tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90824681191273407502023-11-16T06:31:25.507-08:00Pink Smarties BlogMartihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-46978903558727241372017-12-31T05:01:00.000-08:002019-09-17T01:40:53.730-07:00Pushing Yourself- Guest Post by Leah<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6jbqg2tEWmidElbgRYtH0V8ab3fJVgO8Z5axPuXwO3E4yhDbXcMnuJxtToe1xhpTAUVpTA5_63-y6AB4PQtHE23wDwnADK_vKullKQ7rBBlX5GasDxVxDtN32vp5tTxy3N76H2anqt2R/s1600/26234023_825534667649900_2047447756_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6jbqg2tEWmidElbgRYtH0V8ab3fJVgO8Z5axPuXwO3E4yhDbXcMnuJxtToe1xhpTAUVpTA5_63-y6AB4PQtHE23wDwnADK_vKullKQ7rBBlX5GasDxVxDtN32vp5tTxy3N76H2anqt2R/s640/26234023_825534667649900_2047447756_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After reviewing my <a href="http://cosyallureblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/looking-back-on-my-new-years-resolutions.html" target="_blank">new year’s resolutions pos</a>t from the start of this year, I realised that I really need to aim to make my goals for this year a little more realistic to achieve for 2018.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-3554495c-ac25-f826-9110-0fb10c59c29a" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now that I’m in year eleven, my attitude towards school has changed quite a lot in the way that I am taking lessons more seriously and doing revision and am really enjoying pretty much all of my lessons. This year is also the year where I have realised that my previous habits (no revision apart from what I’m made to do in class and the possible brief flick through my notes 30 seconds before the test itself) may not be the best idea anymore because although it has worked in the past, I probably won’t be able to wing a test on everything I’ve covered over the past year and a half. So my aim is to make notes on everything I have covered since the start of last year (year ten) with the <span style="font-size: large;">aim of achieving my goal</span> that I have had set for myself for a while now, which is to <span style="font-size: large;">walk out of all my exams with Bs as a minimum</span> grade (which are 6s in the new grading system).</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gyyf3NLsEH1pLZl3ELkYS-jf5VdYp5mAdbrKffh5Zav4Byi6T0BGa5CtnBWH-n-KchMUH3Tq9mlOHxwh19crffq_mRlC3cCNCr2c8IpSY1hdEz4ORiLbNvyzvnUrCdi1yJIXlplM" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gyyf3NLsEH1pLZl3ELkYS-jf5VdYp5mAdbrKffh5Zav4Byi6T0BGa5CtnBWH-n-KchMUH3Tq9mlOHxwh19crffq_mRlC3cCNCr2c8IpSY1hdEz4ORiLbNvyzvnUrCdi1yJIXlplM" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="292" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am also going to aim to <span style="font-size: large;">take better care of myself both physically and mentally</span>: physically in the way that I am going to try avoid junk foods a little more and aim for more <span style="font-size: large;">healthier alternatives</span> and also stop staying up late watching things on my tablet as I always end up regretting it the next day when I can barely keep my eyes open. Mentally I am going to try <span style="font-size: large;">do the best</span> I can in terms of my school work to make sure I <span style="font-size: large;">meet deadlines </span>on time so I don’t stress about missing them, causing myself to have stress headaches most days of the week! I am also going to do this by making a better effort at keeping my room tidy to some degree so I don’t lose important work/revision in the mess, and stress myself out further.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although this is all school related, I know and have known for a while that I need to <span style="font-size: large;">get things under control</span> a little more at school and with my school work in order to clear my mind and help myself make it out of my exams in one piece, with my social life and friendships still intact.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My goals for the new year have been made a little more manageable this time round, and I am currently on the road to achieving these with high levels of success. My advice would be to <span style="font-size: large;">think about what you’ll be able to achieve </span>within the new year and what will benefit you and perhaps your friends and family this year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hope you have a great new year!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leah- </span><a href="http://cosyallureblog.blogspot.co.uk/" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">cosyallureblog.blogspot.co.uk</a> xxx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-505845883792349242017-11-24T12:19:00.000-08:002017-11-23T12:19:58.486-08:00An Interview with The HandleBards<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwikusXpvtXXAhXiKMAKHahuDukQjxwIAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.settle.org.uk%2Fhandlebards-tour%2F&psig=AOvVaw3hcRwpX5kAz-67xQY3JBcn&ust=1511553789581492" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1600" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOilJI-2nPfshOIQOVWkMYW_7tTLUsk0s8Ad66bSMB-38dpcHnxtMOAI5x-dXXA4eoM3mtxV_lQNoWreelLId8UCnF1FE7w6YOqrtNr4idv8lf8x5ioNywDC3Z7UluVZ1iptxH2zCYVVDl/s640/name.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<tr style="height: 562pt;"><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><br />First of all, would you mind telling us a little about who The HandleBards are and what you do?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The HandleBards are a cycling troupe of actors who, every summer, carry all of our set props and costumes on the back of our bikes to perform Shakespeare at a variety of venues all across the UK!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How did the idea of combining Shakespeare and cycling come about? Would you say that it's one of the defining factors that makes your theatre group so unique?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s definitely what sets us apart from other theatre companies! It came from four friends knowing that they loved Shakespeare and adventures but thinking that perhaps walking across the UK would take a bit too long. So the next best thing was bikes. None of us were particularly bike savvy before our first tour but it’s safe to say that 5 years and 5 cycle tours later we are big bike fans now!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What's the longest distance you've ever cycled to reach a venue? Was it worth it when you got there?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At least 50 miles, we saw wild horses, had to do a detour to go to a radio station for an interview, nearly ended up on a motorway and we saw another cyclist get hit by a car. It was a very eventful day! The show was full (thankfully) and the audience were great but we were EXHAUSTED that night. It’s difficult for us to do big distances, because of all the weight we’re carrying we tend to go an average of 10-12 miles an hour but that was a LONG day!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.soglos.com/theatre/42255/Open-air-Theatre-at-Painswick-Rococo-Garden" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="620" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kUvtctw8xNyZm3HMKvgGcImZ9EJ_UP6IqOFgZJ-wJdFqShpCTAczO9MzYvQIH13C7bRhyphenhyphenNSIN9sek99v_WoL0U0tWq5-H5cVAfKbC-caS3EqiqWyxLxVKd4-hWfUlTnZGZGeFv3WD85p/s400/sg_theatre_openairtheatreatrococogarden_efl.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After cycling such a way, does it drain you before a show? I was amazed by how much energy there was in your performance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes and no. All HandleBards talk about their first ever 'cycle + show’ day and how exhausted they are. However your body is very flexible to it’s environment and eventually it adjusts and it doesn’t feel so bad - if anything it gives you an adrenaline rush!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you get many days off? What would the typical 'relaxed day' for you consist of?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During a typical HandleBards cycle tour we perform 6 days a week, cycle 5 days a week and get Mondays off. Days off we tend to explore the town/city that we are in and later in the tour we always go in search for a spa to just relax!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Would you say that your relationship with the people you perform with is part of what makes your performances so enjoyable?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The relationship between the actors is very important. For the first two years we were just a group of mates and we had a great laugh which was what made the shows so silly and fun I think. Now that we cast actors one of the things we look for is if there personalities will match and if they look like they will have fun together. Otherwise what are we doing it all for?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Where do you stay in between travelling to new venues?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We camp, stay in hotels, airbnbs and at the homes of people who see our show and are kind enough to let us stay - we meet some wonderful people through this and hear some amazing stories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What would you say is the best thing about performing with The Handlebards?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Making people laugh. Having people say that we made Shakespeare accessible for them or for their kids.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On average, how long does it take you to have a show ready to perform? Learning huge chunks of Shakespeare text is difficult enough without having multiple roles!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We give ourselves 2 weeks to rehearse. We get the script two week in advance of this and try and get off book as much as we can before we go into the room. The shows are always a bit chaotic when we first go out on the road but that adds to the joy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #500050; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, if there was one piece of advice you could give to aspiring actors, what would it be?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just keep making your own theatre. Try out acting, directing, stage management, designing do it all (but give everyone else a chance too!) Getting a well rounded experience will set you up to be a good actor and a friendly one that appreciates everyone else around them - and being a nice person to work with is one of the best qualities to have as people will keep on hiring you!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.handlebards.com/">https://www.handlebards.com/</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/handlebards" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJ9w62nAt5vp7jC2VBSrmWtvDVncMi8pf2xfTEZ4lcUFCZxTyDeInumlRcRPi54c9nbp9mq_iwjmgQXR99Q_3HeOfKIvCUNiyL5TGMH5SxyJ_JJr_edwu_G356Gsq60fDT061eGvHwkcD/s640/DPGFM55WsAEDEFw.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions Tom!</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-7045132698346022132017-08-11T23:40:00.000-07:002017-10-27T07:23:42.592-07:00Thinking About The Future- An Interview with Bailey<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Meet Bailey: Bailey is a student living in some village in
the middle of nowhere with an unlikely passion for film and editing. <span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bailey's Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mrbaileydyble/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">https://www.instagram.com/mrbaileydyble/</a></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I met Bailey almost four years
ago and was struck by his ability to broadcast and edit videos soundly. We’ve
supported each other over the last few years and I could not be happier to
introduce you to him. Bailey works
tremendously hard to produce quality content for his YouTube channels and is here today to tell us a little about his views on the future and what it
brings. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1) Firstly
Bailey, if you don’t mind, tell us a little about yourself. What are your
hobbies and interests?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>My favourite thing I can do is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHp7w_e0BDqvVnINEmhyzCg" target="_blank">make movies</a>. The whole process, from the recording to the uploading can never get boring. Apart from that, I </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><i>play video games, workout and eat.</i></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_fa95NDLEnjcy2TmW5Ae2Yq_nm5_XxtQSXeN5a0LWtkdbFMRO21Q7H6bN1bt03fZQ6JHi91jB3RHyCMRxKMrBpM05j7e-b0-o7AOxqVL_NDLkl9wiKQ6TVb9NBSppLJ8xvBOf5EBa7Ud/s1600/20561858_663791013824814_1199058868_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="640" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_fa95NDLEnjcy2TmW5Ae2Yq_nm5_XxtQSXeN5a0LWtkdbFMRO21Q7H6bN1bt03fZQ6JHi91jB3RHyCMRxKMrBpM05j7e-b0-o7AOxqVL_NDLkl9wiKQ6TVb9NBSppLJ8xvBOf5EBa7Ud/s320/20561858_663791013824814_1199058868_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2) It’s a common belief that there are three
types of people in this world: people who look to the future for happiness,
people who look into the past for happiness and people who focus their
happiness on the present. Which one would you consider yourself to be?</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #4b4f56;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Id definitely say I live in the now and take happiness from just doing something and getting it done but I do feel it's wrong to regret your past, as that's what got you to where you are today and you should be able to take a level of happiness from it. I can't really say much about getting happiness from the future because apart from with goals and aspirations I don't understand that mindset but happiness from goals happens in the now when you achieve it so my point is now invalid</span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3) At
school we’re always being asked the same question over and over again: ‘what
would you like to do when you leave school?’ Do you believe that this is
necessary in today’s society? A society where the average amount of jobs held
by one person before the age of forty is ten.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0dusv8djOpVIdlDRxHkEQEkw52unWZZa4dFlD78zW-WNr0eV72Dg3XvVdhHMHXUeuYGld8lBCi87l_Ch0-X3h4kH-q8RXwx6izgE_HQoKq-YPgBajUeb9EJHURTgxGLG_AXtTcTR_AIz/s1600/20527514_663790947158154_649241277_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="640" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0dusv8djOpVIdlDRxHkEQEkw52unWZZa4dFlD78zW-WNr0eV72Dg3XvVdhHMHXUeuYGld8lBCi87l_Ch0-X3h4kH-q8RXwx6izgE_HQoKq-YPgBajUeb9EJHURTgxGLG_AXtTcTR_AIz/s320/20527514_663790947158154_649241277_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #4b4f56;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Knowing where you want to go is always a positive. If you can define where you want to be then you're halfway to doing it, you'll only have the hardest bit left (which is actually doing it) however not knowing what you want to do can leave you more open to take in suggestions.</span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 4) Jobs
in IT are becoming increasingly popular. Do you think that this will result in
the death of traditional jobs like postal workers and solicitors?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxL1Gc8I3G1_VC5WC54zjB926IU7hWmnhUPwgJiWQhSOnCV1EflQ9VLrFqsx4DsMK7jc-11gaWgnZDPCBQ3PUgOaDBNFxnD9GaamtYXv4PAEPR1EBCQkIWW1HvPSe8PtunIxdCOhGB2EA/s1600/20527200_1910748182511192_1852511461_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxL1Gc8I3G1_VC5WC54zjB926IU7hWmnhUPwgJiWQhSOnCV1EflQ9VLrFqsx4DsMK7jc-11gaWgnZDPCBQ3PUgOaDBNFxnD9GaamtYXv4PAEPR1EBCQkIWW1HvPSe8PtunIxdCOhGB2EA/s320/20527200_1910748182511192_1852511461_n.jpg" width="319" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Definitely jobs are going to get taken over by robots so the people who once did them get to sit and admire what the world is becoming!</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5) At risk of sounding like school, do you have any ideas for
what you’d like to do in the future? Do you think that it’s important to have
some thoughts on the matter?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I know exactly what I want to do. And it's a bonus to know what you want to do in detail but not knowing isn't a huge downfall because there's always people who'll give their opinions on what they want you to do whatever you want</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my
questions Bailey! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks for having me! :)</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Health and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xxx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-68272058368739201092017-07-28T04:10:00.000-07:002017-07-28T04:10:37.238-07:00My thoughts on The Handlebards- As You Like It <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jYX1skAoNXo/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jYX1skAoNXo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Wednesday night, my drama group went to an open air performance of Shakespeare's As You Like It. I'm not sure what I was expecting really. What we were told was that it was to be performed by a group of people that travel the length of the country on bikes and that it would be outside, in the rain, and we weren't allowed umbrellas. Regardless, I handed over the money and hoped for the best. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggROBWFC9tXoLNI9ZDoKL0JYV5GnMUljAPwE_aX9-znQ05lc1kwaIYOZskqT7_RRf5bdk8WKoIZEmHCQ6GtvtwV7DHZpetra1OCYXP3T7YwE-vMlC39wK2YBoUlMnDjpt4YKpVW4MOTU1h/s1600/DEPzbqwXUAAatB9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="1199" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggROBWFC9tXoLNI9ZDoKL0JYV5GnMUljAPwE_aX9-znQ05lc1kwaIYOZskqT7_RRf5bdk8WKoIZEmHCQ6GtvtwV7DHZpetra1OCYXP3T7YwE-vMlC39wK2YBoUlMnDjpt4YKpVW4MOTU1h/s320/DEPzbqwXUAAatB9.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I woke up on Wednesday to the sound of rain pounding my bedroom window. I kept checking the weather and it just seemed to get worse and worse. My heart now goes out to those women who had to cycle all the way from York! Thankfully, by six o'clock when we met up with my drama group, the rain had miraculously stopped.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW0soj_-f5lSnNLK207aNiE0M7LG2KGmWFum9JmKFVfg4-0xHk4KeJgAYvyz4xsctvV0eCxHpcOZfmCsNaUm8GJHxi4Ks3dR_pSvEeiyOYFMwqMdcMJ-1Lujithr2hbgntsO_IPMcJN6e/s1600/DSC_0416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW0soj_-f5lSnNLK207aNiE0M7LG2KGmWFum9JmKFVfg4-0xHk4KeJgAYvyz4xsctvV0eCxHpcOZfmCsNaUm8GJHxi4Ks3dR_pSvEeiyOYFMwqMdcMJ-1Lujithr2hbgntsO_IPMcJN6e/s320/DSC_0416.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> We set our blanket down on the grass with everybody else and were greeted by somebody in shin high green socks who told us if we couldn't see, to move right up to the red line. "We don't bite...but we do smell!"</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmwn51eI5YOruvYwcznmc4nJQOfIyZAMsDeT8D6aPrdAg7pgTUrYhmo95hQ721nGa9gPjeMypTTcRPqFktS49aeBohwZoudugGJ6ZyGKpvygyd6PL7s-oF6Aoygz6PieHwccn4oJ7GiAU/s1600/handlebards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now sitting within an inch of the performance and the other end of the gardens to the rest of the group, it felt as if we were part of the action. When I say I was surprised by what I saw, I mean I was literally mind blown. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHW0soj_-f5lSnNLK207aNiE0M7LG2KGmWFum9JmKFVfg4-0xHk4KeJgAYvyz4xsctvV0eCxHpcOZfmCsNaUm8GJHxi4Ks3dR_pSvEeiyOYFMwqMdcMJ-1Lujithr2hbgntsO_IPMcJN6e/s1600/DSC_0416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There were only four actresses in the play, each with multiple different roles. They could be the beautiful Rosalind one minute and the rough Orlando the next! Audience participation was at it's finest, even if some people looked a little offended when they stole their picnics!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am in love with this theatre group and will definitely see more of their work if I get the chance. They are touring across the country until September, so make sure to catch them!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaDjm-pOOCZ9AuKfLsWhNs6XQu4zUGTZ4YOkkenooQNufqLluFNuo6rA6cI3Rlhm9rvAcmaEKS8yU-8BTVt52CPX0WnY5W1_ESNBCDQaNzJ2UlghSILJAO8z6wSo9QeHg2VN31ZPMYhxH/s1600/handlebards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1112" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaDjm-pOOCZ9AuKfLsWhNs6XQu4zUGTZ4YOkkenooQNufqLluFNuo6rA6cI3Rlhm9rvAcmaEKS8yU-8BTVt52CPX0WnY5W1_ESNBCDQaNzJ2UlghSILJAO8z6wSo9QeHg2VN31ZPMYhxH/s400/handlebards.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All images were found on The Handlebards' website.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As You Like It dates and venues: <a href="http://www.handlebards.com/tag/as-you-like-it/">http://www.handlebards.com/tag/as-you-like-it/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.handlebards.com/tag/as-you-like-it/" target="_blank"> </a>Get your tickets: <a href="http://www.handlebards.com/tickets/">http://www.handlebards.com/tickets/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Health and Happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Marti xxx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-34182517198231141502017-06-30T00:47:00.000-07:002017-06-29T00:47:48.430-07:00Love From Lexie by Cathy Cassidy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JaU1Nl2CGc43eoUYpbCkGxt-_dLfHGwWxCFfdbEGCZJswXNqt4nEL6i0kd4nIV-xPviBw_lrnxAduHVXz1O7J-GWAZE2by3eYspuLmET_00u5sNzEviIO2UIwST1CdDF23M4bLwiZIxR/s1600/19477983_645428625661053_705585571_n0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="960" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JaU1Nl2CGc43eoUYpbCkGxt-_dLfHGwWxCFfdbEGCZJswXNqt4nEL6i0kd4nIV-xPviBw_lrnxAduHVXz1O7J-GWAZE2by3eYspuLmET_00u5sNzEviIO2UIwST1CdDF23M4bLwiZIxR/s640/19477983_645428625661053_705585571_n0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> What a literary genius. Cathy Cassidy has only done it again- melted my heart with an empowering new series!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheE_7x8H_AavHKza6MbDlhF-30uf3jtj73d-Pi0-F6_ioXXvJCRCPxA5KrH4ANAO_7IqTCfSfPV83_K9Cn1gP0_O4RExQdGmoWxF6b3CuhN2I1PlTLlrWq_AfpbaZ16eMicP-WCcR4J7Vn/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="845" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheE_7x8H_AavHKza6MbDlhF-30uf3jtj73d-Pi0-F6_ioXXvJCRCPxA5KrH4ANAO_7IqTCfSfPV83_K9Cn1gP0_O4RExQdGmoWxF6b3CuhN2I1PlTLlrWq_AfpbaZ16eMicP-WCcR4J7Vn/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Following The Chocolate Box Girls, the first instillation of Cathy's new series, The Lost & Found, was released earlier this month. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the things I love so much about Love From Lexie is that it's universally applicable. You don't have to be the 'target audience' (which by the way, I'm assuming is children/YA) to understand the issues of today's society like </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">domestic violence and the stigma surrounding sexuality</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">. These topics are touched upon with the kind of sensitivity understanding that the world needs much more of.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">Lexie has been living with a care family ever since her mum went missing. Although she loves her new foster parents and even sister Bex- she can't help but hold them at arm's length incase her mum comes back. It's with the help of Bex that she sets up a group at the local library and The Lost & Found is born...but where does a band, a bunch of letters and the constant threat of library closures come into it? Well, you'll have to pick the book up yourself and find out yourself! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">Final Thoughts: Read it. Just read it :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Health and happiness,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Marti xxx</span></span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-89673582236254534062017-04-28T12:42:00.000-07:002017-04-28T12:44:26.557-07:00Being Gay in a Heterosexual Society | An Interview with Ella<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM84yzwPbcNH1jeChRreQD79wGBR2O2GejzDr-radDPhKjDcj9XU46sbtbTqRyfhKZG4xOZYdo4IRXpF14uHz9nOqMWzJhC_cSvzylKqSERKprG6NNeyLy5xPsrcCrlUEfPYLcQZ3KcD2/s1600/18197207_258119184594059_1875341659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM84yzwPbcNH1jeChRreQD79wGBR2O2GejzDr-radDPhKjDcj9XU46sbtbTqRyfhKZG4xOZYdo4IRXpF14uHz9nOqMWzJhC_cSvzylKqSERKprG6NNeyLy5xPsrcCrlUEfPYLcQZ3KcD2/s640/18197207_258119184594059_1875341659_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">1<span style="background-color: white;">.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Heya Ella! Thank you so much
for taking the time to answer my questions and being so open! Firstly, would
you mind telling me a little bit about yourself? For example: what are your
passions and interests? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My interests are playing video
games, photography, writing, drawing and reading.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Do you think that labels are
necessary when it comes to sexual orientation? Are they restrictive or do they
provide comfort and security?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">I think labels can be restrictive depending on the person
really. Some people like that they can name their sexual orientation and be
able to tell others exactly and others feel freer without labelling. I label
myself because I like be able to explain to others easily what exactly my
sexuality is</span>.<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">When did you realise that you
weren’t heterosexual? Was it something you learnt as you got older or something
you’ve always known?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a bit of both really. I had small crushes on other girls when I was
younger but I wasn't bothered about it. I was about ten when I started
questioning and then a year later I realised properly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Are there ever times that you
find it difficult to accept your feelings towards other people? Does society
ever make you feel pressured into acting and behaving a certain way?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">There have been times where I've thought
being straight would be easier but I've been raised so that I know that
homosexuality isn't wrong so I just accepted myself.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">5.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Have you ever experienced discrimination
or prejudice based on your sexuality? Do you think that it’s because we live in
a society where straight people are favoured that people think it’s acceptable
to belittle people who don’t fall into this category? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">I have faced discrimination from people who see it as a
joke. Like when someone asked me if I had a girlfriend in a very mocking tone
to make fun out of me. I've also heard some girls say that they don't want me
to have a crush on them.</span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">6.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">How does it make you feel to
know that in some parts of the world, it’s still illegal to marry as a same sex
couple? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">I think it's very upsetting to be honest that people are
still against it but hopefully there's going to a rise in the future of people
supporting same sex marriage, especially for Australia!</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">7.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white;">Is there anybody who has helped
you in any way that deserves any recognition? Whether that be simply being a
friend who has stood up for you or a public figure who has fought for your
rights?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, I look up to celebrities like Ellen Page because I find it amazing that they're proud of who they are and they stick up for lgbt rights in America.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">8.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Finally, do you have any advice
to give to anybody reading who is either questioning their sexual preference or
considering ‘coming out’?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, for someone who's questioning their sexual orientation, my advice would be just to wait, be patient and be proud of themselves no matter what and for anyone who's thinking of coming out, make sure you're in a safe place and your parents are accepting. If not, maybe move in with an accepting friend or extended family if you feel you are in danger or wait until you move out.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity Ella, I wish you all the best! :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Health and happiness,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marti xxx</span></span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-5391996142348330642017-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:002017-03-02T10:29:52.994-08:00Art with Claire O'Brien!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wzdKc2pYSgzJ1QX2EJIY-lhYZm_NnfrUEZsv9UryKXOlJzMEfwNHnuuaYl36Z4uJ-BGVBEn8qWNeYPOLIv4Y_Vft1evJ-NHofMnmEHUYq_8gPxNZcdosjJfsVU1eRewnMjppZVoFVTS4/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wzdKc2pYSgzJ1QX2EJIY-lhYZm_NnfrUEZsv9UryKXOlJzMEfwNHnuuaYl36Z4uJ-BGVBEn8qWNeYPOLIv4Y_Vft1evJ-NHofMnmEHUYq_8gPxNZcdosjJfsVU1eRewnMjppZVoFVTS4/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="226" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im">1. Heya Claire! Thanks so much for taking the time to collaborate with me! Would you mind starting off by telling us about who you are and what you do?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im">
</span>Hi Marti, thanks for having me! I live in Leeds, I’m 36 and I’m a mum of two boys. Having left my job in university administration two years ago I’m now working full time on my artwork and writing projects. I struggled for years with managing the right work-life balance as well as trying to develop my art skills so I made the decision to quit my day job to commit to it fully. I’ve recently reached a point where I’m ready to share my artwork (which is quite scary!) so I’ve now started to post some of my work online (see my Facebook page here <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.facebook.com/claireobdraws&source=gmail&ust=1488039612883000&usg=AFQjCNHan8MA-jsonOeyELkhGL4lhQvhiQ" href="http://www.facebook.com/claireobdraws" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/claireobdraws</a><wbr></wbr> ). So far, I’ve shared some of my traditional drawing/painting of portraits but I’m also working on moving into illustration and sequential art. <span class="im"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im">2. What is your preferred <span style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"> creative medium </span>and why? Is it pencil and paper, sculpture, textiles or something else entirely?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im">When I began drawing I worked mainly with paper and pencil (or charcoal for life drawing). About 18 months ago I invested in a digital drawing tablet and it’s completely transformed the way I work. Digital is a forgiving medium which allows me to edit and correct mistakes easily but you can also play around with composition, texture and colour.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAqNLDDLcxhtHHQWZyww7YHwFhGuVCMvLdA-Zmpa80B0Iy2NTspOXT7k7rrRyejUECIMocPFQ-7J69M8Vr89OCDncwqsKMJeXzrTxZFA85giFRoW36mKXQJZbs9s80qraw5uKGvwfvxc6/s1600/unnamed+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAqNLDDLcxhtHHQWZyww7YHwFhGuVCMvLdA-Zmpa80B0Iy2NTspOXT7k7rrRyejUECIMocPFQ-7J69M8Vr89OCDncwqsKMJeXzrTxZFA85giFRoW36mKXQJZbs9s80qraw5uKGvwfvxc6/s320/unnamed+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>3. Where do you find your inspiration? </span></span></div>
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</span> I take inspiration from all sorts of places; personal experiences, places I’ve been, things I’ve read. Film and music are important influences in my life which is what led me to start drawing portraits of musicians. I’m a huge fan of comics and graphic novels so this style informs a lot of my work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im">4. Are there a specific message you are trying to communicate through your work?</span></span></div>
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</span>In my portrait work there’s no specific message, other than showing an appreciation for the subject. But when it comes to my writing and narrative art, I take a more personal approach. A large part of my work is autobiographical so it’s just a way of putting a part of myself out there. I’m quite a shy person so being able to express myself through my art is important to me.<span class="im"><br /></span></span><br />
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</span>I was always interested in impressionism in school, not only from a visual point of view but also because my other great love in life is France (I studied French at university). I love Manet’s use of contrast, Renoir’s city scenes and Degas’ poses. At university, I took a course in photography and discovered Henri Carter-Bresson and Robert Doisneau. I was captivated by a photograph’s ability to tell a story and it made me want to create something which you look at wonder “what’s the story behind this?”. <span class="im"><br /></span></span><br />
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</span>A while ago I wrote a script for a graphic novel and once I finished it I didn’t know what to do with it. At that stage, I didn’t feel like my drawing was good enough to illustrate it myself and I didn’t have the confidence to approach an artist to collaborate with me. I feel like things have moved forward since then so I’m starting to work on the art for this. It’s a big project but I’m really excited about taking on the challenge.<span class="im"><br /><blockquote type="cite">
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</span>Wow, great question! As far as I’m concerned creativity is the act of making something and it doesn’t matter if something never gets seen, let alone admired, for it to be creative. I have so many pieces of work that will never see the light of day but it doesn’t take anything away from them being creative. Of course, admiration for work is nice but it shouldn’t be the reason for creativity. </span></div>
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</span>Having a family and a career has always been a bit of a juggle and creative work doesn’t necessarily fit into a 9-5 pattern! There’s also the fact that I came to art a little later than most so I feel like I have to work much harder to catch up. It took 10 years working in an office for me to realise that what I really wanted to be was an artist!<span class="im"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im">9. You have the opportunity to invite a famous artist from the past round for dinner- who would you choose?</span></span></div>
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</span> I would really love to meet an American street photographer called Vivian Maier. She worked as a nanny and spent her spare time taking thousands of these incredible photographs while she was walking around the streets of Chicago. Sadly, her work wasn’t discovered until after her death. She was supposedly quite an eccentric character and had a really fascinating story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="im">10. And finally, what is the best piece of advice you can offer to people who want to be more creative?</span></span></div>
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</span>If you’re interested in in art, even if </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">you’re a beginner, seek out local art classes you can join. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and I found doing this increased my confidence. Online drawing tutorials are great or even just get some paper and pencils (or whatever you have!) and just draw anything: your family, friends, pets, or use your imagination to create characters. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like you’re any good straight away, keep at it and you’ll notice yourself get better every time. Art is a skill, not a talent!</span> </span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-37584896457673157342017-02-17T23:10:00.000-08:002017-03-02T10:30:40.639-08:00Veganism with Rosie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First of all, how long have you been a vegan and what drew you to making the big switch?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I have been vegan for around 10 months now. I was interested in veganism for a while before I made the transition. The thing which drew me towards it, was the environmental impacts, as well as the ethics behind it. I knew quite a lot already, as I had been vegetarian for 5 years, but then I watched Cowspiracy and realised how much I didn't want to contribute to that cruelty and climate change.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you faced any setbacks or experienced any negativity along the journey?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I haven't found any personal setbacks thus far; I can almost always find alternatives and vegan recipes. However, I have experienced quite a bit of negativity from other people. My family are really supportive of it, however, quite a lot of people can tease you and say stupid things, so I'd say this is one thing to prepare yourself for :))</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What does your typical day look like in terms of mealtimes?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I usually have breakfast around 7.30- I like having more time to make yummy things on the weekend, so usually my weekday breakfasts are pretty weird haha. Lunch time is at 1;30 at school so I eat it then, and dinner around 7-ish. These tend to change in the holidays though :) I also have a few snacks and mini meals during the day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Would you say that changing your diet has had effects (both positive and negative) on your mental and physical wellbeing?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4) I feel more positive since becoming vegan and it has really put things into perspective for me. I haven't really noticed many changes to my body as I didn't go vegan for that, but I do have more energy, feel less tired, and need less sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What's your favourite thing about veganism?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5) My favourite thing about veganism would have to be knowing I am making a difference! I also love all the yummy vegan alternatives :))</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Does your ethical attitude extend past the dinner table? Do you support cruelty free cosmetics and fair trade?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6) It definitely does! I've always considered myself an environmental and ethical person. I am very passionate about human rights and politics. I am extremely conscious about the environment, and plan to spend my life working for the world and its people. Although I don't wear makeup, I make sure all my items I use such as soap, toothpaste, etc, are cruelty-free, preferably vegan, zero waste, recyclable, etc. I support fair trade as well; I try not to buy unnecessary things, however, I ensure that anything I buy is either second-hand, or ethical and fair trade</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Would you say that you have inspired anybody else to go vegan? How does this feel?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">7) I don't think I've inspired anyone else to go full vegan, but 2 of my friends became vegetarian, which felt great! I think I've inspired some people around me to be more environmentally-friendly too, which makes me sosososososo happy!!! <3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">There are lots of different 'fad' vegan diets out there. You are given the choice of either eating all carbs (like the potato diet) or all plants. What's the verdict?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8) I don't think I would ever choose, as I want to have enough nutrients and foods from all groups hahah</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What's your go to vegan meal?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9) I have so many ahhh! But I especially love Asian food, so maybe something like a Thai Peanut or Pad Thai. I also love pasta and rice based dishes with lots of veggies! But I can't choose just one thing, but if I had to it would be some sort of Asian dish :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And finally, what advice would you give to somebody who wants to make the switch to an all vegan diet?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">10) Educate yourself! Watch documentaries, read up, etc. Prepare yourself for people asking lots of questions. Make sure you know all the things you need to eat. Make sure you will be getting enough calories. Talk to your parents and let them know about the lifestyle. Good luck! <3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Resources:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/&source=gmail&ust=1486971114058000&usg=AFQjCNEKdrL-K6DsZ2hbMEbqpM-NPThiqQ" href="http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.cowspiracy.com/<wbr></wbr>facts/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://bonnyrebecca.tumblr.com/whyvegan&source=gmail&ust=1486971114058000&usg=AFQjCNGZa5yc1zGtVntPBykHNIsDQxHvOA" href="http://bonnyrebecca.tumblr.com/whyvegan" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://bonnyrebecca.tumblr.<wbr></wbr>com/whyvegan</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.nationearth.com/earthlings-1/&source=gmail&ust=1486971114058000&usg=AFQjCNGFG1VcXgvESEavMPlYfQ2IftX9Aw" href="http://www.nationearth.com/earthlings-1/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.nationearth.com/<wbr></wbr>earthlings-1/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=https://www.forksoverknives.com/&source=gmail&ust=1486971114058000&usg=AFQjCNGoSrP1w2Wrzys3wcMQhPFPcn7t8A" href="https://www.forksoverknives.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.forksoverknives.<wbr></wbr>com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3D79GtQ58CEMc&source=gmail&ust=1486971114058000&usg=AFQjCNE0vV7sVQA5tYkbcpFmUyt0FjY5Fg" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79GtQ58CEMc" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=79GtQ58CEMc</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you have netflix, check out Cowspiracy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you for interviewing me!! <3</span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">http://rosiemaearoha.blogspot.co.uk/</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And thank<i> you</i> very much for giving me this opportunity! Some fab answers here and I found it very interesting to read about your perspective!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Health and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-23526869467356650062017-01-20T05:13:00.000-08:002017-01-21T05:18:43.380-08:00Why I love sixties fashion <div style="font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Recently, I was given the opportunity to write a guest post for the legendary Dreamcatcher Blog written by Cathy Cassidy! You can find it <a href="http://cathycassidydreamcatcher.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/marti-why-i-love-sixties-fashion.html" target="_blank">here </a>or simply continue reading to see it on my blog. Thanks so much for this Cathy and thank you to everyone reading!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I love most about the 1960s is how different this period is to any other that had gone before. Skirts were shortened, colours intensified and fashion boundaries were broken. The teenager was born and young women no longer had to dress like younger versions of their mothers. Fashion broke so many rules and came up with so many innovations in the sixties - the now so-popular bikini came into fashion in 1963 and the miniskirt, symbolic of the decade, is still a timeless fashion piece today.</span></div>
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There was so much diversity in what people wore, too! Fashion mirrored the social movements of the time - the early sixties were relatively conservative with styles reminiscent of the late fifties, such as classic prints and knee-length dresses, whereas by the late sixties things had changed beyond all recognition.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's no surprise that the sixties was a decade of great change in other ways, too - this was the decade when man first walked on the moon, when women gained more equality and when British pop sensations such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones took the world by storm.</span></div>
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Fashion was not about to be left behind. Skirt lengths became ever shorter and men wore tunics and capes and began to grow their hair longer! Many of these styles seemed to come from the streets - suddenly fashion was for everyone, and not just the rich elite who could afford designer clothes. Young designers such as Mary Quant opened shops selling the things young people wanted to wear - youth was leading the way in fashion for the first time ever. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before London stole Paris' position as the centre of the fashion world!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think my favourite era of the decade is probably the mid point, around 1964-1966. Fashion was at the point where people were choosing how they wanted to dress, and prints were bright but not yet overly busy. Culottes, box-shaped PVC dresses and even paper clothes were popular. This rebellious and energetic vibe is one that inspires me and one I try to carry over into my own fashion choices - only with my own flair, of course! (Wait... aren't flares 1970s?!!! Haha!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Health and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Marti xxx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-86826007070539635572017-01-13T15:49:00.001-08:002017-01-13T15:49:11.385-08:00My thoughts on Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;">(image source: </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">http://claireobdraws.deviantart.com/art/Kate-Bush-Wuthering-Heights-645213052) How beautiful is this?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Perhaps one of the most absolute classics.. a thrilling, chilling and haunting tale of the tragic love </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Without spoiling too much of the plot (as it's one of those books you just have to read yourself to appreciate), here is a more than basic summary of the 400(ish) page novel:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The story is at first narrated by Mr Lockwood, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">a tenant of Heathcliff's,<span style="color: #222222;"> and we are told of his</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">visit to the home of his landlord. Whilst spending a night at Wuthering Heights, he encounters a ha</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">unting </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">apparition and seeks reassurance and answers from the maid, Ellen. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The story then continues and is narrated by Nelly for the most part. Unraveled are the lives of </span>Heathcliff<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;">Hindley and Catherine, far into adulthood and death. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now onto my opinion of the book.. I blooming well loved it! It took me about two months to read which is absolutely atrocious, I know, but I did read other books in between! Being set not far away from where I live in 19th century Yorkshire, I loved the personification of the moors. They felt like a character in themselves, and played a key role in the Gothic theme.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I can understand why so many readers have major issues with this Brontë sister's style though; the characters are really quite detestable with very few amiable qualities AND there are a few characters like Jacob with hard to comprehend Yorkshire accents. It was actually painful listening to the eBook voice on my Kindle trying to comprehend it...so much so that I gave up and read it myself!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Emily's use of doubles, though thoroughly perplexing, is very interesting. There's Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, <span style="text-align: start;">Edgar Linton and Heathcliff, Heathcliff and Hareton, Heathcliff and Cathy...not to mention Cathy and Cathy! Some of these are polar opposites, though some (like young Cathy and her mother) suggest to me the repetition of lives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: start;">Have you read Wuthering Heights? What are your thoughts on it?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Forever heath and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Marti xxx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-49428356176392477742016-10-28T08:07:00.000-07:002017-02-12T00:37:15.336-08:00An interview with Cathy Cassidy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Recently I had the incredible opportunity to interview one of my favourite childhood authors and as it would be simply criminal not to share it with you, share it with you is exactly what I've done! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cathy Cassidy is a children's author of 23 books, previous agony aunt for Shout and Jackie magazine as well as being vegetarian of 30 years! What I like the most about Cathy is that she does not deem herself 'superior' to her readers and took the time to send me this lengthy reply the same day as we arranged our interview!</span><br />
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Is there a certain book you’ve read that has changed your perspective on the world?
A few! One was The catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger, an American book written in the 50s... in some ways, one of the first YA books perhaps. It was so direct, so emotional and tackled real-life issues and troubles from the viewpoint of a teenage boy. I loved it. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath had a strong impact also, and then Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian, which showed me that a children's book could handle very serious issues in a powerful yet redeeming way.
2. Do you believe in writer’s block?
Depends what you mean by 'believe'! We all experience it, that lack of inspiration or a lack of certainty about how to handle a tricky bit in the plot... but giving in to it? Not happening. No other career path is allowed to give in to 'block' so why should an author? Daydream or try doing doing something totally different until you work out how to iron out the plot problem, but keep writing... better to do something than to give in and find yourself genuinely stuck.</span></div>
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<a aria-label="Cathy Cassidy 17:43" class="_4tdw" data-hover="tooltip" data-tooltip-content="Cathy Cassidy 17:43" data-tooltip-position="left" href="https://www.facebook.com/cathycassidyauthor/" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; height: 28px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; width: 28px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="" class="img" src="https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/c1.0.32.32/p32x32/1463119_10151826616863226_1142617955_n.jpg?oh=bb2e8f7c61708015648239506e063582&oe=5897CA26" style="border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; height: 28px; width: 28px;" /></span></a><br />
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Do you think that it’s important for public libraries to remain open to all universally?
Yes, totally. As a child, all my books came from libraries... without them I could never have read so widely nor dreamed so big. Without them I would not be a writer today, no question of that. We imagine we've come a long way and that technology has replaced the need for libraries, but many children today live in poverty and libraries are a lifeline for them. Everyone should have access to books and learning, and to the magic of stories. And even if you do have money to buy books, who can buy enough to satisfy an avid reader? Free public libraries are one of the great achievements of a civilised country, yet the UK government is closing them and slamming the doors of opportunity on the writers and creatives of the future. Shameful.
4. When did you first decide that English was a subject you wanted to pursue as a career?
I didn't! I didn't like English Lit at school as I liked to have my own responses and reactions to novels, plays and poetry rather than be told what to think. Analysing those awesome books and poems ruined their magic for me. Also, I didn't see how a degree in English Lit would help me to be a writer... and there were no degrees in Creative Writing back then. I took a degree in illustration, and loved every minute... art school was a perfect place for me to be as creative and off beat as I wanted. I'd already had my first short story published by that point, and I went on writing all through art college... art and writing were equally important to me.</span></div>
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. What does a typical day in the life of Cathy Cassidy look like?
I get up quite early - seven-ish - and check through emails, check the FB fanpage, twitter and Insta. I have breakfast, walk the dogs and the sit down to write. If a book is going well, I will break off for dinner and write again till evening. Most evenings are spent doing emails etc, but there never seems to be enough time for everything that needs to be done! Because I work for myself, I have the option to be flexible and I can take a random day off (unless a deadline is looming). When I'm on tour, things are very different, and I may be away from home for a week or a fortnight at a time, living out of suitcase and criss-crossing the country by train, talking to 400 kids in a school in the morning and the same amount in a different school, different town, in the afternoon.
6. What’s your opinion on eBooks as opposed to traditional paper books?
I am not a fan of e-books... reading on screen just feels like work to me! I love the feel of a book and the cover design is important to me too. I spend so long at my laptop writing that the very last thing I want to do is read from it, or from a tablet. Nope, not for me.</span></div>
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">7. Before gaining fame as a writer, did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I often used pseudonyms when writing for teen mags. Often I had two short stories in the same issue, or an illustration and a story... so it looked better if I used different names! Interestingly, Cassidy is not my married name, so even now I can pass under the radar if I use my married name!
8. Is there one book that you believe everybody should read at least once?
Generally, no... we are all so very different I think we find our own passions and favourite genres when it comes to reading. I do wish every child could read a book called The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce, about immigrant children who vanish unexpectedly from a class. It shows so perfectly that migrants are human beings just like us, that we should never turn our faces away from their plight. Actually, I'd quite like the government to read that book, too!</span></div>
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<span class="_5yl5" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9. Do you read reviews on your works? How do you deal with positive/negative responses?
I don't go looking for reviews... and I'm lucky, as I honestly haven't seen many bad ones. My readers tell me what they think, and they are the people who matter most... if they're happy, I'm happy.
10. Is there one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring young writers?
Write - in your own time, outside of school. Write about what you care about, because the passion will shine through, and don't listen if others tell you it's a waste of time dreaming of a career as an author. Believe in what you are doing, and work your socks off to make the dream happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once again, thank you very much for the fab opportunity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Health and Happiness, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xxx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-90948632882958160202016-10-21T09:42:00.000-07:002016-10-24T01:55:26.293-07:00Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am honestly SO excited for this post purely for trivial reasons such as the fact that I haven't done a book review in a few months and the fact that I have truly committed to the series. Anyhow, I finished reading this book in the first week of October and really fell in love with the story line and the children and decided to share my thoughts with you lovely lot!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0dxBVLdTzYQbwvEloGrSTt9HUlQNdxvYRcm0LS6tuUEqOsCmX0elRLMrlfbdDqnil55bmhzi8mJdRU8UOT0YAEwAq8J6dyUM1puxuO1w0qaxbDdhOTRpo6mK28xqCiuRBTaXIcbLqqRi/s1600/_DSC1478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0dxBVLdTzYQbwvEloGrSTt9HUlQNdxvYRcm0LS6tuUEqOsCmX0elRLMrlfbdDqnil55bmhzi8mJdRU8UOT0YAEwAq8J6dyUM1puxuO1w0qaxbDdhOTRpo6mK28xqCiuRBTaXIcbLqqRi/s640/_DSC1478.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In a nutshell, this book is the story</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> of 16 year ol<span style="background-color: white;">d <span style="text-align: start;">Jacob Portman and the event that changed his life forever, </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">cliché I know but give it a chance. The first few chapters of the book focus on the relationship between Jacob and his Grandpa Abe, who grew up in an orphanage for his entire childhood and fought in the war. Growing up, Jacobs's grandpa would tell him fantastic stories about a girl that could fly, a boy who was invisible, 'the bird' who kept them safe from the monsters and wonderful Emma who could start a fire with her hands. Jacob adores his grandfather but realises as he grows up that these stories are nothing but that, 'stories'. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">When Jacob is merely fifteen, Grandpa Abe starts to obsess over these monsters which Jacob's dad quickly writes off as dementia. What a terrible mistake. When Jacob comes home early from work (to be honest, anything is better that stacking adult diapers), he finds his grandpa unconscious and bleeding terribly in the garden. Grandpa Portman dies in Jacob's arms, but not without spluttering a few words with his last breath. Here's a few for you to remember <a href="http://johngreen.wikia.com/wiki/Alaska_Young">Alaska</a>, </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">"'Find the bird. In the loop. On the other side</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> of the old man's grave. September third, 1940.' </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll leave you with that thought and not include any spoilers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As anyone who has both seen the movie adaptation that hit the screens a few weeks ago will know, there are a huge amount of details that have either been changed or cut out completely in the process of constructing this film. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For a start, Emma's peculiarity is switched with Olive's. I don't in any way think that this is a negative thing though and I mean, being able to fly is just as awesome as being able to make fire right? In the film, we first meet Emma as she introduces the home and peculiar children in wait..are those lead boots? Like I said, it's interesting to see Tim Burton's views on what the work </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">of Ransom Riggs looks like to him and I understand why he thought it might be necessary. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also, I don't think that the music play list did much justice for this film. It just didn't seem to fit very well which was a shame because the music in the trailer is so pretty. I absolutely loved watching Eva Green as Miss Peregrine</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and all of the children were amazing. Although some scenes were in my opinion, over animated and far fetched (don't even get me started on the Blackpool scene), I do truly recommend giving it a watch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Until next time, health and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xxx</span></div>
Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-72529223918659740442016-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:002016-10-06T09:15:36.753-07:00A few of my favourite things about Autumn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Books that make you scared</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The beautiful array of colours you can only describe as 'October'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The weather being gently crisp though not yet icy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Growing a pumpkin and knowing it's yours</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hearing the patter of rain whilst safely indoors</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Long, evening walks before returning to a hot water bottle in bed</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tartan and plaid finally making an appearance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Candles that spice the whole room with warmth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pine cones, acorns and conkers everywhere</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fluffy dressing gowns and even fluffier socks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yummy crumbles, strudel, pies and soup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The crunch of leaves under your boots </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bubble baths and steaming showers finally being appreciated</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fireworks and bonfires that light up the bleak night </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The potent yet phenomenal scent of Lush at Halloween</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Writing letters under lamplight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And finally, a hearty mug of tea anytime, anyplace, anywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Health and happiness, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xx</span></div>
Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-49216723928231824032016-09-09T23:09:00.000-07:002016-10-24T04:11:50.039-07:00Audrey Hepburn by Chris Rice <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't tend to rate audio books, mostly because it doesn't occur to me to buy them or loan them from the library, but also because</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I get irritated by their borrrrrinng voices and the pace they read at. Though whilst perusing the quick reads section of the library on Saturday, the beautiful cover of Audrey Hepburn caught my eye. When I took it home and chucked it on my bed, a matching CD fell out. To my horror, I had taken out an audio book..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All in all, I would recommend only to lower level readers or as an audio book for background noise. It's such a shame as I find that Audrey is such an interesting character and I hope that I find better books about her in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Heath and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xx</span></div>
Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-10596325172978117042016-08-26T01:42:00.000-07:002016-09-04T08:08:06.957-07:00Summer Favourites with Lou Loves<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">The harry potter books and films are nothing new to me. They'd scatter my brother's bedroom floor and he'd always, always make me sit through them all. It's until now though, after years of my brother moving out that I've revisited this wicked and marvelous school of witchcraft and wizardry</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"> and introduced myself to the likes of Snape and Dumbledore yet again. This involved watching seven films in a matter of days but do you know what? It was, it was totally worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"> The Book Thief:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="text-align: center;">I have no idea how to express my love for this film through words..It's so captivating and deeply touching that I cannot express how much you must watch it. Without giving too much away, I can tell you that the film follows the life of </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">Liesel Meminger</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 19.2px;">, a nine-year-old German girl who was given up by her mother to live with foster parents in the small town of Molching in 1939, shortly before World War II and is narrated by death which is a big aspect of the story. I can't wait to read the book and see how it compares.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">Sand:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">Sand will never be a thing that I take for granted because quite frankly, it's hard to come across where I live. Whilst staying in a beach cottage in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago, surrounded by miles of sand and beach, I was really able to appreciate the splendour of such a simple thing. Glistening and sun kissed, as delicate as a feather.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">Lauren Child:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm positively certain that I have talked about Lauren Child at length over my blog before but I'm truly obsessed with the way she illustrates. It's all so unique, so simple and so beautiful. I've recently been interested in her books too which showcase her trademark style.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wishing you heath and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xx</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Make sure to check out my lovely friend <a href="http://louloves01.blogspot.co.uk/">Lou</a>'s post)</span></div>
Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-19492185761975677372016-07-15T07:34:00.000-07:002016-07-15T07:34:11.403-07:00When life gives you lemons...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week has been so hectic and therefore I apologise for the last minute blog post but </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">hopefully it shall be a bit of a change from the usual.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So Ti, what have you been up to that has consumed so much time? I'll answer that one: revision, revision and guess what, more revision! Over the last few weeks I've spent most of my time after school with my French teacher, trying to pass a bloody speaking exam. The actual exam wasn't until Wednesday at 12 pm and to be perfectly honest with you, I spent all day worrying about it haha. Once I started going it wasn't <i>too </i>bad though, and sir was hopeful I wouldn't have to resit. We got our new timetables for school on Monday which marks the start of year 10 work, whoop, whoop! On Friday (while you are reading this) I'm going to Robin Hoods Bay as part of my geography coursework. After we've finished our work (honk if you love bin counts and environmental surveys as much as me haha) we are allowed to do what we please. I was determined to download Pokemon Go and see if we could find any Pokemon around the beach but unfortunately you need IOS 8 or later. I'm sure other people will have theirs though haha. I have nothing planned for this weekend but I know that my brother and one of my sisters are coming home for the weekend. We break up for summer next Friday which I cannot wait for! It means I have so much more time to do fabulous things like writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wishing you all health and happiness,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xxx</span></div>
Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-12994163376984603862016-07-01T23:01:00.000-07:002016-09-04T07:01:03.771-07:00Little Giveaway + Celebrating Books <div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love getting to know you lot better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Honestly, however cheesy it sounds, I have met so many incredible people through this little space on the internet (and hopefully many, many more to come) that giving something back to you guys just seems compulsory. That's why I've decided that another giveaway is overdue. It's going to be very different to my <a href="http://pinksmartiesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/valentines-giveaway.html" target="_blank">January Giveaway</a> though because of the way both my readers and I have changed. Firstly I must mention that I didn't specifically go out and <i>buy</i> the 'prize' that I am giving away. It's the original paper back version of 'Dizzy' by Cathy Cassidy and was the first <i>teen fiction</i> book I ever read. Cathy Cassidy, along with Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Morpurgo ect, inspired me to start reading and pick up book after book after book. The words on each page have been brought to life so many times that I would apologise that it's not in perfect condition, but why should I? Books are supposed to be read, not cased in glass cabinets. Unless that is, you have a very unique way of storing you books haha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It seems like these days nobody reads anymore. So few people can recall the satisfaction of picking up a book and getting lots among all the words and feeling like you are part of the story. If this generation won't read- what hope do we have for future generations with rapidly improving technology? If this book is not for you, consider a sibling/friend or younger family member that could be interested. Reading is for everyone, and is honestly something that sticks with you for a while. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The way you enter is also going to be rather different and hopefully more straight forward than last time. All you need to do is drop a comment telling me why you read (don't fret none Google+ users, just pop me an email instead) :) The giveaway is open internationally and will be picked from a hat at a later date. You will receive your book with a handwritten note through the post which is why I must ensure that you are comfortable directly messaging me your address should your name be chosen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On the topic of reading and celebrating books, I was in the library yesterday and decided to do something I've been meaning to do for months. I read a blog post a while back (I think it could have been written by <a href="http://theramblingssofmoi.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">El</a>) about random acts of kindness and one of the things she suggested was to leave little notes in library books. I thought this was such a thoughtful idea and if it actually gets to the reader (what I mean by this is, if it doesn't get dismissed as rubbish) it would make their day. I decided to leave it in a copy of An Abundance of Cathrines by John Green becuase it's a book that I'd really like to read but I've got so many other books to read before then. Hopefully the reader will enjoy the note almost as much as the book!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Good luck!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wishing you all health and happiness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marti xx</span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-38663835786356539532016-06-24T09:21:00.001-07:002016-06-27T09:20:49.765-07:00Zoella Body Mist Review<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">
Hi everyone, some of you may not know me, so let me introduce myself. I'm Lou from Lou Loves and I have been blogging for nearly a year now. Marti and I made the decision to do a guest post on each others blogs as we thought it would be a fun idea and help let both audiences get to know about us better. Anyway, today I am going to be doing a review which is a favourite over on my blog so I thought I would do one for you all. I hope you enjoy this post and I will (hopefully) see you soon. xx</div>
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Today, I am going to be reviewing the Zoella Beauty Body Spritz's. I have all 3 and love when new collections come out. The bottles themselves, are okay quality but the scent inside makes up for it. On 2 out of 3 of my bottles, the product leaks out the top when you press it down which cane be a little annoying but it's not too big of an issue.</div>
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Blissful Mistful is the original collection scent so it is floral and really fresh. For me, it's the perfect Spring/Summer scent (it would also be a pretty good holiday scent - which it was for me last year). The scent lasts nearly all day without completely going but I find it's nice just to top up the scent about half way through the day.</div>
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The next to be released was Lets Spritz'. This was in the Tutti Fruity Range which is getting discontinued right now and shops are selling it out so get it whilst you can. As the range name suggests, it has a fruity scent that I think works best in late summer and early autumn - kind of like the last breath of summer.</div>
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The final spritz was Sweet Inspirations (I was really disappointed this didn't have a product name :( ) However, the scent makes up for it - it has a macaroon and toasted almond scent. I think this is that perfect all year scent which can actually be really hard to find.</div>
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All of Zoe's spritz's are £8 and available at superdrug and online at feelunique and superdrug.</div>
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Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to check out Marti's post</div>
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Love Lou</div>
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xx</div>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.louloves01.blogspot.co.uk/&source=gmail&ust=1466871125433000&usg=AFQjCNG11z0jwZx63SFjESFIGQb_jLWYtA" href="http://www.louloves01.blogspot.co.uk/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">http://louloves01.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/guest-post-random-acts-of-kindness.html</span></a></div>
Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-11682313961319261392016-06-03T10:55:00.000-07:002016-06-06T07:30:41.211-07:00From notes to post<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM19zZ0rdO_PyVtW-lJTxLjw9fluwu9exh7RTTGOLSprCqYUZV60RA4dOeaH2ko2sD6bOP-E4DS_OX9A5lT2cDjJuORpxr8yveXo6vlfpngzhHmZNai1HlDqn-esuaL4VlX19lS9xw8oea/s1600/13342165_486814208189163_845303498_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM19zZ0rdO_PyVtW-lJTxLjw9fluwu9exh7RTTGOLSprCqYUZV60RA4dOeaH2ko2sD6bOP-E4DS_OX9A5lT2cDjJuORpxr8yveXo6vlfpngzhHmZNai1HlDqn-esuaL4VlX19lS9xw8oea/s640/13342165_486814208189163_845303498_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bonjour mes petits chéris!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a post that Lou and I have had scheduled for the longest time ever (literally months) but have never gotten around to posting. Over here in the UK it's half term which I assumed would mean a week of blogging and taking photos. Oh how wrong I was! I've been busy every single day this week whether it be travelling, simply meeting my friends or doing homework. The post is basically going to be a breakdown of the process of writing a blog post. I've always wondered how other bloggers went about posting and whether they do it any differently from me. Over the year I have spent blogging, I've developed my own way of drafting my posts which works perfectly for me. I'd love to hear about you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. The Idea</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnuA02bWmkHzp_VPzVmUKlxdSEU3MyKE3CKQ39UPCx-0uKPicybmFZJEOpo7aanbaMtTrf62yhjf8-19n3vjNs2HF-KCApJeFInT_XXrBR6tCXyj0SL3Xsj-5_sZGeZQDDFpn53WHRLS8/s1600/jmmmmmmmmmmm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnuA02bWmkHzp_VPzVmUKlxdSEU3MyKE3CKQ39UPCx-0uKPicybmFZJEOpo7aanbaMtTrf62yhjf8-19n3vjNs2HF-KCApJeFInT_XXrBR6tCXyj0SL3Xsj-5_sZGeZQDDFpn53WHRLS8/s640/jmmmmmmmmmmm.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ideas come to me at times I least expect. I could be in the shower, in that weird state of mind before you drift off to sleep, daydreaming in a maths lesson or reading. I recommend always keeping a notebook in your bag for such occasion but when I forget, that's when the memo notes on your phone come in handy. When I get home, I'll create a blog post with that title and <span style="background-color: #c27ba0;"><i>save it as a draft</i>.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Make sure not to publish said post like I have done one too many times!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2.Drafting the Post</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The next stage of writing my post is drafting. This basically means <i style="background-color: #c27ba0;">word vomit.</i><i style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"> </i><span style="background-color: white;">Any initial ideas, photos or layout preferences you have, make sure you post them at this point. You do not have to draft the post immediately after coming up with the idea (some of my ideas date back to last year and I still haven't got round to drafting them!). Also I like to choose which labels to add at this point. For example, the post I have drafted here (which is a sneak peek at next Friday's post!) is a lifestyle post. The labels I have added here are home, life and places.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3.Taking the Time to Write it</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Stage three is very much like stage two only you should allocate however much time you need to write the post here. I usually spend about an hour on this stage (depending on what type of post it is) but you may need either less or more time. Write straight from what comes to your mind as you can always tweak it later. Another point to add about this stage is that you should <i style="background-color: #c27ba0;">only write when you are in the mood</i> and never try to force a post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6.Proofreading and Spell Checking</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before I hit the orange publish button I always (well, I always intend to) proofread my post and get somebody else to check my spelling. You can also reword parts that seem clumsy and ensure all your links are fully working at this stage</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">7.Publishing</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, it's time to publish or decide when you schedule your post. This part is definitely the most self explanatory but in case you you haven't realised already, it's that giant circle there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hope you're as excited to read Lou's post as I am.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://louloves01.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://louloves01.blogspot.co.uk/</a></span></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-13970453411315737102016-05-27T09:15:00.000-07:002016-06-06T07:38:13.783-07:00Dressing fit for Friday<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Picture this. It's Friday morning, you overslept and have little less than half an hour to have breakfast, feed the cat, do something with your hair, brush your teeth and get out of that front door. Sound familiar?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So where does fashion come in to any of this? It's that reoccurring dream where you turn up at work in your pajamas, underwear or worst of all, crocs! Sometimes I actually consider </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">crawling back into bed and living in my pajamas all week as the thought of turning my wardrobe upside own for something to wear haunts me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So when T.M.Lewin contacted me asking to take part in their his & hers style challenge I jumped at the opportunity. It's all about dressing fit for Friday and styling outfits that can go from work presentations to the pub. Having a translatable style can help you stay as chic and classy as you are all day long. <span style="background-color: white;"><i style="text-align: start;">T.M.Lewin host the most lavish variety of classic pieces, fabrics, to accessories that are fashionably interchangeable as well as an impressive <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/All-Suits/Mens-Suit-Bundles,en_GB,sc.html&source=gmail&ust=1465309942574000&usg=AFQjCNEE6-alZ4m-DunNEg2jfiK_4Tltdg" href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/All-Suits/Mens-Suit-Bundles,en_GB,sc.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">selection of suits</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, considering the vast majority of my page views come from a female audience, I have decided to begin with the woman's outfit. I wanted to create something that was universal and would compliment any skin tone, size and figure. I also wanted it to be very <i>feminine </i>yet not something that would become hard to maintain or touch up later in the day. I have included both flat shoes and heeled depending on your place of work and how much you are on your feet. I also think the necklace would spice the outfit up for a night out perfectly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/Fitted-White-Piqu%C3%A9-Shirt/51040,en_GB,pd.html?cgid=Womens-Essential-Shirts&start=0" target="_blank">T.M.Lewin Fitted White Piqué Shirt</a></span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/Albany-Black-Tri-Acetate-Skirt/56179,en_GB,pd.html?cgid=Womens-Tailoring-Skirts&start=0" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T.M.Lewin <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Albany Black Tri-Acetate Skirt</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/view-all-wide-fit/wide-fit-black-knotted-front-ankle-strap-pumps-_374217001?productFind=search" target="_blank">New Look <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Black Knotted Front Ankle Strap Pumps</span></a> or</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/shoes-boots-4849364/heels-203589/wide-fit-black-wiggle-court-shoes-5456736?bi=60&ps=20" target="_blank"> New Look Black 'Wiggle' Court Shoes</a></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Accessorize+Izzy+flower+statement+necklace/240970572,default,pd.html&_$ja=tsid:44970%7Ccid:184907875%7Cagid:10301591755%7Ctid:pla-105984513475%7Ccrid:57406578955%7Cnw:g%" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">House of Fraser <span style="background-color: white; text-transform: capitalize;">Izzy Flower Statement Necklace</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">And now moving on the more male dominated outfit, I have selected one of T.M.Lewin's trademark <a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/All-Suits/Mens-Suit-Bundles,en_GB,sc.html" target="_blank">suits</a> to accompany sleek, black shoes. Being able to dress well and have your own style will put you far ahead of other colleagues on the employment side of things. I also think that navy is a very slimming and alluring colour for workwear.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j3aZclT-gxYJPYrHYEdzzT6FdhL837_o5fimGnFBGeh2GfnOqRxxbs6Z9hhc6HPhHCCBEzOm4b8B4K7Qh2c_1ue7wN-lWbE-KoRZoMXD06QptTWhqeFjTSpttiLxx_Nm6F1F7IG5Hs-J/s1600/iou8ol.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9j3aZclT-gxYJPYrHYEdzzT6FdhL837_o5fimGnFBGeh2GfnOqRxxbs6Z9hhc6HPhHCCBEzOm4b8B4K7Qh2c_1ue7wN-lWbE-KoRZoMXD06QptTWhqeFjTSpttiLxx_Nm6F1F7IG5Hs-J/s640/iou8ol.png" width="598" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/Jackman-Navy-1-Button-Skinny-Suit/51930S,en_GB,pd.html?cgid=Mens-Suits-Skinny&start=0" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T.M.Lewin <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Jackman Suit Jacket</span></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/Jackman-Navy-1-Button-Skinny-Suit/51930S,en_GB,pd.html?cgid=Mens-Suits-Skinny&start=0" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">T.M.Lewin </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Jackman Navy Skinny Suit Trousers</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/Non-Iron-White-Twill-Double-Cuff-Fitted-Shirt/53828,en_GB,pd.html?cgid=Mens-White-Shirts&start=0" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">T.M</span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">.Lewin White Twill Double Cuff Fitted Shirt</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://navy%20skinny%20silk%20tie/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T.M.Lewin <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Navy Skinny Silk Tie</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.samuel-windsor.co.uk/buy.cfm/oxford-shoes/classic-oxford-shoe-black/73/yes/53960?Affiliate=12,400&gclid=CNv22JWQ-MwCFXEz0wodWV0PRw" target="_blank">Samuel Windsor <span style="line-height: 22px; text-transform: capitalize;">Classic Oxford Shoe - Black</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have a wedding or formal meeting planned and have no idea what to wear? Look no further than T.M.Lewin for fabulous value yet astonishing quality <a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/All-Suits/Mens-Suit-Bundles,en_GB,sc.html" target="_blank">suit bundles</a> that can <i>suit</i> any occasion.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.tmlewin.co.uk/</span></a></div>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-48813794979175114122016-01-29T07:49:00.000-08:002016-04-02T01:51:13.122-07:00Winter favourites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For me, winter is my least favourite season. I hate the way that the cold weather seeps into your bones and makes getting up in the morning that bit harder. I hate the fact that it's now impossible for my hair to dry naturally and requires me standing with my head upside down, blow drying my hair until my back forces me to stop. I also hate the fact that my skin is so dry which makes applying makeup that bit more hellish. But enough of all this negativity (that was one of my resolutions, right?). That feeling when you can finally slink into bed after a hot bath with a book to read is one of the most amazing feelings on earth in my opinion which has been something I've found myself doing most nights. Here are some of the things I've loved most this month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Candles</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUiFdQlhtKZxT3bwsrLaK0WhVmK-9D_OdiAbnkBiDEGVTSFQjjj9OGU7f_2vBC2jcowh4ZcHPGlngwGNP3EO8uBK4VfofK1Gvl1BUEjJSgGuMcIru9Hqx63NtlkCtgCwh6Vmjf17DEoep/s1600/DSC_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUiFdQlhtKZxT3bwsrLaK0WhVmK-9D_OdiAbnkBiDEGVTSFQjjj9OGU7f_2vBC2jcowh4ZcHPGlngwGNP3EO8uBK4VfofK1Gvl1BUEjJSgGuMcIru9Hqx63NtlkCtgCwh6Vmjf17DEoep/s640/DSC_0120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The reason I love candles so much is simple: they make a room so much more cozy and warm. I'm not sure if this is actually true or whether it's some sort of placebo effect but when I light a candle, I instantly feel more relaxed and calm. I've always loved Yankee Candles but lately I've stepped out of my Yankee comfort zone (that's definitely not already a thing, but I've made it one) and have been using all sorts of different brands we received for Christmas. A few I have been using recently are Viking Candle (definitely a knock off but actually really strong smelling), Flamingo Candle and Jamei Candle (I'd never heard of this one either).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>It's Potent eye cream</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-JbINpyPzXYK-ECnozL20EdDycTRKQXVRp_tIflThO9MsONp9VR8vRRDRVBKGlblvswvQzaryrRokEdu8ctX347hKq-BJFdCV_ssoudpGJrCmqoUQJt4PdITZBW3GP8cdO_COzd-Ro6E/s1600/DSC_0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-JbINpyPzXYK-ECnozL20EdDycTRKQXVRp_tIflThO9MsONp9VR8vRRDRVBKGlblvswvQzaryrRokEdu8ctX347hKq-BJFdCV_ssoudpGJrCmqoUQJt4PdITZBW3GP8cdO_COzd-Ro6E/s640/DSC_0636.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like I said earlier, my skin starts to get really dry at this time of year which is why I find using an eye cream necessary. The one I've been using most recently is It's Potent! eye cream by Benefit. As well as giving my skin more radiance and less dryness, it's also managed to tone down the dark circles under my eyes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Burt's Been lip salve</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqt3lD-jFJjcGr8wA12rQomhAFbUynuDwOS8rtvjiNXdFRvsE9RtbbCBQNeXnS66q-hjGWEu2WZ9BgZL09ItqVsCmREXRYzd7B5BhB8b085TDjj5leMzzzY0cttd_bssjeMoPxqLplpAw/s1600/DSC_0639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqt3lD-jFJjcGr8wA12rQomhAFbUynuDwOS8rtvjiNXdFRvsE9RtbbCBQNeXnS66q-hjGWEu2WZ9BgZL09ItqVsCmREXRYzd7B5BhB8b085TDjj5leMzzzY0cttd_bssjeMoPxqLplpAw/s640/DSC_0639.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm not going to lie, there's not really much special about this lip balm other than the fact that I'm not allergic to it. Burt's Bees also donate loads of money towards protecting honeybees and do not test on animals.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LUSH Hot toddy shower jel</span></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYXQCYjcxU_Yvry0FUywv8ikwoU6rd6CMQ-vNWKC1R6Rcjuf8GFHP5Codq_EZu6xlVLI0_udqYGsp6-7-qJXElgxlRr7uAszVLAqypSfTb4Zw1sguO_MAqtBqFtFnej1MHubwsfiFfpOO/s1600/_DSC0191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYXQCYjcxU_Yvry0FUywv8ikwoU6rd6CMQ-vNWKC1R6Rcjuf8GFHP5Codq_EZu6xlVLI0_udqYGsp6-7-qJXElgxlRr7uAszVLAqypSfTb4Zw1sguO_MAqtBqFtFnej1MHubwsfiFfpOO/s640/_DSC0191.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My bathroom is full of shower gels and bubble bath at the moment but this one clearly stood out among the crowd. It leaves your skin feeling so soft and smelling great. It's one of those smells that fills the whole bathroom with a cinnamony spice scent whenever you use it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Lipsticks</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-u3_5kYaSuHGlp2CyOL3KQW_LR7WX6w4W-qyxbjQNs_cP3D2OzqxQs8BpUAv-XC380spFUKh0v7wtpJHtNIfi9bSWdvAjmh4q9Vm7MHN49RBgG186T9-v9WTkwB9rYNfyMKrZCwKDRza/s1600/_DSC0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-u3_5kYaSuHGlp2CyOL3KQW_LR7WX6w4W-qyxbjQNs_cP3D2OzqxQs8BpUAv-XC380spFUKh0v7wtpJHtNIfi9bSWdvAjmh4q9Vm7MHN49RBgG186T9-v9WTkwB9rYNfyMKrZCwKDRza/s640/_DSC0188.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've never really been much of a lipstick person before as I found them too drying and never really found o<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ne that suited me. When I received a Revlon lipstick from Rosie in the post, I absolutely fell in love with the colour and texture and decided to try more from the range. This month I've been loving the shades Pink in the Afternoon, Pink Cognito and Peach Parfait. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just to let you know, our giveaway is still open until 12/02</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">/16. Good luck!</span></div>
Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-45355132207621021822016-01-15T01:51:00.000-08:002016-01-29T12:27:02.509-08:00Valentines giveaway<div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">I can't believe it's been a whole year since one rainy day in January, I was sat with my laptop (probably eating Smarties) and decided to write a blog. It just seems so obscure to me. I remember my first comment was from <a href="http://hannahporterx.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Hannah </span></a> and I couldn't actually believe that anyone read my blog let alone wanted to comment on it.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRXcGNCn2q1ZzLrMlJmVvsQSliR8rMPCxKSz5k00m74w0rQrktmdQsZMwbfWoiuOn2yPATBp_VsYmNyykhCOw5cPtdRH3msx1wTt6T_gjENWyv4GWX9uzVxytBOtGLngqGD4QfyR-7y15/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRXcGNCn2q1ZzLrMlJmVvsQSliR8rMPCxKSz5k00m74w0rQrktmdQsZMwbfWoiuOn2yPATBp_VsYmNyykhCOw5cPtdRH3msx1wTt6T_gjENWyv4GWX9uzVxytBOtGLngqGD4QfyR-7y15/s640/Untitled.png" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Since then, I have met so many people from all over the world who share the same passion as me and even inspired others to write! Creating this blog was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I can't believe how much of a difference it has made in my life. To say thank you to all my readers and followers, whether you started reading my blog yesterday or the day I started, I've decided to team up with one of my friends and fellow blogger <a href="http://stormyskypieblog.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">StormySkypie</span> </a>to host a giveaway. If I could, I'd love to give you all a prize because you all deserve it but I thought this was the next best thing.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XqETcr90WZLHCElhnlJU0t89h5jwfQ49w7QGt79G-ep-kObgg5yXzgDZ1GzyijFNxOoq683rOaFU_MVLehf1KoViiA80doq6cU_RgZO7oK17OIZhtwFERLXlqM5ZUGwz54kC1Ssthup8/s1600/12539994_1035235713207907_343539528_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XqETcr90WZLHCElhnlJU0t89h5jwfQ49w7QGt79G-ep-kObgg5yXzgDZ1GzyijFNxOoq683rOaFU_MVLehf1KoViiA80doq6cU_RgZO7oK17OIZhtwFERLXlqM5ZUGwz54kC1Ssthup8/s640/12539994_1035235713207907_343539528_n.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><u>Information on the giveaway</u></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">The giveaway includes Lush's new, limited edition soap: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Roses all the Way and a Fat Face gift set which includes a body lotion, body spray and phone case.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 25.7143px;">The Giveaway is International</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"> You must be over 18 or have consent from parent/carer to enter this giveaway as we will need to ask for your address to send the prize </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">Entries close on 12/02/15 at 6 pm UK time and an announcement date will be confirmed later and picked from a hat.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: normal;">To enter all you have to do is comment on this post why you read my blog as well as making sure you're following us both on either </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: normal;">Instagram </span><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: normal;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/pink_smarties_/" target="_blank">@pink_smarties_</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stormy_skypie/" target="_blank">@stormy_skypie</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: normal;"> or Google+ </span><a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111565061483081759398" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">+</span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Abbie Mclaughlin</span></a><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: normal;"> <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/112500983388517600100" target="_blank"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">+Marti Stelling</span></a>.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></li>
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-50447584823999651392015-12-30T07:51:00.001-08:002016-09-04T07:02:21.040-07:00Driftwood by Cathy Cassidy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Driftwood is a story about Hannah and Joey who have been best friends for ever. Joey is quirky and preaches individuality while</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 21px;"> her parents love rescuing things other people would class as rubbish and making them into unique creations. This means their house is full of things made from driftwood, old glass and shells from the beach. They are the type of family who love to find beauty in everything. This is probably why when the girls find </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">abandoned, flea bitten kittens in the bin at school, they end up living in their home. When Joey's parents foster an unlikely boy called Paul, everybody thinks he needs rescuing too. But nobody looks deep enough to see quite how badly. Hannah's brother and Paul quickly become friends and the four of them are inseparable. This is where things start to go wrong. Paul is beginning to get bullied and things quickly become dangerous. People aren't like driftwood or beach shells, a life is something much more precious and hard to rescue on your own.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I first read this book in my last year of Primary school and instantly fell in love with Cathy Cassidy's writing style. Being about 11, my knowledge on depression and suicide was mainly learnt from reality TV like Casualty and misinterpreted rumors about psychiatric wards. Cathy Cassidy always finds a way to make her characters relate-able (even if sometimes in very obscure ways) and make such a beautiful book out of harsh reality and somewhat scary subjects. Another reason I love this book is because of the point of view it is written in. Rather than being from an adults point of view such as Joey's parents or perhaps Paul's social worker or teacher it's written in Hannah's perspective. What I mean by this is that her opinions are slightly more naive and child like which I found easy to relate to. I also found my self lost in the story. When I started reading it I couldn't stop which is something I really value in a story. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall I really loved this book and it'll probably be one I find myself re-reading over and over again.</span></div>
<br />Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-18286983545725228442015-12-19T07:58:00.000-08:002015-12-30T13:35:12.868-08:00The big taboo about periods<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Period.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seems a weird thing for someone to say in public right? Wrong. I find it fascinating how so much </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #281e1e; line-height: 28px; text-align: start;">embarrassm</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #281e1e;"><span style="line-height: 28px;">ent, awkwardness, and shame is associated with this one subject when it's something half of the population will learn to live with for the majority of their lives. Even among women, it's something we've been taught since primary school to talk about in a hushed voice and not tell the boys about. I find this absolutely disgraceful. I hate that if a girl asked me if she could borrow a pad in a public place like in school, I would be expected to somehow sneakily pass the pad from my hand to hers without anyone seeing. To any girls reading this, next time this happens to you don't even bother trying to hide the fact that woman have periods. Hand the pad directly to the other woman and see how many people even bat an eyelid. The truth is that everybody is too busy going about their own lives to take any notice about what's happening in yours. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #281e1e;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 28px;">In LEDC countries like India and rural Africa, periods are often a subject never spoken of. Sometimes girls </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;">know nothing because their mothers, grandmothers and sisters have told them nothing. Some girls started their periods and thought they were dying of cancer. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> For </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">many young girls in Africa, menstruation hinders education. They are often taunted by male classmates or don't have the right protection.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"> I</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">f woman can’t afford pads or cloths, they use straw, sand, or newspaper, often resulting in infections. (Only 12% of Indian women use pads). Some cultures </span></span><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 24px;">still </i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">believe that when a woman is on her period she should be isolated and treated as an untouchable. This means she's banned from praying, cooking and even fasting.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">This isn't a tag, but I think it's something we need to write about more. To anyone brave reading this, male or female, write up a post about periods and share it with as many people as possible. Let's #BreakThatTaboo</span></span><br />
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Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082468119127340750.post-53911848867557567612015-11-16T03:10:00.000-08:002015-12-20T11:13:45.387-08:00Perks and cons of being ill<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before I start, I am not talking about any serious illness here, I'm talking the flu, colds, headaches and other not so nice sicknesses. I remember a couple of moths ago a was so sick I couldn't even drink water with out um...vomiting every five minutes. In that case, there really isn't many perks at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perk 1: People look after you. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Con 1: That is unless, you're living alone and in that case you have to make your own Lemsip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perk 2: You physically have to stay in bed all day</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Con 2: You feel like Elsa locked away in your bedroom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perk 3: Speaking of Frozen, it's almost Christmas. Today has officially turned into Christmas movie day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Con 3: You can't remember your Netflix login, crud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perk 4: You've just realised you can catch up on I'm a Celebrity .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Con 4: Watching other people eat kangaroo testicles makes you feel even more sick (what is my reward?!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perk 5: Laying in bed and watching the rain has to be one of the most satisfying things ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Con 5: Having to catch up on all the work you've missed however isn't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Perk 6: My kittens love my dressing gown nearly as much as I do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Con 6: There comes a point when you get sick of all your books, social media, who ever wrote This Morning and feeling like a sweaty sloth with a headache. You want to go back to school.</span>Martihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14493836561385676520noreply@blogger.com0