Big family

Hello!
This is a topic that I've really wanted to talk about so here I go...
At 38 cousins (30 first cousins, 8 first once replaced/removed-you get the picture) my family would definitely not be labeled a small family. All I have ever known is large families, my mum is the youngest of five and my dad is the second youngest of four. Since there were pretty lengthy age gaps between the siblings, this meant that things became complicated.
With 18 years between my mum and her eldest brother this meant that by the age of 3 my mum was already an Aunty to my eldest cousin Michelle, from there on there was a baby explosion on both sides of my family. I actually just worked out there have been atleast four 'teen pregnancies' in my family (not drastic, they were all atleast 17/18) this meant by the time I came into the world, not only did I have cousins around 30 years older than me, but they also already had children of their own.
To avoid serious confusion and difficult explanation , my mum and dad decided it would be best to just make me call the ones who had children Aunty/uncle and treats their children as if first cousins. So when I was about 6-7 I found out my life was a lie and rather than having many aunties/uncles, I actually had loads of cousins.
I think the main problem to this Mullen/Burke epidemic was that people in my family just adore babies. My dads sister for example, she loved children so much she had 10. Apparently after I was born I was really cute (surprise) and when she came to see me for the first time, everyone could see the 'love', she already had 8 children at this stage, however upon being charmed by my looks, just over nine months later my cousin Asya was born.
As much as I'm making it all seem lovely and dreamy to have such a big family, it does have its faults. Infact, I envy those who can name all their cousins on one hand.
Being a big family means that you don't see each other all at the same time often as your nan's house might fall apart. I actually don't think I've ever had a family Christmas dinner (with anyone other than my own mum, dad etc of course). It was only at my great aunty's funeral not too long ago that we realised what a shame it is that we only come together when it's something like that.
I think that Christmas is actually the biggest problem, as if we bought a present for everyone we would be really strapped for cash. So we came up with a formula that the age 15 is the cut off point for presents, Easter eggs etc (still get cards obvs)...I'm 15 in January, I feel like sleeping beauty when she is going to get pricked on her 16th b'day.
I've also never been on a family holiday, however I am going on one for the very first time this summer! But even then there will be 10 of us all together in 1 villa (eek)

Anyway, I've kind of rambled on here, but I guess the point I've been trying to say is even though we don't see each other as much as we should. I love my family very much and don't know where I would be without them (ew, pre xfactor audition interview much?)

Bæ-watch

Incase you don't follow my twitter (@niamhiejane btw) I am going to give you a brief insight on what this post is about. I often tweet pictures of various people and refer to them as the popular word at the moment "bæ" along with a couple of loved up emojis.
It only occurred to me the other day that I have quite a few "bæs" and then a lightbulb moment struck me. Fibonacci can have his sequence, the scientists can have their periodic table, but I can have my "bæ list"
So here it is, the official drawn up list of the bæs
(In no particular order)

Jack Nicholson
Kiefer Sutherland
Louis Theroux
Jonah Hill
Frank Sinatra
Jimi Hendrix
Buddy from cake boss
Malcolm McDowell
Jimmy Page
Emma Blackery
George Harrison
James Caan
Johnny Knoxville
Steve-O
Bam
Steven Spielberg
George from Gogglebox
Louis from Gogglebox
Elvis Presley
Danny DeVito
Robin Williams
Jenna Marbles
Stanley Kubrick
Tony Almeida
Leonardo DiCaprio
Nev Schulman
Male vets...everywhere
Peter Kay
Ray Winston
Trisha Paytas
Shane Dawson
Kurt Cobain
Alice Cooper
Angelina Jolie
Aaron Taylor Johnson
Leila Morse
Will Smith
Al Pacino
Robert DeNiro
Shelley Duvall

A dog is for life, not just for selfies

This post is about dogs. If you're a cat person, the door is on the left.

I felt inspired to write this post after watching the YouTube video 'Last Minutes With Oden' which is not only around 3 minutes worth of super hard crying but actually has a deep meaning behind. The story tells us of a man from a troubled life who one day gets a three legged dog (to make the situation even sadder) called Oden. The man looks back on Oden's life and remarks how accepting he was as a dog, this all takes place within the last minutes of Oden's life before being out to sleep after an extensive battle with Cancer. The man remarks on how accepting Oden was, saying how he had lay next to junkies etc and just stayed there. He didn't care about their background or who they were, he could tell if they were having a tough time and would lay with them. I know this probably comes across as SO cheesy, like how can a dog have that kind of sense...however I truly believe they do.

I feel like having a dog these days is thrown around too loosely, all around us there are parents giving in to their whining daughters/sons and thrusting a puppy into their arms to shut them up, why do the children want a dog in the first place? Not because they want a life lesson and experience and want to take responsibility of a living thing. Simply because they are cute. I know that I don't speak for everyone on this however, as I regretfully admit, I am a prime example of this. Ever since I could walk, I would be chasing (as much as I could) after dogs in the park. Then when I advanced and began to talk, I began to plead for one of my own. I remember writing "P.S" notes in the bottom of my parents mothers/fathers/anniversary/birthday cards "please (x57) can we get a dog' until they finally gave in and in 2009 we got a miniature Jack Russell terrier named Ruby Tuesday (after the Rolling Stones song)
And as much as I regret to say it, life with a dog isn't as cracked up as its meant to be.
Despite her endless amounts of love she radiates (vice versa) she has caused great difficulty for our family. We can't go out or away without considering what to do with her, we are always the first to leave parties etc, because she needs a wee. Not to also mention she absolutely reeks to the high heavens of what only my family have described as 'pish' which is a hybrid of piss and fish.

However, after watching Last Minutes With Oden I suddenly looked past the strain and saw how much she has really done for us.
If it wasn't for her needing a walk, we wouldn't have ever gone out at weekends or on a sunny evening. We wouldn't have this small bundle of warm that works wonders for period pain when curled up on your stomach.
I know these are kind of stupid things but also, I'd never appreciated before how much she has actually been there for me (there goes the cheesiness again)
Like sometimes if I'm sick she'll come over and just stand there, licking my forehead and even when I push her away she stills stays.
Or if I've had an argument with my mum which has resulted in tears, she climbs up on me and makes me cry into my neck.
If its just the two of us alone at home and a obscure clank of the radiator goes of upstairs we instantly lock eyes and know that we have each other.
Also if I'm trapped up in my room, ploughing through homework, I'll hear the clatter of her claws outside my door.
It's only now that I'm beginning to realise how much I have taken her for granted as who else would be there for you like that? Who else would still love you relentlessly despite the fact that you shove them away? I know a lot of you are probably thinking 'God' in your head right now, but maybe there's a reason dog backwards spells out what your thinking?
I have zero tolerance for those who say that 'animals do not have souls' as when you look into a dog's eyes, all I can see is love spilling out of them, they are called loyal, not because of their ability to fetch, come, sit etc but rather their willingness to  serve (as I believe it is put in the video) Infact, I think dog abuse happens because dogs accept their fate, they accept their 'master' that they have been assigned to and go along with what they say and even after going through hell and back they are still willing to love, who else can do that?
Don't say Dogs have no soul when they will accept being also homeless to support the one they love, or take abuse and still love the one who is hurting them.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that dogs and owners have a very similar relationship to what Harry, Ron & Hermoine did with Snape. It was only in the end they realised how much they took him for granted.
So the next time your dog has peed on your carpet or poisoned the house with its salmon esque odour, try to look past it, and be thankful for the true friend you have.

Hi...

This is my new blog thing (I've had like 7 which have all failed miserably)
The reason I'm making this one is because I kind of feel inclined to as my friends all made one so I didn't really want to be the odd one out (I know...I succumbed to peer pressure)
I don't even really know what this blog is going to be about, Infact thinking about it now, I have no idea what I'm going to do with this. This will not be a blog about makeup as I commit every "makeup sin" there is (yes I pull my eyelids when I apply eyeliner) and most of the makeup I have is just the cheapest I can get from superdrug. I don't have any of that fancy MAC stuff. This will not be a blog about health and fitness as I hate excercise, I do not get happy hormones from it at all. It's just going to be a blog about life really.
Anyway here is a bit about me:
-my name is Niamh
-my middle names are Jane, which everyone thinks is after my Aunty but its actually after my mums favourite song (oops) and Maaike after the midwife that delivered me who apparently was like a cheerleader when my mum was squeezing me out giving birth to me.
-speaking of giving birth to me, I was born with a massive head. Not only did I have to be hoovered out, I left my poor mother needing stitches *shivvers*
-I couldn't walk until I was nearly three, which meant whenever I saw a child that could walk I would kick them down to my level (#sassqueen)
-I have been playing the guitar for about 6/7 years now. I have two guitars, an acoustic and an electric, who are named after my main bæs (Lennon and Hendrix)
-I love music, my favourites include (*dermot o'leary voice* in no particular order) The Beatles-hence blog name, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The kinks, AC DC, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper *breathes*, The Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, The clash...yeah
-I am insanely in love with Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Nicholson and James Caan
-My favourite author is Stephen King, My favourite book (so far) by him his The Shining
-I have a weird crush on Jonah Hill
-The majority of my dreams could easily pass as Stanley Kubrick films
-My dog is named after the song by the Rolling Stones "Ruby Tuesday" (you can imaging the singing when we leave her with the sitter)
-oh and I have a sister, but she's not important.