Coast to Coast Bloggers

So here I sit in Cork City, Ireland, as you all well know. Today, I've been making the daily wage and drinking copious amounts of coffee around town. Though it's not really divided evenly at this time, technically I'm still dividing my time between my lovely blue mountained Virginia and hilly green Ireland. With the world at my fingertips, one would think it'd be easy enough to connect with bloggers around the world. To a degree, this is true. But with so much on my plate and with the entire virtual world within reach, it's easy to get lost on the great map of the World's Web. As a blogger, finding that niche audience in my respective countries is hard enough. Finding other bloggers doing cool things - near to me and farther away - is nearly impossible. So when I heard about the Coast-to-Coast Bloggers campaign, I decided to hop on the bandwagon.

Basically, the idea is to connect bloggers all around the world to other bloggers in their area. Shane at Whispering Sweet Nothings put together a Google Map on her site locating each and every blogger that follows her or contacts her.

It's a fabulous idea, one that I almost wished I'd thought of myself. (But then again, that's tons of work, so props to Shane for putting it all together!) Anyway, check it out if you're blogging, and even if you're not! It's a great resource to connect with similar bloggers - both similar geographically and in content and style! Even if you're not a blogger yourself but rather an avid reader, check out the database. Who knows! You might find some new favorites to follow!

A blog is your own little piece of the World's Web; with Shane's great database, you're physical piece of the world is mapped out, too!

A Summertime Bucket List

It's that time of year again! Even in grey, green, rainy, cold Ireland, the sun is out and all sunshiny. Busy working, hanging out with friends, and looking forward to my trip back to Virginie, I put together a little bucket list of Summertime Schtuffs that are definite must-dos. There are three editions: Irish, American, and a generic one we'll just call Summertime ("Generic" sounded awful!). 

Enjoy!

Irish

1) Host a Fourth of July party/barbeque

2) See Cork City at sunrise

3) Start a DIY project (I have a couple of little ones in mind)

American

1) Host a beautiful bridal shower and bachelorette party for one of my best and loveliest friends

2) Go hiking in the Blue Ridge

3) Visit a Vineyard

4) Go to an amusement park

5) Weekend at the beach

6) Visit New York City

7) Host a patio tea party

Summertime

1) Take a roadtrip (or several)

2) Have a pool party

3) Surf (as much as possible!)

4) Camp out for a night under the stars

5) Attend an outdoor concert

6) Make margaritas

7) Have a bonfire beach party

8) Go horseback riding

9) Eat popsicles

10) Visit a farmer's market

11) Go to a carnival

12) Hang out with friends and family

What about you, guys? Any fun summer plans or wishful thinkings? I'd love to hear them x

Bestie Travels Part Three: Blarney Castle and Adventure

This is part three of four posts on Bestie L's spectacular stint seeing the land of the green.

After an epic road trip of galavanting around the country, L and I were pretty exhausted. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), we had a party at the house that night for all the gang to meet my American friend that I'd been talking about for weeks. Giddy from exhaustion, I think we made a good showing, but honestly, we were so pooped I don't remember that much. I might have been asleep after all that... 

Anyway, the next day we decided to stick around Cork a little bit. We slept in, took a walk, headed to town, and eventually, hopped in the car for Blarney Castle.

For all of you American readers, I certainly hope you've heard of the infamous Blarney Stone - by kissing the stone you're gifted the gift of the gab. Basically it just means that if you're brave or nutty enough to bend over backwards over a great height and put your lips on possibly the most slobbered-upon thing on the planet, then you will be as talkative as some of us are naturally. Good luck! 

Blarney Castle, Co. Cork

The boy came with us girls for the evening because, though he's lived in Cork for ages, he's never been to Blarney. So the three of us hiked through the castle, crawling over fading limestone and into narrow windows. We crawled through dungeons and caves and enjoyed hunting through various poisonous plants and potions in the poisonous garden. L and I threw some imaginary boiling oil over the boy's head through the hidden gate, and it was just generally a great day. 

Though L didn't make it quite to the top (in fairness, it's a pretty awful staircase, and it was wet from recent rainy footsteps...), the boy and I waved to her down through the floors of the open castle!

Peace out, L

And we ended the day by romantically gazing at a beautiful sunset (my idea) and an epic high five session. 

The moral of the story? Blarney Castle is beautiful and a great visit. But it is much better exploring it with friends x

Get ready for the best high five ever - note how L never looks at me and how somehow I can't stop laughing.