UnearthingTara:Becoming an Archeologist in Ireland

Failte!

I'm excited to share my adventures with all of you! I want your first taste of my life in Ireland to be this poem that I wrote very late one night when I was a Junior in College. Its meaning seems eerily prophetic now. More than anything, I've created this blog to make the actualization of this life-long dream of mine visible to those I love: my friends who are my foundation, my endlessly supportive family, my mentors and co-workers who inspire me, and my former students who have given me enough satisfaction and fulfillment to last two lifetimes... Have the courage to believe that your wildest dreams can come true.

Is fhearr fheuchainn na bhith san duil, (It is better to try than to hope)

Mourn (A Seaside Peak in Southern Ireland)

The dark, earthen sod saturates her fair feet,
but briefly since she frolics fast in knee high
blades of greenest grass that blow dizzily in the Celtic-sea air.

Her wool skirt, stiffened by ware of evenings past
is splashed by cresting waves that break
against a beach blacker than her hair.
Those once stiffer fibers were loosed by nights upon nights
of hanging perfectly on his line before being wildly blown dry
by the crisp Hibernian salt air.

The pair sits to rest a while instead of dodging
breakers or skipping paler stones.

"Indian summer's here," he says softly,
but all of summer here feels like the edge
of autumn to her, even though she grins in agreement
as she dangles her pale, soft feet off Achilles' peak,
where Erin's vermillion-gold sky meets
an ocean that is grey with years.

She sleeps with her eyes closed tight most nights.
He asks her if she believes in Tier-Nan-Og,
and she asks him if he believes in anything eternal.
Outside the tide is rising, or it's receding—
She never can tell but for the strengthened smell of
salty freshness strained through his light, lace curtains.
She thinks to herself that he is like trying to hold the sea 
and she imagines the water running between her fingers--
clenched so tight.

And so, the night calls her out of her sleeping,
like daytime chides her into dreaming.
She slips her white fingers through the holes of an old loose scarf
that affords her more company than warmth
on these newborn autumn evenings. She is off-- 
Night clouds reflect emerald from land to sea,
And the tara that she never eyes from long hours of
staring too far into star blanketed skies,
feels cool against the thickening pads of her pallid feet.

Elisabeth Lewis (2005)

06 December 2011

twelve looks of christmas.

Last thing to get on my wishlist!

OK, so being a poor college student [again] has done some amazing things for my personal STYLE...

First, i have absolutely ZERO disposable income, so I'm constantly daydreaming about things i would buy if i could. plus, EUROPE is much more fashion-FORWARD than even the most Metropolitan parts of the USA and Dublin is NO exception. The colors here have been vibrant this winter: MUSTARD is everywhere, as well as CERULEAN BLUE and [of course] EMERALD green. I'm all about making a statement with my clothing and accessories, and being a student again has FORCED me to be more CREATIVE with how i manage to do that. i like to think of it as.. "THRIFTY CHIC."

FURTHERMORE, i think the more you get to know yourself, the more YOU permeate through your fashion choices, and the better you look. So of course, my abundant alone time gives me AMPLE ELISABETH knowledge, which makes it easier to pick out what IS ME and RULE OUT what is not [like I did last weekend with the winter coats]. My friends can attest to the fact that i have often picked up something...whats the word? ECCENTRIC. They turn up their noses initially, and then BOOM--i put it on and it instantly becomes a another FACET of me, that is not only ACCEPTED, but dare i say...COVETED?

THUS, i have come up with my TWELVE looks of CHRISTMAS [or the HOLIDAY SEASON]. i did [or am in the process of doing] everything on the cheap, and in some cases just recycled things i already had laying around, but that made a brand new holiday pop when paired with something else. i hope you enjoy. i'm looking forward to taking TONS of pictures in NORTH CAROLINA over the next THREE weeks and even more photos in LONDON & ST. ALBANS, UK over NEW YEARS + EPIPHANY as well. Can't wait to post pictures from the my holidays :) try as many as you want for yourself....though i will admit leather leggings and false eyelashes are not for everyone :)

Sissy picked up one for me from H&M in Chicago

12th] RED nails and LIPS
11th] subtle GOLD eyeshadow
10th] PLEATHER skinny pants
9th] SPARKLE skirt
8th] NUDE gloves
7th] false EYELASHES- ala Adele
6th] Signature COLOUR [mine is EMERALD, duh. but my SISTER's are blush&bashful] do YOU.
5th] The WAVE. See how to do it here!
4th] Cable-knit SWEATER [preferably hand-sewn in Donegal] jk. but look how well the king does it!
3rd] SEQUINED accent of your choice
2nd] RIDING boots
FIRST] FUR VEST. faux, of course ;)

inspired by Carrie in the last SATC in Paris

Love this color and up to the knee height

Perfect fabric. Perfect color. Tis the Season!

It took me a REALLY long time to fit these pictures together on my MAC format, I'm sorry if it's not coming through on your screen, I'm still getting the hang of the graphics (the writing is more my forte)

02 December 2011

OWL love you forever.

OWL CITY

Hello All,

I know it's been a while, but I'm bed-ridden now with a sore throat and swollen tonsils and icy weather outside, so I'll be able to MORE THAN make up for my absence while I was writing my paper on Shamanism for the past 2 weeks!

This year, Candace and I have both asked for Owls for Christmas from loved ones. Owls are not only cute and cuddly, but they represent wisdom and potency. I've compiled below a list of TEN WAYS to give an Owl for Christmas. Enjoy!

10. LOVE this Owl-y clock

9. A sweet piece of artwork is underrated. This would be perfect by the kitchen or bathroom window <3

8. For the chef's soul in all of us.

7. Owl Necklaces have been huge, This is a fave though

6. This Beautiful Lantern works indoors and out!

5. I love animal hats & this one is quite girly

4. Send Snail Mail to the ONE you love. OWL style. It NEVER gets old.

3. OBSESSED with these & Rocking the studs lately.


2. "Owl be there for you"

And of course, the #1 way to give an Owl to me or Candace this year is OBVIOUSLY a real life baby owl like this one!

<3, e
happy advent.

23 November 2011

you give me fever

Happy List Wednesday is cancelled today because I feel feverish, it is about 40 degrees in my apartment, and I have 2 papers due in 5 days! Doesn't sound like much to be happy about... ENJOY THANKSGIVING!!

19 November 2011

Dublin Dresses Up for Winter--and so do I!

The Mission: Find me a Winter Coat
The Seekers: Me and Candace
The Problems: A) I hate shopping & B) I am very easily distracted by sparkley things. Or furry things. Or black leather. oops.
The Vision: Double Breasted, gold detail, and ....remember this video?

So, I can't afford this $800 Missoni coat that Adele is sporting, but I'm going for this look. Dramatic, sophisticated, crooning around Paris for lost love and looking perfectly pulled together while doing it. Let me show you the Top 3 contenders!

#3 This is a lovely and extremely fitted (which you know I like) classic black coat from Zara. It is double breasted with an inside (AWKWARD) zipper and narrow cut that hugs the hips. 129 Euro.

#2 Also a Zara classic black, this one has a BIG collar and gold zipper pockets. Also double-breasted, also 129 Euro. It's a bit longer with an A-line cut.

And the winner...#1 This is from some place called New Look or something? It's a very dark royal blue, almost navy, with Gold buttons. You can see the shoulders are poofy, and the skirt is flared. This coat is SO sweet, I squealed when I put it on. My smile [and the 45 Euro price] made the decision clear. I giggled the whole way home after Candace and I saw Twilight: Breaking Dawn on O'Connell Street.

Crazy Grafton Street

Dublin during the holiday season is simply gorgeous. I can't gush about it enough. The Christmas trees everywhere, the lights, the music, the shop windows, the perfectly crisp weather. It's pretty impossible not to be giddy with joy for the season here, as you can see!

Candace in the ILC Mall off O'Connell Street. MADNESS!!

Baile Atha Cliath = Irish Gaelic for Dublin

Happy Holiday season everyone! Go drink some hot chocolate and listen to Christmas Carols on 99.6 :) I'll be there in 22 days!

I'll leave you with this great song from Breaking Dawn...Sleeping at Last
<3, e

16 November 2011

Back With The Top Ten!

Apparently he has one brown eye and one hazel? awesome.

10. My bootleg Drake album on the repeat :) Take Care.

9. Planning a new Wednesday ritual of skyping with Magan before I write my Top 10 list.

BFF <3

8. My Weird love of Winter that makes me crazy happy to bundle up

in 50 degree weather and walk through pitch black Ireland at 4 pm :D

7. Coming back to Christmas decorations all over Dublin!

*Two Giant Christmas trees in my neighborhood and lights everywhere [tis the season]*

6. Planning dishes and shopping lists with Candace for our first Thanksgiving away from home!

5. Sleeping until 1:30 today. Matt McDowell did too!

4. The super lovely Archaeology Administrator smiling and calling me sweetie

when I turned in my paper three minutes late today : / lovethesepeople.

3. My 3 mile walk home from school through Ranelagh. I missed it. Really.

2. Spinach. all. day. My tummy flattening savior.

1. Learning important things in Grad School like:

a) I do NOT have to be such a perfectionist. a B- will not effect my happiness in life.

b) It feels good to let someone really love you, instead of settling for the boys who just like you.

And who knows? You might surprise yourself and love 'em back.

*ADDENDUM* to #1 being on skype with Frank when he got his work visa from FedEx! HOORAY

14 November 2011

Fat Love & The Marshes

Caitlin Lassiter Keating Marsh

Can I just say, I love looking at my last post from Dublin entitled "skinny love" because I am sitting here totally bloated from 10 straight days of fried chicken in North Carolina. I guess I went a little overboard this week after weeks of starving... More importantly, congratulations to my oldest friend, the person who has put up with me the longest and, possibly with the greatest compassion, Caitlin Lassiter Keating! She is married to a wonderful man named Jesse now, and I couldn't be happier for the two of them. You see, Caitlin is fiercely strong and independent, so I know this bond is a special one. Whenever I've been through hell and wanted to lay down and give up, she tells me to toughen up and gives me the faith I need to get through whatever I may be enduring, and I can't really think of anything I could've needed more in a friend these past 20 years :) They themselves are not fat, but their love is bounteous! When Caitlin and Jesse got married on Saturday, the Priest spoke about how our society has mislabeled love as an emotion, when it is really more of an action. We hear so often that love is a choice that we make every day, but those words hold so much more weight at an altar where two people are committing themselves to one another for their entire lives. Furthermore, the priest talked about how marriage is successful because we will it to be so, and because we accept that human love is imperfect, and the only thing that can bind something for eternity is divine love. I felt so honored to be standing in St. Ann's on November 12th with Caitlin and Jesse, listening to those words of encouragement and promise that there is a way for modern love to survive. I truly believe it is possible, not with the hopelessly romantic part of me, but with the grown-up, realistic part of me.

Carrie doing the dirty work

So let me tell you a little more about the FAT love that I received at home this week: Tricia Ann making my favorite enchiladas; Cousin Caroline offering to buy me a ticket home for the holidays; Magan unexpectedly picking me up from the train station AND making me (and Cameron and Josh and Dela) fried pork chops; Josh driving to Chapel Hill for < 24 hours, and he and My Mom for stocking up on Hummus and love for me; Theresa for many drinks and laughs; Lil for taking such good care of my fat baby, Leona; Chels for wonderful conversation at Whole Foods; Jells + Max for being my safe-havens in DC; of course, Dela for my favorite meal and taking my Mama for a spin in the Maserati; and last-but-not-least, my benefactor, Ease.

my first rosary, a gift from Mrs. Keating

This is why I'm fat. Not really, I still got into my size 6 Jcrew dress just fine this weekend, even after Chik-fila, Suttons, sushi, Mexican, etc...but I am fat with love!! What did I learn in these 10 days of American vacation between Irish deadlines? That, like James Taylor says, Love really IS "the finest thing around" and wealth, or knowledge, or beauty, or achievement can never replace falling asleep on someone's shoulder and feeling totally safe, or dancing with my Mom to my favorite Bob Dylan song, or snuggling with my 3 year old doppelganger, Charlotte, on the couch, or staying home with my best friends because "going out" just isn't necessary for us to have fun, or being totally humbled by my cousin bringing me back home to feel all of this all over again in a month. I am totally fat with love. Thank you, everyone! Especially, my beautiful Punky for making me a part of her day :)

Total goof-troop on the back of the trolley--I think the bride and groom were supposed to be there...whoops.

02 November 2011

Skinny Love: Happy Humpday

Study break for photo op! <3

10. Candace climbing in my lumpy bed to wake me up this morning. sweet love.

9. Starbucks giftcard from Sissy = Pepperment Lattes galore!

8. The Irish sea that I'm looking at right now & its perfect greenish-grey color

7. "Winter is Coming" and it's my favorite season, so Bon Iver! (Skinny Love)

6. The word "brassiere"

5. All the hipster Halloween costumes! We've made it! I wrote an award winning* play in 2006 that is pretty much a modern adaptation of Hair! which predicts, not only the black president, but the rise of the "new hippies" and our generation's own protests. I guess I'll have to produce it to prove my genius. Or Not.

4. Whelan's tonight for indy music and beer!

3. Listening to my talking book on iTunes. Oh, Heathcliff, you're so emo. love it.

2. Andrew Bird's Amazing tribute to Shel Silverstein: Twistable, Turnable

1. Daydreaming about the FOOD I'm going to EAT next week: Sushi, The Usual at 300 East, pumpkin lattes, Char-Grill, mussels, Carrburritos, Sutton's, Top-O, Tricia Ann's enchiladas!

Hoping to gain back a few of the pounds I've lost this fall because...

Who wants to be skinny, anyway?

*Sam Seldon Playwright Award, no big deal. The main characters are based (more than loosely) on Reid, Les, Far, and Lo. No one has ever read it (other than the judges). And no one ever will.