Lanvin ♥ H&M

Last year, a friend and I went to the Jimmy Choo event at H&M in Dundrum, Dublin. This year, it's the turn of Lanvin. Unfortunately, I couldn't accompany my friend as I'm currently working in Amsterdam.

Therefore we struck a deal. I would head to the H&M store in Kalvertorade while she headed to Dundrum back in Dublin. I think I definitely got the better end of the deal - she was queueing from midnight, getting No 6 in line, while I headed out at 6am and got No 30. God bless the lasstitude of the cloggy nation. It saved me from the overnight ordeal I would have experienced in Ireland.

I have to say that I found this even to be much more enjoyable than last year's Jimmy Choo event. While we were standing in the queue on Kalverstraat, we got treated to some free tea or coffee. In addition, early queuers also received a free Lanvin wool scarf (in navy, red or pink) and later when it started to drizzle slightly, we all received a H&M umbrella to keep us dry. Top marks for hospitality.

As I was an early arrival, I was able to gain admittance in the second group of shoppers (a whole hour ahead of my friend in Dublin due to the time difference). There was a really good selection of dresses, tops, jackets and coats. The yellow, pink, purple and floral dresses were the ones which featured heavily in the advertising campaigns, but to be honest, I was more intent on a black dress - something with a little more longevity.

I ended up purchasing the dress below - €149. The only fault I could find with the collection is that the largest dress size was a 42. This could be very disappointing for some folk, as a 42 really isn't all that big. All the dresses come with their own printed cloth dustcover and a chunky hanger.



A great collection of accessories and shoes accompanied the clothing. I nabbed these beauties below for €99, but I did have to go for a size 38 rather than my usual 37 as I did find them tight-fitting. Sunglasses (chunky a la Wayfarer) were flying off the shelves at €19.95 while I did hum and how over the lovely chunky red gothic style necklace at €39.95.

All of the shoes & accessories came packaged in lovely cardboard boxes which really added to the designer sense. Even the sunglasses came in a chunky little box. For the sake of comparison, the shoe box featured in the picture above compares well with my Miu Miu, Dior & Prada boxes at home.

All in all, I enjoyed this collection at H&M. I'm not a die-hard fashionista. I prefer style to fashion. And even though this collection was definitely fashionable, a few items were also quite stylish. And the carrier bag in which I received my purchases is nothing short of adorable. Well done!

Recent purchases

Sometimes the urge to shop takes over - and when it does, you have to satisfy it!

eBay is both my most favourite and most hated site. It's been the cause of too many impulse purchases. However, these Irregular Choice shoes for about $25 didn't break the bank.

On our way to Waterford today, we stopped at Kildare Village for a quick browse and bite to eat. Despite the horrible rain, the place was pretty full. I popped into Reiss and couldn't resist this gorgeous beige trench coat with pleated trim. I have been thinking about changing from my red wool winter coat - so this will do the job nicely.

StrawberryNet Price Increases for Irish Customers

It was with interest that I read on Beaut.ie today that online cosmetics retailer StrawberryNet plan to increase the prices charged to Irish consumers. They intend to do the same thing as play.com whereby they will only allow Irish shoppers to transact in Euros, thus denying people the chance to take advantage of better currency rates on their credit card.

Shame on you StrawberryNet. Such a pity - why do you feel the need to resort to underhanded tactics like this?

A little treat from M&S

I went into town a week ago with the intention of buying something. It was one of those days when I desperately wanted to buy something new - something different to wear to the office. I was delighted by the current selection on offer in M&S and ended up buying the two tops shown above. I love the blue shade of the sleeveless top, as well as the simple pleated detail.

The only disappointing feature with these two tops is the rather inflated Euro/Sterling exchange rate offered by M&S. The chiffon top is currently £25stg on M&S's website, which equals approx €29 according to xe.com/ucc. However, I paid €35. However, in fairness to Marks, they're not the worst offenders out there.

New Irregular Choice Shoes

I just picked up these beauties in the Schuh sale. They are reduced down to €64.50, which when combined with a €50 gift voucher made them a steal! The next problem is when to wear them...

Tesco vs Local Shop

We've got a great little shop near us called Field & Vine. It sells all manner of nice food, veggies and fruit. A few days ago I picked up some limes for 25c each there. Imagine my surprise when I saw limes for 39c each in Tesco Dundrum. That's a 56% increase on my local, 'fancy food' shop.

Jimmy Choo for H&M

So, my newly-married friend texted me yesterday to find out if I was heading to H&M to shop for the Jimmy Choo diffusion line. TBH, I hadn't really considered it, as I like my Saturday mornings in bed, but the thought of catching up with my friend, and shopping for shoes won out.

I arrived in Dundrum for 6am as I figured that it would be busy. I'd estimate that I was about the 100th person there, and when my friend and her sis arrived, I'd say that they were somewhere around 120. The first 160 people were given wristbands, which would get them access to the accessories area in allocated timeslots for 10 minutes. Clothing items would be a free-for-all with no restrictions.

When I entered the shop, the two rails of clothing had been stripped. It was apparent that most of the items were in the accessories section, so I went for a coffee with my friend, returning later to gain access to the shoes. There still was a good selection when I was granted access in my group of 20 and I was quickly able to nab the clutch that my friend wanted, as well as the shoes that each of us had our eyes on.

I had wanted the red, strappy, patent sandals, as they were the only style with a platform sole. (top lefthand in the above picture). My usual size, 37, was all gone, but I tried on a 36 (the last pair) and they fitted! By the time I left the shop, it was 10.45 am (4.75 hours after starting to queue), so I was delighted to leave with a gorgeous royal blue bag on my arm.

Free Irish Shipping from Amazon on orders over £25

One thing that has annoyed me about Amazon for years are their shipping charges. If you live the UK, you could avail of free shipping for orders over a certain amount, but Irish customers enjoyed no such perks.

However, that has changed. Amazon have announced that free shipping is available to Irish customers on orders over £25, and they've also included a handy Sterling to Euro currency converter on the website too. This could mean the end of Play.com and their exorbitant exchange rates.

One catch though, you have to select the Super Saver Delivery option yourself when ordering - it is not applied automatically. Taken from Amazon.co.uk:

Super Saver Delivery is available for orders delivered to the Republic of Ireland. If your order is eligible for free Super Saver Delivery, there's no delivery charge--your order is delivered free. But you must remember to select Super Saver Delivery as your delivery option when you place the order.

Another Tadashi Dress

After the success of buying my first Tadashi dress, I went straight back onto eBay and bought another one. Originally priced at approx US$350, I bought it for about E75 including P&P. This one is more figure hugging (and is a bit of an incentive for me to continue on my diet) but it is as lovely and as flattering as the navy dress.

ASOS Body-Con Dress

I ordered this body-con dress recently from asos.co.uk for about £18 and it just arrived in the post. It's surprisingly nice and the thick fabric means that bulges etc don't show through too easily. It's a little too short for my liking, but winter is coming and that means black tights. :D

Carvela Antique Black Courts

Aren't these lovely? I got them today in the Shoe Rooms at BT. They're very comfortable and look kick ass. They're from the Carvela range and cost E150.

Tadashi Dress

We've been to one wedding already this summer and we're heading to another in October. The problem is that both weddings belong to the same set of people. This means that I can't wear the same dress to both weddings. Different outfits will be required.

I found a beautiful dress by Japanese designer Tadashi in a Dublin boutique which fitted beautifully but the €400 price tag was a bit rich. So I turned to my trusted shopping sidekick - eBay.

Now, I didn't find the dress that I had tried on, but I did find some other gorgeous Tadashi dresses and I purchased this beautiful silk taffeta and jersey navy dress.

It's absolutely stunning on with the jersey top fitting my bust beautifully while the silk taffeta silk flares out slightly stiffly. And the best part, the total cost inclding shipping from the states, came to about €75.

Irregular Choice Store, Carnaby Street, London

I had to visit the new Irregular Choice store on Carnaby Street during a recent trip to London. I'd say that I've got over 15 pairs of Irregular Choice shoes, collected over the last 6 or more years. Danny O'Sullivan's designs have always interested and fascinated me, and what better way to pay tribute than to visit the store.







Shelves and shelves of fantastic shoes, along with bright, colourful clothes. I especially love this robot-themed raincoat. The motif will be familiar to Irregular Choice fans, appearing as it does on shoes and soles.


So, did I buy shoes in this fantabulous new store? Of course I did! One pair of red suede and pink patent platform shes on sale for approx £50. I especially love the robot box, and managed to squish it into my luggage on my Ryanair flight. So IC, do you see what ends I go to for your shoes!

I love TK Maxx

I love TK Maxx. Seriously.. I do. Some days you don't find a single thing, especially in the St. Stephen's Green store. But on other days, you just keep finding little gems of stuff.

Today in Waterford, I went through the clearance rails with a vengance. I found a Tahari Arthur S. Levine black crepe shift dress (sleeveless and knee-length) with a lovely satin neckline for E10!! And I got a grey Hoxton Chic skirt that will do nicely for work for E3. I know that Tahari is a fairly medium priced (think $250 for a suit) line of American womenswear, so E10 for a dress is pretty good. It will be ideal for work.

To top that all off, I bought a Prestige curry pan pressure cooker for E35 and a bottle of Crema Balsemcio di Fragola (Strawberry balsamic glaze) for E5. We've been thinking about buying a pressure cooker for a while now, and when we saw one on the shelf in TK Maxx today, we didn't say no.

Now, if only they'd have gas torches in stock the next time I'm in. That would do nicely.

Marc Jacobs Gardenia Splash

While browsing BT's sale today, I noticed that they are selling large (300 ml) bottles of Marc Jacobs Gardenia Splash (and FigSplash) for E33.50 (50% off). Considering the size of the bottle, this seems like excellent value. The scent is subtle and gentle.

Miu Miu Wedges

I've had a stockpile of Brown Thomas vouchers hanging around for a while now, but until today I couldn't find something that I was happy to spend them on. I could have gradually spent them on MAC cosmetics, which would be nice, but I really wanted to buy a handbag or shoes.

So I hit the BT sale today around 10.30am (it had started at 8am). It was actually much quieter than I expected, with the exception of the 1 million chinese women ravaging the D&G and Gucci handbag section. Well, I exaggerate slightly, but there was a lot of them there.

I've been thinking about a new pair of wedges for a while and I got lucky upstairs in the Shoe Rooms. These lovely yet comfortable gold wedges were reduced from E450 to E225. Now even at E225 I think that they're still expensive, but my vouchers helped ease that pain somewhat.

Keeping an eye on fuel prices

What's the story with fuel prices at the moment? They seem to be invariably creeping upwards. I was stuck for fuel yesterday near Sallins and ended up paying 120.9c per litre.

Thankfully pumps.ie can help you stay informed on pump prices in your area. Thanks to them, I was able to fill up my tank for 117.8c this morning at the Applegreen near the Ashleaf Shopping Centre.

Manning's Emporium, Ballylickey, Bantry, Co Cork

I was home this weekend in Kilnamartyra in order to have my Dad check out our new secondhand car. Despite much tutting and humming, he finally (grudgingly) gave it a clean bill of health.

But I did have to get two new rear tyres for the car. As it's a rear-drive car, there really was no point in putting it on the long finger, and as my Dad didn't have the tyres in stock, he arranged for us to collect a set from Bantry Tyre Centre.

It's a lovely drive back to Bantry, going through Ballingeary and Ceim an Fhia. As we passed the turn off for Guagane Barra, I regretted not bringing my camera with me. The sun was starting to shine through the morning haze and there should have been some lovely photos to be had.


Anyway, with 2 new tyres in the boot, we hit the road back home. And promptly stopped again about 2 minutes later in Ballylickey to visit Val Manning's fantastic Emporium. Now, I have fond memories of Manning's treasure trove shop. It is the place where I first tasted prosciutto, nearly 16 years ago. It's also the place where I first tasted a lot of good Irish cheeses. And true to form, Val was handing out the samples again today.

I was delighted by a sample of Hegarty Farmhouse Cheddar, from Whitechurch in Cork. When he heard I was from Kilnamartyra, Val also insisted that I try a piece of the local cheese, Coolea, only this sample was from a matured block. Absolutely divine.

We also picked up some Sliabh Luachra air-dried beef from Jack McCarthy's in Kanturk. McCarthy's are award winning craft butchers with an on-line shop and we also bought some of their low-fat Butcher's breakfast sausages and some delicious looking rashers.

As we chatted, Val mentioned how tough times were for small retailers. He mentioned that he didn't expect to last the year if things continued as they were. Tourist numbers were down and overdrafts are hard to come by from the banks. I was shocked to say the least. Val's shop has been in action for years, and has helped numerous artisans start out. And to think that it could all be gone so quickly is just an awful thought.

So my little trip to Bantry to buy new tyres has turned into a plea.

Get out there and support the small retailers who have given us so much over the years. If you know a small shop that you love, give them your contiued custom. We don't want to wake up in a few years when everything is better and find out that we've lost these great little shops.

Tesco Pricing Error

I was in Tesco Maynooth today and I picked up a small bag of coriander. I then saw that there was a larger bag available was better value. Looking closely at the shelf labels, I realised that someone at Tesco clearly can't do maths.

30g bag costing E1.29 or E43.00/kg


80g bag costing E1.99 (so better value) but the shelf label records the price per kg as E9.99, when a quick calculation tells you that the real price per kg is E24.88/kg.


So although Tesco aren't making you pay more per kg for the bigger bag, it's clear that their pricing isn't accurate.

lastminute €10 room sale - what a joke

So I got a mailshot from lastminute.ie telling me that they were having a €10 room sale today at 10 a.m. Great, I thought. One night away, even if it is in Dublin, for €10 won't be so bad. And so began the litany of annoyances.

I logged onto the website before 10 a.m. all ready. When I clicked on the link provided in the mail shot I got redirected to a stg10 offer for England.

Then I visited the lastminute.ie website, clicked through the banner and finally got to the correct booking page.

I discovered that only 2 hotels seemed to be participating on the dates I was interested in (one 4* and one 3*), and when I attempted to book, I got booted back to a generic booking page. Clearly there were no rooms left. But they can't be arsed telling you that.

Bravo lastminute. When you send out emails advertising a great deal, you'd want to make sure that there actually a decent product behind it. I've not been a great fan of lastminute, although I have gotten some good stuff in the past, but I've had nothing but bad experiences with their special offers and sales, as well as suffering their confusion between Ireland and the UK.

I think that this is the last time I'll try to book with lastminute.