Karma, Courtesy of Fanny Crown Paris

Most of the time I can brush things off. I am pretty much a pro when it comes to just going with the flow and letting the good times roll, as well as having the chips fall where they may. This week however, was pretty much 90% crap on a twig.

On Saturday we found out that a good friend of my parents and uncle passed away from what we believe to be a heart attack, then on Sunday I was told that a girl I knew (though admittedly she was a lot older than I am) had committed suicide.

As if those two weren't bad enough together, I rolled into college on Monday morning (3 hours early for a 2pm Kitchen Session) to find my locker had been broken into and my chefs whites taken. I cried at the top of the stairs for a good 15 minutes before one of the mature students from my course, Angela found me and comforted me til I was calm. Then I had to go and find the Dept Head, the Course Head, and file a report with the porters, before I made my way over the the Linen Stores for a new uniform.

I had intended on going to college early to leave my stuff, go get a bite and then stake out the library to get my KS prep done. No such luck. the lecturer was quite understanding and she let me off free and easy since it had been an awful day. That was really nice of her and I was grateful as heck!

When I got onto the bus at 6 to head home, after the worst Monday in at least a year, I got a text from Chris asking me to ring him. He informed me through his tears that his goldfish was dying. Fish is okay now, thankfully, he seems to have made a miraculous recovery.

Tuesday rolled around and I was delighted because that meant I was doing lunch with my very good friend Kerrie! We strolled around the the bus stop in the middle of Maynooth town, and hopped on the 66, heading to the Big Smoke! Everything was great, we had a brilliant lunch and a few cocktails in Cafe en Seine, then we hopped on the bus back to O'Connell St to meet Chris at the Luas stop. Kerrie headed for Tallaght, Chris and I for Drumcondra. There I was informed by another friend that a good friend of mine had suffered the passing of his beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog and I honestly had to mentally scold myself for crying in public twice in a week. I had a ferocious headache so I met my friend Aine for coffee and then went home. When I met my mum in Maynooth to come all the way home, she then informed me that Dad had decided to take the dog for a walk and a swim in the canal, and he had stumbled, and fallen in too. He went under twice but managed to get himself out. God knows how, the man has an awful bad heart, but still he made it home, the half mile walk from the Royal Canal to our house, drenched but still alive and well.

I spent yesterday in bed with a headache and a pain in the right side of my face, in my jaw near my ear.

But today really made things so much better. Fanny Crown held a competition last month and today the winners were announced. I feel awful though for ringing Kayliegh all excited telling her she had won because I was too excited to sit and read the announcement. It turned out she won second place and I won the grand prize. This week went from 90% bad, to 90% awesome in one fell swoop

You can find my post HERE, and Kaylieghs HERE

Either way, I think we are both still delighted with our winnings and I know that I am over-the-moon with the way Karma has repaid me for the last few days.

Thank you so much, Fanny Crown, you guys really have made me so happy and I'm delighted to be your January Blog Competition winner!! :D

You can find all the links to Fanny Crown in either mine, or Kaylieghs post above!

Amy
xx

Get Your Freak On!! TAG Post

I love tags. It's definitely not a secret that I harbor this love of filling out surveys and taking quizzes, I just love doing them. So today, I'm going to do the "Get Your Freak On" tag that I actually found on Adorabubbles YouTube. Lets get cracking!!

1. What is a nickname you have that only family uses?

That's easy. My older sister Hazel has called me snoopy for most of my life. She still addresses my cards as "To Snoop!". Aside from that, I'm everything from "Baba", which my dad uses, to "Aims" which my mam uses and my niece Katie calls me "Maymee" ever since she could talk. 

2. What is a weird habit of yours?

Oh god. I am a weird habit!! I mean I suppose I chew the inside of my mouth when I'm worried or sad. I also have a tendency to giggle after I break wind, no matter what. Flatulence is funny, end of story!

3. Do you have any weird phobias? 

I am absolutely 100% terrified of balloons. I cannot stand them. It's partly due to my panic attacks because the loud bang of a balloon bursting can be triggering. I also hate medical instruments like forceps and the like. God help me when I have kids, that's all I'm going to say! One final one that I have a reason for is water. I hate water any higher than my waist. I mean, I can swim and I will swim occasionally, but I get hit with this awful sense that I'm going to drown. It's not nice.

4. What is one song you secretly love to blast, and belt out?

That's easy, not that its much of a secret. The Saw Doctors: I Used To Love Her Once. God I will belt that at the top of my lungs no matter the hour of the day!! Love it.

5. Biggest Pet Peeve? 

How long have you got? There is a list! I feel unconrollable rage around screaming kids or unsupervised kids. They drive me up the walls. I also cannot sit in a room with someone while their eating. It actually makes me want to punch people. The same goes for loud breathing through your mouth. Don't do that near me unless you want to die. I hate when people cancel plans at the last minute or don't bother to show up and say "I forgot". That is absolute horse****!! Moving on...

6. What is a nervous habit you have?

I will incessantly check the time on my phone if I'm nervous. I also will crack my knuckles. I can also read the same paragraph of a book 10+ times. I'm weird. 

7. What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

I used to sleep almost exclusively on the left side, as you sit in bed, but I have recently been lying diagonally across with my feet on the bottom left and my head on the pillows on the right.

8. First stuffed animal and its name?

I say the following with pride: My first stuffed toy was my beloved Mr Bear, who has been with me since I was one day old in The Coombe. I have dragged him across countries, he's been in my handbag, I used to carry him around with me everywhere, and I will even admit, he came to my first day of college. I can sleep without him though it's usually a patchy sleep. He has been lost in Quinnsworth, stolen by a dog, washed in the washing machine and dropped into puddles, and I still adore him. Chris calls him a health hazard, but that's all filthy lies!! 

9. What is your Starbucks order?

A Venti soy caramel macchiatto with an extra shot and extra hot!! Also I have to have it in a takeaway cup so I can have a straw. Lipstick woes. 

10. What is a beauty rule you preach but rarely practice?

Lets your natural brow shape come into its own, DO NOT OVER-TWEEZE!!! Thankfully I have handed control of my brows over to my beloved Jenny. 

11. Which way do you face in the shower?

I face away from the spray. It makes the whole experience so much easier. It also helps that I exclusively wash my face at the sink. 

12. Any weird bodily skills?

I'm really bendy, if that counts? Does natural ability in archery count? I don't know. 

13. Favorite comfort food. 

Burritos. That fabulous tortilla wrapped, rice and chicken stuffed, spicy, creamy, salsa covered bundle of joy is all I need in life. There is nothing nicer than being in Tolteca on a rainy afternoon. 

14. What is a phrase or exclamation you use all the time? 

I'm a total culchie so I use words like "fierce" to describe the weather; and then I say things like "Well they wont kick too many wides anyway!!", which, when roughly translated into real English means "That person is very clever". If you ask me for a suggestion of some kind of shop, or drink, or something of that nature, I will tell you "Well _____ is your only man!!". 

15. Time to sleep; What are you actually wearing? 

Normally I just wear my local GAA jersey and underwear. I keep a pair of Canterbury Uglies on standby for early morning modesty. Can't be answering the door to the PP in your knickers, now, can you?

That was one of the most fun tags I've done in ages, I hope you enjoyed learning more about me. 

I tag: ALL OF YOU!! Go for broke, let your freak flag fly!

Amy 
xx