A Simple Day

On the last day of our weekend trip, we adventured around Galway City. The vibrant town was so much fun to explore and get lost in. First, we stumbled upon an eclectic farmers market, where I picked up an amazing vintage scarf (which you will probably be seeing a lot of on the blog soon!) and Andrew found a cool Celtic knot keychain. Next, we explored the little shops in the city centre and I found the perfect gold Claddagh Ring—a traditional Irish ring that originated in Galway. We then took a mid-afternoon tea and coffee break in an adorable waterfront cafe called Nimmo's. Afterwards, with no particular plan in mind, we roamed around some more until our bus back home to Cork arrived.

Overall, it was a simple and fun day in a beautiful city :)

Galway Girl

{Plaid Shirt—Anthropologie (similar // remixed), Cardigan—H&M (similar), Jeans—AG "Tomboy Crops,"

Earrings—Galway, Socks—Target, Boots—Marks & Spencer (similar), Bag—Fossil "Explorer Tote" (shop)}

After visiting the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren, we spent some time exploring Galway City. The sun was shining all day, so I fared well in a button-up and light cardigan. Because I had packed really light (I'm not exaggerating, I promise!) for this trip, I didn't bring any jewelry...so I felt like my outfit looked a little bland without any accessories.

My first instinct was to throw on a scarf. Instead, however, I wanted to try something new by buttoning my plaid shirt all the way up, rather than leaving the top button open. This way of wearing collared shirts is really popular in Ireland, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give it a try! I'm happy with how it turned out, and next time, when I have a statement necklace handy, I will throw it on to complete the look!

Not sure how this made it on the blog. But, sometimes, candid shots really make for the best photographs.

Inisheer Adventures

After arriving on Inisheer from a small ferry, we began to explore the island on foot. There is something about Inisheer that made me feel as though I had walked into a time machine. The smallest Aran Island only has 300 residents and is reminiscent of a simpler time. While the largest island—Inishmore—is much more popular with tourists, Inisheer's simple attractions of a castle, lighthouse, and unbelievable shipwreck were more than enough to keep us entertained all day.

First, we stumbled across a playground complete with it's own zip line. I can't even tell you the last time I had played on a playground, but the second I saw it I threw all my bags off and went running towards it like a little kid! Next, we began to ascend the island's hill to see the castle surrounded by ancient stone walls. From there, we followed a dirt road to the end of the island, hoping to see the Plassey shipwreck. However, it turned out we had taken a wrong turn, so we quickly backtracked and were put on the right path by a nice local woman running a small cafe out of her home. When we finally made it to the shipwreck, I was completely blown away. The shoreline was devoid of all tourists (which pretty much never happens) and the shipwreck was completely unsupervised (no gift shop in sight!). Exploring the wreckage on the deserted beach was unbelievable, and an experience I'll never forget.

After taking it all in, my friends and I headed back to catch the only ferry of the day to Galway. Unfortunately, we slightly miscalculated how much time it would take to get back to the dock. Luckily, after power walking (which for me, is more like running) for 20 minutes, we made it back to the ferry with only a couple minutes to spare! All in all, it was an amazingly fun day and I'm so glad I had the chance to visit Inisheer :)

The amazing view I'll never forget...

On the Island

{Chambray—Urban Outfitters (shop), Lace Top—Anthropologie (similar // remixed),

Skirt—Topshop (shop), Ankle Boots—Marks & Spencer (similar), Bag—Fossil (shop)}

I wore this outfit on a little excursion Andrew and I took with some friends to the smallest of the three Aran Islands, Inisheer. We took a ferry to the island off the coast of Galway and had a lot of fun exploring the beautiful landscape all day.

To stay warm, I made use of layers (two thermals underneath my shirt, as well as double tights!) and decided to get creative by layering one of my favorite lace pieces over my chambray top. If I was still living in LA, I would have worn the lace top underneath and thrown my chambray over like this. However, the cold Irish weather has encouraged me to be more experimental with my outfit choices and try new things to stay warm and fashionable. On top of that, I have noticed that layering collared shirts under clothing is really popular in Ireland, so this outfit is definitely inspired by the local style.

Stay tuned for more pictures from my island adventure!