personal
Look at this guy! Sharky McShark. This photo is hanging around from a trip to the Aquarium with my boyfriend last year. I don't even know why this is still on my phone, but it was a good day.
This is probably my favourite tattoo. It's at the top of my left thigh and I've had it like.. 2 and half years now. I love the design, and I love that I decided to get the lyric ' Love will tear us apart', on this too. One of my favourite ever songs!
Me and my love a couple of months ago on a night out. We have millions of photos together, but this is one of a handful I always keep on my phone because it makes me smile. Probably because we were very drunk :)
This random photo is from a gorgeous anniversary meal with Gary last year at my favourite Italian restaurant. Lovely night <3
And there we have it! You got to have a nice little peep into the content of my phone.
What photos do you have hanging around your phone/tablet?
So it included some shameless selfies, sightseeing around Liverpool, trips to the Library/Aquarium and just hanging out with my lovely boyfriend Gary & friends. I quite enjoyed it and the weather hasn't been bad :)
So I thought I'd share it all here for you guys to see!
It's actually my last full week of being 25 too :( I turn 26 on Wednesday and although I love birthdays, I'm so sad! I feel super old and I hate it. In my head I'm still 19, lol.
It's actually been a fun week though. I'll be excited for Wednesday, celebrating with Gary. Even though I really, really do not want to turn 26. I'm sure we'll have fun ^__^
Keep an eye out for my birthday post (probably Thursday) to see how I get on!
Thanks for reading guys!
xxx
Yep, I'm here to talk about online dating.
It's become increasingly popular and socially acceptable these days, and although it can be great, I feel it's important to remember some very important things first before you dive into it or ever even consider it.
Okay so, what do I know about it right?
Is this just another preachy post by someone thinking they know it all?
No. I can only share my own experiences.
But I did just so happen to meet my boyfriend of almost 3 years now, through Tumblr.
Yes! Sometimes it's lovely and right and it all works out, yay!
Look at us being all smug and loved up. #shitheads
The story: First and foremost, I did not set out to find my boyfriend through my laptop. In fact, I weren't looking for any boyfriend at all at that time.
It was the beginning of 2011 and I was in a pretty rough place. My dad had been dead a few short months, after a sudden heart attack, and my world collapsed. He was my hero. I did not think I could survive without him. I can't even begin to describe how it felt.
So I've stopped seeing my friends at this point, I've dropped out of University and I'm living back home with my mum. I love her so much, but our mutual grief and complicated relationship did not make for a 'healing' time unfortunately.
I'm spending all my time on the internet. I'm distracting myself anyway possible.
Tumblr has always been a favourite site of mine to waste many hours on.
I follow a lot of people on there, including one guy who seems cool. I mean ok, in all honesty I thought he was HOT. But also he posted funny stuff, and he paid attention to my posts, photos etc. Whenever I was down he would send me a message trying to make me smile. In fact, I remember a particularly crappy day where I posted saying how upset I was, how much I missed my Dad. He sent me a drawing saying he hoped I could smile again soon, because I had a pretty smile. We didn't know jack shit about each other, but we liked each other anyway. I began to look forward to these little snippets of interaction. We soon started IM'ing each other. His name was Gary, he was from Plymouth and he was the cutest geek ever, lol.
Online soon became texting, and then soon we started video talking on Skype. Before you know it, we were gushing about our feelings and we decided to meet up.
I'll skip to the end. We fell in love. We did long distance for a while, and eventually he came up to Liverpool to live with me! And we've never looked back. Joyous.
I'm so fortunate to have this fantastic experience, which is why I never look down on anyone making friends online or more. But there are so many things I had to consider, and I'd like to share them in case anyone reading this ever finds themselves considering meeting someone off the internet.
So here we are. The very, very important things to make note of!
- Always chat for a while first before deciding to meet. The longer the better, as you get to know them more; but I'd say at least a few weeks if possible.
- Make sure you know who you're meeting!! SO important. Skype meant that Gary and I physically saw each other and knew who we were talking to. Always do this! Sometimes photos aren't enough. People can lie. People can fake photos, or take someone else's.
- Only ever meet if you are 100% comfortable and want to. Sounds obvious, but if you have any doubts at all, don't do it. Put it off a while maybe? Talk to the person, be honest with them. If they are really a friend or care about you they will understand. In fact, even strangers should understand it's scary and nerve wracking meeting someone this way. If they pressure you, they're bad news. Don't give in to pressure.
- Always tell someone you are meeting. Give them details about where you'll be, and what you're doing. In fact, take someone with you the first time if you can! Even if its just watching from a distance to make sure you're safe. Sounds mental, but you can't be too careful.
- Always meet in a public place. I would question it if the other person didn't want to do this.
- Don't give out your home address. It's just too risky to do that with someone you don't know. Just meet in public until you're completely sure of that person.
That's my little started list for the Do's and Don'ts of meeting someone IRL that you've only spoken to online.
I'm of course no expert, and you can find hundreds of websites full of valuable advice if you need to, but I think this is a good starting point. I've met a handful of other people through talking online and they are now great friends of mine! It can work and it can be lovely. Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe it's because I've never set out meaning to meet anyone, it just happened.
Either way, be open to it as long as you're careful.
Thanks guys!
x
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There are some of you that know already that I suffer with Anxiety issues and stress, and have for a while now. It affects a multitude of things in my life and can be quite difficult.
I will probably go into this fully at some point,but today is not about that directly.
Today I wanted to share one of the ways I deal with those issues.
All the things that make me...
^__^
I find sometimes that making a list of things that make me smile, or things to look forward to, or remember; can be very therapeutic and helpful when dealing with anxiety, stress or depression.
And especially lately, I've needed to keep these things in mind.
So here we go, it's my own personal happy list.
Gary is my loving boyfriend of almost 3 years, and I can wholeheartedly say I'm still madly in love with him.
He makes me laugh, he supports me in everything, he's so quirky and interesting and he makes me feel absolutely perfect. Even though I'm far from it. He treats me like a princess and I'm very lucky to have him.
Anything from Foe, Placebo, Blink 182, Lady Gaga, Eminem, The Cure, Hole. I have millions of various music loves in a whole load of genres. Music can relax me, calm me, remind me of happy times and also make me forget. Sometimes taking a deep breath, putting on a song you love and chilling out is all you need to feel better.
Something to look forward to! A reminder of good things to come can make even the darkest days doable. It means you have something to strive for, and it reminds you that feeling low wont be forever. For me that's a holiday to Greece this June with Gary. I count down, plan activities, think about what we will do and what we will see. It's an instant mood booster to know we can leave the country even just for a week, and be enjoying ourselves in a beautiful part of the world.
Im a huge animal lover and they never fail to cheer me up. I want a German Shepard and a Pug asap! My favourite animals are probably horses though, because I used to horse ride for years and it's so fun and rewarding. They are strong, beautiful creatures and I dream of having my own one day. For now though, I am only permitted a cat called Jake - He is my little bestie! I'm a sad old cat lady and I love my little guy. Seriously though anything to do with animals makes me happy. You can help out at a dog home, or cattery and even just taking a dog for a walk for someone can be therapeutic and rewarding.
Talking to someone, or having fun with a friend who knows you well can do you the world of good. You can either get your feelings out and have someone support you, or they can help you relax and forget about your problems. I'm so grateful for the friends I have, as they all make me happy in different ways. There are friends you see all the time, the ones you never see (but cherish and miss them), the ones that are good for a fun night out, and the friends who have always been there and who know you at your best and worst. I always recommend talking to someone if your anxiety or depression is getting too much for you to handle alone. And on that note; please anyone reading this always feel free to message me. I can be an ear to listen, and would always be happy to share my experiences if it helped.
Finding something you enjoy on a daily or weekly basis is so important. It's a way of expressing yourself and helps you put things in perspective. No matter how trivial or random it may seem, if it's something you enjoy; Go for it! Personally I love to paint, make collages, take photographs, read, go shopping (Sorry but retail therapy really is great!), bake (even though I'm awful at it) and visit new places.
There are so many ways to get ideas for a new hobby, such as http://discoverahobby.com/ or http://freeintenyears.com/frugal-tips/100-cheap-hobbies/
Let me know your hobbies, or of you try any new ones :)
And finally, number 7. Probably the most important one. Loving yourself.
Accepting who you are and embracing it sounds so truly cheesy. I know, it really does. But honestly, it can change your life. There is so much I don't like about myself, and have even hated about myself in the past. But it stops you from doing things you want to do and being who you are supposed to be.
These days I try to not let it hold me back, and try to always see the positive in myself. Sure, there are bad days, days when I'm so insecure that I almost have a panic attack before leaving the house. Those days become less and less though when I take the time to remind myself of my good points. When I realise the things I like about myself, and maybe why others like me; I feel a million times better. And it's an ongoing thing. I think it always will be for me personally, but the point is I know how to deal with it. And I like myself a little more as time goes on.
Remind yourself of why you are unique, why you are loved, and love yourself too.
I hope this has been a tiny bit helpful to anyone who can relate, and I hope this also gives some insight into how it can be for others.
As I mentioned at the start of this, I will do a post one day explaining my issues properly. But for now let's all smile and enjoy the day :)
Happy thoughts to you all.
xo
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