blind date!!
I saw him as soon as I walked into the bar and It was like that scene from Extras where Rickey Jervais takes one look at his blind date and starts swearing.... I contemplated turning on my heel and running as fast as I could but I knew that he had seen me.

I knew immediately that this guy was not for me but all I could think was how long is long enough before I make my excuses and leave. Now I'm not saying he didn't look like his picture but whoever airbrushed the hell out of his photo deserves an enhancement award! He was smaller than he had said on his profile and he was definitely more rotund!!! In fact he was one of those guys who had been on his own for so long that he has forgotten about things such as ironing and hygiene.

 It was pretty painful conversation with lots of awkward silences. Brian only made matters worse when he told me the story of his last blind date, where the girl went to the toilet and never came back!!!! I mean why was he telling me this? Hardly encouraging plus I was slightly pissed off because it meant I couldnt do the same now!!! Darn it!

Two drinks later I made my excuses and escaped. This was after ten minutes of Brian pleading with me to have another drink, cringe. He got more desperate the more excuses I made about leaving........ I even got a text before the taxi door had closed behind me, asking me to meet him again! I'm sure you can imagine my reply!

Anyway, I'm determined to put that bad experience behind me and try not to let it put me off the next possible suitor! Although I think I might look a little bit closer at the picture next time...... Maybe shyguy2010 a.k.a Greg can restore my faith in cyber suitors!!!!

Please tell me your cringeworthy date story to make me feel better? Or maybe a sucess story to give me some hope!!!

Food Porn

I am a big lover of food! Good food and pretty much all types. I love eating it, cooking it and looking at it. I follow lots of food blogs, watch cooking programmes and buy recipe books.

I didn't think much about it until me and a friend were having a conversation about, yes  you have guessed it Food when she used the term food porn. I laughed at first but then i realised she was right. I am guilty of buying and engaging in food porn.

Now before you make any judgments, look at your own lives. Are you guilty of buying a cookery book and never making anything from it? Do you watch Jamie Oliver with an unhealthy obsession? Or feel lslightly aroused watching Nigella lick the spoon?

Well fear not, it's time we stood up and admitted our secret. Its about having a healthy attitude to food and the more "research" we do the better our healthy diets can become.

Here are some of the food blos i follow.:

www.veggiesandme.com is a brilliant blog written by Megan and gives fantastic new, modern and tasty vegetarian recipes. (I am not a veggie myself but this collection of recipes will get even the most hardcore meateater salivating!

www.donalskehan.com. Donal is fantastic, he is Irish, young and his recipes are easy so if you are starting out and need to learn the basics or are looking for ideas to whip up a food treat for your mates then this is the place to find it!

Finally (and this is my best food porn website)
www.smittenkitchen.com  I can say it enough but the food photograpy on this site is AMAZING!!! It will arouse even the laziest of cooks to try some of the recipes, or even to just salivate over them like me! It is written by Deb and her husband Alex. Deb is also a freelance photographer, hence the amazing photographs and boy does she have some talent. The food looks practically 3D, annoyingly so because I'm so tempted to reach out and touch it!

So now that we have confessed our sins, any guilt has melted away and we can continue to drool over french onion soup and death by chocolate photographs........ Don't feel ashamed, stand tall and admit you are a food porn addict like me?

Any one else share this guilt secret? Tell me your favourite food porn sites? books?

My best friend Cindy

Following on from yesterday's blog about getting ready for stepping out in my bikini for the first time this Summer, I thought I would fill you in on the best workout dvd I have ever tried. I have literally tried most dvds on the market and although this is one of the oldest, it is still the best.

I found Davina McCall's too aerobic, Elle Mcphearson's dvd didn't contain enough toning sections and although I have sampled a few, I don't really want to work out with anyone from Coronation St, Eastenders or a Pop group.

Good old Cindy Crawford. She powers through the workouts making it look effortless and encourages you along the way. I find her inspiring too because she IS curvy and has a proper woman's body but she is just super toned! There is no point getting ideas into your head that by working out you will end up size zero and fabulous, all you can do is improve your own body shape and that's exactly what Cindy does.

I have always used the first dvd "Shape your Body" It tackles all parts of the body, legs, arms, bums and abs and there are two seperate routines, so I find if I alternate between both I get a good all round workout.


But I have just invested in a second dvd called "The Next Challenge" It's quite different to the first one in that it focuses on the arms quite substantially and I used my 3 pound weights for the excersises. Also this dvd has a good portion of aerobic routines which the other dvd didn't have. All in all It's great to have both so that I can dip in and out and concentrate on certain areas that need attention.

Of course right now I'm trying to be really good because the hols are looming but I have been known to abandon these dvds under boxsets every now and again, when i resort to lying on the couch and eating cake, however for the minute I will use the bikini motivation that i currently have to force myself to stick to it for as long as I can.


Can I work out? Yes I can!!!!!!!

What are your favourite work out Dvds? Can you reccomend me something to pull me away from my Cindy obsession?

Bikini Body, ahhhhhhhh!

Like all busy bees I work hard and count down to this time of year just to get a taste of sun, sea and sand. Ahhh bliss but then the dreaded thought creeps into mind. Bikini! Now don't get me wrong bikinis are one of my favourite items of clothiing but the thought of getting my wobbily, pasty and celulite body out for the world to see is slightly intimidating. Especially with the wave a magazines, adverts and celebrities prancing round in the itsy bitsy all in ones, it's enough to make me cover up in Nigella's sensible 'burkini'.

So i have been good the last couple of weeks to try and get in shape as much as I can before the final reveal! As a reward I have been checking out the latest bikinis on the market so that i can treat myself to one when i reach my goal. My goal is to be able to walk from sunbed to pool without cringing!

So have a look at these beauties...... The high street has us spoiled as usual

Oasis have a really cute and feminine range too. My fav from them is this little polka dot number. Cuteness!

Topshop have this fantastically flattering one-piece which hides the tummy, plus it's in black so it will give a slimmer line than lighter colours and the frill details stop it from being boring.

Plus Topshop also have a brilliant choice in beach dresses, cover-ups and playsuits. So if i still haven't managed to lose those few extra pounds then I'll still have no excuse to look fab!

Thanks to the High street.

So what does it for you? string bikini?, onepiece or are you a fan of the bandeau?

A real "Benefit" to me.

It's not a big secret that I'm a huge fan of Benefit cosmetics. What's not to like? They have funky packaging, a sense of humour and most importantly they tackle beauty problems and successfully solve them. A smooth even skin tone is my secret beauty wish but alas, I'm blessed with patchy, freckly and sometimes blemished Irish skin tone. I have used every type of concealer around and have managed ok so far......

Then at Christmas all my dreams came true when i was given "Confessions of a Concealaholic" by my sisters new boyfriend. Well as you can imagine it made him an instant hit in my eyes. This wondrous little palette does everything it says on the tin and more.

Inside the pretty little box there is a supercute mirror, handy for testing out these little miracle workers.
Also to be found are:

* "that gal" Brightening primer. 7.5 ml
* "erase paste" Brightening camouflage. 3.2g
* "boi-ing" Concealer (2 shades) 2x 1.3g
* "lemon aid" Colour correcting eye primer. 0.9g
* "eye-bright" Instant eye Brightener. 0.9g

My biggest problem has always been dark under eye circles and darkness around the eye sockets so these little gems sorted that right out. It was fantastic having the two colours of concealers too as I get so pale in the Winter that i could use the paler one first but now moving into Summer I have a bit more colour on my face so the deeper colour is perfect.

I was very impressed with all products, "lemon aid" gave my eyelids a lovely base for my eyeshadow and "that gal" primer gave a lovely silky base which made me foundation glide on.

However my absolute favorite and the item I will never let myself run out of is "erase paste". It's fantastic. It has a nice pink tone that covers my dark circles and makes my eyes instantly look refreshed even when tired/hungover.

Here is a link to the Benefit website for more information on all products!

http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/

Has anybody else tried this  palette yet and discovered It's magic? Or does anyone have any other concealing secrets they can share?

That Festival Time of Year

Oooooh very exciting, Summer is coming and you know what that means? Yes festivals. As well as the amazing music, fantastic atmosphere and memorable experiences, it's also such a good excuse to add some festival chic to your wardrobe! I have done a little hunting around and come across these little gems......

These doc boots from ASOS are reduced from 103 euro to 82 euro. Perfect if the weather is wet and misreable, which let's face it, it's probably going to happen.

And check out these gorgeous shorts from Topshop.  They are only 40 euro and the colour is so hot for summer and flattering for our dodgy Irish skin tones.

River Island are also getting in on the act with a fantastic selection of tshirts, dresses and accessories to finnish off your festival outfits. For example this tshirt is only 20 euro and will look darn cute with the topshop shorts!

How cool is this 4 man teepee tent? You and the girls(or of course guys) can go all Cherokee in this cute tent. And even better its half price with Argos right now. It was 119 euro now only 54! Bargain.


For more tips on how to have a fun festival experience this Summer, check out thegirlyguidetocamping.wordpress.com, it's a fantastic blog with great ideas on how to enhance your camping experience or should i say glamping!!!!!! Thats the new name for it right?????

I'm a Veggie at Heart!

I like my meat as much as the next man (or woman!) but over the last year or so I've been making more vegetarian recipes. It's not so much as a conscious decision to do so either more like it's the day before i go food shopping and i set myself a challenge to make something with the ingredients left in the fridge! Not always a success though I might add!

I realised that I haven't been missing meat that much, infact I'm finding more and more exciting vegetarian recipes that have now become my favourites. This is one of my top five and I have the glorious Nigella to thank for it's comforting goodness! Yummy.

I love lasagne but this had a fresher, spicier and more Mediterranean flavour and you definitely will not miss the meat.

Nigella's Mexican Lasagne.
Ingredients: (for the sauce):1 tbp Garlic oil
                                         1 onion peeled and chopped
                                         1 Red Pepper de-seeded and chopped
                                         1 Green Chilli with/without seeds chopped
                                         1/2 tsp salt
                                         2 tbsp chopped corriander stalks
                                         1 can chopped tomatoes
                                         1 tbsp tomato ketchup

                  (for the filling): 1 can black beans ( I have also used mixed beans)(400g)
                                         1 can sweetcorn (250g)
                                        250g goats cheddar cheese
                                         4 - 6 flour tortillas.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. To make the sauce, heat the garlic oil in a pan on the stove and add the onion, pepper and chillies. Add the salt and cook gently for 15 minutes. Once soft, add the chopped coriander stalks.
3. Add the canned tomatoes, then swill the cans out with water and add this too. Spoon in the ketchup and let things come to a simmer for about 10 minutes, leaving the sauce to cook while you get on with preparing the filling.
4. To make the filling, mix the drained beans and sweetcorn in a bowl. Add most of the grated cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on the top of the lasagne at the end, and mix together.
5. Start to assemble the lasagne by spooning about a third of the sauce into the bottom of your ovenproof dish and smearing it about. Layer on two tortillas, overlapping them slightly, so that they cover the sauce.
6. Add one-third of the beans and cheese mixture, covering the tortillas, and then about one-quarter of the remaining sauce and cover with another two tortillas.
7. Repeat the process with another one-third of beans and cheese, and some more sauce, before layering on another two tortillas.
8. Finally, add the last layer of beans and cheese, nearly all of the remaining sauce and cover with the last two tortillas. Spread the very last bit of sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
9. Bake in the oven on a baking tray for 30 minutes, then let the lasagne rest for a good 10–15 minutes.
10. To serve, slice the lasagne like a pizza and eat with guacamole or avocado salsa.
    
    
    
    
    * I made an amazing avacado salsa with just one avacado a handful of chopped corriander leaves some lime juice, salt and pepper. Its fresh and cold and contrasts really well with the hot and spicy lasagne.
    
    
    
    
    
    Thanks Nigella.

Tangerine Dream

Oooooooh I'm loving the new tangerine trend thats out at the moment. It's part of the colour blocking trend thats out for Spring/Summer 2011. It does seem to suit most skin types but with a quick lash of fake tan it's even more eyecatching. Check out this beautiful Vivienne Westwood number sported by the always gorgeous Jennifer anniston.

There is quite a choice on the high street too like this beautiful crochet vest from topshop and this cutesy dress from Miss Selfridge.

Even the cosmetic companies are in on the act and you dont have to spend a fortune to try the trend. This is a great find from Opi.


Im going to give this trend a whirl. Has anyone else got any good Tangerine recomendations?

Feeling Zen

How come I am the last person in the world to discover Yoga? Any time Yoga came into conversation it always brought to mind superfit, lentil eating models who probably don't need to work out anyway. I never really thought it would be something that I would yearn to do. Plus the fact that I have very lazy tendencies and would be much more likely to stay in and watch "The Only Way is Essex" instaed of doing physical excersise.

When my friend suggested we join a beginners class, I though why not, at least I can say i tried it and it wasn't for me. Well that was 4 weeks ago and I have to admit I'm already addicted. Its the best healthy discovery I've made this year and has actually inspired me to be healthy in other aspects in my life, like diet and trying other types of workout.

It definitey helps that we have the most amazing teacher. She makes you feel at ease and really explains all the asanas to make sure we are doing them right and she is so physically fit that body envy alone is enough to keep me going back for more.

It does take a while to get into the swing of it, it's easy to get your upward dog and your cobra pose confused not to mention the mindbending eagle pose which has me in a knot everytime but what I lack in balance and technique I more than make up for in enthusiasm. So much so that I was pretty proud of myself last week when I achieved my first head stand!

Now all I have to do is make myself brave enough to try Bikram yoga. This is the Yoga style practised in a 40 degree room and participants are advised to drink a litre of water before, a litre during and a litre afterwards! Phew I hope they have a toilet too. It's a slightly scary premise, especially since in the advice to beginners section on the website they say that after a couple of weeks you will no longer feel like you want to leave halfway through!!!!! Scary.

Has anybody tried Bikram before? Can you give me some advice?

Testing the Waters of Internet Dating.

It's been at the back of my mind for ages to be brave and try internet dating. To be honest I was probably putting it off as long as possible but lately It's started to become clear that it might be a good option. I'm not getting any younger and visions have started to haunt me of myself in 20 years time talking to myself and my thirteen cats while children throw eggs at my door and call me a witch.

Ok so i might have been watching too many Disney films or Bridget Jones but Mr Prince Charming is not just going to show up at my door so It's time to step up and be pro-active. So a few weeks ago (after a glass or two of sauvignon blanc!) i joined a dating website. I hadn't thought too much about how it works before hand but after 3 pages of application forms I began to doubt maybe I wasn't the best catch after all. It's very difficult to sell ones-self especially if you lack confidence like me and the temptation to lie about career or skinniness was very seductive. However i remained true to self as that's what I would expect my "future husband" to do also.

Twenty minutes in and i already had four emails and two winks. Very exciting, that was until I clicked into their profiles. Two of the men were well into their 60's (sugar daddies no thank you!) and one wrote "Fancy a shag?" and kindly had left me his mobile number in case I was feeling particularly desperate and fancied a bit of how's your father with a total stranger. I'm proud to say i haven't reached that point. Yet....

The last email was a bit more normal (Thank God, one could lose heart very quickly at this rate!) and said a polite "Hey, How are you?"
Since then we have been emailing back and forth a little bit. He seems like a nice guy but can' really tell much from his photo....... Must admit in one way it is kind of fun having a little emil arrive in your inbox when you get in from work, even if it is a strange concept to get your head around while telling a complete stranger things about yourself......

Will keep you posted on how things are going and if i get brave enough to meet up with this mystery man at some point! If anyone has any advice for me or funny experiences to share, I'd love to hear them!!!!!

Macaroons Anonymous

I have a new addiction and I'm ashamed to admit it's macaroons. For most of my 30 years on this planet my number one ultimate treat has always been chocolate of some type, brownies, cupcakes, ice cream but in the last few months i've found a new obsession. MACAROONS! And Laudree macaroons in particular.

http://www.laduree.fr/en/fabricant/produits/macarons

The first time i ever tried these sumptuous delights of loveliness I was in the hoe of Laudree in beautiful Paris. It was a work fashion buying trip (yes it's a tough job but somebody's got to do it!) I didn't expect to be impressed since I'm not a huge fan of meringue, but when i bit into the crunchy shell and reached the chewy under layer followed by the luxurious buttercream, it was love at first sight!

Thankfully since then, a Laudree section has since opened in the "always ahead of the trend Brown Thomas Dublin"  so my addiction can be happily attended to.

As encouraged by the Laudree staff, my particular favourite is the rose macaroon which, if it's to be enjoyed at it's best needs to be accompanied by champagne. An ultimate treat! However i also have a soft spot for the orange blossom too. If I'm perfectly honest I'm pretty easy to get. Just show me a macaroon and I'm yours!

Dolls World First Post.

Wow, kind of scary writing my first post. So i came to the decision that i needed a project, and because of my slight lack of confidence, what better than an anonymous blog!
For me I'm hoping this with be a fun and cathartic exercise, a place where i can share my frustrations, my favorite things and some cringe worthy stories along the way.
I'm single and dating and working in fashion and have a passion for beautiful clothes, beauty, food and friends.

So ill give it my best shot to add a little tit-bit of my thoughts and experiences along the way! eeek!