Dose of Sass & Advice

When I was way younger like in my first few years in secondary school, I was always picked on for my thicker, arched eyebrows and my wavy, thick hair because at the time it was cool to have super thin eyebrows and poker straight thin hair. I used to get so upset and I couldn't understand why my hair and eyebrows being a little bit different was such a bad thing.

Nowadays, the things I get the most compliments on are my lovely thick hair and my eyebrows. See how these things change? In 5 years time these things could be gone back out of fashion but I won't mind because I've found my little beauty niche and I'm content with my thick hair and arched eyebrows.

It's really funny how these things change (quite cyclically) and how the changes in what is and isn't en vogue can help you embrace your natural qualities. Or help you embrace that you stand out.

I suppose my point is that if there's a particular thing about you, let's say a physical attribute that is currently considered to go against the flow, just wait it out and it'll probably come into fashion in a while and you'll be all the rage! You can be all 'oh my freckles? Been here all along, I used to get the piss ripped out of me for them but now they're selling freckle kits in Boots so I guess I just hit the trend early'. #werk

Hernias Are Shit.

Please, please forgive me for being entirely AWOL for the last while, things have been hectic to say the least.

I had to go get a gastroscopy (which is the camera down into your stomach in case you didn't already know because I did not know until my doctor explained it to me). It was supposed to be a relatively quick in'n'out deal, they said I'd be ready to go home about 1pm but unfortunately my bladder went on strike and I couldn't wee in a jar for them. After 3 hours of day time television and constant supervision from all the nurses, they gave up and put me on a drip. One litre of fluids later et voila, an adequate urine sample. I've never had so many people rejoice over my pee before and to be honest, I kind of liked it! I'm considering hiring those nurses to congratulate me every time I pee. In the end I was only going down to the procedure room at half 1 so I didn't get to go home until nearly 6pm.

They found a lil hernia at the top of my stomach as well as some bacteria thing (I don't remember why the bacteria is a bad one, I was spaced out on anaesthesia when the doctor was explaining all of this). So I was put on all this medication and an antibiotic, the nurse told me it was going to be a rough ride because the side effects are awful but holy shit it's been so much worse than a 'rough ride'.

I'm on day 8 or 9 (I think) and it's a 10 day course of medication so the end is nigh near. Thus far, I have had;
- extreme nausea
- a constant tight pain around where my diaphragm is, gets a million times worse when I eat
- a constant taste of metal in my mouth, it's like I can taste blood and it's so fucking gross
- insanely bad tremors, my whole body convulses and all my muscles spasm
- blurred vision
- clammy hands (relatively small scale but it's still uncomfortable)
- zero appetite
- I'm tired all day every day (I'm a sleepy person normally but this is taking the piss)
- my pee is a weird colour despite me drinking a load of water every day (TMI? I don't care)
- hot and cold sweats
- my brain feels like it's made of cotton wool and I can't focus on anything

Sounds like a load of shit right? It is. Avoid getting a hernia at all costs because they're not fun at all.

On the bright side, I've saved a lot of petrol money this week because I couldn't go to college, during this extra time I did some online shopping and found the perfect dress for my Christmas work party and I've found a new Aziz Ansari show to be obsessed with (Master of None, watch it and thank me later).

That required more concentration that I can muster so I'll leave it at that, I promise I won't take nearly as long to put up another post once I'm back to normal!

Updates, Anxiety and Lack o' Mates

First off, sorry for being MIA for the last few weeks, I started back to college last week and in the run up to that I've been working myself to the bone to try save up as much money as I can seeing as I'll be back to part time hours when I'm in college.

I was working so much that I burned out and I managed to put my back out and pick up the flu, brilliant. So as you can imagine stress levels are through the roof right now which is probably not helping matters on the health side of things.

I guess in general this is an update post and given that I'm (probably overly) honest with this blog, a little bit of a vent.

Aside from being sick and over worked as of late, my stress and anxiety levels are like Everest high and growing bigger every day. Going back to college feels like such a huge deal and it's so very daunting. I'm 100% on my own. Sure, I have friends in the same college but they're all a few years ahead of me, I don't know anyone in my year let alone anyone doing my course. Billy no mates and hating every fucking minute.

Everyone keeps saying 'you're so friendly and outgoing, you'll make friends no bother!' but I'm so nervous and worried that I'm really not acting like my usual bubbly self and I'm just trying to get through the days without incident.

To be fair, lectures start tomorrow so I'll probably have more luck this week but as we all know; logic does nothing to help anxiety. In fact, logic just makes you feel stupid as well as anxious. I'm walking around the house wringing my hands and tugging on the ends of my hair, I cry more times a day than I care to admit. Even as I type, I can feel a lump in my throat.

I know that I'll be fine in a few months, I'll settle and I'll have made plenty of friends but no amount of logic is helping to dispel these anxious feelings in the pit of my stomach. Failure feels imminent and I'm suddenly not the brave person I thought I was. I'm terrified which is a big admittance for Little Miss I Got This over here.

My two saving graces have been my family and my friends. I've been whining and worrying for weeks so everyone has been giving me loads of advice and hugs. Having an incredibly strong support system has been incremental in resisting the urge to run for the hills or go into hibernation.

Anyways I think that's more than enough whinging for today, watch this space to see if I make any friends this week or if it all falls to shit (really praying for the former).

Please send any of your excess good vibes my way :*

Yeats Country

I took a wee trip to Sligo last week to visit a friend and I got some lovely shots down around Strandhill. I could've spent all day watching the waves and with all the beautiful scenery, it's not hard to see how that landscape fuelled the imaginations of the Yeats brothers and countless other artists, authors, poets etc. down through the centuries.

Let's Talk About; Medication

I've been involved in quite a few debates about the use of medication to treat mental illnesses lately (nothing new there, this kid and debates go hand in hand). All of the opinions I've heard have given me a lot to digest and think about so I figured it was worth discussing here.

I was very surprised to find out that so many people still have very negative views on anti depressants and the like, almost archaic views to be honest. Ranging from concerns about getting addicted to being left in a drooling, vegetative state. The lack of information and discussion about medication is only fuelling these opinions and making matters far worse.

I make absolutely no secret of the fact that I wouldn't be sitting here in my kitchen typing without the help of 40mg of Prozac/Fluoxetine a day. Am I a hazy shadow of the person I used to be? Am I dependant on medication? I might be different to who I was before but let me assure you it is an improvement! And as for dependancy or addiction, I do need my daily dosage to keep me going but I hope to wean myself off them eventually and I don't foresee that being a big problem.

If I broke a bone and the doctor suggested a cast, how weird would it be if I turned around and said 'No way Doc, I'm strong enough to beat this and heal by myself!'? In the case of mental health issues, it's your brain that's broken/malfunctioning and needs fixing/altering. Medications for mental health problems are designed to balance out all your chemicals and hormones in your head to help you out. Tablets alone are not a solution but combined with you're preferred form of therapy/counselling, they can help an awful lot!

Medication isn't a long term solution, a lot of them are intended to get your recovery off the ground with a view to weaning off them in the future. In my case, Prozac helps balance out the chemicals in my brain that cause the severe emotional overloads and episodes that make up Borderline Personality Disorder. I feel much more level since I started taking medication, I don't get the same emotional swings and turbulence as I used to and there's no numbness or haziness.

Any kind of medication that causes serious side effects like the stereotypes of the zombie-like mental patients, would not be prescribed lightly. Unless you were in the midst of a serious psychotic/neurotic episode and you were a danger to yourself or those around you, no responsible doctor would prescribe anything like that.

Another thing I've noticed is that medication seems to be synonymous with weakness. Bullshit. If anything it's the exact opposite! How is helping yourself and being pro-active in your recovery weak? It isn't and don't let anyone ever tell you that it is. Refusing medical assistance with a physical ailment would be deemed foolish so in my eyes refusing help with a mental health issue is just as bad if not worse! Take the helping the hand, don't scoff at it. Inform yourself and do some research, don't believe all the bullshit you hear because that's the same shit that's been whispered for years. Medication for the management of mental health issues has come very far in the last few decades so don't listen to some aul ones spouting shite about how anti-depressants are the devil and how they'll leave you like a cabbage. Go get some real information and then school said aul ones for promoting ignorance.

Go talk to your GP/counsellor/therapist/psychiatrist/psychologist and get some solid, reliable information. If you're informed then you're better armed. Shut down the old wives tales and promote learning.

Anything to add? Hit me up on Twitter @EarthToNiamh or leave a comment on the Glitter&Glory Facebook page!

Festival Preparedness

So I was at Longitude last weekend and someone brought it to my attention that I am always ridiculously over prepared for festivals and the like. Anything you could ever possibly need, I'll more than likely have in my bag (along with a million other things you didn't even know you needed).

One lad decided to take the piss out of me until 10 minutes later, he spilled half his pint of cider all over his arm and sheepishly asked me for a baby wipe to clean it up. In that moment, I was the smuggest little fecker in all of Marlay Park.

Anyhow, in the spirit of all things festival and summer gig related, here's a list of my festival essentials to help you with your packing!

• Baby wipes - my hands never feel clean after using hand sanitiser so I prefer to use baby wipes (if you think about it, the sanitiser kills all the germs and you're just walking around with their gross dead bodies all over your hands, how is that clean??) Also handy for the surprisingly refreshing 'baby wipe shower' in lieu of actual bathing facilities.
• Snacks - when I first started going to festivals I used to bring meals as well in an attempt to save money but I soon realised that my cold leftover pasta is never as appetising as any of the offerings of the food carts. I ended up wasting way too much food so now I just budget to spend money at the food stalls and only bring;  cereal bars, sweets, popcorn/crisps, mixed nuts, rice cakes etc. Basically just bring a shit tonne of filler foods to keep you going between meals. If you have time, make a food plan with your friends so that everyone brings different foods and you can swap or trade.
  * I also recommend bringing lollies, nothing solidifies a festival friendship quicker than offering lollipops to your new mates.
• Tissues - such a rookie supply but you'd be surprised how many people forget them (cough~noobs~cough). Never depend on a portaloo to have toilet paper, don't be so naive kiddo, you're in the big leagues now and you have to fend for yourself!
• Glitter and/or face paint - this doesn't really need and explanation and although some would argue these aren't absolutely essential, I say they are because wearing glitter makes everything more fun.
• Socks - bring every sock you own. Seriously. You will be thanking me for this one when it lashes rain and you're stuck in your soggy socks until you remember you have a load of fresh, dry socks back in your tent. Sorted. It's mad how many pairs of socks you go through over a weekend, especially in Ireland where it will more than likely rain.
• Warm pjs - if possible bring layers for your bed time clothes (or even just really comfy sweats and a hoodie) because no matter how nice the weather might be during the day, night time is generally freeeeeezing and you'll want as many layers as possible when you're back in your tent trying to sleep in sub zero temperatures. I often bring a hat as well because this stops you losing so much heat from your head.
• Ear plugs - again mostly for bed time but if you're in any way sound sensitive, they're also handy to wear when you're watching acts on stage. At my very first Electric Picnic I got about 3 hours sleep a night because I couldn't drift off with all the noise coming from the arena. I learned my lesson and ever since I've brought ear plugs for a solid nights sleep every night.
• Sleeping mask - sounds very diva-like but there's no curtains on your tent to block out the sunrise and if you want to sleep until like 10/11am then a sleeping mask is a godsend.
• A small rolly suitcase - I've never experienced anything as close to hell as the trek from the bus bay to our campsite while hauling everything I had for the weekend in a hold all. Never. Again. I don't know how I regained feeling in my hands so I've been bringing a little suitcase with wheels ever since. Not ideal over grass or rough ground but it's by far a better option than a hold all.
• A hiking backpack - you can fit a serious amount in one of these and combined with the wheely suitcase, you can bring everything you need without being weighed down in baggage.
• No room for a pillow? - No problem! I usually bring a clean pillow case and just fill it with clothes to make a makeshift pillow to do for the weekend.
• Bin bags - the ground is damp but you wanna sit down? Bin bag. You wanna separate your dirty clothes from the clean ones? Bin bag. Wanna keep all your rubbish together? Bin bag. Wellies destroyed in muck? Bin bag. So many things can be fixed with a bin bag and a roll of them doesn't take up a lot of space in your bag.
• Dry shampoo - trust me, it's way easier than attempting to wash your hair int he campsite.
• Hair ties and bobby pins - just bring loads of them because they're so handy and there's nothing more irritating than being stuck without one when you really need it.
• Don't bring your entire wardrobe - plan your outfits in advance and know that it is A-ok to re-wear something as long as it's clean. You're here to enjoy yourself so focus on that instead of trying to put on a fashion show. Comfort is key. Don't you dare bring heels. Don't. Everyone will think you're an idiot so just don't.
• Converse - the old faithfuls of footwear. Provided the ground isn't too mucky, you can easily get away with converse or vans or runners. You'll be on your feet a lot so plan for comfort, no flip flops, no sandals, no new shoes that you haven't broken in yet.
• First aid - bring painkillers, plasters, tablets for indigestion and nausea. Plan for the worst, just in case. Especially if you're planning on being hungover, that paracetamol you threw in last minute will be your saviour. Not a nice topic but it has to be said; bring Imodium in case you get the runs, better safe than sorry.
• Find the water refill station on the campsite map - don't be bringing 5L water bottles with you. Those are not only extremely heavy but for fecksake you don't need that much! Bring a few 500ml bottles and refill them over the weekend. This is common sense but the amount of dopes I've seen hauling one of more of those massive 5L bottles through campsites is ridiculous.
• Mirror - bring a pocket one for doing your make up or cleaning your face, surprisingly easy to forget one of these so throw it in with your make up etc.
• Suncream - another rookie mistake is forgetting suncream. Nothing worse than festival sunburn so be prepared for nice weather!

Those are all the essentials I can think of for now, have you got any more to add to the list? Comment below, tweet me (@EarthToNiamh) or go to the Glitter&Glory Facebook page!

'If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say, Don't Say Anything At All.'

So as you may or may not know, I achieved my hair goals a couple of weeks ago when I got my all over pastel purple hair (yes it is as wonderful as it sounds and yes I'm completely obsessed with my own hair).

                                         Ta-dah!

I've never been so happy with my hair and the general feedback from my friends, family, co-workers etc is that everyone else likes it too which is great!

However I have noticed something that I can't say I ever paid any attention to before very recently. When did it become acceptable to pass comment on a total strangers appearance? I'm fine with compliments because that's sweet and very uplifting coming from a stranger but when on earth did it become normal to outright insult someone they don't know based on an aspect of their appearance?

The sheer amount of people who've said demeaning or nasty things to me in the last two weeks regarding my hair colour is astonishing! I've been called Dame Edna too many times to count, some people have said 'you do realise Hallowe'en isn't for another few months right?' and one particularly rude elderly woman decided it was necessary to tell me I look ridiculous. Lovely, eh? One man even went as far as telling me that if I wanted to attract kids all I needed was sweets, I didn't have to impersonate Barney, which to be honest is not only creepy it's also a little bit scary that he thought it was totally alright to just casually make such an inappropriate joke to a complete stranger!

I understand that some people might be joking and I'm well able to laugh at myself, I have no problem with that. I've gotten a lot of that kind of attitude too and I laugh along because it's all in good spirit, it's the mean spirited comments that drive me up the wall.

Just because I made a very visible change to my appearance doesn't mean it's up for public dissection for the amusement of others. Ok so it might not be all that common a hair colour (especially in a small town filled with small minded people) but it hardly necessitates cruel comments, does it?

I have thick skin and I'm well able to take the sly criticisms so I'm not upset by any of this, simply a bit confused. 

It says an awful lot more about the people who feel the need to make these comments than it says about me or my hair. Imagine being like that, imagine thinking that just because someone has an unusual hair colour that it is perfectly alright to just insult them. 

My mammy used to always tell me; 'if you've nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.' If I saw someone with a crazy hair colour, my first instinct would be 'not for me but fair fucks to them!'. I would never in a million years even dream of saying something mean to that person! It's so difficult to understand the mindset of such strange, strange people. Being pass remarkable is not a nice trait to have.

Just some food for thought and a bit of a vent! Any thoughts or questions, leave em below or tweet me @EarthToNiamh :*

#posivibes only please little sunflowers! X

Wolf Alice - 'My Love Is Cool' (Review)

I have been waiting on this album for what feels like absolute centuries! I first saw Wolf Alice when they supported the 1975 on a few Irish dates in February 2014 and I immediately fell in love. I'm not usually a massive fan of anything that's in anyway related to grunge but I found myself immediately drawn in by Ellie Roswell's beautifully clear voice. The boys' breathy harmonies add to the dreamy feel of the over all vocals. I remember being a little bit entranced by their set in the Seapoint Ballroom in Galway and again the next night in the Olympia in Dublin.

When they first wandered on stage that night in Galway, I wasn't expecting much because to be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of stage presence to begin with but one or two songs in, they'd all gotten comfortable, found their own pace and had gotten the attention of every single person in the room.

I saw them again last September at Electric Picnic and they blew the roof off the tent they played, I was so impressed with their set. Whereas before they were kind of meek and unassuming, this time they had more confidence and I felt kind of proud of them!

They came straight out after the set and I was chatting to Joel and Theo for a good bit, they were absolutely lovely. They were both delighted to hear how much I enjoyed the set and I found out they're actually good mates with the 1975 so they were happy to indulge my inner fangirl and tell me all about how down to earth and sweet the boys are. Joel actually spotted my tattoo of the 1975's logo and he freaked out and dragged me over to Ellie and Theo to show them, I was a bit embarrassed but they were so impressed and happy and they kept saying how cool it was which was pretty nice.

Anyway, onto the album! I'm just going to go ahead with a track by track breakdown because that seems to be the easiest format to go about this.

The album opens with a track called Turn To Dust, which has an ever so slightly psychedelic feel to it which caught my attention straight away. Ellie's vocals are enchanting as always, definitely one of my favourite tracks on the album and a brilliant opener.

Bros is hands down my number one track though. I will never tire of this song, ever. It's rare to find songs on the theme of best friends with the whole reminiscing angle but it really works. Such an easy tune to dance to and I know I'd love to hear it on a night out or even have a bop to it the next time I'm at a pre-drinks session (prinks, if you will).

Your Loves Whore - the little pauses are just perfect and organic, sometimes I find that kind of pause can be a bit forced and can sound like the band and trying way too hard to fit into that alt bracket but it's not at all the case with this song. Ellie really shows off the different textures she can create with her voice, she's not all just sweet, clear high notes, girl's got range!

You're A Germ; first off, excellent title, feels like the height of 90's insults which I love. Quite grungy guitar and bass, it's a really great track. The group vocals with the countdown make me feel like this song will be anthemic live.

Lisbon is great, real nice blend of that grunge feel and reliable pop. Ellie's mellow vocals are quite the contrast with the thrashier more upbeat instrumental but it definitely works. 

Silk feels like such a contradicting title because the song isn't quite that smooth. The only thing silky about the song is the vocals, Ellie kills it as per and the group vocals are almost choral in their depth but it's nice and it definitely works. 

Freazy feels like it could be the soundtrack to my life. It's so perfectly chill and relaxed which suits me and my general laid back attitude down to the ground. I can see this being on every playlist I make for the foreseeable future.

Giant Peach has a more kind of edgy, recorded-in-someones-garden-shed kind of vibe which I love. I think this would be suited as an opening track for a setlist and I'm really hoping they play it at Longitude next month.

Swallowtail is sweet and I'm making a mental note to add this to my sleep playlist. Nice change up with the vocals, Joel sings on this one for the main part. It starts out pretty simple and acoustic and builds into a rather emotional crescendo.

Ellie's back on vocals for Soapy Water which is nice and slow, quite relaxed. The echoey percussion adds a bit of depth, as do the background harmonies. A pretty sweet little track, not one of my favourites but I do like it.

The penultimate Fluffy is another one that has the potential to be a bit of anthem, definitely gonna be a goodun' live! Arguably one of the grungiest tracks on the album, it's the exact opposite of clean cut but in a good way. This is the kind of song that they could close with because it's sure to drive any crowd totally wild. 

The Wonderwhy and it's little hidden track are lovely, great way to wrap up one helluva good album. Dreamy, mellow as hell and quite smooth in it's execution. This could be the soundtrack to those days I spend wandering around green places being a fairy.

I expected big things from this album and Wolf Alice did not disappoint! Definitely gonna have this one on repeat for a bit. I'd highly recommend catching these guys (and gal) live if they're playing a gig/festival near you this summer because they won't let you down!

Polagram Bits & Pieces

My Polagram prints arrived and they are beautiful! There is a glossy kind of finish on them which I wasn't expecting, I kind of thought there would be a matte finish on them but in saying that they're still absolutely gorgeous and completely worth the money!

I cannot wait to find somewhere to stick these up in my room or in a little memory book, if you'd like to see where these end up then let me know and I'll make another post about them at a later stage when I've found them a permanent home.

If you want to read the original post I made about Polagram then click here. 

Don't forget, if you're ordering your own Polagram prints you can use the code PG3DXS4W to get €5/£5 off your order!

Feeding My Polaroid Obsession

So I have a minor obsession with polaroid pictures, I love them but sadly I'm broke and can't afford my own polaroid camera (even if I could, the film is crazy expensive and if a picture came out bad it would feel like such a waste, yadda yadda, so many cons).

But lo and behold I found an app that indulges my obsession and my teeny tiny budget!

Polagram!

The app is android and iPhone friendly and you can print any picture from your gallery so you can perfect your selfie (solo or squad) before getting a cute little polaroid of it. You can also import pictures from your Facebook or Instagram if that works better for you.

I chose 9 photos from my camera roll and including shipping, it only cost me €5.50 which is definitely within my price range!

The possibilities for the polaroids is endless as well;

• hang them on my wall to make my room look cuter
• gifts (birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries etc etc)
• party favours
• collages
• stick them in the frame of my mirror
• put them all in photo frames around the house
• use one in the little see through pouch of my purse
• start scrapbooking with them

Basically my life is going to be full of polaroids from now on and I'm pretty happy with that.

If you're not polaroid crazy but you like the idea of your picture on a postcard, a phone case, a photo book, a poster, a canvas or a gift box instead then good news, Polagram caters to all of that!

And if you guys use my discount code PG3DXS4W you can get a fiver off your own order!

I'll make another post featuring the prints when they arrive xo

Dandelion Throwback

One of the first photos I ever took on my Nikon One and to be honest, still one of my favourites. I know it's very simple and I was only getting to grips with how to use the camera but I still really love it for some reason!

Photo of the Day

Never underestimate how pretty a shitty iPhone pic can be. Took this at 5am last week in a friends house, we were only getting in from a house party and my not-so-sober brain was like 'yo take a picture of that sunrise light on the wall that's cute' and then the next morning I was sitting in bed trying to recollect everything I could remember from the night before and I found this on my phone and thought 'kudos drunk Niamh, this is actually cute, go me'.

'Don't Call Me A Feminist.'

Very interesting article in the Life magazine segment of the Sunday Independent today, featuring Rosanna Davison in all her glorious ignorance! I thought the headline 'Don't Call Me A Feminist' was some kind of bait designed to get me riled up enough to read the article but unfortunately I was wrong. 

In an interview with Life magazine (which I will link here) Rosanna talks about supporting equal pay for women and wanting women to be financially independent yet even though all of these things are indicative of someone with a feminist ideology, she states she doesn't want to be referred to as a feminist.

It honestly makes me laugh so hard when people are like 'Oh yeah big supporter of equal rights for women but don't label me a feminist!' Sweetheart what exactly do you think a feminist is? Because I have news for you, you literally just defined it.

Fair enough, that particular f word has some very negative connotations, I used to be so reluctant to use it because it had bad things associated with it but do you know what happened? I grew up. I'm a woman and I'm a feminist, a proud one at that.

It is so disappointing that someone in the public eye who has such an influence was totally ok with showcasing her ignorance and reinforcing the negative attitude around the term 'feminism'. For the love of Christ, it's 2015, this shouldn't be up for discussion anymore. Any woman (or any man for that matter) who doesn't want to be called a feminist is an idiot. Simple as. No ifs, ands or buts. If you believe in equality of the sexes then you are a feminist.

People in the public eye have more of a duty that any of the rest of us when it comes to breaking down these kinds of stereotypes. Rosanna Davison has a far wider reach with what she says than with what I say. Imagine all the young girls (and boys) who read that article today. I would imagine that plenty of them are mature enough to see the flaw in what Rosanna said but some of them might already be conditioned to think of feminists as bra burning, men hating bitches so that view has been reinforced.

I kind of love that some people are scared of the word feminism, that almost makes me identify with the label even more. I'm scary because I'm smart? Excellent. I'm intimidating because I know what I want? Fabulous. Feminists are terrifying because they're not afraid to stand up for themselves and anyone else who needs it? Wonderful. I'm a scary feminist and I'm completely on board with that.

I hope that there's a least a little bit of backlash to this article which will hopefully get Rosanna to re-think her definition of feminist. Girls supporting girls is the most important thing and even though she put out an ill informed opinion, she's still a beautiful and smart lady and I hope she sees the feminist light and comes to my next bra burning sesh in my back garden ;)

#posivibes til the end hunz xo

Wee Update xo

Hello friends!

I'm so very sorry for the lack of updating recently, things have been go go go and hectic as hell and I haven't had time to sit down and properly plan out a post! (Excuses, excuses, I know).

Into the bargain, I've been having a bit of a weird time of it lately. When I have particularly busy weeks I tend to get a bit anxious and I've basically just had a enormous knot in my stomach for about a fortnight, I feel like I've just remembered I left the immersion on or something, it's odd and I don't like it but I'm dealing.

Anyway, enough of the pity party! I have very little news except for the fact that I passed my driving test! I've been driving since I was 17 but to begin with I was a very nervous driver like I wouldn't drive on main roads for like a year because I was too freaked out. I finally plucked up enough courage to actually get my butt into gear and book a test and I passed! My tester was very nice and really put me at ease which made the whole ordeal so much easier. I was in full freak out mode for about a week before the test because not only is my dad a qualified driving instructor who drives for a living, my younger brother passed his test first time around when he was only 17! Pressure, pressure, pressure. 

As stupid as it sounds, I genuinely felt like I'd be such a disappointment to them if I failed. I had so many mini breakdowns over the possibility of failing and letting everyone down but it was all for nothing! I knew deep down that I'm a safe, competent, capable driver but sometimes things just don't go your way on the day like you could get an arsehole of a tester or something could go majorly wrong when you're on the road, so much potential for disaster and failure so I got myself overly worked up, nearly to the point of being sick but it's all ok now *insert thumbs up emoji*.

Other than that, it's all quiet on the western front. Trying to come up with summer plans and even though I feel a bit sad that I've nothing big planned, I also feel really excited because that means I have the whole summer spreading out ahead of me for adventures and exploring! And now I can drive anywhere I like which opens up a whole bunch of possibilities!

I'll leave at that for today, talk soon little sunflowers! x

Tie Dye and Galaxies

I was creeping through insta tags the other day and I came across this wee gem of an account that's run by the lovely Gina who's based in Dublin.

The gorgeous tie dye tops were what caught my attention so I followed the link to her Etsy shop (which you can find here). I always find Etsy to be hit and miss because although you can pretty easily find gorgeous pieces of jewellery or clothes or whatever you're looking for, the prices can sometimes be a bit steep. However I was delighted to find that was absolutely not the case here, Gina's products are all very reasonable! I treated myself to the Yin Yang Tie Dye T-Shirt which was less than €20 including shipping! Gina messaged me almost immediately after I placed the order regarding sizes, she was efficient and absolutely lovely to deal with.

This is the top as it was displayed on Gina's Etsy shop (A+ for the display, professional but still laid back which is seems to be a key feeling for Gina's pieces).

And this is my top, I went for a large so it'd be baggy enough to wear with leggings and I just layered my amethyst crystal necklace with my Buddha pendant, threw on my mint Vans and ta-da! Simple, comfy as hell and still cute as hell into the bargain. Perfect for warmer weather because I prefer laid back styles with minimal effort when the suns out.

I also ordered this crescent moon galaxy pendant which I'm in love with! (Pic credit to Gina's insta)

The colours are just as, if not more, vivid in real life which I was so happy with, plus such a bargain at €6 including shipping.

Proud to be a supporter of not only the little guy but also of Irish products, gotta look out for your own!

Head over here to Gina's Etsy shop and place your order ASAP and get into those tie dye summer vibes *peace sign emoji*

Forget Me Not

Today was lovely! The weather was beautiful so after a bit of a lie in and doing a few bits around the house, I grabbed my camera and a book and hit the road!

I didn't really have a destination in mind when I left the house but I decided to go a spot near the River Liffey which isn't too far from where I live. In the end I couldn't get parking near the area I had in mind so I kept going, looking for somewhere I could safely pull in so I could go for a ramble.

The only place I could pull in and park was in front of a very old rural graveyard which, as weird as this may sound, had some really beautiful trees and flowers and general scenery so I figured I'd start my wandering in there. I thought from the location of the graveyard that it might back onto the Liffey and I was right so I got to spend some time by the river even if it wasn't the exact place I had in mind.

I wouldn't call myself religious but I'm definitely somewhat spiritual so out of respect I didn't take photos of any graves or flowers/arrangements on the graves, just of the surrounding trees and plants.

I spent about 40 minutes wandering around and I got some really gorgeous shots which I'll leave below. You can find my flickr album of these photos here if you want to see them in bigger and better quality!

Hope everyone's loving the sunshiney vibes!