Travel: Roadtrip in Ireland

Many of you (my faithful readers) have asked about a road trip Andrew and I took this Spring within Ireland. In this blog I'll detail my planning, the results, and my advice so that you can plan your very own trip to the Emerald Isle.

My timeline backdater for a May trip:

• January - Determine your stay duration and buy airline tickets. 
• February - Plan road trip route and work with a travel agent to book rental car and bed and breakfasts.
• March - Plan excursions and book them.
• May - Freak out! You're visiting Ireland during the last week of the month!

Airline Tickets

If you can get tickets from the United States to Europe for < $1,000 you're shaping up pretty nicely. I used CheapOAir and got ours for $950. I bought them four months from our travel date on a Sunday evening. I hear that Tuesday/Wednesday is the best day to buy them, but the price was too good to wait two more days for here-say. We flew from Indianapolis to Chicago and then to Dublin and were gone from Saturday to Saturday (seven days). Leaving of an evening out of Chicago let us sleep on the flight and better prepare for the full day awaiting us across the pond. 

Our Road Trip Route 

I encourage you to do research of places you'd like to go. But, if you'd like a pre-made route to start with (knowing what's feasible in seven days), start with our route. You can even view my reviews on Trip Advisor to see what I thought, in thorough detail, of each location.

Route of Ireland Road Trip.

• Day 1 - Obtain rental car and drive from Dublin to Kilkenny. Visit Kilkenny Castle, Smithwicks, and explore the town. 
• Night 1 - Stay in Kilkenny at Carraig Rua (walking distance from Kilkenny sites).

Streets of Kilkenny

Kilkenny Castle

Smithwicks

• Day 2 - Drive from Kilkenny to Middleton (Jameson), Waterford (Waterford Crystal and Reginald's Viking Tower), Cobh (Titanic's last port of call), and Kinsale (after dinner, visit Old Head).
• Night 2 - Stay in Kinsale at the Friar Lodge.

Jameson

Waterford Crystal showroom 

Reginald's Tower in Waterford

Titanic Trail in Cobh

Kinsale

Old Head

• Day 3 - Travel just north of Cork to visit Blarney Castle. Consider visiting Blarney Woolen Mills and Old English Market in Cork if you like fresh meats, fruits and some crafts.
• Night 3 - Stay in Kinsale at the Friar Lodge and be sure to take a Ghost Tour (historical comedy, not creepy!) after dinner.

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle Estate

Blarney Stone

Old English Market, Cork

Ghost Tours, Kinsale

• Day 4 - Drive from Kinsale to Doolin. Once in Doolin, visit Cliffs of Moher and take the 8km walking tour before taking a ferry tour of them.
• Night 4 - Stay in Doolin at the Doonmacfelim House.

Cliffs of Moher

Hiking

Hiking along the Cliffs to the boat tour in Doolin.

Hiking along the Cliffs to the boat tour in Doolin.

View from boat tour

• Day 5 - Tour The Burren around Doolin over the course of 3-4 hours. Stop at the Burren Perfumery and Poulnabrone Dolmen. Make time for the sheep herding show if possible.
• Night 5 - Listen to traditional (Trad) Irish music in McGanns or Fitzpatrick's in Doolin and be sure to try an Irish Coffee. Stay in Doolin at the Doonmacfelim House.

Burren Perfumery 

Paulnabrone Dlomen

Free styling along the Burren

Free styling along the Burren

• Day 6 - Drive from Doolin to Dublin and return the rental car at the airport. Check into Temple Bar Hotel and visit Guinness!
• Night 6 - Stay at the Temple Bar Hotel. **Disclaimer: Temple Bar is a district, so be wary of all things in this area being named "Temple Bar____."

Dublin

Dublin 

Dublin

As fresh as it gets! 

Guinness at the 360 bar

• Day 7 - Take a day tour north to Belfast via Wild Rover Day Tours. See the Titanic Museum and ship slip, Giant's Causeway and Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge.
• Night 7 - Stay at the Temple Bar Hotel one last time before heading home!

Titanic's slip (left)

Titanic Museum

Giant's Causeway (looking inland)

Giant's Causeway

Giant's Causeway

Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge

Car Rental
I used an incredible agency called Terry Flynn Tours who not only booked the car, but handled bed and breakfast reservations for us after I shared our desired route. I trusted their recommendations, and they worked with my budget. Email Michelle to get started and tell her that Cara sent you :)

Anticipate gasoline to be purchased by the liter. On average, it cost $30-$40 euro to fill our car; which we filled 2-3 times over the course of ~1,000km. We rented an automatic Class BA car with a GPS. Get the GPS, you'll thank me later. Also ask Michelle to explain CDW insurance to you. This is every important for Americans to understand because of the high accident risk that could occur while driving on the wrong side of the road and car.

Our rental car, Opal :)

Bed and Breakfasts
We preferred these to a hotel. They were cozy, served amazing breakfasts, and were like home. Be sure to check for parking at these locations so that you can make room for your rental car!

Excursion Bookings and Costs    *implies student discount

• Kilkenny Castle (FREE to explore grounds - fee to explore one of few furbished castle in the country).
• Smithwicks* - €9.50 or ~$12. Book before you go.
• Jameson Experience* - €12.00 or ~$15. Book before you go.
• Waterford - FREE to tour the showroom - fee to get the tour.
• Viking Tower - FREE to gaze upon the edifice - fee to climb the tower.
• Titanic Trail in Cobh - FREE
• Old Head - FREE
• Blarney Castle* - €12.50 or ~$15. Book before you go.
• Old English Market - FREE
• Kinsale Ghost Tours  - €15 or ~$20. Buy tickets at the Tap Tavern in Kinsale to attend.
• Cliffs of Moher - FREE to walk the grounds, __for walking tour, ___for boat tour
• Burren Perfumery - FREE to explore, products and cafe' available.
• Poulnabrone Dolmen - FREE
• Guinness* - €14.50 or ~$16. Book before you go.
• Wild Rover Day Tours* - includes Titanic Museum, Giant's Causeway and Carrick's Rope Bridge. Book before you go.

Random Tips

• Don't worry about exchanging dollars for euros and pounds (northern Ireland uses this currency) until you land in Dublin. Visit an ATM and use your debit card to withdraw the local currency. My bank changed $5 per withdraw which was much cheaper than the exchange rate commission. Talk to your bank to learn about the restrictions. My credit card tacked on an additional 3% charge to each transaction that I didn't want to pay. We took this trip primarily with cash, so do your homework before racking up unnecessary fees.
• If you aren't an Irish resident, you can be reimbursed for tax on purchases of objects while visiting. This is valid for textiles, souvenirs, etc. but does not include food or tourism fees. Visit this link to learn more.
• Freestyle! If you have down time... EXPLORE. We had the best time doing this. Including boarding a ferry in our car and traveling across the ocean for 10 minutes.
• Take your college ID for student discounts :)
• Pack lots of layers. A windbreaker (shell) is a brilliant idea. Bring at least two pair of comfortable shoes.
• Plan to use iMessage to talk to family/friends in the States. Just connect to wifi and it's no charge!
• Seriously, get the GPS.
• People don't really tip money in Ireland. Don't anticipate these costs.
• Take LOTS of pictures and expect everyone to say 'wow, it's really green there,' once you get home.
• Be sure to try Irish Coffee, Fish & Chips, Guinness Stew and Shepherd's Pie!

Total Expected Cost: $3,500-$5,000 (depending on your trip preferences and activities).

What did I forget to mention? Comment below with questions and I'll provide additional details!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock!
Cara

DIY: 30-Minute Scrap Wood Project

Hi friends!

If you were following along with DIY projects on the Humble Hammock last winter, you’d have seen the Elfa linen closet makeover. Remember that first photo on the post? Oh, it’s all right I’ll wait… go look at the post….

Being the thrifty crafter that I am, I saved those pieces of wood for a rainy day project. Today happened to be rainy so I hammered the nails out of the corners of each piece, lined them up in a fun pattern and created a little wall piece for the dining room. Don’t worry ladies, it just took one vertical piece of wood on the back with two screws holding each horizontal piece of wood to the vertical piece. You can do it without help!

Yes, I'm wearing pants :)

Not sure what I’ll paint on it yet, but I’m thinking I’ll hand letter the prayer we use for dinner and repurpose those frames I designed from Decorate: Dining Room Prayer with some of our wedding photos instead.

What was the best part of this DIY project? It was FREE!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! If it were yours, what would you paint on the new wall art piece I created today?

Budget: I'll Side with Duramax

If you live in the glorious flyover state of Indiana, you’re certain to be experiencing a wet summer full of fluctuating 60 – 90 degree temperatures during the day and the occasional hailstorm or tornado. As luck would have it, our home wasn’t hit by a tornado; however, we did luck into some hail. 

So here we are, a couple of homeowners in the dark on who to call for siding replacement. When we have problems bigger than we can handle, I start by calling our realtor, Cate Waggoner, who over a year later still refers us to awesome contractors and keeps a pulse on our journey. Cate pulled through for likely the fifth or sixth time since we’ve had possession of our home and gave me a list of contractors.

The list dwindled quickly with no callbacks and no interest in repairing aluminum siding. Steve, the owner of Duamax Roofing and Siding, replied to an email almost instantly, visited our home and assessed the damage within a couple of days, and had an acceptable quote for our insurance at the visit.

Steve went above and beyond by giving us two quotes - one for two sides of aluminum siding (to replace what was damaged), and one for four sides of vinyl siding so that the home would be completely damage free and match forevermore. He came by with samples, made customized suggestions and even worked well beyond the required workday to be sure that the job was done right.

Here's the final product...

Before

After

After

His team consisted of four gentlemen who were incredibly tidy while they worked and constantly picked up trash and debris that came off of the home. They also didn't bring any materials for the job until they showed up on the first day of work - which meant our yard didn't have to be the eyesore of the neighborhood while we waited on work to begin.

It took three days (during which it rained and rained) to get the job done. Afterwards, the craftsmanship and attention to each detail was undeniable. Steve's crew even added some personal touches, replaced compromised wood that they weren't required to do based on the scope of our work, and fought off bees living under our siding. They even replaced the fascia above our garage door with a custom, handmade overhead detail that now sets our garage apart.

Garage door fascia replacement

Front detailing and rehanging of the shutters

Chimney detailing

Window trimming and caulking with attic vent detailing

New gutter with perfect color match for our back patio

More craftsmanship around the roofline, chimney and corners

Corner channeling and clean siding lines

We cannot give enough kudos and recommendations for Steve at Duramax. Check out his company if you live in the Indianapolis area and need a referral for roofing, siding, or an honest to goodness contractor with a knack for quality. You can find out more about Duramax on Angie's List, BBB and Facebook.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock!
Cara

DIY: No-Sew Stagecoach Shade

If you aren't into sewing curtains; even the half window panels that are for beginner level decorators, you can try this little house hack that I recently conjured. I had two lime green sheer panels but decided to put up something a bit more neutral in our guest bedroom instead. 

Shortly thereafter, I found myself needing some curtains for our upstairs guest bathroom too. That lead me to hanging a full panel, staring at it for awhile, and eventually adding some leftover ribbon from wedding decor to create this masterpiece.

They would certainly look better had I cut a bit off of the bottom before gathering, but I wanted to preserve length incase I want to revert back to full double panels again.

I hope you've enjoyed this quick hack for curtains and if you make your own, please share your improvements in the comment section below!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Do come back!

Cara

DIY: Half-Window Curtains

I know sewing isn't for everyone, but in the winter months I become especially handy with the sewing machine my parents bought me a few years ago. It's not super fancy, but it does the job and allows me to get crafty with fabric from time to time. 

This Spring I decided to make curtains for our downstairs guest bathroom to keep any guests in our back yard from seeing what goes on when the bathroom door is closed. Amazon was my saving grace and lent one yard of this fun feather fabric to our feathery bathroom. You can buy it here.

I cut the fabric in half and sewed all four of the edges to create a finished look. The sides were about .5" and the top of the curtains were made a little wider at 1.5", so that the tension rod could go through. Yes, I used a tension rod since these were half window curtains. They are $3-$4 at Lowes and are no fuss for those who don't want to break out the drill and screws. 

Here is the finished panel. While pinning and sewing, I compared the panels from time to time to be sure they were identical to avoid one panel becoming a different size than the other. I may be OCD in some respects, but when I sew, draw and cut, I always eye it.

And here you have it! This wall art is from Target and made a nice accent with the feathers in the curtains. It was actually my inspiration for this project. It was purchased in store and is not available online, but would be very easy to recreate with nails and string of your own!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Do come back :)

Cara

DIY: Linen Closet Makeover

Remember last year when we put in an Elfa closet in our pantry? We loved it so much that we decided to do our upstairs linen closet this winter. Not only does this make a great indoor project, but the Container Store offers 25% off Elfa products each January. Did I mention that you make an appointment with a designer who walks you through various configurations to find one that suits your needs and budget? We just had to take our measurements with us and make an appointment (weekends during the sale are crazy!)

The wooden holders that were removed from the inside walls of the closet

We began by removing the wooden shelving that was already in our closet. The shelves were bowing and the space wasn't idea for our linens, vacuum and cleaning products.

Since the closet had been painted and there were areas that were covered with wood, the paint seams were uneven. My husband had to sand them down so that the new paint would provide even coverage.

Scraping the seams

Sanding

We were puppy sitting the week we decided to this. Here's our little helper, Buster :]

It's certainly difficult to see in this photo, but we painted the inside of the closet grey. In our first Elfa closet project I had purchased 'oops paint' from Home Depot for $3. There was still half of the quart left it covered the entire inside of the closet.

Painting

All painted!

The Elfa solutions are so easy to install. My husband had them up as soon as the paint was dry and I went to organizing shortly thereafter. There's even ample space for our vacuum too! We've also added a hanging rack to our door now that we know it'll close with the vacuum inside. It's great for the little things that often get lost in the closet - nail polish, shoe polish, toilet paper, bath bombs, etc.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around! Do come back :)
Cara

Budget Wedding: Part 3

Did you read Budget Wedding: Part 1 and Budget Wedding: Part 2? If not, start there!

Our reception venue was an outdoor covered pavilion. I used simple, inexpensive decor to make it feel full, vintage and colorful. The $6 spider plants were one of my favorite touches. I wanted ferns, but they were already out of season and these 30 second decision replacements ended up to be spot on.

My father-in-law thought I lost my mind when I asked to borrow five large wooden shipping crates behind his barn to use as a focal point on the back wall at our reception. They were free, and a little rough, but I placed wine bottles, antiques and pussy willow branches into crates to tie in the theme. The pussy willow branches ran $8 a bundle and were from a nearby antique store - I'd have cut them myself, had I a tree.

This back wall I referenced was not the prettiest sight. Most parties at this venue covered it - in fact, I had never seen it utilized at a reception. Early on I knew I wanted to decorate it with what was available to me without spending additional money.

I found these free printables on Pinterest.

My in-laws had this awesome box already and I was so glad they brought it to add to the decor!

Isn't that wall stunning in the background?

Leave it to Pinterest for all the great ideas for center pieces. I recruited my husband to help me make wooden slabs that were sanded and later sealed with a satin sealant. I actually saw this idea pre-Pinterest at my cousin's wedding years ago. The wood was free, but we did spend $30 on sealant and a few dollars here and there for sander paper and paint brushes.

When we chose our reception site I was very intentional about the decorations that I would have. The space worked well for what I chose because I looked for hooks that were already in place, ceiling styles, outlets, etc. I chose these ceiling lanterns and hung them from the perforated metal ceiling by ornament hooks. Oriental Trading had one heck of a deal and I stole the whole lot of lanterns in a variety of sizes and colors for $40. The cream tulle-like fabric that I used as curtains was from the same company and would have run over $300. I caught it all on clearance right after prom.

Card box & frame

Early on I was set on making an old suitcase my card box. After it was full of cards, I could close it, snap it shut, and throw it into the car. My parents and in-laws loved this as they tore down our reception. The best part? It’d been in my closet since I was a kid and just happened to be the right color! Th

A few years ago when I lived at an apartment complex, I would find treasures from time to time stacked up outside of the garbage compactor. On this particular day I found a giant vintage mirror that still had the original wooden frame. At an antique store it may have sold for $50+ and there it was…. Free. So I snatched it up and waited a couple of years before popping the glass out and keeping the frame and backboard. I painted the frame with craft paint that I had lying around and wrapped the backboard in burlap which may have run me $6. Afterwards, I used fishing line to string a wooden monogram ($3) that I’d decoupaged with two sheets of scrapbook paper ($1) in the middle. 

Cake & cake table

Our cake table was a hodge-podge of antiques, items that were from my mother's wedding and ingenuity. I built the door backdrop by adding hinges to two thrifted doors and a pantry door from an old house. Hinging was easy but I wish I would have waited to attach them until we arrived at the site. Transferring them as one piece was difficult! I made the wreath and created quick streamers by looping vintage lace over a tension rod. I loved the finished product!

Our cake was a gift from a family friend - Miss Julie. Not only was it delicious, but I gave her dried flowers and the topper and left the display up to her. Didn't she do a fine job? 

And now, final references:
Limo
String Trio
Honeymoon
Jessica B. Photography
Negangards' Rentals
Jamz Mobile DJs

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Did you enjoy this series on wedding tips and tricks? What details would you like to know more about or tutorials would you like me to expand upon?

Do come back!
Cara