January28th
My film was recently featured on Guide2Dublin. I’m so excited about this because I am so passionate about the message my film contains and I would love for it to be seen by people. I hope it might help somebody make the decision to stop hating their body once and for all.
For those of you who may have missed it, here it is:
I would really appreciate it if you could watch the film and share it with your friends.
January27th
Source: thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com via Davinia on Pinterest
January24th
All my friends will tell you I am not a morning person. I hate waking up early because when I don’t have a schedule to stick to, I become completely nocturnal. I find I work better at night so if I’m free to set my own timetable I’m often up till 5am. But because of school and early classes I often need to be up quite early and I’ve found the only thing that will get me out of bed is the promise of a good breakfast and a cup of coffee. Here are four of my favourite breakfasts which are both healthy and tasty and which, being packed with nutrients, will make getting up a little bit easier.
Source: food52.com via Anna on Pinterest
Porridge
Perfect for cold winter mornings and easy to make. Prepare a bowl of porridge, mix in a teaspoon of honey and some sliced apples and walnuts.
Source: asinkremains.com via Joanna on Pinterest
Toast
Most people chuck a couple of slices of bread in the toaster for breakfast, then slather them in butter and cheese. Instead, mash up a banana and spread it on your toast, then sprinkle cinnamon over it. You can even add some peanut butter if you like. Follow with a cold glass of fresh milk.
Source: bettycrocker.com via Jamie on Pinterest
Eggs
Instead of fried bacon and eggs, opt for a scrambled egg and some grilled ham and tomatoes. This is perfect when accompanied by a pot of Earl Grey tea.
Source: breadetbutter.wordpress.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Pancakes
Everybody loves pancakes and they’re perfect for getting some of your five a day. Just top them with a little bit of honey and a whole lot of blackberries and strawberries. Serve with a pot of plain yoghurt.
What breakfast do you love to wake up to?
January23rd
January23rd
January20th
Source: cindyloughridge.tumblr.com via Davinia on Pinterest
January19th
A while back, I spoke about the short film I had to make for college and I promised I would show it to you when it was done.
Well, here we are. It’s called The Beat of Her Own Drum and it looks at the effects of bellydance on the self image of a small group of women in Dublin, including my good friend Hannah.
I hope you enjoy this video and if you do, could I ask you to share it? I really believe in the message put forward in this film and would love for it to reach as many people as possible.
January17th
Today’s post was inspired by two people: first, the lovely Lara who wrote about her ideal man and whose blog you should go and read right now (well, as soon as you’re done reading this); and second, by my friend Andre, with whom I’ve been having a Facebook conversation about which clothing items all men must own after he posted this link on his profile.
This led me to make a board all about well-dressed men on Pinterest, and then to write this post. Now I know everybody has their own style, but these are some staples I think every man over the age of 21 should own.
Source: tumblr.com via Davinia on Pinterest
1. A good suit
This is an absolute must. If you are over 21, there is no excuse for you not to own a good suit. I’m not talking about some hand-me-down either. Go out and invest in a suit which makes you look and feel like Don Draper. You don’t have to spend a fortune, but remember that you get what you pay for. I’m sure I speak for a lot of women when I say that men in suits are sexy. A good suit can make anybody look well-groomed. And you’re going to need it: job interviews, weddings, formal parties, fancy dinners. Start with a tailored black suit and remember you can shake things up with different shirts, ties, cufflinks, bowties and belts.
Source: thefashionisto.com via Davinia on Pinterest
2. Jeans
Ah, jeans. Where would we be without a trusty pair of jeans? Men: here’s your resolution for 2012. You will buy a new pair of jeans in a dark wash, with no rips or holes, which fit you magnificently. No flares, no skinnies: just a good pair of straight leg jeans which you can wear with ANYTHING. We love you in jeans, men. We really do.
Source: bromo-aj.tumblr.com via Davinia on Pinterest
3. Tailored shirts
A few of them. In different colours. Please don’t go for gawdy or *shudder* Hawaiian prints. Who doesn’t love a man in a crisp, white shirt? Wear them under suits for a classic look, and with jeans for a more laid-back style. Make sure they fit well. If the buttons are threatening to fly off, or if you’re swimming in a sea of material, you ain’t doing it right. Also, if the sleeves are too long, get them altered. You are not a school boy, you’re a grown man. You should have your own tailor by now.
Source: coolhunting.com via Davinia on Pinterest
4. Ties
Ties punctuate your outfit, whether you’re in a suit or jeans. They’re the male version of the long chain necklace – only classier. You should go for ties in colours and patterns you love. We’ll even take a man in a tie with a quirky motif on it. But remember this: you groan when girls wear ridiculous dresses; we groan when you wear a stupid tie.
Source: tumblr.com via Davinia on Pinterest
5. Sweaters and cardigans
Let’s get casual and let’s talk layering. First off: sweaters. Man, I love sweaters. I love ‘em with jeans and chinos and smart trousers. I even like them with long shorts in the spring. Especially when they’re not too thick and show off your arms. They’re comfortable and really stylish when they’re in solid colours or in fashionable patterns. They’re also great because they’re the perfect opportunity for a bit of layering. You get into a shirt, throw a sweater on over it, and pull on a pair of chinos and you are all set, my friend. You could even add a tie to the mix for some extra points. Ditto button-down cardigans. They’re warm, they’re gorgeous and they feel nice when we cuddle you. Why would you deny us that, men? Why?
Source: tetinotete.tumblr.com via Davinia on Pinterest
6. Tweed
Okay, so this might just be me but there’s just something about a man in tweed. It gives you guys this look of a young professor. When I see a man in tweed I think I ought to have a coffee with him and ask him what his favourite book is. It’s not just me, right girls?
Source: sorakeem.tumblr.com via Davinia on Pinterest
7. A coat
Here’s one of the reasons I love winter in the city: men walking about in coats which make their shoulders look so, so broad, with scarves wrapped around their necks and gorgeous hats on their heads. Get a good coat in a dark colour which you can wear when the weather gets frosty.
Source: Uploaded by user via Charisma on Pinterest
8. Shoes
Ok, I realise you already have shoes, but if you’ve been wearing the same old tired trainers since you were 18, listen up: BROGUES ARE YOUR FRIEND. Also, Converse hi tops and low tops. And deck shoes. But especially brogues. With awesome socks (not white! Please, for the love of all that is good – not white!).
9. Accessories
Now you have all this stuff, it’s time to make it your own. You know how we girls are always going on about this weird and wonderful thing called accessorizing? You should be doing it too. Get some scarves, a few cufflinks, some wrist bands, a good watch, a tie pin, a hat. Oh, and, lest I forget. Are you still going to work with a schoolbag on your back? What are you, twelve? Buy a briefcase to carry your laptop and your papers (note the clever way I avoided the term ‘manbag’).
Over to you, guys and gals: what item of clothing should a grown man not be without?
January16th
January11th
The internet is awesome. I mean that in both the correct way and the colloquial one. The internet is awesome because it’s HUGE and ever-expanding and it KNOWS EVERYTHING. Seriously. It knows more stuff than your mum does. I know this because the other day I asked my mother whether she knew how to make Eggs Benedict and she didnt, then I asked the internet and it told me. The internet is also awesome because it has (OVER 9000!) photos of cats doing cute things, and people saying funny things like all my base are belong to them, and there are videos of people doing funny dances in front of their webcams and then becoming instant celebrities.
And then the internet is awesome because it’s full of wonderful people who are happy to discuss lofty things like existentialism and quantum physics. Michio Kaku is there, on YouTube, explaining string theory. I mean, if it’s good enough for Michio, right?
Now just give me five minutes because this video on string theory is actually pretty interesting.
Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. The internet is awesome but it’s really distracting. It’s distracting because it’s so fantastic. Who would want to write a research paper on the benefits of using questionnaires in qualitative data collection processes when you can listen to Tuvan throat singers instead, while you read the latest instalment of XKCD and when the people of your country have finally cultivated a funny bone and they’re actually pretty hilarious? Really.
That the internet poses a distraction is not news at all. But is the internet actually, in a measurable and observable way, messing with our brains and making us stupid?
Nicholas Carr thinks so. In his 2008 article, Is Google Making Us Stupid, Carr laments that, much like HAL from 2001:A Space Odyssey, his “mind is going… [he] can feel it”. He feels an “uncomfortable sense” that somebody is “tinkering with [his] brain… remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory..”.
Carr argues that he can remember a time not too long ago where immersing himself in a single piece of text for a number of hours was an easy task. He describes his long, self-indulgent, Wordsworthian walks and wanderings in the various folds and crevices of prose. Now, he complains, after two or three pages, he gets fidgety. He feels like he needs to be doing something else.
See, maybe it’s because I’m younger than Carr by a few decades, but this all sounds like ludditism to me. I’ve always been a bookworm and have never had a problem sinking my teeth into a good book. Sure, I check my email once or twice in the process, and sure sometimes I have to read a page twice because I start thinking about something else, like pie. Or Pi.
But surely that’s just a symptom of… you know… being human. Or maybe it’s because that book you’re reading isn’t terribly exciting.
And if I read less now than I used to a few years ago, that’s probably because I keep taking on new things to do in my leisure time. Like blog. Or cook. Or study for a Masters degree. Which means that perhaps I need to prioritise my activities.
Anyway, distraction is something we’ve always had to grapple with. It’s the way the brain works. All those pathways. All that knowledge to be had. I’d go so far to say that if you weren’t getting at least a little distracted then maybe something’s wrong because surely as humans our quest is to seek more, more, more knowledge.
[Does the Internet Make You Smarter?,an online excerpt from his book, Cognitive Surplus:
“The present is, as noted, characterized by lots of throwaway cultural artifacts, but the nice thing about throwaway material is that it gets thrown away. This issue isn’t whether there’s lots of dumb stuff online—there is, just as there is lots of dumb stuff in bookstores. The issue is whether there are any ideas so good today that they will survive into the future. Several early uses of our cognitive surplus, like open source software, look like they will pass that test.”
And as for distraction? We can choose to ignore the distractions, either through sheer will power or by installing software which will block certain distracting sites like Facebook and Twitter during specified hours where we really do need to get cracking on that assignment. That’s it. Nobody’s shoving lolcats down your throat. You’re the one working the straw.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, this cat looks like he’s eating a cheezburger.
