100 Followers!

I thought I would put up a small blog post for you today just to say thank you!  I've reached my first blogging milestone of 100 followers!  I still can't believe it.  Hopefully there will be many more milestones reached in the future.

It makes all this worthwhile knowing that there are people out there that actually want to read my blog.  I love writing it and reading all the lovely comments.  I hope you enjoy my blog just as much as I do!

There will be plenty more posts to look forward to in the future.  September is getting closer and closer and I will officially be a college student living away from home.  There should be a few interesting posts about that!

If you're not following me already you can do so by clicking here.  Thanks for stopping by and until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

How To Shop For A Debs/Prom Dress!

It's nearly August and that means that debs season is almost upon us.  Over the next month girls will be getting glammed up to the last and guys will be looking classy in their suits.  A débutante ball is a rite of passage.  You are leaving school and your friends and are preparing for the real world.  It is the last night that everyone you've gone to school with over the past 5/6 years will be together so you want it to be a good night.

Unusually for me, I left everything last minute.  My debs is next week and I only bought my dress today!  Buying a debs dress is tough work.  You want it to be perfect and you want to look fabulous.  I've spent the last two weeks traipsing through shop after shop, boutique after boutique trying to find that perfect dress.  Since I now have my dress (thank the Lord!) I thought I would share my new found wisdom with you on how to shop for a debs dress (because I'm obviously an expert now)!

Discuss With Friends:

Make a group chat on Facebook or find some other way to easily communicate with your friends to discuss dresses.  Give each other advice on colours, shapes and shops to look into.  Without giving too much away, tell each other the colour and brand name of your dress.  You wouldn't want to turn up to your debs in the same dress now, would you?  That would be a bunch of awkward!

Schedule Your Shopping Trips:

Pick a day you want to go and look for a dress, pick the town you want to go to and do research before hand.  Look online and get a list of as many shops and boutiques as you can in that area.  If you need to make appointments, make them!  There is no point in going anywhere clueless.  Have a plan and make the most of your shopping trip.

Try On As Much As You Can:

Go into a shop and try on as many dresses as you possibly can.  Don't pass over dresses if they don't catch your eye immediately.  Sometimes those are the best dresses.  Trust me, I know from experience.  Keep an open mind and you are bound to find the right dress for you.

Don't Shop Alone:

Always bring people along with you for second and even third opinion.  Make sure they are people who give an honest opinion.  Help is much appreciated during this stressful time.  They might be able to see the dress differently and give some advice.  Plus, you could always use them as you personal slave for the day and have them haul hundreds of dresses in and out of the dressing room for you!

Don't Lose Heart:

It's very easy to lose heart when searching for that perfect dress.  Try to stay positive.  Just because you don't find anything in the first shop or even on the first day doesn't mean you will never find anything.

Don't Leave Dress Shopping Until The Last Minute:

"The debs is weeks away, I have plenty of time!"  Stop right there!  Don't make the same mistake I did.  Start early because there are thousands of other girls looking for dresses.  Shops run out of stock, you can't find your size and the clock is ticking!  Leaving everything until the last minute only causes stress.  Start early and relax knowing you're sorted and then you can laugh at all the other girls pulling their hair out (a.k.a. me)!

So those are just a few tips I have come up with after my debs dress shopping experience.  I hope this was helpful.  Let me know if you have any more tips you think might come in handy 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!

Is Blogging Becoming Too Professional?

Blogging for me is a hobby.  It's something I love to do in my spare time because I love to write.  I see blogging as a way of sharing my thoughts and opinions and as a way of discussing what interests me.  My blog is my own personal space on the internet and that's the way I like it.

Recently I've been seeing a lot of blog posts bombarding me with plans and ideas on how to turn your blog into a business and earn money.  One post in particular that stood out to me was about blogging predictions for 2016.  In this post it was mentioned how blog layouts were becoming more  like website layouts.  Apparently, more people are giving their blogs a more professional design.  Personally, I don't like this idea.  When I read a blog post, I want to read something personal.  I feel like blog layouts add to that personal feel.  Websites give information and that's not really what I want to see in a blog.  I find it hard to lose myself in a blog that's too formal.

Other blog posts I've seen relate to earning money from your blog.  To earn money from my blog would be a lovely bonus but it's not a priority at the moment.  I feel like, after a while, I'll have to do something more with my blog and that the way it is now won't be good enough in the future.  I don't want to put that kind of pressure on myself.

I love my blog and I'm really happy with how it has turned out.  I'm going to continue with how I'm going for as long as I can.  Maybe in the future I'll take a step further but now I'm happy with writing about the things that interest me.  I think the most important thing to remember about blogging is to write what you want to write and not what you think other people want you to write.

That's just my opinion.  You can agree or disagree but until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

Getting To Know The Irish

I've said it before that the Irish are a unique race.  After living in Ireland my whole life I have come to understand a bit more about the Irish people.  I'm no expert but I have noticed a few characteristics typical of Irish people that set us apart from everyone else.

1) We love to sing!:

You need to understand how much Irish people love to sing.  If you're on a minibus heading for a night out on the town with your friends, are you going to sit down and have a civilised conversation with them?  No!  You are going to belt out every song you know throughout the whole journey!  Sure, you might lose your voice and annoy the bus driver but you don't really care at the time!  If you're at a concert you're not just going to let the musician sing all by themselves, are you?  No!  Sometimes you may even wonder why they even showed up.  The crowd knows their songs just as well as they do!  Whatever the occasion, Irish people will sing!

2) We are too modest!:

Irish people cannot accept a compliment no matter how hard we try.  We cringe away from any nice thing a person says to us.  We hate to make ourselves out to be better that someone else.  It's as if we have a fear of appearing confident.  Sometimes this can be a bad thing and lead to low self esteem.  We really need to learn how to say thank you when we receive a compliment.

3) We won't make a fuss!:

Another thing Irish people hate is making a fuss.  We will not tell you to open a window if the room gets too stuffy and we will not tell you that the steak is overcooked so as not to insult you.  We hate to put others out or to have them do things for us at their expense.  We will always say we are fine even when we are clearly not fine!  We do not wish to unload our burdens onto someone else.

4) We have no concept of time!:

This point doesn't really include me.  I hate being late for things.  If you tell me to be in a certain place at a certain time, I will be in that exact place ten minutes early!  Unfortunately, a lot of Irish people are not like that.  If you tell someone to be somewhere at a certain time they will most likely arrive late or in a different place altogether.  We leave everything to the last minute.  No matter how many times we experience that rushed panic of being late we still cannot change our ways!

5) We are always up for the craic!:

Irish people hate being too serious.  Life is too short for that.  We will always attempt to make light of a situation.  There is also this misconception that Irish people are all drunks.  It's true that we like the odd alcoholic beverage now and again but we are much more interested in having a good time.  Having fun is one thing we love to do!

6) We can never say one goodbye!:

You know you're Irish when all your phone calls end in: "right, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye!".  To me, one goodbye seems a bit rude and abrupt.  When you're having a conversation with someone you have to say at least three goodbyes just to be polite.  This goes for phone conversations and face to face conversations.  One goodbye just isn't enough!

There you have it!  If you can wrap your head around these 6 things then you're halfway there to understanding the Irish.  I also did a blog post on Irish phrases that no one else understands which you can check out here.  Let me know if I missed out on anything or if there is anything else you would like to know and until then...

I'll see ya when I see ya!

Have I Made The Right Decision For College?

It is now July and so that means that summer is in full swing.  In just two months I will be starting college for the first time.  The CAO is now officially closed.  There is no going back.  The courses I have chosen are going to stick and I can't change my mind.  I can only go forward.  This has made me think about the choices I have made in regards to college.  I have begun questioning myself.  Have I made the right decision?  Is this course really the right one for me?  Is this college really where I want to spend the next 3-4 years of my life?  Did I do enough research because sometimes I feel like I should have done more?

Starting college for the first time is scary.  The decisions I make now will have an effect on my future and that is quite a load to have on my shoulders.  I can really feel the weight of it all.  I should be enjoying my summer but instead I'm worrying about college and having to find accommodation.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm even ready for college.  It scares me to think that I might end up hating my course and that I will realise I have made a big mistake.  What if I can't adjust to life away from home?

These thoughts and many more are constantly spiralling around in my mind.  I had a lot of doubts about the top course on my CAO and that I wouldn't be able for it.  Recently when I tell people what I want to study they say:  "Why am I not surprised?".  This response has made me feel a lot better about the choice that I have made.  Other people can see this as the right course for me even when I don't.  I know it's early stages yet to be judging the course but I'm feeling a lot more positive about it and genuinely excited to start college.

College is just another learning curve and a part of growing up.  As time moves on I might do a few more posts taking you on this journey which is one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.  The next two months will fly by and I will be starting my new life before I know it!

Until next time...

I'll see ya when I see ya!