Merry Christmas! (To-do lists, cookies and just plain Christmas)

And so we have arrived, rather quickly, to Christmas Eve... This month has gone faster than it has ever gone before! I'm always busy on Christmas Eve, getting ready for the following day and our annual Christmas Eve party. I am left with presents to wrap and cards to make, and just all the things that have to be done before Christmas Day! Writing this blog was on my to-do list for today, as well as a heap of other things.
If any of you make to-do lists, you'll know that it's hard to get everything done! I always make them, and sometimes something may keep appearing on them for a few weeks before I have it done! It can sometimes be a race to see whether you can do a number of things faster than you did anything the week before! I hope that someday everything on my long term to-do list is ticked off. Life's big struggle: getting things done.
One thing I had to get done today was decorating the Christmas *cookies I baked yesterday. As much as it was fun, it was a lot harder than I expected it to be! Not only did the dough make much more than the 25 cookies it is supposed to make, but it also took a long time to make and decorate them. The recipe even said that they are supposed to be easy to make. Even with the bumps, the end result was altogether satisfying. I guess it goes to show that nothing is as simple as it says it is!

Anyway, I better finish doing the things on my to-do list!
Merry Christmas!
Sarah xxx

My favourite cookies.

Some of the other cookies. 

My favourite cookies again.





*The recipe for the cookies is from the Avoca Teatime cookbook.

Beauty | Holiday Nail Art

This is my simple step-by-step "how-to" to get those nails looking festive for this wonderful season! Today I'm going to show you how I did these sweet and simple holly nails.

• First I put a sparkly gold base on each nail, giving a second coat where necessary. You could use any colour if you want.

• I then added three red dots on each nail with a cocktail stick (or if you have nail art pens, you can use that instead).

• After, I used the green nail polish to draw the leaves. This bit was trickier, having to form all the tiny little points of the leaves. I drew little triangle-shaped points, two on each side and one at the top of each leaf. 

• Then the good old clear top coat, and you're good to go- festive nails to brighten your holiday!

So there's my holiday nail art idea for this year, have fun adding that sparkle to your Christmas spirit! I like experimenting with nail art, so I'll hopefully post more ideas in the future.

Until next time,

Sarah xxx  

                    MeRrY ChRiStMaS

Short Update: Christmas trees, decorating, and what's coming up next on my blog!

 Today, we got our Christmas tree. It's always an exciting part of the holiday season, especially decorating it and putting the lights on it! I can't wait to start adding all our beautiful decorations during the week! It'll be nice to have that lovely smell of pine in the house once again... 

Once this week is over, I'll be on holidays and able to enjoy the decorations and Christmas music a lot more.  I have assignments due this week, so once I get past them and hand them in, I'll be more relaxed and free to finish decorating and doing more Christmassy things! I'll even have plenty of time to upload a new youtube video or two (a Christmas song is on the way). 

I'll also have more time to blog, and finally include more in my blogs such as (Christmas) nail ideas, my favourite Christmas clothes, or anything else I might want to share with you! I feel like I don't have enough time to blog, and so I'll try to make the best of next week, maybe even preparing some blog drafts to have ready to post in the new year! 

I'm afraid this is all I have time for today, as I am quite busy this week, and can't take the time to post ideas, tips or photos. If there's anything you'd like to see on my blog, let me know in the comments below and I'll see what I can do!

Until next week,
Merry Christmas,
Sarah xxx

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's that time of year again! And even though it's getting quite cold these days, that's what makes this season special. Sitting by the fire, snuggling under the covers, drinking hot cocoa... and sometimes, snow! I love Christmastime, and since it's officially December, I can sing Christmas songs as much as I want, and no-one can stop me because it's Christmas!

I hope to blog maybe once a week this holiday season, sharing my festive food and cake ideas, favourite music, decoration tips and maybe even some Christmas fashion. It's practically my favourite time of year, so I'm getting super excited to start decorating and getting in the spirit of things!

Until my next post,
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Season's Greetings...
Sarah xxx

Some of our home decorations, Christmas 2013

An Update on Missions, College, and All Things Adventure-related.

So this time last week I discovered that I got into the course I wanted, I was playing with kids before their operations, and I was in a totally different country. I know I said I'd try to blog, but with only a phone and very little time, not to mention exhaustion every evening, it never happened. That's why I'm blogging now.

One adventure is over, and another is about to begin. My mission in Mexico opened my eyes to many things, and I got to understand the way things work on an Op Smile mission. It was great! And now I'm walking into the new and intriguing adventure that is college. It's different, nerve-wrecking, but above all, exciting!

In just three weeks, I will be entering a new world where I don't have to wear a school uniform, shudder at the thought of winding up in detention, do subjects I dislike, or be surrounded by a mass of cliques. I will enter a world full of adventure and adrenaline.

I have had a jam-packed summer, from visiting family, to travelling somewhere over 8,000 km away, but now it's nearly time to put away the suitcase and prepare for my first term in college. I have no idea what exactly lies ahead, but whatever it is, I'm ready. Bring. It. On.

Sarah

A Day Full of New Adventures

Tomorrow is known as D-Day for all Leaving Cert students all over the country. For me, it is not only the day of the dreaded results, but the start of two very big adventures.

One, is something very much new and exciting for me. Tomorrow morning I am leaving the country and I am flying to a whole other continent. I am going on a mission with the charity Operation Smile, to Mexico. There, I will encounter new people, cultures, and food. I will grow more as a person, and get to connect with children who have cleft lip and/or cleft palate. This cause is close to my heart, because I had a cleft lip and palate when I was born. I was fortunate enough to be born into a country where I could get surgery, speech therapy, and dental work- all for free. For the children who don't have that opportunity, they put their faith in Operation Smile. I am excited to help educate these children about basic healthcare and to brings smiles into their lives.

The other adventure, is my road trip through college. Tomorrow I get my results. These very results will determine my next four years, and hopefully I will attain the points I need to get the course I really want. My long journey through college is both exciting and different. 

These two experiences will both be a part of my life experience, and I will learn so much from them. They are both different journeys, but in the end, they will shape me as a person.

Lastly, I want to take the time to acknowledge a legendary person who died this week. Robin Williams was a man of great talent, and great character. His acting was witnessed, and still is, by people of all ages. I will never forget the place he has in my childhood, giving the performance of his life in movies like Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire.

I will try to blog about my mission experience as I go along, but it may be difficult to do so every day.

Until next time,

Sarah

My Experience as a Performer (and Audience Member)

As I prepare for the dreaded Leaving Cert commencing this Wednesday, I decided to share this personal essay that I did as practice for the English exam. I did it under time limits.
I've tweaked and shortened it a bit for this post. (sorry it's a bit long-winded!)

At first, there's darkness. Then, there's the familiar hum of voices as the crowd's talking comes to a whisper. Next, the music starts, and as you take your place, the curtain starts to rise. The lights are blazing, and all that is visible of the audience is their black silhouettes, sitting there in a state of anticipation and eagerness. You feel the rush of adrenaline pulsing through your veins, and as you move about the stage, you think of nothing but the happiness that you feel in that moment.

~~~the rest is to come soon~~~