18 Before 18: Update 2!

18 Before 18
1. Read 3 books
2. Stick a note to the bottom of someone's shoe
3. Try 5 new foods
4. Have photos taken in a photo booth
5. Complete 18 random acts of kindness
6. Surprise someone with an unexpected gift
7. Write a thank you note for someone who won't expect it
8. Put a video on Youtube
9. Make a playlist of the last year. 10. Have 20 followers on my blog
11. Write a letter to my future children
12. Complete the '30 Days of Pictures' project (which I will explain in my next post)
13. Learn to wrap the entire Fresh Prince theme tune (I might even provide video evidence)
14. Write a Time Capsule entry in my diary
15. See how many marshmallows I can fit in my mouth
16. Write a letter of support to Kate & Gerry McCann
17. Write a list of what I have learned in 18 years
18. Go without chocolate- I failed at this one! 

I have 10 things left to do, and 20 days to do them in. Yay! Wanna see me stuff those marshmallows in my mouth? 

And on a completely different note... I've been thinking a lot recently about this blog. I am really trying to make it a success, and I know that it's not really working just yet, but I am absolutely over the moon about having 21 followers! 

Every single time I notice that I have another follower, I feel like doing a happy dance, no lie. And comments? Well they really do make my day. So I thought maybe you could do something for me... Maybe? 

I would really really love it if you'd leave a comment to let me know that you're reading. I want to know where these random views are coming from.

I want to know you. :) 

Dear Friday

Dear Kina Grannis, I am incredibly excited about going to see in you less than a week! Your music is simply fantastic. You are an inspiration. We need to get our thinking caps on and come up with a way of getting you to notice us.. We will most likely be the annoying fans!

Dear Chocolate, I missed you dearly. I thought I could go without you for a whole month, but I guess I misunderstood the importance of having you in my life. I don't regret our premature reunion- I think it brought us closer together as a couple.

Dear Clodagh and Bria, I doubt you will read this, but maybe one day you will and it will make you smile. :) I am so glad we met you this year! Kate and I love college regardless, but you make it so much more fun. And I know we will be friends for a very long time. :)

Dear Enid Blyton, I am in awe. Kate found a DVD all about you! My childhood simply would not have been the same without your books. I learned to read with The Teddy Bear's Tail, and my sense of adventure was inspired by The Famous Five. The Faraway Tree showed me that books really can bring you to a different time and place if you let them, and The Secret Seven was the foundation for my very own club at the age of 6- The Pancake Team. I cannot wait to watch the DVD and find out more about the creator of my childhood.

Dear Minnie, I miss my little hot water bottle when I'm away at college during the week. I love how you don't get mad at me for leaving you, and you always end up back curled up at my feet when I come home. :)

Wordless Wednesday

Travelling Alone

During the week, I'm in college in the city, and every weekend I travel back home. It makes for a lot of train journeys. When Kate is with me, we have so much fun. Some days we're exhausted after a long week, so we listen to my iPod and chat away happily. Other days we are bursting with energy, and we do something like this: 

 

And that's very bold, you shouldn't do that. 

I love traveling with Kate. But I am also getting used to taking the train on my own. I love climbing onto the train with my suitcase and rucksack. I love sitting down in a seat with a table to myself. I take off my jacket, stick on my iPod, take out my journal, and I retreat into my own little world. 

I feel like a fly on the wall when I'm on my own on the train. Nobody ever notices the girl sitting alone. They carry on with their lives, they have normal conversations. And I know this might sound very strange, but there is something quite soothing about observing other human beings living their lives. The old ladies talk proudly about the achievements of their children and grandchildren. The teenage boys laugh about the silliest of things. The mother cuddles her toddler, and points out every tree and bird we pass, before calling her husband to let him know when they'll be home. And the teenage girl with the iPod writes about all of them in her journal, and considers what a joy it is to be alive. 

Try it some time. Travel alone. Watch the people around you. You'll learn more about life than you could ever imagine. 

Travelling Alone Playlist: 
1. Say What You Need To Say- John Mayer
2. Blackbird- The Beatles
3. And The Birds Sing- Tyrone Wells
4. Your Song- Ellie Goulding
5. Long Live- Taylor Swift
6. Drops Of Jupiter- Train
7. Autumn Leaves- Ed Sheeran
8. New Soul- Yael Naim
9. Mountain & The Sea- Ingrid Michaelson
10. Happy- Natasha Bedingfield


Oh, and one more thing. Would you mind going back one post (or clicking this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Y43z0CrlI&context=C35bb41dADOEgsToPDskKi6dbenAPN34lPMb2BapsN ) and telling me what you think? 


Have a lovely Sunday. :) 

Vanilla Song

I did it. I uploaded a video to Youtube. Eeek! Here it is:

And of course, Mildred is Kate! Tell me what you think. I am so nervous... 

Day 3. A photo of the house you grew up in. 

This was my childhood home. It's not the prettiest, but to me it was a castle. And if you look at it straight down, it's in the shape of a 'H' for Harrington. Not purposely, but I thought it was meant to be. It was the house we had most of our adventures in. We used to ride bikes all the way around the house in a circle. We learned to roller-blade on the tarmac. We used to swing on the gate and feel the rush of adrenaline as if it was the world's greatest roller-coaster. And then when it got dark, we'd go inside, Dad would lock the doors, and we'd feel like nothing could ever get in to hurt us. Sometimes Conor (my brother) and I would stick our heads out of that skylight and pretend we were on a pirate's ship that no one could attack. I love that house. :) 

Day 4. A photo of your life a year ago. 

Studying for the Leaving Cert (final exams to get into college). Oh, the joys! This was typical of me. Lunch dishes on my locker, diaries underneath on the shelf, history notes on my bed, pencil case, laptop with exams tips, notes and random papers on the floor, overflowing school bag... My life consisted of school, study, homework, study, trying to squeeze in meal times and normal things like showers, and running on no sleep. Fun! But it was all worth it looking back, because here I am now, in college, having the time of my life. :) 

Update on '18 Before 18'

So, how am I doing?

18 Before 18
1. Read 3 books
2. Stick a note to the bottom of someone's shoe
3. Try 5 new foods
4. Have photos taken in a photo booth
5. Complete 18 random acts of kindness
6. Surprise someone with an unexpected gift
7. Write a thank you note for someone who won't expect it
8. Put a video on Youtube
10. Have 20 followers on my blog
11. Write a letter to my future children
12. Complete the '30 Days of Pictures' project
13. Learn to rap the entire Fresh Prince theme tune
14. Write a Time Capsule entry in my diary
15. See how many marshmallows I can fit in my mouth
16. Write a letter of support to Kate & Gerry McCann
17. Write a list of what I have learned in 18 years
18. Go without chocolate until my birthday.

1. I am currently reading Book 1- The Time Of My Life by Cecelia Ahern 

2. Stuck a note to Kate's shoe! 

3. 1/5- I had dairy free yoghurts. Yuck.

7. I wrote a thank you card for the nurse who I've been shadowing, she was so thrilled. :) 

8. I have 3 videos made- just depending on really slow internet!

9. Okay, I just realised I don't have a number 9! So silly. Hmm... I will make a playlist of songs I've loved in the last year! 

12. Okay, I've been kinda failing at this one. I'll catch up now! 

15. I have a video! Will post as soon as my internet will allow me to. 

18. Succeeding so far, much to everyone's shock. ;) 

30 Days of Photos. Day 1: A photo of a tradition. 

This is my Dad and I in my Nana's house, Christmas 2008. We play music together a lot, but one of the most special times is every Christmas when we meet up with his side of the family. We always bring the instruments and have a sing-song. :)

Day 2. A picture of a crazy night. 

Okay well to be honest, we don't have crazy drunken nights. We are crazy when we're sober, we're just those kind of friends! So I don't have a photo of me in a drunken mess, I'm proud to say. I chose this photo because we don't know the guy or girl on the right, and we think it's pretty cool! We were taking a group picture and they just decided to jump in. Now they're in our photo forever, we're still talking about them, and we don't even know their names! We HAVE to do this some time, jump into someone elses' photo. 

Well that's all for now! Might do another photo post later. :) 

18 Before 18

I was just doing my regular creeping on other people's lovely blogs, and I found Hannah. I'm going to copy one of her ideas. I will be turning 18 on 16th February. That doesn't leave me a lot of time, and I know it will be a tight squeeze to get all of this done, but I am pledging to complete all of the tasks on this list before my 18th birthday. Wish me luck! 


18 Before 18
1. Read 3 books
2. Stick a note to the bottom of someone's shoe
3. Try 5 new foods
4. Have photos taken in a photo booth
5. Complete 18 random acts of kindness
6. Surprise someone with an unexpected gift
7. Write a thank you note for someone who won't expect it
8. Put a video on Youtube
10. Have 20 followers on my blog
11. Write a letter to my future children
12. Complete the '30 Days of Pictures' project (which I will explain in my next post)
13. Learn to wrap the entire Fresh Prince theme tune (I might even provide video evidence)
14. Write a Time Capsule entry in my diary
15. See how many marshmallows I can fit in my mouth
16. Write a letter of support to Kate & Gerry McCann
17. Write a list of what I have learned in 18 years
18. And this one hurts me... Go without chocolate until my birthday. Eeek! I can be strong.


So, there's my list. They're not major goals or anything as I only have a month to complete them all. But I think they could be fun. :) 

January Love

Christmas has passed, and we are all slowly falling back into a routine. But I must admit that I say this with a hint of satisfaction. Now that I have left my school days behind and I've started college, I really love my routine. It was nice to get back to G-Town and start nursing again. Now, how about a good old love list? This January, I can't help but love...

1. My beautiful guitar. Her name is Harper, and together we make music and forget the rest of the world. 

2. Hot chocolate with the Laura & Kate. The 3 of us have been meeting for hot chocolate in the same little café in our hometown for 3 years now. And last year it became an important ritual for us to blow off steam as we studied for the dreaded Leaving Cert (horrible exams). This year, we're in college. Kate and I are together in the city, but we've been torn away from our 3rd Musketeer, Laura. But we have kept up our tradition, and *almost* every Friday when we come home from college, we meet in our little café for hot chocolate and a chat. And I have to say, it has become quite therapeutic. This is Laura. :)

3. Walking with my iPod. I spend most of my college days walking. Walking from the apartment to college to town to the hospital to the supermarket to the apartment, etc etc. And everywhere I walk, I have my trusted iPod to keep me company and to provide a feel-good soundtrack to my rainy/ windy walks (I live in Ireland!). 

4. Escaping to the world of books. Sometimes my life gets too busy, and I have to miss out on reading to make time for my music instead. But since our little trip to Kerry, I have reconnected with my books. Currently reading: Madeleine by Kate McCann

5. Nursing. I'm back in the hospital, and I'm enjoying every precious moment of it before my placement comes to an end. I'm getting to know and care for every patient, and I'm trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can from every experience. The immense pleasure I get from taking care of these people is just indescribable. I know that this is what I will spend my life doing, and I couldn't be happier. :)

This Week

This week was catching up with old friends. It is one of life's finest pleasures to have those friends who you can meet up with after a year, and talk to as if you see them every day. And I find that hot chocolate and heart to hearts go hand in hand. 

(http://theinglenook.blogspot.com/)

This week was journaling on the go. I have been keeping a journal for a year now, and I've noticed a very inconvenient pattern. The more time I have on my hands, the more I write, but when I'm busy, my journal is neglected. This means that there are gaps left in my journal for the times that are most exciting! But this week when Kate and I traveled to Kerry to meet up with cousins/friends, I wrote at every opportunity so that the  precious memories wouldn't be lost. 

This week was swapping music. The only thing that brings me more joy than finding new music is sharing it with those who I know will appreciate it. :) This week we swapped some Drew Tabor, Sarah Crummy, Taylor Swift, A Rocket To The Moon & Ally Rhodes. 

This week was cosy reading. I love how simple my life can be when I'm away from home. I had no internet, no TV, no distractions from life's simple pleasures. All I had with me was what I had packed in my little rucksack, so while the girls slept in in the mornings, I enjoyed some quality time with my book.

'This Week' Playlist

1. Safe & Sound- Taylor Swift

2. Tragic- Drew Tabor 

3. Like We Used To- A Rocket To The Moon

4. New Soul- Yael Naim

5. Dark Blue Tennessee- Taylor Swift

6. Coney Island- Good Old War

7. Small Bump- Ed Sheeran

8. Don't Worry, Be Happy- Bob Marley

9. Jaded- Sarah Crummy

10. Your Winter- Sister Hazel

I hope you enjoyed your first week of 2012. And if not? Well let's make next week simply wonderful. :)

Proud To Be Irish

It's common knowledge that I want to travel as soon as possible, and experience as many different cultures as I can. I can't wait! I am dying to live in America and Australia and maybe even Italy one day. But I will always remember where I came from, and I will remember the things that make me proud to be Irish. 

How can you not love it? Valleys and hills, patchwork fields, and tiny little houses peeking from behind the trees. I get to call this 'home'. And of course, we have music. Listen to this amazing singer-songwriter, Sarah Crummy! 

  

We have traditional music too of course, and though I have kind of abandoned my flute, whistle & bodhran for my guitar, I will always love trad. And St. Patrick's Day! 

Yes, I am driving a tractor. And don't you dare laugh at my wellies. Aren't I lookin' well, lads? 

Other reasons I love being Irish: 

• Amazing writers. W.B. Yeats, Eavan Boland, Brian Friel, Bram Stoker (Dracula!), Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels), Cecilia Ahern & Maeve Binchy. 
• Food. Tayto crisps, Brennan's bread, sausages, cadbury's chocolate, and good aul tea.
• Music. The Script, Snow Patrol, The Coronas, Van Morrison, The Cranberries, Maura O'Connell, Mary Black, Julie Feeney, Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, U2 and lots more.

There are so many reasons to love being Irish. I just wanted to capture a taste of it. :) 

To New Beginnings

It's the 1st of January 2012. Really? 2011 went so incredibly fast. And so much has happened. 

• I did the Leaving Cert
• I finished school
• I wrote music
• I learned to drive (kind of!)
• I got my exam results
• I got into college to do my dream course
• I moved out
• I've made so many new friends
• I started nursing
• And I started a blog where I can write about it all. :)

It was a pretty big year! So now for 2012. Every year, there's a big hype about new years resolutions, and about a week into the new year, they are forgotten for the most part. I am one of the worst offenders! I think the problem is that the goals people make for themselves focus on cutting out the bad things- but the bad things they try to cut out are often things that they love! They try to be healthier, to cut out fizzy drinks and junk food, to quit smoking, to lose weight, etc etc. And these are good things to try to bring into our lifestyles! But they are often unrealistic, and they get packed away with the Christmas decorations until the following year when they're dragged out again. 

This year, I won't fall into the trap. The main reason people set goals for the new year is to make their lives better. So I will do that, but I'll try it a different way. Instead of blocking out the bad, I will bring in more of the good. I will do more of the things that I love doing and I will focus on really having a 'Happy New Year'. :) 

This year, I will try to...

• Read a lot more
• Write/ play more music
• Spend less money on day to day things (food, living costs) and more on presents and time with friends
• Open the windows more often
• Take more photos, capture more memories
• Spend time on trying to make my blog a success
• Light more candles
• Sing at every opportunity

And what a year it will be. :)