''That's When I Could Finally Breathe''

Hey Everyone!

I am proud and relieved to say that I am finally back from an extended/unexpected blog hiatus. I feel sad that I abandoned TRLOA for a month but to be honest, it was necessary.

An awful lot of things have happened since I last wrote here. I found that compiling information and photos every seven days was becoming difficult and with a sickening tug I write - boring. I felt like I was stuck in a rut of doing the same every week. Life has become a mundane pattern of routine as of late and it is tedious. I thought that a break to breathe and live a little more would be more beneficial to myself, my blog and all of you.

Since my last post on February 22nd, I have had a quick month filled with highs and lows. I enjoyed my mid term and came back to school. After an agonising three weeks, I received all my mock results back. Overall, I was happy with them, I got what I need in the actual Leaving Cert which was absolutely unreal. I was a little disappointed with a subject or two but I now know which areas to improve upon for the Leaving Cert. It can't be denied that some results need to be taken with a pinch of salt (or a few!)

I also learnt that the stress of the Leaving Cert brings out the worst in a lot of people. People talk and say things without realising the consequences of their words. Despite the fact that what their saying is a blatant lie, it might be believed by others. Also, if someone is talking behind your back and blackening your name, metaphorically and probably physically, you are ahead of them. Actions have consequences. To quote the play Othello by William Shakespeare, ''Beware my lord of jealousy, it is the green monster which doth mock the meat it feeds upon.''

I actually went socialising during my month off! Below are photos from my friends Maeve and Tom's 18th and also a trip to Dublin Zoo with Spleodar! The party was a fantastic night to say the least. You know it's a good night when I only take one photo ie I was enjoying the night too much to capture it on a lens. The trip to the Zoo was the last Spleodar trip of the year which was sad. I joined Spleodar in Transition Year with a poor level of spoken Irish. I attended one of their Gaeltacht courses last year and was a Cinnire this year. My Irish has improved so much over the past few years and I will really miss all the cinnirí and daltaí.

I was with Grace for most of the day and other students in the club. We saw practically every animal and had a delicious pizza for lunch. The weather was beautiful and I took lots of photos of the animals and the sunshine on the bus home. *Cue a shoutout to the man on the Luas who waved back at us all*

Today is Mother's Day, tomorrow is my Mam's birthday and the next day is St. Patrick's Day. Busy start to the week indeed! It's scary to think how quickly time is blurring past. In two weeks I have my Easter holidays for two weeks then my Irish and German oral for the Leaving Cert. Deep breaths!

Credit to Chloe

Caítlín and I !

So that's about it from me, 

Stay Strong, Happy & Fearless!
(Something which can be difficult but gets me through each day. It is the small acts of bravery in life that define us)

I can finally breathe clearly. 

Aveen. 

*Lyrics Taylor Swift - Clean

''And The Sky Turned Black Like A Perfect Storm''

Hey Everyone!

Another week has come and gone. It's startling how fast time has been going by as of late.


My life has mainly consisted of waking up, school, homework, study, food and sleep. It's alright I suppose, yet I crave more meaning in my life. I find I'm constantly reminding myself that the Leaving Cert will be over in June and I just have to deal with these next six months of pain until then. I saw someone compare it to ''A year of pain for extra gain.'' Which is startlingly accurate in my opinion.

Enough with my existential crisis and craving for substance and meaning to my existence! I went to the Open Day for Mary Immaculate College on Saturday morning in Limerick. It's a two and a half hour-ish drive from where I live (Aka The Sunny South East) so I was equipped with my music and earphones. I'm used to driving to Limerick occasionally as my brother is in UL so the city doesn't seem like an alien concept to me.

We left early on Saturday morning as the Open Day started at 11am and we wanted to be there on time. The weather was utterly treacherous. From Stradbally onwards, it was a winter wonderland with snow covering the cars. I have to commend all the road gritters from the various counties we journeyed through, all the roads were gritted. We were on the motorway just before Moneygall (The place obsessed with Obama with the Obama Plaza and all sorts!) and it was a really, really dangerous bend. We saw a lane was closed with ambulances and fire brigades with flashing lights.

The bend was horrifically slushy and a car was overturned and flipped on its roof in the ditch. It was genuinely terrifying, especially as when the firemen were directing us and the other cars, we all starting slipping in the slush! However, luckily we were fine and took even more care on the way to Mary I.

At 10.50 we parked outside. We knew the way as I visited the campus briefly in the Summer on another day. We walked to the building where the Open Day was being held and attended one of the talks about the courses at Mary I. To say that I fangirled when I noticed the lecturer had an Orla Kiely bag was an understatement! (Mine was standing proudly on the desk too)

The talk was extremely informative and soothed any concerns my parents had about different aspects of the course. Afterwards we went on a tour of the campus and the accommodation available on-campus. There was a strange mix of people at the Open Day, the majority were girls and some lads. On the tour of the campus a mother and her son (A TY we presume as she asked him if he wanted to go to the college ''when his time came'') were horrifically pushy and literally shoved me into a wall in a bid to keep up with the tour guide! (Bit eccentric, especially as the child isn't even doing his LC this year)

Apart from that, I had a brilliant morning in Mary I and learnt lots about the course I'm considering. Afterwards we ran some errands in the city, had lunch and headed back onto the treacherous roads whilst counting 'Eddie Stobart'' lorries as they passed (We saw 16)

This week will be exciting, I think. On Monday myself and three others from my History class are representing the school at the Senior History Quiz. The lads were on the team last year (and won) so I am determined to contribute my best effort!

I finally caught up on all of my homework and now have the time to study for the mocks! I am feeling relieved that I now have the opportunity to study and actually prepare for the exams. There's a Strike Day on Thursday so I can catch up on sleep too! *Parties in the corner*

*Title: Lyric from Taylor Swift - Clean

 Photos from my week

''Hey Aveen, how's your life these days?''

On the road home from Limerick, the scenery was breathtaking!

All my snaps as of late.

So that's about all from me,

Stay Strong, Happy & Fearless!

Aveen xx

Bad Blood.

Hey Everyone! 

So I'm officially an eighteen year old. Which, personally is a slightly terrifying thought. I am a legal adult. I. Am. A. Legal. Adult. It feels as though I just jumped from being a thirteen year old to an eighteen year old in the space of an afternoon. 

This blog post is different. It's different for a number of reasons. As an eighteen year adult I feel that I should act in a more mature manner (don't laugh it's a serious thought) and that those around me, in my immediate friends and those trying their best to try break in to my zone once more should try be mature too. 

Bad blood is a feeling of hatred towards someone, if you didn't know. In my eighteen years, I have had my fair share experience of bad blood. I think most people do too. Between disagreements and comments, everyone has experienced bad blood. It's not something I'm proud of, however it happens and I know when to stop a 'fight' and to move on with my life, which I'm quite good at, mainly due to experience of learning to move on to the next adventure life has in store. 

It's when others don't know when to move on. It's when the bad blood boils under the surface is when it's wrong. Life progresses, life moves on and in the words of Stephen Chbosky, ''Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.”  My life is very different to how it was last year. It's different in both positive and negative ways. Things and my situations have changed, friends have left, more friends have joined and life keeps going, no matter what situation you are in.  

The teenage years are the most turbulent I'm told. We figure out our true identities and paths in life, we decide who to bring along on our journey and who to leave behind. Bad blood can have a heavy influence on these decisions. When you leave someone's life, that doesn't give you the right to come knocking whenever you fancy. Once you leave a person and their friend group, you're gone for good, there's no 'Get of Jail Free' card here. 

Leaving a person's life doesn't allow you to come back for showdowns or snide comments both in real life or online. Nor does possessing bad blood give you that right. I'm entitled to live my life the way I please. I've made mistakes in the past (Oh I do know that, I don't really need reminding) however just because you know about them, doesn't mean you are automatically allowed to bring them up every time I breathe.

Bad blood can be sad. It can be tragic that people can possess that much enmity or hatred towards a person or group for a long amount of time.  We are all the protagonist in our own lives, that doesn't mean that everyone else is the antagonist. I mean, to possess so much hatred over a prolonged period of time, the hatred must consume a person? Instead of being filled with hope, optimism, joy, buoyancy and exhilaration of life, a person possessing bad blood most likely feels all the opposite. 

I think that's a waste of a life. Spending days, months or even years focused on bad blood, hatred, and trying to ruin another human being's day, week or life, is a sham of how human life should be experienced. Life should be filled with happy moments, not sitting in your room thinking about how much you hate a person. That's not the way it should be. 

I'm writing this blog post for a reason. I'm tired of people holding grudges against me for things which I moved on from long ago. I urge others to do the same. It's sad when people who haven't been friends with me for years openly 'have a go' at me as if it's their god given right. Just because you were once friends with someone doesn't give you the right to openly despise them nor make me feel like it's my problem, when it is in fact the opposite. 

My advice on dealing with bad blood? Move on. Two short words. It's okay to have a little vent once a friendship ends, but continuing to do for weeks, months or even years is worrying and not good for your well-being, nor the person you discuss or have bad blood with. Read a book, sing a song, and live your own life to the maximum, instead of being so obsessed with hating and ridiculing another's life. 

*I heard the song 'Bad Blood' by Bastille, which inspired this song.

 'All this bad blood here, won't you let it dry?

                                               It's been cold for years, won't you let it lie?' 

So that's all from me, I'll be posting in the coming days about my 18th and everything I did this weekend and more!

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless!

Aveen xx

''She Ran Away To Chase Her Dreams, And They Said She Wouldn't Make It Far.''

Hey Everyone!

As you may know, it's been nearly two weeks since I last posted here. I genuinely do have reason(s) for this, however the main one is just Sixth Year/Leaving Cert. I always knew it was going to be a gruelling and difficult year, especially when you choose to do all Honours subjects.

Most nights now consist of going home from school, starting my homework, dinner, back to homework and study, sleep and repeat. There have been days where I haven't touched my laptop and just check some notifications in the morning on my phone running out the door.

I've also developed a wonderful coffee addiction. I was expecting this to happen, after all when you study/do homework for 4+ hours each night, you do need a nice dose of caffeine. So now each morning begins with dragging myself to get a cup of coffee (2 shots) which still doesn't quite make me feel awake for some reason.

I do occasionally leave my bedroom by the way, last Sunday I travelled to Limerick city.
My brother goes to the University there and I plan hopefully to study in another college in the city too. We visited UL and Mary Immaculate College, for primary teaching. (Bonus points if you figured out what I want to do!)  As my brother has attended the Uni for a number of years, we've made frequent trips to Limerick (despite taking over 3 hours to get there!)

While we visited, the 'Granny' was also there. The streets were absolutely covered in confetti and as the All-Ireland hurling final was that day, there was a lot of Tipperary jerseys (#TippToWinTheReplay #AnyoneButKilkenny) We also went to one of my favourite places, Penneys! I'll have a Autumn Haul pretty soon, so stay tuned for that!

The photos below are from my trip to Limerick, there was also meant to be a photo of a horse on the green grass area of a housing estate in Limerick which unfortunately didn't upload (probably because it's a stereotype of what Limerick is supposedly like)

Sitting in campus in UL 

Sorry for how brief this post is, I just wanted to write SOMETHING as soon as I could. I have two further blog posts for the next few days planned so check my Twitter for updates! 

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless!
Aveen xx

PS, you know you are a Leaving Cert student when all the LC Meme's and accounts follow you on Twitter! How terrifying. 

Lyrics: 5 Seconds of Summer ~ Social Casualty 

What A Treacherous Thing To Believe That A Person Is More Than A Person..

Hey Everyone!

Sorry for not posting last week. In a nutshell, I had a tonne of homework/study and honestly didn't have a minute to myself to write a blog post. It really did irritate me that I couldn't post anything, but the reality is that my schoolwork has to take priority over everything for the next couple of years so I can achieve what I want with my life.

My life has been quite quiet lately which may make my blog posts seem 'dull' but everything is still going by as quickly as other weeks. It feels as though I haven't been on my blog in weeks and I'm not sure how I like that. I was considering a brief break/hiatus while I figured out what I was writing on my blog, however I don't think it's quite necessary any more.

The title of this blog post is a quote from one of my favourite authors, John Green. If you didn't know, I have a John Green book shrine and several of his quotes plastered all over my bedroom walls. I really relate to many of his quotes, and in particular this quote. It is a dangerous thing to believe that a person is more than a person. You're liable to get hurt and to excuse their actions much more than if they were simply a ''person''

But on a more positive note, I'll tell you about my week (and maybe an extract of a draft blog post I'd been planning) I'm not sure if I said it already, but I'd like to say a huge thank you for helping me reach 12,000 page views on my blog recently, every thousand is a huge milestone and I appreciate it immensely.

So my last two weeks have been filled with school work, procrastinating, studying, flinging maths books across my room (possible slight exaggeration but it's how I felt) & learning how to write an essay about the environment in Irish. I've been learning my seanfhocal (Irish sayings) so thoroughly that I've begun to start using them in actual conversation, much to the confusion of my family and friends.

I also received a letter from the Gaeltacht I'm going to in the summer (more details later) about a meeting I've to attend in early February (it's compulsory when it's your first time to the Gaeltacht) and I have to learn Amhran na bhFiann (which I know most of already from primary school wahey) so I'll be singing the national anthem for the next few weeks, which may be awkward.

So while I'm on the topic of the Gaeltacht, I suppose I should explain what it is and why I'm going there. The Gaeltacht(s) are multiple areas all over Ireland where only Irish is spoken. In the summer, you can stay on courses in Gaeltacht areas (mainly in Galway) for up to three weeks and speak the language and improve your vocabulary. I'm going in early June of this year for three weeks. So yes, there are vacancies for guest posts during that time too. (I'll be mentioning further details of this closer to the time) I'm hoping staying in the Gaeltacht will improve my Irish. I'm studying Honours Irish in my Leaving Cert and I need a good grade if I want to become a primary school teacher. So I'm determined to make the most of the three weeks I'll be over there!

 

This honestly terrified me, well, because I'm seventeen and planning for someday. 

Source : Google Images

Not ANOTHER page of Irish sayings to learn! (My life for the past few weeks)

Playlist for this blog post: 

One Republic ~ Counting Stars

Bastille ~ Of The Night

One Republic ~ Stop And Stare

The Script ~ Before The Worst

Maroon 5 ~ She Will Be Loved

Damien Rice~ The Blowers Daughter

That's about it from me for this week! I'm glad to be back blogging! 

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless!

Aveen xx

Now Is The Most Interesting Time Of All

Hey Everyone!

Apologies for being late with my blog post this week. It's Mid Term this week thankfully, however I was given simply tonnes of homework for the week! Thank you very much teachers, you're all far too kind. But on the bright side, I've finished most of the work already, all I have left is my public speaking speech, like 2 maths questions and revision, woop!

So how was my week you ask? Well...
It was a somewhat stressful start to the week. On Monday I had like three tests in the first few classes. First up was Irish, where I had to write two 2 A4 pages about why Lisín was the main character of Hurlamaboc (I came up with a far more accurate term for this short story, which I probably shouldn't mention, seeing as it's quite rude) The test went really well for me and I got a mark I wasn't expecting (An A, first time ever in Irish) Afterwards it was a history essay test given to both history classes, to decide who will be in which class. I had studied Lenin and Stalin in lots of detail and briefly revised Mussolini. You can guess which person the question was about.. Mussolini! Wahey!

To add to the stresses of exams that day. I walked up to my locker and discovered I had forgotten my locker keys! Yay! So I had to phone my Mam and ask her to bring them down (which she did, 5 minutes before class) Usually when I'm on the phone to my Mam I'm very panicky and anxious because, well, I call her when it's an emergency! This time however, I think I probably fractured my motivation and I was ''so done'' with Monday and it was only 8.30 in the morning. Fun times.

The rest of the week was much calmer, some teachers were absent but left work, which I didn't mind to be honest. The week was fairly quiet, I visited my Nana twice during the week (Best grandchild ever) Soon Friday rolled around, time seems to go by slowly when I'm wishing for the opposite. I had free double Maths and I wrote a small blog post about a quote in my journal. Ironically the last thing I've written as I think I have Writer's Block again. Marvellous.

''Last night I was flicking through my school journal, every week there is a quote on the top of the page. As you may know, I am positively obsessed with quotes and their advice and meanings. There was one quote in particular that had a profound effect on me.

''Now is the most interesting time of all''

It is a simple sentence, with a powerful and effective meaning. Perhaps that's what startled me so much. My interpretation of the quote is reflective of my life path at the moment.

''Now'' for me is from this minute, until I sit my last Leaving Cert exam in June 2015. It feels like a marathon of hurdles I must overcome to reach my goal, my dreams and my ambitions for my future. My future, what I want, what I desire. 

''Now'' is when I make the possibly life altering decisions. What I'm afraid of most is, that I will not achieve those goals. That all these years of work will be in vain. It's a terrifying and panic inducing thought. What terrified me most however is, NOW, is the time that decides this. I'm plagued by fear and a crippling anxiety that, something's going to happen, that I'm going to slip up somewhere between now and my Leaving Cert year (2015)

It is all focused on Now, and how I play my cards. This, supposedly is the most interesting time of all. It doesn't feel like it. Walking around school like a zombie, bags under my eyes from a lack of sleep that no make-up could ever cover. See there was an exam or two to study for.. I don't find that interesting. A nicer term to describe a generation of people with tired, lifeless and prematurely aged eyes and stress and anxiety levels higher than Mt Everest is just, sad.

A generation of genius' yes, but also a generation plagued by fear in our hearts. A fear of not ''living up to our potential'', that we will be the person who had it all, had a bright future.. but messed up. I promise you all, and myself, I don't want to be that person. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. I guess now is a time to start doing something, because, now is the most interesting time of all apparently. 

Hope you enjoyed that and aren't filled with too much guilt over not doing homework (like me)

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless,

Aveen xx

PS. I will be doing a bonus blog post about HALLOWEEN!! Stay tuned! xx

Procrastinating in Class

Hey Everyone!

So this is a little extra blog post about The Life Of Me. At this moment I'm sitting in a computers/study class with my friends. Despite being in 5th Year, I actually have very little homework so far.

I guess this is because I just had a free maths class (supervised by my English teacher, awkwardly enough) and finished my homework there. So I'm sitting here, the class as quiet as a mouse, typing my thoughts silently. I'm tired and exhausted from school and work obviously, however it's only 20 minutes until lunchtime.

After lunch I have another study class, then Irish. I like Thursday's only because of the two study classes to be honest. What will I do during study? Who knows! I have some German homework and business homework to do. I'm also reading the third book in the series of 'Noughts and Crosses'' by Malorie Blackman. I've barely read 50 pages, at this early stage I can tell it's going to join my ever growing list of favourite dystopian books. I'd definitely recommend reading them. (I was not paid or sponsored to say that, just so you know. I literally just adore literature and reading. Oh well. BUT, if anyone did want to sponsor me to advertise their products, just email me *giggles nervously*

I'm typing slowly at the moment because the teacher is staring at the screen. He must think I'm absolutely bonkers! For ever in a crowd, alone but not lonely. That saying keeps echoing in my brain all the time, I have absolutely no idea why. It must be credible and true for it to be echoing and bouncing all along my brain like an ever constant buzzing or ticking noise.

11 minutes left. I guess I should probably wrap up this very impromptu and unplanned blog post before it gets even more weird, and not in a good way.

I guess I'll see you all when I see you.

 

I'm going somewhere interesting on Saturday which I'll be telling you all more about on Sunday hopefully!

 

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless.

Aveen xx

Alone, not lonely.

Hey Everyone!

So it's the end of another tiring week. I knew Fifth Year would be exhausting, but not this much. One thing I don't like about Fifth Year is that you do lots of work and time consuming activities but I can't really write about any of them as they're deemed (by me) to be too boring and lack luster. Oh well, I can live like a hermit for a couple of years, it won't kill me.

I had a few tests during the week and I was happy with my results. I had a free double German and study afterwards so I let my mind wander and wrote a poem (Not depressing or sinister I swear, it's quite optimistic believe it or not!)

Something else of interest to me was the fact that people in my year in school read/know of my blog?! I know I post links to my Twitter & Tumblr, however I didn't think people would actually read my random musings? This has made me feel slightly more cautious and conservative about what I express here (I wasn't really outspoken here to begin with) as for some reason I feel more comfortable sharing my views/life with random strangers than with my peers in education? It's a strange thing really, I feel more comfortable sharing everything with ''strangers'' however I don't feel all you lovely readers are strangers though! You are all a part of my life now, and support me by commenting, emailing and tweeting me. Even by reading this, I feel I nearly know you.

I know some people consider people who read their blogs ''their fan base'' however I consider you all my friends and people I would like to know properly some day in the future. It's easier to tell someone who won't judge you what's going on in your life rather than telling someone who knows you and may judge you for every single world you utter. I was talking to a real life friend of mine about making more YouTube videos because of being offered the partnership and everything, so hopefully in the weeks to come I will record a new video. Wahey.

So that's about it from me for this week. Next week should be more interesting as I'm going to see Othello with my English class on Thursday, September 26th, along with other things going on that day. Should I mention that this might be my last blog post as a sixteen year old?! DUN DUN DUNNNNN. Dramatic ending. Yes, it's my birthday on Thursday and I'll be seventeen! Wow, that was a quick year wasn't it? I think my blog is nearing it's six month old birthday then too! *Counting when I first starting properly blogging on a weekly basis, not my mediocre attempts!*

Playlist for this blog post:
The Strypes ~ Blue Collar Jane
The Strypes ~ Mystery Man
Kodaline ~ One Day
Kodaline ~ Brand New Day
Kodaline ~ Pray

*It was a Kodaline day for me today!

.

A photo from my ''Room Tour'' on the JOALLAP collab blog I'm part of! Find it here!

Here's a photo I saw on Carrie Shade's 'Against Suicide' page, I think it's so truthful and accurate.

So that's about it from me this week!

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless!

Aveen xx

My ''poem'' wahey

Alone, not lonely. 

I am alone, not lonely. 

Sitting in class, on the outskirts. 

The crowd everywhere but near me.

I sit, silent and diligent.

In my own, perfect world.

For being lonely would imply I desire company.

I am alone, on my own terms

and above all, my decision and choice.

I am not alone, with my thoughts,

dancing softly in my mind.

A constant buzzing, never leaving me in darkness.

One can never be truly alone, however some can be lonely.

Not me though.

For when I possess thoughts, a pen and paper. 

One can never be truly lonely or alone. 

An Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

Hey Everyone!

So it's it's the end of another week, and my first full week as a Fifth Year. Scary. This is just a brief little update to let you all know that yes, I'm still here! I've just been so busy with homework and study to post any extra posts.

You may be wondering about the title of this post, trust me I'd be asking too if I saw it randomly! My English class was assigned a 4 page essay with this title to have completed for next Tuesday. This essay is the reason why this blog post is later than usual! The essay was about living and existing on this planet, their similarities if any and of course their differences. I won't go into details about my essay however if you want to find out more about this quote, Google it and mention ''Socreates'' he was the Greek philosopher who said the quote!

Apart from that, my week was absolutely crazy! My teachers are really piling on the homework from the word go. I'm studying all higher level/honours subjects so I get more homework than other people who do ordinary/pass level subjects. However I like my teachers and my classes, so I'm more eager to learn because of that. I can even understand my Irish teacher (she practically speaks Irish for the entire class, saying barely any English) I'm really enjoying History, Business, Ag Science, English, Maths and German!

In German we were watching 90210, in German. It was the very first season and was absolutely hilarious. Being in a class with mainly lads made it quite a hilarious and awkward experience. Watching the video (yes it was a video!) was hilarious as the fashions were simply surreal (in both a good and bad way)

On Friday night I went to the Irish club in my school. We have to speak only Irish for a couple of hours and play games and whatnot. It's quite good really, I went last year too. The club also have Gaeltachts in Galway. A Gaeltacht for anyone not from Ireland is a place in Ireland (there are several Gaeltachts in the country) where you can only speak Irish, no English language allowed. I actually quite enjoy going to the Irish club, it's something different and it's hilarious to be honest! (Playing musical chairs with 30 other teenagers and a Sixth Year singing badly as the speakers weren't loud enough is definitely a highlight)

So that's about it for me this week!

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless!

Aveen xx

J.O.A.L.L.A.P! Blogger Collab! ~ Lemmie

Hey Everyone!

I've got some exciting news! I'm taking part in a blog collaboration with six other bloggers! One of us will be posting each day (I'm Thursday!) and for this week we'll be posting each others posts on our own blogs each day, so everyone's posts will be on all the pages! A new blog will be created with all seven of us as authors (more details to follow)

Here is Lemmie's post, it's a YOU theme this week :)

''I was asked to do a collab with six other amazing bloggers and for our first week we are doing a YOU theme, so its all about getting to know us. I decide to do a sort of pros and cons of being me. So here goes.....

Okay, here are the cons: 

1) I'm pretty tall (5ft 9). This comes with a few cons: When I fall it is further to fall, it sucks flying on planes and I can't wear heels without towering over my friends. I can also never be inconspicuous and hide in crowds.

2) Where I live. I live in a village which has about ten shops in it ( three of which are charity shops), I have to take the train if I want to go anywhere and I have to cycle a fair way to my friends' houses. I live in the UK, so it rains nine months of the year and is cold the other three (except for two weeks in July where everyone rushes outside wielding barbecues and sun cream).

3) I spend too much time on the internet, which means that I waste a lot of time laughing hysterically on my own.

4) I am in secondary (high) school, I'm just about to start year/ grade eleven, which means that I have a lot of school work and revision to do. It can also be very bitchy, with a lot of cat fights and gossiping.

And here are the pros:

1) I'm pretty tall ( 5ft 9). This comes with a few pros: I can nearly always reach the top shelf and tall people are easier to spot in crowds. I never have to wear heels to be taller and basketball and netball are easier.

2) Where I live. I live in a village; this means that there is a lot of trees, fields and open spaces. I live near a train station so I can go to Bristol pretty easily if I need to go shopping etc. I live in the UK which is an island, so there are loads of beaches.

3) I spend a lot of time on the internet, I watch a lot of Youtubers and Vloggers, read blogs and go on Facebook, Twitter etc. This is great because I get a lot of quality internet time,  laughing hysterically on my own.

4) I'm in secondary (high) school, I'm just about to start year/ grade eleven, which means that I get to meet loads of new people and see my friends every day. I also don't have to pay any bills, cook for myself or do my own washing!

Here's the order of who'll be posting (and links to their blogs!)

Monday ~ Lemmie

Tuesday ~  Jamie 

Wednesday ~ Ony

Thursday ~ Me!

Friday ~ Phoebs               

Saturday ~  Leah              

Sunday ~  Alex 

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless!

Aveen xx

My Week & Back To School Horror

Hey Everyone!

Another week has come and gone, with it more exciting memories, procrastinating and sobbing over going back to school. Fun times. I need to chat to all you lovely readers about back to school and how it complicates my blog. First however I'm going to tell you about my week!

So it was my second last week of my summer job this week, I came home everyday with increasing pains in my legs! Ouch! So I rested after work most of this week, little or no socialising unfortunately. However, I treated myself to a limited edition Orla Kiely travel mug! Orla Kiely is an amazing Irish clothes designer, Kate Middleton and her Mum Carole, are very fond of her designs and have worn her outfits on several occasions. Once I heard she was releasing limited edition travel mugs I literally screamed with excitement. I have used mine a couple of times already (I was drinking hot chocolate from it earlier today editing my YouTube video for this week, the weather was miserable)

Leaving Cert results also came out in Ireland this week, so a huge well done to everyone who received their results, in particular my cousin Barry, you did brilliantly. A lad from my school also achieved the highest result  in the country! (9 A1's!) Once again congratulations Mark, best of luck in the future.

Again, on the subject of school, I'm starting Fifth Year on August 28th. What does mean to my blog and YouTube? Sadly, an awful lot. Fifth Year is the start of the Leaving Cert cycle so it will be hard work and study for me as I want to achieve the best possible results. The impact is that I will be blogging less as I will most likely be using my spare time for work and study sadly. I really don't want to reduce my blogging/YouTube time and presence, I don't want it to be this way, but I have to.

I want to achieve what I've dreamt and craved for, and that means I have to work hard in my school work. I will be popping up hopefully every week checking in on all of you, I'm just not guaranteeing it which really, honestly deeply saddens me. I've grown to love blogging to all of you all over the summer. It's amazing to think people all over the world are reading what I'm typing in my room in Ireland.

I felt I needed to tell you all in advance, also, I'm going to try finish the blogging challenge before I go back to school and also do some revision and my summer job in between. Fun times.

*****************The Link To My YouTube Video Is Here! ********************************

Playlist For This Blog:
Paramore ~ Still Into You
Paramore ~ Ain't It Fun
Paramore ~ Fast In My Car
Paramore ~ Now
Paramore ~ Grow Up
Ed Sheeran ~ A Team
Fall Out Boy ~ Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
The Script ~ Six Degrees Of Separation
The Coronas ~ Grace Don't Wait!
Panic! At The Disco ~ Let's Kill Tonight

My Orla Kiely travel mug set! (I was not paid to sponsor this, I was actually so excited when I got it, I had to feature it on my blog)

A photo of a badly parked van I took! Talk about parking in the middle of nowhere! 

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless,

Aveen xx

An Extremely Weird Week!

Hello Everyone!

So as you can probably tell, I had a very, very weird and random week! Sit down, grab some popcorn and Maltesers (amazing combination to eat at the cinema) and let me tell you all about it (but this isn't the cinema, sorry)

So it all started on Monday with 'The Great Kate Wait' My Mam ran into my room, 7.30am screaming to get on Twitter, ''KATE'S GONE INTO LABOUR WITH THE ROYAL BABY' so consequently, I spent all the morning refreshing my Twitter with my mother and a thirst for knowledge about the Royal Baby. We also watched Kay Burley losing the plot on Sky News which was quite hilarious.

I left in the afternoon to socialise with some friends, thoroughly exhausted after spending hours upon hours watching Sky News and refreshing Twitter, in a constant quest for non existent information! It was good to see some of my friends, a few others weren't able to go or are in a different social circle. It felt kind of strange being with people my own age, as for the past nearly 2 months I've been with people in work a lot older than me. It felt weird as the types of conversations we had were completely different to the conversations in work, it's difficult to put my finger on what was so different.

 Perhaps it was the fact that maybe I've become accustomed to being in a more adult (not being sinister saying adult) working environment, with responsibilities, people depending/trusting me to do my work correctly and to the best specifications. This situation was different.

So I worked during the week too, which I don't mind, my bank account is looking better than ever! On Friday I bought a Doctor Who sonic screwdriver! It's Eleven's screwdriver and I love it. Yes, I'm nearly seventeen and spend some of my money on payday on a screwdriver, yes, mature aren't I? It's currently held in my TARDIS pen holder, what I need next is a Matt Smith cut-out! Anyone want to donate one? ;)

I also finished my back to school things on Friday too, I collected my school blazer and a German book. My heart sank as I realised that I am going back to school, that I won't be working until at least next summer and that it's going to be a lot of hard work, not just buying a blazer! As I was in Transition Year last year, I've started to jog my memory about various subjects so I won't be sitting there sobbing in September about how I used to remember all the work but don't now! It's not going to be fun, alas, like everything, it will be worth it in the long run!

On Saturday (today) I didn't have badminton so I had a lie-in for the first time in what felt like forever! I went downtown later on and bought myself some new whiteboard markers! (I had run out, devastating indeed) I got multiple colours, so what do I do with them? Write quotes on my whiteboard of course! (Pictures below!)

JOHN GREEN BOOKS UPDATE!
I finished 'An Abundance of Katherine's'' last week! I really enjoyed it, not as much as 'Looking for Alaska'' or TFIOS but I liked it all the same, it was light hearted, exactly what I needed after reading emotionally heavier books like Looking for Alaska and TFIOS. Due to work and everything I haven't been able to read much of 'Paper Towns' which is a crying shame as I'm loving it so far! I think boys would enjoy Paper Towns alot, as it's from a boys POV, I'm still enjoying it regardless!

Playlist for this update!
Two Door Cinema Club ~ What You Know
Panic! At The Disco ~ Let's Kill Tonight
Panic! At The Disco ~ The Ballad Of Mona Lisa (started singing this in work on Wednesday, it was weird)
Panic! At The Disco ~ I Write Sins, Not Tragedies
Two Door Cinema Club ~ Sleeps Alone
Green Day ~ 21 Guns
Green Day ~ Wake Me Up When September Ends
Imagine Dragons ~ Demons
The Script ~ Science & Faith
The Coronas ~ Someone Else's Hands

The Sonic Screwdriver set I bought *dies of Whovian feels*

Eleven's Sonic Screwdriver!

My life for the past couple of evenings, procrastinating.

One of the quotes I wrote on my whiteboard

It's actually quite difficult trying to write on the board, left handed problems

A quote from possibly my favourite poem ever. 

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless,

Aveen xxx

Ps. Congratulations to William & Kate on the birth of their baby boy, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge! Trying saying that name five times! x

Life Lessons

Hey Everyone!

This is just an idea I concocted in work over the past few days and is similar to the trail of thought I've been thinking in the past few days. It's about what you can achieve with your life and how to make it happen, I think. I'm still not quite sure, but I have my earphones in listening to Paramore so it should be philosophical.

This very minute, the very second you're reading this seemingly useless and unimportant blogpost (which it probably is in the long run) could change your life for ever. In one split second, you can change everything, whether it's by wiping the slate clean or escalating further into an abyss of trouble (I don't know what you're all personally like but okay) but YOU can change your life path in mere seconds. It's all about decisions.

It's difficult trying to type exactly what has been reverberating in my head, into one clear linear line, apologies if any of this sounds disjointed, trust me it will be. I mean you can  do so many amazing things in your life, the possibilities are simply endless. You can get inspired or get depressed, it's your choice, ( that sounds so disgustingly blunt) you can ace a test or fail a class. It only takes a split second to change, possibly your entire existence, you're MEANING for an existence, everything you believed was important, your reasoning for your actions and life. Everything can be changed in the blink of an eye.

So basically, you can fall in love or fall in hate. That one little moment you look at someone can decide everything. You can either love that person, or hate them. A split second choice, a label even. (Another rant on labels is needed) That decides your entire relationship with that person, how you treat them, interact with them, everything. All because of that split second choice you made once you saw them.

You can speak the truth, or lie and cheat. Tell the truth, be accepting of the consequences, or lie and cheat, feeling the even deeper repercussions for doing such a thing. Lying and cheating really doesn't get you anywhere, especially at the expense of someone else. That one person then receives the treatment you should have received for lying, cheating and deceiving. All because of your one second decision, something can change your life or perhaps, most dangerously, the life of another person

Another huge thing I believe is trust. It's hard gained and so easily lost. You think you can know a person, however you can be so incredibly incorrect. That person you may have had trust in, can so easily lose/break that. It's scary really, how one little action can cause that loss. ONE action, one decision a person makes, can change their future regarding you for forever.

Life is crazy, I know that by now. I once said to my friend Thyra that, ''Life is a roller coaster, we shall scream the whole way through' but perhaps it is difficult to enjoy it constantly. I once believed that happiness in life was a destination, but, when I look back on everything, it's not. It's a way of travelling through your life. It's how you get through everything life puts you to the test on. To be honest, the only thing you can do is embrace life, it can be so difficult, especially when life puts you down. Especially when it's by a person, but you have to embrace the divine chaos that life can be. The more interesting and varied your life is, the more experiences you will have. The more lessons learnt, more methods with coping on those dark listless days. Ways to help you be happier in your journey that is your life. You only get one shot, it's up to you, to make it count.

Oh and, on another note. Be positive. Even in your darkest moments, think of something that you're looking forward to, even if it's a bar of chocolate or a programme on television. ANYTHING. To keep you focused on your life, and more importantly, not to end it.

This is what terrifies me most about life, how easy it is for your possible reasons of existence to alter themselves, it scares me endlessly.

Sorry for this random post, it's just been echoing in my head for days,

Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless

Aveen xx 

Playlist for this blog:

Paramore ~ Grow Up

Paramore ~ Part 2

Paramore ~ Last Hope

Paramore ~ Proof

Paramore ~ Hate To See Your Heart Break

Another Week Of Summer! ASDFGHJKL

Hey Everyone!

This week was really random, busy and weird! Only way to describe it to be honest! I was in work (as usual!) most of the week, which I don't mind. I have to say it's great having some independence and getting paid every week. Just now, I ordered four John Green books, ''Paper Towns'', ''An Abundance of Katherines'', ''Will Grayson, Will Grayson'' and also ''Looking For Alaska''. I bought TFIOS in London back in March as it's IMPOSSIBLE to find any John Green books in Ireland for some reason. I read (devoured) the book on the hour long flight home, and cried. Yes, it's taken nearly 4 months to read more John Green books. What can I say? I am such a procrastinator.

But my week wasn't all about John Green books! (I'm currently watching the Wimbledon final, come on Andy Murray!) On Friday, I was at my cousin Barry's house as another cousin of mine was getting married and we were invited to the evening part of the wedding.

So I would like to apologise now, I was meant to take a few photos of my outfit for all you beauty bloggers.. but I didn't. I completely forgot as I lost my phone in my cousins house (not bragging but his house is massive) as I was on the way to the hotel and I freaked. I soon found it, but I had to run to the car so couldn't take any photos, so I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE.

Apart from that hiccup, the evening was great. Everyone looked amazing to say the least. However it was slightly awkward when a teacher from my school was also at the wedding. She never taught me or anything, but still, it was weird. However it was to be expected because my cousin Joey and his now wife Natalie are both teachers! A match made in education, haha.

I got home at 2am and very stupidly went to badminton at 10am. I could barely hit the shuttlecock but I was forgiven as they didn't expect me to turn up! :) Overall it was good, seeing as it was the first badminton session in over 2 weeks.

Afterwards myself, Vivien, Evan, Brian and my brother Noel, went for a drive in Brian's new car and drove all over the local area, myself and Vivi chatting about how to tell the difference between Jack and Finn Harries! We drove back into town and saw a huge old style bus painted red and a local radio station there too, right on the Main Street. (Yes, the main street of the town is called the Main Street, clearly we're a creative town)

The front garden at my cousin's house, I forgot to take a photo of the pond at the front!

Barry's piano, I giggled because I thought of the saying ''So kawaii''

Another photo taken from the front window..

Viv and I saw this in the local supermarket, people are that desperate to find their name on a bottle!

The bus we got on, SO HOT UP THERE. 

The bus from afar, they even gave us balloon swords, little sweets and tried to use facepaint on our faces! (We were 13,16 and 19-20 by the way)

An Oreo cupcake I bought in a local Café, mmm Oreo's...

(Awkwardly saw a lorry driver from the business I work for in there too, awkward)

Ps, congratulations to AmazingPhil (Phil Lester) on YouTube for reaching 1 million subscribers, so proud to say I'm a Phillion! Oh and did anyone else see Danisnotonfire's (Dan Howell) new hairstyle? Thoughts?

So that's it for this week, Stay Strong, Happy and Fearless,

Aveen xx

Playlist for this blog: 

Okay, okay, I FINALLY got Spotify this week, this is from my ''Everything'' Playlist!

The 1975 ~ Chocolate

Ho Hey ~ The Lumineers

Mumford & Sons ~ I Will Wait

Train ~  50 Ways to Say Goodbye

Fall Out Boy ~ My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

Fall Out Boy ~ The Phoenix

Ps, I did have a funny little vlog I made at my cousins house but it wouldn't upload, sorry!