What I Would Do If I Won The Lottery

The Lotto has been a popular topic of discussion lately and this is because 13 million euro was won in the National Lottery recently and 66 million was won by an Irish person in the Euro-millions.  This is money I can only dream of and I'm sure there are many others like me who would just love to get their hands on even a fraction of that dosh!  All this lottery talk had me thinking about what I would actually do with the money if I won it.  Where would I even start?  It's a tough decision but here's just a few things I came up with.  Enjoy!

1. Travel the world.
2. Go on every cruise possible.
3. Go on a MAJOR shopping spree (New York, Paris, Milan..?)
4. Build my own personal library.
5. Give some money to charity.
6. Give some money to my family.
7. Build a house.
8. Buy a car (after I've finished my lessons and passed my driving test of course.)
9. Buy a grand piano and learn how to play it.
10. Probably end up paying someone to give me advice on how to spend what's left.

The thoughts of all that money is making me want it so badly right now!  Fingers crossed it will happen in the future.  It could solve all of life's problems (where money is involved.)  These are just a few ideas I've come up with but really with all that money the list could be endless.  Until next time... I'll see ya when I see ya!

10 Reasons Why I Love Autumn

The weather recently has been very autumnal.  It's getting colder signalling that summer is well and truly coming to an end.  Although the beginning of autumn means the end of holidays and back to school there are also things to look forward to.  Autumn can be a beautiful season, you just need to look at it properly.  Not convinced?  Well don't fear because in this blog post I'm going to tell you 10 reasons why I love autumn and why I think you should love it too.  Enjoy!

1. Beautiful colours:  rich reds and oranges.
2. Woolly jumpers.
3. Hats and scarves.
4. Fluffy pyjamas.
5. Sitting by the fire again after months without it.
6. HALLOWEEN!
7. Crunchy leaves.  (Except for the common occurrence of rain which then results in a horrible pile of mush.)
8. No risk of getting burned by the sun.  (Not that it happens often anyway.)
9. Hot food.  Hot drinks.
10. Starting the countdown to Christmas BUT only after Halloween has passed!

So those are just 10 reasons why I love autumn.  What do you love about autumn?  Let me know and until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!



Things I've Noticed About Soap Operas

I don't watch that many soaps, just one in particular which is Home and Away.  I've been watching Home and Away for a ridiculously long time and in that time I've noticed a few things that are typical of soap operas.  I thought in this blog post I would share a few of those things with you.  Enjoy!

Relationships:

The majority of characters in a soap opera have been in a relationship with almost every other character their age.  The thing that really gets to me is how the teenagers are all in relationships and have been in at least five relationships before they're eighteen.  If that was real life I definitely wouldn't be single.  In soaps there is no such thing as being single.  Being single is a tragedy and you are guaranteed to be set up with someone.

Romance in soaps in never straightforward.  There could be two characters who really like each other.  Their story gets dragged out and you are screaming at the TV rooting for them.  Eventually, they do get together and you're happy for a while, then you get bored and the relationship ends.  Of course most breakups come about due to lying, cheating and/or death.

There Are No Secrets:

Soaps are usually set in a small area and word gets around fast.  You will never meet a character who doesn't care about somebody else's life.  In soaps it's not just the women who have intuition.  If a character is having problems they will be asked to spill the beans, guaranteed.  Also, someone always turns up at the perfect moment.  If two people are having an argument I can promise you someone will turn up to see what all the commotion is about.

Your Past Will Come Back To Haunt You:

I lost count a long time ago of the amount of times a character has found themselves in a rut because their past came back to bite them.  Whether it's an ex, an estranged family member or the police investigating a murder, your past will find you.  Don't think a small sea side town is going to hide you!

Tragedies Are A Common Occurrence:

A soap would not be a soap without a truck load of tragedy!  A small area can experience numerous murders, car accidents, fires and terminal illnesses in a very short space of time.  The inside of a hospital can be seen at least once in every episode.  I'm surprised the characters are still sane with all that death and destruction happening around them.  A phrase commonly used when describing a storyline full of tragedy is that someone's life "hangs in the balance" and nothing good can ever come of it!

Well, those are just a few observations.  Let me know if there is anything else typical of a soap opera that I missed.  What are your favourite soaps?  I'm just going to go now and watch another weeks worth of Home and Away but until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

My Favourite Films

There's nothing better than sitting back relaxing with a good film.  I have always loved films for as long as I can remember.  I'll watch almost any type of film except scary horror films.  They give me nightmares for weeks!  Anyway, I thought in this blog post I would tell you about some of my favourite films.  Enjoy!

The Fault in our Stars:

I had read the book so I just had to see the film.  I had never wanted to see a film so badly in my life!  I had very high expectations  and I wasn't disappointed.  It's by far, one of the best films ever made and I bawled my eyes out the whole way through.  I just love all of the characters (except for Van Houten) and the setting of Amsterdam is beautiful!

Letters to Juliet:

Who doesn't love a good romance now and again?  I think the idea of two people being reunited after 50 years really pulls on the heart strings.  Plus, it's set in Italy, the most beautiful and romantic place in the world.  What more could you want?  I love this film!

The Great Gatsby:

I love films or TV shows set in an old time period.  The Great Gatsby is all glitz and glamour!  The costumes are fabulous and the soundtrack has to be one of the best there is!  It's definitely not what you would expect but it fits so perfectly!  Aside from all the parties and fun there is also romance and tragedy.  I could watch this film over and over again and never tire of it!

Frozen:

  

I am a firm believer that everyone is a child at heart.  You are never too old for a Disney movie.  When Frozen first came out everyone went crazy for it.  I had to see for myself what the deal was and I feel like I was put under a spell.  I fell in love with all the characters especially Olaf!  Who doesn't love Olaf?  I almost know every song by heart and have no problem with belting them out whenever the moment takes me.  It is truly a magical masterpiece!

Les Miserables:

I am obsessed with this film!  I absolutely love musicals.  Give me any musical to watch and I will watch it!  It would be a dream come true if  I could be in one, preferably Les Mis.  Again, it has a period setting and the songs are so iconic and powerful you can feel the emotion!  Les Mis is definitely my favourite musical of all time!  Fantastic!

Pitch Perfect:

A slightly different musical film, Pitch Perfect is upbeat and full of fun!  The characters are easy to relate to and the songs are amazing which is why I obviously sing along to them!  I think this film is hilarious and will definitely cheer you up if you're feeling down!  I mean, Rebel Wilson?  Need I say more?

Harry Potter:

How could I not mention Harry Potter?  In my opinion, there are two types of people in the world: those who love Harry Potter and those that honestly couldn't care less about Harry Potter (who even is Harry Potter?).  I am one of those people who loves Harry Potter.  I have read the books and seen the films too many times to count.  I just love the whole magical element of it and I'm still not happy about not receiving my Hogwarts letter.  I would have been a model student, I swear!

So those are my favourite films at the moment!  Let me know what your favourite films are and until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

My Favourite YouTubers #2

A couple of months ago I did a post about my favourite YouTubers.  I only mentioned a few which you can check out here.  I have so many more favourites so in today's post I'm going to tell you about a few more.  So here we go!

I Covet Thee:

I am only a very recent fan of Alix having only discovered her channel a few months ago.  I became hooked from the very first video!  She has such a lovely personality and I absolutely loved here daily vlogs during June.  I would highly recommend this channel if you love beauty in any way!

Grace Helbig:

Described as YouTube's awkward older sister, Grace Helbig has to be one of the funniest YouTubers out there!  She is brilliant!  She has had so much success in recent times between having her own book, podcast AND her own TV show.  She makes me laugh every time I watch her videos.  I love her! 

Andrea Russett:

I've been watching Andrea's videos for a while now and I just never seem to get sick of her!  She is absolutely gorgeous with a fun and quirky personality so you can't help but love her.  She seems like the perfect best friend and so I will continue to watch her videos long into the future!

Marcus Butler:

I first discovered Marcus when he did a British vs. American video with Connor Franta, which is one of my all time favourite YouTube videos.  It never fails to make me laugh!  His videos range from funny scits, in which his alter ego Margaret sometimes makes an appearance, to chatty videos or even videos where he talks about a serious topic such as bullying.  He is always completely himself in his videos and I really enjoy watching his daily vlogs where we can get a little more insight into his daily life.

Miranda Sings:

In my opinion Miranda Sings is the most brilliant and amazing characters ever created!  We have the beautiful Colleen Ballinger to thank for that!  Miranda Sings is so unique and hilarious, there is no one else like her!  I have lost count of the amount of boyfriends she has and her collaborations with other YouTubers always leave me in stitches!

There you have it!  More YouTubers I love to watch, especially on wet and cold days like we have in Ireland at the moment!  I just love to curl up on the couch and watch a couple of YouTube videos!  Just two or three.  Or ten.  Or twenty.  Let me know who your favourite YouTubers are and until next time...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

My Latest Obsession: Blogging

My latest obsession may seem like an obvious one.  If you're going to write a blog it would be advisable to actually enjoy blogging.  I started blogging almost three months ago which isn't very long but it has become part of my life and I love it!

From a very young age, I loved to write.  I wrote everything and anything I could: lists, poems, short stories and even attempted a few novels which were never completed.  I had dreams of becoming an author and I still hope to write a book sometime in the future.

About a year ago I decided I wanted to write a blog.  It was something I was very interested in and I thought about it for a long time.  I read through endless articles on blogging so I could understand more about it.  I wanted to start blogging more than anything and give myself a reason to write more.  I held myself back for ages, scared of people finding it and judging me because blogging is something different.

Three months ago during Easter I decided to just go for it and so Blue-eyed Brunette was born!  Once I got the hang of it I was hooked!  Seeing my view count increase over time gives me such a buzz.  The views are increasing slowly but steadily and it amazes me that all these people have seen my blog.  I have views from countries as far away as Australia and Canada which is just incredible!  I also love getting comments!  So far they have all been so positive and it really makes all this worthwhile.

Blogging allows me to be my creative self.  I can write about things that really interest me and I like how I'm not tied down to any deadlines.  I love taking pictures for my blog and editing them to my liking.  I have a long list of blog post ideas written down which I refer to regularly.  Sometimes I feel like I'm getting writers block and just can't put words to the ideas I've come up with.  Lately though, I've been on a roll and the words are just pouring out of me.

I definitely want to continue with blogging for as long as I can.  I'm still a complete amateur and have no idea what I'm doing most of the time but hopefully I will learn as I go.  Blogging has now become a part of my day and my latest favourite hobby.

I hope you enjoyed this little post.  I'd love to hear about some of your hobbies or blogging experiences and until next time...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

19 By 90 - My Bucket List

It is a disgusting, wet and dull day today.  Where has the summer gone?  It is also my 19th birthday.  I suddenly feel very old.  I'll be needing anti-wrinkle cream soon.  Comparing 19 years with a whole lifetime is very little.  I have so much more of the world to see and so many more things I want to do.  Life is short and I don't want to look back on mine with regrets.  In this blog post I'm going to tell you 19 things I want to do before I turn 90, so this is essentially my bucket list.  Enjoy!

1. Write a book.
2. Become fluent in French.
3. Visit the set of Home and Away.
4. Meet at least one of my favourite YouTubers.
5. Get a full drivers license.
6. Learn to play an instrument, preferably the piano.
7. Learn to swim properly.
8. Find a job I love.
9. Be in a period drama. (even just as an extra, I would love the costumes)!
10. Be in a musical.
11. Go on a cruise.
12. Have my own personal library.
13. See all my favourite singers/ musicians live in concert.
14. Meet a famous celebrity.
15. Live in a foreign country for a while.
16. Improve my fitness.
17. Complete a Harry Potter movie marathon.
18. Go to Disney World, Disney Land and Universal Studios.
19. Get laser eye surgery.

I don't know how many of these things I will actually complete but hopefully I will get the chance to do most of them.  Let me know what you would put on your bucket list and until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

My Favourite Songs At The Moment

What's summer without a few good tunes?  As I have said many times before I love listening to music so I have compiled another list today:  my favourite songs at the moment.  I will also leave links below so you can check them out if you want.  Here we go!

1. Years and Years - Shine
2. Walk the Moon - Shut up and Dance
3. Avicii - Waiting for Love
4. James Bay - Let it Go
5. Hozier - Jackie and Wilson
6. Kodaline - Ready
7. Kodaline - The One
8. Kygo - Stole the Show
9. Sam Feldt - Show Me Love
10. Otto Knows - Next to Me

So those are my 10 favourite songs at the moment.  There's a mixture of up beat songs and slow songs to get you through the summer months.  Let me know what your favourite songs are and until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

15 Reasons Why I Love Summer

I do love the summer!  Who doesn't?  I also love compiling lists and so in this blog post I have combined my love for the both and made a list of 15 things I love about summer.  Here we go!

1. No school.
2. It's more sunny and sometimes it even gets hot!
3. Sometimes it doesn't rain which is nice for a change.
4. Longer days.  I love going outside at 10 in the night and it's still bright!
5. Getting a tan (or at least trying to get a tan).
6. Nice fruit, ie. strawberries!
7. Smoothies!
8. Ice cream.
9. The beach.
10. My birthday.
11. More free time to relax and hang out with friends.
12. Yummy salads.
13. Holidays with family.
14. Bright colours.
15. Picnics.

So there it is!  15 reasons why I love summer!  Let me know what you love about summer and until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

12 Books I Want To Read By The Time I'm 21

Today I was in one of my favourite bookshops browsing.  I noticed a book display entitled 12 books to read before you're 21.  Some of the books included were Twilight, Harry Potter and a couple of other books that I have read before.  The book display gave me the idea for this post.  I am constantly finding new books that I want to read so here are just 12 that I want to get through before I turn 21.

1. If I Stay - Gayle Forman
2. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
3. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
4. Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
5. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult
6. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
8. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkein
9. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick
10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
11. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
12. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

I'm going to keep an eye on this list to see how many I actually read.  Let me know what books you would like to read or just about anything you want to do before you reach a certain age.  Until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

Places I Want To Travel To

I have always wanted to travel the world.  There are so many amazing places and cultures I have yet to explore!  To be honest, I haven't seen much of the world.  Ireland is a small place and I've only been abroad once.  In this blog post I'm going to tell you about just a few places that I want to see, so here we go...

1)  France:

France is one of those places where almost everyone goes on a family holiday but I haven't been there yet.  I love the French culture and language.  I have dreams of becoming fluent so I would love to spend some time there, travelling through the countryside or sipping coffee in a Parisian café.  I think it would be lovely!

2)  Italy:

I have already been to Italy on a school trip but I would love to go back!  I spent four of the best days of my life in Italy.  I visited Venice, Florence (my personal favourite), Pisa, Verona, Garda, all in four days!  They are the most beautiful and historic cities.  If I was to go back I would tour the whole country!

3)  US:

America always seems so far away to me even though it is just 'across the pond'.  It's like a completely different universe!  I would love to go shopping in New York, sunbathing in California, visit the Grand Canyon.  I just want to tour every state really!

4)  Australia:

Australia also seems like it's on another planet.  Apart from all the spiders and snakes, I picture Australia as beautiful and exotic!  Sun , sea and sand!  Plus, I would love to visit the set of Home and Away and fulfil my childhood dreams!

5)  Holland:

After watching The Fault in Our Stars, Holland has made the list!  I would love to visit Anne Franks house in Amsterdam because I love History.  When I imagine Holland I just imagine so many vibrant colours, tulips, windmills!  I'm probably thinking very stereotypically but I think it would be a beautiful place to visit!





So that is just 5 of the places I want to visit in my lifetime.  Honestly, I just want to go everywhere!  It's overwhelming thinking about all of the places you could go throughout the whole world.  I hope you enjoyed this blog post.  Let me know where you would like to travel to and...

I'll see ya when I see ya!











My Favourite Books

I am a complete book worm.  I love books and try to read as much as possible.  I'm a true believer in hard copies.  Downloading books onto a kindle or tablet is fine but there is nothing as good as the physical thing.  The crisp pages and that book smell is just amazing!  Since I am a book lover I thought I would share the love around and tell you about some of my favourite books.

1)  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:

Obviously this book had to be included in the list.  I heard loads of people go on and on about it and so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  If you've been living under a rock and haven't heard about this book it's about two teenagers who have cancer.  They fall in love and their story is so heart wrenching and beautiful.  It will definitely cause tears but there are also plenty of more light hearted moments, a must read!

2)  Harry Potter 1-7 by J.K. Rowling:

I just want to be clear that I am a huge Harry Potter fan!  I have seen the movies countless times which are amazing but the books are something else.  You become enraptured in this magical fantasy of spells and magic and you wish your Hogwarts letter hadn't got lost in the post.  If you haven't read these books yet, please do!  Don't be intimidated by their size.  You cannot consider yourself a true fan unless you have read these books.

3)  The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer:

These books and the films have been given a lot of negative publicity but I have to admit that I actually really like the Twilight Saga.  I am a twihard and I'm not ashamed!  So the storyline is a bit farfetched, who cares?  If any girl had two extremely good looking chaps fighting for her attention, I don't think she would complain.  Even if they both happen to be mythical monsters.  (I'm team Edward by the way if you were wondering).

4)  The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare:

I absolutely love these books!  Once I began reading the first one, I couldn't stop.  I ploughed through them and was very upset when I finished them.  These books are a mixture of action, love, dark magic, mythical creatures and so one.  If you're into fantasy books, The Mortal Instruments is for you!  And don't be too upset when you finish them, you can still read The Internal Devices which are also just as brilliant and the Bane Chronicles if you want to know why Magnus Bane is banned from Peru!

5)  North Child by Edith Pateau:

This book has a slight fairy-tale element to it.  It's about a girl called Rose who is the youngest child in a big family.  Her mother is very superstitious and believes that all children born facing the North will travel far from home and will die an icy death.  Since Rose was born facing North her mother is very protective of her.  One day a white bear comes to take her away to a far off place, to a castle in a mountain.  The whole book is full of superstition and mystery, with Troll Queens and big white bears.  It is written from the perspective of many of the characters which I found made the story very interesting.  North Child is definitely worth the read!

A few other favourites:

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Hush Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

So there are just a few of my favourite books/ series.  Most of them are quite popular but if you have any other recommendations then let me know.

Until then I'll see ya when I see ya!













My Favourite YouTubers

I am YouTube obsessed.  I could spend hours watching video after video.  The life of a YouTuber fascinates me.  You make videos on topics that interest you, you travel the world and you make friends for life.  It may not be perfect but it's definitely what I want my job to be like in the future.  So, in this blog post I will be telling you about some of my favourite YouTubers.

Personality

1)  Connor Franta: 

Connor Franta was one of the first YouTubers I ever watched.  I was a bit slow hopping on the bandwagon and didn't even know being a 'YouTuber' was a thing until about 2 or 3 years ago.  I started watching Connor's videos when he only had about 500,000 subscribers.  Today, he has about 4.5 million which is crazy!  And he even wrote his own book.  I just well up with pride thinking about it!  Connor is really funny and creative and definitely worth the watch!

Beauty

2)  Zoella:

Obviously I can't write a blog post about my favourite YouTubers without mentioning Zoella.  I started watching her videos when she had about 1.5 million subscribers and now she has become world famous with over 8 million!  I am absolutely obsessed!  Not only is she gorgeous but she also wrote a book and released her own line of beauty products.  Is there anything she can't do?

3)  Niomi Smart:

I love this girl!  Firstly, she has to be one of the most beautiful people on the planet, but secondly, her videos are so relatable I feel like they are directed towards me specifically.  She makes easy makeup tutorials that I can actually follow, amazing look books and she even made a video about college essentials.  Since I am starting college in September I definitely found it helpful.  I'm starting to think she might be psychic!

Comedy

4)  Thatcher Joe:

Brother to Zoella, Joe Sugg is a legend!  He has to be one of the most creative YouTubers out there, inventing so many fantastic original video ideas such as the infamous 'YouTuber Whispers'.  I'm in stitches every time I watch his videos and his pranks on room mate Caspar Lee are priceless!

5)  Jamie Curry:

This Kiwi first came to y attention on Facebook, on her page 'Jamie's World' which over time has collected MILLIONS of likes.  She is seriously talented, making entertaining videos that are 30 seconds long and then making a YouTube channel where I can watch even more of her videos.  Her onscreen awkwardness is hilarious and if she was my best friend I would be set for life! (No offense to my current best friends).

Irish

6)  Charlotte Ryan:

I thought I would take this opportunity to mention some Irish YouTubers because why not?  Charlotte is an Irish girl living in Brighton with over 1000 subscribers and I thoroughly enjoy her videos.  She makes videos about everything from her favourite food to different tags and challenges.  She makes healthy food extremely mouth-watering and tops it off with a naughty version if that doesn't tickle your fancy.  Her videos are very artistically edited and she had a lovely, bubbly personality.  Fair play!

7)  Clisare:

She can only be described as the Irish Jenna Marbles.  Clisare makes hilarious videos and also has a love of the Irish language with Mean Girls quotes translated into our native tongue and so on.  I would definitely recommend you check her out!

So those are some of my favourite YouTubers.  I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see ya when I see ya!



My Favourite Music

 I am a huge music lover, music is my life!  Though I don't play an instrument I have still used my mother's saucepans as drums and tissue boxes as guitars.  I sing my heart out even when nobody wants to hear it and I am constantly listening to music on the radio or on my CDs.  (Yes people still listen to CDs.)  I thought in this blog post I would share my favourite musical artists with you and tell you why I love them so much! 

1) Ed Sheeran

Of course I have to mention this legend!  He will go down in history as a great talent and if he doesn't, then something has gone seriously wrong with the world.  I have lost count of the amount of times I have listened to X and everything he does just makes me love him even more.

2) Sam Smith

That one singer who will always bring you to tears.  His voice is so full of raw emotion that you feel everything he feels.  It's incredible!  Don't worry Sam, I will stay with you!

3) Ellie Goulding

I have to admit that I wasn't always a huge fan of Ellie Goulding.  To me, she was just one of those singers who was played on the radio and I didn't pay much attention to her.  That all changed when I went to see her in Dublin with my friends.  The energy and the atmosphere was electric.  She really knows how to work the stage.  I have become obsessed with Ellie Goulding since that concert.  All her songs are amazing!  And her voice is incredible!

4) Hozier

When I think of how much success Hozier has had in such a short space of time, it makes me so proud to be Irish.  He has such a unique voice that gives me goose bumps.  He is also the most genuine person and comes across as so polite and humble during interviews, you can't help but love him.  He definitely makes Ireland proud!

5) Kodaline

More Irish people!  They're just four lads from Dublin who know how to make good music.  High Hopes is definitely their most popular song and the cause of their rise to fame.  It almost brings me to tears when I listen to it.  I am just in love with this band and I will never tire of them.

6) Bastille

Where do I even begin?  When I first bought their album 'Bad Blood' I only knew a few of their songs.  They were very different to what I usually listened to so I was a bit sceptical but I needn't have been.  Each song on the album was better than the last.  They are all so unique and almost haunting.  And by the way, if you have never heard their cover of 'O Holy Night' then you have not lived!  Just saying!  Now I'm just waiting for them to come to Ireland.  When I imagine a Bastille concert I just... I can't even explain how amazing it would be!



7) Imagine Dragons

Again, these guys were so different to what I usually listened to.  Radioactive was played so much on the radio that I had to find out who they were and then when I heard Demons I knew I had found something else to add to my list of musical obsessions.  Amazing!

So those are my favourite musical artists at the moment.  If I discover any more I'll let you know but until then I'll see ya when I see ya!

Blue-eyed Brunette.