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Showing posts with the label 2016

Dealing with Disappointment - Working Life

So, there are times in  life when things happen that disappoint you for whatever reason.  As human beings and individuals we all have ways of reacting to those things.  This week for me has been one of those weeks where I've had to deal with a Work Life disappointment. I'm a novelist, first and foremost, but to pay the bills I also have a full time job in a 'professional' environment.  It's in this job that I've found myself disappointed this week.  It's been building for a while, with the current economic climate all business are looking at how to save money and stay profitable.  The industry I work in is no different and they have been making plans, changing things and consulting with personnel on how/why they should do things. This week they made their announcement of change and parts of how this was managed was disappointing to me.  The detail isn't important for this post, the point is how I deal with that issue. 1. Be Professional You have

Elemis - Skin Care

My last post explained where I sit when it comes to brand loyalty.  I'm in the middle. I like to know what I'm using works for my skin be it make up, skin care, or nail varnish.  It's hard for me to find products that work with my sensitivity, so I tend to find a brand and stick with it if it works.  I also however need a back up plan and sometimes I just need to change a product as it's not giving me the results I want.  Right now, I'm experimenting, now this can prove costly unless you know who to ask.  For me I learned a long time ago to try before you buy if at all possible.   I don't want to be left with a product that's cost a fortune but sits on my shelf because it doesn't suit my skin.  There are a number of brands who will take things back - I had such an experience last year with Bobbi Brown, they were great after I suffered a reaction in refunding my purchase but I had to prove my reaction to them before I could get my money back w

Is there such a thing as Brand Loyalty and what creates it?

When I watch beauty Vlogs on YouTube or read a beauty blog I am always surprised by how many people brand hop.  When I first started wearing make-up as a child it was about what colour you liked - it was the 80's and I was around seven so blue eyeshadow made sense.   Once I hit my teens and my skin started breaking out and becoming more sensitive I tended to go for the products aimed at my age and skin type - Clearasil anyone? But then as I left school and all that baggage behind me I moved on to more luxury brands that matched my skin. I remember experimenting with brands including Clinque and Dior which just didn't work for me, before settling on Lancome, which I used for around ten years.  Ten years is a long time to be loyal to a product and it wasn't just one product either. I used the whole range, from skin car through makeup everything I had was Lancome - why?  Well at the time I started using it, being brand loyal was a bonus. Your skin care and makeup were tail

GoodBye Summer...Hello Autumn

Summer is on the wane now September is here, although there is talk of an Indian Summer next week.  For me however I'm ready for the cooler weather, heat has never been a best friend to me.  I'm pale skinned and I take after my grandad when I get too hot.  It just doesn't agree with me.  I like a few weeks of summer but clammy nights takes it toll on me as sleeping when you're just too hot is not easily accomplished. On the no so selfish side, it's also a lot better for my dog, Hero, when it gets cooler, his thick fur coat becomes more helpful than a hindrance. Besides, being born in September also makes me an autumn child, there's just something about the start of this season that is rather exciting.  So this blog will be me discussing why it is I love this season.... 1. The colours of Autumn Summer is bright and bountiful, the colours are amazingly bright, light and cool.  You wear clothes that are light in shade, aqua and yellow look brilliant in

Romeo & Juliet - Branagh @ The Garrick (NTL Production)

I love theatre, have done all my life.  There's something so intense and intimate about sitting so close to the performance, embraced by it but on the periphery not an intimate part but a part of the collective with an impact on the performance. It's not always possible to get to the theatre to see the performance you want, I don't live in London so travelling there to see a show is not always possible.  So when I heard that National Theatre were doing a live feed of Kenneth Branagh's Romeo and Juliet I ensured I got my tickets quick smart. Not only do I love seeing Shakespeare performed - that's what it was written for after all, but I'm a fan of Kenneth Branagh.  I loved and studied his Henry V and have enjoyed his work throughout my child hood and more recently in films like The Boat that Rocked. The cast for this production is also a major draw; Juliet Lilly James has been growing as an actress and wowing audiences since playing Lady Rose in Do

Me Before You Preview - Review

As you know I love movies and I have a long list to see this year.  It's been a good year so far in terms of movies, there's been quite a few that I've really enjoyed and Monday Night I got to see another good movie. Me Before You in Cinemas 3 June 2016 Me Before You is based on the novel by Jojo Moyles, I must admit I haven't read the book.  It was originally published in 2012 and having just lost my father who I was carer for I wasn't really up for reading it given the subject matter. Roll on a few years and the book is now a movie starting Emilia Clarke of Games of Thrones fame and Sam Claffin (Pirates of the Caribbean & The Hunger Games).  The screenplay penned by Jojo Moyles gave me hope that the movie would be true to the spirit of the novel which the book groups I am in do rave about. When the opportunity came up to go to a preview screening at Cineworld I thought why not, I'll just ensure I take a box of tissues! Tissues was a great call,

When Life Gives you Lemons....

I was catching up on my Face book groups the other day and someone had asked the question, if you blog and work how do you fit it all in and it got me thinking how do I fit it all in and am I achieving what I set out to? Well as the old saying goes - "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade" 1. Day Job As an independent author I still need a 'day job' to earn a living, I'm not in a position yet where the money I earn as a novelist is enough to cover my expenses,  I am working towards that but for now I need to support my writing by working. I'm a Personal Assistant in the Fire Service, I'm lucky in terms of my job is flexible.  A lot of writers and bloggers starting out are in jobs where the time they are in the office is set and unchangeable.  I'm lucky that mine is flexible.  Having this flexibility allows me to plan my days effectively. Most days I'm at my desk by 7.30,  depending on what the day holds which being an emergency servic

25 Facts About Me

I was reading a friends blog the other day and she was doing a 25 Facts About Me Tag, so I thought I'd give it a go for today's post, so hold on tight here's a whistle stop tour of me; 1. I'm English, born and raised in Sunderland Northeast England, this is on the north sea coast and it can be rather cold! 2. Being from Sunderland I'm classed as a Mackem, but I don't have a strong accent 3. I lived in Bellingham WA when I was at Uni as an exchange student and came home with a strong American accent - go figure! Visit to Seattle in 1998 4. I hated school, I was bullied from the age of 5 till I was 16, the worst years being between 8 and 12 so School was the worst time of my life.  It's something I still struggle with to this day. At a time when you should be learning to be confident, build relationships and all the social skills you need for life, I was taught the opposite.  I still struggle with confidence in myself and my appearance and I

Sometimes you just need a Bigger Boat

I love movies, I mean I really love movies from the script to screen I love everything about the process and the final outcome.  I studied media at university and concentrated on the history of film and theatre. I've always loved movies ever since I can remember, I would spend my weekends watching old hollywood movies staring Bing Crosby, Danny Kayne, Frank Sinatra and Doris Day with my Grandparents.  I would watch 80's blockbusters with my family, horror films with my mam, and  teen slasher flicks with my brother.   I always had my favourites films I would watch over and over again and I think it's partly my love of films which influence the way I write. When I write I see movies in my mind, I have the actors picked out the locations, the camera shots the whole deal and I think it's because I grew up watching some of the most amazing movies of our time. I took a little walk down memory lane this week, I was in the mood for something good, something that would rem

When the Idea Strikes.... Be Organised??!!!

Ideas are illusive things, they can strike at any time, like a seed in your thoughts they start to grow and develop in to something that you just need to write down somewhere to nurture, consider and assess. So, when the spark hits how do you capture it before it fades just like a dream when you first wake up? If I was asked how I define me as a person, well, I'm a writer, a fictionalist, a scribbler, a dreamer, a story teller and a creative.   Whether I'm sitting at home watching TV, in a meeting in the day job, working out in the gym, walking the dog or even sleeping, my mind and my imagination never stop telling stories. This is not a new development in my life, its always been this way ever since I can remember.  My friends as a child were the books I read or the characters I created in my head.  I didn't really have 'real' friends I was the 'odd' kid, but instead of letting that be a bad thing I've tried to accept it as just part of who I am a

2016 Reading Challenge - Book 9 - The Longest Ride

So I made a promise this year that I would be a better reader, I set myself a reading goal as part of the Goodreads challenge of 25 books - now that may not seem a lot, but I wanted to give myself a fighting chance as I have to divide my time between work, family, writing and reading.  So since 1 Jan I have read 8 books - Happily this week I've finished my 9th!   The Longest Ride - Nicholas Sparks purchased from AMAZON.co.uk I’ve read a couple of Nicholas Sparks books previously and always enjoyed them.   I will admit this one I hadn’t paid attention to and only picked it up after having seen the movie.   What attracted me to this story was the inclusion of a romance affected by World War 2.    If anyone reads my other blog MY LIFE AS A WRITER , and if you don’t please take a look, it’ll explain my interest in relationships affected by war. I started reading The Longest Ride a few weeks ago and it took me longer than I thought to finish it.   Not because it’s b

Get Ready With Me - Pamper Routine

Life is hectic, stressful and chaotic, it can play havoc with your skin, your health and your general wellbeing.  Sometimes you just have to say stop and take a little time for yourself to give your body a treat and recharge your batteries for the days/weeks ahead. After going through periods of stress and anxiety I found that taking some time to have a mini pamper session could lift my mood, help my skin and lower my stress levels.  I try at least once a week to give myself a mini pamper session to relax and refocus my mind. This is currently my pamper routine; As we move in to Spring I'm exfoliating my skin with Calcot Manor Body salts, this is refreshing my skin and leaving it feeling smooth after months of being hidden under long sleeves and jumpers. I apply to damp skin using a circular motion starting at the feet and working my way up. CALCOT MANOR SCRUB I then shower off the salts which do leave a bit of oil on the skin, I tend to follow up with Treacle Moon