Blogging Do's & Don'ts

There are faux pas and rules of thumb within every type of situation, and blogging is no different. Now of course there are never any limits, you should feel free to do whatever the hell you like! But popular opinion in the blogger community can generally be a good place to look if you're just beginning and would like the lowdown. 
So here are my list of Do's and Don'ts I try to stick to, but by all means let me know if you disagree!

Do:
1. Show Gratitude: Thank people who are nice to you, in whatever way! Whether they've gave your promo a retweet, left a lovely comment on a post, or featured you on their blog - show how grateful you are, it's just nice! Of course the 'bigger' or busier you get, I understand this may not always be possible.
2. Get Chatting: There are plenty of ways to get involved with the community, the most popular way probably being Twitter. Give people feedback on posts, get involved in blogger chats, let people know what you're up to/how things are going. It's a nice online way to be social, and people respond really well to someone who is chatty and involved. Of course, don't feel you have to do this, if you want your blog to just be for you! :)
3. Be Yourself: Share your quirks, loves, hates and passions with us! The whole point is to make your blog your own little world, and that means every part of you. You'll probably end up finding others with similar interests and making new friends!

Don't:
1. Lie: This is probably one of the worst things you can do for your blog. By lying in any way, you are taking your readers for fools, and you'll probably be caught out. Pretending to like a product because you've been paid for example, is never going to be worth losing your credibility. And once it's gone, it's gone.
2. Pester People: Okay so there's a different between leaving your blog link somewhere, or asking people to check it out, than straight up hounding people. Plus it's realllly awkward, and makes you look a little desperate. I've had people message me before saying they'll follow me if I follow them, and it's made me squirm inside. Even if they've had great blogs, it's totally put me off them. Sure get your name out there! But don't become a nuisance, and let the quality speak for itself, yeah? 
3. Give Up: Are you sometimes guilty of comparing your work to others, and feeling completely overwhelmed? I know I've done this. But stick at it, it's a journey. Take anyone who inspires you and look at their earliest work, I guarantee you it'll be nothing like it is today. And that's a great thing! It shows progress and determination. They've stuck at something that means a lot to them, and made the effort to learn and improve. Let it inspire you to do the same.


What do you guys think? Am I totally off the mark, or did I miss something? Let me know!






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Kindness

The thing about kindness, is that it is quiet and hidden. Kindness comes behind after the noise has left, and settles down all the worry and stress. It straightens out all the kinks, and eases troubles. Kindness asks for nothing, no acknowledgment or expectations. It soothes when there is pain, and comforts without asking. Kindness visits unexpectedly and tries to sneak away again without being noticed. Sometimes you can catch kindness in the act, and if you're lucky enough to; then you should take it within your arms and hold it, thank it deeply. Wish it well, and pass it on to someone else. That's the nature of kindness, to always be passed on to another. It makes life lighter and easier, and can be a powerful thing.
This week has brought so much kindness across my path, that I can't not take a moment to acknowledge and thank for it.
To Frankie, for doing something I wouldn't expect of close family and friends; let alone someone I've yet to meet. You acted as if it was a tiny kindness too, and gave it away without hesitation or doubt. You showed me true, heartfelt consideration and I have no idea how to even begin to thank you. It made me cry when I realised what you had done, because when pure kindness comes from someone who doesn't ever have to; it's even more special and magic. It made me grateful for the good in people. I hope I can pass on this kindness to someone else at least, and make every effort to be as kind as you have been to me.
I'd also like to thank Theresa, for taking the time to give me such a unique and thoughtful birthday gift - a drawing she did of me!

I think I overwhelmed Theresa with my reaction on Twitter when she told me she had done this for me; I was ecstatic! I can't believe someone would actually make the time and give so much effort to make such a cool drawing of ME. Wow. I can't thank you enough! This is the coolest thing ever, and bonus points to you for making me look cute - you are talented.
I received birthday cards in the post the last few days from bloggers too! Can you believe it? So thoughtful and kind and just genuinely lovely! I got amazing beauties in the post from Danielle, Dee & Amy. These girls are like my blogging sisters; we talk every single day and I know I can rely on them to pick me up whenever I'm down. Danielle is one of the most pure of heart & mind people I know - seriously, she's so amazing and caring. I just want nothing but happiness for her, she deserves the world and more. Dee is a pocket full of sunshine! It's hard to imagine anyone not smiling when talking to her, because she radiates kindness and is always there for her friends. Amy is absolutely mental; in the best kind of way! I hope I don't offend anyone wording it that way actually, sorry. But it's the best word to use to describe this bubbly, hilarious burst of energy. Shes as random as they come, and you can't help but love her.

On Wednesday morning, a very beautiful package arrived through the post for me. It was my MAC lipstick I won in Victoria's giveaway! I felt so shocked and thrilled to have won, as I never thought I had a chance! It felt even more awesome because it was coming from someone I genuinely consider a friend too. Victoria is always so sweet, and I swear we're related or something because we like all the same things! Our shared passion for everything Kawaii and old school emo/rock music means I pretty much love her. She made such a special effort to even make the packaging all pretty, and I really appreciated this. I opted for the shade 'Impassioned' and I think it suits me perfectly!
I also received so many kind and wonderful birthday messages on Twitter. If you were one of those people - Thank you!! I promise even if I couldn't reply, I was smiling from ear to ear as I was enjoying my day. It made me feel so loved and grateful.
I'm sorry if I've rambled today, but so much kindness deserves mentioning and I felt as if my heart would burst from happiness from it all. I feel truly blessed. I'll always feel rich if I have this feeling forever.
What kind act will you do this week?


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Destroy All Humans!

Recently I was given the chance to try one of the awesome pieces from We Love Bark; an independent t-shirt company in the UK. I have to admit I was totally thrilled with this, because I'd caught WLB's Twitter account over the last few weeks, and they were already on my radar as an awesome one to watch.
The collections they have in at the moment are amazing, so it was really hard to choose with design I wanted. Plenty of sass, pop culture, irony and cute imagery was found as I was hunting for something very 'me'. I just love that they do kind of off beat work, it's such a refreshing alternative to everyone wearing the same top from Primark.
After teasing myself for a while, I finally settled on the 'Destroy All Humans' tee (the Daria one did almost have me though!). This one is definitely made for me. Cute, purple, kinda anti-social... Yes please. It arrived within 2 days and is by far the softest t-shirt I own, seriously. I've worn this a few times already, and gotten a few compliments on Instagram when I posted a photo - yay! It definitely resembles my style, and I'm already looking to get my hands on another soon!
A huge thank you to Allie over at We Love Bark, because she is truly one of the sweetest people. I wish her all the luck and love for her business; I'm extremely passionate about supporting small business and WLB deserves a visit from everyone!
P.S. I adore this 'Stay Creepy' one too!






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It's My Birthday!

Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to meeeeee... Okay you get the point. Today I turn the the very strange 27 years old. Oh god that sounds so old (for me!), I still think I'm like 18/19 in my head! It seems like my late twenties have totally crept up on me and I'm so unprepared. I sometimes have to take a moment to think how old I am... is that just me? 
It's a baffling thing to stop counting birthdays, to stop looking forward to becoming a year older. I've found that the older we get, the less our birthdays our celebrated - unless we take control and own that celebration for ourselves. And with basically everything in this culture telling us it's the most awful thing ever to get older, it kind of takes the sparkle out of it.
I hope today I can get that sparkle back. I want to reflect on the things I haven't done, and not be depressed by it - but be motivated! I'd like to embrace this mature person I've become (okay not all the time..) and accept myself for every little mistake I've made, and to celebrate the changes I've gone through to get here.

10 Things I thought would have happened by now:
1. I'd have traveled all over the world. 2. I'd have my own house, obviously. 3. I'd be married already. 4. I'd have at least once child already. 5. I'd be in my amazing dream job. 6. I'd have learned to dress better. 7. I'd have learnt another language. 8. I'd be writing my own book. 9. I'd be a brilliant cook. 10. I'd definitely know what the hell I'm doing.

Now let's summarise shall we?
1 - Ahhh I wish I could travel a lot more, sadly I don't have the money. But I'm okay with this, anywhere I want to go I'll save for each year and make the effort for at least one lovely trip :) 2 - Own house? Bish please. I'm happy as larry in our flat, and I'm grateful too. Nobody losing sleep over not having two floors. 3 - I'm amazed I was so naive to think I'd be married by this age. It seems crazy now! Gary and I have already planned our wedding and we're not even engaged haha, but I can't see it happening for some time. And that's never gonna be a problem. We hold hands and make promises to love each other always every single day. A white dress won't change that; but it'll be lovely whenever it happens. 4 - A child?!?!!! Oh dear lord no. I'm still a baby myself okay! Sheesh. 5 - I can't complain. I'm in a brilliant job, that's getting me closer to one of my dream jobs everyday (I have a few!). But I think life is all about always evolving & finding new things to aim for anyway. 6 - Oh dear. This'll probably never happen. I've made my peace with it; today I wore a hoody and beanie hat and flowery skirt and pumps. I'm okay with being this calamity. 7 - I still wish this :( I really should, I think it'd be an amazing skill to have, and something to be proud of. But oh man I don't have time!! 8 - Well okay I really should get moving with this, but I at least have my idea! I have the basic plot, my characters, some scenes written out, a chapter here and there. It's still only like 10%, but it's something. 9 - Hahahahahaha.
And finally, number 10.
- I've learned to find joy in not knowing what's going to come next in life. There is this beautiful madness in the chaos of it all. It makes you fierce and so much stronger. It makes you appreciate every god damn second you have on this earth, because nothing's for sure. So smile for your health, smile because of the family you have, smile because you have freedom and you get to have a job. Smile because it makes others smile, and smile because you are beautiful.
I've made mistakes sure, but I've also become someone so much stronger, braver, knowledgeable and kind; I think. I may be getting older, but I'm seeing things with fresh eyes. There is magic to be had in this world, and the next adventure is just around the corner.
Hello twenty seven. I think I could get used to you.





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Midweek Musings

Hello you little beauties! Hope this week is treating you well so far. I'm having a very busy one, but it's going well so far. Actually, today is my last day in work, then I'm off for 5 days, yay! I have a whole 5 days off to myself, and I feel spoiled. It's my little treat to myself since it's my birthday tomorrow. I'll be having a lovely chilled few days with Gary, seeing family, and catching up with blogging. I have so many blog posts I want to get done over the next few days, but I've had no time so far this past week. Usually I post almost everyday, but this week might only be three. I say 'only', but I know that's still a lot! I'm just used to posting more, my caffeine induced self usually whips out posts left right and center. 
I thought I'd just do a little chatty, catch up post and share what's new in the world of Dorkface :]
Well after mentioning in a chat a few nights ago that I really wanted to try be healthier, a few lovely people on Twitter sent me messages of encouragement and it really gave me the boost I needed. I won't go into all sorts of details, but I will say I have eaten a lot better, made better nutritional choices and paid attention to the amount of exercise I'm getting. All small steps, but they feel like a miracle. I even declined birthday cake in the office a few days ago; madness! I hope I can keep it up. I'd love to lose weight, but I have to be honest it's not even the reason I'm doing it. I've come to love myself and accept myself more than ever this past year. I still have bad moments of hate and doubt, but they are much rarer. No, I'm doing this to feel healthier. I want to be kinder to my body and treat it with love. So wish me luck with this?

Last weekend I hopped on the train to Manchester to attend the Bloggers Market with a few friends and fellow bloggers. I realised as I was one stop away from Manchester that I did not know the address, I hadn't a clue where I was going or how to get there. Honestly that just sums me up in a nutshell; literally no preparation! I quickly found the hashtag on Twitter, scouted out the Facebook page, got the event details I needed and used Google maps as my guide. Eventually I got there and it was so much fun! Lots of people were selling crafts, clothing and various creations, including two personal friends of mine. Nia who makes all her own jewellery for Peace, Love, Free Spirit, and Laura who was a whole bundle of creations including this awesome quoted frame I've had so many compliments on. She can do customised quotes with beautiful designs by the way, so drop her a message if you'd like one.

I also finally got my Burberry Kisses lipsticks in the post this week, I'm so happy! They are adorable, pretty as hell, and so moisturising. I got two because I'm super cheeky and made Gary get one too (hehe). I went for the Nude Pink and Military Red which are both amazing. I'll definitely be investing in the full size ones soon.

The rest of this week has mainly been taken up by work; and plenty of it. My job is fascinating and I love it, but it really does take up all of my energy sometimes. I get home at around 6:20pm and just  barely keep myself awake for a few hours. Hence this week not having as many posts on the blog this week. But as I said, I have a few days off where I'll get back in the swing of things. I'm excited about my birthday because, well... I love birthdays! But I'm not thrilled about the idea of being 27 at all. I honestly still feel like I'm 19 years old. In fact, that's what we'll go with okay? I'm 19 again! Yay!
Hope everyone has a wonderful week, let me know what you've been getting up to?




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“The Only Questions That Really Matter Are The Ones You Ask Yourself.”

*Frame/Artwork from Laura, who is taking custom requests.
..With that in mind, coupled with the fact that it's my birthday this week (Thursday!), I decided this would be an easy, getting to know me post. I might even learn a little more about myself too. I've taken questions from a bunch of posts I've been tagged in recently to answer, and I'm doing them all at once here. Feel free to answer them yourself. For now sit back, relax, and let's delve into my curious mind... 

1. What song do you think best describes you? Start with a hard one or what.. Umm. 'All Of This' by Blink 182 & Robert Smith has always been one of my favourite songs and I feel like I can relate to a lot. But describes me? Who knows... Baby Got Back???!
2. If you could choose any celeb to be a blogger, who would you choose and why? Kristen Stewart, because I admire her so much and she's so introverted. I love that about her, but it'd be lovely to read her words and get into her head a little.
3. What is your favourite word? Dude.
4. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? Nope. I'd say I was far too imaginative for that junk.
5. What TV series would you recommend to someone new? Dexter. It's always been one of my favourite shows of all time, and it's just beautiful and haunting ...and addictive.
6. What is your biggest regret in life? Allowing someone else to make me feel inferior. It happened only once, and almost ruined me. Never again.
7. If you could work with a particular brand, who would it be and why? I'd love to work with Benefit, Jeffree Star, Little Moose, Oliver Bonas, or just anyone fun/colourful/interesting :)
8. Do you believe in ghosts? Umm.. no. I don't think so.
9. What is your favourite type of weather? I like rainy days actually.
10. Would you rather be a bear or a wolf? A wolf for sure.
11. What’s your favorite way to spend your free time when you’re alone? Listening to music, reading crime thrillers or blogging. All of these while browsing Twitter...
12. What’s your favorite movie? Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. Always. But these are good too.
13. Did you like School/College/University? School was good enough, I was pretty happy. College was awesome, best time of my life, University was awful.
14. Biggest secret? Things I'd never share with anyone!
15. How many times have you been in love? Twice.. Maybe three times. I think more likely three. It's hard to tell... Confusing.
16. The most important qualities in a person? Kindness, Understanding, Humour.
17. Is there anything you wish you could tell someone? I'm so proud of you.
18. Google your star sign & paste what it says about you? 'Aries tend to venture out into the world and leave impressions on others that they are exciting, vibrant and talkative. Aries tend to live adventurous lives and like to be the center of attention. Sometimes an Aries woman’s sense of humour will be a little too sharp for others around her and she will be viewed as being “bitch” or sarcastic.'
19. Is it right? Haha, I do think I'm very talkative and upbeat, and I like adventure! But I don't think I'm overly sarcastic or sharp with my humour.. I hope!
20. How do you feel right now? Relaxed, and looking forward to the end of the week.

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House Of Fraser Beauty Bargain

I was recently made aware of the fantastic discount deal House Of Fraser are currently offering on their beauty line, and had the chance to review one of their products. After seeing the dreamy looking Lancôme Galateis Douceur Cleanser* available, I decided it was time to put it to the test with my own skin.

House Of Fraser are currently offering £10 off a range of selected items when you buy any other beauty item! - Pretty good deal eh? So the usual price of this cleanser is £27 but if you happen to need another beauty item anyway; it goes down to just £17! So the all important question of course, is it worth it?...

The directions say to apply this in circular motions all over your face, and then remove with a cotton pad. I found myself quite pleased that there is no heavy perfuming to this cleanser, and it instantly applied very softly to my skin. It is an extremely gentle water-light lotion, almost like milk and it felt beautifully delicate as I graced it all over. This is something I found so important, as I have sensitive skin. Once it was applied, I began to remove with a cotton pad. Wiping away in a single swipe is all that was needed to remove my makeup completely, leaving me fresh faced and smooth. I used one pad for my eyes which didn't cause any stinging or nasty tingling, and kept my lashes feeling soft too! The other pad did the rest of my face to remove my foundation, and I felt as clean and new as a baby afterwards.

As it is probably obvious; I was really happy to have something that made my night time routine much easier, and Lancôme Galateis Douceur Cleanser did just that. But it was the next morning when I got the real treat; I woke with the softest and brightest looking skin I've had in months. I am so pleased with this product I practically forced my mum to try it too, and now she's also a fan. the only small downside I noted was that the liquid dispenses from a pump (great), but even just one small pump releases quite a bit of liquid! You really do only need a small bit for your whole face, so be careful when trying this. But I can see this lasting me a very long time, at least a few months easily.

You can find all the details of the House Of Fraser offer, and which beauty products are included; right here. Be sure to get your bargains before April 19th though when it ends!

Have you tried any wonderful new products recently?

*Item sent for review. All views my own.



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