Festival Essentials

I've never been to a festival before, so I'm trés excited about going to Electric Picnic next weekend, the weather forecast says there's little or no chance of rain, the line-up just keeps getting better and better, and I've already practised putting up my tent; it wasn't as difficult as I imagined (granted I had some help from the family but it still went up in one piece)!!

Now comes the tricky part though...what to wear & what to bring with me. As the Irish weather is so notoriously unpredictable, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. At the same time, I don't want to over pack and have too many options...that just makes it's more difficult to decide what to wear! So I've made a list of what I imagine to be festival staples, but I'd appreciate input to let me know if there's anything I'm forgetting or anything that more practical than what I have!

1. Straw trilby hat - great to cover up unwashed hair, may be robbed by overzealous boys and could blow away in a gust, but I think the benefits outweigh the costs here.

2. Denim shorts - perfect festival attire, although the forecast said it's going to be a chilly 10 degrees, so maybe tights to wear under them would be handy, or just jeans which would be warmer altogether?! Hmm...

3. Wellies - even if it's not raining I think I'll just wear them for the whole weekend!

4. Rain jacket.

5. Oversized sunglasses - protect eyes from the sun & hide tired/red/hungover eyeballs ;)

6. My favourite scarf, as scarves are the most versatile accessory on the planet.

7. An big hoody for warmth.

8. A bumbag/small across body bag to keep essentials in.

The picture below shows what's in my 'Definitely Bringing Pile'.

I'm getting excited now just thinking about packing! The scientist in me really wants to make an itinerary so I know exactly which band I want to see, where they're playing and when, but I won't (way too geeky ha)...I guess you can take the girl out of the lab but never the other way around!

Rachel xxx

Nail Paints by BarryM, Fashion at your Fingertips...

For me, fashion doesn't just mean clothes and shoes. It encompasses everything you're presenting to the world, to help describe yourself & how you're feeling. It can therefore include accessories (such as bags, shoes & jewellery), a hairstyle, or even a particular shade of nail varnish.

Speaking of which, I have a soft spot for BarryM Nail Paint, it's cheap, the colours are fabulous, and it dries really fast! I've attached a picture of all the BarryM varnishes I have at the minute, the newest & my favourite is Mushroom (far left) - THE nail colour of the year. Plums, reds and greys will all be big in the coming Autumn/Winter 2010 season, but pastels or brights can lift an outfit on an otherwise dreary Dublin day in Winter.

What are your favourites? Is there any other brand out there that can challenge BarryM for the 'Best Varnish' title? He'll be hard to beat!

Rachel xxx

Lab Pet Peeves...Most Annoying Tasks

I always said I'd post light hearted and positive posts, but since it's Friday the 13th and several things have already gone wrong for me today...I'm going to make a list of the most annoying/mundane/monotonous tasks in the lab that I wish I could get someone else to do for me! (That's a bit of a fib - I don't mind doing these things, but they always have to be done at the most inconvenient time so perhaps 2 spare arms to help me get them done would be the best solution).

1. Aliquot-ing.

2. pHing buffers.

3. Washing 2 units of platelets (don't ask).

4. Refilling tips boxes manually (one by one).

5. Searching in the -80 freezer for a box/sample that you know you left at the front on the left in the middle shelf but somehow mysteriously it has moved/vanished.

Let me know your least favourite lab tasks that are trivial or boring-but must be done for a fully functional and operational experiment/laboratory!

Rachel xxx

PS I feel a lot better after that rant-blogging can be cathartic! And I also have to say that I love my job & I wouldn't change it for the world...but seriously, a few spare arms would be very very handy once in a while ;)

Top 5 Shoes-Designer & High Street

I had a bad PhD day today (we've all been there); my experiment worked, however I don't have enough of my sample...so instead of letting my head explode with stress & calculations all evening - I've decided to have some relaxing down time & to browse through pretty shoes to make myself feel better!

My favourite's at the minute are super high platforms or wedges in nudes, tans and blacks, perfect for wearing with skirts, dresses, jeans or shorts - shoes need to be multifunctional or else it's not worth splashing out in my opinion.

I've put together a list of my top 5 shoes at the minute: High Street & Designer. Let me know if you like them, if you agree or disagree with the order they're in, or if you have any favourites that I may have overlooked. If I can afford to buy one of the High Street pairs in the next 3 months I'll be delighted! And the designer pairs will be mine one day...even if I have to sell my car to get them ha ;)

PS. Topshop's new shoe collection is absolutely amazing...

High Street

1. TopShop: Willow Stripy Wedges in Off White (Image above)

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&langId=-1&storeId=12556&catalogId=33057&parent_category_rn=208542&categoryId=209958&productId=1848397

2. Next: Mink Platform Court Shoes

http://www.next.co.uk/shopping/women/shoesandboots/39/1?extra=sch&n=women&pid=706-928&exclude=00E00|00ED00&returnurl=/shop/attheel-heel-gattgender-women-cat-shoes-cat-boots-0%3fx%3d1%26nxti%3d0%26nxtv%3d0&bct=%26quot;Shop%20By%20Product%26quot;%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Heel%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Women%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Shoes%26nbsp;%26gt;%26nbsp;Boots

3. River Island: Platform Caged Sandal in Black

http://xml.riverisland.com/flash/content.php Women: Footwear: heels/wedges/clogs Item 17

4. TopShop: Wisteria Chiffon Tie Wedges in Black

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&categoryId=209958&parent_category_rn=208542&productId=1637870&langId=-1

5. TopShop: Pancho Cut-Out Peep Toe Sandals in Tan

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=true&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&categoryId=209958&parent_category_rn=208542&productId=1827673&langId=-1

Designer

1. Brian Atwood: Farrah

http://www.brianatwood.com/collection/index.html

2. Christian Louboutin: Fortita in Black Silk with Black Lace

http://www.christianlouboutin.com/#/the_collection/Spring%20Summer%202010

3. Jimmy Choo: Aston in Powder

http://www.jimmychoo.com/sandals/aston/invt/104astonnap/

4. YvesSaintLaurent: 105mm Sandal Gold Metallic Leather

http://ysl.com/us/en/index.aspx Collections: Women: Accessories: Shoes

5. Christian Louboutin: Studio in Black Leather and Silver Studs

http://www.christianlouboutin.com/#/the_collection/Spring%20Summer%202010

Rachel xxx