Monday GET UP AND GO!!!

I know, I know, it's Monday, but look, here ya go! Some clichéd motivational pictures to get you going. We all know they secretly work!

  

 

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Yes, it is!!

Is it ever enough sleep though?

Spend life with who makes you happy not who you have to impress ß This is currently one of my favourite mantra’s

Sunday Gems

Yo.

It’s Sunday.

Ya hungover broski?

Here, look at  this picture of a pug. Take faith that he's feeling similar to you and he wasn't even out last night. It could be worse!

Feelin’ better? Thought so.

Also, seen as it’s Sunday and many many of us turn into incapable fetal forms as soon as we wake up here's something to keep you going all day. Take it slow and be sure to drink lots of water!

This makes me so happy! Every time. One of my best friends introduced me to this and I adore it, it's so sarcastically wonderfully brilliant!

The three best women I have ever watched PREACH

The fact that there's a problem with this ad disturbs me, but this makes it all ok.

Of course,if it's Sunday you need to check this out. Every. Week.

I enjoy Caitlin a lot, particularly her feminist rants but this, so much yes.

London Discoveries: Love and Affection. *

London is in love. The whole city. Everyone in this city is infatuated with love and affection. Every single person I have met since arriving here has either been in love, falling out of love or on the never ending, soul destroying, life-affirming search for love.

.

This could not be more different from Ireland. At home, you’d be lucky if your friends would tell you they liked you, never mind a fella telling you he loved you. In fact, I’m not sure if I can fully remember the last time my father, the one man who’s SUPPOSED to love you told me he loved me.

So, it’s safe to say that this came as a shock to the system and initially, if I’m honest, it bothered me slightly. Is there an urgent need for you to chew his mouth off in the station? Must you keep pestering me for my number? Is there any such thing as just a bit of craic? I used to roll my eyes at any member of the opposite sex showing an interest in me and tut loudly at the eejits standing in my way kissing goodbye but now? I’ve come to love it.

"Love is the only one and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence"

Today alone I have encountered several people who look so hopelessly in love that I couldn’t bear to roll my eyes at them, I’ve been asked for my number, a gesture I don’t think has EVER been extended to me at home and I’ve witnessed the most adorable “make up” beside the Thames in the rain? Proper movie scene stuff.

Today alone, I also realised how much easier it was to simply express yourself, honestly. If someone asks you straight out for your number you know they like you and if you willingly hand it out, they know you’ve an interest in them. One hurdle jumped in less than 15 minutes? This has been known to take a few months, at least, at home.

While I don’t think I’ll ever get fully used to people eating the face of each other in broad daylight without a drop of alcohol in their systems it’s kind of nice sometimes to know that someone loves someone else so much that they simply cannot keep their hands off them one second longer.

What with there being millions upon millions of people in London (another hyperbole, Love Them I tell ya!!) how much easier does it make things when people are honest with one another and no one seems to be afraid of rejection. They approach someone and if they’re interested great, if not, wonderful, at least you’re not wasting time thinking about them when they have less interest in you than I do in getting up for work in the morning. It’s all seamlessly easy. No one is ever embarrassed about being rejected or about approaching anyone (on the surface anyway). Everyone is happily dating and no one is cringing at other people being overly affectionate because it was them last night.

I might stay here forever!

*quite text heavy, apologies

Beauties

Ah, the Nissan Figaro.

Every morning on my way to work I have to walk past this absolute beauty. I love this car. I have loved it for years. The first time I seen it I was quite young and had been dragged along to a vintage car show with my Dad. For all the people who ask me about the horse power and the size of the engine to demonstrate my love for the car. I don’t know. But, that’s not what it’s about. Just like with a top, some food or even, dare I say it, a member of the opposite sex, you know you love a car from the tug in your belly. The incessant tug every time you see it. And of course the overwhelming jealousy! The Figaro and jelly sweets are two of the few things that 21 year olds Ciara has in common with 8 year old Ciara.

So, along with my beautiful Figaro we are about to embark on a trip filled with some fabulous cars from some fabulous (and not so fabulous) movies.  Here is where you’ll notice my love of all things vintage/generally older than me.

We have the classic 1963 Aston Martin from, let’s be honest, pretty much every Bond movie ever made.

Who could possibly forget about Herbie the beautiful Beetle? This car had such an impact on people it managed to be a hit movie again in 2005 despite Lindsay Lohan’s best attempts!

In The Rain Man we have the CLASSIC 1949 Buick Roadmaster Convertible. So much yes going on here!!

The Graduate displayed the 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider.

Finally, the epitome of symbolic cars on the big/small screen. The GMC Van in the A Team. Just, yes.

The One Where I Start Discovering London

So, in case you didn't notice, I've recently moved to London (if you didn't notice you literally wouldn't notice me hitting you across the head with a brick) albeit only for the summer. However, I'm kind of, half, sometimes on my own. In that I mean that I'm not really on my own but I do spend a lot of time on my own and as anyone who knows me will tell you that's never a good idea for my sanity. Or anyone else's if I'm honest. 

So, with all this time spent on my own, I got really, really lonely. I called my Mam nearly everyday and I was just a general irritation to my friends who live here and, surprisingly, have their own lives and aren't there to entertain me whenever I'm free? In the midst of this developing loneliness I pretty much completely forgot what I was here for. 

Then, in one of my stronger mental moments, I realised what I was doing by indulging myself in this "loneliness" not only was I gaining pounds by the day (comfort eating, hey?) I was also missing out on one of the best, most independent, follow-your-dreams-esque things I've done so far in my life and who wants to hear the story about how you went to London and got really lonely? I couldn't be more of a cliché.

So, in the café that the realisation struck me, I shook myself, visibly (there were questions and sideways glances) and I focused on one of the reasons I came here and left my cute little bohemian town behind for the summer, it was supposed to be a discovery mission. I adore exploring and finding new places so what better way to do it than move to a completely new place? Therefore, from now on I am going to focus on all those simple and small moments you can enjoy when you're spending time in a new place. Appreciating a different culture and place, in my opinion, happens best when you're doing ordinary things like going to the market, getting lost among winding roads, or simply drinking a coffee on the side of the road. 

I'm going to embrace these simple moments.

And let's be real, there's no one I can put up with as well as I put up with myself! I'm hilarious!!

 I adore these two old men millions.

This little coffee tent is right in the green outside my work place everyday?  

 Splorin'