Game of Doppelgangers: Season One

So, John and I have finally given in and joined the rest of the world as Game of Thrones watchers. Its not that we are completely out of the loop, its just that when something becomes such a huge phenomenon, we both tend to become pretty stubborn and refuse to join in- just because we don't want to be like everyone else. The problem with this stubbornness is, we then get pissed off because there are so many cultural references out there that we don't understand(and wish we did).

While I am really enjoying it, and gosh darn it, they know how to lure you back in with an end-of-episode cliffhanger, I can't help but be distracted by how so many of the characters look like other famous actors and characters. Like, I am trying to pay attention to what's going on, but I am actually thinking 'God that guy looks like that half-face dude from batman. They aren't the same guy are they? No, they're not. I had better google it...shit, what did I just miss?? Did someone just die? Are they brother and sister? Well that's just gross. God he looks like him though..' This sort of thing happens all the time, and it has prompted me to compile a list of my Game of Thrones Doppelgangers. Some of them look ridiculously alike, some of them don't really look alike at all, but it is how I identify the characters in my head(their names are confusing so I need descriptions!). I hope you enjoy the list- I have focused solely on season one characters for now...

 

Left: This is Aaron Eckhart. He is not Jaime Lannister. Right: Jaime Lannister played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

These two actually look freakishly similar- the definition of doppelganger.

 

Left: Atreyu from The Neverending Story. Right: Bran Stark, played by Isaac Hempstead Wright.

So no, these two don't look alike at all. But there is just an essence of Atreyu about Bran. How happy he was to get back on a horse after his accident; The way he is always staring mysteriously at stuff; and the fact that if he had to go on some kind of epic journey to save a Princess and the world he knows, I really think he would have the balls to do it.

 

Left: Alan Ruck. Right: Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, played by Aiden Gillen.

Whenever I see this dude come on the screen, all I can think of is Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off...and not even necessarily the age that he is in this picture, but like the young age that he is in that movie as well.

Left: Terrence the fairy from the Disney Tinkerbell movies. Fun fact, he is voiced by former tween pop-star Jesse McCartney. Right: He who must not be named...OK no, but he may as well be what he is called as he is the freaking devil. Joffrey Baratheon played by Jack Gleeson.

I did try to find a more sinister looking fairy, but that image was hard to find. He certainly does have a fairy/pixie look about him though, doesn't he? And there's also something strikingly Anime going on with him as well.

Left: Dreamy Blaine from Glee, played by Darren Criss. Right: Dreamy Jon Snow played by Kit Harrington.

The similarity is not just that I think they are both dreamy, although I want to make it clear that I think they are both dreamy. Is this clear? I feel like in his free time, maybe Jon dons a blazer and likes nothing more than having an ol' singsong up there on that wall, entertaining Whitewalkers and Nights Watchmen alike. Its worth noting, that there's also a touch of Heath Ledger in Ten Things I Hate About You about Jon Snow, which is fitting, given Heath had a little singsong on a wall-like structure as well.

Left: Diane Kruger. Right: Sansa Stark played by Sophie Turner.

At first I thought Sansa looked like Leelee Sobieski, but after doing some googling, it seems Diane Kruger is the more obvious lookalike. Either way, she is really beautiful. Looking at more recent pictures of her however, she doesn't really look like her anymore- but in this first season, she really does.

 

Left: Lucious Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies. Right: Viserys Targaryen, played by Harry Lloyd.

So yeah, these two don't look alike either. But god, they are both just so goddam evil...and blonde. Evil and platinum blonde, so instead of learning his name, I just thought of Viserys as 'Malfoy guy'.

Left: The ghost of Christmas Present from A Muppet Christmas Carol. Right: Robert Baratheon, played by Mark Addy.

Everytime I saw this man, I was struck by the fact that he looked like a generic cartoon rosy-cheeked king. So its not just this Muppet that he reminds me of. Its pretty much all puppet and cartoon kings with cheeks who like to drink wine.  

Left: Shakira in the 'Whenever, Wherever' video. Right: Daenerys Stormborn, played by Emilia Clarke.

This is a case where you might argue that they don't actually look alike. But seriously, that outfit? The hair? They are ridiculously similar. And trust me, when I talk about her, or need to ask John a question about her, I refer to her as 'hot Shakira chick' and he knows exactly who I am on about. So it can't just be me!

 
 
 

Left: Dave Navarro(he was in the Red Hot Chilli Peppers for a bit, but is probably more famous for being married to Carmen Electra for a bit as well.) Right: Khal Drogo, played by Jason Momoa.

This is nearly too obvious to include in the list. Seriously. I don't need to say much about these two- just look at the evidence.

 
 
 

Left: A young Mick Jagger. Right: Theon Greyjoy, played by Alfie Allen(yes, Lily Allen's brother. She even had that song 'Alfie' about him, remember?)

I think this character is likeable(for now, I have no idea what he ends up like in future seasons!) and I think its because of his face and his accent and just because he has that generally cheeky look about him. And oh yeah, he looks like a slightly less-handsome young Mick Jagger.

Left: Keira Knightly. Right: Cersei Lannister played by Lena Heady. OK, so these two don't look that alike, but what they do have in common, is that ridiculous duck-facey pout that they are both always doing. I don't know if its meant to be sexy, or mysterious, or what...but they are both at it, all the time.

 

 

Is there anyone I missed?? I would love your feedback on this because I am sure there are more!

 

-Emily

Just a mini shopping spree...

So yesterday I took myself to Dublin to hit up a few shops. For those of you who don't know, I am about 15 weeks pregnant. You're thinking, 'yay good for you, but why is this relevant?!'

Well, from what I have learnt, I am not the only one who, during this time, finds getting dressed in the morning a bit of a struggle. I don't have a full- blown bump, but I can't wear a lot of my regular clothes either. Combine that, with constant jet-lag style lethargy and moody outbursts that have been making me feel like I'm actually going insane, and you can understand why retail therapy sounded like a good idea! Now, bear with me throughout this post, as I always find these more personal ones difficult. I guess I find it hard to believe that anybody cares what I get up to in my free time! But, I am a blogger now, and this is all part of it, so here goes!
I always go to Dublin with gobus(gobus.ie). No particular reason why I choose them over citylink, but I've always found them reliable. I timed the bus to arrive at 12:15 just as the shops open- perfect too because I find that these days I enjoy a nap at around 10:30 :-)
I headed to Jervis first to check out forever 21. I had spotted some bits I liked online at forever21.com so wanted to suss them out. If I'm honest, I always get a little overwhelmed by the amount of stuff there. Their jewellery dept is amazing...yet I didn't get any!! Its just all so nice and all cheap- I couldn't narrow it down! But they do a great online store where I would recommend you take a look at their selection of statement necklaces, they had loads of nice ones going for between €8-€13. Here's a selection of ones I liked when I saw them in real-life! Nothing here is over €12.90(pics from forever21.com/eu).

 

What I did end up getting, was a really cute pair of sandals and a lovely sunhat. I'm always on the hunt for cute summertime accessories and these fit that bill perfectly...

hat: €12.90

flats: €21.90

After a quick refuel at Costa(the old reliable!) I headed to Penneys Mary street, which if you didn't know, is the republic's flagship store. There were loads of nice summery pieces, despite the rainy weather outside. I usually focus on accessories and shoes when u visit a 'foreign' Penneys, but this maxi did make me do a double take...

Penneys Maxi €15(pic from stealmystyle.ie)

At only €15 its a stunner...but alas, not for me- I am not a huge maxi fan on myself! I was very impressed with their swimwear range as well, which was huge! But it was quite padded out with rather tacky cover-ups. I managed to walk away fairly unscathed, spending only €18 on these lovely tan sandals. I am super fussy about sandals as my feet and legs ache if I wear dead-flat ones, these have just a nice little heel and I reckon they look more expensive than they were!

Penneys Sandals €18

Next to h&m. It was a bit of an unsuccessful mission to replace a broken pair of sunnies belonging to my husband John. I had no joy getting those for him, but I did get myself the cutest little granny-style bag for only €6.95! It will be perfect for toting my dance gear around or for bringing to the beach. I got a couple of little pressies for Sinéad's birthday too but I can't show you those! I got the bag in pink but there are other colours available- total bargain!!

 

While in the Ilac centre to use the loo(I'm preggers, when I gotta go I gotta go!) I stuck my head into a super cheapy(and in some cases tacky)shoe shop called motive(www.ilac.ie/stores/motive-shoes). Look, the shoes seem to be terrible quality, but some of them are super on-trend. And while I say terrible quality, I imagine its about the same as Boohoo or Missguided. No real leather in sight, but loads of nods to the 90's with chunky heels and hologram, as well as Topshop-esque dolly shoes. Nothing seemed to be over €45 so you get the quality you pay for! Here are a few examples of styles I spotted in there...

 

From there I armed myself with some fruit pastels for stamina and headed for Grafton Street. Like I said, I was on as bit of a mission to replace some sunnies, so I tried another h&m. No sunnies but I wanted to check out their maternity gear. I was super disappointed as they didn't seem to have any jeans left any smaller than a size 16. They lost a sale there because I was gonna invest in a couple of pairs! I couldn't help but look at their gorgeous baby gear- but no purchases allowed until we find out the gender in about a month :-)

I went to Zara next where I tried on this amazing dress. Unfortunately because of my growing tummy I was in between 2 sizes and it didn't sit right :-( But I had to share it with you all because its just beautiful!

Zara dress €49.95

The other thing I have to mention is their shoes! I always fall in love with a pair or 2 while I'm there and today was no exception! Check out these slides!

I can't remember the price of these but google tells me they are £39.90 so I put them around €50. Stunning!

After spending so much time on myself I thought I should get John a present. He needed some new thongs(flip flops!!) so I headed to Tribe in Stephens Green Shopping Centre(http://www.tribe-clothing.com/) and picked him up these by Quicksilver. He has been putting up with a lot from me lately so he deserved something- even something small!!

Quicksilver thongs/flip flops €12.90

Lastly but certainly not least, I headed for Topshop St. Stephens Green. As I work for Topshop in Galway, its pretty easy to justify a purchase or two, given I get a discount and because 'I can wear it to work!'. I have wanted these shoes for ages and constantly visit them online. After trying them on and deeming them comfy, I decided they were a must-purchase!

 I checked out swimwear too as I have my eye on this gorgeous one-piece. I decided to hold off on it though as I'm not sure when I will get on a sun holiday yet and the bump-size will be an important factor!

Topshop one-piece €55(topshop.com)

I did pick up some maternity leggings though in a lovely heavy jersey which I thought would be perfect for work(so I did get something practical...so practical I'm not even going to bore you with a picture!).
I decided to treat myself before heading for the bus so I went to Starbucks for a hot choccy and a slice of their new cranberry topped brownie. It was sooo rich, so be warned!! Its not just topped with cranberry, but runny caramel, white choc chunks and reg choc chunks! Talk about indulgent! But I did do a lot of walking...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Then I ran in the pouring rain for the bus, where to kill time I wrote this post!!!
Oh and as for what I wore? Well it wasn't super exciting. Lets be honest, it was all about comfort as I knew I would be doing a combination of gallivanting around the town and snoozing on the bus! T-shirt by tee and cake at Topshop, Topshop 'Jamie' jeans, Boohoo.com over-sized blazer, Topman necklace and sunnies, trainers from TK MAXX and Topshop handbag(converts to rucksack).

Apologies for the terrible photo- I was just off the bus, and I asked John to take another one but he said this one was fine...its really not!!
I hope that didn't bore you too much- I know I didn't exactly head off the beaten track, but I only had a few hours! All in all I had a great day and it was just what the doctor ordered. And if there's a lesson to be learnt here its that even if you have a growing bump(or you're just having a fat day!) you can always turn to shoes and accessories for that feel-good-factor...at least until your feet swell and go up a size...but I've got that to look forward to!
Toodles!
x Emily

Festival de Cannes 2014: Red Carpet Round Up

There are always hoards of beautiful designer pieces to be seen at the Festival de Cannes, and this year's event is no exception. This prestigious festival, an invitation only event, is an opportunity to preview new films of various genres from all over the world (and to strut your stuff on the red carpet of course!). Here's who we thought nailed the red carpet look and who missed the mark:

Clotilde Courau:

Sinead: I think this is rather pretty! The print adds interest to quite a classic 'ball gown' style.

America Ferrera:

Sinead: Anyone who can remain composed after having some creepy man climb under their dress deserves an award in my opinion! A cute princess dress and I love the plunging scallop neckline. 

Emily: I want to say something about her looking NOT ugly but it seems too obvious!! It's very princessy and I love the scallop detail- I've never really seen it used on a neckline like that before and I like it.

Ashlee: Well I'm not too keen on this, I just think it's a bit boring really. I feel like everything is all squished together but she is a beautiful girl. 

Kendall Jenner:

Sinead: Poor Kim is trying to be the fashion superstar in the fam, but it seems lil sis Kendall keeps stealing her thunder! 

Emily: I'm not buying Kendall as this fashion superstar. I don't know if I'm just cynical or because it seems like only yesterday she was just a little girl. Either way I think she needs to keep everything more youthful and stop trying to do Kanye's version of classy.

Sofia Coppola:

Sinead: Looking chic and stylish as always. 

Ashlee: I do like this shape dress but I think she could have had a little more fun with her accessories and shoes.

Karlie Kloss:

Emily: A lot of fashion folk were swooning over this but I think it's a bit too much. Too use a complete cliché, the dress is wearing her- she is not wearing the dress. 

Ashlee: Oh dear!

Nicole Kidman:

Sinead: This dress looked beautiful on the runway but I'm really undecided as to how it translates here. It all just seems a bit much really. 

Emily: It's a little bit too 'pale Princess Jasmine goes to the ball' for me.

Blake Lively:

1:

Sinead: I think she looks beautiful. Classic Serena Van Der Woodsen bombshell dress! I'll have her amazing long legs, please. 

Emily: It should be noted that I just don't like her- no reason, just don't. So yeah, she looks good but with what I think is her signature element of boring. And is her body just that ridiculously toned or is she always in amazing corset-type structures? Or both?

2:

Emily: I like this one more, but again, would love it way more not on her!! I have a problem. I admit it. 

3:

Sinead: I loved this dress on the runway with sneakers and I love it all glammed up on Blake. She's like a beautiful couture mermaid. 

Emily: I think this looks yucko! I've loved Chanel's silhouette distorting frocks when done in a high fashion way, but this (esp when combined with that hair!!) just distorts her into a weird porn-star Barbie shape that makes the whole thing look tacky. 

Cate Blanchett:

1:

Emily: I can't say anything bad about her. Even when she wears something a bit boring like this. Plus it's nice to see an actual bone fide movie star on the Cannes red carpet! 

2:

Sinead: Beautiful. Queen Cate still rules. 

Adele Exarchopoulos: 

Sinead: I think she looks lovely. It's quite similar to Leighton Meester's frock at the Met Gala.

Ziyi Zhang: 

Emily: Something different without looking home made. I like it!

Ashlee: She's so beautiful. I like this dress but I'd like it even more if it didn't have that bit sticking out to the right hand side. I'm like is it the wind or was it made like that?!

Lupita Nyong'o:

Emily: I don't get why designers keep doing this unflattering length- especially with those shoes! It's fashion 101 people! Past the knee + ankle strap= short and stumpy legs!

Ashlee: Everything about this is wrong, for some reason the colour is most offensive.

Julianne Moore: 

Emily: Julianne NEVER looks boring and we must applaud her for that! 

Naomi Watts:

Sinead: I'm pretty disappointed with this. Naomi normally always looks flawless, but this is a touch underwhelming. I'm also fearing for a nip slip!

Zoe Saldana:

Ashlee: I know this is very simple but I love it, she looks so elegant and fresh. 

Jane Fonda:

Sinead: Man if I can look HALF that hot at her age, I'll be a happy lady! 

Emily: So Angelina wore pretty much the same frock earlier this year. Angelina managed to make it look frumpy! Yes, THAT Angelina. While Jane on the other hand looks smokin'! Well played Jane!

Laetitia Casta:

Sinead: This dress is so cute! It may not be the most flattering (if you've seen the back angle) but I love it. And she's a model, so I'm sure anything's flattering on her anyway!

Emily: This is super cute. It's young and fun without being too in your face. I like it.

Elena Lenina:

Sinead: I actually laughed out loud when I saw this picture. Soooo many childish 'ball' jokes come to mind...

Emily: She had the balls to wear it?! I love that there's still people wearing stuff like this to give us something to talk about! 

Ashlee: This is awful, why, just why would you do that to yourself? 

Liya Kebede:

Sinead: I think this dress (minus the plunging neckline) would make a great little performance costume for one of my Irish dancing gigs! It's probably a tad out of my price range though...

Audrey Tautou:

Ashlee: Not a fan of this at all, she's looks very frumpy, like she's drowning in a sea of vile fabric. The thing with Audrey is she has a very small frame and when she wears these kind of dresses she falls into the background and looks like a little girl playing dress up. She wore a red Prada dress last year and I think it had a similar effect.

Sinead: I think it makes her look bigger than what she is. She's so tiny and cute that she almost makes this style of dress work, but not quite. She's so adorable and could do so much better! 

Paz Vega:

Sinead: She looks very polished and ladylike. 

Rooney Mara:

Sinead: I want this outfit. Really simple, but there is just something striking about it. The length of the skirt is probably not that flattering in theory, but maybe that's another reason why I like it? Whatever, I still want it.
Emily: I have to agree with Sinead that despite not being great in theory, this just works! Super sleek.

Home on the Range: My Australian Diary part 4

I'm finally at the end of regaling the tales from my journey to the homeland. It's been fun reliving the adventure and sharing some of the best bits of my hometown. For our last week of holidays, we tackled some more touristy activities (had to make sure the boyfriend saw some of Brisbane's great sights!)

Our first trip was to the Queensland Museum to check out the Deep Sea exhibit, as well as some native flora and fauna on display there. Sound boring? It was actually really interesting seeing and experiencing the enormous depths of the ocean. The giant squid and submarine simulator didn't hurt in drawing me in either!

(Yes those are real snakes!) 

It was a bright, sunny day so I took the opportunity to bust out my new Bardot fedora. Here's what I was wearing: 

Top: Topshop

Jeans: Sportsgirl

Sandals: Penneys/Primark

Necklace and Bracelet: Penneys/Primark

Sunglasses: Found in my drawer at home ;)

The next day, the family took us for a road trip to the top of Mt Cootha to view Brisbane City from it's highest point. Afterwards, we hit up The Emporium in Fortitude Valley for some luxurious desserts at Freestyle Tout.

The view of Brisbane from the top of Mt Cootha

I'm wearing a Penneys top and sunglasses, vintage Levi's shorts and vintage belt. 

A delicious hot fudge brownie at Freestyle (50/1000 Ann St, Fortitude Valley)

Fergal and I decided to hit the water and do a day trip over to Moreton Island. I'd actually never been before, despite only being an hour away. 

Our first activity was a guided snorkel tour through the Tangalooma Wrecks. After we were kitted out with wetsuits, flippers and snorkel gear, we took a short boat ride over to the ship wreck. Not going to lie, I was a bit nervous jumping into the water, but once you adjust to breathing through the snorkel, it's all smooth sailing. There are scores of colourful fish and coral and we even saw 3 sharks! Don't fret, they were Wobbegong sharks and aren't interested in eating us for dinner. They're actually pretty cute with their little hairy beards! However, when one is swimming towards your head, you suddenly start to doubt their intentions!

Aerial view of the Tangalooma Wrecks (photo from comegliding.com.au)

Snorkelling through the wrecks (photo from daytours.com.au)

Snapshot of a Wobbegong shark (rtseablog.blogspot.com)

After our snorkelling adventure, we learned to sail a catamaran. We nearly had a domestic during our first five minutes on the water, but once we hit the wind correctly, we were flying it! There's plenty of other activities to choose from such as kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing and sand boarding. Of course, with a beach that beautiful, it's nice to take the time to just chill out and enjoy it. 

So this concludes my Australian adventure. It was so amazing to catch up with my family, friends and reconnect with my beautiful hometown. I love and miss you all very much! Thanks for having me back and showing me a great time! I'll see you all soon... 

- Sinead xx