Decorating a tiny [student] apartment for Christmas

First of all, let me say that finding three - in my mind, essential - Christmas decor items in Ireland is extremely difficult. These include, but are in no way limited to: mistletoe, stockings, and candy canes. 

Oh, sure, the Irish will tell you they're readily available, and they're not entirely wrong. These things always seem to be in abundance around shoppers who couldn't give a [insert word here]. But for those of us who are dying for some good old candy canes and potpourri, God help us all and good luck.

However, we're rather proud of how our tiny little apartment ended up this Christmas season, so here are my tips for decorating 1) on a budget, 2) in a tiny apartment, and perhaps most importantly 3) in Ireland.

1) Countdown
Advent calendars, stockings, sleeps till Christmas, these are all essentials. I bought an advent calendar for the boy and myself, though we still haven't kept up with the chocolate eating.

2) Twinkle lights
are essential. Everywhere. Over the bed, over the door, on random spots on the way. Use many and enjoy.

3) Get a Christmas tree
My housemate, the boy, and I all split the cost of a real tree for the apartment this year and had a blast decorating it. Tiny little fake ones work well as well. Decorate it, enjoy it, turn on the lights everyday, and have your morning coffee by the light of merriment.

4) Enjoy new traditions
Can't find candy canes? Enjoy some Cadbury Roses. Can't find an Advent wreath? Enjoy some Advent chocolate.
And did you notice that my Christmas countdown says "Sleeps" till Christmas? Hello, England and Ireland! (To be truthful, it's a much more efficient way to countdown. Think about it. No more of those, "Wait, how do you count days? Do you count today?" arguments! Woohoo.) Basically, if you're in a new country, a new place, an apartment instead of your parents' cozy old house, find joy in the new traditions and new place.

5) Celebrate with friends
And don't forget the Christmas crackers. And the rein-beer.

And don't worry. Three days before Christmas, a busker on the street will be selling mistletoe. You're all sorted.

xx

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

London Trip

I am an American Magnet. Living in a foreign country in which the similarities amongst the persons of the national population are myriad, I am an expert at picking out those who, like myself, "don't match". That being said, it doesn't necessarily follow that I would attract American friends more easily than anyone else. But I do seem to find and make lifelong friends with more of the only-American-in-the-crowd types than anyone else.

For this I am super grateful. It's one of the best things about living abroad. Every stranger might be a new friend and these friends come with stories and relationships that cross time and circumstance. However, the downside is that many of these cool people, especially the Americans, is that their stint in my newly adopted country is brief, usually only a study-abroad semester. So when one of these friends asked if I wanted to take a little London excursion with him before he left the cold, damp climes of the Isles for the (now snowy but usually) perpetually comfortable temperatures of the Carolinas, of course I said yes! And so it was that three new friends (the two of them only met when we decided to go to London together!) booked a flight for London...

First, our plane was delayed by four hours, cutting our day and a half trip to London down to a day. And somebody who was meant to be guarding our bags with his life just fell asleep.

When we did make it to London, it was already pitch dark (which is to say it was only about 4:30PM). I managed to get ridiculously sick somewhere over the English Channel, so while the lads went out on the town exploring for the night and very actively tried to get me to join them, I "slept" for the night. 

Waking up not at all refreshed, we walked over to the chemist to get something to keep my fever down, and we hit the streets.

Big Ben, of course!

Underground station looking out at the London Eye

Getting this picture of the three of us was a struggle. We had to use my junky phone because the others were scared theirs would be stolen if they asked a stranger to hold it for a minute.

Blackfriars' Bridge

Underneath Blackfriars' Bridge, looking at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Movie-star L in front of the Globe Theatre

"It's the Harry Potter bridge! We have to walk across it!"

"We're not going to walk over to the London Bridge are we?"

St. Paul's Cathedral

"I'm not taking a picture in there; it smells horrible"

Sunset by the London Eye

We're so cold!

The two of them went on the London Eye, but I decided that I wanted to just walk around by myself for twenty minutes instead. They got some great pictures, and we all got to see a perfect London sunset. 

While they were gone, I walked around the Christmas market (yes, this is a very old journey!) I resisted the urge to purchase some mulled wine all by myself. I was still rockin' a fever, after all.

When we met up again, we all walked around the Christmas market together for a while. Then as the temperatures got colder and colder, we decided to walk just a little further (we ended up coming upon Westminster Cathedral) and catching the Tube back to the hostel.

Somehow we rallied ourselves enough to head out for the evening. I don't even remember where we ate or what, so I'm sorry about that. But I do remember very distinctly trying my best to convince the two that I couldn't go out for the evening, that I really was just too sick. And whether it was a good decision or a bad decision in the end, I headed out with them. It was, after all, our last night in London. With a giant bag of chips in hand to split, I happily drank some ginger ale at a few lovely little spots in Camden Town (haha).

I didn't know a picture was being taken. Clearly, someone doesn't want to sit next to me :( 

As soon as I got off the plane back in Cork, I walked right over to the doctor's office. It turns out I had tonsillitis: oops! But it was a great "weekend" nonetheless. Guess sometimes you need some really annoying friends telling you take some more medicine and keep walking! x

Red, White, and Blue, Puppy Christmas

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 And Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. As my mother says, the Christmas season lasts until January 6th (but as our tree tends to stay up infinitely longer than that, I think Christmas might last longer, too). 

With the holiday season, many things happen. And things like blogs, school essays, obligatory phone calls, exercise, get thrown to the wayside. With the New Year, all those things kind of pile up in the back of your mind again until you're so stressed you're wondering how you thought holiday shopping was stressful. 

Here we are, landed safely in 2014. We can follow the mode of all the other blogs in a couple of days with some New Year's Resolutions, but for today, I'd love to share some Christmas memories with all of you. 

I landed in Virginia around 10 o'clock on Friday, December 20th, and immediately hopped in the biggest pick-up truck I could find. Home sweet home! 

Christmas flew by with family, friends, and my adorable puppy Angus. It was his first Christmas with us, since last year he was a Christmas present. So I am unable to control the picture taking. 

Brother with puppy

Sister with puppy

Another sister with puppy

Grandmother with puppy

Me with puppy xx

Besides puppy photoshoots, I've gotten to see a bunch of my friends. Me and the bestie met up for some Christmas Eve dining in some fancy clothing. 

Christmas Day was an all around success, with a lovely gifts exchanged, some yummy food cooked, and some tasty bubbly popped. It was a lovely week in Virginia! 

My brother wouldn't let me give him a Christmas kiss

My sister was a little perturbed at having to wait

My sister and I enjoy the scent of brother's new Abercrombie.

Angus' new scarf

Wishing you every blessing over the holiday season and New Year!!

Christmas Preparations xx: Cork City Edition

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you! 

I'm writing from my own desk in the good old DMV once again, eating a candy cane and loving the holidays. As I think I've mentioned before, Cork has been decorated since November 1st, so I suppose that means I'm a little late in posting about Christmas prep. Normally, I'd be anti-early-Christmas-prep, but being in a foreign country for the holiday has a funny way of making one a little homesick, and the only cure is a little Christmas. Hence, I joined the many thousands in merry Christmas making throughout November to the dismay of more than a few friends around me. But what can I say? We could always do with more Christmas, if it does mean finally displaying my own insanity.

How to Prepare for Christmas, step-by-step:
1) Run the Run in the Dark 5K with your housemate and enjoy the lights of the Christmassy city of Cork at night. Do not care that it is only November 13th...

2) Find Starbucks red cups at any cost.

God bless UCC's Coffee Dock

3) Decorate, including but not limited to:

Buying a chocolate advent calendar. Use it to countdown to your flight home rather than Christmas Eve. Home is much more important. 

Putting up stockings and a tree (utterly essential).

The stockings and stocking holders were my Christmas gifts to M and K.

Finding some Christmassy treats to bring home.

Special edition Barry's Tea from Cork: Santa's Tea.

4) Enjoy the first frost of the season and your last days in the Christmassy city with some mulled wine and walks around the Christmas fair.

Happy Christmas North Main Street. Celebrating last day of classes with a few pints.

Carousal at the Christmas fair on Grand Parade.

A few Christmas tunes

The English Market glowing in the dark.

Once all of these steps have been completed, you will be all set to pack up all those Christmas presents you so carefully wrapped (pack enough clothes for padding in the suitcase; you don't want all of your hard work to be for naught!), and catch a flight to Amurica.

I'm so excited to be home. Ireland is lovely, and I'm so happy living there; but Virginia has some charms that Ireland could never reproduce, especially at Christmas x