2011 In Photos

I've been spending some time thinking of how best to capture all that has happened this year... And well.. I just can't! So I will try this idea to wrap up 2011. I found it over here. One photo for every month this year. :)

Surgery in January

February: Babysitting as usual, one of my favourite past times. :) 

Taylor Swift concert in March

April: Lots of walks to relieve exam stress!

May: Goodbye cards & letters from teachers (and their kids!)

June: Little cousins in big shoes (Alice & Eleanor)

July: My best friend Laura's Birthday (but she is too camera shy to allow a photo on the internet...for now!)

August: Graduation & Exam Results

Moving to college in September

October: Dressing as a nerd for Halloween!

November: Lots of new college friends (and please excuse my wet hair, pyjamas and 3D glasses haha)

December: Seeing family at Christmas time (Little cousin, Holly)

So there is my year in photos. :) Anyone wish to join me? Post a link for your blog, and I will check it out. :) 

Christmas Eve (Though it is after midnight!)

It's Christmas Eve. One of the most magical times of year. With no Santa Clause in our house anymore, Christmas seems to have lost some of it's magic... But nevertheless, we have made mince pies and watched The Sound Of Music, and and MTV is playing the old Christmas favourites. And just like every year, my puppy is terrified of all the wrapping paper and decorations, poor baby! 

(Meet Minnie)

I still feel like I'm talking to the wall, as my blog hasn't quite taken off yet... But if anyone is reading, then I wish you a very happy Christmas. I hope you have a lovely day tomorrow filled with family, friends and good food. :) 

Love,

Orla.x

Let's Get Christmassy!

I don't understand how the words 'Christmas Exams' can be put together. They take something so lovely and make it yucky. But last week we decided to look at it the other way, and we allowed our Christmas spirits to cheer us up despite having to study for exams. And we decorated the apartment! 

Agnes became our Christmas tree!

And it only cost us €16! They may not be the prettiest of decorations, but they cheered us up and we're feeling the Christmas spirit! We skipped around the supermarket with baubles and tinsel in our hair and handed out candy canes just because! 

Christmas Deco Playlist

1. White Christmas- Bing Crosby

2. Do They Know It's Christmas- Band Aid

3. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer- Elmo & Patsy

4. All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth- Spike Jones

5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- Frank Sinatra

6. Let It Snow- Dean Martin

7. Sleigh Ride- The Ronettes

8. Mary's Boy Child- Boney M

9. Santa Clause Is Coming To Town- Bruce Springsteen

10. Santa Baby- Eartha Kitt

11. The Christmas Song- Nat King Cole

12. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday- Wizzard

www.trendytree.com 

Wanna Hear A Secret?

*Photo heavy*

I've been debating in my mind how long I should leave it before unveiling my weirdness to the internet. Well, I can't hide it for much longer, so today is the day, you lucky folk! A few things you should know...

1. I am not quite normal. 
2. Neither are my friends. And...
3. College life is much more fun when you do it our way. 

No, there is no explanation for the shower poufs on our heads.  

Kate and I have been friends for 7 years. And when people found out that we were going to college together... Well, 'worried' is a slight understatement. But, much to their amazement, we are still alive, and among the new friends we have made, we actually managed to find people as strange as us...

 

Bria 

Clodagh (Clo-dah)

Leeanne

 Ciannait (Kee-nyth)

Since October we have been having a sort of 'Prank War' with these girls. It started with the pumpkin.

This is Korla Pumpkin (Kate + Orla), wonderfully crafted by Clodagh & Bria. So, after debating between many fruit and veg (including a butternut squash and a coconut), we brought a melon into the equation.

And this is Cliaboa (Leeanne, Bria, Clodagh and Ciannait can be quite a mouthful). Cliaboa was accompanied by these eggs, and each of the six represent one of us. 

(Leeanne, Ciannait, Kate, Bria, Orla, Clodagh)

So, one evening after that Kate and I were curled up on the couches in the apartment watching How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, and the doorbell rang. So, tea in hand, we answered the door to...

Agnes the Robot! 

It was our turn, and it would take something amazing to beat the robot! So one cold morning at 06:30am before I headed to the hospital, Kate and I decided to break into their bathroom. But they are clever girlies, and had guessed our plans - they had set up boobie traps in their bathroom and hallway, so we couldn't get in without waking them up. So we left without making a sound, and came back that evening, and Ciannait let us in. And we did this: 

The best part was hiding behind those curtains in the dark for an hour waiting for them to come home. We are very easily amused! And when they finally arrived, we waited for at least 10 minutes til they calmed down, and then jumped out and screamed at them. Poor things! But we definitely beat the robot. ;) What else have we done... Oh, Kate made this puppet: 

(Khaku)

Kate cradled him for hours before we hung him up outside their door and rang the doorbell. She got some very strange looks. 

 

Phew, I feel better now. It's all out there for anyone to see- I am not as normal as I appear to be at first! But it is so much fun to do it this way. :) 

Little Ashley Tubridy

Friday was my last day working in the hospital until after Christmas. I don't want to talk about that though, it makes me too sad, I miss the patients already... But anyway, all day the patients were talking about how The Late Late Toy Show would be on that evening. For those of you who aren't Irish, this is a show that is on once a year before Christmas, and the focus is on children and toys. Everyone loves the Toy Show! The patients were all really looking forward to the pleasant distraction from their illnesses, and it distracted me as well because I really didn't want to leave the hospital. So after my shift, I traveled all the way back home (an hour and a half by train) and sat down to watch the Toy Show. I was curled up with my puppy, some tea and chocolate, very cozy! And then Ashley Tubridy appeared on screen. I sat up straight, ignored my poor dog, let my tea go cold, and I watched and re-watched this little girl singing her song 6 times over. 

She blew me away. As Ryan Tubridy (the host, and no relation) said, with children like Ashley in the world, "The future is safe". :)

Money To Be Made

Song: 'Money To Be Made' by The Hoosiers

(How cute is this piggy bank?)

College students can easily be mistaken for grinches around this time of year, as we all grumble about how impossible it is to scrape enough money together to buy decent presents for friends and family. Well, I have done enough grumbling now, and I have decided to put my energy to good use and think of ways to save money from now until Christmas (and after that too if I can keep it up!). So here's what I've come up with. 

1. Packed lunches. I know, I know, boring. But what a money saver! So this week, I will cook extra pasta or rice or whatever I eat for dinner, and I'll throw it in a lunch box for lunch the next day. 
2. Walk, walk, walk. Taxis are expensive. You have feet, and they work for free. 
3. Starbucks at my college makes so much money, yet it would be so much cheaper to make coffee at home. 
4. Have movie nights at home with friends instead of going out to the cinema. We all have DVDs at home to bring along. We can provide snacks from our own cupboards, and we have the comfort of blankets and cushions, and a pause button! 
5. Share clothes. I don't like going out in the same outfit over and over again. But I don't mind wearing something that my friends have worn before- it feels new to me! 
6. Water is free! Fill a bottle from your tap and stick it in your handbag to avoid paying €1.60 for a bottle when you get to college. And avoid buying fizzy drinks- unnecessary cost. Bad for you too! 
7. Avoid special offers. Yes, you read that right. Just because something says 'Buy one get one free' doesn't mean you need it. It's only a bargain if it's something you had set out to buy in the first place, so quit going to the shop to buy milk and coming home with chocolate just because it was half price!
8. Students don't have to tip. Simple as. If you're tipping a waiter, chances are you're just giving your money to another student anyway. Keep it. 
9. Turn off the heat. Swap the radiator for an extra blanket. 
10. One of my favourite past-times costs me €1. I buy a cup of tea in a cafe, and I sit in the corner with a book to read or my journal and a pen for hours. Love. :)
11. Don't go grocery shopping hungry! This is one of my biggest problems. I want to buy everything! 
12. Get a piggy bank that you have to break to get into- best idea ever! 
13. No alcohol. This one is easy for me, I don't really drink. But it is a big money waster for a lot of students. 
14. Noodles. Cheapest food ever.  
15. Don't call- text! I pay €20 a month for 'free' texts, and that's it. Or if you really must, an evil little tip is to call, then hang up instantly. The poor person thinks they missed your call, they call you back and it costs them not you. But I didn't give you that idea. 
16. Baby wipes. Forget fancy facial wipes, washes or scrubs- baby wipes work for everything and are way cheaper.
17. Bring clothes home to wash them- doing laundry costs too much money if you don't have your own washing machine and dryer.
18. Forget fancy exercise classes- walk, dance, do sit ups and push ups and whatever you need to at home with your iPod.
19. Don't be tempted to wander into your favourite clothes shops if you know you can't afford anything. It's just mean. 
20. Fruit is cheaper than chocolate. 

I'm sure there are lots more ways to save money, but for now these will keep me going. I am determined to have money to buy Christmas presents! 

This Is My Winter Song

From Song: 'Winter Song' by Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Barreilles

This week, I have been wrapped up in layers upon layers of scarves, socks and coats. And I realised that when I told everyone I wouldn't really miss home when I went to college, I was wrong- I miss the open fire! The city apartment can get very cold at night, making it extra difficult to drag myself from my lovely bed at 6am. But it's the weekend, and I'm curled up in front of the fire with my laptop, hot chocolate, and Ellen on TV- yay! 

Winter Love: 

1. Christmas
2. Cosy cardigans
3. Scarves
4. Soups
5. More lazy days
6. Christmas shopping
7. Tea & Biscuits
8. Santa Clause
9. Boots
10. Really crisp, fresh air
11. Christmas decorations
12. Bubble baths
13. Fairy lights 
14. Open fires
15. Pretty snow flakes
16. Sledding
17. Giant books
18. Slippers
19. Candles (preferably vanilla scented)
20. Pretty gift wrapping
21. Snow angels  
22. Curling up in bed with layers of blankets
23. Christmas music
24. When it's so cold you can see your breath
25. Fluffy socks
26. Hot Chocolate
27. Curling up with blankets and a book
28. Snow Days
29. Christmas parties
30. Babies all wrapped up
31. New pyjamas
32. Fireworks on New Years Eve
33. Christmas movies
34. You can get away with not shaving!
35. Snow men/ snow families
36. Ice skating
37. Seeing all of my family
38. Buying a new calender
39. All the winter birthdays (my friends and family all seem to be winter babies!)
40. Snowball fights
41. Roasting marshmallows
42. Leaning against the radiator
43. Icicles
44. More baking
45. More chocolate
46. Power cuts
47. Watching animals playing in the snow
48. Christmas episodes of Friends
49. Being the first to walk on fresh snow
50. Cuddles :) 

Cosy Winter Playlist

Winter Song- Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles

Sea Of Love- Cat Power

Stuck On You- Lionel Richie

Winter- Joshua Radin

Yellow- Coldplay

Changes (Landslide)- Stevie Nicks

Hear You Me- Jimmie Eat World

Feels Like Home- Chantal Kreviazuk

Enchanted- Taylor Swift

Everything- Michael Buble

This Is The Life

Song: 'This Is The Life' by Amy McDonald

College students are supposed to party all the time, care free and be high on life. I'm either high on coffee or sleep deprivation, or slumped in a chair somewhere physically holding my eyes open and trying to stay awake. Right now? The latter. The life of a student nurse! We were thinking of introducing a new hospital policy whereby student nurses have permission to receive caffeine intravenenously (a drip straight into your veins!) during lunch breaks, a great idea in my opinion. I am, of course, joking. ;) No, I really do love nursing! And we do get to experience some of college life, especially living in student accommodation! But for now, I think I will just have a little nap while standing upright.

Nap-Time Playlist

1. See You Soon by Coldplay
2. Mmm by Laura Izibor
3. Tied Together With A Smile by Taylor Swift
4. Make You Feel My Love by Adele
5. Lost by Michael Buble
6. I'll Be by Edwin McCain
7. Lullaby by Priscilla Ahn
8. Down by Jason Walker
9. Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg
10. Chasing Cars by Snowpatrol