A few weeks back, I celebrated one year blogging and I couldn't be happier to have reached this milestone. I've wanted to write a post reflecting on all the things I've learned for a while, and this seemed like the perfect chance after one whole year of lovely, little experience.
Back Story;
I'd been reading blogs for years, without consciously thinking about it. I'd just visit these 'websites' I knew I liked a lot. I'd Google random things I liked, and find others with similar interests. I ended up growing up finding sites written by women, providing me with a dream; something to aspire to. These girls were awesome, they were doing something really cool and incorporating all these skills and interests into one hobby; photography, writing, editing, craft, DIY, website design and promotion. These amazing girls/women were obviously rich, really clever, super talented, understood how to build websites and were very grown up obviously... right?
Wrong. I don't know when I suddenly realised that what they were doing (as awesome as it was) wasn't something unattainable; I could do it too! So I decided to finally look into this blogging thing. Don't get me wrong, it was trial and error, and I gave up and started again more times than I wish to go into. But eventually I got inspired and really motivated due to hating my job so much, and wanting to do something for myself. That's when Dorkface was born.
What I Wish I'd Known;
Oh man! The things I wish I could change or tell myself last year. First of all I wish I'd have started blogging sooner, this one actually gets me so annoyed sometimes! Because I had blogs on and off for years but never stuck to any, and never had any idea how awesome it could be. Just think where Dorkface could have been if I'd have started years ago?! Anyway.. let it go Jemma.
I hadn't fully explored the blogging community much and I only followed a small amount of people in the beginning. The majority were beauty bloggers, and as awesome as this was; it made me feel I had to only blog about beauty too. Silly me! So yeah, I wish I'd have known my blog could be based on a whole range of subjects close to my heart. My blog is now my little world, and as lovely as it is for other people to have one special 'niche'; I'm quite happy to build Dorkface into a whole niche of it's own. I'll continue to do DIY posts, review my favourite makeup products, write about issues important to me and share my life with you guys. Who knows how things will develop for this blog? That's the beauty of this amazing hobby.
Amazing Things;
If you haven't ever had a blog, you might wonder what makes this something I'm so passionate about. Well to start with, I've discovered a truly fabulous community of other bloggers. I now live on Twitter, and it's basically because I enjoy chatting to other bloggers all day! It's a community of people who all support each other, offer advice, encouragement and a whole load of love. I know if I'm having a down day, I could post this on Facebook and Twitter, yet it'll be Twitter that goes crazy with notifications, messages full of love and care. Not one person being nosy or questioning, only letting me know they are there and giving me reasons to smile. I can't say the same about Facebook... take from that what you will. People leave me wonderful comments on every post I put out there, to let me know they've read my words. Which when you think about it, is amazing. There are 'strangers' who I consider friends, who I talk to every single day, who follow me on every platform and know all the ins and outs of my life. There are even some other bloggers I've met in real life and consider firm friends and inspirations. It's hard to describe how lovely this community is unless you're involved with it yourself. I thoroughly recommend it.
I wont lie, another amazing thing is getting involved with brands. It can feel truly special when a company admires your work, and they decide they want to work with you. Not just because sometimes they'll send you products to review, or pay you for your collaboration; but because you're being recognised in this field. THAT is truly the best thing I can get out of this. When people I respect to pay attention to my words and creative endeavors, I am filled with gratitude. Being a writer has been my dream since I was a little girl, and if this can help even a tiny part towards that, I'm in awe.
I'd also like to mention that this blog has made my creativity soar ever since I began. I studied Art and Design at college and University and once I left, never really picked up on it again until I began this blog. I'm so thankful I have this as a creative outlet and motivator now. I'm now always working on something creative, and I feel free.
Wisdom I've Gained;
Make your blog however you damn well want to.
Reach out, talk to people, get involved with the community!
Don't expect a big following overnight.
Moaning/bitching won't get you anywhere.
Don't lie. It'll bite you in the ass sooner or later.
Making someone else happy, will also fill you with happiness.
Sometimes you'll need help.
Don't be scared, you won't be sorry you were brave & put yourself out there.
Where I Want To Go From Here;
This blog got me my current job, so who knows what else it will get me? Maybe an even better job in the future? The dream would be to one day do this full time, or write/create somehow for a living. Doing something so creative like this brings me so much happiness, and I want to keep doing it as much as possible. Maybe one day I'll have a little shop for my Artwork. Maybe I'll release a book ;) Who knows. It doesn't even matter where I end up. It doesn't matter if nothing ever comes of this because I love the process and the journey is changing me. I just hope I can look back on something I'm proud of.
If you read all of this, I appreciate it more than I could ever express. I wrote this so you could have an insight into my experiences, but also so I could record where I am at this very moment in time. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, filled with happiness and smiles.
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Have you ever found yourself wanting to watch a film, but no idea which one you're in the mood for? Endlessly scrolling through Netflix, or Googling movie ideas? No? If not, wow, go you! I always end up in this situation and usually it ends with me getting annoyed and simply putting an episode of The Office on. Now while The Office is clearly amazing, it can get annoying not being able to think of any movies to watch.
With that in mind, and since the weekend is now here; I decided to compile a huge movie list for you all! (And kinda for myself and future reference too...) I've included only movies I love/like, and tried to categorise them for you. So yes this list is very biased, but it's only my opinion and you can definitely go back to scrolling through Netflix if you'd prefer. I just thought it'd be nice to share some movies I love for very different reasons, and hope to suggest some new faves for you all. So here we go.. the big list. I'm sure I've left lots of my favourites out and I'll scream when I realise, but for now...
The Absolute Favourites;
Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
The Little Mermaid
Amelie
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Now & Then
Gone Girl
My Neighbor Totoro
Ones For The Family;
Harry Potter
Sleeping Beauty
Maleficent
Kiki's Delivery Service
Tangled
Wreck It Ralph
The Corpse Bride
Frozen
Inspiring;
Jeff, Who Lives At Home
American Beauty
The Silver Linings Playbook
Forrest Gump
The Shawshank Redemption
Thought Provoking;
Fight Club
The Perks of Being A Wallflower
Ghost World
The Virgin Suicides
Inception
Shutter Island
Teen Dreams;
Easy A
Mean Girls
Romy & Michele's High School Reunion
10 Things I Hate About You
Clueless
Hilarious;
Superbad
Without A Paddle
I Love You Man
Role Models
Bridesmaids
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Get Him To The Greek
Others;
The Hunger Games
Thor
50/50
Adventureland
Twilight
Never Been Kissed
Sex & The City
There we have it! Let me know if any of these are your favourites too, or suggest me some I might like! :) Have a great weekend guys!
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Today I shared a little creative guest post on Erica's blog, and I was so happy with the outcome I wanted to post it here too for you guys. Have you ever fancied doing something a little different with your photographs? If so, keep reading!...
With Instagram fast becoming our generation's version of a photo album, it's not surprising that many of us have taken to getting our Instagram photographs printed, or even enjoying Polaroid cameras for the pleasure of seeing your work instantly. I'm not one of the fortunate people to own an Instax camera yet (*cry*), however I came across Polargram recently and I'm happy to say it's almost as good as having one of those beautiful cameras.
Since I've been ordering batches of prints ever since, I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite ways to use them around the home. So forget Instagram (only for a moment!) and get creative with your images in a good old fashioned hands on DIY!
1. Hang them & use as bunting;
Is there anything as lovely and Pinterest as this? You can find pretty string and miniature pegs to hang them from easily enough; I got plenty in Wilkinsons. I find this works most beautifully when displayed over a desk or workspace.. maybe a dressing table? Somewhere you'll be sitting and can surround the area with pretty photographs. You could even stick to a 'theme' for different work spaces. Inspiring quotes hanging over your desk maybe? You can find an example of one I've tried here.
2. Make a gallery wall;
Similar to number 1, this one works best on display somewhere you'll see it often. But it can also be used to bring a little life to any plain wall. It's really important if you're going to be doing a grid or series of photographs you align them all perfectly straight!
3. Use as handmade cards/postcards;
A little bit of glue, some card, cute washi tape and a stamp; done! The effort required here is minuscule, but the payoff is adorable. Send someone a little handmade card to cheer their day up, and you'll look ever so creative as well as thoughtful.
4. Book covers;
A random one? Maybe. But all you obsessive, organised types will love this. I use two or three on different notebooks at the moment for different things. You can see below I use one for my healthy habits notebook; full of recipes, healthy snack ideas and different work out ideas. I've popped a very pretty (albeit arty) looking banana photograph on the front and viola!; Easy to remember which notebook is for which. Plus, it just looks a little bit fantastic.
I hope you guys enjoyed this post.
What other ways can you think of to use Polaroids?
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As some of you already know, I received a lovely package from Sykes Cottages last week which included so many beautiful crafty treats for me to delve into. I really took advantage this weekend, starting with the candle making kit and creating my own wonderful works in wax!
I've never made my own candles from scratch before and I do love to try anything new; especially if it involves candles! The first thing to decide is what glass/jar/cup/container you would like to make into a candle, and the options were pretty endless. I went and bought some pretty white/minimalist ceramic jars for only £2/£3 each, as I thought these would love prettiest on my desk.
All I had to do was melt down the wax provided, on a low heat until it was fully liquidized. While it was in the pan melted, I added in my chosen scent; I had a variety of beautiful ones to choose from but ultimately Fuchsia was the winner for me! A fair few drops splashed in, and then I was ready to fill up my jars.
As the wax was drying, I popped in the wicks while the mixture was hardening a little, but still goopy enough to let me pop it in. Terrible wording here, but basically when it was of a 'treacle texture'. Leaving this to stand around half an hour was enough until my candles were fully finished and ready to light. And the finished result it so cute! Not to mention smelling divine. I have so many jars I want to fill up now and experiment with. I absolutely loved this experience making my own from start to finish and would definitely like to keep this hobby up in the future. A big thanks to Sykes Cottages for allowing me to take part and get a little crafty this weekend!
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Recently I was offered to be a part of the #DressupwithGeorge campaign from George at Asda*, and I decided to take this as a great opportunity to refresh my wardrobe for Spring. I've always appreciated the quality of George's clothing range for such affordable prices, and I've gotten plenty of my basics there before (tees, vests, underwear, cardigans). However I've never really considered how vast their range is until this campaign come onto my radar, and I was so pleasantly surprised!
I was able to choose a few pieces I thought would be best for me, and you can see all the items I decided on shown above. I really took this as an opportunity to welcome Spring, and also go a little girlier than usual. Pink, florals, skirts and dresses are part of my new challenge for Spring/Summer and the items I chose are so beautiful.
The two pieces I fell most in love with are the long pleated peach flowy skirt and the floral kimono dress; because they both surprised me more than anything. I'm not very confident showing my legs usually, but the pleated flowy skirt is such a beautiful length and makes me feel feminine and girly, without hiding my legs away. The Kimono dress surprised me with just how flattering it is, and the moment I tried it on I knew it was the one for me. I can't wait for the right occasion to wear it!
A sneak peek at the kimono dress, which I might even do as an outfit post soon..
I now feel so much more excited and prepared for Spring, thanks to George! It's so surprising the amazing and beautiful collection that they have, I fully recommend you take a moment to check out their range.
Now I just have to find someone to take pictures of me in all my lovely new outfits...
What are you wearing this Spring?
*Items provided for consideration by George, not a sponsored post. All views my own.
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Reflections;
*None of these images are my own. All found on Tumblr.
Doing: Not much. Lying in bed, browsing blogs making a to-do list for tomorrow.
Reading: Jon Ronson 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' - it's fucking amazing. So interesting and horrific and scary and wonderful.
Loving: This book. Luna keeping me company while Gary works nights. The 'Deep Focus' Spotify playlist. Haribo. Pineapple bed sheets. Instagram browsing.
Hating: That I don't get paid to write/blog/create. That I'm almost 27.
Wishing: I was a little more motivated for certain things. That weekends were longer.
Wondering: About fear; the positives and the negatives. How far I've come. If I'll ever see some people again.
Planning: Tomorrow; it'll be a crafty/creative/productive day for sure.
Appreciating: Everyone who leaves me sweet comments, or tweet me saying they like my blog. Sounds silly and insignificant, but it's really not. Thank you for giving my soul a place to roam.
I'm feeling pretty nice right now. Sort of in this relaxed, creative, empowering, inspired mood. The kind where I'm not putting pressure on myself for once and I'm just appreciating the moment and all I have.
Speaking of appreciation, I'd like to say a little thank you here to anyone who follows this blog, visits often and takes an interest in this passion of mine. It dragged me up from the ground when I was at my lowest, and it keeps pushing me to be better and better. Knowing that I can write and someone, somewhere, is going to read it; it's powerful. Thank you.
I hope you all have a great Easter Sunday; if that's your thing. Otherwise just enjoy your day :)
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I was recently contacted by Sykes Cottages asking if I'd like to collaborate, and would I be interested in trying out some of their craft kits? Obviously this was something I was really excited about! Soon enough, the most wonderful package made it's way to me and I'm absolutely thrilled to be involved.
Among my lovely surprises were a candle making kit with various scents, a jewellery making kit, an adorable card crafting pack, a button collection, a fabric notebook kit and some tasty treats! I was absolutely thrilled when it all arrived and have been planning a crafty day ever since! So now that Easter weekend is here, I have the perfect opportunity. I'll be sharing my creations and how everything goes in another post soon, but for now I wanted to share my bank holiday weekend plans with you guys.
What will you be getting up to this weekend? :)
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