A Few Favorites... [January Edition]

Aaaaand it's February! Today I'm going to take you through what I've been adoring and what I've found boring!

I've been adoring my Blanx Whitening Toothpaste*. Now I must admit right off the bat I don't know if it's whitening, but it's made my teeth feel so lovely and clean without being insanely minty. I'm just so taken by it. I find myself constantly running my tongue over my teeth for half the morning, probably looking like a tool bag in the process, lets be honest! It's just great, and it's not a stupid squeezy tube it's one you press the button and the toothpase just comes out like magic. A-dore!!!

Galaxy Hot Chocolate. Dealz is a great place to find this stuff, this creamy, chocolatey, wonderful treat. You put three or four teaspoons into a cup and pour over boiling water. That's probably why I like it so much. I'm lactose intolerant and I'm not really meant to have stuff like this but with Galaxy Hot Chocolate, I find I can get away without any migraines or tummyaches. Winner winner!!

Hozier. Lord above will I ever not be enraptured by this man and the talent he possesses? I've literally been listening to his album on repeat for months, and January was no different. I'm lucky enough to own his self titled album on vinyl, and it's sheer perfection. I've also got the album in my iPod and on my phone. I'm just obsessed. My current favorite track (though that fact is ever changing) is Work Song, which reminds me of my darling Dex. There's just no getting over this guy for me, Hozier just knows whats up and I could listen to his album every day til I die and still get something new from each song. Literally cannot get enough of it.

Catrice Better Than False Lashes Mascara. I bought this in a pinch, somehow I managed to leave the house without mascara on and I have to duck into a chemist to get something to fill the gap. This was on the catrice stand and I just went for it. There was no deliberating, it was the first one that came to my hand. It's actually great though, the wand is huge but not super bristly so you can go through in two or three swipes to catch all your lashes and avoid the spidery clumpy look we all know isnt cute. I didn't think I would but I very much like this mascara - so much so it's in my travel make up kit permanently.

So there you have it, a little chat about stuff I've been digging this month. If you want, I could try to mention some stuff I have been less than impressed by. Let me know!! 

XO

A

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My Record Collection and Set Up

I adore my vinyl collection. I've been collecting for almost a year and I'm just as in love now as I was when I first started. I have a very basic set up but at some point in the coming year, this set up will be super upgraded and expanded. I just wanted to share my love affair with records with you, maybe you might find this interesting!

My Set Up and Storage: 

Currently I'm using a Steepletone all in one turntable, which I picked up on sale when HMV on Grafton St was closing down for the second time... I know that it's not the greatest player but it's a starting point. I also have a giant pair of Phillips Over Ear headphones which have a 3m cable that allows me a certain amount of freedom while listening to my headphones with very little disturbance for the other people in my house. Funnily enough, my lovely boyfriend has the exact same set up in his house! 

About a week after I got my player I started looking for a specialised stand, something that would house my player and records easily. I tried every specialist record place I could get to, trawling in stores and online but to no avail - they were either not to be gotten hold of or outrageously priced if they were available. Sadface. So after putting my thinking cap on, to house my player and records I got THIS little cube from Argos. It cost me around the €20 mark and it's the perfect height for records to stand in, since the proper way to store records is on their end vertically so they don't warp. It comes with a back for it but I almost took my finger off trying to nail it on, so I left it off. My player and records all fit this dinky little cube and it's just so handy for anyone who collects vinyl. 

I also have a specialist vinyl cleaning cloth that I use to dust off my records before I put the tone arm down. I picked that up in KNB Music, a local musical instrument and supply place for under a tenner. 

My Record Collection: 

This might be a long list but here we go! 

Excenteric - Unconventional Behaviour. This is Prog House/Techno EP I got in Cork
Journeys By DJ - For The Pleasure. Another EP, this one is more Techno, also from Cork.
Kelis - Get Along With You. This is a compilation record but it's mostly D'n'B, it's very upbeat!
Greenskeeper - Live In Me EP. House music yet again. I know, I'm surprising myself.
The Darkness - Last Of Our Kind. Glorious glorious rock'n'roll!! 
Lorde - Pure Heroine. One of my favorite albums of all time, flawless. 
Taylor Swift - 1989. A double gatefold of joy. Love me some T-Swizzle! 
Hozier - Hozier. Another double gatefold. Another perfect record. 
Asia - Dont Cry. This is a single that Dex picked up for me in Norwich. It's a funny shape, but it plays at 45rpm perfectly and it was a lovely gesture.
Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind. This album splits the crowd but I absolutely adore it. This is my favorite M&S record of all. Audiophile Porn!!! 
Ex Machina - OST. I adored Ex Machina, it's a beautiful movie and the OST is just as wonderful.
Mumford and Sons - Babel. Perfection. 
The Stone Roses - Second Coming. This was the first record I bought for my player. I adore it. 
Young Guns II - OST by Bon Jovi. Self explanatory really. A second hand find from a small seller in Blackrock.
Billy Idol - Charmed Life. When I put this on, I'm 16 again, the early days of my rock love affair. 
Music Inspired by Lord Of The Rings. Beautiful background music. Vintage store finds, huzzah!
Jeff Waynes - War of The Worlds. I bought this off a guy I know and it's still in mint condition despite being pressed in 1978. . 
The Darkness - Permission to Land. This is a picture disc of the first rock album I ever bought. Yum. 
Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More. Told you!!
Woven Skull - Lair of The Glowing Bantling. I managed to get this record (in Cork) off the guy who produced it. I talked him into selling me it well before its release, so my copy is the first one ever sold. I also bought it completely on a whim having never heard of the band or anything, and it's one of the best record purchases I've ever made. You should check these guys out. 
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom. Okay so I bought a lot of records in Cork. Not sorry. Great record. 
Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing. We all need some melancholy from time to time. YAS!
NOW Thats What I Call Music. This is the original. Therefore it's the best of 80's pop! 
Imagine Dragons - Night Visions. Another flawless record. 


So there you have it, my record set up, collection, storage and anything else you might want to know. I love vinyl and find the process of digging through record stores and record fairs incredibly relaxing. I love the sense of camaraderie that you get from other audiophiles, the little not when you start flipping through the crates next to someone at a fair. Record collectors know when you lay that record out flat on the top of the stack you've just flipped through, it's yours now - you're going to buy that. That's nice. I like that.  

If you're a record collector, let me know your recommendations. 

Ax

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