Tag: blogging

monthly favourites lifestyle blogger

Monthly Favourites – February

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Books

 

I read a lot of books this month once again (a mix of paperback, ebook and audiobook) but these three really stood out! After starting the A Court of Thorns and Roses series last month I couldn’t wait to read the rest of the season. I finished these very early on in the month and I already want to read them again…I’m serious. For non-fiction in February, I listened to Brave by Rose McGowan, I had no idea who she was from films just that Rose had started a movement. It’s not an easy read but it’s important and will blow you away. You can read about all the books I read this month here.

Fashion

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Only one fashion favourite this month and it’s this adorable dress from Primark! My grandparents picked this up for me and it is SO flattering. I love a dress where I can easily throw extra layers underneath!

Home

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I finally, finally, finally went to IKEA at the beginning of the month and got a second bookcase! Although it doesn’t look too full here there might still be a few books at my parent’s house that I need to bring over…oops! This is one of the slim Billy Bookcases and I looooove it!

Life 

 

This month it was Valentine’s Day and I was given a giant dragon, which has been named Puff after Ali drove all around the local towns looking for a Unicorn he wanted to get me, they’d sold out! I’ve also had some quality time with Wickett as well as my lovely Godkids Lexi and Ollie and finally, I managed to pick up some new Pop Vinyl’s! Don’t you think Ron and Ginny look fab?!

Top Five Posts

Growing Up With Young Parents 

What Do You Do For Fun? 23 and ‘Boring’

Unpopular Opinions Book Tag! 

Book Review: Everything I Know About Love – Dolly Alderton 

7 Things I Wish I’d Known As A New Graduate 

You’re a Blogger

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I’ve seen a lot of questions on Twitter recently about when someone becomes a blogger. There are so many ideas out there about what being a blogger means and if you ‘count’ if your blog isn’t enough to provide an income. There have been a few times I’ve tried to write this blog post and agonised over whether I should but, well, here it is.

So I’ll  tell you a secret if you set up a blog and you write on it you are a blogger. There it is, it’s that simple. Are there different types of blogger? Of course but we are all still bloggers together. Whether you make money from blogging and that’s your job, well done because that’s hard work. If you’re doing it as well as working full time, like your girl right here, well done too because it’s also damn hard work.

I don’t care how many followers you have, how many times you’ve posted or what brands you work with if you’re blogging because you enjoy it. So many people get caught up with what brands want, what your DA is (domain authority) and being on par with the ‘big bloggers’. We didn’t start to compete or see who could have the most expensive flat lays. We started because we loved it and that, for me is what’s important. You don’t need an expensive camera or top connections, it helps but it’s not what you need. You need passion and love and that’s about it.

So if you’re smaller and perhaps feeling dismayed, we all do at times, don’t give up. There are some wonderful, wonderful supportive bloggers online that are feeling the same. This might not be as eloquently put as I would have liked it, but I needed to say it. I needed to remind people where this started. We’d all love to make money from blogging, have a million followers etc but that’s not the only measure of success.

Is there anything else you would add about being a blogger? Let me know in the comments below.

Getting To Know You Better Tag

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Hello, hello, hello my lovely readers!

I was tagged by Sasha at Little Book Shelf for this tag and I thought it looked like fun. I love a good tag and it was great to show my own answers as well as being able to show some great bloggers that I’m reading at the moment.

The Rules:
Answer the questions down below.
Credit the tag creator InkGirlWords.
Nominate as many unsuspecting souls as possible! (or at least 5).

The Tag

How long have you been blogging?

I’ve been blogging since I was 17…that’s 6 years now (no idea how that happened). The first 2.5 years was just doing book reviews and then I’ve spent 4.5 on this blog, which is crazy!

Do you enjoy doing tags? 

I really like doing tags, I feel like you can find out so much about a blogger/vlogger through tags and I’ve got some amazing book recommendations through tags!

Do you follow the blogs that follow you?

I try to follow them all! Sorry if I’ve missed any.

Describe your blog in five words.

Books. Thoughts. Passion. Life. Everything.

How many posts have you made on your blog (not counting this tag)?

At the time of writing this post 1207…

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy blogging?

10, I love it. Love, love, love it!

Post some links to blogs you enjoy reading:

The Bellezza Corner  

Novels and Teacups 

Blonde vs Books

Currently, Lately

 

Writing or reading blog posts?

Writing, I can’t stop

I Tag: 

The blogs I like reading!

The Bellezza Corner  

Novels and Teacups 

Blonde vs Books

Currently, Lately

And anyone who wants to do this tag!

 

Have fun!! 

monthly favourites lifestyle blogger

January Favourites!

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Well, we’ve finally got to the end of January! A long and pretty gloomy month as far as the outside goes! For the majority of us, it’s also meant that there hasn’t been a lot of spare cash, so it’s been a pretty tight month too, with little to spend so this is definitely going to be a shorter favourites post than usual.

 

Books

It’s been an amazing month for books, so much so I wrote a roundup for the month, but there are three that I have to mention. The first hasn’t been released yet, but you’re going to want to add it to your TBR. Only Child by Rhiannon Navin is a tough read that focuses on the aftermath of a school shooting from a child’s perspective. Next up is A Court of Thorns and Roses, something that I have finally given into and fallen in love with, I can’t wait to keep reading the series, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Finally, Love, Hate & Other Filters is a stunning debut and will be on top 10 lists this year, I have no doubt, read my review here.

 

Couple Paramore 2010, 2013, 2014, 2018

Music

My biggest music highlight was going to see Paramore for the 4th time! Every time I see them I feel like I reach another big point in my life. The best part was seeing it with Ali. I wrote about it here.

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Watching 

I started watching back in November I think? I am definitely hooked though. I’m not a hardcore Trekky but the series is absolutely incredible and I’m really excited to see where it goes next.

 

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Fashion

With money being tight this month there wasn’t much to go on fashion or beauty BUT there was one. I picked this up in New Look for under £5! I absolutely love the fact it compliments my figure after a bit of weight loss too!

Top 5 Blogs 

Life Update: I’m Being Published! 

I’ve Been Hiding My Face! 

How’s 2018 Going So Far

Harry Potter Haul: Updated

My Goals For 2018

 

What were some of your favourites, anything I should check out in February? Or maybe one of mine has inspired you! Let me know in the comments below!

10 things I’d tell 11 year old me

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Do you remember being 11? While most of us were pretty disappointed we didn’t get our Hogwarts letters, there was something pretty big going on for all of us, we were about to enter the zoo that is Secondary School. There’s a lot I wish I could go back and tell that scared kid because like it or not, it changed each and every one of us. Some for the better, others maybe not so much.

I had a think about things that I would tell myself, things I wish I could have known that might have made things a little easier. So here are my 10, don’t forget to let me know yours in the comments below!

Don’t be afraid of standing up for yourself.

I was bullied a lot as a kid, it was bad at the age of 11 but it continued. I didn’t want to get into trouble so a lot of the time I just took it. I wish I hadn’t.

You and your body are beautiful.

Ah Puberty, there’s nothing like it to destroy your confidence. This was the start of me worrying about my body. Was my stomach flat enough? Were my boobs going to be big enough? Why did my hair get so gross even when I washed it? Was my deodorant good enough?

This is when I started to doubt it and I wish I hadn’t because it takes YEARS to undo, I’m still working on it!

Don’t panic about not having any friends on the first day of school, you’ll find your friends.

I was petrified no one would like me when I got to secondary school. Little did I know I’d meet the best person in my life there a few years later…

Being nice will get you further than being a bitch, those girls won’t understand that for a long time.

BUT being too nice will get you walked on, it’s a thin line.

Don’t be embarrassed about being smart, keep reading, it’s going to help you a lot later on!

I got mercilessly teased as a kid for reading a lot…I was the 11-year-old reading Victoria Beckhams autobiography because I wanted to know more about her and had gotten through all of the Jacqueline Wilson novels the previous year. Don’t be ashamed of being smart!

Play with your sister as much as possible, she’ll grow up quicker than you think.

Having a sister that is nearly 7 years younger than me I wish I’d appreciated the time she was always at home. Now she’s 16 and off working, meeting friends and doing other things cherish the time!

Everything will happen for a reason.

The good, the bad, the ugly. Every damn thing happens for a reason and that’s what I believe.

There’s going to be some really shitty times ahead, but you’re going to get through them and it’s going to make you stronger.

My teenage years were really tough and sometimes I’m in awe that I managed what I did. But, I’m here, I’m still going.

Think about the future, you can’t do anything about the past.

This is something I’m still working on. It’s easy to get stuck in the past, think about who hurt you and where things went wrong but it won’t help you.

You’re going to grow up to be pretty awesome.

You’re pretty cool, kid.

 

What would you tell your 11-year-old self? Let me know in the comments below.

Music Growing Up With Paramore

Growing Up With Paramore

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Friday night I was lucky enough to go and see Paramore for the fourth time. I’ve been a Paramore fan since I was 13 years old and coincidentally since I met Ali, but Paramore isn’t about just that.

I think everyone has a band or artist that impacts their life, for me that was, and still is, Paramore. Hayley talked a lot on stage about how the band and fans have grown up together and it made me think, a lot about what the band meant to me. If I’m honest, I got a bit emotional.

When I was that 13-year-old who first heard Riot I was just getting into my own identity and working out, as a teenager, who I was. A friend recommended this band, Paramore. I loved it and I loved the lead singer she was short, a redhead with a big voice. She was everything  I wanted to be.

I listened to Riot on repeat and I met a boy that I really liked. I waited for Brand New Eyes to come out and it was like nothing I’d ever listen to. I fell in love with each and every song and they made sense. Brand New Eyes came out in 2009, it was around this time I was struggling with Depression, it hit me hard and that album got me through, The Only Exception became ‘our song’.

 

Couple Paramore 2010, 2013, 2014, 2018

When Zac and Josh left the band, I was devastated, I thought the band I loved was over. And then the singles came out, and then ‘Paramore’. At first, I didn’t get it, it seemed petty, it didn’t measure up to Brand New Eyes, all of these thoughts went through my mind. Then my band broke up, I was leaving for uni and the unknown. Suddenly it all made sense. The lyrics, the music it all made sense. My heart soared and it felt like the music held me together for the next few years.

Then another album and another part of my life, ‘After Laughter’. I’d graduated I was an ‘adult’ now but things weren’t going to plan. The single ‘Hard Times’ was released on the 19th April and it seemed to be the perfect thing for me, I’d lost my job 2 weeks earlier and graduate life wasn’t great. I listened to that song obsessively, again the tracks made me feel a little less alone, a little more capable. Then the album came out and ‘Rose Coloured Boy’ and ‘Fake Happy’ became my anthems.

Hayley was right the other night when she said we’re not the same people we were when ‘Riot’ was released and ‘Misery Business’ was all I listened to on repeat. I felt so many emotions watching. I was proud of this band and proud of myself for overcoming so much shit in the past 10 years and still being able to smile.

This might be fangirling, might be OTT but I really feel like I owe Paramore.

What band is it for you?

My Top Posts of 2017!

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We only have 1 whole day left of 2017, what?! I’m torn, the last 2 months feel like they’ve gone so quickly. At the end of the year, I always love to see what you guys have read most and what’s done well, what blogger doesn’t?

So I wanted to share with you my top 10 most read posts of 2017! Here we go.

 

10. Harry Potter Haul – Primark Has Done It Again…

I’m shocked that this is still in my top 10 and has been since I first posted it in 2015. This is when Primark first started doing a lot of Harry Potter stuff. If you liked this post keep your eyes peeled in the new year…

9. Taking Chances and Making Calls

This was my first steps in taking my life into my own hands after losing a job back in April.

8. Book Review: Fully Functioning Human (Almost) by Melanie Murphey 

I love watching Melanie Murphey on YouTube and so do a lot of you! She’s sweet, funny and this is a helpful book. This is my only book review to make it into the top 10 and I’m glad it’s this one.

7. My Boyfriend’s Leaving Me For Two Months?! 

This year Ali went away on tour for 2 months, the longest we’ve been apart. This was the start of me talking about going long distance, I’m really glad I talked about it to get through the tougher times.

6.  Dealing With The Unexpected

A post I wrote in response to being fired, which turned out to be a good thing.

5. The Truth About Being in a Long-Term Relationship 

Next year Ali and I will have been together for 10 years! So I did what I normally do, I decided to write about it.

4. Sunday Seven: The Businesses You Don’t Know About But Should 

Back in April I was lucky enough to visit Dolly’s Vintage Fair and feature some of the wonderful small businesses that were there!

3. Feminist Friday… with Jess Willby 

And on to my Feminist Friday series, Jess wrote about how Feminism is bigger than just us as individuals and how we need to work together to achieve. It was an absolutely inspiring post.

2. To The People Who Stole From My Boyfriend 

It’s been a very up and down year, in August while Ali had a great time working festivals, someone decided that they wanted to steal from him. It was pretty shitty and frustrating (the stolen rucksack has never been found). This was an open letter to those who stole from him.

1. Typo Haul

Aaaaand at number 1 is my haul from Typo. This is a really cool shop and one I only found this year on a visit to Kingston. There are some beautiful things in this shop!

 

What were your favourite posts that YOU wrote this year? Let me know in the comments below!

Blogmas Day 19: Christmas Eve Traditions

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Christmas for me is all about family and isn’t just about one day! Christmas Eve is full of little traditions for me, and I think as I get older these may adjust again and again. It’s weird that for the first time I’m not in a home with either mine or Ali’s families, it’s just the two of us.

I’m so pleased that Christmas Eve falls on a weekend this year, the thought of having to go to work on Christmas Eve makes me super sad, I don’t know why. So, what does my Christmas Eve usually look like?

  •  Wake up early and annoy Ali with the fact it’s Christmas tomorrow. Be hyperactive as hell.
  •  Shower and dress in Christmassy clothes, jumper or hat are suitable.
  •  Get picked up by Mum to go into town with her, my sister and my Nanna.
  • Get a coffee/hot chocolate to kick off the day
  • Mooch around the shops and pick up some last minute presents in the sales (Ali usually gets a few more presents here)
  • Go home, get any last minute wrapping done, blast Christmas music.
  • Go and visit family members start the Christmas cheer
  • Hit up McDonalds, ok hear me out. We’re usually so busy with family and the Turkey for the next day is slowly cooking so we get McDonald’s and it’s amazing.
  • Get given our Christmas Eve PJs, usually matching my sister
  • Be banished from anywhere near certain areas of my parent’s house.

Now, it’s slightly different now I’m older, I go to my own house which will be the first time in our own home! I have no idea if Ali and I will create any new traditions in our own space but I really hope so. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

Blogmas Day 16: Christmas Q & A with Midnight Madness & AllLadyA

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It’s my third and final group of bloggers who have been lovely enough to answer questions for Blogmas so I can share what Christmas means to them too! While you can check out the first and second instalments today I have Georgia from Midnight Madness and Alix from AllLadyA make sure to check out their blogs too!

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Alix

What are you most excited about this Christmas?

Georgia:  I’m the most excited about spending time with the people I love the most! Hyped to see my family, who I don’t see often as I moved out for university & also for travelling to Los Angeles to see my long distance boyfriend of over two years who I haven’t seen in four months! 

Alix:  Being with my family and Christmas dinner! 

What’s at the top of your wish list?

Georgia:  On the top of my wishlist is a camera tripod & a ring light. I have a youtube channel (Midnight Madness) & it’s so hard to film without a proper set up! Also books are always nice 🙂 

Alix:  This year, it’s actually getting a job. I’ve been unemployed for a little while so a little Christmas miracle in that department would be incredible. A more materialistic wish is the Apple Pencil! 

Favourite Christmas movie?

Georgia: Polar Express – I know, not very mainstream, but it reminds me of my childhood when I lived in Greece, and Christmas for me is the best time to spend with family and talk about stories from the past, remember certain feelings, so I always watch this on Christmas!

Alix: It’s a tie between Love Actually and The Holiday. 

Favourite Christmas song?

Georgia: Favourite Christmas song would be probably Mistletoe by Justin Bieber haha, I have some really funny memories with this song from my pre-teen years so it makes me really happy! 

Alix: Fairytale of New York – The Pogues

Favourite Christmas food?

Georgia: My favourite Christmas food would be gingerbread cookies for sure

Alix: My grandad’s roast potatoes. I know they’re not exactly “Christmas food” but for whatever reason that’s when they taste the best and it’s not Christmas without them!


Your perfect Christmas in 3 words.

Georgia: Perfect Christmas in three words: snow, cocoa, movies

Alix: Family, food & fun

 

Blogmas Day 12: First Christmas in Our Own Home!

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2017 is a special Christmas for me, it’s the first time Ali and I have had our own place for the holidays! While we’ve lived together since the second year of uni we’ve never been somewhere, just the two of us, for the festivities. So we have a tree (at my insistence), we’ve been finalising what our plans are for the day itself and I’ve been generally annoying him with my Elfish tendencies.

We’re very different when it comes to our attitudes towards Christmas Ali’s not really a big Christmas person whereas I have had Christmas songs on in my car since *cough* October *cough*. I couldn’t wait to get us a tree and lights and wrap presents and get the candles on and EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS. Over time, I’m hoping that I can get him to be a little more Elf and a little less Grinch, slowly.

I’m so excited!