A few thoughts on this whole blogging thing.
Back on the wagon guys, back on the blogging wagon!
I reached one of those states where I was finding it hard to keep up motivation for my blog and so for the past few weeks (bar posting a youtube video) I have been reading other people's blogs and getting inspired and thinking about the direction I want to take my blog in. I know I write posts about this every few months, but I think it's okay to have moments where you sit back and really look at the content you are producing and make sure that it is right for you. With this in mind, I've had a few thoughts about the process of blogging in general and the questions that I constantly ask myself -
Is my content genuine?
I often battle myself against whether I'm posting for the sake of it, for other people or because I'm genuinely interested in what I am posting. I like to think that we all get into these little situations though... I'm sure you know what I mean fellow blogging guys and gals... it can be a struggle! You can definitely tell when someone has forced themselves to write a post about something; whether it's because they believe that it is what their readers want or maybe it will garner a larger following in the long run. Regardless, you can tell. The writing lacks enthusiasm or in some cases it's too enthusiastic and you get the overall feeling that there's no heart in it and it's content for the sake of content. I like to believe that when I post, it is for the reason that I was inspired by what I'm posting or I feel like sharing something with you all that might inspire you! That doesn't mean to say however that I haven't had thoughts about creating posts because I'm worried that I haven't written anything in two weeks, I often feel like that and I'm okay with it. I do have a readership to update after all, but I'd rather share content with you randomly than claw for subjects that I don't care about and give this to you on a regular basis.
Should I be worrying about how many followers I have on varying social media?
The answer is no. Well at least, I think so. I know that we all rely on our social media accounts in order to publicise our blogs and there is nothing wrong with that at all, in fact it's pretty savvy to use all platforms that are available to you! The problem however is that we often base how successful we are on the number of followers we get and whilst this is good logic, I wouldn't promote it as a healthy way to look at how popular you are. A lot of the time these days people will follow you just so that you can follow them back and it doesn't necessarily mean they will ever read what you post or even look at your blog. If you are advertising yourself on Twitter imagine how many other people are! Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be happy when you have a new follower, that's another potential friend in cyber world and I've spoken to some absolute gems, but I think it's worth being careful. Anyone remember Myspace? Yeah, we don't want a repeat of that. I do sometimes worry about how many people follow me or like things that I post or say, but at the end of the day I can see that people have viewed my blog and I have people in my real life that approach me and tell me that I'm doing a good job and that makes me feel ten times more proud than my social media sites ever could!
Will I ever be as good as the bloggers that I admire?
I feel like this may be something that plays on a lot of bloggers minds, like there is some formula to all of this and if you can figure it out then you can get to the top. The more I think about it though, the more ridiculous it sounds. Of course I want to have a successful blog and I want to take beautiful outfit photos and have a cool blog layout but half the time I'm not applying that to myself and how I'm going to achieve these things - I'm just wishing I was somebody else. I think we are all guilty of getting a little jealous of people, there are so many beautiful and lovely bloggers out there and it can be competitive and you do want to stand out. I have to remind myself though that all of these people put time and effort into their blogs and they interact and they perfect their art and believe in what they write about. And that's all there really is to it. The same conclusion I pull from every question I ask myself - I need to do this for me. Those bloggers that I admire put a lot of thought into what they are doing and their personalities shine through that and ultimately that is what I want to achieve.
I think it's extremely easy to get caught up in who's being sent what and how popular are you against the million other people out there, who's found their niche and who's being featured on XXXX's website. At the end of the day though I always remind myself of the same things and that is that you can tell who's in this just for the free stuff and you can tell who is in it because this is their hobby, this is their release and this is their escape. As long as I tell myself that, then I can definitely be content with all the things in between. I want to be genuine and I want to be honest with my readers and give them good quality posts, but at the end of the day it comes down to me and anyone who truly likes my blog and enjoys reading what I have to say will be more than happy with however I choose to run it.
Do you have any thoughts on the above or anything that bothers you? Why not share below, I read all my comments and reply to everything as well, I love hearing from you!
Film Photoset.
I keep a shoebox under my bed holding postcards I've collected and photos that I have taken and today I decided to take it out and have a look. When I was living in Bath I took a lot of photographs on my film camera, constantly documenting the time in which I evolved in to an independent young adult. At least I like to think that's what happened. I'm back living at home now but looking back over the two years that helped shape me and in which brought about so many wonderful memories, has got me feeling nostalgic and creative again and i'll most likely be taking the camera out again soon. It's strange, because when I was doing my photography A level at college I was firmly convinced that digital images were my favourite medium and that's probably due to the fact I could manipulate them so heavily in photoshop. As I got older I looked to other methods and I've since found my love lies in film and it's purely for the reason that once you've clicked the shutter button you won't know the outcome until it's developed. I like waiting in order to see what sort of colours have been produced and what expressions and moments I have captured. Sometimes you get some beautiful images and sometimes you get a roll of black or blurry images but it doesn't matter, you can always take another film. I've included some of my photography below as you'll see my friend and ex-housemate Rachel features heavily in them which is due to the fact we were joined at the hip and for the most part still are!
I turned 22.
Wow, June has been a slow month for this blog and I am very sorry about that, you see my darling Mac is broken and I am a little lost without it. I've managed to get onto Kyle's computer to do a quick post today and I swear that I will find a way to get back to posting normally. Anyway, it was my birthday on the 21st June and I have now reached the grand old age of 22. Huzzah! It was your average birthday - I saw family, I opened cards, I got some presents and then I went out and got blindingly drunk with my nearest and dearest! It was a pretty good weekend in all, despite the searing pain behind my skull the next day and the constant nausea, however my mother cheered that up by taking me out for a roast dinner. Perfect British hangover cure! I have added a picture below of my mine, my sister's and Hannah's outfits on the night, we aren't overly glamorous but who says you have to be!
The dress I am wearing is from Topshop and I bought it the weekend before for a rather eye watering price tag of £39....yeah.....why? It is beautiful though and extremely comfortable, however I will be questioning myself for years to come on how I can possibly ever justify that sort of spending on one cotton dress! The boots are from New Look and I bought those a year ago. I'm not one for particularly sexy outfits, my slip dress post below is about as far as I go, but I like to feel pretty and stylish on a night out....even if by the end of it i am rolling around on the floor!
Recently, I have bought so many things and I will show you all them but I need to have some free time and my mac fixed before I can do so! Don't worry my dears, I won't be too long!
Nelson's Diner.
Hello all, I’m doing a different kind of post today - no fashion involved. I spent the day with my gorgeous friend Hannah, who I have known for a pretty long time now and we decided to try out a new cafe, ahem...diner that she had heard about. Anyone who lives in North Hampshire you need to visit this place on the A339, it's called Nelson's diner and it's a wonderful magical retro 50s inspired wonderland. Waitresses are dressed up in knee length patterned skirts with tulle petticoats underneath, blouses and plimsolls, with their hair done up retro style. American classics boom from wall speakers, including some tracks from Grease and the walls are adorned with all kinds of fifties and American memorabilia including posters, license plates and advertisements, promoting the likes of Elvis Presley and Coca Cola, as you can see below -
First thing that I must mention and give credit to this place for is their mouthwatering milkshakes! Now I’m sure you've all taken a trip to shakeaway or it's lesser-known competitors at some point in your life and whilst they do sell some killer shakes you have not lived until you have tried a Nelson's milkshake! Hannah ordered a Dime one and I ordered one that was rather auspiciously named 'Birthday cake' and who could resist that! Now, as much as you may raise an eyebrow to this next statement please remember your taste buds have not lived through the pleasure that mine did earlier! And here it is - IT ACTUALLY TASTED LIKE BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!! I know, I know...it should taste as it is advertised and birthday cake is usually vanilla flavored however, you need to try this to truly understand what I have just proclaimed in caps locks - curious? Good.
Moving on from those - and we did rather fast seeing as we could hardly contain ourselves from savoring them - I present you with our meals. We both had the same, adorable best friend move there right? Well I’m pescetarian and Hannah only eats chicken and on a menu packed with meaty favorites we both moved towards the veggie burger appropriately named 'California', served with a hearty portion of fries. We also both ordered a side of coleslaw, a newfound favorite of mine. What we were expecting was a small veggie burger with a slice of cheese and a bit tomato relish. What we received was the massive tower you can see below brimming with two potato burgers, grated cheese, sauces, tomatoes, lettuce and tomato relish, not to mention the quantity of our sides.
The burger tasted fantastic and all flavours flowed fantastically and really did meet my expectations if not exceed them! The fries were a little thin for my liking, making them difficult to pick up on your fork however they were cooked well. Overall the presentation of our food kept within the theme of the diner and it was an enjoyable experience for a rather dreary rain soaked Sunday in comparison. We are thinking of dragging the rest of our friends there for an evening or possibly for an upcoming birthday (namely Hannah's) though they do also offer themed nights with live music. If you live near Kingsclere/Newbury or are visiting Hampshire then you HAVE to visit!
For any other information please visit their website - here. All opinions stated within this piece are my own and are in no way endorsed by the company. I'm just raving about something I truly liked :)
Easter Monday.
Today i went to visit Salisbury Cathedral with my boyfriend and his parents as well as visit a few pubs and have a few cheeky drinks. The cathedral was stunning inside, though i forgot my camera so i didn't get any pictures, however i do have a few below (taken on my boyfriend's phone) just from us messing around in the grounds. I am by no means religious and i suppose this is due to a very warped exposure to it all over the years, many religions have received bad images and this does sadden me. However, i an see the beauty within faith and i hold some admiration for those that find belief and strength in something. If you ever need to see the beautiful side of religion then visit a cathedral. One part that struck me most was that in easter tradition they had set up interactive areas around the building, one of which being writing a note for someone you felt needed saving. I will not go into detail about what was written on these notes but they were filled with all different languages and all types of love and pain. It gives me some kind of solace knowing that these people - wherever they have come from - feel that there is always someone there to listen to them and give them the support that they need.
This is Kyle and what i can only assume is his attempted cool and intellectual pose!
My only attempt at some sort of outfit post, i didn't really want to be posing in cathedral grounds and Kyle took this picture of me looking very awkward so if anyone is wondering the dress is Zara, Shoes - Topshop, Jacket - Topshop and bag - Primark.
I hope you all enjoyed your Easter and received some wonderful treats and spent some time with your family!
Creating.
A magical thing happened last week when I was staying with my old fashion buddies - I made something! That doesn't sound magical I know, however it has been about a year and half since I last used my sewing skills and actually made something and I’m telling you now, it felt good! I completely forgot how much I love designing and making clothes and the pride that comes with standing back and admiring a finished garment. It all started when I went with my friend Rachel to a fabric shop as she was looking for viscose jersey. I found some really nice off white ribbed fabric and the store assistant told me that all fabrics on those rails were a pound a meter. One thing you need to know about me is that I am an absolute fabric junkie! If I find fabric that I like then I HAVE to buy it, regardless of whether I need it or not - so as you can imagine being told that the fabric in front of me was so cheap I couldn’t resist the urge to spend some money. That is when I came across the beautiful mint green textured fabric that helped me produce my first piece since leaving uni. I wanted it and for once I knew that it was going to be turned into something. Below I’ve added photos of the process of making my jacket; my ideas came from biker jackets and parkas but softened by pastel colours and an unconventional fabric for those styles -
I did actually buy a book of coat patterns a few weeks ago that I was going to take with me however I left it at home so this was also a test of my drafting and pattern cutting abilities because all I had to work with was a basic bodice and collar block. Also as a side note - the dress underneath is one Rachel made in college I just could not be bothered to take it off of her mannequin!
This was the finished toile of the jacket, as you can probably see I didn't try neatening it - I wanted to get the jacket finished as soon as possible seeing as I only had a few days until I went home. As you will see below the final thing looks a bit different due to the fabric type used and the added interfacing and topstitching detail.
This is the finished garment, however without the drawstring cord as I had to do that on the train home. It looks very different on a person and I am aiming to get an outfit post done that will contain it, I did wear it a few days ago paired with black jeans, white sandals and a white tee but I didn't have time to take a picture. IT's probably the best thing I have ever made and it was nice to actually be able to make something without university tutors watching everything I did and trying to make me change it.
Haul.
Obviously a major part of visiting your friends in another city is to go shopping! Especially when you've just been paid.....oh yeah. We were breaking our backs getting final pieces stitched together and after it was all shown to an industry panel we decided to take a little time to ourselves to go out and spend some hard earned money. Pretty sure we spent 6 hours trawling around every store we could find, but it was so worth it!!! Now one store that i need to commend for their current selection is H&M (two posts in a row!) there was sooooo much that i wanted, it was hard to just put it down to a few items otherwise i would have been busting my bank account. Regrettably, not all the money in there is for clothes, sigh. Here's what i bought -
Now you can probably tell i have a large soft spot, or maybe just a complete infatuated love for cats! I used to buy everything i saw that had a cat on it, however i have since trained myself to stand back and mull it over first. That being said i did buy two things that pay homage to our furry friends. The t shirt is far too cute to handle and i felt like i needed something a little more fun in my wardrobe and the bag came in a choice of black or leopard print. I went for the latter due to my collection of black items, i have far too many and i'm pretty sure my mother would disapprove at the thought of another black bag in our house. The blouse you can't see so well but it is sort of a snake print, i just thought it would be something sophisticated for work.
Moving on, we also took some time to look in some beauty stores where i purchased some new nail varnishes and also received a free No.7 gift set, yay! As well as some hair clips and some lipcote, which keeps your lipstick on fantastically. I spent so much money on everything i almost lost count but i'm pretty pleased with my new items, not so much getting them home however. My suitcase was already very heavy, oops.
Travelling.
Sorry that i haven't posted in over a week now, i did try to yesterday on the Blogger App, however it decided to not post and then delete what i had written. I should have paid attention to the reviews. The past week i was trying to get back in to the swing of work, which wasn't really necessary in the end considering i am now off for another two weeks which i had previously booked off. What am i doing you ask? Well, i am helping my friends finish their final collections for uni, so i'm basically their sweatshop slave for two weeks. So in reality i am swapping work for work, which just sounds mad, but it's work that i am going to enjoy so it's a good bargain.
I got the train up here yesterday and whilst waiting at one of the stops for passengers to board i noticed petals gliding past my window, apparently escaping from a blossoming tree. It made me think about how lucky i am to live in such a beautiful part of the country and how travelling on the train allows me to see much of the hidden countryside around me. Living in a town really does pull you away from the natural world around you and into a concrete jungle of sorts. It's a welcome change to see the vast expanse of fields rolled out across our countryside and dotted with wildlife and stoney cottages nestled within the hills and forestry. More so when you're stuck within the four walls of an office most days staring at the artificial imagery and light of a computer screen. I suppose we need times like these, not only for a release but to really bring back our humanity, if only for a little while. Admittedly, it would be better to be out there sticking my hands in the soil and smelling that refreshing earthy smell, but seeing it from my train carriage was enough for me.
I also decided to do some drawing on the way and so i have added a picture of a small design i did, it's not much but it's amazing how inspired you can be just at the thought of seeing your friends. I now have a vest top to finish and a jacket lining to sew so i best be off!
Bowling.
Ahhhhh the humble bowling alley, a centre of fun and entertainment for children and adults alike. A game that is believed to date back to the Ancient Egyptians and the Roman Empire, that has been moulded over the years into what it is today. Yesterday i shared the bowling experience with my sister and father, i've been before but only really when i was younger and once when i was about 18 (I'm 21 now!). I like bowling, it's a proper family affair isn't it? You get in a group with everyones names on the board and try to knock down ten pins by throwing a weighted ball down an alleyway at them. Not to mention it keeps everybody active and counts towards some of your daily exercise, i mean you're carrying a large weighted ball and throwing it down an alleyway! It's nice, as lame as a word that is, to just do something together and be competitive but away from the xbox and tv screens.
When my dad usually visits us (he lives an hour away) we tend to just pop into town to look around the shops and he spends an inordinate amount of time in poundland which has lead to my sister and i calling him 'The Poundland King'. I've never known someone to always find something they want or even like in Poundland and to actively want to continually visit...but let's move on. It's either town or the pub and we decided that this time we wanted to do something fun and so we visited the local bowlplex. Now this place is really something else and took me right back to my childhood - arcades, bowling and slushies! Naturally my sister and i had to have a large slushie each, generously donated to us by our darling father. The lights are colourful and crazy space/bowling ball artwork decorate one end of the room where the pins are.
My sister has only ever been bowling once and for three turns it kept coming up with a big scary 'F' on the screen, which none of us could fathom why until i went and asked and she stepped over the line. Obviously. That was an embarrassing moment, she still missed after that though but by the end of two games she'd found her feet. My dad on the other hand claimed to have only ever been once and yet he played with the stance and arm movements of a professional bowler, getting three strikes in the process which made us question his honesty. I've never been fantastic at bowling, but i played pretty well the first game with my luck slipping in the second. All in all it really was a brilliant way of spending two hours and we had a laugh. I'm thinking we may (definitely) have to go again.
Oh, i forgot, the shoes...THE SHOES!!!
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