Hallowe'en Tag!

Well, I've been tagged again, by my blogging buddy, MissLauranne. So here we are, on Hallowe'en Eve, having Hallowe'en thoughts and typing Hallowe'en things.
I'll get on with it.

1. What is your favorite Halloween movie?

Considering everything freaks me out and I don't like to be scared, it's surprising I like Hallowe'en at all. And I'm going to wuss out and tell you that my favourite thing to watch at this time of year are the cartoon's Hallowe'en specials. I love those. Like, Bob's Burgers, Adventure Time, Hey Arnold... They're the best! And when movies get in on the action? My day is made! Toy Story and Shrek shorts, a cup of blackcurrant tea, and it's a happy Halloween night.

2. 1-10, how much do you enjoy Halloween?

I like it a whole NINE! But sometimes it's gruesome and gory and then I hate it.

3. What is your fondest Halloween memory?

I loved the first year I started going out with my fiancé, because we dressed up a little (face paint and the like), brought my little brother and his buddies trick or treating, and then we went into town and went for drinks! (Featuring my worst Halloween costume ever- a black dress and a white face; I went as 'Hallowe'en'... *rolls eyes*)

 

4. Have you always been a Halloween lover?

Definitely! My Mom used to make all my costumes, and there were some gems! I was Esmerelda, a Vampire Queen, Pocahontas... She used to knit me wigs and cut up her old clothes to fit me. On the other hand, my little brother Jake used to hate dressing up, and he just wore a bin bag every year. One year he was a black pumpkin. Another year he was a clown. He wore a bin bag again. Classic.

 

5. How do you get into the Halloween spirit?

It's great being a preschool teacher, the kids will get into the spirit of just about anything. I bring in a hand puppet of Frankenstein's monster, called Frankie, and he comes to talk to the kids every day at storytime. That really gets me in the spirit! That and our Hallowe'en party, where I get to dress up! I usually pick something different for the school Hallowe'en party and for going out on Hallowe'en night, for obvious enough reasons. This year I made myself a half-arsed Captain America costume!

 

6. Favourite Halloween decorations?

I love pumpkins! And my favourite favourite thing is post-Hallowe'en Pumpkin Dumping! It's a tradition me and Steve made up. One year I was sad at the thought of throwing away our pumpkin cos he had a face. I was genuinely sad! I form attachments with inannimate objects on a daily basis, it's a condition.
Anyway, we decided to carry the pumpkin out into the woods and leave him sitting happily on a tree stump. In my mind, he became a temporary home for a family of mice. And then a feast for a bunch of hungry robins. Yes, in my mind, the world is a Disney film.

 

7. Favorite halloween/fall scent?

Gotta love the smell of rotting pumpkins! I kid.
I dunno, maybe blackcurrant tea? I tend to drink that a lot around this time of year. I have to agree with Laura, who loves the smoky outdoorsy smell of wet leaves and people's fires in the air too.

 

8. Favorite candy?

Chocolate, most certainly. All those lovely mini versions of everything that came home in your trick or treat bag! They were all the sweeter, for having gotten them from strangers (wow, that's the worst thing to say to children, never repeat that)

 

9. Vampires or zombies?

The world seems obsessed with zombies, in particular the zombie apocalypse. Forget that! I watched What Happens in the Shadows last night, a brilliant vampire mocumentary, so I'm going to go for vampires on this one.

 

10. What is your weird/odd fear?

I'm afraid of everything. Is that weird?

 

11. Last but not least, do you believe in ghosts?

I do indeed! But I don't believe in the spooky kind that do mean things. I believe in the sort that give you little messages from the other side, help you find a parking space, that sorta thing. The friendly fellahs.


That was really fun! I didn't realise I had so many Hallowe'en opinions! I tag Leighanne again, cos I don't really know any other bloggers as of yet. There we are now. I'm off to finish my DIY costume for this year... If it goes well I'll stick it up here! Till next time, absolutely nobody.

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What's in that bag o' yours?

There are two reasons I'm writing this post-
1. Felt like writing
2. I was inspired by MissLauranne, who is doing Blogtober (which sounds great- like some sort of vegetable), and who is also writing a similar post, and I'm basically just outright copying her. Go look at ~hers~, it's sure to be way more well written and interesting!

So as not to be putting on any airs and graces (imagine!) I'm just going to pull things out and discuss them, no editing or hiding embarrassing things. So bear with me.

Let's start with the bag itself - a Penney's purchase (like 90% of my wardrobe). The strap annoys me, and the other straps were too short, so I strapped an extra strap to it, and now it has four straps, all of which flail around in the breeze as I walk through town. I have not yet corrected this, nor will I ever, if my past laziness is anything to go by.

Now, inside!

Books, books, assorted books

The first is a lovely treat for your brain- Sane New World, by Ruby Wax. I was never a great fan of her stand up, but since she got a degree in neuroscience and studied mindfulness, I found myself far more interested in what she had to say. And she is actually a very funny lady.

The next is a crossword puzzle book I bought in a pound shop a couple of weeks ago. I bought it to try and occupy my fingers and my brain in moments of boredom, instead of simply turning to my phone to do quizzes on Buzzfeed (I calculated it, and I have wasted 28 years of my life doing just that). The book is actually great, and I have completed the first 7 puzzles! Yay me!

This little notebook, which is full of crap. I picked it up on sale in Tesco because it's beautiful. It contains such pearls of wisdom as "Don't forget to write that letter" (to whom???) and "remember to pay back Dad for the shark teeth" (what a dumb purchase. But how could I say no to genuine shark teeth from a vending machine?)

My Purse
I bought this purse specifically because it has loads of room for cards.

My favourites are:
- a beautiful library card from the most wonderful library I've ever been to (I lied and said I live in the area to get an account. JOKES ON YOU SUCKERS)
- My ID card from the Letter Writers Alliance
- My buddy, MissLauranne's business card
- My bank card, cos money (not pictured for extremely obvious reasons)

Food
You can count on me to have food in my bag. It may not be edible, but it's certainly there.
Today I have
- a bottle of water (half full)
- a bar of Dairy Milk (not eaten), given to me by my other buddy, Leigh, when I was feeling under the weather. Thanks Leigh! Saving this for... A more chocolatey time..?
-  a Tango apple bar??? This is seriously the first time I'm seeing this. Who put this here? I hate these. Was it one of you kids at work? Probably. They often deposit 'gifts' in my handbag. Before you get excited, they're usually used tissues.
- a liquid iron supplement, for energy. I forgot that was there.

A Jumble of Nonsense
- A pen in the shape of a lady. I bought this in Tiger, the best shop ever.
- An ipod-and-wires case in the shape of a peanut butter and jam sandwich. Of course.
- A pencil case in the shape of a carrot. I really like things in the shape of things.
- A (clean) pair of socks. I remember putting these in here weeks ago as I went for a muddy walk in the woods, thinking I'd need them. I didn't and I still don't.
- A spoon. I don't know.
- A rock from the beach where my boyfriend proposed. No, not boyfriend, fiancé. (It's just too fancy a word for me)

Beauty Things
- A lip balm (the best I've ever tried, and I'm always trying them)
- A pink lipstick. I like to mix them both together!
- A mirror my Mom bought me
- A myriad of hairclips, both broken and otherwise.
I thought there would be more of this king of thing, that's why I gave it its own section. Ah well, moving swiftly on.

And finally, Little Mikey. There is no reason for me to carry this guy around, other than he is lovely and it makes me smile every time I look into my bag for something.

So there we are. Less like a peek into my bag and more like a rummage around the deep recesses of my brain. What did we learn about my pysche? That I'm a bit of a hoarder with food issues? That I will definitely buy a thing if it's shaped like another thing? That I still carry a teddy even though I'm 25? I've definitely learned I need to carry less. I mean, 3% of this stuff is useful.
Even the cat's looking at me like "What the hell Rebecca"

This was a great idea. I now feel like a crazy lady. Look at the contents of my bag! I'm like a child who was given money and told to fill a bag with nonsense!
Ah well.


Works for me, I guess?

 
    

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How to be an Indoors Kind of a Person

Welcome, one and all, to a tutorial you do not need.
If you are the sort of person who sits at home reading the blog of a young Irishwoman, then you do not need tips and reasons to stay indoors.
You are here for reassurance, and that I can offer plenty of. I can also recommend nice things to do.

Part One: So You're Looking For an Excuse
Isn't it the worst when you have friends and they want to do things with you?
Fret not, these foolproof excuses will work on even the most desperate and pathetic friend, dying for your love and attention:
- "I can't."
- "Sorry, no."
- "Not tonight."
Because you do not need an excuse to stay indoors. That is the real lesson. Pysch!

Part Two: How to Settle On Down
As if you're not already an expert. But lets indulge ourselves.
The very best way to spend a loooooong evening to yourself, in your home, is to earn it. You must do something very taxing, so that you may think "I need to treat myself to two hours of reading old magazines". These things include
- Going into town to buy bread
- Posting a letter
- Making food of any description (this includes eating something from the packet)
- Almost bumping into someone you know
- Rearranging your candles
Now that you have earned this time, for the love of god enjoy it.

Part Three: Your Toolkit
This is a very simple and pleasant activity- assembling a toolkit. It can even include arranging things nicely, if you're so inclined!
Must haves include
- Deliciously soft (new??!) pajama pants
- An obscenely large and cosy jumper (better if it's borrowed from someone you love. Or someone you hate, because then you can laugh and think "Fuck you, I've got your jumper")
- Heartbreakingly fluffy socks
- A beautiful blanket of your choosing
- A pet (but not a fish. And if you must choose a cat, make sure it loves you. Seriously, make sure)
- A never-ending supply of your favourite hot drink (why am I pretending this should be anything but tea?)
- Snacks. Oh the snacks.

Part Four: Living Your Best Life

• Make yourself inexcusably comfortable, propped up on your couch with Netflix ready to go and everything within reaching distance.
• Paint a tiny watercolour portrait of your cat while watching Downton Abbey.
• Decide what colour you're going to paint your nails just as soon as you have enough money to go into town.
• Start collecting Pins for your Board entitled Break-Up Haircuts (even though you're not even in a relationship)
• Ignore the phone as your boss calls you, wondering where the flaming fuck you are.
• Assemble a sandwich of erotic proportions involving every meat in the fridge.
• Every now and then, allow your gaze to drift to the window. Think "It's nice out. I might go for a walk." Do this after one week. You are indoors now. Embrace it.

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Sweater Weather

Despite the fact that 'sweater' is a very American word, and not half as lovely as our Irish 'jumper' (why 'jumper'? Are we to be jumping for joy that it's time to put them on? Yes), I am very happy to be tagged by MissLauranne in the Sweater Weather Tag!

Enough babbling, time to answer these questions (probably in a babbly manner, to be fair)

1. Favorite candle scent?
There are a whole bunch of candles lit around my flat right now, and they are all citronella. How very unseasonal of me. I do apologise.

2. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate?
I spend most of my free time drinking tea, and yet for this one I'm going to say hot chocolate. I love when the different seasonal flavours come in to the coffee shops. My favourites are honey hot chocolate and black forest gateaux because COME ON.

3. What’s the best Autumn memory you have?
Definitely Autumn of 2012. I had just started my job as a pre-school teacher, and any teacher will tell you that Autumn is chock-full of learning opportunities. It was only since starting my job that I noticed the absolute magic of Autumn. The kids in my class made it easy for me to spend a full month talking about the fascinating subject that are snails. (They start hibernation in Autumn, so we go on nature walks looking for them, singing about them and making crafts. Riveting, right??)
 
4. Dark lips or Winged eyeliner?
On a night out, both! But I'm lazy with make-up and winged eyeliner (although one of my favourite make-up things) takes effort. So dark lips. Properly dark, like a deep purpley-brown. Reminds me of my mom getting ready to go out when I was younger. She was all big hair and dark lips and now so am I.

5. Best Fragrance for fall?
Oh jeepers, I don't know! I don't change perfumes, I just use whatever people have cast-off in my direction. Right now it's a mix of 'Sunflowers' by Elizabeth Arden and some cheapo off-brand one. I want to say an alluring mix....? But I doubt that very much. 
 
6. Favorite Thanksgiving food?
Well I'm Irish and I don't have Thanksgiving, but when I am eating sandwiches, that's when I feel the most thankful. So, sandwiches.

7. What is autumn weather like where you are?
It's amazingly good for this country and time of year. We've been having an extended Indian Summer. Which makes the drive to work every morning quite spectacular, with the pinky-orangey sunrises, and also allows for impromptu trips to the coast after dinner!

8. Most worn sweater?
Actually, it's probably a chunky knit grey one that I threw in the 'donation' pile about an hour ago. It's still in good nick, but I put it on the other day and noticed for the first time that it gave me really weird shaped hips. So, that's disappointing.

9. Must have nail polish this Fall?
I found a dark red matte nail polish in Superdrug and it's pretty perfect.

10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?
Oh man I wish I could go to one American football college/high school game, sit in the bleachers, drink spiced cider and pretend to care about sports. But I'll settle for jumping in leaves with the kids at work. 

11. Skinny jeans or Leggings?
Haven't worn leggings since I was 5 and they were my outfit staple. They're pretty cool, but not my thang. My thang is saying the word thang and wearing skinny jeans.

12. Combat boots or uggs?
Combat boots all the time because Uggs make me sad for the human race.

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?
Nothing could be worth that hype. I've only ever had a sip of my fiance's pumpkin latte, and neither of us were very impressed. My honey hot chocolate on the other hand...! Eh? Eh?

14. Favorite Fall Tv Show?
I'm 10 years behind the rest of the world and I'm watching Downton Abbey and Mad Men. But there's something supremely Autumn-y about the Great British Bake Off. When it's on, me and my mom take turns baking and I go out to my family house once a week and we stuff our faces and our minds with cake. It's a good time.

15. What song really gets you into the Fall spirit?
There's no particular song that I hear and think "Autumn is here!"
... No, hang on now, there is. The snail song. I toyed with the idea of writing the lyrics out here, but the thing is, you sing the words "I'm a snail" eight times, I reckon you can do without them.


There you have it now.
I shall tag my good buddy Leighanne and... eh.... I don't know any other bloggers.
Goodbyeeeeee!

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Favourites of 2014

Happy New Year to all my thousands of readers! What? I'm only writing this blog for my own amusement, and that of two of my friends...?

Ah well. Plough on!

2014 was an annoying year for me, mainly because the number 4 is broken on my keyboard, and so everytime I want to type 4 I have to google FOUR and then copy the 4 symbol. So, that was a pain in the ass. But aside from that, it was a pretty good year!

My fellow blogger (and one of my only two friends, previously mentioned) suggested to me that I should write a post about my favourite things from the past year. It seemed like a fun way to spend half an hour, and HERE WE ARE!

That up there is my favourite picture of myself, taken by misslauranne, because I look like my mom, and my mom is a cool lady.

My Favourite Book

My book of the year, despite being published in 1926, is Winnie the Pooh. Having always been a fan of the films, the sweet little dolls and the wonderful link to Taoism, 2014 was the first year I picked up the book and read it. And read it again. And dipped in and out of it over and over, much like Pooh himself dipping in and out of a large jar of honey. Because that's how the book feels, like a big jar of sweet honey; a comforting escape from the real world. But it still manages to offer a great many insights to modern life, mindfulness and matters of the heart.

But it does it in such a sneaky way! Possibly the sneakiest, cuddliest philosopher, Winnie the Pooh. I recommend it to everyone in the world, even those (especially those) who say they are too grown up for children's books.

My Favourite Movie

I think it will have to be Guardians of the Galaxy... I know, a great big blockbuster that was everyone's favourite doesn't really make for great reading in the blog of some Irish twenty-something girl sitting at home in her PJs, but I liked it a lot and that's all I have to say to YOU.

I'm not going to analyse the writing, the lighting and the jokes, because I don't know how and it would be rubbish. I will say that I laughed a lot, fell in love with Chris Pratt and spent most of the year grooving away to the soundtrack. And like the rest of the world, I watch Baby Groot dancing more times than is healthy.

My Favourite Music

Again, another favourite that doesn't come from 2014. But FUCK IT, this is my blog and nobody is reading it saying "Hey! You can't do that!", so DEEEEEEAL.

It's a brilliant disco track by the lady herself, Diana Ross. My Old Piano is one of those songs that worms its way through your body and nests itself in a place you didn't even know was there- a funky disco place that makes you shiver (gross, I really made it sound like some kind of parasite).

It's a great song, and it will make you feel like dancing (not like you have worms).

My Favourite Place

I'm sure everyone saw this coming- Valentia Island. Even though I travelled to Cambodia, Peru and Milan, Valentia beats them all (this is a lie. I did not leave the country).

Valentia scores points for four reasons-

1. It is outstandingly beautiful.

2. I spent my time there with some of my favourite people.

3. We ate a lot of really good food

4. By going there for the weekend, I temporarily conquered the little voice in my head screaming "BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A MILLION PANIC ATTACKS" and that felt lovely.

Valentia was fantastic, and we filled our days with excellent things- early morning walks in the harbour, late night arguments and beer, breaking into an old lighthouse, spotting the treetops of a prehistoric forest, and almost getting to visit a chocolate factory (it was closed).

And me and my boyfriend arrived on the island at sunset, which is just the most perfect way to arrive anywhere. It makes you look like some kind of Sun Goddess, I recommend it to every woman.

My Favourite Waste of Time

Last January I set myself a task! This task was that by the end of the year I would be proficient- nay, magnificent- at watercolour painting. Now, I did not exceed any expectations here, but I am fairly handy with a brush and paint at this stage, and that'll do me!

I had a lot of fun learning how to splash colours about the page to make a pleasing picture and I am very happy with my skills today.

Side note, I also learned needle felting this year, and how to bake bread! I am not good at either.

One of my attempts, from January 2014

 

 

That WAS fun, Laura!
Bye for now! x

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Envelope Art

I am into snail mail in a big way. There are few things better than sitting down with a pile of magazines to snip up, a pile of news to dish out, and a cup of tea to sip on.

Throughout secondary school my friends and I would write each other letters in class, tear out pictures of punks from old copies of NME and slip the sticker-decorated envelopes into each other's schoolbags (we weren't punks- we were writing each other letters for gods sake- but we did fancy them).

Once we all split up for college, letter-writing became a great way to keep in touch and update each other on our latest escapades (few and far between in my case; "I went to a party this weekend! It was my Mom's birthday! We had a nice cake, and then I went to bed early because I had a lecture in the morning")

After a while, the letters petered out, on both sides. We drifted apart, I found friends who were happy to sit in with a bucket of chips and talk about TV shows, rather than going clubbing and shifting.
When college finished, and my close friend also drifted away to her side of the country to continue with her life, the letter-writing resumed.

But it wasn't enough, goddammit! I missed having a couple of letters a week to write, and so I started writing to my two closest friends, who live in the same town as me.
We didn't write lengthy letters describing our days, seeing as we meet up every week and chat for hours, but instead we chop up magazines and fill envelopes with pictures of interiors we admire, dresses we covet, and articles that piqued our interests, along with recipes, photographs and nice sweet wrappers.

And while waiting for those letters to arrive, I joined the Letter Writers' Alliance, on the insistence of my pal Laura (you can check out this awesome service here). Here I was matched with two other women who enjoy a good fountain pen and pretty writing paper, and we share stories from our corners of the globe.

At the moment, I have 5 ladies who I write to on a semi-regular basis (Have you heard of a letter-writing man, in this day and age? Introduce me to him, I have some spaceman stickers I'd like to use).

Decorating the envelopes I send off into the world is a hobby of mine, one I'm about to share with you. I like finding pretty envelopes in stationary shops, but I much prefer putting something together myself, with scraps from magazines, prit-stik and coloured pens.
Here are a bunch of envelopes I've sent over the past year or so, for your nerdy amusement.

 

I tried out my budding watercolour skills on this one. Turns out it's extra tricky when you don't use actual watercolour paper...

 I like the effect you get from tearing out colourful bits of pictures, and leaving the ripped edges

Sometimes I go all out and throw a CD in there too. That's when I'm feeling WILD. 

Also, washi tape is the easiest way to jazz up anything and I love it. Even if I did spend most of my adult life calling it Washti tape, like a derp.

Okay, this one is not an envelope, but a card I saw and then re-made at home. I stuck it in here to show a new trick of mine that I like. I use those little pads you stick to the end of chair legs to stop them scratching the ground, to raise parts of the picture! Cheaper than the purpose made stuff!

 I used a butterfly clip to make a cheery waving envelope (that's me, there!) Butterfly clips are THE BEST. In an ideal world, even envelopes containing angry letters from the bank would include a butterfly clip (maybe an angry bank manager wagging his finger...)

It's quite fun looking back over my old envelopes and remembering the things that filled them. Between these two letters here, Shauna got married!

Please excuse the crummy photo quality. I included these because I wanted to show that decorating the backs of the envelopes is just as much craic! (Providing you find decorating the front of envelopes any craic at all)

 ~

Sometimes I find myself huddled amongst stamps and scissors and stickers and stuff and I think "What am I doing? Seriously, does a beautifully decorated letter really make any difference to the world at all?"
And then I remember a birthday card that was made for me by a child in my pre-school class... 

...And I get back to cutting and sticking.

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Pre-school Mural

In the pre-school where I work, there is a great big yard. It's perfect for running around, playing soccer and cycling bikes. The kids love being outside, and so we tend to wander out there often.

But it's grey. It's all grey. From the concrete ground (seemingly less dangerous than grass in terms of cross-contamination. Thanks for that, Health Board, that's really using your noggins), to the bare block walls, it's stoney, dull grey.

And so, this summer, armed with a whole tonne of paint and some very willing volunteers, I painted a mural!

To start with, we painted the wall white. This was to cover the children's attempt at painting a mural. I'm sorry children! But remember when we planned out what you'd like to paint, like dinosaurs, your little brother, flowers and the moon? And remember when you then simply painted brown squares on the wall? Loads of brown squares, forming one giant dark brown square? Yeah.
We painted it white.

And then, I started to draw on the outline. (Well there was the whole other thing, where we got caught in a freak storm and we were trapped inside for two hours and all the paint got blasted off the walls and we had to start all over again but THAT'S IN THE PAST)

Drawing the outline was extremely daunting. I also decided not to pencil it in first, because that would take a long time, and would be boring, and I get bored easily. Once I got started, it wasn't so bad!

I decided on a fairly simple theme of 'the seasons' and I drew a picture across the wall of the change in nature from Autumn to Summertime.

And as I drew, Laura and Leighanne (and one day, for a small while, my boyfriend Stephen) coloured it in behind me! It looked great, and we had such a laugh as we worked away, stopping every 15 seconds for Cake Breaks.

I joined in, colouring bits and bobs, but soon it was time to go back to work for a new term. And so I went back inside the classroom. But Laura and Leigh, the legends that they are, sat out in the sunshine painting away, while I occasionally passed them out cups of tea and offered them crackers and raisins (they politely declined)

And then it was done!

And we were so proud.

The bunnies are my favourite. Also, please excuse my stupid thumb in the duckling picture, but I couldn't not include them because they're awesome.

The kiddies love it, and it certainly brightens my day every time I pull in to work. And then someone I knew walked past and took our photo. HOORAY!

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