A Note on Trump

by Dani Mc Mahon

It has been a very long time since my last post on The Overleaf. Life has been very busy of late. I started a new job about eight months ago and blogging was put on the back burner.
I have come out of hibernation and back to the world of blog because this week brought up many things which cannot be ignored.

As you all know by now, Donald Trump is now President-elect of the United Stated of America. When I woke to read this news the other morning I was dismayed. I could not believe that the country which currently holds the most power in the Western world had elected such a clown. This man has spent the entirety of his campaign slating women, muslims, people of colour, Mexicans and the LGBT community.

2015 and 2016 have been years which saw so much progress across the globe. With marriage equality being granted both here and in the US as well as other counties, feminism becoming something acceptable to mention again, parental leave becoming a feature in leading global companies such as Facebook and social media being used to unite people for all of these causes and harvest the power of the people.

I was so saddened to think of how all of these steps forward could be erased once Trump takes office. He election shows how much hate and discrimination still lives in the hearts of some people and made me fearful.

The letter issued by our leader here in Ireland congratulating Trump and his right hand man, Mike Pence made be furious. Enda Kenny has made many mistakes in his time as Taoiseach and I was so annoyed to read the letter which sent a message that portrayed Ireland as an island which accepted Trump and Pence (which is most definitely not true!). Today on Facebook I see that the County of Sligo is going to extend an invite to Pence to visit our fair Isle to celebrate his Irish ancestry. I was bothered by this as Pence is a big advocate for conversion therapy for homosexuals and personally I would be ashamed to say that he has anything to do with Ireland.

This week in work we took our worry at Trump's election and tried to see the silver lining. From this came jokes about such things as these conversion camps and the wall which Trump plans to build between the States and Mexico. We laughed as I told my manager not to worry if myself and my wife didn't return from our holiday to the US next year, we more than likely had been placed in a conversion camp, or maybe she had been put back over the wall into Mexico. I laughed and made this joke to mask the actual fear which I was feeling. I would hate to think that the opinions held by Trump and Pence about Mexicans, women, homosexuals and people of different religions and colour would diffuse across the globe. I would hate to see this world we have all played a part in creating and bettering become nothing but a battle ground for Mr Trump and his republican playmates.

I realise I have gone on an absolute rant here but I needed to express my fears in the hope that by saying all of these things it might take the power out of them. Maybe if enough people say these things out loud and express their opposition the universe might hear us and do us favour, not wishing any harm to Trump or Pence, obviously.

#yesequality #lovetrumpshate #stillwithher #loveislove #iloveagoodrant

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

by Dani Mc Mahon

Some of you may have heard of TED talks before. I first heard of them through Grey's Anatomy, doctor's went to TED talks every year as it was the place to be for new ideas and a healthy dose of inspiration.

TED is basically a non-profit organisation and they are on a mission. They want to spread ideas and get the world thinking and they are doing so in quite the genius way. Each TED talk is usually somewhere between five and twenty minutes long. The variety of themes and sub categories are endless leaving you open to discovering things you would have never imagined in your wildest dreams.

Recently, my wife started her Post-Graduate diploma and part of one of her assignments was to watch a TED talk on the theme of creativity. We watched the video together (link below) and I was hooked. We followed it up with four or five more talks and I have been watching more and more ever since.

Sometimes sitting down to listen to academics, scientists, theorists, writers, artist, etc. talk about their fields of expertise or their ideas can feel like a chore. In today's fast-paced environment we are used to doing things in the shortest time possible and on the go. The only time we actually make an effort to sit down for a prolonged period of time is to catch up on your favourite TV shows, to watch a movie or read a book. By the time we reach this point in the day we are exhausted and just want to wind down. Our brains are entering sleep mode after a busy day.

The beauty of TED talks makes itself very apparent when you realise that the shortness of the talks and their accessibility mean that they do not interfere with your wind down time. In fact, if you download the app to your smart phone you can even have access to the talks whilst on the go. That's right, you can make use of your daily commute to work or college by listening to some of these inspiring talks, you might even feel all the better for it!

In recent times I found myself drifting further and further out of touch with topics which used to interest me due to lack of time and general laziness but in recent weeks I have reawakened my interests through a series of TED talks.
If you have some free time this weekend or during the week check out these TED talks and let yourself explore.
You never know what you might find!

Let us know what you think, our contact information is available through our 'Contact Us' tab :)

Do schools kill creativity? :https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity

My stroke of insight: https://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight

Your elusive creative genius: https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius

Why some of us don't have one true calling: https://www.ted.com/talks/emilie_wapnick_why_some_of_us_don_t_have_one_true_calling

Fifty shades of gay: https://www.ted.com/talks/io_tillett_wright_fifty_shades_of_gay

Meet the dazzling flying machines of the future: https://www.ted.com/talks/raffaello_d_andrea_meet_the_dazzling_flying_machines_of_the_future

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

by Dani Mc Mahon

I am not a huge fan of the St. Patrick's day and the festivities which it entails but the idea of celebrating our little country is a nice one.
Since I was a child I always found the day to be messy and too much fuss and the whole having to dress in green thing always drove me insane! This St. Patrick's day I am relaxing at home, listening to all of the fanfare outside as people celebrate, drink and be merry.
Being Irish is something unique, an identity which I think brings us all closer, no matter where we find ourselves in the world. Wherever you may be you are sure to find somebody who has at least a drop of Irish blood and they are always willing to welcome you.
The emerald isle has its drawbacks, sure, but on a day like today with the sun shining and clear blue skies as far as the eye can see it is definitely a day to celebrate our Irish heritage and feel proud!

I found this really nice post on Buzzed earlier and thought it was perfect for sharing on the day that is in it  :)

Beautiful Irish Language Words Everyone Needs

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Birthday, Gran!!

by Dani Mc Mahon

Today, one of my very best friends in the whole world turns eighty. You read me right, eighty. This spacial lady is not only one of my best friends but also my confidant, my inspiration, my advisor, my support, my companion in so many of life’s adventures and my Gran. 

I met my Gran when she was 53 and we hit it off immediately. She took care of me while both my parents worked and played such a huge role in making me the person that I am today. A strong, fiercely independent woman my Gran has the hugest heart in the universe but can also be a force to be reckoned with! If you need good solid advice on anything from a fashion choice to politics to finances my Gran is the lady to go to! She has a mind that would challenge even the smartest of people out there and memory to match!

Most of my fondest childhood memories centre around my darling Gran. She showed immense levels of patience taking me to school every morning as I loaded my numerous imaginary friends into the car, making her say their names as they boarded her small hatch back. She spent hours sitting with me drawing stick figures to represent every person that I knew. She sat on the door step of her house and cut a pear into the slices, taking out the middle section which was ‘yucky’ and then piling the pear slices back up on top of each other so my pear looked like hers again. We took trips to the library on Friday afternoons and she opened my first savings account teaching me all about money and how to manage it. She made me the best scrambled eggs and waffles and always let me have two biscuits when ever I asked. 

Gran and I spent every possible second together that we could and I can safely say I am privileged to call her my best friend. During the summer months we would hop on our bicycles and go for a cycle in our rural area. We would stop each time for a few minutes to visit a beautiful horse in a field we passed and make up possible names that we thought might suit it. 

Every August we sat down together to watch the famous Irish contest ‘The Rose of Tralee’ making a ‘tick’ or an ‘x’ beside the pictures and profile of the girls which appeared in the television guide. We tried our best to guess which ‘Rose’ would win and celebrated when we guessed correctly. These stories are just a few which come from a huge catalogue of memories, ones that Gran and I remember so vividly and often speak about.

Her witty sense of humour has never been wasted on me she makes me laugh every single time I speak to her. Although time has slowed her down and restricted some of her activities when I sit with her and we chat about everything under the sun she is just the same Gran to me that she always has been. She will probably kill me for even writing this piece, she is not one for fuss! But I don’t care. The world needs to know what an incredible Gran I have! Not many girls get the opportunity to have a best friend who is really a friend for life, somebody who is a soul mate, completely loyal, a true love in many respects and wicked smart to boot. I am one of the lucky few and I just had to share this special lady with you.

Happy birthday Gran!  I know you will pretend to dislike every minute of the fuss but inside you will be loving it! Always yours, Nange <3

Gilmore Girls are Go!

by Dani Mc Mahon

Darling people of the blogosphere, I have been shamefully quiet here for the last number of weeks. I can only blame a an all consuming addition to The Gilmore Girls. That is right ladies and gents I have been watching this TV show for the past three weeks non-stop and as I type I am preparing to sit down and take in the very last episode of the final season. I also finished up at my old job and started a new one which has been filling in the gaps between episode...I jest!

I remember watching the first three seasons of The Gilmore Girls when I was younger. It was actually aired on Irish television for a time and then it seemed to fall off the radar, something which happens quite a lot here. I never followed up with it after those three seasons, I was too young to be fully committed to the show and its characters and I didn't have access to a computer and much less to the internet. Recently, I saw a snippet of an episode and decided to catch myself up. The week I made this decision I also heard rumours of Netflix being in talks to release more episode of the hit show so I knew it was a solid idea.

I started from the very beginning, as I have heard it is an excellent please to start (shocking 'Sound of Music' play on words I know!) I was originally watching it by myself and then my lovely wife joined in too. Like me, she had seen the first couple of seasons and wanted to know how it had all turned out and so started watching it with me. The past two weeks have literally consisted of nothing other than work and The Gilmore Girls.

Today we are finishing the seventh season and I can feel the withdrawal symptoms coming on even now. What will I do with all of the free time once it is over? I suppose I could get back to living my normal life, blogging, reading and exercising have all been reducing drastically in importance over the past number of weeks so I am looking forward to getting back to all of those things but how will we survive without our daily dose of Stars Hollow?
Stay tuned and I will keep you posted!

#tolfotochallenge Days 23, 24 & 25: Night, Landscape & Mirror, Mirror

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Days 23, 24 & 25: Night, Landscape & Mirror, Mirror

Sincerest apologies for the delay in posting the last photos of the 25 day challenge. I was sucked into a couple of books but I am pleased to report that I have once again resurfaced un-harmed feeling completely enlightened!

Days 23, 24 & 25 looked a little like this:

Day 23: Night

Ireland is a place where the skies can be cloudy and grey most days. However, living by the sea has huge advantages which help with this predicament. The sea breeze gently sweeps away the clouds so that for large periods of the day (and night) the sky which I view from our bedroom window is a cloudless one. The results are usually pretty gorgeous.















Day 24: Landscape

From the bedroom window we have a view which I feel is likened to the view seen in Van Gough's painting of the roofs of Paris. Of course I am embellishing our view slightly with this description, but it is a nice one none-the-less. We have a lovely view of roof-tops and of mountains which in recent weeks have been dusted with snow occasionally. The sky on the evening I took this picture was absolutely magnificent and you can see the outline of the landscape perfectly.



Day 25: Mirror, Mirror

On a recent trip to IKEA I was reminded of my first trip there some two years or more ago. It was a Sunday afternoon, there was oh-so-much to see and I was totally amazed at the sheer quantity of things and the endless decorating possibilities. As we made our way through the kids section I stopped to look at the stuffed animals and came across two gorgeous princesses who really did strike a resemblance to myself and my lovely wife. A mirror image one might say?











And so the 25 Day Photography Challenge comes to and end. Thanks for following it and reading my musings. Stay tuned, I have plenty of book reviews to come :)

#tolfotochallenge #catchup #moretofollow #staytuned

#tolfotochallenge Day 21 & 22: Your Outfit and View from the Window

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge: Day 21 & 22: Your Outfit and View from the Window

Yesterday was a busy day. I watched almost all of 'Girls' season four, went for a run, read some of the book I took out from the library, learned how to use Snapchat, wrote some of my own book and planned my class for this morning.
As a result my photo challenge for yesterday was put aside and forgotten about. I took the picture yesterday and then failed to find time to actually post it.
So here I am on a sunny Wednesday posting day 21 & 22 of my photo challenge!

Day 21:
My outfit yesterday was composed of the following items:

• Faded navy blue jumper
• Purple/blue infinity scarf
• Grey running pants
• Maroon coloured socks

I put on my running bottoms as soon as I came home from work because I knew getting myself to go for a run yesterday in the wind and rain was going to be difficult. I figured being half dressed to go would help me in my moment of doubt and it did!












Day 22:
The view from the window is one of Bray sea front. The sun makes everything look glorious, I was lucky enough to be teaching in a classroom which had this view this morning.

Happy Wednesday!

                





#tolfotochallenge #playingcatchup #beautifulviews

#tolfotochallenge Day 20: The Sky

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 20: The Sky

The weather yesterday was stormy and the sky was basically grey and unphotogenic. 

I also spent the best part of my day in Ikea where there is no sky to be seen. 

This lovely view greeted me as I walked on the sea front this morning. What a view! 

#tolfotochallenge #day20 #thesky #seasideliving

#tolfotochallenge Day 19: Sweet

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 19: Sweet

I have a sweet tooth. Jellies are my favourite and occasionally chocolate. 

In Mexico, they have a different take on sweets. Their sweets are usually a mix of sweet and spicy. I know, it sounds bizarre! 

When I moved to Mexico first I was very, very hesitant to try any of these spicy sweets. Over time as my tastes changed and I became more attracted to spicy foods and salsas I discovered a love for these odd sweets which is still going strong to this day. 

Pictured below are some treasures we salvaged whilst attending a Mexican independence day celebration. We had just come back to Ireland and were experiencing withdrawal from our Mexican sweets. We savoured this collection and enjoyed with immense pleasure every bite! 

#tolfotochallenge #day19 #sweets #mexicansweets

#tolfotochallenge Day 18: Favourites

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 18: Favourites

• having my beautiful wife and best friend by my side
• spending time with my fantastic family
• living by the sea
• books!
• flowers (especially in amazing colours - see photo )
• writing
• street art
• travelling
• running

#tolfotochallenge #day18 #favourites

#tolfotochallenge Day 17: Something Yellow

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 17: Something Yellow

Technically I am a day late with my something yellow, but with good cause. I didn't want to waste the lemons!

Yellow is not one of my favourite colours. As I result I own approximately zero items which are yellow in colour. As we were having a friend over for breakfast this morning we decided to make pancakes and so bought these lovely lemons to accompany them. I did not want to cut open the lemon last night so I postponed my Day 17 post until today. 

As they always say; "Better late then never!" 

#tolfotochallenge #day17 #mellowyellow

#tolfotochallenge Day 16: Beside You

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 16: Beside You

Allow me to present to you Copito (Snowy) and Caballo (Horse).   

Yes, I am a twenty-something who still has cuddly toys. 

No, I am not ashamed. 

Plus, look at how cute these two are? 

Copito is a DIY creation of ours. He originally came to our lives as a fluffy sock. Part of a 'Make it Yourself' kit. 

Caballo was part of a present which I received for my twenty-first birthday from my oldest friend as a reference to an embarrassing teenage story. 

They now live happily together on our bed. 

Long live Copito and Caballo!

#tolfotochallenge #day16 #teddybear #cuddlytoys

#tolfotochallenge Day 15: Fun

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 15: Fun

I recently finished reading Lena Dunham's book 'Not That Kind of Girl'. Of course I had heard of Lena before (I feel I can call her by her first name because I have read her book) but I had never seen her work. I wasn't really sure what she actually did.
Nevertheless I picked up her book and bought it, taking a chance and hoping that my purchase would prove successful. It did.
Her book is literally just her as she is, telling the truth about what it is like to grow up as part of our generation. A collection of essays detailing everything from childhood visits to the psychiatrist to awkward sex, Lena does not sugar coat things and I like that frankness.
Having finished the book, feeling as though I was now friends with Lena, I decided it was time to check out her work so I started watching 'Girls'. This series, now in it's fifth season, was written and directed by Lena and she brings that same level of frankness from her book straight into the show. Following the lives of four twenty-somethings living in Brooklyn it is funny in all the right ways while also having the ability to make you cringe and slip into pensive consideration. I have watched around ten episodes in the last couple of days and while they are sometimes very truthful and serious they are also FUN!

#tolfotochallenge #girls #notthatkindofgirl #lenadunham

#tolfotochallenge Day 14: Morning

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Photography Challenge - Day 14: Morning

According to Facebook I missed rainbow coloured clouds this morning! They looked very beautiful, kind of like the view from my classroom window. 

After storm Henry hitting the Emerald Isle yesterday it was nice to see blue skies and some sunshine this morning.

#tolfotochallenge #day14 #seasidelife #bray #viewfrommyclassroomwindow

#tolfotochallenge Day 13: Lucky

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 13: Lucky

Sometimes I am not quite sure if I believe in luck. I think the things which happen to us in life are our own making and how we are is a direct result of how we handle them. However, there have been a couple of times in my life where I really did feel lucky. These moments were ones in which I genuinely felt I had not been the instigator. They are as follows:

-Meeting my beautiful wife in Mexico. I had no idea she even existed and she changed my whole world. 

-Saving my brother's life when we were kids. It was just lucky that I was there to push him out of the way on time. (He should thank me more for that!) 

"Sometimes you get lucky and find a soul that grooves with yours."

#tolfotochallenge #lucky #luckoftheirish

#tolfotochallenge Day 12: Bright Lights

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 12: Bright Lights

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."
                                                                                                                                        -J.K. Rowling

#tolfotochallenge #day12 #harrypotterquotes #wisdom #positiveliving #brightlights

#tolfotochallenge Day 11: Home

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 11: Home

Home is where the heart is and my heart belongs with these amazing people.

#tolfotochallenge #familylove #homeiswheretheheartis

#tolfotochallenge Day 10: Transport

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 10: Transport

As a child my summer holidays revolved around my bicycle. I am extremely close to my Gran and we used to go cycling every evening. My memories of those evening bike rides are some of the most precious I have ever made. 

I photographed this bicycle, which I spied in a little alleyway, in Rome during the summer. 

There is always something magical about getting onto a bicycle and taking yourself out into the open. The fresh air blows all around you as you venture out into the world, the conductor of your own journey. 

I have always associated cycling with an immense sense of freedom. Growing up in the country-side having a bike was like having an open ticket to explore your surroundings. 

Nowadays my cycling days are few and far between but whenever I get the chance I still get a thrill as I set off on the open road. 

"Bicycle bicycle bicycle

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like"
                     -Bicycle Race by Queen

#tolfotochallenge #day10 #childhoodmemories #freedom #iwanttoridemybicycle 

#tolfotochallenge Day 9: Hair

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 9: Hair

Growing up I always hated my curly hair. It was unruly and I envied the other girls with their perfect ponytails and sleek locks. Towards the end of my teenage years I learned how to tame my mane and grew to love my curls. My hair is wild and I love it. Of course I battle sometimes. Windy days result in my looking line an explosion in a mattress factory and rain makes my hair frizzy unimaginably. Having said that I would not change my curly tresses for straight ones any day. My motto? Big hair, don't care!

#tolfotochallenge #bighairdontcare

#tolfotochallenge Day 8: Black & White

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 8: Black & White

As a child and throughout my adolescence I was a person who very much regarded things as either being black or white. In my opinionated mind there could be no in-between. I wasn't the most tolerant  and severely impatient. I was outspoken about things I felt passionate about; women rights and equality and I was a vegetarian to boot. I had a clear idea of what was right and wrong, there was no maybe for me.
When I was around fifteen I started to discover that I was different to other teenage girls around me. Instead of wanting to get male attention I wanted the opposite. Suddenly I was faced with a dilemma. I found myself to be in an area of grey matter. I struggled through my black and white world for a couple of years more, carrying my grey matter under a cloak of secrecy, terrified of being found out. My sexuality was starting to make me question my own place in the world. I didn't know anybody gay, I was fifteen and it was not something my generation spoke about openly. Things I had seen or heard in relation to homosexuality had always been negative and this confused me in my black and white world. In order to be myself and survive I had to start seeing more than black and white.
Slowly I started opening my eyes and I discovered the world was far from black and white and that I was far from grey matter. Once I let myself look beyond I saw such a wide array of colours. Little by little I started to come around, retreating to my black and white world every now and then, not quite ready for the rest.
Going to college saw the colours begin to bleed in, diluting and in many cases covering the black and white which once defined me. Moving to Mexico was the cherry on top as I learned how to be tolerant and accepting, how to be patient and understanding and most importantly I learned to accept myself. I was finally ready to live in colour!
To this day I am still fiercely opinionated but not afraid to challenge the black and white. I can still be intolerant when things really deserve not to be tolerated but a black and white state is reserved now only for photographs. It only took me around a decade but I have come to realise that the world can be a beautiful place when you allow yourself to look and see the colours.

#tolfotochallenge #black&white #day8 #irishbeach

#tolfotochallenge Day 7: Books

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 7: Books

"I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book." 

                                                                                                         J. K. Rowling

As a child I was lucky enough to have a bedtime story read to me before I went to sleep every single night. This planted a seed in me from a very young age which would eventually grow into an undying love for books. Reading has always been, for me, something which induces a feeling of bliss. There is nothing more incredible than picking up a book, reading those first words and being absolutely enthralled. 

Books allow you to discover new people, places and things while never leaving your bedroom. They allow you to stretch your imagination as far as you possibly can in order to create a visual world in your mind built strongly on the foundation of the words in the book. 

Some of the most important books in my life have left me with lasting memories and more importantly lessons. Opening your heart and mind to the characters and story of a book is something you will always be glad you did.

Growing up, fiction was always my genre. Whether is was Harry Potter, Peter Rabbit or a good piece of chick-lit, fiction was my type of thing and I loved it! About six months ago I started reading more biographical books and discovered a whole new world of books. This genre had never appealed to me before but I have really gotten into it over the past number of months, as you can see from today's picture. (Yes Please by Amy Poehler and Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham)

On an impromptu trip to Dublin City last week I found myself in my favourite type of shop; a book shop. Walking through those double glass doors into a world full of books just instantly soothes my soul. Naturally I left with books in a paper bag, dying to get home and start reading! I did just that and I am now working my way through my second book. 

Books, books, books. How I love you so! 

#tolfotochallenge #day7 #bookworm #yesplease #notthatkindofgirl #ilovebooks

#tolfotochallenge Day 6: Numbers

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 6: Numbers

Our lives revolve around numbers. Your age, weight height. Your bank balance, the amount you have in your savings account, your rent. The number of books you have read, songs you have listened to, people you have slept with. The number of calories you consume, the miles you run, the hours of sleep you get a night.

Everything in this world is measured in numbers yet trying to think of something to photograph today was extremely difficult. Luckily as I was doing some grocery shopping this evening I wandered down the isle where they stock the party items and came across birthday candles in the shape of numbers. So here you have it my photo of numbers for today.

#tolfotochallenge #day6 #numbers

#tolfotochallenge Day 5: Dinner

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 5: Dinner

Dinner on a Sunday is a bit of a non-event. It is day of late breakfast and even later lunch with the result that dinner is often completely left out of the equation.

#tolfotochallenge #dinner #day5

#tolfotochallenge Day 4: Focus

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 4: Focus

Always focus on the most beautiful, positive and precious aspects of your life. The people who bring you great joy, the places which make your heart sing, the activities which set your soul free. Focus on the good and you will quickly find that the negative with fade away.

#tolfotochallenge #nofilter #lookforthebeauty

#tolfotochallenge Day 3: Shoes

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photography Challenge - Day 3: Shoes

I have this little substance abuse problem...expensive footwear.
-Carrie Bradshaw

A shoe is not only a design, but it's a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you're going to move is quite dictated by your shoes.
-Christian Louboutin

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.
-Dr. Seuss

Ah shoes. I like shoes, I really like shoes. However, I only like very specific types of shoes. Brown shoes are my favourite. I also like navy. My favourite thing about shoes is that your foot size never changes. I find this fact very comforting. It takes a lot of the stress out of shopping for people like me who are not good at shopping as an activity. 

Pictured are my latest shoes, they are new as I wore my last ones out. I am a creature of habit which means that when I have found a pair of shoes that I like I will wear them to death. On more that one occasion I have been that girl on the train/plane/bus with holes in her shoes, you know the one, because I just cannot bear to throw them away. 

Shoes are our most essential accessory. You can survive without a coat or a bag, without your earrings or rings but shoes are a must. They take us everywhere we need to go. I sometimes think that shoes are not given enough praise. Often times they are just thrown violently into the back of our wardrobe. 

Perhaps we should all take a page out of Carrie Bradshaw's book and appreciate our shoes more. 

Happy Friday!

#tolfotochallenge Day 2: You

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photo Challenge - Day 2: You

I own a very small make-up bag. 
It contains the following:

• small glass jar of gel eyeliner (black)
• brush to apply eyeliner
• mascara (black)
• compact powder (white)
• brush to apply powder

I started wearing eyeliner and mascara about eleven years ago and I have not been seen outside the house bare eyed since! Wait, I lie! I may have been seen in Portugal bare eyed last November. In my defence I was horribly sick and too weak to even contemplate putting on make-up. That is the only occasion. 

Today I am sharing a picture of me with naked eyes. This is me, as I am. No eyeliner, no powder, no mascara. Just me! 

#tolfotochallenge #day2 #nofilter

#tolfotochallenge Day 1: Love

by Dani Mc Mahon

25 Day Photo Challenge - Day 1: Love

A picture of the inside of my wedding ring. True love is :)
#tolfotochallenge

New Week, New Challenge!

by Dani Mc Mahon

As you can see I have been absent from the world of blog for the past week or so. Last week I completely gave in to my lazy alter-ego's demands and spent my entire week watching movies from the comfort of my bed/couch/floor.
This spell of laziness extended on into the weekend and I even dragged my wife over to the dark side with me. Yesterday I woke up and decided that it was time to shed my laziness and get on with things!
As a result I have decided to initiate a 25 Day Photography Challenge which I hope some of you will join. 

As you can see, each day has a theme which allows you the freedom to really put your own spin on your photo. If you feel like joining you just have to add the following hashtag to your post on social media: #tolfotochallenge 

So, the challenge has been set, we will start here on The Overleaf with Day One of the challenge tomorrow. Happy clicking everyone!

Quote on, dear friend. Quote on!

by Dani Mc Mahon

Inspirational quotes; love them or hate them? Over the holidays I heard a lot of people dissing quotes. This has largely to do with the fact that on any given day your Facebook newsfeed may be filled to the brim with quote after quote and the truth is that after reading all of these quotes they really start to loose their meaning. 

I have a soft spot for quotes myself, usually sarcastic ones, but quotes none-the-less. However, I am not one for flooding my time line with them. I like quotes that I can write on a post-it and stick on my desk to give me a boost for the week ahead. I like to write quotes in my notebook to take a look at occasionally. 

Every month my mother buys a copy of Psychologies Magazine, not being a huge magazine buyer myself, I read the latest instalment when I come to visit. As I took a flick through (you have to flick before you can read!) I noticed that there were motivational or inspiring quotes throughout the magazine which I decided to share.
The start of a new year can sometimes be a bit of a struggle. Rewiring your brain to go to bed and get up early, to make healthy lunches and getting your ass off the couch and get moving. With that in mind I am sharing these quotes. As part of your new year consider choosing a few quotes each week to inspire you through the next week.
So here is to the week gone by and the great week to come!
Which quotes will you be using to inspire you through the week ahead?

New Year, New Goals.

by Dani Mc Mahon

Tomorrow officially brings to a close the festive season. Christmas trees will be undressed and disposed of. Decorations will be packed up once again and stored away until next year.
At the start of each New Year we feel refreshed and we seem to gain the ability to see a blank canvas in front of us. The minute the countdown for New Year's begins we start shedding the past year and getting ready for the next leg of the journey.
I am not a person who likes to set herself impossible resolutions for the year ahead but I do have a few goals which I would love to achieve this year.