Hozier | Album Spotlight

Hozier's single 'Take Me To Church' was one of the most played songs on Spotify of 2014 and has over 40 million views on YouTube. Safe to say he's pretty popular in the music scene right now and rightly so, his song writing is amazing and his voice is beautiful. I thought I would pay homage to that and write up my five favourite songs from the album in no particular order.  

Sedated 

Like Real People Do

Arsonist's Lullaby 

Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene

It Will Come Back 

Taylor Swift 1989 | Album Spotlight

This post has been sitting in my drafts for ages, I completely forgot about it! I bought this album after hearing it was very 80's pop even though I'm not the biggest fan of 'Shake It Off'. I am so happy I bought this, I love it back to front! It's great and here are my top five songs from the album. It's super hard to get audio so I thought I would post people's covers, people helping people! 

Wildest Dreams 

Welcome To New York 

Style

Out Of The Woods

This Love

Have you heard the album, what's your favourite songs?

The Pinterest Present

This year for my 22nd birthday I received this present from a good friend. Like can we just take a second to appreciate how totally me this is. It's perfect. If you haven't read my 30 before 30 post then I'll leave the link here but the idea steamed from there.

The cutest idea of all the cute ideas. I just thought I'd share this with you to give you some gift inspiration as the big boy holiday fast approaches.

Lush Haul | Christmas

Christmasssssss the snows falling down, Christmasssss I'm watching it fall. 

It is that time of year again were the Christmas albums are on full blast and I think there perfectly matched with a super warm bath at night with lush. I think I was quite tame this year but here's the four products I bought to me from Santa. 

Father Christmas | The ultimate Christmas bath bomb, starts from red and turns your bath green. It smells identical to snowy fairy and the bubblegum lip scrub. 

The Christmas Penguin | How cute is this little guy, bless. A crumbly bubble bar with super fresh ingredients that will give you a refreshing bath for sure. 

A French Kiss | Not in the Christmas collection but lavender is one of my favourite scents. It makes you feel so soft and it's really moisturising. Perfect for before bed time. 

Christmas Eve | I can't wait to use this the night before the big crimbo day. It smells amazing!

Quote Of The Day #5

The law of attraction is real people!

Room Tour | Arts & Crafts Pegged Photo Frames

I though I'd show a few of my photos and how I display them in my room. I saw this pack on eBay for only 99p and thought it was the cutest idea ever! I'm sure it's easily made by hand, but for 99p I couldn't not buy it. The photos don't fit exactly and it does look all over the place but I like it messy and I'm sure the photos will change over time. The pack is below and it was such quick cheap delivery. 

I have a lot, a lot of photos so I like finding other ways to display them around my room, especially because it's small so it's great having them displayed in different ways other than just setting them on a shelf was great! 

Belfast Christmas Market

Everyone looks forward to the Christmas Continental Market coming to Belfast City Hall each year. It's so lovely walking around in the dark late afternoon with all the pretty lights. There's a lot of different stalls with food from around the world and little handmade trinkets.

I wanted one of those notebooks so bad but they weren't in my Christmas budget, I have little money and a lot of people to spend it on! It's packed every year, all day every day, it's definitely a Belfast highlight. I went on a Sunday night with my friend Gareth, there was a lovely little buzz about the place. Christmas spirits were high, I only wish there were giant speakers about the place to blast Christmas music! Looking forward to going back to the beer tent for an all day Christmas sesh when the home birds fly home from uni.

   

12 Days of Christmas #2

Soooo, little bit of explaining to do here. Last years 12 Days of Christmas link here did not go so well did it. Yep, 3/12 is a very poor effort, my bad. I am determined, however, that this December will be different, I need to at the very least double last years performance. Therefore, here are the 12 things to do through the month of December.

make a decoration for the family tree

donate a gift 

christmas makeup look

pub with friends

arts & crafts [post here]

read and review a new book

christmas market [post here]
room tour

lush christmas haul [post here ]

cold, brisk morning walk

cinema

volunteer 

November Favourites 2014

Hello hello hellooo, this is my first monthly favourites post, how exciting! I thought about making a video out of it as I eventually want to build up a YouTube video because I love editing but I still don't think I'm there yet. Maybe in the new year! Anywhoo I'll dive straight into it and talk about these 7 wonderful things. 

Beauty:

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in Vanilla (£9.99)

Before I bought this I hadn't strayed away from Rimmel foundation which was very safe of me but I did want to branch out. So when this was recommended to me I decided to give it a go. I love it, I have been wearing it the whole month of November. I think it's well worth the money because I only use one pump, it lasts all day and it's smells nice!

Bourjois Lipstick Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Plum Russian (£7.99)

When I first bought this at the start of the month I wasn't impressed but the more I used it the better it worked. The only way I can describe it is like being a soup skin haha so gross but the first time it was like it had that cover on it and it came out very wishy washy but when you broke through it the pigmentation was amazing. I used it all the time now.

Sleek Face Contour Kit in Medium (£6.49)

I bought this product a few months ago and I use this nearly everyday, still hasn't touched pan. It's my first contour kit, after Kim K's contour secrets were revealed I thought I would give it a try. It can subtly change the shape of your face and I love going all out with it when I'm on a night out. Looks really professional and it's such a good price. 

Lush Brazened Honey Face Mask (£6.50)

This was a birthday present given to me at the start of this month and I've used it twice since them. I'm thinking about doing a separate post about it because it's amazing! It's got things in it like ginger root, lime juice and fennel, great for detoxing your skin. I used it after a heavy weekend away and it completely refreshed my skin. It brings your blackheads to light though so I wouldn't use it the day of a night out but it made it easier to use my blackhead remover tool and now I'm pretty much blackhead free!  

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub (£5.50)

Can't get over what a difference this product makes to your lips! It makes them super super smooth and your lipstick just glides on after. Can't say much more about this product other than it works and it will last a very long time, if your thinking about it, get it. 

Other:

Incense 

My brother bought me this when he was in Portugal and it's defiantly one of his better holiday presents. It's up there with the butt-scratcher! I've been burning these while I meditate, it gives me a bit of a light head but in a good way. I feel so peaceful with it burning in my room.

Holland and Barrett Banana and Wildflower Honey Flapjack 

Bit of a random one but it's my favourite snack at the minute. It tastes super good and it's super filling. 

That's my November Favourites for 2014! I'm going to try to keep a record of things I'm using through each month so I can make this a regular thing, until then..

November Playlist 2014

First monthly playlist, we're totally vibin in this one, super cool, super swag, I like it.  

Asgeir - Torrent 

Banks - Beggin For Thread 

Broods - Mother & Father

Die Antwood - Ugly Boy

Jamie T - Zombie 

Klingande - Jubel

Sky Ferreira - I Blame Myself

My Three Years At University

I'll start this post off by saying that I left my small home town in Northern Ireland in 2011 to study Psychology at Northumbria University in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. 

I graduated July 2014 with a 2:2, life long friends, skills money can't buy and a whole bunch of amazing memories. 

Back in 2011 when I told people that I would be moving country to attend university they almost didn't believe me. When I think back I can understand why and I even wonder how I made the move. It's because 2011 Franny was a shy shy girl and had been for the whole of high school and most of primary school. I hardly talked when I was with my group of friends never mind any other social situation. 

However, my desire to experience life outside of my tiny town was far greater than my fears. Fast forward to 2014, it's like I'm talking about different person. Best decision to date. 

Starting Fresh 

So I had packed my life up and moved to this exciting new city. One of my good friends from home had moved over with me and I don't think I would have coped without her. I needed her to ease me into the transition. I was very lucky from the beginning though, I had four of the friendliest and funniest house mates and quickly got into a good group of people that were on my course. In those first few weeks, people come and go like never before. Facebook friend requests shot up, random numbers added to your phone, everyone was just sussing each other and the situation out because we were all in the same boat. I'm so thankful for the ones that stayed. 

Meet The New Gang

I love each and everyone of these people. It's so crazy that they all grew up in a different county from me and two decades later we would all meet and become friends for life. We've all gone through this life experience together and I couldn't have asked for better people. Even though I'm back home now I know I could pick up right were I left off with any off them, no matter where I am in the world. The nights out have been crazy, the days after have been lazy. So proud of all of them for achieving their goals and building towards their future, you're all gonna kick butt!

The New Man In My Life

If the only outcome of university was this little guy, I would do it over and over again at thrice the price. I always had boy best friends as well as my girlfriends but none like this wee gem, he honestly feels like a brother now. He will always hold the title of my favourite non-Irish person ever, between that, my best friend Lorna and my best cousin Tash I am the richest human alive, I feel. Despite him moving uni after first year we always stayed in really good contact. I'm so excited for both of us to go down our own path, waving at each other along the way. King and Queen since we were 18. 

New Places With Old Faces

Even though I was experiencing all of these new things, in a new city with new people, I always stayed in constant contact with my friends at home. I always told them that it was a great opportunity for them as well, I mean free accommodation at any time, just book the cheap flights and party with me! They didn't need to be told twice. Over the three years I had a lot of visits from family and friends and they have always been the best weekends together, my friends never fail to disappoint with a good time. The Irish just take it to another level. I cherish my home birds so dearly, they make up my life, I wouldn't have made it through university without them. 

Let's Get Lost

During my time at uni I've had the pleasure of travelling to new places with my new faces. Fresh, young 20 somethings exploring together, what could be better. I've travelled a lot within the North of England, Sunderland, Carlisle, Holy Island, Wooler, Seahouses and Alnwick. I also travelled down south to London four times (maybe five I've lost count), York, Manchester, Bournemouth, Newport and Cardiff. I also went up to Edinburgh twice, and to Glasgow.  Me and three of my favourites even went on holiday to Barcelona where old and new worlds collided blissfully. I am truly blessed.

The Best Is Yet To Come

Grad Ball and Graduation, two highlights of my life that will never be forgotten. Summing up my time at university perfectly. I had so much fun at university I almost forgot there was a degree at the end of it, even if there wasn't I wouldn't have regretted anything. 

As I was writing this post it became more and more clear that the only thing that matters in life are your experiences with other people. What I have been working on now is finding the most positive people to have the most positive experiences with. People make or break your time here so it's up to you to find the people you want to share it with. This could also mean cutting negative people out which can be a scary thing to do but I promise you it's worth the effort. Any road to happiness is a trip worth taking.  

Thank you to all those positive and negative people, events and experiences that brought me to this moment right now and taught me so much. Keep learning, keep growing, keep smiling. Love.

Quick Airport Beauty Haul

I recently flew into Manchester airport and back for a long girlie weekend, it was obvious from the start that shopping would be involved even though we only had our small hand luggage cases. Boots was our first point of call and of course there was a 3 for 2 offer on that I just can not take advantage of. So these are my three purchases.

Barry M Clear all in one basecoat, topcoat & nail hardener. Pretty standard, I just needed a basecoat so this will be very handy.
Barry M Gelly nail paint in Mustard. I love mustard coloured clothes and when I saw this I thought I would give it a go, I also really like the Gelly collection.
Rimmel Brow This Way styling gel in Dark Brown. I had another nail polish in my hand until I realised it was 3 for 2 across all cosmetics. I love my sleek brow kit but I thought I would try something new.  

These were small enough to fit into my already bulging case ready to take away and try at home, excited!

LANCASTER

The sound of this weekend, have a listen while reading.

This is part 3/3 read part 1 here and part 2 here.

16/11/14

4PM arrive in Tash's university city, Lancaster. After putting out bags away in her flat and chilled, we headed out for dinner. This was just what we needed after those two days of non stop, travelling, eating and drinking. A quiet dinner in a nice Italian followed by flim with munchies and bed.

It was so super spending time with my cousin and best friend Tash, since she went to study for her PGCE it's been so different without her at home, it was just nice to have all the girls together again. 

17/11/14

7AM we said goodbye to Tash as she went off to placement, as soon as she closed the door, our heads flung back into the pillow for a few more hours sleep. 

1PM after getting ready and having something to eat we headed for the train station to catch one to Manchester Airport. Quick coffee before our train. Salted caramel latte, beaut. 

5PM our final destination, our flight home to Belfast that would have us in our home home's by 8PM.

This long weekend included no sleep, a lot of travelling, eating and drinking, resulting in some of the best memories ever with my home birds. The flight home was absolutely stunning as well. I will never tire of looking out the window of a plane, I was flying!

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?" 

GLASGOW

The sound of this weekend, have a listen while reading.

This is Part 2/3 to read part 1 click here!

14/11/14

4PM train up to Glasgow from Manchester with my friend Sam for Tash to hop on the same train at 6PM in Lancaster. Only us, the loudest Irish girls with the loudest laugh, would end up on the quiet coach of the train. Not cool. In that time we learnt how to whisper, sort of.
8PM arrive in Glasgow for our friend Niamh to pick us up and take us to her uni flat, stopping at a shop to buy drink on the way of course.
9PM Lorna arrives and we are ready to rock and roll.

First night was all about the Ireland Vs Scotland match, what a perfect weekend to come over on. Everywhere was buzzing! We landed ourselves in a VIP section of a bar with endless jugs of cocktails and shots. Every two seconds we were stopped and asked about our accents. Whyyy in the world would anyone love the Northern Irish accent, I just can't wrap my head around it. We arrived back at Niamh's with a lot of food at about 5AM meaning that I had been up for a full 24 hours and more. I was shattered to say the least.

15/11/14

The next day consisted of more food and cocktails, in a restaurant this time, when we felt that we were well enough to move. When back at the flat we slowly started getting ready again for round 2. We went to a club this time and it was amazinggggg. We drifted in and out between the chart, r&b and indie rooms. It was one of the best nights out I've had and it was so special to have all my home birds there.

16/11/14

Next day we scraped ourselves up off the beds and said goodbye to Niamh. Was so lovely of her to take us in and I think she really appreciated us being there because it was a little taste of home which we all need now and again. Time well spent in Glasgow, would defiantly go back and visit wee Niamhy again.

2PM train down to Lancaster with me Tash, Lorna and Sam. Stay tuned for the post about that next!

MANCHESTER

The sound of this weekend, have a listen while reading.

This post is Part 1/3

14/11/14

I flew into Manchester at 8AM, at this point I'd only been up for four hours but it seemed like ten. As soon as me and my friend Samantha arrived we took the train into Piccadilly where we would be getting the next. 

It was raining. What a bummer, we had 8 hours in this train station and it was raining. First point of call was breakfast though and because we hadn't eaten yet the only option was a hearty fry. Soon followed by a Pumpkin Spice Latte in Starbucks where we chilled until the rain subsided.

12PM it became dry and we headed for Primark, we couldn't resist. It was huge, it was one of the best Primark I've been in, I would go back just for a days shopping in there.

Next we stopped at the Piccadilly Tavern basically a weatherspoons, nothing special but ideal location for a quick pint. As soon as we were planning this trip and I knew that we would be spending an extra few hours in Manchester I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Canal Street, where one of my favourite TV shows was filmed, Queer as Folk. Shame I couldn't see it at night time in all it's glory but we did manage another pint obviously. What else would two Irish girls do with their waiting time?

I was so happy to be there. 

3PM we headed back to the train station to catch our 4PM train to Glasgow to meet our friends Tash, Niamh and Lorna. Stay turned for that in another post next!