Oh The Debs..

My bestfriends, Annmarie...me and Aisling!!!!!

If you follow my blog you'll probably have realised that I had my debs Thursday (August 28th 2014)-Just throwing that in there so when I look back in fifteen years I'll remember when I endured such a cringey awkward day, I am not under any circumstances saying I didn't enjoy the day because I did, like I really really did love it but c'monnn now lads it's not worth the big hubba bulua is it?!!
My day started like most others...I got up and got my cuppa tea, then arsed around for about an hour before hopping into the shower then 12o'clock along came the girls and we began to get our hair and makeup done, okay now there's a good thing, there's nothing better than getting yourself pampered. However I'm an awful picky person and I'm rarely happy with what people do with my hair and makeup so if I was to re-do the debs all over again I'd most definitely do my own hair and makeup...well with the help of my girls of course!!!
When we were glammed up it was time to get some dutch courage into us as I started knocking back the champers!!! - There's nothing nicer than the knock off cheap champagne for €8.50 in Paddy Farrels...guaranteed but finally my two best friends arrived and we began to do what we do best...POUT.

After we got our pose on along came my date for the evening, I was really lucky to have a great friend of mine coming with me it took away so much of what could be extremely awkward situation and I'd definitely recommend bringing a friend instead of a love interest.. I mean Christ light, I could only imagine how cringey that would be... think about it, a boy you fancy (who you probably don't talk to) bringing their parents to your house to get those traditional debs pics out the back garden.. wahhh... no way!! bring a friend you'll have way more fun!!!

Now....from here I'm not even going to begin to tell you about the nights antics, but summed up...If there's any bit of advice I could give future debutantes it's to keep calm, don't stress yourself out..bring someone you know you're going to have fun with and don't let anything ruin your night. I was very stressed out the day of mine and for absolutely nothing!! It's just a normal night out, except this time you're in a fancy dress!!
A night that I won't forget for a long time to come, I'll finish up with a few of my favourite snaps of the night (okay not my favourite but the most suitable)

My suitable Debs album..

Carrie, Nicole and myself..

Becca, myself and Niamh..

Carrie, Nicole, myself, Karen and the other Karen..

Myself and my mother..

Myself and Darragh..

D-Day!!!

The only reasonable advice I'm willing to offer on such a day.

Twas the day of the debs and all through my house.. oh whatever, whatever.. you get the drift.

Since I started secondary school I couldn't wait for my debs, it's been a major topic amongst my friends with the past sixth year it was one of the only things that got us through secondary school and now here it is, and I feel sick.
The absolute terror here as I sit and drink my tea it's too much, the stress and all I need to do is get a shower, shave my legs, paint my toes, exfoliate, do my tan, clean the house, go buy a nagan and then I'm good to go!
For those of you not from Ireland that will be reading this, or maybe you're too young to know what the debs is I went off onto wikipedia just to give you the exact definition and it is..
''A debs or grad is a formal ball for students in their final year of secondary school in Ireland, analogous to the prom in North American schools or the school formal in Australia. "Debs (ball)", from "débutantes' (ball)", is the usual name for girls' schools, coeducational schools, and some boys' schools; "grad" (from graduation) is often used in boys' schools.'' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debs_and_grads

So basically we all get to put on fancy dresses, go out for a meal and drink..sounds the perfect night doesn't it, but with that you know there will be sadness and like numerous occasions I will probably cry at the fact it's the last time all us girls will be together. Some I'm not going to lie I'm only human, I don't mind not seeing again but most, yep just most definitely will cry.

But no back to me at my trauma.. I'm one of the luck people that are good friends with my debs date so that crosses some of the awkwardness by 10%, that being said I don't know how we'll keep a straight face in a dress and suit.. and could possibly want to strangle him at the same time so we'll see..
I was informed the other day that he asked my best friends were does he get the courgette.. COURGETTE!!! -And what's the worse thing is one of them agreed with him, that it was a courgette..Christ

This is a courgette.

And basically long story short.. I bought my own corsage!! Bloody courgette. 

This is a CORSAGE... not mine, but similar!!

So then there was my dress, the most important aspect of any debs ball, and I happen to be miss no luck when it came to the dresses..

Last January/February I okay not 'I' my friend Niamh found the perfect debs dress but I LOVED IT!! I needed it, it was perfection so I ordered it it wasn't too pricy it was perfect around the  €100 mark, waited weeks and weeks for it to arrive and when it did finally come.. all the way from Hong Kong it was disgraceful...awful...I hated it. 

Maybe second think what you buy online...

Plan B progressed..and quite quickly I may add. The mammy went off to Waterford on a day out shopping and came across the most beautiful pink dress, I loved it, even my friends told me 'It's the one' -I was mad about it, it made me feel like a princess...but no that wouldn't be good enough for me because I'd have to push it and go that one step further.

A few months ago, the mother brought me on a surprise girlie weekend to Limerick and whilst there of course a few debs dresses were tried on.. AND I FOUND IT. THE DRESS!!!!

Now purple isn't one of my favourite colours, I always wanted a pastel but this purple dress Jesus!! It didn't catch my eye straight away but the personal shopper lady gave me no choice and God bless her I loved it.

The only problem I had was I bought it in Debenhams, so others may have the same dress...

I waited through the two other schools in towns debs and not one person had my dress..I had got away with it, however I then found out another girl in my class got the dress two...

Ah there's always too misfortunes!! 

I'm now currently waiting for Haleigh and Laura to come so we can get dolled up, the excitement hasn't really hit me yet.. but I know in a few hours time with champagne in hand I'll blare up the Calvin H and all will be good...

Wish me luck!!

The Blog Awards

Hey guys!!
 Recently I found out I was long listed for the Irish blog awards 2014, I was over the moon as never in a million years did I ever think I'd have my own blog let alone be nominated for such an amazing award. I began writing my blog in May 2013 so after 15 months to have been nominated for this award means so much to me that no one can explain!!
Everything was going great until the other day when I realised I had made it to the short list in not one but three categories (youth/personal/humour) and I couldn't be happier.

The Irish blog awards is such an amazing platform for bloggers all around the country and I'm honoured to have been nominated  in such an amazing competition even though I did check out the competition and WOW!!!! - I'm up against some really talented writers.. You can check out some of my competition here..
http://www.blogawardsireland.com/category/short-list-2014/

I just wrote this because I wanted to thank everyone who nominated me, I couldn't be happier at the moment and it means so much to me, just to be nominated and I'd also like to thank the very kind judges who looked past my awful grammar and put me through to the next round!!

Debs Hair Ideas.

It's DEBS SEASON!!..Okay debs season is almost over but for me, I have my debs tomorrow and if there's not a million and one other things stressing me out right now it's the hair.
Christ almighty!! What do I do?! Do I go up? Do I go down? what do I do Jesus?!!!
 I'm so lucky to have the extremely talented Coia Dahill http://www.coiasstyles.com/ -(check her work out here) coming to my house to do my hair and make up and from the start I decided I wanted big and curly.. however as time progressed I decided I didn't want big and curly I wanted up, then I decided no I wanted down and now... I'm stuck.

This is one of my favourites, however it hasn't seemed very popular with my friends... obvious reasons I suppose!!

So after scouring the web for hours upon hours I've found some of my favourites that I want to share with you that hopefully, if you're an unorganised mess like myself can find some inspiration in!!

Up styles.... 

I know up styles are a serious must for most people that have a big event.. So here are a few of my faves!!

For the short hair beauties.. 

The popular curly mops..

And then there were the ones that have no category... 

And FINALLY... The queen of all hairstyles!!

Queen Lilly Aldridge!!

It's ma birthday..

IT'S MY BIRTHDAAAAYYYYYY!!!!

http://littlepieceoflynda.blogspot.com/2013/08/i-aint-baby-no-more.html?spref=tw = My last year's birthday post.. Conor Murray's in it ;-)

First of all, I don't even like that song I just thought it would fit into my post and secondly I'M NINETEEN!! I decided to read my blog post from last year when I turned eighteen, and how old I felt.. (You can check that out above)..  and now look, I'm even older than I was then. Christ time goes by..
I always get very nostalgic around this time of the year, I'm actually one of the only people that dred their birthday every year, there's just something I don't like about getting old and realising you're one year closer to grey hair and ... responsibilities!!!
The Terror...
 It's very rare, as a self obsessed teenager that I talk about other people on my blog however, as I embrace into my last year as a teenager I feel very grateful for everything which is why I'm dedicating this post to my friends, and everyone who's made me smile/laugh throughout the year.

The night Tipp BEAT CORK!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahaha

I never do things lightly, so my birthday celebrations begun last Friday night when I had a bbq (minus the bbq) with some of my best friends. The nutters even bought me a birthday cake, and since it was Karen's birthday the next day and Jack's the day before we all celebrated in style, after my mother and uncle set up the garden for me. Even one of my bestest Cork friends came up for my early birthday, bringing a card with her... A card which just so happened to be signed by MIKE SHERRY!!! -Waaahhheyyy!!!
 Anyway, Sunday night we were out again, Discooooo.... #DontGoThere.
(Swear I didn't just mention this because it was the day Tipp beat Cork in the semi finial's and Leanne was here)

Anyway, next on the agenda was to wait four more days until my actual birthday on Thursday, and what a night it was.
I woke up showered with gifts from my mother, next I was off to get my hair done, and em.. yes! I am now a brunette.. maybe it wasn't exactly my smartest move a week before the debs.. but shur!!

My cake with the addition of Sherry!

The 'group selfie'

Next my friend Annmarie spoilt me with the new Munster bag, vodka AND A SALAD SPINNER!!! I couldn't of been happier!! As for Carrie... ARM BANDS!!!!! as well as loads of other stuff, I was delighted!! Haleigh with more wine for me.. You'd swear I was an alcoholic. But I was delighted!!
Even my 'surprise' cake was top notch. Thanks Guys!!! After we gathered in mine for the pre drinks we were off out to the local for thirsty Thursday.
My friends were there.. the drinks were flowing... and my friends know                                   what comes next ;-)
Couldn't of asked for a better night!!
Even though Annmarie lost her Vaseline and I lost my drink token, I had a great night with all my friends and that's what a birthday is all about!!
I got amazing presents, lovely cards and so many birthday wishes and tweets I couldn't be happier so thanks everyone who helped make my birthday as special as it was!!!
FINALLY, I'm not one to brag but came home to two nice tweets as well last night ;-)

And what Mike meant by that, is I was at training in UL last week and Mike said 'how did the birthday go'- Not realising it wasn't my birthday yet. I was just delighted he knew I was an august baby!!!

As for him... it was fourteen minutes late not 10!!

UL Rag Week 2016

 It's that time of year, the time of year where students who sat the dreaded Leaving Cert in 2014 get rewarded for all their hard work throughout the past two years and begin on their journey to college life, a time where all the study paid off and people realise how happy they truly are with life. They're ready to go off on their own and actually start living the life they've been dreaming about for so long and em, then there's me.

Yes, I did sit my leaving cert a few months ago, and yes I did blab about hard it was, and yes I did make it extremely clear to almost everyone in the country how much I wanted Journalism and New Media in UL, but ahm... let's just say that it really didn't go to plan.

To be honest it's still a touchy subject for me, and actually makes me tear up now and then but I decided to put it all down on paper (well the web)  to let other people who might be in the same situation and know that they're not alone. 

When I opened my results envelope last Wednesday morning (August 13th) I was disgusted, yes I was one of those people who cried and who wished they'd put more effort in throughout the year and it became extremely clear that I wouldn't be getting my first choice, or my second, or third or.. well the list goes on but when Monday morning came and I got my offer I was repulsed.. Yes I'd be in Limerick, however in LIT not UL (I'm not saying there's anything wrong with LIT.. it's just my heart was set on UL) and for Marketing and management. It's when I got that offer that it made me realise how much I wanted journalism and even more how much I wanted UL. To add salt to the wounds, it seemed like everyone who wanted UL got it, on top of that all my friends were delighted with their courses and they are all ready to head off... Don't get me wrong I'm delighted for them, and so excited to hear all the stories they'll have to tell, but Christ! It hurts!!

I met with my guidance teacher Monday morning, after calming myself down and she basically gave me all my options. We went through what the course entails in LIT and even she knew it wasn't for me.. maths, economics, more maths = unhappy Lynda, plus it's only a level 6. So I knew straight away it wasn't a course I was extremely interested in.
My second option was to do a PLC, there was some amazing courses on offer in Limerick College Of Further Education, some I really did love  but with only a level 5 and no accommodation booked, I don't know what to do. The idea of living inner city, on my own without loads of people around does scare me quite a bit, but it's an option at the moment.
My final, and most reluctant option is to repeat and to do it all again. That kills me.
Doing the Leaving Cert once was bad enough but again!! It horrifies me!! - Last year we all got through it together, the whole year!! We had each other but trying to break the mould and fit into a new year will be tough. Not to mention a whole new English course!! AND THE HOMEWORK!!! STUDY!!! UNIFORM.
It really breaks my heart, not something I'd love to do but all I can think about is UL.

I'm trying to make it as clear as I can in my head..
LIT - In Limerick, don't love the course, no UL.
PLC- In Limerick, love the course, no UL
Repeat- No Limerick, horrible - but a second chance!!!
In life I don't think there's many times you get a second chance but repeating is giving me the second chance!! Even though I always said repeating would  never be an option and I'd hate it, There's times when you realise that you need to suck it up just to better yourself.
And as my good friend Aoife Moore said to me this morning.
                        ''Never give up on something you really want.
                                                          It's difficult to wait, but worse to regret''
Repeat 2015... UL Rag Week 2016 - Let's be having ya!!!