This one’s all about the blog posts, as I’ve read some absolute gems this week!

* Firstly, Yes and Yes showcased a wonderful lady who’s doing a great job for kids in Uganda. I urge you all to help if you can!

* I am somewhat [...]]]> Photo Credit

This one’s all about the blog posts, as I’ve read some absolute gems this week!

* Firstly, Yes and Yes showcased a wonderful lady who’s doing a great job for kids in Uganda. I urge you all to help if you can!

* I am somewhat in awe of Tavi, so young yet such a force to be reckoned with! Her “Open Letter to Seventeen Magazine” makes some really excellent points.

* Aspiring writers listen up! Chrissy has written a beginner’s guide to “Submitting to Literary Journals“.

* Marta has written a brilliant guide: “How to Arrange Fresh Flowers“. Since I don’t have a garden anymore, I’m tempted to start buying myself flowers to brighten the apartment up a bit!

* Corrine’s “The Blogger’s Guide to Hustling” series is shaping up to be a brilliant read. Part 1 is here, part 2; here and I’m definitely looking forward to the third installment!

* “The Fashion Internship Guide” from Flying Saucer looks like it’s going to be an excellent series too. Part one is packed with useful information, much of which I think is applicable to all internships, not just in fashion.

* Finally, this kitty video that was posted by Shanalogic is both adorable and utterly hilarious!

I hope you have a fabulous week!

Why don’t you:

* Wear something beautiful to work just because you love it, be a little bit overdressed and embrace it!

* Make lemonade from scratch, it’s always so much more delicious than the shop-bought / powdered stuff.

* Find clips of your favourite childhood TV shows on YouTube and reminisce! My favourite was [...]]]> Image Credit

Why don’t you:

* Wear something beautiful to work just because you love it, be a little bit overdressed and embrace it!

* Make lemonade from scratch, it’s always so much more delicious than the shop-bought / powdered stuff.

* Find clips of your favourite childhood TV shows on YouTube and reminisce! My favourite was Knightmare, I loved that show!

* Make a list of all the little jobs you’ve been procrastinating over, and start checking them off, it’s most satisfying!

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Blog posts:

* Gala Darling’s “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems” series has been doing the rounds and I’m sure you’ve all read it by now but just in case you haven’t. check it out! Particularly the comments, there’s some great discussion there. (Part 2, Part 3.)

* Erica Lee’s “10 Self-Imposed Rules For Better Blogging” is pretty good advice, I could do well to follow quite a few of her points.

* “Facets of Feminism” from the always-fabulous Already Pretty is a list of thought-provoking quotations about… you guessed it… Feminism.

* “Adventures in the Photo-Pit – Melvins” makes me want to add gig photographer to my ever-growing list of aspirations!

I hope you have a fabulous week ahead of you!

Why Don’t You:

* Let a little nature into your life – grow some mint on your windowsill and make fresh mojitos, buy yourself a bunch of your favourite flowers to brighten up your living room, or simply sit under a tree and read a good book.

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Why Don’t You:

* Let a little nature into your life – grow some mint on your windowsill and make fresh mojitos, buy yourself a bunch of your favourite flowers to brighten up your living room, or simply sit under a tree and read a good book.

* Ask for recommendations from someone whose taste is vastly different from your own – books, movies, music, ask them what they think is the one book everyone should read, the film everyone should see. If you don’t enjoy it, then no harm done, but it may open your eyes to a whole new genre.

* Make a zine, even if you have no intention of ever letting anyone else read it – cutting and pasting is fun!

* Make some gorgeous fabric flowers using Emybloom’s brilliant tutorial (part 2 here!).

* Read these super-inspiring articles:

• How to Stay Afloat When Everyone’s Trying to Pull You Down
• This body is mine to love, not yours to criticize
• Ask Nubby: I am 19 and want to be a designer. What should I do?
• A letter to the editor - of Vogue Italia, well worth a read.

* Pick up an old point and shoot film camera and remind yourself of what it was like to have to take 24 or 36 photos then wait for them to be developed before you could see how they came out!

* Write a letter by hand.

How are you planning to make this week sparkle?

Why Don’t You:

* Treat yourself to something you’ve coveted for ages but always talk yourself out of buying for one reason or another. We all deserve an occasional indulgence after all! I finally bought a bottle of Chanel No. 5 on Saturday, having never found a fragrance that tops it, [...]]]> Photo Credit

Why Don’t You:

* Treat yourself to something you’ve coveted for ages but always talk yourself out of buying for one reason or another. We all deserve an occasional indulgence after all! I finally bought a bottle of Chanel No. 5 on Saturday, having never found a fragrance that tops it, but always having talked myself out of it in the past because my mother wears it – a ridiculous reason really!

* Sing- in the shower, in public, after a few drinks, on a deserted hilltop channeling your inner Julie Andrews, I always find belting out one of my favourite tunes, badly or otherwise, is such a mood-lifter!

* Read your favourite childhood books again! I recently re-read Mathilda and loved it just as much as I did as a kid. The bonus is that easy-to-read childrens’ books are brilliant for noisy work lunchrooms or short bus trips as they don’t require much concentration.

* Blog Posts:

Cool Tools from Yes and Yesis a one-stop resource for bloggers looking for image hosts, editing software, photo sources etc.

The Value of Reading from Tres Lola is a great post if your RSS reader is looking a bit tired, or you’re just in the need of some great bloggy inspiration.

On Clothes and Identity, plus the follow-up post from No Signposts in the Sea is ally interesting look at how what we wear matters.

Even though I’ve no intention of emigrating any time soon, Amanda Lee’s post; Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Moved To New York is never-the-less really great advice for anyone moving anywhere new.

What’s inspiring you this week?

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In the last few months this blog has gone through a bit of a “dry spell” in terms of content, mostly due to the amount of time I’ve had to devote to my course. It’s made me really think about where I want to go with the site [...]]]>

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In the last few months this blog has gone through a bit of a “dry spell” in terms of content, mostly due to the amount of time I’ve had to devote to my course. It’s made me really think about where I want to go with the site though, and I’ve decided that a major overhaul is in order.

* My Own Photography- I see so many gorgeous images in blogs / sites like weheartit and flickr and I think now is the time to try my hand at creating some myself, so I hope that there will be fewer borrowed images and more original ones shortly.

* More Personal Posts- I’m not planning on turning this into a diary, I have a much-neglected livejournal for that, but I’ve had some experiences in my time that would make good blog posts, and I’d like to share them with others.

* Style / Fashion Posts – I have a bit of an odd relationship with fashion, which deserves and will get a post of it’s own, but I read and enjoy quite a few style blogs and I love clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup, etc. so I’d like to try writing about style in my own way. I’m not sure I’ll be posting outfit photos anytime soon, but maybe some day I’ll have the confidence to do so.

* Food – It’s one of my favourite things and the few recipes I’ve posted here seem to be amongst the most popular posts in the archives. Now that I have a little more time to experiment in the kitchen, I hope to have some delicious creations to share.

* Geeky Things – Because, well, I’m a nerd and I like talking about techie stuff I wish I could afford, Online topics, fabulously geeky TV shows, etc.

* Books – My first love, long before I became a computer geek, now that I have time to read more I might as well share the book love!

Of course, the new content won’t be limited to just these topics, I basically plan to start writing on a wider variety of topics and putting a bit more of me into it. I think somewhere along the way I lost sight of the fact that primarily, I blog because I love writing, and the most important thing is to keep enjoying it. It took an enforced break for me to realise it, but now that I have, I feel refreshed and full of ideas!

Is there anything you think I should be writing about? Anything I’ve mentioned in passing that I should expand on? Let me know!

The weather may still be really changeable (at least in my little corner of the world) but summer is most definitely on the way and what better way to enjoy it than with a huge bowl of strawberries? They truly are my favourite sweet treat, as not only are they [...]]]> Photo Credit

The weather may still be really changeable (at least in my little corner of the world) but summer is most definitely on the way and what better way to enjoy it than with a huge bowl of strawberries? They truly are my favourite sweet treat, as not only are they delicious but full of antioxidants, fibre, and all manner of other good things that means despite the strain on my wallet (particularly when I insist on buying them from Marks and Spencer as they always taste nicer from there), I never feel “bad” for eating them!

* I’ve been reading a lot about Lomography recently, and Masumi’s “How to Get Started With Lomography” looks like one of the best beginners guides I’ve seen. (I’ve actually changed my mind regarding trying Lomography myself, although I adore the aesthetic, as I’ve decided to buy a dslr instead – I can always achieve a similar effect through manual settings and editing and this way I have more flexibility).

* Ashe is writing a series of posts entitled “Finance and the Fashion Blogger” that I’ve been reading with keen interest. The link takes you to the first post and there are a second and third in the series so far.  

* Last but definitely not least, I’d like to introduce one of my new favourite bloggers, the marvellous Erica Lee. She only started the blog in April but already it’s a wealth of really great articles on all sorts of topics. This girl is definitely one to watch!

Have an amazing week!

Last night I dreamed that the Conservative Party were in power and they decided to eliminate Internet piracy by turning the Internet off using a huge red throw-switch that took the weight of two people to pull. I then worried all the way to work (in the dream) about whether [...]]]> Photo Credit

Last night I dreamed that the Conservative Party were in power and they decided to eliminate Internet piracy by turning the Internet off using a huge red throw-switch that took the weight of two people to pull. I then worried all the way to work (in the dream) about whether or not my book was long enough to keep me entertained for the entire day.

* Speaking of the Government, Zoe’s post highlights how different the outcome of the Election would have been had the voting system already been reformed. Her pie charts speak for themselves really!

* Visit Yes and Yes for some brilliant advice on “How to Hustle Like a Gangsta’“! (Part 2 here)

* Aimee Marie shares her views on swearing, which are pretty similar to my own. I probably do it a little too much truth be told, particularly when I’m feeling a bit wound up!

* Lady Smaggle makes some excellent points on not freaking out about getting older.

Here’s to a great week ahead!

This Thursday, straight after work, I will be at my local polling station casting my vote. I’m still a little undecided – this is the first time since I turned 18 that I’ve still not made up my mind this close to the election, but I will decide and I [...]]]> Photo Credit

This Thursday, straight after work, I will be at my local polling station casting my vote. I’m still a little undecided – this is the first time since I turned 18 that I’ve still not made up my mind this close to the election, but I will decide and I will be there, because it is so important.

* So, in keeping with the electoral theme, this is a really good read for those of us in the UK (and not just because it’s written by Stephen Fry).

* On a lighter note, an interesting perspective on Why Fashion Matters by Amanda.

* The Art of Breathing by Superalzy is a very interesting read and contains some techniques I think we could probably all benefit from at times.

* Tavi’s post consisting mainly of scans from Sassy Magazine made me want to be a teenager again (even though we didn’t get Sassy over here) – the 90s were the best!

Have a great week!

I absolutely love that image, it makes me want to go out and buy sequins to wear on my face and scatter everywhere I go! Here’s some suggestions to add a little sparkle to your week:

Read – Holly’s amazing post entitled ”Your Surrender Is Significant” and the follow-up here [...]]]> Photo Credit

I absolutely love that image, it makes me want to go out and buy sequins to wear on my face and scatter everywhere I go! Here’s some suggestions to add a little sparkle to your week:

Read – Holly’s amazing post entitled ”Your Surrender Is Significant” and the follow-up here that I think the majority of women, no matter how body confident they are, feminist or otherwise, will find a positive and inspiring read.

Try – Just for fun, colour co-ordinating everything about your look down to the most minute details. On Saturday I went out to lunch in a green top and skirt with green nails and green eyeliner, and I found myself wishing I had green shoes and a green bag to go with it!

Why Not Purchase – Some of Sarah Von’s amazing Karma Cards (or download the .pdf for free and print your own - personally, my printer is rubbish and wouldn’t do them justice!). Such a beautiful idea, once I’m in my new house (less than a week now, yay!) I’m going to order some and have fun finding creative places to leave them! I think I may have to buy a second set to keep though, as they’re so pretty!

Try – Online freebie hunting! I love receiving free samples and vouchers through the post, it’s a great way to discover new products without having to spend money on them! I usually find them on Bob’s Free Stuff Forum (mostly UK offers) – just be careful to check / un-check the boxes about selling your details on.

What do you have planned for this week?

A couple more Internet gems for your perusal this week, as well as a potential new project, should there be enough interest: