As a blogger I am embarrassingly ill-equipped in the photography department. I’ve always been quite self-conscious about my photo’s and every few months I pledge to spend more time and effort on what I consider to be the ‘face’ of any blog. I’ve even looked into taking some simple lessons. But all those attempts and what little skill I had managed to obtain recently went down the drain when my Nikon 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G lens kicked the bucket.
Twenty Four years have crept up on me; they’ve come and gone whether welcomed or not. I’m beginning to experience that stage in life where birthdays are dreaded rather than anticipated, yet each and every year I question that judgement since my birthday is always one of the most wonderful days of the year. To start, my birthday falls around Thanksgiving weekend every year. A time when the weather is changing, the leaves are coloured, and the hot coffee is ever-flowing. But the most important part is my wonderful family and friends who make me feel so special.
My weekend consisted of lots of family visits, lots of hugs, and lots of food – everything I could have asked for. I received some wonderful gifts and even managed to squeeze in a little shopping for myself! Nothing better, eh? I stopped off at Sephora and picked up just a few things, including the Sephora 2015 Birthday Gift from NARS, the Mini Velvet Lip Pencil in Cruella and the Mini Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien. I then grabbed the ever-coveted, often lusted after, Elizabeth and James White Nirvana eau de perfume, as it’s something I’ve wanted for so long and finally decided to treat myself with. And finally, the Tarte Coloured Clay CC Undereye Corrector in the shade LightI, which can hopefully deal with these dark circles under these 24 year old eyes.
As gifts come, this year was great! My family spoils me. I got the cutest Cath Kidston Button Spot Mini Satchel bag and a gorgeous Cath Kidston British Birds Patterned Wool Scarf, both adorable pieces picked up across the pond on one of my mom’s recent trips. My sister got me the cutest earrings and birth stone bracelet from Freedom at TopShop. And last but not least, Corey hit a home run with a new Nikon remote for my D40 along with an Aperture Amaran Halo Light that I can’t wait to play with! And to round it off, an adorable set of pencil crayons with the Enchanted Forest colouring book
And, just for fun, instead of heavy drinking and dancing, my friends and I decided to have a low-key fun night at a Toronto escape room. We went to Trapped Canada in Markham and it was so fun. We failed…..but they did mention to us that only 4.8% of groups have been able to complete that room. It was impossible. Can’t wait to try it again!
So cheers to that start of my 25th year. Can’t wait to see what it brings!
After a year of blogging I believe that my blogging life is finally starting to resemble something along the lines of ‘organization’. In the first few months of my blog I posted whenever I felt like it. I went days, weeks, and at one point even a whole month without a single post. But of course I realized that any sort of success would only come with my hard work, and in the new year I pledged to put everything I could into my blog. It required some planning and organization….and I’m still getting there.
But how do I keep myself organized? And what tools do I use to blog with?
Moleskine’s are travellers, journalists, and bloggers best friends. These notebooks are wonderful – if you can believe that certain bound pieces of paper can be better than other bound pieces of paper. I’ve been using Moleskine notebooks since High School so when I decided I need more organization for my blog, I picked up a 3 pack of Moleskine Cahier Lined Notebooks. These are decent sized notebooks with heavy card stock covers. In this notebook, I keep track of my posts, what date I post and, just in case I’ve written them in advance, I check whether I’ve completed writing it and whether I’ve taken pictures. I also keep track of any ideas I have for future posts. This method is keeping me incredibly organized! I’ve managed to start blogging at least three times a week now and I’m hoping to get that down to every second day.
My pictures are always something I struggle with. I love using my Nikon D40, but I unfortunately feel that I do not use it to it’s full capacity. Nor am I very skilled with editing photos. But I think I’m getting slightly better. I use my tripod whenever possible to be sure my photos are straight, and I try to take my photos at the sunniest part of the day, for the most natural lighting. Taking more time with my pictures has made me feel a little more confident about my blog. I know that I’m more likely to click on someone else’s post if the picture draws me in. Pictures say a thousand words.
So heres to some successful organization and planning, and to the future of blogging. I’ve definitely been experiencing more success since I began organizing, and hopefully I can get my pictures to the same level! Thanks for staying tuned readers, and don’t be shy to let me know what you think or ask questions!
Loose Leaf Literary 