my life in pictures II.

all pictures taken from my instagram: @veenamccoole

1. A picture of the Ashton Studio at the Royal Academy of Dance HQ in Battersea, London. I've spent four summers in total attending ballet summer intensives at RAD, and it's been a year since I was last there and I miss it incredibly!2. At a carnival in Paris this summer, munching on one of the most delicious crepes I have ever tasted. 3. A stunning photograph taken this summer (by my mom!) of the sunrise in Douarnenez, Bretagne.4. Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.5. I'm loving The Script's self-titled album. Science and Faith was getting a little repetitive after I spent the whole summer listening to it, so I made a wise switch back to "the oldies," if you could call it that.6. A delicious butterfly cupcake I had in Borrisokane, Ireland. Irish strawberries are the best!7. Me and a friend on top of the Ganda La Pass in Ladakh this summer. Yet another one of my summer adventures that I miss dearly!8. Sable Blanc (White Sand) beach in Finistere at midday; clearly all the French locals are dying for some sun!9. A picture from the Marc Jacobs x Louis Vuitton exhibition I visited in Paris this summer. This bag was from LV's collaboration with Takashi Murakami in 2003.

summer inspiration.

Here are some pictures I've gathered off Tumblr which pretty much sum up the meaning of summer to me - a time of glorious relaxation and exciting adventures; of lazy mornings, sun-drenched afternoons and adrenaline-fueled nights, of endless adventure and exciting exploration. It's a well-deserved hiatus from the monotonous routines of school/work which we are subjected to for the remainder of the year. Summer is such a brilliant time in so many ways, but I definitely think the best thing about summer is the fact that it's yours. It's a huge chunk of time for you to use in whatever way you want, and time is always of the essence when you're living in a city and there's barely enough of it to breathe. 

Some spend their summers attending camps, doing internships and enriching their knowledge and experience. Others unplug themselves from the world and embark on extensive adventures to the most remote places on our planet - without contact to the outside world for weeks. Some spend their days and nights by the ocean; and come home with flushed cheeks, stringy hair and sandy toes. The season of summer is so infinite: it's filled with such a vast variety of possibilities and opportunities, and this summer has flown by all too quickly.

Because I live in such a tropical climate, spending summer somewhere a little more chilly is never an issue. Our annual return to Ireland demands a host of jeans, sweaters and layers, because we see grey skies and windy storms far more often than we see the sun shining here. Although that's certainly a reason to grumble for most, I quite enjoy the refreshing change in weather - it's an excuse to utilize some of my favourite wardrobe pieces: wool blazers, fur hoodies and printed scarves. I'm in Ireland right now, and this year we've been lucky with quite a bit of sunshine!

Hope everyone's enjoying the last few weeks of this glorious season C:

xx v.

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phuket photo diary.

A view of the lakeside Golf Course

Lounge Chairs overlooking the lake and the Golf Course.

The view from the poolside.

My reading material for this trip! Marie Claire UK and Instyle UK (both December 2011 issues), "Amelia" by Siobhan Parkinson and 

"The Valley of Secrets" by Charmian Hussey.

Lounge seats overlooking the lake and Golf Course.

 A tiny island near Phi Phi Island, where the James Bond movies were filmed!

 Another gorgeous piece of scenery.

 A few canoes roaming the inland lakes.

 Family photo on the first day of 2012!

 The gorgeous inland lake.

 Look at those puffy clouds!

 Bikini from Victoria's Secret.

After spending six days in Phuket, a wonderful island off Thailand filled with golden beaches and lobster-red tourists, describing my state of mind as rested and rejuvenated is an understatement. Living in such a fast paced city, sometimes I forget the importance of taking a break from schoolwork, friends and commitments and just having quality time with my family in a place I can pretty much call home. Trips to Phuket for the McCoole family are never too eventful, as they're just for all of us to recharge our batteries by floating around in the sea, chilling in our hotel and soaking up the heat. However, we did take a day-long sailing trip where we bobbed around in clear waters and explored inland lakes and caves which had the most stunning, natural rock formations. 
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I hope everyone had a restful winter holiday and a great start to 2012; here's to another year before we set the fireworks off on New Year's Eve all over again!


My Airplane Playlist:
The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel
Houdini - Foster the People
Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars
Heart Full of Wine - Angus and Julia Stone
Elephant Gun - Beirut
Folding Chair - Regina Spektor
Costume Party - Two Door Cinema Club
Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
Miserable at Best - Mayday Parade
Manhattan From the Sky - Kate Voegele
Basic Space - The XX
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After the first round of "10 quick questions" received so much positive feedback from my readers, I've decided to make it a regular monthly feature on my blog. One of my blogging goals for this year is to try and feature and collaborate with as many people as possible, because although blogging is very much a solo mission, it's fun to put a few more heads together and see things from a fresh perspective. 

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This month, Lindsay LeBoyer of The Style Child Blog has kindly agreed to participate in this feature. Lindsay is a high school junior living in New York City, and her blog is an absolute joy to read!

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1) Designer that you think will make a big comeback in 2012: Azzedine Alaia has made an amazing comeback to couture, and I can't wait to see more from him in 2012.

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2) Best present you received this Christmas: The “Dior Couture Patrick Demarchelier” book. It’s beautiful.

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3) Your current favorite food: Blueberries!

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4) One trend that you hope will re-establish itself in 2012: I really hope the midi-hemline sticks around!

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5) Best present you gave this Christmas: I gave my friend a pair of red and white knit socks from J. Crew for Secret Santa.

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6) Book you're currently reading: The Great Gatsby.

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7) Top of your wishlist for next Christmas: A lomography camera, like maybe a fisheye or Holga.

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8) Favorite fragrance: Toss up between Gucci Guilty and Chloe.

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9) One place you hope to visit in your lifetime: There are so many places I hope to visit, but Paris is definitely the top of my list.

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10) If you had to shop at one store for the rest of your life, it would be: Bergdorfs if I had an unlimited budget, but if I was using my own money, probably Zara.

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