Five Favourite Blogs

One of the Everyday in May topics that I missed was to post a list of my favourite blogs and I thought that it was a good time to catch up. My list is a mix of friends, blogging idols and blogs I visit regularly for inspiration and motivation. If you’re up for discovering some new bloggy friends then click through the list.

Tomorrow I'll share my favourite Tweeters, so be sure to check back.

Am Bothan is written by my best bud Anna and is where she shares her adventures on the isle of Islay and other treks around Scotland.  Anna has a love of Scotland's Gaelic culture and heritage and you can't help but feel a wee twinge of healthy patriotism when you read her posts. Plus there is always a beautiful pic involved showcasing just what a beautiful country we live in. Tapadh leibh Anna!

"I have personal and professional interests in the field of culture-heritage and like nothing more than discussing and sharing ideas on both culture and heritage with others. Further interests you might come across here include: archaeology, handcrafts, music and landscapes."

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Another talented friend of mine, Kirsty is the author of new blog Bake Good. For years Kirsty has been treating the world to her baked goods and in high school we all got fantastically designed birthday cakes {two of mine were Lord of the Rings and Linkin Park; nom, nom nom} that tasted equally amazing. In Bake Good Kirsty shares some of her favourite recipes from her many cook books, some of which have been altered by her own expertise and know-how. I'll definitely be trying one of her recipes soon.

"I hope to share some of my favourite recipes, whilst also pushing myself to try out bakes I have never attempted before (mostly bread) as well as working my way through the backlog of cookbooks I have piling up on my shelves that I haven’t baked nearly enough from!"

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Julie Ann Art is a wonderful blog that I found while trying to find an anniversary card for Peter. I fell in love with Julie Ann's cards instantly and check the blog daily for news and new designs. Julie Ann has also played a massive role in inspiring me in my plans for taking DaisyBisley to the next level, so if you're reading this Julie Ann, thank you.

"Julie Ann Art is a lifestyle blog with a focus on self employment, indie business tips, and DIY tutorials. Here, Julie discusses the challenges and successes she faces while pursuing her small business full-time. She takes great pride in the content of my blog and hope readers are left feeling creative and inspired. Her blog has become her creative outlet, where she can not only document all of her ideas, inspirations, and handmade projects, but share them with other crafty nerds like herself!"

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Melyssa at The Nectar Collective is my newest blogging idol. I love her posts on positivity and creativity and I do hope to one day have a blog as awesome and inspiring as hers. Melyssa has such a unique voice that keeps you reading and coming back for more. Nectar Collective is full of laughs and a variety of posts. Personal favourites are "Musings by Monja" - Posts by Melyssa's cute corgi and "Japan: the Good; the Bad and the Bizarre" - a collection of good, bad and strange things about living in Japan. Now that I'm venturing out in to self employment, Nectar Collective has become a daily stop for me to find positivity and inspiration when I need it most.

"I will share anything I can that makes me come alive, and that I think might help you, too – DIY projects to get your hands moving, advice to help you become your best self, recipes to reconnect you with the wonderful creativity in cooking, photos and stories from adventures all over the world, and anything else to help you learn, grow, experience, and create."

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 Now that we're talking about inspirational blogs, I feel I have to share Story of my Life. Those of you that took part in the Blog Everyday in May challenge already know Jenni and her beautiful blog. Those of you that don't I urge you to head over for a nosey. Jenni writes about life, fashion, blogging and her photography. If it wasn't for Jenni and her blogging challenge I wouldn't be here finally getting stuck in to my blogging dreams of world domination! Thank you Jenni.

"I run this blog and my photography business for a living in Austin, TX. I love what I do and where I live, and I'm grateful I can say that. Writing and photography and social media truly are my passion in life."

 

Thanks to all on the list for inspiring me to be a better blogger and setting me on the right track to achieving my goals. Oh and please check back tomorrow when I'll share my favourite Tweeters.

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Random Fact Fridays

One my quest for blogging greatness I've been reading through loads of blogs for inspiration and have noticed folk sharing little bits of information about themselves in order to connect with readers on a more personal level. With this in mind I thought it would be a good idea to share some fun facts about me too. 

So behold - Random Fact Fridays.  In no way is that title original, but the content will be as we're all different. Once a month I'll share 5 facts, no matter how daft or odd. 

Here goes...

Wishful Thinking      .      Another Death

1. I'm a dog person. It's not that I don't like cats, they hate me. Scratch that, it's mutual - we just don't get along. Dogs are more friendly to me and I don't feel snubbed when I talk to them... other dog folk will know what I mean and it's perfectly normal to talk to dogs.

 2. I'm a movie geek and have a vast collection. I wouldn't say cinefile as from my experience they tend to take things too seriously and don't appreciate the works of Jason Statham and the action genre as a whole. Speaking of The Stath....

3. I have Jason Statham crush. I don't know where it came from, it just happened. The Expendables anyone?

 4. The first novel I ever read was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and it's still one of my favourites. I still have the copy I was given for my tenth birthday.

5. DaisyBisley isn't my real name, it's just the name I work under and is a result of my love for the TV show Spaced. I can't remember the first time I used it, but it's stuck now. My real name is Claire Glasgow which is also where I'm from. I used to find it really annoying as most folk would crack a joke and find it hilarious, but now that I'm older I'm proud of my semi-unusual name.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

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High Speed Training Course Review

Back in March the lovely Gisele over at In Social We Trust put me in touch with High Speed Training who asked me to review a couple of their courses. I was more than happy to do this as I love learning new things and developing my skills.

High Speed Training offer a wide range of courses covering topics from food hygiene, health and safety to business and customer service skills. They are split in to different modules that you can work through at your own pace, making them great for those with limited time.

As I was starting up the blog again and wanted to start fulfilling one of goals, to get better at writing, I chose Business Writing Skills first followed by the Time Management course.

Business Writing Skills

Business Writing is split in to four modules, each having both audio and written slides and are easy to work through and understand. At the end of each module there is a multiple choice exercise to help you review the content.

Once all the modules are complete there is then a final assessment to work through. Again this is made up of 15 multiple choice questions and if you don't pass it can be taken again at no extra cost. You also receive a personalised certificate upon completion and passing the course.

I found the course to be suitable for anyone wanting to understand techniques used to improve their writing and covers punctuation, grammar, spelling as well as different types of business writing. It was a great way to review my language skills, not just for business, but for all aspects of writing.

Time Management

I chose the Time Management course in order to improve my skills and better prioritise my workload. It follows the same structure as the Business Writing course and has the same exercises and assessment at the end.

The topics covered include the importance of time management, evaluating how time is used, managing meetings, setting objectives and taking decisive action. I did feel that this course was aimed at small to large businesses and would have liked more information about management for the individual. However the course was interesting and full of useful information and tips.

I would recommend High Speed Training as a great resource for learning new skills. The site is very user friendly and easy to navigate. The courses are also good value, both being £25 + vat and are CPD accredited. If you fancy learning something new the site is well worth a look.

Highlights of using High Speed Training:

• The courses are well laid out and easy to follow
• You can start the course at any time and work through it at our own pace
• A personalised certificate is sent to you on completion of your course

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Quantum Leaping from Gardening to Sci Fi

We had a lovely start to our morning with Peter doing a presentation at Abbey Books in Paisley for young writers club, New Leaf. He told them all about the animation and games industries and how storytelling is used throughout production. I sat in on the second group and it was really interesting, although I am a tad biased, but it really was!

While Peter was talking to the first group I had a nosey around for some interesting books - there's always something in a second bookshop worth having. I quickly found myself in the gardening section and looking back at me were three books on cacti and succulents.

During the short five months Peter and I have been in our own home I have managed to kill two Gerber daisies. I felt awful about this and had to ask my Mum if there was anything simpler for me to nurture that would help me develop my green thumb. When visiting a couple of weeks ago she bought me three little cacti and proclaimed that they were easy to care for. I'm not so about this sure as the little pink flowers on the "chubby" cactus have now closed and slightly shrivelled, is this a sign it's dying??  {Apologies for my lack of knowledge on the correct names of my precious new cacti}.

I bought two books on cacti and succulents and plan on reading through them asap so I don't suffer the guilt of killing another living thing.

One of the books is a signed copy and I'll be doing some research in to who Charles Glass and Robert Foster actually are - cacti gurus I'm assuming. Now that I'm armed with these new books and The Nectar Collective's post Taking Care of Succulents I hope to become a successful cacti gardener - wish me luck.

I love second hand bookshops as there are always secret treasures to be found. I know what you're thinking; Oh boy, is that a Quantum Leap novel? Well it is and I'm so geekily excited about it. I've loved Quantum Leap since I was 5 or 6 and most of my beliefs are based on the teachings of Dr Sam Beckett and Rear Admiral Calavicci, but I never knew that there were novels kicking about. How did this knowledge escape me? I picked up "prelude" for £1 as it serves as a set up to the TV series. Here's the blurb:

Dr. Sam Beckett wasn't always a leaper. And Admiral Al Calavicci wasn't always a holographic image. In 1993, at Stallion's Gate, New Mexico, Sam and Al were ordinary men with extraordinary ambitions...

Project Quantum Leap was only a dream.

What was the secret that made Ziggy much more than a machine? Why did Sam really want to travel in time? Where was Al that fateful winter night? And who almost destroyed the dream before it began?

The answers are just a leap away...

Ooh I'm hooked and can't wait to get stuck in. I'll definitely be blogging about it when I'm done. No doubt I'll be back at Abbey books looking for more Quantum Leap novels some time soon. Starting to regret giving away all my X Files books.

If you've read any great TV adaptations or have any tips on cacti/succulent gardening I'd love to hear from you, please leave a coment below.

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