Motivational Monday

Let's stop wishing away our days; they are already numbered. There is no way of telling how long each of us has left, before we drop of the face of the earth. Every single damn second we breathe and interact and think and smile and try is the most important thing in the world. Let's stop wishing away Mondays, or whatever day it is you hate most. That's a WHOLE DAY of your life, every single week. We are tiny, insignificant beings in this vast and mysterious universe;but we also only get this one fleeting life.
Breathe. Take in the beauty that is in the world, the kindness that is out there. Remind yourself that there is nobody else out there like you, which makes you important. This makes you one of a kind. Accept that life passes us by whether we like it or not; so we might as well enjoy the little time we have. Do something to show kindness today. Do something that makes you happy. Do something to remind yourself you are alive.
There are things we can't control in this world, and things that will always happen that are tragic, annoying, and heartbreaking. But you can control your attitude. You can control your ambition and your love for life and your ability to make others smile. You can do so much good. 
Try to take something good from every single day, even the hardest ones. Be known for being someone who spreads joy. Be kind to yourself and know that it will be okay.

I think sometimes we all just need a little reminder to close our eyes, take a deep breathe, and take in the amazing fact that we are alive.



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Panda Eyes, Be Gone!

Don't look at me like that guys, I know, I know. Bloody late on the bandwagon again aren't I? I don't know why I hadn't tried this up until the start of this month, but there we go. Story of my life, always late on the trends. I was actually browsing Frankie's blog when I seen her writing about the Garnier Micellar Water in a handy mini size that she managed to find. It reminded me that I'd been meaning to try it and so I went out determined to get it that very same day.
I've been using this daily for a good month now, and can honestly say I adore it! It's gentle and kind to my skin, removes my makeup easy peasy, and leaves me feeling fresh as a daisy. There is no rinsing required; just simply apply to a cotton pad and wipe over your face to remove all dirt and makeup. This quick and handy product means I'm never too lazy to do it, and days of falling asleep in my makeup *gasp* might be a thing of the past; yay!
No more panda eyes around here! Have you tried the Garnier Micellar Water yet? (Is there anyone else as late as me to this one??) Let me know!



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Think Money Blog Event

Last week I was very kindly invited by Georgina from She Might Be Loved to the Think Money blog event in Manchester, for a day of fun with new friends. I was really excited to go as I love meeting new bloggers and I'm always looking for awesome events to go to and chat with like minded people! The whole thing was set at the very top of the amazing Hotel Football in Manchester; an open top roof with a view looking out to the whole city. I'll just take a moment to tell you right now that I failed to get a photograph as I was having too much fun to remember to; Doh!

As well as Georgina, I met a few other lovely ladies and gents that made the day a right laugh; Alfie, Caitlin, Anoushka, Simone and Carl. There were plenty of other lovelies there, but it was hard to chat to everyone. Our group was such a funny one and I found myself laughing all day :) The whole thing was set up by the amazing Bryony from Think Money in the hopes of bringing bloggers together, and allowing us to get to know Think Money a little more. I cannot stress enough how perfectly this event was done; we were provided with amazing food and drink all day, a cupcake making session with Princess and the Cupcake, games of blogger bingo (I won!! I WON. I was pretty proud) and goody bags full of amazing gifts from some amazing brands such as Oh Deer, Derma V10 and Schwarzkopf to name just a few. Think Money have absolutely nailed blogger events; Bryony was one of the loveliest and most helpful people I've ever met through blogging, and the whole thing was focused on us having fun, rather than shoving a brand down our throats. How bloody refreshing! It makes you WANT to get to know the brand more when done this way, and I for one will be keeping an eye on Think Money. I was so happy I got to meet so many lovely new people, and go to an event where we were so well looked after. It goes without saying a few of us went for a drink or two (*ahem*) afterwards, and I pretty much had the best day I could have hoped for! I'd like to say a huuuuuge thank you to Think Money for putting this event on, to Bryony for being such a lovely host, and to Georgina for inviting me!

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Friday Five 6#

Another Friday is here, the last of this month in fact! Will you guys be going out this weekend? Making any fun crafts? Or having any exciting adventures? I myself will be at home enjoying time painting and making new things for my Etsy store. I'm so excited to be seeing in September, because that means Autumn! 
Anyway... onto this weeks Friday Five! Be warned, this post has some swears in.


Five reasons to smile this week;
1. Being shortlisted for two awards! (Vote for me here?) 2. Seeing my first phone case printed with one of my designs on. 3. Making other cute crafty things for Etsy. 4. Hanging out with other bloggers at an awesome event. 5. Plenty of rain and thunder - my fave!

Five favourite swear words (lol);
1. Cunt (A lot of people find this SO offensive. I find it satisfying.) 2. Fuck. 3. Shitballs. 4. Twat. 5. Bitch (a tame one.. but a goodun).

Five favourite Instagram accounts;
1. https://instagram.com/fineanddandyblog/ 2. https://instagram.com/kayleymills/ 3. https://instagram.com/milkbubbleteablog 4. https://instagram.com/sugarandcloth 5. https://instagram.com/lemon_freckles

Five favourite foods/meals;
1. Pizza. 2. Patatas bravas and rice. 3. Chicken breast in mixed herbs and spices. 4. Fajitas. 5. Pasta.

Five blogs you should visit this weekend;
1. http://www.shemightbeloved.com/ 2. http://www.wisheshopesdreams.co.uk/ 3. http://www.thecurvaceousvegan.com/ 4. http://amandabootes.co.uk/ 5. http://hannahdelacour.blogspot.co.uk/


Have an amazing last week of August!



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Self Employment Expectations & Realities

Since leaving my job and starting to work for myself, I've found myself crashing and tumbling through a whole new routine and way of working. Some of it's great, some weird, and some bad! I thought I'd share it today to give a little insight into how my experience is going, truthfully!

EXPECTATION: Oh my god I can now have lazy days in bed, woohoo! REALITY: Of course I can't do that, I need to get shit done! *Feels guilty if sleep past 7:30am* EXPECTATION: I'm going to be super organised, set myself dinner breaks and finishing times. REALITY: *Starts work at 4pm. Works without looking up for 7 hours and has dinner break at around 2am* EXPECTATION: Family will treat me like a grown up now, taking charge of her life! REALITY: Everyone assumes I'm having a breakdown and rebelling against responsibilities. EXPECTATION: I must now have enough to spoil myself with amazing products and experiences. REALITY: Refuses to buy fancy toilet paper because I worked ALL DAY to get one small payment. Asda's own it is... EXPECTATION: I can wear what I want now & will make the effort to look extra pretty and cute! REALITY: Wears the same pj's for 3 days straight and forgets what bras are. EXPECTATION: If I tell friends my business plans, they will laugh and think I'm deluded. REALITY: Surprisingly encouraging and super supportive of my plans. (With suggestions and help on offer!) Seriously though, it's a whirlwind. I'm absolutely loving this right now, but who knows how long it'll last? We'll see. There are a few things that will be severely missed about having a 'proper job' though. A guaranteed wage, the feeling of freedom at the end of the day, stability, day to day interaction with amazing customers... Okay maybe not that last one! I decided to write this post today as the guys over at City Calling* got in touch with me, asking if I wanted to share my experience a little, and why not? I'm embarking upon a new experience, and I'm really happy to share this with you all. If any of you are looking for a new challenge or career, you can find job vacancies with City Calling really easily, and you can find careers matched to your personality and skills. Here's to the next adventure! If only I could find my bra... *Post written in collaboration with City Calling

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I've Been Shortlisted For Two Awards!!

Wow. That's pretty much how I'm feeling.
If you didn't know already, on Monday the shortlist was announced for each category in the Bloggers Blog Awards set up by the awesome Hayley over at Tea Party Beauty. I was so excited because I'd already been invited to the event in October (thank you Hayleeeyyy!) and I was THRILLED to see who I'd be meeting! Amazing bloggers from all over the country who I admire and adore; what's better than that?!
I won't lie to you, in the past few weeks I'd been hoping I'd get voted. Of course I had! Seriously, who wouldn't? But on Monday as she was announcing the names; I honestly 100% didn't think I'd be shortlisted for anything. I knew the competition out there, and I can't compete. But I didn't even care in the end, I seen everyone's excitement at meeting each other and how brilliantly this has brought everyone together; and I didn't mind at not being voted. I was just lucky to be able to get to go the awards and meet all the people I admire!
And then... Best Upcoming Lifestyle Blog was announced, my notifications went mental and I almost cried at seeing my name amongst the group. HOLY SHIT. I couldn't believe it! I was alone at the time (because Gary was asleep, he works nights) and I couldn't get my energy out to anyone fast enough. I quickly went on Periscope because I was this crazy ball of excitable mess, and just started blabbing about how amazing this was. Somewhere inbetween my five minute squeals, I stopped to look at my Twitter notifications that were building up... and I'd also been announced as shortlisted for Best Social Media Account as well. I couldn't fucking believe it. Sorry for swearing guys, but I cannot quite express what I felt at the time. The amazing thing is, my reaction was 100% caught live on Periscope with over 50 people watching, which I thought was pretty hilarious and relevant for this award. I was screaming, squealing and 'Oh my god!'-ing more times than I can count.
Since then, I've been on cloud nine (also can someone please explain this expression to me? What's so good about cloud nine anyway? And why are they numbered??) I've been asking everyone I know to vote for me; because you've gotta at least try haven't you? It's not like this sort of thing happens everyday. But in my two categories, I am aware I am up against some AMAZING blogs/people. People who inspire me, people who make me laugh, people who make me stop and think on a regular basis. People I'd be pretty damn happy for if they won, basically.
Who'd have thought this little blog could be involved in something like this eh? Certainly not me. I'm just here most days; chatting away about life, doodling, crafting, or writing about my favourite makeup... it seems crazy. Anyway... I just needed everyone to know how grateful I am if you voted for me to be shortlisted. I feel like some huge mistake has been made, and I'm not supposed to be in those lists! I'm going to ask once more, if I could I possibly ask you to vote for me? I'd love to feel like I have even a chance at winning something, but I don't expect to at all. On October 3rd, I'm going to be cheering for everyone who wins, and just feeling pretty damn lucky to be there.
You can find the voting survey here at the very bottom of the page. Thank you!

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What I Want My Blog To Be Known For

I'm coming up to my 400th blog post very soon, and there's something quite magical and terrifying about the fact that I've created such a vast body of work. It'll be pretty great to be able to look back on in years to come. Or super embarrassing? I dunno. My first few months of blog posts make me cringe now. But either way, it's here; and I'm really glad.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want my blog to be known for, or how you guys see me/this blog as a whole. I obviously only have limited control over this; but still it's pretty interesting to think about anyway!

1. FUN. Yep, I'd like this blog to be known as a fun place. As a blog where I can make you laugh, take you along on my adventures and encourage you to take life by the balls!
2. THOUGHTFULNESS. I'm not saying I'd be the next philosopher of our time... mostly I just ramble about things that don't even matter. But I would love people to see this as a place of sharing my thoughts, musing on subjects that interest me, and maybe sparking an interesting conversation.
3. CREATIVITY/INSPIRATION You must have seen this one coming, right? Of course I want this to be a creative space! I want people to visit and feel inspired no matter how creative they are (or aren't!). I'd love to know people feel motivated when they visit Dorkface, and willing to try out some fun DIY's.
4. ENCOURAGEMENT. I consciously try to encourage people in positive ways all the time, but I hope that I'm expressing this enough on this blog. Whether it be trying out something new, coming out of your comfort zone or really going for your dreams; I hope I can encourage people to go for whatever makes them happiest!
5. HONESTY. I write from the heart whatever the subject, and this is something that is SO important to me. I really hope this is something my blog could be known for, and that you'll trust I'd never be swayed by temptations to twist things or lie. We see this happening a fair bit in blogging, youtube, etc; which is a shame. But I promise to always stay true on Dorkface.

Here's hoping you guys think this blog is at least one of those things! :) What would you like to be known for?


P.S. Did you know I'm up for TWO awards?! You can vote for me for Best Up and Coming Lifestyle Blog and Best Social Media Account right here!




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Avoiding Negativity In The Blogging World

I won't lie to you guys, sometimes it's DAMN hard to avoid negativity in the blogging world. 
There's always someone having a snipe, a drama, or just someone who is just determined to slow your roll. Sometimes it's like dodging bullets left and right and it's a little tiresome.
Now, before you all get too tempted to shout 'But Jemma sometime's its justified! This thing should be ranted about, or this person should be called out!' - Yes dear shouty reader I am with you! Har har! I feel your energy; now go! Go fight for all those passionate issues!
Phew, that was exhausting even thinking about getting worked up.
No, I know there are plenty of times we all need a moan, or we need to voice important issues; and by god I'll be there with the lot of you helping. But today I just kind of wanted to chat about how I do feel like I often have to remind myself to be happy, or remind myself to keep an upbeat voice/blog. I know I don't have to, but I want to.  If you've been a reader of this blog for a while, you may have already read some of my posts (like this one) explaining how blogging has made me a happier person, and how I'm much more upbeat these days because of blogging. I can't see that ever changing to be honest. But I do find I have a few regular examples of things that tempt me into negative moods... if I let them.
1. There's the cheeky as hell companies/brands that email me asking me to put their links in some of my old posts. Cheeky sods. I wouldn't do this anyway, as it wouldn't be relevant or useful in anyway to my readers or the posts themselves, but especially when they ask me to do it for free! Aha, one point to you dear company for being nobheads.
2. There's the exhaustingly boring attention seekers always looking for drama on Twitter. Come on, we can all name at least ONE can't we? And once again just to be sure you understand; I don't mean when people are calling out things that should be called out, or there's some bullshit that needs to be cleared up. No, I love those things. I'm talking here about those whiny, constant people ALWAYS looking to argue. Trying to avoid this negativity is hard, because even though I don't follow them, they use hashtags I follow or constantly talk/argue to other people I follow and they inevitably end up on my feed.
3. There's the constant temptation to compare yourselves to other bloggers. Whether its how popular their blog is, how awesome their writing/artwork/style is; it's always just over the horizon, peeping into your consciousness trying to lure you into a darker frame of mind. Try not to go there guys. By even having a blog you are a creator, able to shape their own destiny in a way. Which I think is pretty awesome.
I could list more things.. but to be honest even doing this list alone for too long would leave me with some well neggy vibes.

I consider myself quite a happy person, with a positive outlook which I do try to pass onto others if I can. But yes, of course there are times this is hard (or damn near impossible) and that's okay. I'd just like to remind everyone though that even if it's hard; please do try to allow yourself plenty of happiness in the face of trying times. A positive life isn't always easy, but it's very rewarding.
Plus, think of all the money you'll save on wrinkle cream!

Take a deep breath, remember how awesome life can be, and don't let the trolls drag you down.

You got this.

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Sunday Six

Yes that's right. Sunday six! Those of you with a keen eye may have spotted that on Friday I failed to post my 'Friday Fives', oops! I was so excited to post about my latest DIY, that I completely forgot; truth be told. So I thought I'd make up for it today, with an extra category to boot. So for one a one off, here's my Sunday Six!

Six things I hate in people;
1. Arrogance. 2. Lying. 3. Whinging. 4. Judgemental attitudes. 5. Snobbiness. 6. Jealousy.

Six things to make me happy this week;
1. People buying my designs. 2. Creating cute illustrations for new products. 3. Making cute jewellery. 4. Periscoping/chatting to friends. 5. Thunder and lightening. 6. New outfits.

Six music artists I've never liked;
1. One Direction. 2. Little Mix. 3. Cheryl Cole. 4. Selena Gomez (I cant even name ONE song tbh). 5. Fifth Harmony (I literally dont even know who they are). 6. Rita Ora.

Six foods I don't like (blehhh);
1. Pie. 2. Tomatoes (unless chopped up). 3. Most fish. 4. Lasagna. 5. Steak. 6. Mushy peas.

Six things I'd do if I were invisible;
1. Steal a bank. 2. Spy on people. 3. Sneak into amazing events. 4. Shop without sales people bugging me, ha! 5. Annoy people I hate. 6. Go running. (BC we all know that's not happening otherwise LOL).

Six blogs you should follow!
1. http://www.thumbelinalillie.com/ 2. http://www.robowecop.com/ 3. http://www.essaysandwine.co.uk/ 4. http://www.littlefickle.com/ 5. http://www.thelilacscrapbook.com/ 6. http://hollyquillsandivy.blogspot.co.uk/

Have the best Sunday ever, and bring in Monday with some joy, hope and smiles! :)
Love you guys.



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A Cute Photo Collage DIY

Hello little unicorns! (Soz, I'm in a weird mood.) I hope you're all having an incredible week so far, and have nice plans for the weekend. This week I've been organising my office, trying to categorise everything and give it a good overhaul so it's the perfect place for me to work on all my projects. I'll probably do a post on this soon to be honest. But anyway, in the middle of my tidying, rummaging and organising; I found a bunch of polaroid photos I had printed a few months ago (from Polargram).
They are the nicest bunch of random photos of completely different memories, friends and times in my life. Some old, some recent; but all awesome. Sadly they were just sitting in a drawer and I felt they were being completely wasted. So why not use them for a DIY?

I decided I wanted to build up a cute collage and frame it, and luckily I already had a spare frame hanging around. I collected some pretty papers, stickers, washi tape, buttons and some AMAZING prints which I had bought from Toni over at Lemon Freckles a while ago. These were made for bunting, but I kept my bunting quite short, so I had one or two images over that I decided to use in this collage.

After that it's just a case of arranging everything until you're happy! The joy of this project is that there is no right or wrong way to do it; just go with whatever you find aesthetically pleasing and you're onto a winner. Mine is one bursting with different colours and textures, and has a really happy vibe about it.
I think something like this would be perfect for a DIY gift for someone, or simply brightening up a room :) What do you guys think?
Also, 10 points to the first person to name that blogger you can spot in my photographs! :)


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August Advertisers

August is shaping up to be the month of changes for me, mostly great! But that doesn't stop me feeling excited to have September here, when Autumn will be rolling in properly and I can enjoy my favourite season of the year. I've had some really wonderful guests on my sidebar this month; you know the kind of advertisers you really hope for? I'm blessed to be able to say these kind folk have been a great support to me, and also have some fab reads for you guys to check out! So if you fancy finding something new to read, stick around and let me tell you all about them!

Ali Caitrin Ali is someone who has advertised before on this blog, and someone who I now consider a friend. She's a wonderful, kind hearted soul; always looking to make others smile, and a firm favourite of mine on Twitter too. Ali's is a lifestyle blog that features a little everything of what she loves, mostly books! If you're a bookworm like me, then you'll love popping by to see what Ali's been reading, or wanting to read! Sharing her views on issues she cares about and snippets of her life, you can't help but get swept up in her blog and feel you've found a lovely new online home! Thank you Ali for choosing to advertise with me again, it's such a pleasure to have you!

OH. NINE. TEN. STUDIO I'm so excited for this one! Meet Rebekah; my most creative and artistic addition to the sidebar this month for sure. Rebekah's blog is a huge source of inspiration; with a whole range of painting, sketchbook and photography posts amongst others to feel inspired by. Rebekah is a talented blogger sharing her creative experiments as she goes, and one I have bookmarked for when I need motivation for my own creative attempts. I would love you guys to pop over and pay her a visit. And a huge thank you to Rebekah for choosing to hang around my sidebar this month, so happy to have you!

Kirsty Ralph Kirsty! Ahh lovely Kirsty. This gal is another one who has advertised with me before, and it's so lovely to have her back again. The great thing is, I feel like I'm getting to promote my fave blogger friends, and it's such a treat. If you don't already know, Kirsty's blog is a lifestyle one where she chats about music (she has good taste, check out her playlists!), films, TV, books and her life. She also interviews others and has a yummy food section on her blog too. There's bound to be something each of you guys will love! Big thanks for Kirsty for always being so lovely to me, she's made me feel so welcomed in the blogging community.

Wishes, Hopes and Dreams I can't believe I'm saying this again, but Fiona is another blogger who has chosen to advertise with me more than once; yay! I couldn't be happier Fiona is back because there are so many things I have to thank her for. She is always 1000% supportive of everything Dorkface, she is helpful and sweet, always there for a chat whenever I've needed, welcomed me into the blogging community with open arms and gave me a great friendship I'm so lucky to have. This sneaky one even keeps asking me to come to London for a little meet up with her and other lovely bloggers in December; to which I'm desperately hoping I can go to! *Fingers crossed* Anyway, sorry for rambling! I just have plenty of love for this lady. Her blog is absolutely awesome, and definitely worth a visit! Beauty, lifestyle, music, food, books & much more; what's not to love?!? Thank you Fiona once again for being so awesome, I'm happy to have you back on my sidebar!

The Small Things of Life H from over at TSTOL is such a sweetheart who has been gracing my Twitter and blog feed regularly, spreading some positivity and support wherever she goes! TSTOL is a blog dedicated to sharing snippets of her life, photography and much more. This is a new blog, and the dedication she is already putting in is so amazing, I'd love everyone to go support it! Let's welcome her into this lovely blogging community and show how nice it can be. Thanks so much for being part of my August advertisers darling, it's lovely to have you!

Little Miss Katy. AKA Explosions Of Happiness (Okay that sounded a bit orgasm like, soz) or Little Brilliant Katy, or Katy is FAB. Okay, whatever. You get the point. This little flower is one of the best bloggers out there, for reals. Yep, I'm saying it. Katy's blog is a huge collection of lifestyle, fashion, happy things, food, and all the little adventures she gets up to! Never have I seen a blog with such personality; and not only because of that banging, colourful theme either. No, Katy expresses her personality with every post, and shares brilliantly honest writing that is a joy to read. Thank you for always being such a bloody good inspiration to me, and joining my sidebar this month.

Can you believe how AWESOME August's advertisers are? I hope you can all find something you love and check out all their new blog posts :) Have the best day ever guys!

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Life Update: Quitting Work & Starting A Business

Hello, bonjour, konichiwa! I hope all you guys are having a fabulously fun and happy week so far :) This past week has been a bit of a whirlwind for me, so I thought it'd be nice to update everyone and take a look at what I've been up to recently. Plus I just love a good chatty post, don't you?

Stickin' it to the man! Or not. You may or may not have seen from my Twitter lately, that I quit my job last week. Friday rolled around like any other day, I went into work, smiled and nodded, got on with my jobs and expected to be home by 6pm. This didn't seem to happen though, I was in fact home by 1pm. I can't tell you some awesome quitting story unfortunately, as much as I'd love to. I just got spoken to crappy once again by my boss, and basically called stupid (not the first time) and I'd pretty much had enough. When I was on my lunch break I realised just how unhappy I was, almost to the point of tears, and decided to walk out and not go back. That's pretty much it. I haven't regretted it once, I'm only really sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to two ladies I worked with who were absolutely lovely. I don't even have contact details for them which sucks, they made work bearable and were so lovely to me. I wish I could have thanked them.

Let's do this!
Since then? Well I've been a mixture of terrified and ecstatic. I have moments of panic like, 'oh my god I quit a job without anything else as a backup!' and then Gary will calm me down reassuring me he can take care of us and everything will be okay. The rest of the time I've been crazy productive, creative and planning. I've began doing design work again, and by some amazing, supportive twist of fate; you guys have been buying! I cannot express how much of a help this has been! As well as this, I've been finally putting a plan of action into place concerning my Etsy store. I've been researching suppliers for a whole range of products that I'll soon be releasing, including phone cases, stationary, jewellery and much more! SO EXCITED FOR THIS!! I can't wait to show you guys my designs. Be patient with me though, they'll be rolling out in the next few weeks.
It's looking more and more like this could be my job.. at least for a while. If it all fails and I don't do well, then yes I'll be back on the job hunt and doing anything to get paid. Right now though? I'm putting my heart and fucking soul into doing something I love. I'm getting up at 6am and going to sleep in the quiet hours of the night, so that I can spend every second creating, planning, working, blogging, and sharing it all with you guys :) I hope you'll join me along this little journey... and please, wish me luck!
On the less crazier side of things, this week has seen me spending more time with family, getting excited for a blogging event in Manchester this Sunday (yay! I will post about this afterwards!) and pretty much loving life. I feel so free and creative, like there's a little bit of lightening running through my veins. If I can keep hold of this feeling, I might just be able to pull this all off...
Anyway. That's enough rambling for now. How is your week going?

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10 Ways The Internet Changed My Life

I feel quite lucky in that I'm part of that unique generation who grew up without the internet. It became a 'thing' introduced into my daily life at around maybe 12, 13? And sure it took off like wildfire and only got more and more prominent in our lives, but I still experienced a big important chunk of my life without it; which I'm grateful for.
Saying that though, there is no way I'd want to live without it now, I'm 100% an addict. And quite rightly so, it's brought me the best and most amazing parts of my life. Let's see what made my top ten ways the internet changed my life (for the better)...

1. Blogging. Duh! Might as well get this one out the way now. Where would I be without blogging? Writing pointless shit in my diary with a crappy lock and key that didn't even work, that's where. Nobody else to bounce ideas off, no other bloggers to read and feel inspired by, no way of sharing our lives and experiences across the world instantly. I've spoken before about how blogging has changed my life (here) and all that is thanks to good old internet.
2. Career. The internet changed the working world for everyone, whether that be good or bad. Some great positives for myself now mean we can search for jobs online and apply instantly, we can search tips for CV's/job interviews/etc easily, and for a number of us our job is now the internet. As many of you know already, I work part time in retail and I'm lucky enough to only have to work one or two days a week. That's because the rest of the time I do social media management for a number of small businesses, and I'm constantly trying to grow this as a business (more on this soon). So this actually makes up a huge part of my working life now, living on the internet for people who hire me to do so. They understand the importance of it, and it's now a hugely demanding field.
3. Dating. How did people even do dating before the internet? I mean, I was a teenager when they internet came into everyday life, so I can't really say much about that. I found boyfriends through mutual friends, school, etc. But I imagine the internet has helped immensely when it comes to dating. It's less scary to start chatting online than in a bar, that's for sure, and you can do a quick internet search on the person to check nothing weird pops up. Sure, there are some definite drawbacks (I'm looking at you, weird Tinder guy just out to get laid), but overall it's pretty nifty. Did you guys know that Gary and I met because of Tumblr? We followed each other for a long time, randomly got chatting, and over the course of about 4 months began to fall for each other. We met finally, and everything just clicked. I know I'm one of the lucky ones here!
4. Friendship. One of my closest friends is someone I first knew from following them on Myspace. Yes, MYSPACE. I'm old school kids. We didn't intend to even meet to be honest, we just had friends in common, turned up at the same gigs and even got a job at the same store once! Friendship bloomed, it was weird and hilarious. Ever since then, I've intentionally and unintentionally made plenty of online friends that have turned into real in person relationships. Just look at blogging- we're constantly going to events and making new friends, which is amazing. Thanks internet, you make me feel super popular.
5. Entertainment. Who else has had to go without the internet for a horrible amount of time (a week, a day, an hour?!) only to realise you've no idea what you would do for entertainment without it. I do think we should all make time away from the screens, but it's pretty rough going when the internet is snatched away from you without warning. What do we do without Netflix and Twitter?!
6. Food. Yes, food. Remember the old days when you'd have to phone up somewhere if you wanted takeout? This practically gives me a panic attack at the mere thought of it. I hate talking on the phone. So thanks internet, you've made my life easier. A few clicks, and my perfect pizza is on it's way to me within the hour. 
7. Shopping. On a serious note, shopping in really busy places (oh Primark..) is one of the biggers triggers for my anxiety to rear its ugly head. I can get frantic, hot and bothered, annoying, scared and short of breath within moments of walking into stores like this. Hello online shopping from the comfort of my own bed. This also means I can read reviews and get opinions from others before buying shoes I'll never wear again. Also, if you're a kawaii girl like me; hello cheap products from Hong Kong/China! Give me all of the cute things please.
8. Experiences/Cultures. As much as I dream of travelling the world, it's probably not going to happen. I'll hopefully visit a lot of the places I dream of, but thanks to the internet I can at least visit them online. I can watch people climb mountains, I can learn how different cultures interact, and I can talk to people from all over the world. Think about that for a second... Wow.
9. Confidence. Anything that causes you insecurity can easily be googled, and you'll instantly be drowning in tips on how to make it easier, more manageable, and learning to love yourself. The combination of having a big group of online friends to chat to and who support me, and having a place to share my thoughts fills me with confidence. Blogging has doubled my confidence in the past 17 months, yay!
10. Learning. Think of anything you want to know, want to learn about, and you instantly can! That is some powerful shit. I mean, I'm totally wasting this opportunity to learn all about elephants or reading some of the most world changing moments in history, by sitting on Twitter instead. But still... it's pretty cool I have the option to!
Okay I basically love the internet. What are you most thankful for?

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Vera Wang Glam Princess

I've always had a special fondness for Vera Wang's original 'Princess' perfume; it was something I adored anyway but because my dad used to always buy me it, I now associate it with him. It's a lovely way to remember him, and each time I get a whiff of that scent I'm flooded with memories. It's lovely the way scents can have that power.
So when I recently spotted this Vera Wang Glam Princess perfume at Home Bargains for only £19.99 (for 100ml!) I was pretty excited to try it.
This fragrance boasts top notes of redcurrant, juicy guava and pear followed by a heart of orange blossom and vanilla orchid. Base notes reveal ambrette seed, sugar marshmallow and soft cashmere wood. When I smell it I can really get a hint of that orange blossom and the soft cashmere wood, which actually compliment each other really well. I really liked this one; sweet, but not overpowering. When I was chatting to Gary about it, we both agreed it smelled like 'warm Summer' whatever the hell that means. So Summer, but in the evening. Not overpowering flowers, but more sunsets and fruit by the fire. Maybe? Maybe I'm talking shit. Either way, I like it.

I think this scent is a wonderful one to use over the last part of Summer (come on, English Summer never lasts that long) before we bring in Autumn. Also, it looks pretty damn beautiful on my dresser.

If I had to choose, I'd still say I adore the original 'Princess' from Vera Wang slightly more, but let me know what you think if you've tried this?

Have a great week! <3



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A Cute Home Decor Gift

Sometimes I'm browsing through Pinterest happily, and as much as I'm loving the beautiful decor that I'm fawning over; I'm usually left feeling a bit deflated. After all, my little flat is never going to look anywhere near as pretty as those fancy apartments in a million years. However, I think I've found a way to help my little Instagram heart be happy, and that's by making small changes one at a time. I tend to collect cute little prints, cushions, decorative items whenever I can, and find a place for them around the flat as I go. My aim is to make each room look extra adorable and Pinterest-y over time! I will live in a cute princessy palace one day... So can you imagine my excitement when the lovely folk over at IWOOT* (I Want One Of Those!) sent me the most lovely gift to help in my mission for ultimate cuteness?! Anyone who knows me knows how perfect this gift is; an adorable 6 pack of vintage mini milk bottles. Just join me in admiring these for a moment...

 I'm sorry! I know, so many photos. But they are so damn pretty I couldn't resist. Now yes I could actually use these bottles for drinking, and maybe I will if I ever get around to making awesome milkshakes. But for now, these pretty gifts will be eye candy for my window. As you can see I've decorated them with pretty flowers (fake ones for now, but I'm sure I'll use plenty of fresh ones every now and again) and fairy lights. Am I Pinterest yet??

IWOOT have a beautfiful and pretty awesome gift section which you should definitely check out (Christmas aint that far away guys and gals...), but unfortunately I couldn't see these exact bottles any longer; just shows how popular they are eh? However, being the helpful little miss that I am, I've found some alternatives here, here and here.  I'd love to know if you guys have any cute DIY's you would use these bottles for? Or link me to your Instagram/Pinterest if you're as obsessed with cute decor as I am! I'd love to have a nosey :) Big, huge, up in lights thank you to IWOOT for thinking of me for such a perfect gift, yall are pretty cool. Now I must dash, I need to Instagram these bad boys while there's still good daylight! #obsessed.
*Items were provided for review. All views are 100% my own. For more information, please see my disclaimer here.

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How I Keep My Blog Organised

I've been asked quite a few times how I keep myself organised, particularly with my blog recently, and how I keep myself on top of posting almost everyday. So I thought today I'd try talk through three simple steps I take, and some little tips that have helped me plan content for the next month or so. You might remember I did a post a while ago on My Blogging Routine, and that might be worth checking out too!

1. The Big Picture
When you think about your blog, how do you want people to feel when they visit? What type of posts do you want to be known for most? What type of blog posts make you happiest to create? Try to jot down some ideas and you'll start to get the big picture of your blog and how you really want to present it. I find this helps me focus on my best, most challenging ideas rather than just 'filler content' which we should all try to avoid. Keep all these notes written down somewhere you can refer back to for inspiration when you need it.

2. Planning
Now that you have an idea of what type of posts you love to write most, you need to break it down. Come up with a few specific blog post ideas for each category/theme. For example, I'd like my blog to be known for lifestyle posts, fun DIY posts, cute/kawaii posts and artwork. So I think up a few ideas for each of those, and spread them out over the next few weeks. I do this by using spreadsheets, which I mentioned in my blogging routine post (link above) with screenshots, if you'd like to see. I plan on which days I'd like to have them published on my blog and how often. Planning everything like this doesn't have to be a chore, in fact; I really enjoy it! Plus this has motivated me to improve my content and I post a lot more often because of this planning now, without any hassle.

3. Small Tasks
Now that you've got the big picture of what you want your blog to be, and broken it down into the type of posts you want to write/create; you need to take small actions everyday (or as often as you like!) working towards getting them done. For me this means every single day I have a to-do list. Now that might not work for all of you guys, but for me it means I'm so much more focused on what I need to do. So for today's to-do list, I have this;
Schedule tweets for tomorrow (15 mins), Write blog post on organisation (1-2 hours), Take photographs of products (20 mins), Brainstorm ideas for new DIY (15 mins).
And as I write this, I'm already half way through this list. I get each task done as soon as possible so that I have the rest of the day to enjoy doing whatever I like :)

And there we have it! My three simple steps to blog organisation, which should make it easier for you guys to plan ahead for the next month or so. I really hope it does help, as I find this improves my organisation enormously. 
Let me know what you guys think, and don't forget; blogging should be fun! If this doesn't seem fun for you, then stick to whatever you find best! :)
Have a great day!



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