Things That Make You Go Oooooo (February 2012)

by  Clarabellafaire

It's a leap year today a very special day which only falls every four years and this is probably the first time I have ever posted on a leap year so I'll make this one special. The universe has gifted us with an extra day this year so what do you plan to do with it? Me, well I've planned a little day of luxury for myself I'm going to indulge in some good food and spend the night watching Disney movies, absolute bliss!

♥ Find Your True Calling - I've always said a job does not define a person, sometimes what we do is not what our calling is and sometimes it takes a bit of investigating and thought to find what our calling in life is.

♥ 25 lessons for creatives in Patti Smith’s ‘Just Kids.’

♥ 7 Questions to Ask When You’re Not Sure Who You’re Becoming - 7 simple questions to ask yourself to put you on the right path again (self)knowledge = power

♥ Favourite iPhone Photo Apps - Ok so I don't have an iPhone *shock* or a smart phone of everytime *double shock* but after seeing the amazing photos it takes I'm definitely considering getting one!

♥ 5 Tips For Great Outdoor Photos

♥ Famous Photogs Pose With Their Most Iconic Images - It's just amazing how a single image of a single moment can capture and hold so much history and emotion.

by Toon

♥ 5 Ways 'Clueless' Ruined My Life - Clueless was definitely responsible for some of my fashion faux pas in the past, I absolutely love this movie and have probably watched it over a hundred times!

♥ The Firefly Guide To Producing More Creative Content

♥ Ten Life Lessons From Doctor Who - I've only recently (since Matt Smith) become a fan of Doctor Who but he's definitely one of my favourite characters and these are some great examples of just how awesome he is and we can be to.

by Leftz

♥ Creating an Emotional Safety Plan - Sometime when you're feeling down you just can't think straight so having a list of those guaranteed mood boosters is always goo to have on hand.

♥ Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life

♥ Things You Need In Order To Stay Happy - Love, love, LOVE this and it's the absolute truth to!

by Girl With Butterfly Wings

♥ Sale Shopping 101: Hunting the Bargains - Kaelah shares some of her sale shopping secrets and how she got such an awesome JC shoe collection.

♥ Should We Ever Stop Playing Dress Up?

♥ Tips for Thrifting - It's been so long since I last went thrifting and these are some great things to remember for my next thrifting trip.

♥ Stephen Fry's letter to a girl struggling with depression - This is so eloquently written and so reassuring, if you needed any more reasons to love Stephen Fry then this is it!

♥ An Open Letter to Thinspiration Blogs

♥ How to Not Care What Other People Think Of You - This, this and THIS!

♥ Is Perfectionism Stalling Your Productivity? - This is something I can definitely relate with, I have so many unpublished posts because of this

♥ How Can I Be Happy When The World Is Such A Horrible Place?

♥ 10 Rules For Brilliant Women - Some great tips here to get you working towards those goals!

Love & Sparkly Hugs

Cate

xoxo

A Lomo View On... Religion in the East

Whenever I go back to Thailand I always make sure to go visit a temple at about once a week to pay my respects. I wouldn't call myself a Buddhist but I guess it's the religion I most identify with and have grown up around. I mostly like the calming aspects of temples and how amazingly intricate and beautiful the architecture is that and the fact it's a nice little break away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and my crazy Thai family!

The photos above (and Fisheye below) however were taken whilst I was in China and each of them depicts a temple dedicated to a different religion the first is dedicated to Taoism, the one above left is a Buddhist temple and the one to the right a Mosque and although they each celebrate a different religion there is a distinct Eastern look that almost seems to unify the religions.

The two Holga shots and the Fisheye (above) were my first rolls of film I cross-processed. I'd seen such amazing cross-processed shots from fellow lomographers that I had to try it out for myself. I used Kodak Ektachrome for the Holga and for the Fisheye Agfa Precisia and I was so pleased with Fisheye shots that I ended up buying another 20 rolls of that film!

Every house in Thailand has a little Buddha house outside their house, our house has two. The black and white film I used for my Holga shots kind of gives an eerie presence to the temples, especially the temple (Wat Si Chum) which you can see in the photo to the right and below which houses a humongous Buddha inside a tiny ruined temple in Thailand's historical capital Sukhothai.

Sukhothai is one of my favourite places in Thailand although quite small, it's much more peaceful than Bangkok and although the ruined temples there are not as pretty and intricate or detailed as some of the more common temples the architecture is still quite amazing and let's not forget some of these ruins are hundreds of years old!

One of the most amazing things about Temples in Thailand is they they can be found in such amazing and unusual places whether it be deep in a cave, on top of a mountain or even in a century old tree and not only can they be found in strange places, some are dedicated to the strangest things I've seem hell gardens, penis shrines and a whole temple taken over by some feisty monkeys!

I can't wait to spend the summer in Thailand again this year as I just love taking my Lomo cameras on temple visits with me, they seem to capture the beauty and atmosphere so much better than my digital cameras, each photo is always a surprise to me as I've got into that "Lomo habit" of just snapping away without even looking through the lens so it's always a real treat when I see the final results.

Shutter Bugs & Lomo Love

Cate

xoxo

Be the change you want to see in the world...

Love & Hope

Cate

xoxo

Don't Be Sad Be AWESOME!

by Martybell

2012 hasn't got of the best start with me what with various family issues, losing jobs, increasing money woes and confusion about where my life is heading it's been increasingly hard to keep myself positive and not crawl into a cave and hibernate until things get better, but despite all that is going on around me I am managing to stay strong and have found ways to keep my head held high even when it seems like life is crashing down all around me.

by Lawdeda

Exercise

I've found there's no better way to get my frustrations out than a good workout, whether it be going out for a good jogging session, hula hooping or just an hour working out on Wii Fit I find working out is a great way to block the world out for an hour or two and work all that negativity out of your system.

by Hope Reagan

Take a Break From Technology

One of the main stress factors in our modern world is technology, how many times have you got so angry at your computer or your phone that you've just wanted to fling it into the nearest river? It's amazing how technology pretty much rules our lives and by taking a little break away from it all and just reading a book or going out for a walk can boost your mood and make you realise that we really are stressing over nothing.

by Dangerous Ladies

Give Yourself a Project

Givng yourself something to focus on is one way to distract yourself from feeling down if you feel productive, like you've got something to do, then you tend to feel more motivated and have something more to offer to the world. A project can be anything from re-arranging your closet, finding the best way to cook eggs or alphabetizing your DVDs to having a yard sale, raising money for charity or even training for a marathon!

by Katie Sokoler

Set Goals

I find once you give yourself a goal and something to work towards and achieve you're automatically motivated and want to do your best to achieve it. Think to yourself what is the one thing you really truely want to do in 2012 and write it down, then make a list of the various things you think you can do to achieve this goal and DO THEM! Goals aren't achieved by sitting around being all sad you have to put some work into them and although it may be hard just think of how you'll feel when you've finally reached that goal, nothing is impossible unless you want it to be!

by Rosuuuu

Relax

If you feel like it's all got to much and you need a break then take one, you are human after all and we all have sad days and days where we just can't face getting out of bed, this is your body's way of telling you you need to slow down and take it easy, and sometimes taking a "duvet day" and a little break away from the world to relax is all we need to feel re-energized again.

Love & Candy

Cate

xoxo

 

Inspirational Quotes #23

It doesn't matter if you have a valentine or not - just love yourself and be your own.
- Kim Kardashian

Beauty Blitz: 5 February Faves

by Lady Pandacat

The second month of 2012 is here and I've still managed to resist the temptation not to do a beauty splurge and have been using up the many products I still have stashed away. This month I've tried not to use as many products to see what difference it would make to my skin as sometimes a product overload can do more harm than good and whether its the lack of products of my new Clarisonic (full report coming soon!) there's been a definite improvement, so here are a few products I've been loving this month.

MAC Red Lipstick

February wouldn't be February without a good red lipstick and this lipstick from MAC called rather simply "MAC Red" is the perfect shade and I managed to get it free after exchanging my six empty containers so what's not to love about about it?

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash

After my fave daily scrub was discontinued I've been on the hunt for something new and after a few unsuccessful attempts which did more harm than good I found this one which is gentle on your skin but makes you feel so squeaky clean and fresh afterwards, this is definitely my new fave scrub!

Skinfood Gold Kiwi Toner

Skinfood is definitely my favourite brand and although I have my regular favourites I always try out the new products to and this is one of them. Unlike most toners which can sting or dry out your skin this one deeply cleans your skin and also leaves it feeling moisturised and it smells really sweet to.

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter

Every time I try out a new body butter I feel like I gain a new favourite, my mum bought me this one for Christmas and I absolutely adore it, it smells oh so lovely and exactly like oranges. Normally these body butters last me months but I love this one so much I've been using it almost everyday and I'm nearly out so I'll definitely be picking another one up on my next visit to The Body Shop.

Dubble Bubble Lip Balm

My friend Violet sent me this for my birthday and as my lip balm stash is so big I've only just got round to using it, I actually have the Sour Cherry flavoured one but despite its name it smells and tastes so sweet that I keep finding myself licking it off my lips and it also does a really great job of keep my lips silky and moisturised to.

Love & Glitter

Cate

xoxo

14 Crafty Valentine's Day Ideas

by itchinstitchin

Valentine's Day is a week away and the shops are full of red and pink paraphernalia which I absolutely love but even more than that I love crafting presents for the people I love so I thought I'd share some awesome D.I.Y. tutorials I've found with you guys and even if you don't have anyone to share Valentine's Day with there's nothing saying you can't gift yourself something pretty this year.

♥ D.I.Y Chalkboard Mug - Chalkboard paint is one of the best inventions ever it makes even the simplest things lots of fun.

♥ Lace Resin Pendant Tutorial - This is so pretty perfect for Valentines

♥ Make Your Own Lomo T-Shirt - Such a simple idea which would make a great gift for your loved one.

♥ Sweet Bows & Unicorns - A great tutorial from my super crafty friend Yume Ninja on how to turn a regular tee into something sparkly and magical.

♥ How To Make a Galaxy Shirt - Another one of my talented crafty friends Selina shares how to create a cool galaxy design on a plain tee, so pretty and so awesome!

♥ Kitty Sleep Mask Tutorial - How cute is this? A great tutorial from the super crafty Violet Le Beaux

♥ How to Transfer a Photo to Fabric - I had no idea this was possible but it's such a brilliant idea the possibilities of what you can do with photos is endless I especially love the pocket idea.

♥ My Little Valentine - This is such a cute little idea a great way to give out little Valentine's Day treats

♥ Heart-Shaped Soap - I've always wanted to try making soaps and Martha makes it look so easy!

♥ Bloom Flower Crown D.I.Y - We all know I'm obsessed with flower crowns perhaps I should finally get round to making one for myself this year...

♥ Valentine Voodoo Pincushion - Not a fan of Valentines? well I got you covered.

♥ D.I.Y. Girly Bow Ties - Bow ties are cool (and can be manly) 'nuff said!

♥ Headband Tutorial - This could be a great alternative to flowers and longer lasting to.

♥ D.I.Y. Glitter Brogues - What could be a better gift than sparkly glitter shoes?

Love & Glitter

Cate

xoxo

A Very Handmade Valentines Gift Guide

by Fiiikus

Handmade items are my ultimate favourite thing and I'm striving to buy a lot more of it this year rather than the mass produced items you see in regular stores, it also has the advantage of helping independent artists and you get a great unique product which has been handmade with lots of love, so here are just a few of my favourite items from independent designers you can find on Etsy.

Vanilla Valentine Heart Soap

Aren't these so pretty? They would make the perfect Valentines gift to a loved one and also a beautiful addition to anyone's bathroom, I bet they smell divine to!

Alice in Wonderland Book Purse

Ok so not exactly Valentines related but it is pink and it was too amazing to not deserve a mention, I seriously want ALL the book purses in this shop and they would make an absolute awesome gift.

Love-Bot Shoes

Em & Sprout make the cutest shoes and these Love-Bot shoes would be a great Valentine, one day I'm definitely gifting myself a pair of them!

Love Him Heart Resin Ring

There are quite a lot of resin jewellery makers on Etsy but I think Stoopidgerl is by far my favourite! I love all her bright, colourful, sparkly designs and what's better on Valentines than to say it with a Loveheart?

Cheeseburger Mitts

Going down the non-traditional route again but these are too amazing not to include and what's better than a burger and a milkshake date (prospective partners take note!) Twinkie Chan makes the best food accessories ever and if you're not a burger fan there's cupcakes and pizza to.

If I Only Had a Heart Dress

A simple yet beautiful design which would make the perfect date night dress, it's handmade to order so be sure to get your orders and enquiries in quick if you want it in time for the big day.

Red Sparkle Crochet Headband

Tiny Tangerines is another of my favourite crochet artists, she makes the cutest animal hats but it's this bow headband which has caught my eye for Valentine's Day, nothing like a big bow and sparkles to bring some happiness to your day.

The Yellow Submarine Bag

All you need is love ba da ba dada.... Ok I hold my hands up yes this is completely unrelated to Valentines but OMG it's amazing and I will take any excuse to get this bag it's 100% handmade awesomeness and the perfect gift for any occasion.

Winged Heart Fascinator

You'll be channelling Cupid in this fascinator, it's the perfect accessory for Valentines and gets bonus points for being super sparkly you'll definitely be spreading the love with this!

 Valentine Rose Crown

It's no secret that I'm in love with floral crowns and this one is absolutely stunning and an awesome alternative to the traditional dozen roses, pair this with these rose cuffs and you'll be like a walking Valentines bouquet.

As a special Valentines treat for you all I'm offering 10% off all purchases in my Etsy shop throughout the whole of February, just enter the code BEMYVALENTINE at checkout and your discount will automatically be applied. 

Love & Roses

Cate

xoxo