I've had the time of my life..........

I knew I had been neglectful of the oul’ blog, but honestly, I really didn’t realise that it had been almost 3 months since my last post! I am not even going to try to make up an excuse……..I’ve got nothing apart from the fact that I have felt like I’ve been on holidays for those past 3 months!

Since the start of one of the best summers Ireland has had for quite some time, so much has happened: spending days down in Brittas Bay, minding my sister’s kids, going on a mini-break to my Dad & his partner’s gorgeous home in Castlepollard with my girl, Lou, sitting in the garden & playing a spot of Badminton or Swingball (remember that!!!?).

There have also been some major events over the past few months that I would like to mention because they were pretty special for me:
• “Just Blanaid”…my gorgeous girl, B opened up a photographic studio, Shutterbug (check out www.shutterbug.ie) in her hometown of Kilkenny with her brother, Eoin Hennessy. The place is just incredible but really, there’s no shock there as B has once again outdone herself - dat girl has got her sam sereeyas Interiors skillz  Congrats to Both Blanaid & Eoin on their very successful (& quite mad!) launch.
• Dee’s Hens night: this is going to sound odd, but anyway, my beautiful Kiwi darling Dee is married to her Irish sweetheart, Craig for the past 3 years but she never had a hen’s night. So Lou decided it was high time she had a belated one! About 16 of us hit the ludicrously cheap but amazing Sweet Basil Thai restaurant in Rathmines and then (staggered!) on to see the incredible Dublin Glee Choir perform in Tripod. Such a great night

• Neasa’s engagement: my longest-standing bestie of 25years (I know, right!?) Neasa got engaged to her lovely Frenchie, Hubert. She was away at the time and sent me a text which I read in my kitchen among all the girls. My reaction was “Oh My GOD” and silence for about 2 minutes with the girls looking at me asking “What Luc, what is it?”. Eventually, I was able to tell them the good news! I’m really looking forward to a wedding in La France in August 2011 :)
• Sports-wise there was my fourth Flora Women’s mini-marathon (will do a separate post on that!), I’ve taken up Touch rugby, which I love and Ultimate Frisbee, which I also love, even though I still can’t throw the Frisbee properly. It sounds mad but it’s a brilliant game. One of the girls in my hockey club invited me to play in Herbert Park and it’s fo’ fwee!! It’s all for fun, i.e. not competitive, although I somehow manage to be competitive (strange that!) and the people I’ve met through it are all so lovely, really cool, funny & fun to be around. Thanks Anna 
• Myself and Lou managed to gate-crash a mini-surfing holiday to Achill Island with the Accenture Surf Club and with thanks to Shane Ahern who suggested we go along! I’ve never been to that part of Ireland and when I left, I just had this feeling that I have to go back there again. I can’t describe it, there’s something magical about it. The smell of the ocean as you drive into Achill just made me giddy and the scenery is utterly stunning. There have some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen and I even managed to catch sunrise on one that looked like that beach Leonardo Di Caprio discovered once in a movie! The sand was like talcum powder on my feet, the sea glistened various shades of turquoise as the rising sun’s rays bounced off the tide, if there’s a heaven, I hope it’s just like that!! (It then proceeded to pelt down rain on us, but it was still gorgeous!)
There were about 80 of us in the group, everyone getting along famously and as it is on any surf trip I’ve been on, the people are just so chilled out, friendly & easy-going, not to mention hilarious. Our tummy muscles hurt from the laughs we had all weekend which totally made up for the non-existent surf!! Thanks to all the guys from turfnsurf in Bundoran for being the excellent, enthusiastic instructors they always are. (check out www.turfnsurf.ie )

So, I haven’t been sitting on my arse doing nothing, I’ve just been rekindling my love for my amazing friends & for life. Genuinely, when I wake up each day, I think I’m the luckiest person alive :)
Luc xx

Feast or Famine.....

Ok, I know, it's been nearly a MONTH since I last put a post on the blog. Yes, I am a complete and utter sham. My most sincerestest of apologies to all of y'all :(

There's been loads going on over the past month of which I will go into detail in separate posts but for now, I want to let you know about my new 'modelling' career which started this week. I am under no illusion that this career will be very short-lived but it has been so much fun while it lasted!!

It all began on Monday when I was the Bride for the Clontarf Castle's new wedding brochure. It was a long day (9hrs) and it was freeeeezing for the last few shots which were outside but thankfully my groom, Mark Adams, kept me laughing for the whole day (mainly AT him as opposed to with him but laughing all the same!). We haven't seen any of the snaps yet, but looking forward to it.

My last 'modelling' job came when my housemate & one of my besties, the gorgeous Laura Cunningham (http://www.lauracunninghamstyle.com/) asked me if I'd be a Soupermodel for the "Soup for Life" campaign that the incredible charity, Gorta, are organising. She told me that they needed some 'celebs' for a photocall on Thursday to which I burst out laughing at the idea of me being a 'celeb' (hahahaha). I happily agreed to go along!

I met Tanya, Adrienne & Conor who work for Gorta and are the brains behind the campaign - all of whom are so, so lovely. There were 5 Soupermodels: Conor Clear (TV3), Louise Herraghty (Today fm), Angela Scanlon (http://www.angelascanlon.com/), Louise Jordan (Fm104) and eh.....me! We donned our signature Soup for Life T-shirts (which are very cool and should be available soon) & had great craic taking the pics with the lovely photographer, Naoise of Maxwell Photography.

Soup for Life - 14th May 2010
Why soup? In Ireland during the Great Famine, soup kitchens fed more than one third of the population - they were critical in saving lives. This May, Gorta and the Irish government will be commemorating the Great Irish Famine. They will be remembering the past but also looking into the future. Today, undernourishment affects over 1 billion people but Gorta believes that small actions create opportunities for big change.

Supporting the general public's events, a number of restaurants in Dublin, Cork & Mayo are signing up to support the campaign on May 14th donating €1/bowl of soup sold on the day.

Anyone who signs up to run their own Soup for Life event will get a Soup for Life pack which includes an online cookbook of soup recipes from all over the world along with lots more :)

For more information, log onto: www.gorta.org/soup

What else would ya be doin' of an Easter wkend??

So now......Easter is a time to reflect on how good you've been for lent and indulging in everything you gave up during this reflective...is it 40 days? Well, that very long time that you were all good and disciplined, right??

Well, why not hit the gorgeous town that is Kilkenny and go to the Absolut Style @ Set 3-day, Vintage Fashion, Furniture & Film Fair? Everything you could dream of in the ultimate weekend of indulgence is waiting for you......those involved are well aware of "these recessionary times" (I swear if I hear that one more time.....oh wait...sorry!) and are offering a daily ticket cost of only €8!!!!! That's a serious bargain!

So, what's on the agenda.........?

Movies to die for all day on Friday including Popcorn and goody bags - YUM! (I may spend 8hrs watching movies......because I can!)

Masterclasses in Style, Hair, Make-up on Saturday to get u all 'SET@ for a night of Mayhem with the incredible DJing talents of The Stylebitches

AND ....

Chill out time with their Soulful Sunday with live Jazz music, more amazing movies & food stalls (very important!!).

.........if that wasn't enough, there will be fashion, furniture, Hair, Beauty and Photoshoot stalls there throughout the whole weekend.

There is one, incredible woman behind it all!! Anything she puts her name to is a roaring success and I've NO doubt that this weekend will be her most successful to date. That woman is the stunningly marvellous Blanaid Hennessy (of http://www.blanaid.com/ and http://www.thestylebitches.com/ )

I am 100% sure that next year it will be a case of:

"Have you got your EP tickets?"

"EP, are you mad? Have you got your Absolut Style @ Set tickets more importantly?"

Best of luck B, so, so proud of you !

Luc xxx

Life's too short....

Sometimes in life something really simple can make us open our eyes and realize that our time 'here' is so limited. On this occasion, it was a documentary on Jade Goody a year after her death. I'm not big into magazines or Celebs to be honest and Jade Goody was no exception. I never really followed her life or what she did but I always remember thinking that under her big-mouthed, brash personality, you could see a girl
who was full of love, especially when it came to her kids and I admired that so much in her.


I do remember when it came out that she had cervical cancer and being a bit shocked by it. She was so young and full of life, how could that happen? Since Jade got diagnosed over 400, 000 more women have gone to get a cervical check this year. This is something that we should be doing regularly but before now have 'forgotten' to do or basically put on the long finger - I did it all the time but not anymore. Had Jade been diagnosed 2-3months earlier, she would still be alive today.

While watching the documentary, I was blubbering away - I know, it doesn't take much to open my tear ducts in fairness but it was all the accounts her true friends were giving of her, her kids father speaking so highly of her and in such a beautiful way and the clincher for me was when her mum sobbed & said "Jade had always been a mum to me, I was never a mum to her but when she got sick, she couldn't be a mum to me anymore, so I had to be her mum. I regret to say that it was only when my daughter was poorly, before she died that I was ever a real mum to her".

I always say to myself, "Live in the moment", etc. but this really hit home for me. Life is WAY too short and I don't want to have any regrets like Jade's mum clearly did. From now on I am going to try to do the following:

• Tell those closest to my heart how much I love them


• When I'm with someone, I'm not going to fear losing them, just cherish being with them


• Take a moment every day to be thankful for all that I have & not dwell on what I don't have


• When things go wrong, laugh and see the funny side of it


• Take risks knowing that I'll be ok, no matter what the outcome may be


• When things annoy me in others, I'm going to look at what I love about them instead


• Remember to look around me & see the beauty in nature


• Achieve all the things that I've always wanted to do


• Basically, live every day like it's my last, because who knows, it may very well be...

One of my favourite quotes sums it up for me:

"Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching and live like it's heaven on earth"

Picture from http://www.veryhappypig.com/

When in (self) doubt.......

I have always known that the industry I am sure is for me is one of the toughest to get into and even when you're in it, it's pretty damn hard to stay there! That's why you have to stay 110% positive and truly believe in yourself.

I've been completely shocked by the response I've had from some of the Head Honchos in the Media world. The fact that they have even replied to my correspondence with them is a huge compliment in the first place, but some have taken the time to meet me in person, give me advice and help me to see where my 'niche' lies. It really has blown me away and I feel so lucky.

In saying that, I still have my days when I think to myself, "Is this it? Am I just trying to grasp at something which is unattainable? What the hell am I doing?"! (those thoughts occuring in particular after I lodge money into my account and my balance is LESS than I've just lodged........ouch!). Generally, I really do believe that this is what I should be and will be doing full-time, I just need to be patient but there are times when that self-belief flies out the window and I seem to be paddling in a pool of self-doubt.

Yesterday was one of those days, until I read this:
"There is nothing you cannot do, and if you approach all things in life in the right order, you will do everything you want. Live your dream on the inside first, completely and totally, and then it will manifest in your life. When you have tuned yourself on the inside so completely, you will magnetize everything you need for your dream to become a reality.
This is the law. All creation in your life begins inside of you."

I know a lot of people think all of this is a load of crock, but honestly, I have so many examples of it happening in my life that I truly believe in it. Sometimes I just need to read something like that as a little reminder . So now I am going to bounce back out of the pool of self-doubt and open the window to let that self-belief back in, where it belongs :)

Here's to a great and exciting week ahead...
Luc xxx

Quote from The Secret, Rhonda Byrne (surprise, surprise!!)
Picture from http://www.marcelnunis.com/

Who are you?

Unlike many people, turning 30 last year didn't scare me at all. I actually embraced it! Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I donned a housecoat and a pair of slippers!! I'm still a kid in my head and love to go out and have the craic but I am also not ashamed to admit that I love staying in at weekends to watch The Late Late (ok a little shame there, but I can take it!!). Turning 30 for me was more about realising how lucky I was with everything in my life, feeling confident in my own skin and recognising how much I have grown compared to when I was in my early 20's. Back then, I thought I knew it all and thought that I'd learned all I had to learn!!!

Looking back at myself in my early 20's now, I realise that I really didn't have a clue about life nor did I have the answer to everything. I felt so differently about myself and relationships with others....I was the ultimate crowd-pleaser, bending over backwards to try to keep everyone happy, never being able to say "no" for fear of ruining a friendship/relationship. Now I know that if I can't do something someone asks me to do, they won't actually fall out with me or hate me forever!! I've learned to be able to deal with issues/dilemmas/problems in a completely different way and hopefully, a better way.

Today I was questioning myself about a lot of different things and though I've definitely changed and matured in the past few years, I still don't know it all and I'm still learning about myself. I asked myself "Is there ever an age when we feel like there's nothing new we can learn about ourselves? When I'm 40/50/60, will I still be learning about myself? And if so, can we ever really know exactly who we are?".

I know myself now a hell of a lot better than I did 10 years ago:- I know what I want to do with my life & the things that make me happy, the type of guy that I want to end up with & more importantly, the type of guys I definitely don't want to end up with, how friends should be treated and how they should treat me, how to be decisive (with the exception of when I'm hungover, still haven't mastered that!), how to stand up for myself when I feel I've been treated unfairly and lots more! But, what will I be able to add to my list when I hit the big 40, 50, etc??

It's all very exciting really!! All of this was going through my head (I tend to think ALOT!!) and then I picked up the thought for today from Rhonda Byrne's The Secret and check out what it said:

"Sometimes, when we don't have the courage to change, everything changes around us to direct us to a new path.....

...You cannot stop yourself from growing - evolution requires it."

Pretty appropriate :)

Have a FAB weekend. I'm off to get myself ready for The Late Late !!!

Luc xxx

Picture from http://www.growthlink.co.za/

My new 'past-time'

I'd never ever been on a ski or snow holiday before but like surfing, it was something that I'd ALWAYS wanted to do and knew that once I tried it, I'd be completely addicted to it! My girls, the lovely Louise and Dee (who made up 2 of the 4 of us who went surfing last summer!!) were going on a snowboarding trip back in February. I really wanted to go with them but didn't think I'd be able to afford it.

I am usually a very happy-go-lucky, positive kinda gal but even I have 'down' days!! Back in February, I had one of those days and after feeling sorry for myself for a bit, the first thing I did was call the girls to see if there was room for me on the trip. (This was Wednesday and they were flying out on the Sat!!). Once I mentioned it, both Lou and Dee basically told me I was coming on the trip with them!! I put a shout out to my mates for some ski gear, booked my flights and travel insurance and before I knew it, we were at Dublin airport on the Saturday morning!

We arrived at Grenoble airport and collected the little Fiat Punto we'd hired. The girls had their own snowboards, so to say that it was a bit cramped in the car is an understatement! But we over-lapping the apartment (that was very kindly given to us for the week) with 3 other guys for our first night. They left us note to say where they were and to come join them for food. We decided we'd leave the food and go straight to the bar and told them to join us their after their grub.

The bar, Bazoom, was very cool but was pretty empty. This didn't bother us girls though as no matter where we go, we tend to get a bit of a party mood going!! The three guys joined us afterwards and they were lovely. They were telling us that this was about as good as it gets in Bourg on a Saturday night and not to get our hopes up for mad 'apres-ski'. By then end of the night, we had the whole of Bazoom up dancing and ended up going to a nite-club until about 4am!! The lads couldn't believe it!!

They left early the next morning whilst we were all still slumbering! Then we hit the slopes at about 12pm!! Lou had snowboarded 3 times before (she says it's only twice because she likes being the best out of the 3 of us at this!!) and Dee had been up to Mount Leinster for a day when we had the "Big Freeze" and I'd never done it. We are ALL extremely competitive, to put it mildly! Lou had decided that we were not going to get lessons, she would teach us. When I asked her where the 'Beginners Slope' was, she just said, "Eh, there is none, the only way to learn Luc, is by going up the mountain and doing it bit by bit". I would say I'm quite fearless when it comes to sports, but seriously, I took one look up the mountain and was officially sh*tting it!!

In fairness to Lou, she was extremely patient with us both and did a great job! With alot of falling on our arses and finding our arms at angles which I never thought were possible, we got the hang of it after a while and I loved it as much as I thought I would. Les Arcs is the name of the resort and apparently it was the first place to introduce snowboarding into Europe (so I'm told, don't quote me on that!!). The scenery is just breath-taking. It was utterly divine. Going up in the ski-lifts, all I could see were mounds of hills and trees covered in what looked like untouched ice-cream. Looking back as we went up the mountain, the sun was blazing down on Bourg and the snow looked like a gazillion diamonds, glistening up at me. My heart melted then and I felt such intense happiness.

After a long day, we decided we'd treat ourselves to a pint back in Bazoom and were welcomed with open arms by our new friends we'd met the night before. We got talking to 3 young guys who were from London. They'd been in Bourg for 6 weeks and are staying there for the season (lucky bastardos!). They were aged from 18 to about 22 and were such pleasant, fun and respectful guys. We formed a bond that night and for the rest of the week, they became more like family. They took on the challenge of teaching us how to snowboard (Lou was off the hook!) and they were just unbelievable. One of them would always wait for one of us, make sure that we were ok and give us tips on what we were doing wrong or encourage us by telling us how great we were doing!


They brought us up the many different slopes that make up Les Arcs and showed us some of the most beautiful places. We were pretty much inseparable for the whole week. Joel, the youngest, adopted me as his mom, he called me Mom all the time and I actually answered to it!! They'd come over to us to have dinner with us and just hang out. From what they'd told me, it seemed that they came from a pretty rough area but these guys just couldn't do enough for us and were nothing but polite and courteous to us.


We had an absolute ball and we just didn't want it to end. We were kind of rushed on our last day because we wanted to get down the slopes one last time!! So, while we went off and did the shopping to replenish whatever we'd used, the boys cleaned our apartment from top to bottom. You'd want to have seen it, it was immaculate. We just can't thank Joel, Louis and Aaron enough. They made our holiday! Unfortunately, it had to come to an end and saying goodbye to our boys was awful. Sure I was in bits, the big eejit that I am!!



I can honestly say that a week away with the girls is the most perfect cure-all there is!!! We laughed non-stop, had our nights out and our nights in, talked about everything but most of all, had so much fun. So, to my girls, Dee and Lou, thanks so, so much. When we left Portugal, we all said "That was the best holiday ever!" and now we've had yet another "best holiday ever" :)

A lil bit of luurve...from The Shantaram

Whilst reading my book, The Shantaram (yes, I am STILL reading it!), last night, I read this quote and thought it was H-amazing. The narrator and the woman he is absolutely head over heels in love with, have just had an incredibly difficult few days after an outbreak of cholera in the slum he is living in. They have only kissed at this stage. Karla is a very private woman and on this night she shares some of her past with him before falling asleep in his arms. The quote below are his thoughts:

"Lovers find their way by such insights and confidences: they're the stars we use to navigate the ocean of desire. And the brightest of those stars are the heartbreaks and sorrows. The most precious gift you can bring to your lover is your suffering. So I took each sadness she confessed to me, and pinned it to the sky..........

....Heaped up on the blankets, out bodies bound by weariness and her deep slumber, surrounded by sickness and hope, death and defiance. I touched the soft surrendered curl of Karla's sleeping finger to my lips, and I pledged my heart to her forever."

Utterly beautiful !!

Luc xxx

Image from www.unix1987.wordpress.com

Result!

You'll have seen my post about the Sunday Indo article (if not, check it oot below!) and I was saying that a few things came of it. Well, in the article I mention that I overcame an eating disorder and the week after it was published, Stellar magazine and TV3 were on the phone to me asking me if I'd feel comfortable doing interviews with them.

Normally shying away from any kind of media (!!), this time I decided I'd be very happy to meet both Stellar and TV3. On a more serious note, one thing I have always said to myself since I overcame my eating disorder is that I would absolutely LOVE to be able to help others who are going through what I went through because it is such a lonely, hellish place and if I can help one person, well then that's better than none!

So I met the gorgeous Rosie of Stellar magazine and we had an interview in their offices which in fact, felt more like a chat!! I haven't seen the article yet as it will be in their April 2010 issue which should be on the shelves in March :) Have a look out for it!! I've no idea what it will turn out like as I won't see it before it is published so it I come across like an feckin' eejit, then it's all Rosie's fault!!!

Then I went into TV3 to meet Martin and Sybil from The Morning Show. We had a little chat about the type of questions they'd ask me and in fairness to them both, they seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. We then met Harriet Parsons who is from Bodywhys (an incredible support group for eating disorders, check out http://www.bodywhys.ie/) and she was just a dote. We got the maquillage topped up and then hit the studio where we went straight to recording. It all went very smoothly and none of us made any cock-ups (at least I didn't think so anyway!).

You can check out the interview on www.tv3.ie/themorningshow and in the archive videos, mine is the 25th January. You'll see they took a very morose still to use as a picture of me! (above!)

I have always been really open about my eating disorder because I feel that everyone knows someone or is someone who is suffering from one. Some people find it strange but it's such a secretive disorder that part of the healing process is to be open. I have to say though, I felt a bit strange speaking so openly in the media about it at first. I am still chasing my dream of becoming a full-time TV presenter and I didn't know if this would damage my chances of achieving my goal or would I always be known as "the girl who had bulimia" ??

Now, I don't regret any of it. Bodywhys have asked me to be on their media panel so I am now achieving something else I've always wanted to do: to be involved with an organisation that reaches out a hand to those who sometimes feel like they are all alone in our massive world.

:) Luc xxx

A special tribute to my AMAZING friends

Friends come and go in your life but there are a handful who are always there, even when they're not there. I am exceptionally lucky to have the most wonderful friends in the world. I'm am certainly not going to name them but you all know who you are...............

They've picked up the pieces of manys a broken heart, kicked me up the arse when needed and listened to me even when I am talking a load of shite!! When I'm down (which is seldom, hopefully!) they tell me the most lovely things and I know they're not saying it because it's what they think I want to hear (well, maybe they are but it doesn't feel like that!) and give me the most worldly advice anyone could ever wish for. They've seen me at my worst and they still love me. No matter what role/job/adventure I decide I'm going to venture into next, they not only support me 110% but they tell me I'll be "brilliant" at it..........

To all my gorgeous friends, I want to say a huge THANK YOU for absolutely everything. I just hope that I am half the friend to you that you are to me. I love you all so much

Luc xxx

Picture from http://images.paraorkut.com/

Thought for today / Book of the moment....

Yes, I'm still reading the Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (it is REALLY big and has really small writing!!) but thanks to my lovely flatmate, Heather, I now have a high-lighter and there are flashes of illuminous orange splattered all over almost ever second page instead of dirty, bug, dog-ears!!.

The way this guy writes is just so beautiful and I wish I could claim the quotes as my own but who knows, maybe one day I'll be quoting myself?!?

I couldn't put the book down last night (and as a result ended up falling asleep on top of my book and with the light still on...DOH!) and here is one of the quotes that just stuck in my head. I've read over it about 5 times since then and I just think it's so thought-provoking and so honest. Let me know what you think!

"Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope. Sometimes we cry with everything except tears. In the end that's all there is: love and its duty, sorrow and its truth. In the end that's all we have - to hold on tight until the dawn."

WOW

Luc xxx

Sunday Indo Life Mag Article

www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/lucianne-white-2007251.html.

My very talented, up-and-coming journo-friend, Joyce Fegan, asked me would I mind if she wrote an article about me a few months back. Obviously, extremely flattered, I had no problem with her writing it at all. So she banged over a few questions to me, I answered them and she wrote the nicest article I have ever read and to be honest, whilst reading it I thought I was reading about someone else.

She sent it to some of our national papers and unfortunately they wouldn't publish unsolicited work but the wonderful Brendan O'Connor emailed me to say that he would get one of the Sunday Indo Life Magazine journalists to do an article on me. Next thing I knew, Julia Molony was on the phone to me asking when I'd be available for a phone interview.

I did the phone interview with Julia in December standing outside the Pavillion in Swords as it was my nieces birthday - the joys of the mobile world! About 2 minutes into the interview I kind of forgot that it was actually an interview. I was chatting away as if I'd know this girl for years. She just made me feel so comfortable talking about everything. At the end of the phone call, Julia told me that the article would be published on the 10th of January. When I hung up, I went back in to my mum, sister and friend and was both excited and nervous. I was chatting away to this journalist who was going to publish an article about ME (??) in a newspaper that has one of the biggest readerships in Ireland but then I realised that I was talking about some really difficult times in my life. "What angle was Julia going to take from our conversation? How will I come across? Will I be labelled with this issue forever?"....all these questions and more were racing through my head!

In the end, I had to just trust in Julia and wait (very impatiently) for the 10th of January! Eventually, it came around and I saw the article and even though I knew it was going to be there, I was still a bit shocked seeing it (as odd as that may sound!!). I was shaking reading it but once I got to the end (and read it a second time!!) I was delighted. I have to say, Julia wrote such a gorgeous article about me, using everything I had said on the phone that day in such a positive way. I want to say a HUGE "Thank you" to Julia and also to Brendan. I really appreciate it.

If you didn't get to see it, you can check out the article here: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/lucianne-white-2007251.html The image above is the one that they used and was taken by the AMAZING Peter Buckley of PB photographs. Check out www.pbphotographs.com to check out some of the other pics he took of me - he is a legend!!

A few other things have come up since the article and I'll do another post on those because I will go into more detail about them!

Thanks again to Joyce, Brendan, Julia and of course to Peter Buckley of PB photographs for the picture!!:)

Luc xxx

Magners League Profan

The Magners Rugby league were running a competition before Christmas searching for someone to be a "Professional Fan" and be a reporter/correspondent for all matches in the league. I knew nothing about it until I got a call from my hockey captain asking me had I heard the ad for this competition and she insisted that they were describing me!! I checked out the details and really, it did sound like my dream job!

I filled in the 2 page application form (isn't it so hard to write about yourself when you're really trying to 'sell yourself' - not in THAT way - you know what I mean!?) which took me about 2 days to finish, reading over it again and again, trying to answer the questions in a manner I would if my friends were asking me and avoid sounding like a complete a$$ !! I sent in the application not really knowing what to expect:- the rugby world is very much a man's world so I wasn't really sure how lil' oul' me would fit into it and I would never claim to know everything about rugby, I don't............BUT I love watching rugby, not just for the men (honestly!) it really is such an exciting game to watch. So it really would've been my ideal job!

When I got a call to say I was through to the second round with 17 others, I couldn't believe it!!! I was called in for an 'informal' interview which was with a table of 4 judges sitting in front of me, firing questions at me!! Ah no, I have to say they were lovely and once we started the interview it was more like a chat! Normally leaving auditions/interviews like that, you can't really tell how you came across or what they thought of you but it was weird, I had a really good feeling when I left:)

A week later, I got another call to say that I was down to the last 3 of the competition!!! I couldn't believe it! We all had 1.5hrs with a Setanta sports cameraman to record 15mins of footage on 'anything' we wanted and then we had to edit it all down to 1min! It was major panic stations because I got the call on a Friday and the shooting was on the Monday!! I had to get my thinking cap on pronto!! Luckily, the amazing, legendary Shane Byrne is a good friend of mine and he agreed to help me out with the agreement that I owe him, basically, forever! Really, he is so, so good and I do owe him big time - THANKS A MIL Shane:) Check it out on my videos! It was great craic to film with Heather and Laura and all the lads!!

Then it was down to a public, email vote so we all had to push it, pu-push it REAL good!! It seemed like weeks before we got the final result and unfortunately, I didn't win. Before the result came out, I was telling people that if I didn't win, I wouldn't mind because I had great fun making the video and everything happens for a reason. I know that "winning is just a bonus" and "it's the taking part that counts" ...................Call me competitive but I'm afraid I don't buy that rubbish............I'd be more of the mindset "I'm in it to win it". I am always 100% honest so to be honest, when I got that call I was devastated. I really did think I was going to win. So after cursing Conor Galvin, who won, for a little bit and some much needed sympathy from my lovely friends and family, I got over it!

The other day I got a lovely email from Conor wishing me luck which was so nice of him and then I checked out some of the stuff he's been doing as the Profan and hand on my heart, I think the best man won! So well done Conor and best of luck with the rest of the season.

Now I really do mean it when I say I had so much fun making that video and even though I didn't win the competition I felt very honoured to be in the last 3 AND the only female....doing it for the ladies :)

Book of the moment!

I mad into me readin' I am! I normally fly through books, but I've been a bit slow of late. At the moment I'm reading The Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, I'm still only about a third into the book (it's REALLY big and it has very small writing!!). I think part of the reason it's taking me so long is that it's so beautifully written with these quotes that make you read over them a few times, think about them and fully digest them. I've ruined the book with 'dog-ears' and pen marks making sure I'll be able to find the quotes again!!

Here's one example of the innumerous words of wisdom for Mr. David Roberts:

"The truth is that there are no good men, or bad men. It is the deeds that have goodness or badness in them. There are good deeds, and bad deeds. Men are just men - it is what they do, or refuse to do, that links them to good and evil. The truth is that an instant of real love, in the heart of anyone - the noblest man alive or the most wicked - has the whole purpose and process and meaning of life within the lotus-folds of its passion"

H-Amazing!

Luc xxx

It's been a while....to say the least!

Hi guys,

I know, I know, the word 'atrocious' springs to mind when it comes to my blog posting ability!! It's been 2 months or thereabouts! Lots has gone on in those few months, both good and bad but they've all had a positive effect on me:)

Back in October, I managed to get my first hockey injury since I started back in 2008 after my 12 year disappearance! I got a wallop of the hockey ball straight into my right ankle and ever so dramatically fell to the ground in agony. I decided that it was absolutely fine and I wasn't going to be a 'wuss' about it and played on it for 5 weeks until my physio told me that it definitely wasn't 'normal' for my ankle to swell up like a balloon after playing on it and gently nudged me to get an xray. I went for the xray only to be told that it was in fact fractured and I also had an old injury on the same foot (no idea!!), the only thing for it was an MRI scan. I would say over the last year, I've said to myself on numerous occasions "I must sort myself out with some health insurance" and of course never did (Well, I'm never sick really!). So I went the public route and guess what?? I'm still on the waiting list for the bleedin' MRI scan!! "I'm afraid no date has been set for your scan Ms.White and it has been known to take a few months" was the update this morning! Well, I couldn't take it anymore and played my first match last Saturday (we won 5-0!!) and am back in training but Jebus am I unfit. I'll be fit again in no time, well, that's what I keep telling myself!!

Around the same time, I had the chance to move in with one of my bestest, dearest friends, Blanaid (www.blanaid.com & www.thestylebitches.com) and a girl who I'd never met before, Heather. I spoke to Heather on the phone and instantly knew that we'd get on like a house on fire!! We've now been living together (in the best location EVER) for 2 months and we get on like a...ehm...house on fire!!! Our little pad is exquisitely decked out by the incredibly talented interior stylist Blanaid (it's the only reason we agreed to move in with her!) and sometimes reminds me of Central Perk cafe in friends because we our friends seem to flock here to hang out!! We are 3 pretty positive girlies and we only allow positive vibes in 'de gaff' !! Sometimes I sit here, on our day bed and just think to myself "I love my home and the gorgeous girls I live with".....................:)

Just before, I was told that I was being made redundant by the charity I was working for due to lack of funds. It was a bit of a shocker initially but to be honest, I think my time was up there. I had spent 2 years working for them and being involved in such incredible work was absolutely amazing. The children in Russia have really taught me so, so much and I met such incredible people throughout my 2 years there that I am so happy that I had the opportunity to be a part of it. I have absolutely no regrets and I really learned a lot about myself during my time in the charity. I knew that I wasn't going to be there forever and that I needed to give myself a kick in the arse to try to get my TV & radio presenting career off the ground and then they did it for me!! I really hope that things pick up for them and that they can continue to do the incredible work that they do with the orphans in Russia.

I also entered another competition to be the Magners League Profan but I will do a separate post on that with da wideo!! It was a lot of fun!

Most recently, there was an article published about me by the wonderful Julia Molony in The Sunday Independent Life Magazine on the 10th January, again I'll do a separate post on that as lots of good things have come of that.

For now, I think that's pretty much all that's gone on in my lil' world but no doubt I'll remember something else and throw it out there!! Sure now that I'm unemployed, yis'll be inundayid wit de posts!

Ta'ra, Luc xxx