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Friday 16 September 2016

The Way I See It... Search for Inspiration

Hey guys! Today is Friday so it is time for another The Way I See It post! Today I'm going to be talking about grasping every day and searching for inspiration in the worst times. This is something that is important to me so I'm glad to be talking about it.

Some days are great. You feel an intense surge of motivation and you just know it's going to be a good day. On other days, you don't even want to get out of bed. On those days, I think that it's important to fight through whatever is making you feel a bit off and search for inspiration. If I'm feeling uninspired when it comes to writing blog posts, I'll go and read other blogs for ideas and general inspiration. When I am looking for inspiration for blog posts, it doesn't have to be direct. For example, if I was looking for a post about society, I would think about situations I had been in lately and how this could mirror wider society. Nature can also be a giant inspiration, even if you need the inspiration to continue your day. Practice drawing inspiration from your surroundings and you will feel much more motivated to carry on.

Good luck in your inspirational journey, haha. Have a great week and I'll talk to you later. Byeee!

xxx

Catherine

Friday 9 September 2016

The Way I See It... Writing Songs

Hey guys! I hope you liked the photography post from last week but we are back to The Way I See It posts. I hope you have all had a great week since I last talked to you. Today I'm going to be talking about my love of writing songs, I think I have written a post about song writing around a year ago but that was an entirely different (and cringeworthy) era of my blog so here is the updated version.

I love writing songs. For me it is a way to simultaneously escape and face my problems and turn them into something beautiful. I started writing songs when I was going through some bullying at the age of six, I had a yellow notebook with all of my songs in it, I used that notebook for songs for two or three years until I sadly lost it at a holiday program. I still think about that notebook and I have concluded that I will probably never get that notebook back so I may as well just stop wondering what is in the notebook. I am still writing songs to replace the yellow notebook-shaped hole in my heart, I know I will never get that notebook back but I know my songwriting skills have improved over the years. Maybe sometime I will share my music with you, until then here are some of the musical artist that inspire me greatly:
Dodie Clark
Lorde
Lauren Aquilina
Nina Nesbitt
Adele
Melanie Martinez
Halsey

Thank you so much for listening to my ramblings about songwriting. Do you write songs? What artists inspire you musically? Tell me in the comments. I hope you have a wonderful week and I will talk to you very soon!

xxx

Catherine

Friday 2 September 2016

What's In My Camera | Part 2

Hey guys! This week has been a really busy week for me so I haven't had time to write a quality post for my The Way I See It series. I don't believe in posting if the post isn't something I am honestly proud of and I need time, which I haven't had, to create that. Instead of this week's The Way I See It post, I figured it would make sense to post a photography, as this is something I haven't done in a while.












Thank you very much for looking at my photography, I really love it and I hope that shines through in the photos! Have a great and I will talk to you very soon!

xxx

Catherine

Friday 26 August 2016

The Way I See It... Steptember

Hey guys! This week has been pretty eventful, somebody in my extended family has been diagnosed with cancer and somebody else in my extended family might have a chronic illness to do with the brain (they can still think and communicate as clearly and abstractly as before thankfully). To make matters worse I ran into somebody two days ago and feel on the floor while playing multi-sports and I got winded. The next morning I couldn't move my neck and I went to the chiropractor twice in one day. Turns out I had a mild concussion and an extremely tight neck. I'm going to today and if things aren't a lot better, I'll be getting x-rays. I'm feeling a lot better today though. Sorry for my little ramble, I'll be getting on to the post now, haha. Today I'm going to be talking about Steptember.

A few days ago, I found out about something called Steptember, I heard the cause behind it and I was very interested. Steptember, as you may have guessed is about taking steps in September for charity. From the !st to the 28th of September, I will be taking 10,000 steps a day and raising money for people living with Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is basically a brain injury occurring at or before birth that affects a person's ability use their muscles and body, sometimes the person will have seizures and other disabilities. The funds of Steptember can give people living with Cerebral Palsy their first steps, a physiotherapy session or even a modified bike to make playing with their friends possible. Your fundraising can also pay for research into how we can cure Cerebral Palsy! I highly recommend finding out more about Steptember on their website.

I'm going to be doing Steptember because I want to be healthier and raise money for people with Cerebral Palsy, I'm going to be doing a lot of fundraising for the event. So far I have talked to my principal about selling home-made awareness ribbons (green for Cerebral Palsy) and he loves the idea, I have some friends helping me sell those, I still need to come up with advertising around my school but I'll be making those ribbons tonight. I might go to a Saturday Market and sell some baking and ribbons. I think I might do a raffle for lollies (sweets/candy) and chocolate depending on the sales of the ribbons and baking. I will also be asking my family and friends to sponsor me.

If you would like to get involved with Steptember, go to their website, you could directly donate there or do Steptember yourself. Feel very welcome to donate to me through my online fundraising page! Any of the above will help greatly, but obviously, it's not a necessity to give money to the cause, I just think it will make you feel really great to know that you are helping someone in need. Steptember starts in 5 days and 6 hours, I am ready for this!

I hope you have enjoyed finding out a little bit more about Steptember and good luck in whatever you want to do to help those living with Cerebral Palsy. I will update you regularly on my Steptember journey! How are you going to get involved in Steptember? Do you know somebody living with Cerebral Palsy? Tell me in the comments. I hope you have a wonderful day! Byeeeeee!

xxx

Catherine

Friday 19 August 2016

The Way I See It... Caring


Hey guys! Thank you so much for the positive reaction the posts I have written previously in this series, it is great to know that you care about what I'm writing. Today I'm going to be talking about the definition of caring. This is one of the most important traits for a friend to have and I try to be a caring person. Even though this word is pretty commonly used, it means a lot to me.

According to the dictionary, caring means "displaying kindness and concern for others." This is a pretty good round up of what the word means, but I think that only really covers the surface of the word. It doesn't show the grateful smiles and the real, warm hugs.

Caring, in my opinion, is being concerned for the people you love. It's making sure they're happy as often as possible. It's sitting down with them and just listening to all of their problems. It's taking them seriously  It's giving your best friend a present that relates to an inside joke. It's making sure not to call their step-dad their dad just because they mentioned that it annoys them. It's all the things that people outside of those close relationships would miss. They don't have to be big things but they sure make you feel thought-about. It's the things that make you feel like you're not alone, the things that make you feel like somebody's there for you.

I am lucky to have a lot of people that care about me in my life, but you might not feel that lucky, they are always people to care for you but you just need to open up to them. If you feel alone and you are scared to trust somebody, why not start with somebody who you have never met in your life? An internet friend! You are all very welcome to send me an email telling me your problems or just having a good chat.

I hope you enjoyed this post, thank you so much for reading! Is being a caring friend something you think about often? What do you do to be a caring friend? Tell me in the comments. Until next Friday, byeee.

xxx

Catherine

Friday 12 August 2016

The Way I See It... Choosing a Positive Attitude

Hey guys! I'm back with another post for my "The Way I See It" series. I'm really enjoying this series so far, I'm back on track and that feels pretty good! Today I'm going to be talking about having a positive attitude and the choice I made to be this way. Let's get into it!

When I was younger, I was not a positive person. I complained all the time, I took things personally and I was just generally not very happy. I guess I just wasn't conscious of how my mind worked and how I could actually choose to be positive. Everybody around me had some degree of negativity (everybody does) but all of it changed thanks to two contestants on MKR called Carly and Tresne who labelled themselves on MKR as "best friends" but are actually married. They didn't tell the public when they were on the show as they wanted to be judged on their cooking instead of their sexuality, no doubt it would have been hard anyway as same-sex marriage is illegal in Australia. Anyway back to the point. They were so positive and I felt so good when I saw them on TV and I really wanted to have that outlook on life. I found out that if I looked at things positively, I felt good and the right people liked being around me. As I mentioned in my last post, psychologists have found that it takes around three months for an action to become a habit, so every time I thought something negative, I stopped myself and turned that thought around and now I'm a generally positive person.

The point of the story is, you don't come right out of your mother going "well that hurt, but I'm so glad I'm out in the world now!" Not quite, haha! You don't have to be positive from the start, you can start right now. For me personally, the internet, specifically the blogging community is filled with positive people who have helped me on my journey, below will be the links of two of the most positive people on the internet you can visit to boost your positivity and generally make you feel happy.

Rainbow-Rose Blossom's blog and YouTube channel! She has been through some very difficult things but she has come out of them with a smile on her face, rainbow hair and a beautiful new name. She radiates positivity and is honestly like a personal life coach!

Marianne's website! This girl is amazing! She posts about mental well-being, physical health and inspirational quotes mainly. She has an enormous heart and is so kind and positive. If I'm feeling unmotivated in any part of my life, I visit her blog and immediately feel better. Keep in mind that she has just launched her new website a couple of weeks ago (congrats again Marianne!) but if you want to check out her previous blog, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you very much for reading this post! Are you a positive person? What do you do to boost you positivity? Tell me in the comments. Thank you again and I'll see you shortly!

xxx

Catherine

Sunday 7 August 2016

The Way I See It... Man In The Mirror

Hey guys! I'm really sorry that I haven't been able to post for a month. I have been super busy with school work as well as dealing with my mental health, it's fair to say I have had WAY too many breakdowns over the month. I did manage to tell a handful of friends about my mental health issues, they have been so lovely and supportive, they are the main reason for me finding a scrap of energy and getting my blog on track again. I think I might write a post about my mental state because I know how supportive and motivating you guys are, it means a lot to me. I would just like to add that my normal posting schedule for The Way I See It will remain the same, Friday at 5:30pm New Zealand Standard Time but I just couldn't wait until Friday.

I suppose I should get onto what the post is actually about now, haha! Today I'm going to be talking about making the world a better place by starting with yourself. I was inspired to write about this by Michael Jackson's song Man in The Mirror and Gandhi's quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world". Let's get into it!

I thought about the song and the quote and realised that it is very easy to get caught up in complaining about things you see other people do when you do them as well, I know I do this! This is unfair and, let's face it, it isn't very nice being called a hypocrite, no matter how true it may be!

Because of my realisation, I decided that I would make another golden rule. That rule is that before I open my mouth to complain, I will check if I do that thing (so basically check yourself before you wreck yourself, haha). I encourage you to join me on having this golden rule, psychologists say that it takes about three months for an action to become a habit so I will be reminding myself to remember my rule.

I hope you have enjoyed this post as much I have enjoyed writing it! Will you be joining me on being less of a hypocrite over the next three months? What are some of your golden rules for life? Tell me in the comments! Thank you again for reading, I will see you on Friday!

xxx

Catherine

Friday 8 July 2016

The Way I See It... Photography

Hey guys! The other I was thinking about photography and what it means to me and I thought it would make a really cool addition to this series. Photography is definitely something I'm passionate and that's something I want to share with you. This post may get a bit poetic (aka I will ramble) but I feel like I'm in wonderland when I take photos so I suppose it's a reflection of how I feel.

Photography, according to the dictionary is "the art or practice of taking and processing photos". I suppose that capture what it is but to me, it is the thoughts that run through my head and the feeling I get when I'm taking photos.

Nature is probably my favourite thing to photograph. It is beautiful, whether or not we care. A flower blooms whether we are watching or not. The sun shines whether we are there to love it or not. I believe we can learn a lot from nature which is one of the reasons I love capturing that. When I take a beautiful photo, it hits me that every little part of nature is beautiful. It's hard sometimes to think about the little things that make up a beautiful, huge something that influences us so much but photography opens my eyes to that and I am so grateful.

Another thing that I love about photography is that I feel so free when I'm doing it. Being out there in the world, alone is something that I find so magical. I feel like my problems dissolve in the soft breeze and it's just me, the camera and the beauty. Something washes over me and tells me that I am safe, a feeling I don't get all that often.

I have been asked by Marianne over at Don't Burst My Bubble (she is lovely, definitely check her out) to do a post on photography tips, I have been trying really hard to squeeze something worthwhile out of my brain but it's proving difficult. Hang in there I promise I'm trying! Until I post that post, here is a tip, don't take it too seriously! Just go out there and enjoy yourself, the love will show up in your photos.

Thank you all for reading this post and until next Friday (at 5:00 pm New Zealand Standard Time)... The way I see it... photography is beautiful and magical. Goodbye (drops mic).

xxx

Catherine

Friday 1 July 2016

A New Beginning


Hey guys! I have been away for quite a while, haven't I! I think I've been away for about two months. In the first month, I was stuck in a rut. I went to blog and nothing worth writing could escape my mind. My blogging life was turning into a The Fault In Our Stars quote, "my thoughts are stars I can not fathom into constellations". Ideas for posts buzzed around my mind but I could get them out in words. In the second month, I was house sitting with my family. The was no internet or TV. I know that I could have written post offline but having no internet doesn't exactly help when you're stuck in a rut. I decided what I needed was something new in my blog to give me back that excitement I get from blogging. I had been tossing around the idea of a new series before I got blogger's block but now I know the details of the series so today, I want to tell you about those details!

So this series will be called "The Way I See It...". It will be about my opinion on anything. What I really like about this series is that it leaves the subject quite open. I can write about anything that I feel inspired to write about. I have already got so many ideas up my sleeve and since it's a wide range series, you guys will still be getting a lot of the same kind of posts.

I will be posting every Friday at 1700 (5:00pm) New Zealand Standard Time (GMT+12:00). I'm having this series scheduled so that you can rely on the post being there every week at that time. I have always loved schedules on other blogs because I know that I can make myself some tea and read a new blog post, it's so relaxing and hopefully you can have that experience too.

I am really excited to get back into blogging and I can already tell you that today will be spend writing this month's posts and catching up on all the posts I missed, it's going to be a good day. Wish me luck with this series!

xxx

Catherine

Saturday 30 April 2016

Why I Blog | One Year Blogging Anniversary

Hey guys! I have a hopefully inspirational post planned for the very special day that is (drumroll) my one year blogging anniversary! I'm going to be talking about an Emma Watson quote (I bet you can't guess what it is haha) and why I blog. I am proud of this little baby (my blog) that I have created, I have put my entire being into it, I hope you like it too.


I started out blogging for no exciting reason, I saw other people doing blogging and YouTube and literally just thought "oh, that might be fun". I blog for many reasons a year later but here's the main one is that I have something to say. In the "real" world (to me blogging is real but I needed to get my point across), some (okay, most people older than me) people don't hear or choose to ignore what I'm saying. Maybe it's because they think "she's just a teen that thinks they know better than everybody else". I love knowledge and I want to learn from the generations before me but I want this respect to be returned. Those generations have taught me a lot and this generation has something to teach too. On my blog, people read what I have to say and reflect on it (that's my impression, I'm going by the comments you publish and the emails you send to me) instead of ignoring everything I say because I'm young. The quote in the picture above is from Emma Watson (one of the best people of all time) and it really inspires me to blog about what I know. Everybody has something important to tell the world that will change lives. I recommend you tell the world what you have to say before it's too late. We CAN and WILL change the world and I'm gonna do it through blogging - how about you?

Thank you very much for reading this blog post, today means a lot to me. I hope you have been inspired to make your mark on the world. Even though this blog post isn't going to solve all of the world's problems, I believe that you and me and everybody else reading this, can make a small difference in this world.

I feel like, as it's my one year blogging anniversary, I can ask you if you would like to follow my blog on Bloglovin'. I recently joined so I want to tell, how else are you going to find out haha!

xxx

Catherine

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Male Feminists | Let's Talk About Feminism

All subjects talked about in this post are not meant to offend anybody. If I have offended you or if you disagree with me, comment on this post or alternatively, send me an email here. I would love to hear you opinions.

Hey guys! It's been a while since I last talked to you all and I apologise for that, thank you for your patience. As I said in my first Let's Talk About Feminism post, the second installment of the series is going to be about male feminists. Both of these topics are things something I am very passionate about, it is one of the stupidest myths about feminism and I really want to talk about the misconception. 

First of all, let's get things straight - males CAN be feminists. As I talked about in the first post in this series, feminism is the will for gender equality. That's it. Men are allowed to want equality, men are allowed for fight for equal rights, men can be feminists. Saying that men can't be feminists for the sole reason that they are men, is going against everything feminism stands for. Men and women have the equal right to fight for equality.

Another thing I wanted to talk about is the feeling of men being less manly if they are feminists. No, men are still men if they believe in equality... I think this came around because of the most common myth about feminism - "feminists are angry women that think they are better than men". This isn't true in any way of course. I think that once that first myth is cleared up, everything else will fall into place. My suggestion to men, if it comes up in conversation, is to say that you believe in equality, this will get your message across until the true meaning of feminism is known to everybody.

So if you are a man, you should be proud to call yourself a feminist among the people that know the true meaning of feminism and a person who wishes and fights for gender equality among those people that don't. If you are a woman, embrace the feminism for the other gender, they are going to help us win this fight for gender equality.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, I know that is just a drop in the ocean in this fight for gender equality but I want to help in anyway I can. If there is anything about feminism you are unsure of, email me here and I will do my very best to help you out. Have a lovely day and I will talk to you all very soon!

xxx

Catherine

Saturday 9 April 2016

The Truth About Reaching Out To Bloggers


Hey guys! I have had such an amazing time collaborating with seven of you lovelies in Q&A Week and I have learnt so much about collaborating. I want to share my knowledge on this subject with you all, if you have never collaborated with somebody, I know exactly how you feel. It's scary. Hopefully this list will make you feel a bit more confident when reaching out to other bloggers.

1. They are real people
One of the most important things to remember when reaching out to other bloggers is that they are people too. They won't try to hurt your feelings, they have feelings too. You are allowed to be scared of talking to them but it helps if you try to view these bloggers as people instead of professional monsters!

2. The worst thing they can say is no (which isn't likely)
(I just want to say that it is pretty unlikely that the blogger will say no, especially with if you have connected with each other in the past, even if that just means reading each other's posts.) Okay, worst case scenario - they say no. If they are going to say no, they will probably do so graciously, like I said before they are people with feelings! If this blogger says no, you might be a little upset, but you pick yourself up and you try again with another blogger and you have a great time.

3. Don't be scared of 'big' bloggers
I have a blogging friend called Lou from Lou's World (she's amazing, check her out), she has about ten times as many pageviews as I do, but for us, that's not a problem. I reached out to her, she reached out to me. It really always comes back to number one, these bloggers are people, if they like your work, pageviews shouldn't matter all that much. If they say no, and you can tell it's because they can't gain anything from you, it's not even worth collaborating with them. A collaboration should be fun, the sole purpose should NEVER be to gain pageviews.

4. You might make a friend
I have made so many blogging friends through Q&A Week, it's wonderful that we can talk on different sides of the world and be great friends. I have definitely sent and received emails that might not be entirely about the collaboration, we are talking as real friends, emailing each other about life. If you collaborate with somebody, you are going to get a wonderful post and possibly a real friend. Don't be scared of what could go wrong, give it a go!

So there are just a few of the things I have learnt in this giant collaboration project called Q&A Week, the most important thing to remember is to give collaborating a go, you won't regret it.

xxx

Catherine

Thursday 7 April 2016

Q&A with Accidentally Jade | Q&A Week

Hey guys! Today is the last day of Q&A Week and I am interviewing Jade from the amazing blog Accidentally Jade, she is an amazing person and that really shines through her posts which is so important. I had so much fun working with Jade, here is the collab!

1. Why do you blog?
I like blogging because it brings me an inexplicable happiness and release. It is really hard to explain but writing about something that I care about, regardless of the feedback I receive from the public, is something that makes me feel proud afterwards.

I also like to blog because ever since I was little I have been someone who loves to be the center of attention. I know it sounds slightly bad and conceited but I will admit it wholeheartedly. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing and I usually do it without even thinking about it by always asking probing questions in conversations, trying to relate to anyone I talk to and cracking jokes. Due to this I hate the feeling that I am not making my mark on the world. Blogging allows me to feel like I can state my opinion, talk about what I care about and make connections to anyone who will listen. 

2. Is there anything you would change about your blogging experience? What would it be?
There really isn’t too much, for the most part I am very happy with my blogging experience. The online community has proven to be very friendly and supportive and I am SO grateful to be apart of it.

I do wish I could expand the amount of blogs I read and connect with. So far I have done so by joining Beau Bloggers -- an online community of bloggers who share their newest posts. There is an endless amount of interesting blog posts and bloggers in this group, and the support has been truly astounding. 

3. What is something about blogging that you struggle with?
I wish I had more creative ideas and time that would allow me to write more. I want to feel that fulfillment I get from blogging more often however sometimes when I feel I have nothing exciting to write about I lose motivation to write.

With that comes issues with confidence which I know everyone likely struggles with to some degree. Since I did share my blog publicly on my social media however it does not impact my confidence at all which I am quite proud of, if anything it allows me to take pride in my writing more and strive to make better posts.

4. What do you think is the best thing about blogging?
The community. It overjoys me to see groups of people coming together over an activity they find pride and happiness in. I also love the diversity of bloggers- people from all walks of life, ages, countries, and mindsets sharing what they believe and offering different perspectives. It provides me with a more worldly view that allows me to continuously learn and grow.

5. Do you have any advice for new bloggers?

If you are new to blogging my biggest advice to you is to be yourself. I will be the first to admit in the beginning I was not and it is completely natural to struggle to open up and be truly you. Do not try to mimic someone else’s style of writing, posts or personality. Sure it is okay to experiment blogging styles and posts until you find your flow, which is easier said than done. Sometimes I feel like I still haven’t found mine, but I am getting there :). It is so much more satisfying when you create a great post that is purely and completely you. And why would anyone want to read a knock off version of someone else when they can have a brand name shiny and new version of themselves? So don’t waste your time striving to match up with someone else’s flow, go on that journey yourself, there is so much to learn along the way. 

6. What is your favourite type of blog post to write?
Lately I have been really into posting about the recipes I am trying but I also really posts where I review various items I own. I have this knack for I guess, describing things that I am really proud of. I also tend to get really good feedback on those posts. I think this is because the consumer lifestyle is DEFINITELY for me (in other words I really LOVE to shop), or maybe because those are just my favourite posts to read. Probably a bit of both :)

7. What are your hopes for your blog in five years time?
I don’t want to expect too much. By then I hope I will have a constant posting schedule and I hope to be making much higher quality posts. Being in university I am constantly learning how to refine my writing and how to best represent the subject at hand. In 5 years I will be graduated so I should be much better by then!

I also hope to have all those tricks and gadgets that go along with having a fancy blog full of bells and whistles figured out..so seriously if anyone has any tips on how to do any of that PLEASE LET ME KNOW

I hope you all enjoyed getting to Jade better through these questions. As I said before, I had so much fun working with Jade and I'm looking forward to many more collabs with her in the future!

xxx

Catherine

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Q&A With Writing | Q&A Week

Hey guys! Today I have the honour of sharing with you the interview I did with Harel Ziv from the wonderful blog Writing and her equally amazing YouTube channel, she is a lovely person and that really shines through in her posts and videos which I love! I hope you enjoy getting to know Harel a bit better, here is the Q&A.

1. Why do you blog?
I blog because doing so allows me to get all my thoughts out onto one open, judgment free space. Because it is my creation, I have the freedom to write what ever my heart desires. It’s nice to be able to free my mind of negative thoughts, or ask readers for advice. In turn, I also like giving others advice, and it’s always fun to interact with people who read what I have to say. In a nutshell, I blog because it’s easier for me to write out my thoughts rather than talk them out. 

2. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
My favorite thing about blogging is having the choice to write about whatever I want, any topic that pops into my head. I also like to customize my blog and change up its appearance.

3. What is the hardest thing about blogging for you?
The hardest thing about blogging is lack of inspiration. Sometimes I’ll have flows of ideas and get really excited because I want to get it all out and onto a document. But, other times, I will be stuck for days on end. I won’t have the motivation to write. But, when inspiration strikes, it’s the best feeling.

4. What's your favourite type of blog post to write?
I would have to say my favorite type of post to write is personal posts. When I say personal posts, I don’t necessarily mean specific personal stories, but things I’ve gone through that I think others have as well. I love seeing comments from people with kind words, personal experiences, and advice. I also like writing posts about a specific day and the events that went on during that day. I include pictures I’ve taken so I can go back and remember good times.

5. If you could change anything about your blogging experience, what would it be?
I wouldn’t :)

6. What advice would you give to new bloggers?
To anyone who aspires to blog, make sure to stick with it! If you love to write, just do it. Don’t write with any expectation, write with love and passion.

7. Where do you see your blog in 5 years?
In 5 years, I see my blog as a developed site that is aesthetically pleasing and a place people can go to when they want to laugh, smile, seek advice, seek support, and just a place I can look at to make me happy. Writing makes me happy, and as long as that is still true, my blog will make me happy as well.

I really enjoyed working with Harel and getting to know her better through this Q&A and I hope you did too! Definitely check Harel's blog and YouTube channel out if you haven't already, it's so worth it! Sadly tomorrow is the last day of Q&A Week, maybe this will become an annual thing!

xxx

Catherine

Tuesday 5 April 2016

Q&A with GingerSnapHattie | Q&A Week

Hey guys! Today I have the honour of sharing with you the interview I did with my lovely friend GingerSnapHattie. I absolutely love her blog, her passion and talent for writing really shine through! I hope you guys love reading this Q&A as much as I enjoyed putting it together!


1. Why do you blog?
Blogging is something that has kind of exploded in recent years, it seems like everyone wants a piece of it, be that for fame, money, friends or simply getting people to hear you. For me it’s like a modern day take on journaling, except the journal can talk back with a million different voices. How amazing is it that we can all
find a little corner to talk about our interests? There is a blog out there for everyone, I love that, so I guess that’s why I blog. Why not be a part of such a fab community?

2. What is the best thing that has come out of blogging for you?
There are so many things, the basics like improving my writing, photo composition and general internety-techincally type skills blah blah blah. There are also lots of good things I didn’t expect, I have made friends, people have started to read my posts regularly and I now feel like I’m not just blogging for me. My number one favourite would have to be meeting people though, it takes me out of my own little
world. Writing is very cathartic, top stress relief really!

3. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I love that moment when you see something or try something and think “wow, I must take pictures and talk about this, people need to know”. You never know who might stumble upon your page and find just what they were searching for, sharing is helping and that is what motivates me.

4. What do you think is the hardest thing about running a blog?
Different people will struggle with different elements, it’s very subjective. Aside from not always having a clue about coding (but I am getting there I promise), it’s hard to keep it light sometimes. The world can be a very temperamental place, especially at the moment, you see something on the news and it makes you so angry that you instantly feel the urge to stick your oar in too. However, the internet has enough negativity as it is and I want my blog to be a place of safety and be reliably positive.

5. Would you change anything about your blogging experience if you could? What would it be?
Ooh, this a very controversial question! I like it haha. Blogging, like any other life experience, is a bit of journey into the dark! If I changed it, things might not have turned out the way they did, so no, I don’t think I would change it. You have to take the good with the bad, plus I might not have made friends like Catherine so I would be daft to change the past.

6. What is your favourite type of blog post to write?
I honestly don’t think I have a favourite…I guess of all the things I write about reading is my favourite thing to do, but then I love to try new products and go to new places and to cook…oh dear, basically I love everything. If it’s on the blog that means it is probably a much loved activity.

7. What advice would you give to new bloggers?
Advice that I might have needed is that you just need to chill out and roll with it. Stop panicking about not knowing what to write. Don’t worry if your page isn’t as whizzy as you want it to be, those kind of skills will come with time. Don’t stress about how people will react to your posts, the vast majority of people are good and your posts will get a 99.9% positive response! Ignore the bad and focus on the good. Who cares
how often you blog or what you write about, make yourself happy!

I hope you enjoyed that Q&A, definitely check GingerSnapHattie's blog out if you haven't already because it's simply wonderful! This collab is something I will hold very close to my heart because I gained a friend in the makings of this post and that feels amazing!

xxx

Catherine

Monday 4 April 2016

Q&A with The Art Of Being Invisible | Q&A Week

Hey guys! I'm so happy to be sharing with you the Q&A I did with Erin from The Art of Being Invisible! She is such a lovely person with an amazing ability to write. Erin is actually taking a little break from her blog due to personal issues but she has told me that she is doing her best to return so definitely check out her previous posts! Without further ado, here is the Q&A I did with Erin, I hope you enjoy it!

1. Why do you blog?
When I first started blogging, it was because I wanted to make YouTube videos but didn't feel completely confident in doing that. I decided that having a blog was the next best thing. But now it's changed a little and I blog because for me it's a place where I can talk about whatever I want, whenever I want. I can discuss things that I like and what goes on in my life which outside of my blog I can't always do.

2. If you could change one thing about your blogging experience, what would it be?
I guess I would change the fact that my blog is mostly anonymous. I'd like to be open with who I am and share pictures but I have always had this fear (which I talk about all the time) that someone I know from the non internet world will find my blog and read it. I'd like to change this because I do think the whole blogging experience would be different if I weren't so afraid and I think it would improve my blog.

3. Do you have any advice for new bloggers?
Everyone says this but my advice would be to just start writing. Write what ever is on your mind and write it whenever you like. Don't try to stick to a schedule straight away because you need to get used to what you're writing without limits. And don't just write what everyone else is writing or talking about just because you think they'll enjoy it more because it can get boring.

4. What is the best thing to come out of blogging for you?
That's definitely the other blogs and bloggers I've found. I love reading what other people write and blogging myself has meant I can see that even more. Joining Beau Bloggers has helped and it's great to get support from there and to support the people from there.

5. What do you think is the hardest thing about running a blog?
For me the hardest part of running a blog is finding the motivation to post. I've had so many weeks were I planned to write but just couldn't sit down and do it which is why I've had a few phases where I didn't post for months. But so far, I've always come back.

6. What are you favourite types of blog posts to write?
Probably lifestyle posts where I talk about what I've been doing or how I've been feeling. They're the most honest and easy to write. Although I have also enjoyed writing three posts (more soon) of mine about people who inspire me because they're the ones which make me feel creative.

7. What the best thing about blogging in your opinion?
I think the best thing about blogging is when you get comments on a post you've published. Not because it means views or that you're becoming 'popular'. But because someone out there in the real world had a real human thought about something you've written and they've decided to share it. It only takes a minute or two but for me, the fact that someone (even if it's just one person) actually felt any kind of emotion towards what I've written that's made them comment it's amazing.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Erin a bit better, she is such a nice person and I hope that you check out her blog, it's wonderful! Thank you very much for reading and I will talk to you all tomorrow with another special guest!

xxx

Catherine

Sunday 3 April 2016

Q&A with Rainbow-Rose Blossom | Q&A Week

Hey guys! I feel so blessed to be able to finally share this post with you! For Day 2 of Q&A Week I have collaborated with an old blogging friend of mine called Rainbow-Rose Blossom - the best blogger with colourful hair. She was probably my very first blogging friend and I really learnt what the blogging community is because of her and I'm forever grateful. Rainbow's blog and YouTube channel are so inspirational, encouraging, colourful and happy, I honestly recommend then to everybody.


1. Why do you blog?
To share my knowledge, wisdom and inspiration to help others to heal, become better versions of themselves and to own who they are.

2. What do you think is the best thing about blogging?
Being able to help and inspire others, what that gives to people is priceless and something I'm so incredibly passionate about. I also love learning and gaining knowledge from other bloggers, it's such a beautiful experience.

3. What is the hardest thing about blogging in your opinion?
Navigating how things work and building an audience, I'm not a computer whiz so it is most definitely a learning curve and also when I start I had no idea how to build an audience.

4. Is there anything that you would change about your blogging experience if you could? What would it be?
Learning how to build an audience sooner. Besides posting on my blogging Facebook page I had no clue how to gain an audience so for the most part I talked to myself for about a year and a half with some family and friends reading.

5. How has blogging helped you grow as a person?
It's helped me grow my creative side even more and it's also opened me up to meeting other people doing similar things, it's like a whole other world of creativity and passion.

6. What are you favourite posts to write?
Inspirational and motivational pieces that are short and sweet and help others in some way.

7. Where do you see your blog in 5 years time?
I would like it to remain a place of inspiration and motivation but I would like to build my audience more and have it more interactive.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Rainbow-Rose better! Definitely go check our Rainbow's blog and YouTube channel, I can assure you that there will be something for you.

xxx

Catherine

Friday 1 April 2016

Q&A with Elise Brown | Q&A Week

Hey guys! I'm super happy that Q&A Week has officially started! To kick it off, I collaborated with my great friend Elise who runs I Can't Think Help. I have literally been reading Elise's blog from Day 1 and I have loved every single one of Elise's posts. She is such a lovely, supportive person and I really do think that there is something for everybody on Elise's blog.

1. Why do you blog?
I've never thought about this really- I guess it's just because I enjoy it! I love spilling my thoughts in any form: my friends aren't really good for that sort of thing and although I do sometimes write my thoughts down or type them up or something it's nice to have people talk about them and show that I'm not alone in certain situations! I guess I blog just because I like telling people about what I do, or what I'm thinking and hearing their opinions on it.

2. What is the best thing to come out of blogging for you so far?
I think that's definitely the friends I have made! I can definitely say I have made new friends since I have started blogging and I absolutely love that!


3. What do you think is the hardest thing about being a blogger?
That's probably the creativity you have to have. I do like to think that I am a pretty creative person, but it only comes in bursts. When I have these bursts I tend to think or write four or five blog posts at once but other times when I want to write a post I feel bone dry and I have no ideas.


4. How has blogging changed your everyday life?
I'm not really sure I can say 'how' it has changed my life, but it definitely has. Now everyday I read blogs and whilst I used to read blogs before I now fully realise just how much effort people put into their blogs and I respect bloggers a lot more. Also, I think my attitudes have changed, some blogs I have read have made me realise certain things like how I was acting to certain things in maybe the wrong way and I needed to change that- it's great!


5. If you could change anything about your blogging experience what would it be?
I don't think I would change anything to be honest! I love my blog and nothing has really gone 'wrong' for me. I guess if I had to say anything I would probably have started sooner because I have wanted to blog for a long time but I never got round to it. However I don't actually think I was ready before. I've been through a lot of things and I think when I started blogging I had calmed down a lot from that and I do think it was a good time to start!


6. How much time do you spend on your blog per week and what exactly are you doing during this time?
Oh gosh, that's a hard one. I have no idea how much time I spend... Probably at least 3 hours a week I would guess, but it's probably more than that... During that time I usually write posts and whilst a lot of them don't make it to being posted I do write a lot of them. I also spend a lot of time tweaking little bits to the layout of my blog- like if I'm not happy with a certain colour or the spacings... I spend a lot of time doing that!


7. What were your initial thoughts on blogging?
If you mean when I first started, then I loved it! From the moment I wrote my first post I was addicted! And I still am! If you mean when I first found out about it then I would still have to say I loved it! For quite a while I loved reading blogs- mainly the popular ones like Zoella and Sprinkle Of Glitter etc- but I never thought I would be cut out for writing my own blog. Them I started to really want to have a go at doing it myself and after getting in touch with a blogger I started and I loved it! I love it I love it I love it!

I hope that you have enjoyed getting to know Elise better, I know I did! Go check out Elise's blog if you haven't already, it's definitely worth it!

xxx

Catherine

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Q&A with Lou's World | Q&A Week

Hey guys! Today I have the privilege to share with you the third Q&A of Q&A Week with Lou from Lou's World! I have been reading Lou's blog since I joined Beau Bloggers which was about four months ago, I have genuinely loved every single one of Lou's posts! She is an amazing author and she has this amazing ability to pour her heart and soul into every single blog post. I had so much fun working with Lou, she is such a lovely person and I recommend her blog highly, there is honestly something for everybody!

1. Why do you blog?
I've always been somewhat of an introvert. As cheesy as it sounds, I blog to have a voice. I blog because I want people to care about what I have to say. And to voice my opinions on certain topics.

2. What, in your opinion, is the best thing about blogging?
Aside from the blogging friends that I've made, I would have to say, having ownership of something. Being able to post exactly what you want when you want to, which I love.

3. What is your favourite type of blog post to write?
I love rants and my 'Dear Diary' posts - literally just any posts when I pour my heart out and get really supportive comments from my viewers. However, I also love a good list!

4. What do you think is the most difficult thing about blogging?
For me, it's motivation and inspiration. Like, I'm currently in a creative slump, and it really shows on my blog! When I'm not motivated, my posts come out badly, and when I don't have an inspiration, I have nothing to blog about anyway.

5. If you could change something about your blogging experience so far, what would it be?
I would have found my niche early on. When I first started blogging, I did a few posts that I didn't like, because I thought that they'd make me popular - oh what a mistake that was! In fact, I'd erase most of the posts from my first year of blogging!

6. What is one piece of advice you would give to new bloggers?
Don't think you have to fit into a certain category. Blog about what you want to blog about and have as much fun as possible! If blogging isn't your full-time job, don't treat it like one.

7. How did you get interested in blogging?
Definitely from blogger/YouTubers like Zoella, Tanya Burr, Sprinkle of glitter etc, and when I saw that I could do what they do, I was thrilled!

I really enjoyed getting to know Lou better and I hope you have too, don't forget to go check out her blog if you haven't already.

xxx

Catherine

Thursday 24 March 2016

Clearing My Mind

Hey guys! I have been away for a little while, I know, I'm actually happy that I took a step away from technology and really cleared my mind by meditating and being mindful in general. I wanted to tell you more about this because I really do think it's important that everybody does this once in awhile.

I like to think that my mind is an inbox and each thought that pops into that inbox is an email. I have no delete button for these thoughts and, like emails, I feel guilty if I don't open these thoughts and act on these messages from my brain appropriately. I need to sort through my thoughts as often as possible, if I don't, I feel like everything in my life is busy and messy, even the simple, calm things. I had been pushing these thoughts aside due to overworking myself and trying to get everything done. I was stressed. Everything, like I said before, seemed out of order and busy. I carried on with the work I needed to do but in my spare time (that I would usually spend blogging, explaining my inactivity), I sorted through my thoughts and I'm still going. I really do think my mind is like an inbox, you spend a few hours (or weeks in terms of your mind) sorting through the emails (or thoughts) and when you are finished with the emails (thoughts), you can take a few moments to read the emails (think about the thoughts) as soon as they pop into your inbox (mind). I'm hoping to be at that stage soon, I think I'm getting close because because the work I have to do doesn't seem as stressful even though there is still a lot of it.

Thank you very much for reading my ramblings. Something I thought about when I was organising my mind was how grateful I'm for every single one of you. It's amazing how my thoughts reach you all the way in France or England or America or Germany or Russia or even here in New Zealand, I don't know where you are but I feel so lucky to have you as my friend. Never forget how happy you make me and so many other people. If you feel like leaving a cheeky little comment, tell me what country you come from even if I already know, I love that we can talk with oceans (or just land for my fellow New Zealanders lol) between us and it never fails to amaze me.

xxx

Catherine

Thursday 10 March 2016

What is Feminism? | Let's Talk About Feminism

Hey guys! I have been wanting to post about feminism for a while now but I really don't want to get anything wrong and offend people I may as well just do it though! I decided that I would do a little series about feminism with a few posts on different subjects so that I can really get into different subjects, I'm warning you now that there might be some rants in this series! So I thought that it would be logical to tell you all what feminism really is and destroy this idea of feminists being angry people that are always yelling and get rid of the idea that feminism is saying that women are better than men.

Feminism is the will for equality. I have honestly lost count of the amount of times I have told people (note how I say people and not just women) this and them reply "then I'm a feminist", at least one of you reading this had that reaction. Feminists aren't angry people that are always complaining, they are people who want equality and are willing to fight for it. I feel sorry for the people that just don't understand when I see anti-feminist groups and I always ask them if they know what a feminist is, they don't know the true meaning of course. I will admit that some people have turned their true feminism into a weird hate for men, that in itself is anti-feminism because feminism is equality and hating all people with male genitals is very unfair and definitely not equal. I, like all true feminists, will speak up if we see a problem where woman are above men, it's just that this happens less frequently because in our society, men are usually above women, which is ridiculous and just plain ARRRGGGHHHH!!!

I hope you have enjoyed this little post! Next time in the series, I'm going to talk about male feminists, I'm really looking forward to writing that post as I reading enjoyed writing this one! Did you know what feminism was before you read this? Are you a feminist? If not, tell me why, I would love to hear your views on this! Thanks for reading and I will see you very soon!

xxx

Catherine

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Country Q&A Collab With Abi Kelly

Hey guys! I'm super excited to share with you, a collab with Abi Kelly from A Cuppa & A Half! This is part of Abi's collab series that she is doing this month. She has an absolutely wonderful blog and you can really see her personality shine through her posts, Abi is clearly a talented writer. I have gotten to know her better through arranging this collab and it's safe to say that she is a lovely person. Abi will be answering the questions I asked her on her blog, I look forward to reading that post as I haven't seen the answers yet. Until then, here is my part of the collab, great questions Abi!

If you could have one thing from the UK, what would it be?
Probably the ability to get in the car and drive down the road for a 10-20 minutes and find a Lush shop. I might be wrong by assuming that a Lush shop is never far away but from what I have heard from my English friends, it's true. In New Zealand we only have a few Lush shops (we are pretty much the same size as the UK) and I happen to be a 2 hour drive away from the closest Lush shop but I am lucky! I have never been even though I really want to! It's not just Lush, there are so many shops that the UK has that we all long for, there is one book shop chain in New Zealand, I love you Whitcoulls.

What is your favourite tradition in your country?
I'm assuming that Abi is talking about a tradition that comes from New Zealand or a tradition that only Kiwi's (people that come from New Zealand) celebrate. We don't really have anything amazing like tomato throwing parades but we do have something really cool that happens every year - Christmas In The Park! This happens (obviously) around Christmas, it's run by Coca Cola and it's basically a series of musical performances. It's completely free to go to which makes me get into the Christmas spirit of giving and not wanting money. I have never been to Christmas In The Park but I have watched it on TV almost every Christmas and I would love to go one year and tell you all about it. Fun Fact: There are no ads on TV in New Zealand on Christmas Day in New Zealand, that is the actual law here. Okay, I need to stop talking about Christmas now, it's March...

What is your favourite sweet?
In New Zealand we call "sweets" lollies, and we don't have a name like candy for lollies and chocolate, it's really funny seeing the little differences in language even though we both speak English. I honestly have so many favourite sweets (hehe, the novelty of saying that hasn't worn off yet) so here are just a few. I love milk bottles, they are about half the size of your finger and they are shaped like a milk bottle, surprise surprise, and they taste like creamy milk, All New Zealanders will feel my pain when I say the old milk bottles are so much better than the new ones. They turned a creamy, chewy lolly into a kind of very firm marshmallow and it DOESN'T WORK, if Pascall (the company that make milk bottles) is reading this, I'm disappointed in you and you work make a lot more money if you went back to the old milk bottles. (Rant complete.) I also love pineapple lumps (a chewy pineapple, well, lump covered in chocolate, it might sound unappealing but it totally works). Another one of my favourites is the giant strawberries you can get from the supermarket, they are so good! I am going to stop now because otherwise we will be here until Christmas!

If you could live anywhere in your country, where would it be?
I would probably live in Christchurch. I don't know if other countries were told about this but you might be familiar with the name Christchurch because of the murderous earthquakes that happened there about 4 or 5 years ago. 185 people were killed, several thousand people were injured and so many buildings collapsed. Even though so many people were injured or killed and so many building were destroyed and there are still aftershocks that can reach 5.0 magnitude, I still want to move there. The earthquakes have really brought the community together. They are honestly the most amazingly strong people. The people of Christchurch are rebuilding their town in the most beautiful way. They is a project going on where they paint things on the sides of buildings, it might sound like graffiti but the people have permission and these painting are things that deserve to be in museums! Here is my all time favourite piece.
All credit to imgur.com
Christchurch is right by the beach and one of our very few Lush shops is there haha.

What's the worst thing about your country?
This is actually quite a hard question to answer because I love my country so much, it's beautiful, people are friendly, it attracts tourists so I get to learn about different cultures and we were the first women to fight for and gain the right to vote (this makes me so proud to be a Kiwi) but they is one thing that gets on my nerves. We import nearly everything which means it's hella pricey! You go to buy something on Amazon, oh look, the shipping is four times the cost of the thing I want to buy. If I'm lucky enough to find what I want in a shop, it's just as expensive because of the shipping cost! This is really annoying but I'm actually happy that New Zealand is quite far away from big countries because it means we aren't often a target for attack or war even though, as part of the Commonwealth, we do have to fight in some wars.

I really enjoyed answering these questions, I hope you have enjoyed learning a little more about New Zealand that a guide book wouldn't tell you. Abi's part of the collab will will probably be up on her blog as you're reading this.

xxx

Catherine