Trip to Dublin and Belfast

At the beginning of this month I went on a short trip to Dublin and Belfast. After the surprisingly fast 40 minuet flight we arrived at Dublin airport and set off to the Generator Hostel, which I have to say was one of the best hostels I've stayed in. Located in Smithfield, it is only a 15 minuet walk into the heart of Dublin which made it a perfect location for walking to bars, pubs, restaurants, shops and many of the galleries.

Being a photography student I got excited by the amount of urban art there was dotted around the city and how at almost every street corner there was something exciting to see. You never knew what you'd see next which was very refreshing and it made it enjoyable to walk around the city in the evening. (Even if it was -1 degrees)

We visited the Gallery of Photography and had an exclusive talk by Trish Lambe about the archive project they have previously undertaken and how they are now exhibiting it around different galleries. The project focuses on the role photography plays in constructing our histories. The use of informal snapshots, studio portraits, official photographs and family albums allows you to explore the wealth of ordinary and extraordinary people from all decades.

One of my favourite things to do in Dublin was just walk around and explore the city on foot. There are so many interesting buildings and side streets to explore. We also visited the Irish Museum of Modern Art but we forgot to check the opening times so arrived an hour before it opened so we popped into the cafe for a brownie and hot chocolate. I think it's one of the best brownies I've ever had. 

While in Dublin we also had time to visit the National Gallery and I got to see another Monet painting in person which I was super excited about and it is one thing I can tick off my mental bucket list. If you're interested in art or photography like me i'd definitely recommend giving it a visit.

Charlotte x

Birmingham Vintage Fair

I'm back! After what seems like forever I'm finally back with a new post! My impromptu break from blogging was not planned, I guess life just got in the way. After moving to uni and starting my course blogging got pushed to the side in my priorities and in a way I kind of fell out of love with blogging. I ran out of ideas and motivation to actually write the posts. However being in new area has given me the opportunity to explore new places and I feel like now is the perfect time to get back into it. 

Being a lover of all things vintage and quirky, as soon as I heard about the vintage fair happening in Birmingham I marked it in my diary. I've only visited Birmingham twice, once for the Frankfurt christmas market and the second to go shopping at the Bullring. I've never had a chance to actually check out the independent vintage shops or the Custard Factory where the fair was held. 

There was something for everyone whether you love flannel shirts, faded Levi jeans and jackets, brightly coloured knitted jumpers (some even had jewels stitched into them ...bonus)  or even 1940's style tea dresses ..you'd find it here!

Some of my favourite stalls were the jewellery ones....

I could spend hours rummaging through rails of clothes, digging through boxes full of scarfs and belts which have been well worn. However after spending a an hour or so here we had a look around the rest of the Custard Factory. It has some incredible urban art, who knew graffiti could be so pretty?

If you want to see more of the places I've been or what I've been up to you can follow me on Instagram (@charoliviap) 

Charlotte x