Something For The Weekend

Something To Do

DIY Recipe Book

DIY Recipe Box

It's been raining all day here, so it's the weather is bad where you are too, why not use it as a chance to organise your kitchen? Get those recipes written up and neatly arranged so that you can easily find them!

You could also use the bad weather as a chance to stay in and learn how to create vibrant colour photographs!

Or why not check out this fantastic tumblr, which is bound to be super helpful if you're an artist or just interested in people.

Or maybe learn how to purge your closet?

If you're feeling brave then maybe take Sylvia Plath's advice and "go out and do something".

Something For The Weekend

Something To Read

I Got Married At Nineteen. Well, not me obviously because I'm getting married next year and I'll be twenty-four when that happens. But I know that a lot of people think that twenty-four is too young to get married, so I imagine that a lot of people balk at the idea of someone pre-twenties getting married. Personally, I don't care but this is still a really interested interview about what it's like to get married so young and why they made that choice. Also, in a similar vein, Get Married For The Right Reasons.

If you run your own blog then here's some great tips on how to make the best of your layout.

I don't like advertising much at the best of times, mostly because advertisers apparently think that all women do is nag, clean and fuss over children. But it also bothers me that men are often portrayed as being pretty useless, especially when it comes to caring for anything other than gadgets, cars, sports or beer. Apparently men are incapable of washing anything or taking care of anything. But here's the thing, they're not. Men can, and often do, take part in all these areas of life, there are many men who love taking care of their kids, but they also get a lot of hassle for it. Dads These Days, How Those Lucky Bastards Actually Have It Kinda Shitty.

Something To Do

Self-portraits can be a total pain, whether it's just for Facebook or for your won website, so here's Five Tops For Better Self-Portraits, give them a go!

I live in a pretty big house really, well I think I do. It has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a big front room/dining room and yet it's still the messiest place in the world. Mostly because we don't have enough shelving and because we don't have a hallway (it's upstairs) and there's no attic. So, here's Eleven Clever Ways To Maximise Space In Every Room Of Your Home, hopefully they'll work!

Something For The Weekend

Something To Read

If you're starting you own business and hoping to sell your own art, crafts or anything else then it's super important to know how to price your product in a way that means that you get a decent profit while still ensuring that your customers don't feel ripped off.

Sadly we aren't all creatively minded and not everyone feels like they have skills to sell, so how can you find work that doesn't feel like work?

With summer on the way many of you will be thinking about where to travel to, so why not check out a Mini Guide to Iceland?

Something To Do

All you need is Photoshop and a graphics tablet, then you can add your handwriting to photos.

I do love iced coffee and I know I've posted a recipe before, but here's another one. This time it's a yummy mocha frappe!

Something For The Weekend

Something To Do

Big hair and kerchiefs, gorgeous. A Dolly inspired hairstyle.

I love friendship bracelets, always have, and I want to make them again. If you want to try to make some too, here's a great tutorial.

Something To Read

100 things to do instead of procrastinating on the internet! My issue isn't actually so much the internet but my incessant wandering around the house because I know I should be doing work but I'm not sure what to do with it, but this is still useful.

How to feng-shui your home, or 'why Gala Darling bought goldfish'.

A Girl and Her Room: Portraits of Teenage Girl's Inner Worlds Through Their Bedroom Interiors.

Something For The Weekend

Well, thanks to the magic that is scheduling posts you are reading this while I am heading up the motorway to Yorkshire! I'll be back on Friday so please, try to console yourself and hold on until I return. Then I promise that regular updates will resume, and hopefully I'll have a lovely Sunday Catch Up post full of photos for you too!

Something To Read

It's hard work being self-employed, so take care of yourself and learn How To Beat Self-Employment Burnout.

Advice on Living The Creative Life from the one and only, marvellously talented, Neil Gaiman.

Advice For Young Femininsts: Do Something Else Besides Feminism!

Check out Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking, as she argues that in a world dominated by extroverts, introverts are extraordinarily talented and should be celebrated, in her TED talk: The Power Of Introverts. Even if you're not an introvert, it's a really funny and informative talk, so definitely worth a listen. Also, while you're at it have read Sarah from Yes Yes' really useful advice on Networking For Introverts.

Something To Do

If you have a small garden, like myself, then these DIY Hanging Baskets is a really cute way to display all your lovely plants without taking up all the 'floor' space.

I've been dying my hair bright red on and off since I was fifteen years old, and if you also dye your hair red then try out these great Tips For Keeping Red Hair Bright.

Something For The Weekend

Something to drink:

Make your own iced coffee at home! I'm definitely trying this because I love iced coffee but I hate paying coffee shop prices.

Something to do:

What type are you? I'm Archer Hairline.

Something to read:

How to do what you love in a few simple steps.

Something For The Weekend

Something to do

If like me you're not a fan of crown braids then this reverse crown braid might be just what you want. It's so cute and simple. I just hope my hair is long enough to pull it off well.

If you are constantly trying to get decent photos of your pets but always end up with furry blurs, like I do, then check out these tips on photographing your pets!

Something to eat

I am dying to try this strawberries and maple cream recipe, it sounds so summery!

Something to read

I am neither married or have kids, yet, but quite a few of my friends are living in marital bliss and/or popping out babies. So, if you are worried that your friends are all going off and getting married and/or having kids, leaving you with no one to hang out with on a Friday night. here are some reassuring words.

Something to watch

If you don't already watch Game of Thrones then where have you been? Under a rock? Go and catch up with it right now and join me in my fangirly-ness! Also, read the books.

Something For The Weekend

Something to listen to:

Image from Weheartit.com

I've been listening to audio-books while I do my work recently, it makes it less monotonous when you spend five hours writing about loans and I've never liked working in silence. I've always lived in a busy house so I find it strange to do work without near constant chatter in the background.

I found some very good, free audio-books online through Books Should Be Free. It can be a little hit or miss because not all of the books have the same reader all the way through but as long as you don't mind that then it's not an issue. It reminds me of reading aloud at school when everyone took turns. Their books mostly come from Librivox so check them out too. Another great website is Audible but you do have to pay, there is however a free trial. The reason why these books are free is that they are now in the public domain for one reason or another, just check to make sure it applies to your country because sometimes what is free in the US is not free in the UK.

Something to do:

Image from College Fashion

If you love plants like I do but live in a small flat/apartment or simply in a house without a garden then check out some great tips and suggestions for small space friendly plants and see what you could grow!

Something to read:

Writes of Passage Anthology 2012

Check out Writes of Passage, the anthology for my masters course. It features everyone's writing and was edited by us. I sort out the website and twitter. You can now not just read out writing but also see the lovely illustrations that the art department did for us, and a few that were down by the writers themselves. It isn't available to buy or anything like that, it is sent to publishers and agents, so if you want to have a look at it do it now, while you still can.

Something For The Weekend

Something to do:

Make your own stationary set! Hand made cards and invitations are always appreciated. Then why not learn how to take great indoor photos showing off what you made?

Sewing 101, two basic clothing alternation techniques that everyone should know! Now you have no excuse.

Something to read:

Image from: makemineblack

Have you taken a break from writing to return and find that your character has developed laryngitis?

When someone mentions pathetic fallacy I think of A Room With  A View

What are your thoughts on pathetic fallacy? Also, have you notice how often people get the definition wrong and don't even realise, like me?

Something to eat:

Image from: Pinoy Foods

Leche Flan! I ate this so much as a kid when we lived in The Philippines. I'm going to try making it myself!

Something For The Weekend

I so did not totally forget to update this morning...nope, not at all.

Okay so maybe I did. I've spent today catching up with some things in iPlayer because our TV decided that it wouldn't get a decent signal today, playing Skyrim and going out for hot chocolate at Morellis. But more about that tomorrow.

Hopefully you are all having love Saturdays but if you're feeling at a loss for what to do then why not give these a whirl?

Something to read:

Learn how to juggle! Because, after all, adults need to know how to juggle (figuratively speaking) and writers definitely need to know how to juggle!

Look at this adorable puppy and try not to 'awww'. Also check out the rest of Elsie's blog because it's awesome.

Something to do:

Not sure where image is from, found it on Tumblr

Go out for hot chocolate like I did!

Again, from Tumblr

Go puppy spotting! I do this a lot, partly because I love animals and partly because I really want a puppy. A small part of this might also be because I'm not entirely normal. When we go out anywhere I am on the look out for cute dogs (and cats but you don't see them so often) and where we live EVERYONE has an adorable dog. It's also a nice way to pass time and it's good to go for a walk. 

Something For The Weekend

Something to do:

Easy peasy T-shirt stencilling!

Make the world's easiest skirt!

Something to read:

Not sure what to read next?

Something to watch:

The Science of Sleep

The Science of Sleep is another of my all time favourite films. It's kind of weird and I have some friends who don't get it at all. It is all about dreams and blurring reality, and I haven't seen another film portray that weird feeling you have when dreaming so well. It's French too and the characters go between English, French and Spanish but of course there are subtitles. I just think it's amazing, I love Stéphane and Stéphanie. Also, strangely this isn't a film set in Paris that makes me want to go to Paris (unlike Amelie which makes everyone long for twisting, romantic, old-fashioned Paris back streets), this makes Paris look quite average as it would to anyone who really lived there. But that might just be me. Also, the DVD is only £2.99 from Amazon so even you end up hating it, it's not like it cost you very much to give it a go!

The Science of Sleep concerns the flirtations and misunderstandings of Stéphane (played by Gael García Bernal), an aspiring visual artist, and Stéphanie (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg), his Parisian neighbour who creates whimsical sculptures from cotton balls and felt. As Stéphane toils in a caustic office for a company that makes calendars, he retreats into his dreams and finds them increasingly hard to distinguish from reality, and vice-versa. (from Amazon)