Currently Loving Linkup #1

Today I'm taking part in a linkup created by the awesome Crystal over at The Happy Type where we get to share our favourite things. The Currently Loving Linkup is open to everyone, so if you fancy sharing some of your favourite things right now, head over and share your post. Here are mine...

I've been hearing some bad things about Gotham this week, but I'm loving it. Ben McKenzie is perfect as Gordon and Robin Lord Taylor is creepy as The Penguin. The relationship between Bruce and Alfred is slowly becoming my favourite thing about the show though especially with the fight with Tommy Elliot in the latest episode. It's not perfect Batfans, but hey, I likes it. 

Peter and I went down to London to see Hans Zimmer perform live and it was incredible! He and his crazy talented orchestra played all of our favourites, The Lion King being the highlight for me. He also played Journey to the Line, which I'll be honest in saying that I've never really thought much about it, I have it on my PC and I listen to it occasionally, but it's never really given me the musical shivers before ( I know you know what I mean). After hearing it live though, crazy shivers! I even got a little teary and now I can't stop listening to it!

I'm obsessed with lettering and finding new pens to write and sketch with has taken over my life! My new Zebra pens are beeyootiful and I can't stop using them. I'm pretty sure they're going to run out before I actually sit down to create something with them, I just keep writing.

I found this online and I couldn't stop laughing, so I printed it out and it's sitting on my desk. So whenever I end up on the internet, looking through Pinterest or looking for funny Supernatural gifs to laugh at instead of concentrating,  I can take a quick look to the left and there is Batman telling me to get sh*t done!

My most favourite thing about the linkup is that Crystal asked me to create the button for her. As always it was a pleasure to design for Crystal as she knows what she wants, but also trusted me enough to play around with the idea and get creative. The result is one of my favourite things to have designed, so thanks Crystal!

Don't forget to click the button to check out all the other links and get sharing!
 
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Hello Again & Giveaway

Hello Blogland, how have you been? I haven't been ignoring you, I knew you were there I've just been a little... intimidated. I think that's the right word, but I'm back now with a new (ish) look. What do you think?

I've not blogged in a while and I'm of the habit, so I'm just going to throw some rambling thoughts I've had at you. My ultimate dream is to work for myself selling my work and designing loads of awesome stuff for folk and I was going to use this past week to take all my ideas and make the master plan as I had time off work. When I finally packed up last Friday and got home I dropped in a heap on the couch absolutely burst. Sod's law ensued and I've been full of the cold all week - my week off!

So my plans went out the window and I had a few PJ days watching telly, reading my comics and trying to finalise the line work for my 30th birthday tattoo (I'll blog more about that in another post, but here's a sneak peek).

In the middle of all that I started drawing, just drawing for no reason. Something I've not done for what feels like forever! It was so much fun and so relaxing and when I'd finished I felt happy with what I'd done. It was at that point I realised I have been putting so much pressure on myself to succeed. So much so that nothing was getting done. I've been going round and round in circles making plans, getting too stressed and abandoning them or just not taking the time to do the things I want. In turn this was making me frustrated and angry with myself and feeling like a failure.

Now that little burst of negativity is out of the way, what's the good point in this story? Well, realising all that made me feel like this:

It's time to stop making plans and just DO! I am going to design awesome things and sell then and I'm going to be happy doing it, because that's what I want to do. How's that for a plan? :)

***
So to kick off my return and to celebrate Halloween, I thought I'd do a wee horror-esque giveaway. Everyone loves horror movies and Funko Pop! Vinyls don't they?  Well, you're in luck. I have a cute little Jason to giveaway along with one of the sketches I did this week, here's a looksee.

I'm also offering to colour the sketch with some Promarkers if you'd like, I'll ask the winner about that when he/she is announced on the 2nd November. Please read the T's & C's and tell me what you're favourite scary movie is in the comments...

Thanks for reading folks, I'll post again soon.

1. Please actually do what the giveaway asks. I do check the winning entry to make sure the entry is valid. If the entry isn’t valid I will pick a new winner.
2. Once the winner is validated and emailed, he/she has 48 hours to reply and accept the prize. If he/she does not reply within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.
3.  The giveaway is international so enter away :D

 

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Creative Collective #2 - The Epic Playist

This Creative Collective challenge wasn't exactly created by me. In fact in no way whatsoever did I create the list, but I had to share it as it has inspired my creativeness over the last week or so. 

Valentine's Day is something Peter and I take part in unashamedly. We're not one of those couples who says "every day is Valentine's Day" or "Valentine's Day is just a load of crap thought up by card companies" and "we don't need a special day to show we love each other" blah blah blah! Yes all those things are and should be true, but who cares. Why shouldn't folk partake in a day where we spread the love a little more?

So this year I was surprised with flowers, a card and go karting - what's wrong with a little healthy competition between partners? But our Valentine's continued over to the next morning when I woke up all alone hearing Peter click away on the computer next door. When I went through he announced he was making me and Epic Playlist, an epic list of  movies scores to get me all inspired. In other words, a mix tape!

Ok so it's a folder full of MP3s, but the thought and hard work is still there. Any kid of the 80's & 90's must have fond memories of making complex, thought out tapes recorded from the radio, TV and movies. I once spent hours trying to perfectly record God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You and the Reaper Rap from the end of Bill & Ted's Bogus journey! Well Peter spent an entire day on this so I'm pretty over the moon with all 87 tracks, some I know and some I don't. He even edited bits out, bits together or shortened some of them down to my favourite parts. Awesome!

It may not be my creative hard work, but listening to it every day since the moment he finished it has been like therapy, helping me concentrate on my work and designs,. Even inspiring me to come up with new ones, so in that way it totally counts! It's also one hell of a Valentine's Day gift from one movie score geek to another.

Here's a little sneak peek at some of the tracks on the Epic List

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Creative Collective #1 - My Word of 2014

Finding ways to be more creative is always a good thing and something I'm always trying to do. So when I read about Melyssa's Creative Collective idea over at The Nectar Collective I couldn't wait to get started.

Our first assignment from Melyssa was to think about the year ahead:

Think of a word that you want to focus on in 2014.

Find a piece of paper, cardboard, old pizza boxes, whatever, and write your word out. You can include photos, magazine clippings, paint splotches, random household items, or anything, really, that embodies this word to you. Make it colourful, if you like. Then hang it somewhere in your house or bedroom where it can inspire you and help you maintain your focus throughout the year.

It took a while to narrow it down to just one word, but I kept coming back to the same one - Growth.

I did a fair bit of growing last year with regards to my outlook on things, but there's still plenty to be done. I should be kinder to myself - I'm my own worst enemy and critic so it's time to let that go and be a little bit much more forgiving.

This year I'm also challenging myself to meet my fitness goals - to grow to love myself and body more. A bit mushy I know, but hey! I've got the January blues at the moment being pretty unhappy with my weight, but more importantly unhappy with how unfit I am. This must change! If I get my fitness back I'll grow healthier, more alert and more energetic - all good stuff!

With each experience we grow and I'm aiming to take on new experiences and grow and learn with each one. The Creative Collective will be a great way to get this going, get creative and connect with new bloggers - again all good stuff. 

Like I said in one of my previous posts, this is my positive year and it's time to Make it So!

Have you linked up with Melyssa's Creative Collective yet? Join in by hitting the button below and get your creative on!

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Get Fit Giveaway

So we are now midway through January and how many of us made fitness and weight loss goals at the start of the month due to the new year? Well, if you made a little fitness resolution to pursue in 2014, then welcome to your perfect giveaway!


 The 'Get Fit' Giveaway is all about giving you all the tools, support, and motivation you need to achieve your very best in 2014! No matter what fitness goal you've made for yourself this year the 'Get Fit' Giveaway will help set you on the path to success and self-love, because being healthy isn't just about what's on the outside.

Visit Cassey's website, Blogilates, for amazing monthly work outs, encouragement, and much more!

You'll find yourself rejuvenated by Cassey Ho's 12 Week New Body Makeover Meal Plan and completely inspired by her Pop Pilates Total Body Workout DVD. Cassey is a certified Pilates instructor and shares her love of fitness, self-love, and empowerment for all by wrapping it all up in a ball of positivity that will keep you motivated and moving for your entire body blasting workout. Cassey is all kinds of fitness guru with a thriving Youtube channel full of quality workouts, Ho was included in the Youtube 2013 Rewind featuring the year's top viral videos, and was even named the #2 most influential online personality by Sharecare (second to only Jillian Michaels).



Feast your eyes on all that Blogilates Swag!! The 'Get Fit' Giveaway is all about giving you everything you need to make a lasting change for 2014 and here's the lowdown on what one lucky winner can look forward to winning:

1 x Yoga Bag Bow My Gawd Blogiltes Bag $45.00 value

1 x Yoga Mat Train Insane or Remain the Same Blogilates Mat $25.00 value

1 x Pop Pilates Blogilates Workout DVD $14.99 value

1 x Blogilates Fit Journal + 12 week nutrition plan $30.00 value

1 x Beast Mode Blogilates Water/Shaker Bottle $9.95 value

1 x Sistema Lunch Box $11.85 value

Which comes to a whopping $136.79 value!

PLUS

 

Yup, we are even giving away a $50.00 Amazon gift card to make sure that the winner is able to get the protein powder the 12 week plan requires. Not only are we hooking you up with all the resources you need, but you'll even have access to me, Crystal from The Happy Type, because I'll be doing the plan right alongside of you! Anytime that you need support just reach out to me and I'll give you real-time support.

Together, we can do anything.

Yes, I know this giveaway is the bee's knees, so let's check out the wonderful group of ladies who are committed to making sure you've got everything you need to reach your goals.

| The Happy Type | nomElizabeth | Jade and Oak |

| A Moving Story | Daisy Bisley | Scattered Seashells |

| Chits and Giggles | The Style Dunce | Art of Balance |

I think they all totally deserve a slow clap, don't you? Yup.

Good luck to everyone who enters and for one lucky winner get ready for a life changing 12 weeks!

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*Winner will be notified within 24 hours of giveaway's end. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, before a new winner will be selected. Giveaway is open to international entries and will be shipped within 48 hours of winner verification. All entries will be reviewed and verified prior to selecting a winner.

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A Look Back

2013 was a great (and stressful) year. Peter and I moved in to our very own home, after nine months being out of work I was offered a great job, my freelance worked picked up to a point where I could barely keep track of it, but I managed and learned a lot in the process. Most importantly, however, is that my outlook has changed greatly over the past year.

Had I written the previous paragraph at the beginning of January 2013 it would have gone something like this: I lost my job and spent nine months unemployed being turned down by every job I applied for. This got so bad that I was convinced I was obviously terrible at what I do and almost gave up on my freelance work which ended up almost impossible to keep on top of.

I can't tell you how awesome it feels to have changed that! I still have a ways to go yet, but it feels fantastic that I've been able to make that one change - to see the positives when before I would concentrate on the negatives.

With this in mind, there are a lot of posts I've written in the last year that I'm very proud of so I thought it might be a good idea to share some as a little retrospective on my blogging growth and to keep the positivity flowing around here.

In 2013 I met some amazing folk. Three in particular have been a constant source of encouragement, support and inspiration. Whether they know it or not, they helped me a great deal in changing my outlook and becoming more positive and I'm so grateful to them. So I'm also sharing a couple of posts from each of these great bloggers that have helped me during the last year - a positive naming and shaming if you like ;)

My Favourite Posts of 2013
How to Keep Calm and Focused While Working Freelance
Five Things We Can Learn From Rocky
Embrace Your Inner Geek
Blogging 101 - What I've Learned So Far
Make It So

And now for a couple of my favourite posts from the lovely ladies I was telling you about

Crystal at The Happy Type
Protecting Your joy
Work It Out

***

Melyssa at The Nectar Collective
15 Tips for Being Positive
The Rules of Positivity

***

Erika at Chimerikal
Throwing Away My Bucket List
The Middles

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A Welcome Back

My blog has been sitting here in web space unloved, but not forgotten. Life in the latter part of 2013 got a little bit crazy. My freelance work boomed, I got a full time job and keeping on top of everything burned me out a bit.

After a much needed break over Christmas and New Year I'm feeling better, calm, collected, refreshed and ready to get back in to the swing of blogging. However this time I'm changing things up a bit with my approach.

There are a few conditions that come with my new blogging mission:
1. I'm making a promise to not get angry and annoyed with myself if I don't post everyday

2. I will not give up if I feel my blog isn't as good as others

3. I'm not going to get bogged down with numbers! My blog is for me to share and express my thoughts - not to make money

4. I must go easy on myself! Take inspiration from others, not try to emulate them - to be my own bloggy self!

These conditions are a result of what added to my burning out, taking my blog far too seriously and forgetting what my initial intentions were. Always worrying about numbers, content and whether anyone was reading.

You lovely and talented folk who have blogs full of killer content, making a living from blogging amaze and inspire me, but after giving it a go, full time blogging just isn't for me. And that's ok! I've realised that doesn't make me a blogging failure.

2014 is my positive year, a year where I'll be kinder to myself. So I'm taking a more chilled out and laid back approach - I'm blogging for me and my own sanity. If I make new connections and re-connect with old ones that will be amazing, but I won't be going crazy if there's only three of you reading this, that will be fine (and hey to the three of you).

So here's to a New Year, new and refreshed blogging aspirations, to new connections and old! I hope you've all had a great holiday season. Now it's time to kick 2014 in the ass and make it a great one!

Here's one of my new favourite inspirational tunes for a kick start!

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Weekly Wishes #12

I'm feeling flowery today as all of my plants are still ALIVE! So far I am succeeding in keeping my two orchids, three succulents, lucky bamboo and peace lily alive - I was sure I would have killed by them by now. One of my little succulents is now big enough that I'm thinking Peter and I may get away without a Christmas tree, we could just sling some little fairy lights on it and BOOM - Christmas sorted!

So it's Monday and that means that its Weekly Wishes time in which we all link up over at The Nectar Collective and share what our hopes and goals are for the coming week. Last week I had a little list:

• Send off everything required for my top secret project
• Write some postcards to three lovely ladies, Melyssa, Crystal and Erika, to express my gratitude to them
• Tick off everything on my freelance to do list
• Send off my giveaway goodies to the lovely Nicole 

How did I do? Well everything for the top secret project has been sent (more on that next month) and all of my giveaway prizes were posted too. As for the others, there was no way I was going to be able to tick everything off my freelance list, but I knew that. I put it there to get my ass moving!

For the postcards - sorry ladies they haven't been sent yet, but there's good reason. Instead of postcards I am making up some gratitude packs for you. I'll hopefully have them all put together at some point in the next fortnight so keep an eye out! 

This week is an exciting one. I only went and got myself a new shiny job! Yuppers I'm finally going back to a full time job but this time it's a design one and I'm so happy! My new title? Design Executive - how sweet is that?!

Although I can't wait to get started yesterday I had a bit of a freak out. How am I meant to keep the house tidy and still enjoy a full weekend?! How is that done? How do you cope? Then came the list making frenzy. Peter, being the ever supportive hero of my need to list and chart everything, has agreed to a daily routine that I have typed up, printed and now stuck on the fridge - we do a room a day leaving the weekend for nothing but relaxing/designing/gaming. Just ten minutes a day when we get in and that's it, easy enough? I hope so.

So this week's wishes are that I don't suck tomorrow on my first day, a new early morning routine kicks in and sticks quickly and that our house work chart goes well. I also plan to continue checking things off my freelance list so I can get more organised there and really start to get the freelance/work/free time balance sorted. That last one is going to be tough for the next few months, but as always, I'll keep on plugging through it and get it done.

Have you joined up with Melyssa's Weekly Wishes yet? Jump one over and share you goals with us all and get some love!

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Finding My Bloggy Self and Nerd Love

After a bit of bloggy soul searching, reading Belinda's Follow Your Blogging Compass series and a very inspiring comment from Erika I decided that the blog needed a bit of a rethink with regards to what I was posting about. I was thinking too broadly and trying to emulate what other blogs were doing, totally stripping myself of my uniqueness. We're all different and that should be celebrated so why should I try and copy others.

A little bit of self belief has sunk in and the encouragement of others has been incredibly inspirational and I'm so grateful for those lovely ladies.

So where am I going with this? That little word up top there in my header says nerdyness and so far I haven't been delivering on the goods. So it's time to inject some nerd juice in to the blog starting with a new series. With Nerd Love I aim to start sharing some of the nerdy things I love, why I love them and why you should give them a shot if you haven't already and if you have then you can share what you love about them too. Hopefully we can all start embracing our inner Geeks and Nerds and spread the love.

First up in the series I want to talk about where I believe my love of sci fi started. I was lucky enough to be exposed to Star Trek the original series when I was really young and got my little geek on when I watched it. But I only liked it back then, the love came later so it's fair to say my geekery didn't all start with the Trek.

No, it started in the New Mexico desert where a scientific genius stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and... all together now... vanished!

Gooshie, centre me on the best TV show ever!

Although some would argue it's not really sci fi, Quantum Leap counts to me as in essence it's about a super handsome guy travelling through time. It was my first true sci fi love.

It was a show that shaped me as a person not only as a mini nerd, but as a human with human feels. I often joke that Sam Beckett is responsible for my outlook and ideals, but in a way it's totally true! What?! I watch too much telly I know! But seriously, it was very influential on a kid of seven watching googly eyed at that blue light and her favourite hero.

The whole concept of the show is that Sam, with the help of Al, Ziggy and Gooshie travels back in time to fix things that went wrong in the past. That concept alone instilled feelings of the need to help each other out once in a while and in the immortal words of Bill & Ted "be excellent to each other" (that's another Nerd Love post for another time).

You're part of a time travel experiment that went a little ca-ca

Quantum Leap covered a whole load of topics that were pretty daring and influential in my beliefs as an adult. I'll admit some went over my head as a kid, but the info went in and was there at the back of my brain for when I started to fully understand what really being said. Some of the more serious themes in the series included racism, sexism, rape and the treatment of those with special needs. Each theme was handled with care, well written and acted superbly.

What I loved most about Quantum Leap was Scott Backula as Sam. He just hit that nerve in me every time helping me take in what was going on and how I felt about it. Making me really think, which is always a good thing!

Everything in Quantum Leap always seemed so heartfelt and genuine especially the relationship between Sam and Al. One always tried their best to look out for the other and some of my favourite leaps involved Sam looking out for Al from the past - with the exception of one heartbreaking leap where Sam refuses to tell Al's wife to wait for him, that he's alive and he will come home from war. This eventually leads you to the even more heartbreaking final leap where Sam says he has one thing he wishes he could change... 

I'm stuck in '56 with a brain like swiss-cheese and YOU'RE having technical difficulties

There is nothing bad for me to say about Quantum Leap. It's full of heart and feels and so much fun to watch. It also holds some great sentimental value to me too. My Dad used to let me stay up late and watch it with him so it's been kind of a bond that I've always held on to no matter how rough things got during later years.

For me there has never been a show like it since and to be honest, Sci Fi really played a small part in my love for it. My love was all about the heart of the show and how involved I got. I was right along with Sam and Al totally invested in what was happening. But it did open me up to more sci fi shows and I'll geek out whenever it's repeated on TV so I hold solely responsible! 

What about you guys? Can you pin point your early nerdy beginnings? Do you have any favourite sci fi shows or are you a crazy Leaper lover like me? Unleash your geek in the comments.

Now Gooshie... centre me in on dinner!

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How To Keep Calm and Focused

Keeping focused and calm during a big project can prove pretty difficult sometimes, especially if things go wrong. These past three weeks have seen ups and downs, disasters and successes as well as some stress filled days.

I've been working on the biggest project I've ever been commissioned to do so I was determined to succeed and make it happen. It meant learning a lot along the way and also thinking on my feet. It also caused stress when things started to go wrong and I had the horrible feeling it might not be done in time. Finding ways to stay calm, focused and motivated were essential to keep on top of things.

With all this in mind I wanted to share some of the things I've learned or rediscovered during the project.

Write It Down

Making a to do list not only helps you keep track of what needs to be done, but also helps you prioritise your job list. You can also use it to break down bigger projects in to more manageable goals. So instead of "Carina's Logo" you can break it down in to:

• Research
• Initial Sketches
• Finalise Design
• Digitise Line Work
• Deliver Final Design

This keeps you on track and focused on the smaller goals instead of one big intimidating one.

  Take a Breather

Breaks are important to keep you motivated, especially if you're stuck in a rut or suffering from the dreaded creative block. Take five minutes to do some deep breathing or half an hour to chill out and get some lunch. Going for a walk is another great way to refresh your brain. Go out and get some air and you're guaranteed to come back ready to go. Take a camera and/or notepad with you too as you never know when inspiration will strike.

Whatever you choose make sure you walk away from what you're working on and don't focus on it! I personally love taking half an hour out to read a chapter or two of a book. It totally breaks my mind away from what I'm working on, allowing me to go back completely refreshed and ready to work. Remember to set an alarm though as we all know how a book can grab you and keep you!

Workin' 9 to 5

It's important to try and set regular working hours and a working schedule. This will help establish a routine and keep you organised.

Get up early and enjoy your breakie! Breakfast is a great time to prepare for the rest of your day. I've heard of folk practising mindful techniques or thinking of things they are grateful for to help them start the day on a positive. I personally like to spend my breakfast time relaxing and focusing on positive things before I start my work. It really helps me to get in the right frame of mind before getting stuck in.
I also like to take half an hour to watch some morning telly. Either Frasier or Everybody Loves Raymond are my shows of choice as a good dose of laughter can also set you up for a great day.

Sort Your Space Out

I am a notoriously messy desk keeper while working! During a project my work space ends up covered in paper, notes, pencils, pens and empty cups that once held my tea. It's definitely something I still need to work on, especially as I feel way more productive when my desk is tidy! A tidy workspace will stop you getting distracted and in turn keep you more focused.

De-clutter your workspace and try to keep it organised. Organise your notes and inspirations on a pin board and make some cool storage pots for your stuff - the perfect excuse to get your DIY on (and make more mess), just make sure you tidy up after yourself!

And The Reward Goes To

Here's the fun part! Help yourself to achieve your goals by setting rewards. If you get all your research done or knock out ten sketches then treat yourself to a walk in the park or something sweeter. You know, that tub of ice cream that's been at the back of the freezer. Not all of it mind, just a wee bit. Go on, you;ve worked hard and deserve it! Or if you've been working solid for a few days without fail reward yourself with a day off.

Rewarding yourself this way will keep you motivated during a project, especially if you've been struggling with it. Recently I've been going for the ice cream reward, it's definitely been getting my days work done knowing the Carte D'or was waiting for me at the end of the day.

***

Well these are some of the ways I keep calm, focused and motivated whilst working on any project big or small and I hope you found them useful for your freelance work, art commissions or even personal projects.

Even if you're not working on something at the moment I hope there is something you can take away from the things I've learned. Best of luck with all your projects.

How do you keep calm and focused when you're working? Share your wisdom in the comments.

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Weekly Wishes #11

This is my first post in three weeks! What happened? A super blogging streak broken! - no apologies though as it's been one week of bloggy reflection and two weeks of solid work. Oh and this...

Week one was intentional. I needed a break as I felt like I was losing my way a bit, trying too hard for killer content and trying to emulate those more successful than my little space on the web and worrying about the numbers - self inflicted pressure, you know, the usual!

Week two was totally unintentional, design work took me on a trip to stress and disaster filled lows to overwhelming yet epicosity packed highs! Writing the to do list was the first thing to set off stress alarms, there was (and is) so much to do and I let it freak me out a bit. 

It's all good though, this is what I wanted - design filled days full of posters, logos and tattoos. And then there's my top secret project, that's been a learning curve and a half! Ups, downs, blood, sweat and tears. I'll share more of the project towards mid October when it's all done and dusted so keep an eye out for it. I'm enjoying feeling busy especially as it's all involving being creative even even if I did miss out on the bloggy goodness.

It's no mistake I'm making my triumphant return to the blogging world on a Monday as it's just in time for Melyssa's Weekly Wishes. I've been out of it for three weeks so it's time I got my wishing on! 

I'm keeping it pretty simple to ease myself back in with a quick to do list.

• Send off everything required for my top secret project
• Write some postcards to three lovely ladies, Melyssa, Crystal and Erika, to express my gratitude to them
• Tick off everything on my freelance to do list
• Send off my giveaway goodies to the lovely Nicole Nemeth (check out her awesome blog here)

Wish me luck fellow wishers and all the best for your week ahead! If you haven't joined the Weekly Wishes Link Up yet then check it out over at The Nectar Collective and share your wishes and goals with us!

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Top 5 of All Time - Movie Motivation

We all need a little motivation now and then and a little pep talk can go a long way. I get my motivation form a few places and one of them is listening to some good old movie quotes and speeches. There's always a little priceless nugget of advice to be found somewhere.

So for this week's Top 5 of All Time I'm going for my favourite motivating and inspiring movie moments. Let's go! (Click the images to get to the videos)

5 » The Pursuit of Happiness!
This movie made me cry! Like openly sob. It was just so moving and this part when Chris is talking to his son and realises that he has basically told his son not to follow his dream ugh - Pass the hankies. I just love the look on Will Smith's face when he realises that if he leaves it there he could have, in one swift moment, stopped his son from dreaming for the rest of his life. It's as if his son's life flashed before his eyes and it wasn't a happy one. Beautiful part of the movie.

4 » Batman Begins

This pretty much sets up the entire trilogy, there is the start of Dark Knight Rises where Bruce has stopped listening, but he gets there in the end. It's a lesson that says it's ok to fail - that's how we learn to succeed. If you fall flat on your face just get up, dust yourself off and keep on trucking - or rambling as the case may be in the Nolanverse.

3 »   Ferris Bueller
I first heard this when I was younger and I kind of got it then, but as I got older and wiser and went through some "stuff" and suffered a great loss it became more meaningful and important to me. Life does move pretty really fast and we do need to remember to stop some times and appreciate what we have, who we have and who we are. Live in the now man!

 

2 »   Little Miss sunshine
One of my favourite's with a sweary word for emphasis! This is one that comes up with me every now and then. When I'm wondering whether I should give up my dreams and take a job just for the money for the rest of my life. Right now I'm kind of working three jobs and barely scraping by. I love each one, but there is always this niggling feeling whether it's time to just let it all go and get the "normal" job. I mean yeah I'd love to work in a studio full time surrounded by other creative folk and I'm giving it everything I've got to try and find that, but they're thin on the ground. I know in my heart that I will eventually get to where I want to be, I just have to keep doing what I love to get there!
*Apologies for the lack of quality one the video on this one, it's the only clip on YouTube I could find*

1 »   Rocky Balboa

I said it before in my 5 Things We Can Learn From Rocky post, life is tough sometimes and we all get knocked down occasionally. The hits can be hard too and totally deflate us in every way, but as Rocky says we have to be willing to take the hits and keep moving. That's how we accomplish our goals no matter how hard things get. Nothing worth doing is easy so fight it out to the end and it'll all be worth it!


So these are my Top 5 Motivational Movie Quotes and I hope you get as much out of them as I do. If you have any that I haven't mentioned then leave a comment below as you can never have too many inspiring snippets of wisdom in your life!

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Finds of the Week - Kinkei Love + Giveaway

For my Finds of the Week this week I wanted to share one of my favourite illustrators in the Verse, Kinkei  aka Kei Phillips.

Her work is so beautiful and I've been a fan for many years now. It's fun, colourful and pretty funky and when it came to finding something for Peter and my anniversary it was I wanted a one of Kinkei piece. We ended up with a stunning piece of artwork that is now proudly displayed in our living room - getting that framed was so exciting as it was like our first "us" piece if that makes sense?? It was exciting and I smile everytime I see it.

Here are some examples of some of the stunning work Kinkei does,  enjoy!

Here's the anniversary piece I commissioned from Kinkei, I love it so much - mostly because my hair looks all kinds of awesome!

You can find Kinkei on 

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 Please go check out her work it truly is a joy to behold and I know you'll love it.

Don't forget I'm holding my very first giveaway featuring a Pantone sketchbook, two Letraset fineliners, and a shiny pink ruler and pencil set, both from Paperchase and recycled. So if you're interested in winning some lovely sketchy goodies, enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Favourite Scottish Words with Jenny

So here we are Jenny and I celebrating our favourite Scottish words. Mine are over on Jenny's blog and Jenny has kindly shared her particularly hilarious selection here. I've been howling with laughter at these as they are all great words and phrases, but I had them on my huge list that I narrowed down for my post. Great minds eh! I'll let you get cracking in on these and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Over to Jenny.

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Awrite Everybody?

As part of my sponsor swap with Claire, we decided we should give you some insight into our national language. There aren't many Scottish bloggers that I've met, so it was fun to get the chance to do this. I hope you can find a way to use THESE words in everyday life - I know I do.

Bampot;

It's a brilliant word to describe a flippin' idiot. Doesn't it just sound extra insulting?

Blutered

Falling down drunk or wasted. For an accurate visual- watch this; it's a cracker

This one's certainly a cracker. It's what we call a cast for broken bones. I find that I have to stop myself using this word here in Barbados because they look at me like I'm speaking Double Dutch or something

Keech

The CH in keech would be pronounced  from the throat like Loch. It means poop. I.e. I've gone and got dog keech stuck to the sole of my shoe!

Wheesht essentially means shut up. For example 'wheesht a minute - can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Wain

A name commonly used to refer to children, for example your grandmother might tell your mom that it's been ages since she's seen 'the wain' meaning you. If you're a female you'll also hear the word 'Hen' a LOT. Especially from nice wee old ladies, they use it as a pet name;'Thanks Hen!'

Gubbed

If you or your other half support Arsenal, you should be familiar with this word. It means to get badly beaten. For example; the 'Gers got a complete gubbing today, it was 4-0 to Celtic.

[Rangers and Celtic are 2 of Scotland's most well known teams, whose fans often have deep hatred for each other]

Snappy, grumpy and a general party pooper. ^ This guy is a crabbit geezer!

Well that's all my favorite words..
Now Here's Some Bonus Phrases!

Get It Right Up Ye! - Can be used when someone pisses you off.

Nae Bother Pal! Means no worries friend, use it instead of you're welcome

Away and Run Up My Humph! - Get Lost!

Well how'd you enjoy our patter? I love our unique dialects and words, don't you? If you know any awesome dialectal words (from yours or ours) leave them in the comments box below.

If you want to check out Claire's version, pop on over to my blog!

For a good laugh you can check out Billy Connolly, Still Game + Rab C Nesbitt 

( not for those who don't like cursing though)

You can find Jenny online at:

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Things You Should Know

I've been seeing this post pop up all over the place and I'll be lying if I said I wasn't hoping someone would tag me in order to fulfil my nerdy need to fill in forms and Q&As! Needless to say that I was chuffed to bits when Erika and Laura both tagged me - woots!! Thank you ladies x
So here are my six things you should know.

If you could see any artist/band live which would you choose?
Music has always been pretty important to me and I have a pretty diverse taste. When I was younger I always loved The Eagles and Bon Jovi. As I grew up in to a rocking teenager I got in to the Foo Fighters. When I hit my twenties I fell in love with DeVotchKa.

These were four bands I wanted to see and over the years I've seen them all at least twice. Of all of the gigs I've been to the first DeVotvhKa gig was the best. It was in a small venue and was so intimate - the perfect atmosphere for their style of music.

I'm also a big Lifehouse fan and they are a band that connects me with Peter as we kind of bonded over them when we first started seeing each other. We always said that if they ever came back to Glasgow we'd go. This was starting to look unlikely when I was randomly reading a paper I never read and saw an ad for the following night. We got tickets and finally got to see them live and have a dance to our song! Awwww.

Which blog are you in love with that you only found out about recently?

My newest bloggy love is Melanie Fontaine. I think Melanie's blog is fantastic. It's full of beautiful photography and travel posts, including a great series on my native Scotland.

Melanie's also recently blogged about Norway and Jeez-oh the pictures were stunning! I love her enthusiasm for travel, it's infectious and will ignite the wanderlust in anyone!

What hobbies do you have that we don't know about?

For a long time I've dreamed of driving a car very fast around a track, preferably a 1960s Mustang - a 1968 GT390 to be exact! One day I'll do it, until then however I'll keep enjoying the odd trip to the Go Karting. 

I love it! There's nothing quite like driving fast around a track and although you only go about 40mph, your ass is pretty much on the ground so it feel a lot faster!

If money wasn't a problem.. what would be your dream destination?

My dream destination right now is to go to Disney World Florida with Peter. I've been before and loved it, but having Peter there would be a whole other level of brilliance. Like me, he's a big kid at heart and we'd have so much fun and so many laughs. We're currently saving our pennies and will hopefully get there in the next five years, but we WILL get there!

*I know this is Paris, but I love the colour in the image *

If you could meet any blogger in person, who would you pick?

I'd love to have an international meet up with some of the amazing folk I've met, but I'd have to pick Crystal from The Happy Type. Crystal has been an amazing source of support, encouragement and inspiration. She has made my blogging (and fitness) journey so enjoyable. One of these days I will get to thank her in person and also go on a thrifting mission for vintage t shirts!

What's something we may not know about you?
So a few years ago I used to be a dressmaker's assistant and tutor. Yeah, me the unfashionable one! I wanted to learn how to sew so I booked myself on to a ten week course. After my first block I booked another more advanced one with the same teacher, but just after I started it I was asked if I wanted to become an assistant - yes was my answer!

During my time in the studio I helped to make suits, jackets, skirts, accessories and even wedding dresses. I also ended up teaching the class one night a week. It was a great experience and a whole load of fun. It also shows just how much life can take you down a path you never expected!

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Well that was fun and thanks again to Laura and Erika for tagging me. Now it's my turn to tag folk:

Paulina @ Color Me Brave

Aukele @ 91 Dash

Becky @ Seductive Mania

Berlyn @ The Myopic Squid

Jenny @ Diary of a Dreamer

Nino  @ Text Sketches