An englishman walks into a (temple) bar.

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A long weekend in Temple Bar, Dublin.

I'm not even going to pretend these photos are recent, but here's a little snapshot of a weekend spent in Dublin a while back. I've been across to Dublin a few times now (you can see photos taken on a reliable disposable camera from my first trip here), but as Laura had never been we decided on a long weekend in Temple Bar. The less chat about the delayed flight the better, but the actual flight took no time at all.

If you've never been before, Temple Bar is the main touristy area of Dublin. Prepare yourself for plenty of pubs, souvenir shops and stag dos as you wander along the cobbled streets. I can definitely see some similarities with Manchester's Northern Quarter, but as Manc lacks the tourist-factor that Dublin's got the vibe is a lot more local. That said, when you're out everyone's very chatty and it's not hard to get to know people from all over when you're waiting to be served at a bar. 

On a slightly more up-to-the-minute note, things have been very busy up in these parts. Then again, when are they ever not? Since my last post, I've started a new job, moved house and invested in a lot of expensive skincare which have all been very stressful. Things are finally starting to calm down, and when they do I'll share a little more, but there's still a part of me that's thinking I'll jinx things by speaking out load (or typing on the internet) about it so I'm keeping kinda schtum about things for now. And somehow it's December, which means it's my birthday on Wednesday, so the perfect time for a little reflection and a chance to stand back and see how the last year has gone - something I know plenty of us don't make time to do.

What I'm Wearing.


Where I Went.




On the Gram.

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Life's a beach.

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Mersea Island Beach Huts.

Whether you consider it the seaside or not ("it's a river!" "It sits on the estuary!"), I still count anywhere that's sandy and has beach huts as a trip to the beach. Obviously not your slightly warmer whip out a bikini and take some clichΓ© snaps for the gram beach, but a take some mysteriously windswep photos by the pastel coloured Mersea Island beach huts beach instead. And I'm totally OK with that.

After seeing 500 (probs not an exaggeration either) photos of the Mersea Island beach huts on Louise's instagram, I suggested a day trip to the sorta-island, sorta-not with my mum, with the promise of a LOT of seafood. It was definitely one of those "why have we never been before?" trips, with good vibes as soon as we got over the causeway and parked up. We initially had a wander around the high street to look around the gift shops (fave) and buy some bread (also fave), before heading to the edge of the island for some food. We didn't manage to get a table at the Company Shed which we'd only heard good things about, however we were more than happy to end up at the West Mersea Oyster Bar. Obviously not the best place to go if you're not keen on seafood, but as someone who bloody loves the stuff we shared one of their platters so we could try a little bit of everything, and it comes highly recommended.

We quickly managed to take some outfit photos before the wind made me shout "abort", but I hope you enjoy these snaps and have a chuckle at my windswept expense.

What I'm Wearing.


Lacoste striped top. Missy Empire raw hem jeans (trust me, do not size up in these, hence the belt!). Cath Kidston red polka dot bag. Adidas superstars. Charity shop belt.

What's on the Gram.


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Get outta town.

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Houses in Didsbury, Manchester

When you're done spritzing that anti-pollution toner all over your face (guilty), it's an idea to jump on a tram and head out of town, even if just for a day. And that's exactly what Tori and I did. We explored Burton Road and Didsbury in South Manchester for an entire Saturday, and walked a very long way in the process! I could wax lyrical about how much I like the area, but I'll let the 'grams do the talking, and ice cream recommending. πŸ‘‡ Of course I shoved my camera into Tori's hands to take some photos in front of the beautiful houses in Didsbury, so apologies for publishing more photos of my ugly mug. Feel free to scroll on by. If you know of any more Manchester districts I need to see, then definitely comment below as I'm always on the lookout for more recommendations.

In what would appear to be my monthly "how stressed is Rebecca Cohen this time?" update, this week's not been totally great on the chill factor, but I'm feeling rather positive about the week coming up. I'm heading down to London for a shoot tonight, then hopefully will have a full week in Manchester rather than heading halfway across the country multiple times. Since my last blog post, I've done rather a lot: from heading to London and back in an evening for an awards event, to shooting with Olivia Buckland and Megan McKenna, to We Are FSTVL, to going to Dublin, it's been more than a little non-stop and the bags under my eyes are very evident to prove it. I'm looking forward to chilling with Clare, Laura and Kate over a gin this afternoon, and I hope your Sunday is just as peaceful.

Of course, as someone who's made Manchester my home over the last 17 months, the last few weeks have been very testing. Everyone grieves differently, and as someone who chose Manchester as my home and has only been welcomed, I can only say that the love shown to me has been manifest throughout the city. I've never seen community spirit like it in the face of extreme tragedy, but the city's still a hive of activity and creativity. And the bees still buzz.

What I Wore


The Kooples leather jacket. New Look bee embroidered shirt. And Other Stories jeans (similar). Collective tee. Primark fishnet socks. Adidas Superstars.

What's on Insta





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With bubbles.

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Brunching at Cote Brasserie.


Last minute Mother's Day plans need to be made stat? Get some bubbles involved.

Last weekend, we were invited to try the CΓ΄te Brasserie brunch menu, and it'd make for the perfect morning indulgence for you and your mum tomorrow. I headed along with Laura, and met Stacey and Meg at the CΓ΄te Brasserie just off Deansgate, meaning it's super central and the perfect location just a little away from the shops. I tried the "french breakfast" rather than a classic full english, which swapped toast for brioche and black pudding for boudin noir which tastes a bit lighter and is going some way to getting me on the black pudding wagon. At under a tenner, there's definitely a little room to splash out on something sparkling, and we were lucky enough to receive a glass of champagne too - well, it's 5pm somewhere, right? The lovely ladies at the Manchester Florist also treated us to a little bouquet of carnations and tulips, who are now sitting pretty in my living room.

For Mother's Day IRL, I'm heading home for a long weekend. After writing this post, I'll be going straight to Piccadilly and spending the evening with Jazmine, before battling rail replacement buses (woe is me) to get home to Essex. I haven't made any specific plans as of yet, but a slow weekend is definitely on the cards! Yesterday was my last day working at Public Desire, so a little rest and relaxation is my plan of (in)action before starting my new job next week. It's all a bit of a change and I'm definitely nervous, but I've missed chatting about clothes every day, (and I still get to talk shoes too). Wish me luck!

What I Wore.



Uniqlo coat. Aubin and Wills striped top. Missy Empire jeans (fit big, size down). Adidas Superstars.


What's On Insta.


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Afternoon tea at Crook Hall.

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Visiting Crook Hall Gardens, Durham.


After a day of getting my bearings and a night of drinking games (this girl never learns), we decided to go for a slightly more laid back approach to Sunday; you know, the whole resting thing you're meant to do. I asked if you guys had any Durham recommendations for me on Twitter, and Kelly replied saying that Crook Hall, along with a few other places, was worth a look in. As it didn't look like we were about to get pretty wet 'n' wild up in there, we meandered along the river to give it a go.

Of course, anti-histamines miiiight have been a good idea had I actually accepted that I had hayfever at this point. But, sniffles aside, Crook Hall gardens are some of the most beautiful out there. Clarity was on a bee-hunt (not all that hard, they'd definitely come out to play), and there were more peonies than a blogger could shake her Olympus Pen at. The gardens were split into different sections: from the surprisingly tricky maze that's right in front of you as you enter, to the Shakespeare garden (feat. bust of the big man himself), to the Cathedral garden with stained glass window shaped flower beds overlooking the Real Deal on the horizon, there's plenty to do here on a sunny day.

After a while, our poor little kinda hungover selves head over to Crook Hall itself where you were able to pick up a cream tea with unlimited (!!) tea for £3.60 - giving the South a great big finger, where this would cost at least twice the amount, for sure.

It wasn't long before I had to haul my bag and myself up that massive bloody hill to get the train home to Manchester, where Crook Hall seemed a lifetime away (because it was raining. Again. Of course.). Have you ever visited Durham before, or live there? I'm sure I'll end up there again before long, if not off to Newcastle, and will mentally make bookmarks of your recommendations if you've got any you'd like to share! brb, dreaming of those scones...

WHAT I WORE.

H+M striped top: £7. Fat Face denim dungarees (c/o). Adidas Superstars: £55 (I think, they're kids ones, anyway). Topshop fedora hat: £7.

WHERE WE WENT.



WHAT'S ON INSTA.

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Playing it cool on the set of Harry Potter.

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Visiting Durham


Do you ever get it in your head that you're going to love a place, despite never having visited? Well, I did. I've been internally bigging up Durham for a long ol' time, and when I got wind of my pal Clarity moving there, it was only a matter of time before I'd booked myself some train tickets and was on my way up. I'm not even sure why I'd wanted to go for so long, as it's not like it's been repeatedly talked about online (yeah, you guys have massively killed any want to head to Brighton again, can you stop now?), and barely gets any mentions by my friends. I'm just going to assume that it's down to how much I like York, and just thinking it's an even further North version of that.

Thankfully, Durham lived up to my expectations, and then some.

Okay, okay, the weather's just as bad as it is in Manchester, but as my hair is now in a permanent state of frizzy, I was more than happy to wander from the train station down into town and head straight out for lunch. Clarity recommended a place called Leonard's Coffee House, and boy do they do a decent toasted sandwich. I mean, nothing will come between me and my love for Northern Soul's grilled cheese sandwiches (nothing, I swear), but this sarnie is moving its way up on my List of Sandwiches I Need to Master.

We then headed onwards and upwards to the Cathedral. Even if half of it is currently covered in scaffolding - damn you unphotogenic renovations - it's still pretty impressive, dominating the Durham skyline. Of course, I lost my shit when I recognised bits from the Harry Potter films, so got myself a cheesy lil snap "on set". Don't even try to pretend you wouldn't too.

I've got another post coming up on my second day of visiting Durham too (been storing these up for a while), so keep an eye out if you're a fan of cream teas and peonies like every single blogger out there. Hardly surprising I've been a bit absent from the internet when I've had to deal with such clichΓ© delights, is it?

Where we went





What's on Insta

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Hello, I'm Rebecca: social media exec, new-ish coffee drinker and loafer-wearer.
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