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". :)