Beginners Pinterest Guide

I'm a bit of a Pinterest obsessive, it's fair to say. I have 57 boards and almost 6000 pins over on my Pinterest, and I'm sure it'll just continue to grow to be honest. I always liked collecting, even as a kid. Whether it was stickers, Mr Men books, or Pogs. These days I'm still in the habit of collecting, except now it's a digital version, in the form of pinning.

I love the organisational side of Pinterest, it really satisfies me. I love putting everything into categories, and then saving things for later. Even if sometimes 'later' never comes (who can really say they're ever gonna do ALL the cool DIY pins they save?). I like knowing I have this huge source of information, ideas, inspiration and visuals sitting there ready for whenever I want.

Today I thought I'd share with you a little of my favourite things from my Pinterest, and some little tips; in the hopes that you'll find this as fun as I do. If you're new to Pinterest, this might even help spark your interest or give you some idea of the possibilities with it.


Firstly, let me begin by sharing my five rules for my own Pinterest, and how I organise it all. (Remember, this is just my opinion!)

Free Blog Post Checklist

Putting together a single blog post can be quite time consuming, especially with all the extra work that has to go into it to really make it work. Obviously the words and images are the backbone here and the only things that should matter, but taking the extra time to fix up a few other details can make a huge difference to your audience and stats.
Today I've put together a free checklist for you guys to use when producing blog posts. This is my own personal list I use, which means it's simply what I find works best for me. You are welcome to just refer to the list below, or there's a handy download for a free printable at the end of this post. I hope it helps!

Blog Confidence

Okay, picture this scenario; your mum/dad/brother//nan/friend/coworker discovers your blog and is reading through your posts. This thought might fill you with dread, it might be a little uncomfortable but not necessarily the worst, or it might be the norm for you! For me, I'm not particularly bothered, but neither am I totally pushing my family to go read my blog. That being said, I know they have (or possibly still do! Who knows. Hi mum. Love you. Go away). But I'm not totally horrified by the idea, even if it's not my preference, and I think that's because I'm confident in my blog. Sure I'm not saying it's the best, but it makes me happy, I feel like I'm constantly improving, and I'm learning more about myself as I go. Plus, I don't write about anything I truly would absolutely not want my family reading, which I guess helps. There are things I'd prefer they didn't see, or know - sure. But nothing that keeps me up at night. Plus they never tell me they've read it, and I'm not there to see the reaction. So this helps a bunch too.

Tips For A Great Night's Sleep

As you guys will probably be aware, this weekend the clocks go back for us in the UK; which means there's a whole extra hour there to make the most of. I'm not gonna lie to you, my first thought was SLEEP, all of the sleep! But that's probably due to me being totally exhausted right now. Still... it's not wasted time. Sleep deprivation can lead to major health problems in the long term, so it's a fab excuse to tuck yourself into bed for an extra hour or two.

5 Ways To Make Your Post Stand Out

Sometimes we all get a little lost in the sea of bloggers, and the huge array of posts available in our Twitter feeds can be overwhelming. So when we press publish, and send out our own little blog posts into the world, it's not uncommon to feel a little worried it might not be getting the attention it deserves. I've had this feeling plenty of times as I'm sure a lot of bloggers have, so I thought today I'd share the five things that make blog posts stand out to me, in the hopes that it'll help us all show off our own talents a little more. It's also a nice way of reminding myself of the things I should probably be doing!...

1. Layout. There are no specific rules about how you should have your blog layout, and I myself am a fan of a whole load of various types; from colourful and busy, to white and exceptionally neat. But the one thing that ensures I stick around on a page is that I can clearly locate each post, the font isn't too big or small (or a colour other than black!) and page flows naturally. If you make it distracting or annoying to read a blog post, nobody is going to bother; no matter how awesome it is!

2. Make it different. This can be a hard one, but it's thoroughly worth putting that extra effort in to give your blog post the little twist it needs to make it stand out from the crowd. So you're doing a beauty review of a product everyone is talking about? That's fine. Try to take photographs in a different way from everyone else, give the review a little humour and really try to express why this post is still unique to you. Sometimes I read posts on products I've already read about, or even products I don't like; purely because the blogger who has wrote it always makes me laugh and I enjoy it anyway.

3. Promotion. Yeah I know. Duhh Jemma, obviously we know to promote it. There's a difference though between simply pasting a link onto Twitter and really putting some effort into how you promote. It's good to try come up with witty/weird/unique/attention grabbing tweets rather than just 'Here's my new post'. I'm not saying I've mastered this yet myself, but I do know my random 'Got yourself a little Dorkface fix today yet?! ;)' with a heckload of cute emojis gets way more clicks than my 'Visit me' ones when I'm in a rush. It's also not a bad idea to think about the best hashtags to use, or if you could mention a Twitter account that will retweet you. There are a bunch of accouns out there created solely for retweeting bloggers. My faves to use are @UKBlog_RT and @femalebloggerRT. Also, read my post on scheduling Tweets.

4. Use photos that stand out, In this post, you'll see I've added the title onto the image to really grab attention when you're scrolling through my posts. It also helps it stand out in the bloglovin feed, and when I share it on Pinterest/Twitter. I always post an image with every single promotional tweet, as it really helps catch people's eyes. Seriously, go look at my Twitter feed right now; I guarantee you'll see promotional tweets with images to go along with them. I would never dream of posting my link now without an image.

5. Timing. Finally, you don't wanna put in all this extra effort to not even think about your timing. Is there a particular day this post would get more attention? You can use Google Analytics to figure out when most people visit your blog and use this to your advantage. I do also consider the hour in which I publish posts too. Sidenote here in case some of you don't know; I schedule everything. I write posts whenever I feel like, but I'll always schedule when they go out. That's because I know I want to do each post justice. Just because I write it at 1am, doesn't mean I want to publish it at 1am; when I get zero visitors and it'll be hidden in the sea of new morning posts from people. It also means I can plan ahead and always have at least 3 posts a week, which I love. So for me, I post on weekdays around 7/8am, when a lot of people are checking their feed after they wake up, or they're on their way to work. At weekends, I usually post an hour or two later; anywhere between 9am-12pm. It just works for my audience.  Lastly in regards to timing, make the most of the season/time of year! I love when bloggers keep things current and create their posts based around a Summer theme, or post about current events. 


These tips are not the work of an expert, and neither are they rules you have to abide by. Everyone does things a little differently. They are simply notes I've made for myself over this past year, which seem to work for me and a lot of bloggers I follow. Be sure to let me know if you consider these things for your own blog, or if you have any tips for me I'd love to hear them!
Have a great week guys!



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'Blog Tips' Posts & Why I'm Okay With Them

It's no secret that there has certainly been a rise in the numbers of blog tips posts out there in the blogosphere, I'm sure 90% of you know this already. I've even done one or two myself, such as Better Blogging in 6 Steps. This post was focused solely on my thoughts on things that have helped my blog to improve. I know that doesn't mean it's for everyone, and I certainly don't think I'm some blogging expert. However most of the time I tend to stick to things like 10 Things My Favourite Blogs Do, or the Get To Work On Your Blog post I did a few months ago, as these are posts where I'm confidently just stating facts about the things I like and the tools that I use.
Lately though, blog tips posts are getting a bad name. People are quite rightly moaning about bloggers who are acting preachy, or telling people what they have to do to run a blog; like there's an official rule book the rest of us don't know about or something. I totally get it; that's bullshit. Nobody can tell you how a blog should be written, presented, or run. It's yours, and that's the beauty of blogging. It can also be quite worrying if people are giving out wrong or bad advice, obviously.
However, even now I will be the first to say I love reading these kind of posts, and hear me out before you think I'm foolish. Here are five reasons why I'm still a fan of blog tips posts;
1. When they are done RIGHT, aka not preachy, or know it all; they can be really useful (especially for newer bloggers or those without tech knowledge).
2. They may shed light on something you've not thought of doing before.
3. Sharing your ideas/tips helps you reflect on your own progress. Defining what's worked and what hasn't for your own blog can be really eye opening.
4. I can always learn more!
5. These posts are another fantastic way to actually talk about blogging and all the little details and experiences that go with it. Do you know how amazing it is to read/interact/chat with other bloggers about this stuff when most of my friends don't even understand blogging?! I will never tire of that.

So yes, I know if done really wrong these posts can be just awful. But quite honestly I've never seen anyone publish anything telling me how I should or shouldn't be running my blog; but maybe I follow the right people? I love posts that just let me know what other bloggers out there are doing, and what has worked really well for them. In fact, let me take a little moment to mention Helen over at The Lovecats Inc for her awesome blog tips section, which I've found myself referring to time and time again. A perfect example of how they can be great.

So what do you guys think? Love 'em or hate 'em?



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3 Ways To Improve Your Social Media

Whether you use social media for fun, business or blogging; there are a bunch of things you can do to improve your experience working across different platforms. Some things I've learned along the way, and other things I've learned from other people working in social media, which has been super helpful. I try to do all three of these things myself, and thought I might share them with you guys in case you were interested.

1. Purge. Unfollowing people isn't always a bad thing, or meant in a nasty way. I thoroughly recommend unfollowing anyone who makes you feel bad in any way, whether it's a small or big thing. For example, a while back one of my friends was being quite negative on Facebook, and all their updates were bitchy, moany, ranty. It got to the point I had to mute them, because they really brought me down. Unfollowing their updates was a godsend, and actually improved our friendship too. Another reason to unfollow someone, may be because you just don't like their blog anymore. There's no point subscribing to a blog if it holds no interest to you at all. If anything, great blog posts get lost in the sea of ones boring you. Purge, clean out, get rid. Follow only ones you LOVE.

2. Give Personality/Follow Personality. This is the part where I recommend following people who cheer you on, who are friendly, who make you laugh and who have the same interests as you. And likewise, you should do all this too. People love when you let your personality shine through! So be yourself, support others in your field and always take a moment to help people.

3. Update & Explore. Updating often is the obvious but very important way of making the most of your social media. If people see you are active, they'll want to follow you and get to know you more. Likewise, the more active you are, the more you can explore across whatever platform you're using (Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, etc). Exploring means finding people who inspire you, connecting with brands and businesses you want to work with, finding others with the same quirky hobbies and reaching a whole new audience too.


Do you use social media to it's advantages?








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Get To Work On Your Blog

Sometimes people ask me how I've done something in particular with my blog, or they don't even realise they can fix something up on their blog with just a few simple steps. For a while now I've been resistant to do a post like this, because I didn't feel I was in any position to help people with technical things or anything to do with HTML. But I do get asked some of the same questions on a regular basis, and I do enjoy helping people wherever I can. So I decided to put a quick post together, explaining some of the things you can do to alter certain aspects of your blog; should you want to. 

Please let me be clear about a few things; I am no expert. I myself am learning all the time and there are way more knowledgeable people out there you can turn to. I have in fact turned to other bloggers such as Cat and Toni, from time to time. But I hope I can help some of you with these simple tricks! Also, I'm afraid everything I mention will be in regards to blogger only, as I have never used Wordpress and therefore cannot be of any use with it, sorry! Okay, let's crack on shall we?

1. CENTERING YOUR HEADER;

In Blogger, go to TEMPLATE > CUSTOMIZE > ADVANCED > ADD CSS

If you used "INSTEAD OF TITLE AND DESCRIPTION" for your header, copy and paste the following code - 

#header-inner img {margin: 0 auto !important;} #header-inner {text-align:center !important;}

and save. Your header should now be centered perfectly.

However, if you used "BEHIND TITLE AND DESCRIPTION" for your header, copy and paste this code instead -

#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

and save.

2. CENTERING ALL WIDGETS;

In Blogger, go to TEMPLATE > CUSTOMIZE > ADVANCED > ADD CSS

Copy and paste the following code -

.widget {text-align: center;}

Save, and all your widgets should now be centered successfully.

3. ALTER THE SPACE BETWEEN WIDGETS;

In Blogger, go to TEMPLATE > CUSTOMIZE > ADVANCED > ADD CSS

Copy and paste the following code –

.widget {

margin: 5px 0 0 0;

}

Save, and all your widgets should now be spaced to 5px. 

You can change this number to anything you like!

4. CREATING AN AUTOMATIC SIGNATURE;

In Blogger, go to SETTINGS > POSTS AND COMMENTS

You'll see a 'POST TEMPLATE' option. This is where you state what you want your signature to be.

You can use the <center> tag to keep everything centered if you wish. You can add images, text, links. Whatever you want your signature to be. So for example, mine is like this;

So what I've done is center the whole signature, add an image, and then added my social links at the bottom. I do think this takes a very basic level of HTML understanding, so if you're still unsure of what all that means, I'd recommend visiting a helpful site like W3 Schools. They teach you all the basics of HTML and CSS to get you started :)

And there you have it; the very basic tips I use no matter how I change my layout, to keep things organised and looking nice. Hope this helps, and I may feature another post in the future with more tricks, if any of you find this helpful.

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Making The Most Of Valentines

Valentines is just peeping around the corner, and this will no doubt bring 'Yay!'s from some, and 'Naayyy's from others as always. I'm one of those in the first camp, I absolutely love it! Now before some of you think it, I know it's been commercialised to hell and back, and I know you shouldn't need a day to remind you to treat your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/partner extra special. I 100% agree with you on that, and there's nothing more sad than a couple who don't make an effort all year around, and then suddenly feel they have to go out to buy flowers and gifts etc.
But here's the thing; I'm lucky enough to be in a loving relationship where we do show affection all year around. And I'm not saying this to brag, because I just believe it's how it should be. I've also been single on Valentines day, and still enjoyed it a lot. The point is to make the most of it in the best way possible. And isn't that a good life lesson anyway? Find happiness in everything! It doesn't really matter how you do it, just don't moan about it, and see it as an excuse to be even nicer to yourself, or someone else!
So, I decided to jot down some ideas of things you can do to make the most of Valentines this year whether single, loved up, or... in-between? ;)

1. - Pick the bestest, feel good movies and have a marathon surrounded by blankets, cushions and plenty of yummy snacks. Invite a friend, or enjoy it alone! And I mean that, enjoy it. 
2. - Pack a picnic and surprise someone with a spontaneous day!
3. - Write a list of reasons why you care for someone on notes, fold them up and put them in a jar. Leave the jar somewhere they will find them.
4. - Send an anonymous Valentine to someone who needs an extra smile :)
5. - Cook a meal from scratch, light some candles, and enjoy making your other half feel special.
6. -Write cute post it notes and stick them in random places around the house for someone to find.
7. -Run yourself a gorgeous bath, using candles and bath bombs. Extra points for music playing.
8. -Offer to do 3 good deeds for the day. You'll make someone else feel good!
9. Vow to do something you've always wanted to do! Treat yourself!
10. Remember that loving yourself is just as important as loving someone else.

Hope everyone has the bestest Valentines ever! x



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Tips To Encourage Confidence

As promised from this post, I'm making 2015 a more confident year for myself. That's not to give the impression I'm a shy wallflower all the time - there are plenty of friends out there who will laugh at that description of me. But there are times when my confidence is seriously lacking, and it effects things in my life that I wish it didn't. I'm making positive changes and attempting to improve things, even if only in a small way. So I've compiled a list of things that are supposed to really improve and encourage confidence in various ways. I thought I'd share these with you guys, and keep this record here for myself to refer back to.

-Do something that scares you. If you can overcome a fear, no matter how small; you will be amazed by how awesome you instantly feel afterwards.
- Compliment others. Spreading happiness and confidence is just as important for your own well being, as well as helping someone else. Try to compliment someone every day.
- Compliment yourself! Point out something nice about yourself, every single day. Even something small; a new outfit looking good, your kindness, the way you can always make others laugh.
- Avoid perfection. Dismiss it completely, because obsessing over it will never leave you satisfied. I can relate to this Artistically, and I've found imperfections help me progress anyway :)
- Don't compare yourself. It's the quickest way to throw away your own confidence. You are not like anyone else, that's a good thing.
-Identify your talents. Everyone is good at something, so focus on your skills and confidence will come naturally.
-Talk about it. Tell a friend, write about it in your blog, confide in someone. If you share your concerns it can bring relief, and they may help you realise your worth.
-Never allow others to make you feel inferior. They cannot do so without your permission. Think positively about yourself; and the rest of the world will follow.
-Smile! This one sounds silly, but the Facial Feedback Theory is the idea that if we force ourselves to smile, it does actually encourage our mood to improve. So next time you're not feeling confident, put a smile on your face and you may end up being a little more sure of yourself.
-Power pose. Studies have shown that if we make our posture more confident, we feel more confident. So stand up straight, don't cross your arms or fidget, look straight ahead and smile. Maybe adopt a Superman pose. 
-Keep a journal. It helps to calm your inner voice, and reason with any stressful thoughts. In a way, you can talk yourself out of it.
-Learn something new. This will challenge you, help you feel more fulfilled and make you feel confident in yourself in a new way.
-Distract your inner fears. Direct your focus on helping others, and you will forget your own problems and insecurities. 
-Remember that confidence is a journey, not a destination.

I'm going to be doing all of these steps to hopefully improve my confidence and build self esteem this year. I'll be doing some daily and some when I really need it most. I may post again when I put some of these to the test, and I'll let you know how I go! Thanks for reading guys, and I hope these tips can help any of you who may need it too.


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Colourful Hair

Let me start by saying this isn't a tutorial, (there are millions on Youtube!) and I am not trained in any way concerning hair and beauty. I'm a blogger, I write about my experiences. I do however think my experiences have provided me with some wisdom and tips I'd love to share with you guys. So if you've thought of taking the plunge on a vibrant hair colour, or are simply interested; read on!

Before:
1. Deep condition your hair the night before you bleach it.  2.Wear old clothing, have an old towel and prepare to probably get dye all over the bathroom. 3.Rub Vaseline all around your hairline, ..unless you want stains on your face. 4.If your hair is dark, accept the fact that bleaching it will turn it orange. This is okay. If you want vibrant hair, such at this, then you can dye straight over it with your chosen colour. However if you want pastel hair, like this, then you'll have to keep the bleach on longer, or do two bleaching sessions to make your hair white. During:
1. Apply bleach to the ends of your hair first if it's dyed already. The roots will be easy and won't need as long developing. 2. Keep an eye on your hair as it develops with the bleach. If you don't need it to go completely white, then don't. Wash the bleach off as soon as you reach the lightness you need. Dark brown hair with bleach on (for me) takes about 45 minutes to reach an orangey/blonde shade. Then I pop on my green, leave it for like an hour and it's great. 3. Add conditioner to your dye, if you're going for a pastel shade and make the process less expensive! Don't buy a pastel shade, buy a vibrant one but add plenty of (white) conditioner to it! It makes the dye go a lot further so you buy it less often, and you still achieve the pastel shade!

After:
1. Use coconut oil at least once a week until hair feels soft/healthy again.  2. Have warm showers rather than hot. It will make the colour last longer, and keep hair healthy. 3. Use cold air only when drying your hair. Heat is no longer your friend. 4. Which means, avoid straighteners/curlers unless you absolutely have to. I hope some of this helped any of you who may have considered going a bright colour :) Good luck!

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Blogging: Best Tools & Resources

Blogging can be a busy business, as I recently mentioned in my Blogging Myths post. If you don't use the right tools, or make advantage of the amazing resources out there, you could be missing out. I decided to put together a small list of the things I find most useful and help me keep my blogging schedule together somewhat. I am by no means an expert guys! Pshh. But enough of you have asked me recently, so I decided to put the most important ones (to me!) on here. Hope it helps you guys out a little.


1. Tweetdeck. Tweetdeck is a dashboard application that allows you to manage everything about your Twitter account all in one place. Even multiple accounts. The best thing about this is the ability to schedule tweets whenever you want. Meaning you can tweet out about your latest blog posts on a regular basis, bringing in more views. On the rare days that I don't use this; I notice the difference big time. Another feature I love is the ability to create columns dedicated to certain users, or hashtags. That way I can see what all my fave blogger's updates are without getting lost in my busy feed.
2. Photoshop/Pic Monkey/Canva. Okay so basically, get yourself a good photo editor dudes! I personally use Photoshop more than anything, but I know a lot of people don't have it. In which case, Pic Monkey and Canva are fantastic free editors that create beautiful images in a variety of ways. I'm new to trying Canva, but it seems like it has many creative ways to make your images stand out. And photography is your friend when it comes to blogging. Having beautiful images isn't everything, but it certainly helps.
3. Your Phone. It sounds a little bit obvious, at least to me. But your phone is an incredible tool for managing your blog. You can download all the relevant apps (twitter, bloglovin, instagram) to stay on top of your blog notifications; even when you're out and about. Then there's your emails you can stay on top of too. Don't miss an opportunity to work with a brand or business, simply because you didn't keep on top of emails. Personally, my phone is my hero.
4. A Notebook. And last but not least, the most simple and overlooked tool of all. Carrying a notebook everywhere with you, for when inspiration hits is invaluable. Yes you can use an app to make notes on your phone, but if your phone battery dies then you'll encounter problems. I can never remember a blog post idea I had unless I write it down! Also, if I'm being honest I much prefer putting pen to paper when developing ideas. So much more satisfying!



And there we have it. The four must have tools for blogging IMO. They'll save you time, help you get organised and hopefully grow your blog successfully. Let me know what you guys think.
What tools do you use?





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Better Blogging In 6 Steps

So back in March I started Dorkface. An idea that had been swirling around my head for a while, and felt like a place I could call home. Six months is a very short time, but I feel like I've learned a few things in this experience to share with you. Six tips from six months blogging! Maybe you can relate, or maybe you're just starting a blog of your own? I am by no means an expert, obviously! There is so much I need to do myself to improve, but I'm simply sharing some tips which I've found to have helped me so far.


1. The biggest blessing is other bloggers ♥ I didn't realise blogging would have such a huge social aspect to it when I first began. For a start, you can get involved on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, follow other bloggers, take part in the scheduled chats and even attend blogger meet ups. I'm yet to do a meet up yet, but so keen! Other bloggers keep you sane when nobody else understands what you're doing. They help you with tips, tricks and general blogging inquiries. You find people who love the things you do and are so friendly! This is the best part about blogging for me personally.

2. You need to think about your skills ♥ If you want an audience that will appreciate your posts and visit again, then you may want to think about improving one or two skills. For me, I'm writing all the time whether it's for a post or not, because I want to improve as much as possible. For this same reason it's important to read as much as possible. Take in what other bloggers are doing, and how they do it well. You may want to practise your photography skills if your blog is photo heavy too. And I always recommend getting a good layout that suits your blog. Always look to improve where you can.

3. Be passionate ♥ Why do it if you aren't wholeheartedly excited by it? At the end of the day you should be doing this for nobody but yourself, and you've gotta love it. Write if you love to write, take photographs everyday if want to, create recipes to share with your readers, whatever. However you choose to express yourself, put your heart into it and remember why you started. A half arsed post that you've forced yourself to write last minute will be obvious to anyone who reads it anyway.

4. Honesty really is the best policy ♥ Always be true to yourself, even if you feel like the 'odd one out'. If you're reviewing a product, be honest with what you think about it. Don't feel pressure even if it's been gifted to you by a company, to lie. Or even if every other blogger out there is loving it. You don't? Say so! I mean, maybe don't be rude. But explain yourself, and you'll be appreciated for your honesty.

5. Lose certain expectations ♥ I can't count the amount of times I've visited amazing blogs and felt so intimidated by their successes and achievements, and left myself feeling bad. It's the worst thing you can do. Do not compare yourself to others! You are totally different people, on different paths. Especially if like me you've only been blogging a few months and you compare yourself to someone who has been at it for years. Don't expect magic to happen, you have to put in the time and effort. Don't do it for the numbers, do it for yourself, and the rest will follow.

6. Stay inspired ♥ There's nothing worse than bloggers block eh? You want to post, but have no idea where to start. It's annoying to say the least. I've found that the things that give me ideas and inspire me most are listening to music, taking a break from the computer altogether, visiting other blogs, going over your own archive and deciding what's missing, or what you'd like to cover again. For example maybe you're a beauty blogger & you could try out a whole new makeup look? Decide what makes you happy and creating posts based around that. Sometimes inspiration will hit you, other times you have to run at it and grab it by the horns!
Good luck! x

25 Tips To Get Through College.

So I wanted to do a huge list dedicated to helping others through college,  or just letting people who miss it like myself reminisce. Enjoy!

2. Don't be afraid to try new things and meet new people.

3. Remember time is limited. This will probably be the most exciting years, enjoy them.

4. Learn to manage your time well.

5. Find your own style. Whether it be clothes or style of work.

6. Voice your opinion.

8. Pay attention! If you can..

9. Be friendly with your tutors. They'll be more willing to help & understanding if you ever fall behind.

10. Now's the time to reinvent yourself. Who do you really want to be?

11. Find a cheap alcoholic drink you like. Chances are you'll be drinking plenty. Save some pennies, lol.

12. Ask for help if you need it.

13. Use condoms! Ha.

14. Accept that family may not understand or agree with what you're studying, or what you want to be.

16. Buy a student card. The benefits are endless.

17. Embrace people completely different from yourself.

18. If you ever wanted pink hair, now is the time.

19. Same goes for a piercing or tattoo. But remember tattoos are permy!

20. Public transport is a bitch and will always make you late.

21. Take a trip with college friends. You wont regret this.

23. Always have a notebook handy.

24. Find a hobby that you love. It'll keep you sane when things get stressy.

25. And once again.. Enjoy it!

Any other suggestions you guys can think of?

Need a creative boost?

So I seen this on Tumblr this week...

And I think it's a fab little list of things to inspire you or keep you motivated for anything.

As you know I've been creative this week myself, see this post.

If I were to add any additional tips to this list they would be:

• Take a notebook and pen everywhere.
• Doodle a lot.
• Try cooking/baking something new.
• Find an Artist you love.
• Try out a new style; hair, makeup, clothes, accessories, anything!
• Get up early.
• Review movies you see.
• Explore your city/town.

That's just some things I find quite inspiring and helpful.

What do you do for inspiration?

x Jemma x

Online Dating

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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