App-sessed

Today I am back with a different type of blog post than usual!

So I will be showing you the apps I have on my iPod - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!!

As someone who spends majority of their time with a devise in their hand, I would like to think I know a thing or two about apps - or rather I'll just show you the ones I have came across over the last few years.

Social Media

Ahhhhh yes, the Fantastic Four, the old reliables, the ones we all spend just a little bit too much of our lives on - but we love 'em!! 

Tbh I would be so lost without them all.

Facebook will always be the ultimate!! Where it all started (after Bebo that is...).

Everyone from your 6 year old cousin to your granny are on Facebook nowadays - but that's brilliant. 

Facebook has the answers to solve all your problems it seems.

Wanna catch up with an old school pal? - Fb

Wanna let everyone know that you went to Ed Sheeran? - Photo album on Fb

Wanna get the latest news from around the world? - Fb

Wanna watch cute videos of baby goats doing backflips off each other? - Fb

Wanna people for pretty much anything? - Fb

The list is endless but it's your one-stop shop for keeping up with people without actually having to talk them! Isn't it crazy how social media can make you less social?

Instagram my beloved Instagram. A blogger's paradise in my opinion. I adore aesthetics and carefully planned themes. I love that it's just a creative corner of the internet where amateurs are often the best photographers.

It's also my main source of fashion, travel and lifestyle inspo. It's the one place where you can govern what and who pops up on your feed.

Snapchat - the quickest way to chat to someone or get a message out there!

I love Snapchat for keeping up with my friends and of course following fellow snapchatters.

Will our lives ever be the same again after the beauty & dog filters??

Twitter - I love how this is totally different to the other social media apps. It's a great place for a rant and for voicing your opinion. It's also one of the only ways to get the attention of a celebrity quickly.

Photography

Have you ever wanted to know a bloggers best kept secret?? How they get the perfect photos!!

Ok .. no it's totally not a secret haha, but I have been asked quite a lot lately what apps I use to edit my photos. It's not just all about the apps though.

1. Investing in a really good camera or a phone that has a great quality camera is key.

2. Natural daylight is key for brightness and no unwanted tones in your photos.

3. The following apps.. 

4. A lot of practise - and you're good to go!

VSCO

If you haven't heard of VSCO, then you haven't lived. To be honest it has changed my visual outlook on life. If you want to create and explore cool themes for your Insta feed then you need to hop on the VSCO bandwagon. Basically it's an app where you can apply beautiful filters to photos, and lots more editing tools. 

I don't like to use it to the extreme which is great because you can decide how intense you want the filter to be. So let me show you a before and after photo when using this wondrous app.

Unedited..

Edited using VSCO - Look how much more life the second picture has compared to the first?

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Vs.

Snapseed

After editing a photo with VSCO to change the tone or the mood of the photo, I sometimes then like to use an app called Snapseed. 

This app allows you to add brightness or warmth to specific aspects of the photo rather than adjusting the whole photo. Showing you examples of what I do explains it best.

So as you can see, for this photo I wanted just the ground to be brightened rather than me being brightened. Snapseed is a god send for subtle changes!!

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Here is another comparison. I used VSCO to change the tone and then Snapseed to brighten the whole photo - it creates a whole new vibe!

Touch Retouch

Up until now, all the apps I have told you about are free in the App store. This one however you have to pay for. Being the stingy student that I am I usually never pay for apps, but this was the best €2 I ever spent!

Basically with Touch Retouch, you can remove unwanted objects from your photos.

Sometimes when I am shooting a look, I think the photos are great until I come home later to find that someone or something was in the background of my photo. So yeah, this app is a blogger's absolute dream!!!

Watch the magic happen..

That bin was never there... hehehe...

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 Nor were those people ever in the background of my photo..

UNUM

So this one is for the Instagrammers, the bloggers, the visualists.

UNUM is the perfect planner for Instagram. It allows you to easily plan your theme and aesthetic before uploading to Instagram, as well as scheduling posts. You link your Instagram account and off you go!!

Everything else..

Duolingo - For anyone interested in learning a new language, Duolingo is a fun, interactive, free way to start.

Headspace - a fantastic app for positive mental health, motivation & meditation. 

Olympus Share - For people with an Olympus camera, this app makes life so much easier. You can transfer photos straight from your camera to your phone and it acts as a remote control if you have no photographer.

iMusic - I use this to listen to music. To be honest it's not the best in the world. It has been crashing a bit lately but it's still an old reliable for creating playlists.

Popsugar Fitness Active - This app is brilliant for doing workouts and setting yourself fitness goals from the comfort of your own bedroom.

Mytaxi - I use this every week. Ireland's most reliable Taxi app.

Foto Store - An Irish company that prints photos from your camera roll and sends them out to you within a day or two.

Fastscanner - I only discovered this gem a few weeks ago when I didn't know how to use a scanner in the library. I was informed of this app. You take a picture of the sheet(s) you want to scan and it turns it into PDF form. Simples.

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So there it is, some of my favourite apps. I'm in no way an expert or being asked to promote any of these but I really think people should know about these handy apps if you don't already.

What are your favourite apps?? I would love to know! 

Leave me a comment below as I'm always keen to have something else to help me procrastinate and not study.......

Until next time.

Clóda

x

All About The Deets

Hi everyone, happy Easter!!

I'm back today with a fashion post, and as you can tell - it's all about the details!

So usually my fashion posts focus on a certain top or certain item of clothing, but I decided to focus on some of the accessories I've been loving lately!

I love this! It's so important to love what you do, and boy do I love blogging!

Content creation, photography, outfit planning, aesthetic themes, shoots - I've just fallen so in love with it all lately and I'm really happy with where my blog is going!

I adore this bag from Springfield!

 It's the first time I've gotten to shoot it since purchasing it in Madrid. I think it's a bag that will never go out of style!

Dainty necklaces are by far my favourite.

I love this Infinity Heart from an Irish store called Bow Pow. You should definitely check them out if you like quirky jewellery. You can also get 20% off when you use the code "orangeobviously20" at the checkout, exclusive to my followers.

Dupe of Dreams

Isn't this dupe of the trendy Gucci belt just divine?? I just can't get enough of it.

As soon  as I saw it, I had to have it. But being a student, I obviously couldn't justify buying a designer belt! So I picked up the most perfect duplicate from Love Cherish in Charleville!

Matching the red bralette with my red lippy was the key to tying this whole look together.

My belt, bag and shoes do the talking - but the red just creates the vibe and makes it a fun look.

Isn't this the coolest photography?

Big shout out to Ailbhe from The Red Brunette for all the photos. The shoot was so much fun today - check out her blog to see the photos I shot of her too!

These shoes are literally giving me LIFE right now!

I think they look very Valentino-esque or something!

Can you believe that they are from none other than Penneys for €22!!!!And they are Limited Edition so grab them quick if you want them!

I saw a very similar pair in River Island for €60 so these are an absolute steal!

I'm going to live in these for the summer!

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

It was something a bit different to usual, but I might do more posts like this as I really enjoy photography of up-close detail shots.

Clóda 

X

She Believed She Could, So She Did

Hi everyone, happy St. Paddy's weekend!

 Can anyone else not cope with how fast 2017 is going? How is it the 17th of March already!!!

Time flies when you're having fun I suppose!

Anyway, so you might be wondering what this post is about from the title.

With it being International Women's Day last week, I felt inspired to write this post about the kind of  women who inspire me daily! Is there anything better than an appreciation post for our amazing counterparts??

Women in society..

So as a general consensus, tonnes of women inspire me daily. There's not one particular type of woman that inspires me, but many. I'm very much an explorer, a go-getter, a busy bee and someone with vision and drive.
Like-minded, strong, successful women really inspire me to work hard at everything I do in life whether it's college work, my blog, my goals etc.

Women with ambition. The dreamers, believers, achievers. Entrepreneurs, business women, risk-takers. The one's that have that spark in their voice and the glint in their eye - they're the ones that I look up to!

These amazing women are all over the world, have impacted our society for centuries and carved the pathway for future female generations. Life is short, so the ones that make their mark and do good in this world are the ones that make me extremely proud to be a woman!

In my life..

Time to focus on the amazing, beautiful, empowering women in my life. They deserve the biggest pat on the back. Most importantly I'll start with the women in my family. I owe them everything.

I am absolutely BLESSED to have a huge extended family. 

I have fantastic aunties, and girl cousins who have taught me everything I know. They've always looked after me, spoiled me, loved me and most importantly went on the booze with me hahah. No no in all seriousness though, I wouldn't be where I am today without them. Growing up surrounded by strong independent ladies who have a love for travel, music, sport and ambition, I couldn't miss of it!!

I've always been so inspired by my aunties because they are outrageously cool!!! They've taught me craic, caint and ceol. They've taught me that travelling the world while you're young is so important. My aunties were actually the reason I first fell in love with fashion. I used to love watching them getting dressed up and always wanted to see what they had in their wardrobe. So to my irreplaceable aunties thank you - I love you all so so much!!

To my girl cousins (god there's so many of you).. No one will ever experience the laughs we have had, the songs we have sang, the adventures we went on, the games we played, the MANY weddings, the dancing, the sleepovers, the best memories. Thank you for the exceptional friendships!!!

My two grannies are very special ladies. My Granny Carmel passed away when I was only one years old. But the stories I have heard about her have been that she was nothing but an absolute lady all of the time. I would like to think I got my kindness from her. There's a lovely memory my parents told me. When I was a baby, Granny Carmel had me in her arms and she looked down at me and said "Me and you are going to be good friends". And although I never got to speak to her, I know that we definitely are good friends! If anyone is my Guardian Angel, it is that woman. I can guarantee it!

My other amazing Granny is named Kitty. She's some woman for one woman! Mother to 11, grandmother to 23 (I think), great-grandmother to 2. Literally, our whole family gathers in her bungalow every Christmas Day whether it's rain, hail or snow we make it up the hills of Upperchurch for our annual tradition. Granny always has a big spread. Tarts, biscuits, sweets, drinks, the whole lot. No one ever goes hungry in that house! Kitty makes sure everyone is fed and watered before leaving. She loves company, and loves the chats - just like myself. She is an incredible woman and has done so much for all of us over the years. Love you Granny X

To my mother Kathleen, my best friend, my confidant, my biggest fan!!! (and that's no word of a lie).

She is the first to like all of my photos, screenshot my content, tag me in things on Instagram/Facebook, snapchat me about things Pippa O' Connor said. Haha the woman gets so excited. But it's lovely that someone loves and supports me that much. If I can do half as much for my children as my marvelous Mammy has done for me, I'd be delighted with myself.

I've never wanted for anything.

From Day 1, I got the best of everything. When I got very sick as a toddler, she was there by my side making sure I got through it!! I had every hobby under the sun from set dancing, Irish dancing, guitar lessons, banjo lessons, piano lessons, vocal lessons, athletics, camogie, swimming, horse-riding, ballet. I went to every summer camp in the parish. I couldn't have asked for a better childhood.

She believed in me and encouraged me to take part in dance shows, Scór, Fleadh Ceoil, singing competitions. And I did very well for myself I'd like to think!! And because of all the activities I was able to do because my mother was there to nourish me, drive me and dress me, I am now a very confident and skilled young lady. I have always reached for the stars, but I couldn't do it without her love and support. Ever since I began my blog, I have got nothing only pride, belief and excitement from my mother. She LOVES it. She's the first person I ring when I get emails about new opportunities etc and hearing how excited she gets makes it all worthwhile.

She has been by side and my shoulder to cry on my hardest days. She has given words of encouragement when I needed them. She is everything I aspire to be like.

I hope some day I'll be able to give back everything you've given me. I'm so lucky to be your daughter. I adore you Mam. X

To my friends, you are my sisters. Some have been there since Day 1 and others I only know a few months, but you all mean the world to me. I would be lost without ye for the fun, the lols, the gossips, the memories, the secrets that will go to the grave with us. I am so lucky to have a list as long as my arm of fantastic female friends. Ye are some of the bravest, most beautiful beings on this earth. I will never take ye, ye're support or ye're love for granted. Whether I see you/speak to you everyday or once in a blue moon, thank you a thousand times for being my sisters! x

To my fellow bloggers, vloggers, musicians, students, women in the industry, just WOW! Ye are genuinely the most inspiring, interesting and immaculate people. Ye motivate me to push myself harder everyday. Ye have believed in me and I believe in ye. Let's continue to grow as #GirlBosses and kick ass together!! That's what it's all about. We need to continue to support each other and empower each other and nothing will stop us!

Me, myself and I..

I'm BEYOND proud to be an Irish girl. Oh my gosh if there is anything I am proud of it is to be Irish. It's something I will carry with me everywhere I go and that I will always shout from the rooftops haha. I know that I will definitely travel after college, but I will leave a little bit of my Irish footprint everywhere I go.

If I'm going to talk about women I need to talk about the one woman who will always be there for me - me! To be honest I need to give myself a massive pat on the back - we all do! I think as Irish people and as females we are very bad to give ourselves credit where credit is due! 

Sometimes I forget just how much I have achieved in my short 20 years. Every once in a while I blow my own mind! 

Last year was a horrific start to 2016 for a few reasons that I won't go into, but I was the one who peeled myself off the floor. I was the one who wiped my own tears. I was the one who got up everyday and kept going. I was the one who learned how to self-love (with a lot of time and a lot of effort). I was the one who made a conscious decision to look after myself and to treat myself (probably a little too much). I was the one who bought a plane ticket to New York and travelled to the other side of the world alone. I was the one who began to invest time and money in my future, my career, my goals. I was the one who decided to challenge myself and climb the highest free-standing mountain in the world to give to people in need. I pushed myself at my lowest point and built myself back up, piece by piece. I experienced the most sensational counties, people and cultures. I totally immersed myself last year and only now I can see how strong I was to do all of that. I couldn't be more proud of myself and all I can say is, roll on 2017!!

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With that I'm going to conclude the post. I hope this will make you think of all the wonderful women in your life and everything they have taught you. I know I'm grateful for the lovely ladies I've met in my short 20 years, and I can't wait to see what other incredible females I will cross paths with!

Clóda 

x