Childhood friends

Back in September when I was taking part in the Blogtember challenge I wrote about my beloved, well worn teddy bear, whom I've loved for all the thirty years of my life. So, it was great to read in a recent copy of Stylist magazine, that I am not alone in holding on to this constant companion and link to my childhood.

Much Loved, a book filled with images of long-loved toys compiled by Mark Nixon really pulled at my heart strings, with many of the bears looking not dissimilar to my very own Teddy, and reminded me of my many others, who now reside in the loft of my parents house.

Nixon's images in particular reminded me of one lonesome bear who didn't even originally belong to me. I found Lonely Ted whilst helping Mum at the jumble sale and vowed that if he hadn't found a home by the end of the sale I would take him home with me. He wasn't particularly special, he wasn't even new, he just needed a home, and I'm a sucker for a lost toy.

So, you can see why this book really tugs at my heart strings. Here's some of my favourite images from the book.

 Much Loved by Mark Nixon is available to purchase on here.

Something old

For today's final Blogtember post there was really only one thing, or "person" I could write about.

We were tasked with sharing a photo of something old. Maybe something that has personal history for you, that was passed down to you, and that has special meaning to you. Tell us about it and why it's special.

Let me introduce you to Teddy. 

Teddy was given to me when I was born and has been with me ever since.

He's a bit tatty round the edges, has a patch on his stomach where Mum did some running repairs and his trousers have plenty of holes but I love him to bits. He's quite a character and I wouldn't be without him, no matter what.

He even has a suitcase which Mum made for him when he moved to London, complete with luggage tag.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Facebook frenemies

Today's topic is a bit controversial, Write an anonymous letter to your Facebook friends. Be as snarky as you'd like. (but don't include people's real names.) 

Dear Facebook friends,

I love Facebook just as much as the next person.

But sometimes I don't need to see everything.

Particularly not fifty-million photos of the same thing.

That's all.

 This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Planning ahead

Today's Blogtember topic was more of a task, Go to a coffee shop. Order a favorite drink. Write about what makes you happy and what makes you sad. Or write about anything you'd like! If you can't make it to a coffee shop, at least leave your usual space and write someplace new.

I had big plans for this Blogtember post.

I was envisaging packing up my bag and heading to my favourite local coffee shop for a spot of blogging, people watching and general relaxation but alas, that was not to be. 

 

Birthday shenanigans and half marathon training has left little time for much else and all I want to do of an evening is have a bath, put my pjammas on and watch trashy TV. Alongside some blogging, natch.

I usually blog at my desk in the bedroom (a rickety chest of drawers that came with the flat, that I've done my best to turn into a conducive place for creativity) but for the sake of this post I upped sticks and decamped to the kitchen with the iPad, a pen and paper, and a pile of magazines.

 

There's something about being in the kitchen, at a proper table that seems to really get my creative juices going. Whether it's being away from the temptation of the internet, or simply the fact that the chairs are more comfortable, I always tend to get a lot more done.

 

Today's task: coming up with some blog posts that will help me continue the momentum of the Blogtember challenge.

 

I've really enjoyed Blogtember. Having the weekends off has given me a break and having a list of prepared topics has really helped me write my blogs quickly and plan ahead so it's definitely the kind of thing I'd like to continue. In most areas of my life, organisation is key and this past month has proved that I do have time for blogging, I just need to think ahead.

 This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Make misteaks

Today's Blogtember topic, Write about a time you screwed up - a mistake you made, has had me pondering for days. Now, I'm not saying I've never made a mistake (who can really say that?) but as I try to live my life without regrets I guess I've pretty much forgotten about the times things might have gone wrong.

It's easy to wonder what if. 

What if I hadn't done a degree?
What if I'd stuck with Visual Merchandising?
What if I'd continued to draw every morning before breakfast?
What if I hadn't met The Boy?
What if I hadn't moved to London?
What if I hadn't lost the weight?
And the list goes on...

It's easy to think about what might have been but I think that every choice we make in life is the one that we were supposed to make. I know that each and every day I'm becoming a better person, whether physically, mentally or emotionally, and that can only be a good thing. 

Often we can make mistakes that impact our lives but once the storm has passed you can sometimes see things more clearly. I know I can.

Our mistakes don't define us and I for one always find something to learn from mine.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

My week in photos 23

Today's Blogtember topic,  A "life lately" post, what you're up to, how you're feeling, how you're doing on your goals, etc, could not have come at a better time as I have lots to tell/show you all! 

If you read this blog regularly you'll know that this past Friday was my thirtieth birthday, and I've been celebrating for what feels like the past two weeks solid....and there's more celebrations to come! 

I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend some time with my nearest and dearest, had some days off work and basically been treated like a princess. It's all been pretty overwhelming but has made me feel so blessed at the same time, and has made me see even more that I have so many amazing people in my life. 

I have a few blogs lined up giving you more of an insight into where I've been this past weekend but firstly, here's some pictures of what I've been getting up to lately.

 Clockwise from top left: Amazing pasta dinner date with The Boy - Sightseeing on my pre-birthday drinks run - Watching the women's triathlon - Laughs with my gang - The Boy and Danny Boy - My girls - Cocktails with Kimmy - Geese in Hyde Park

 Clockwise from top left: Birthday cocktails - My gorgeous earrings from my family - Birthday breakfast - The sun setting on my twenties

 Clockwise from top left: My New York quilt, handmade by my amazing mother - Retro card from my gorgeous Boy - Personalised gift from my girls - Love - The one picture that sums up in a nutshell my birthday night out, dancing with my besties - Two of my faves - Hobettes - My dream coat, finally tracked down in Nottingham

Clockwise from top left: Champers on my birthday eve with Mum, Dad and The Boy - Feeling overwhelmed by all my cards and gifts - I know what I'm doing this Winter! Thanks Aunty Mary (I wish I had your skills!) - Card from my gal Jadey

My thirtieth birthday has made me realise how far I've come, particularly over the past five years. 

I've achieved so much and done so many things that I never dreamed I would. Sure, its not all been good times but the bad times have only made me stronger and more prepared for whatever the future may hold.

Over the coming years I'd love to marry my Boy, have babies and buy a house but there's also so many other non-traditional goals I have. I'd love to start my own business, go back to Japan, continue to learn French, keep running, lose another stone, get more qualifications (more studying, am I mental?!) and volunteer for a charity. 

So watch this space, who knows what the future holds.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Saving not spending

Todays Blogtember topic, Review a book, place, or product, seems like the perfect opportunity for me to tell you all about a recent read of mine that not only resonated with my life on so many levels, but has driven me to take to take a serious look at my spending habits.

Sadly over the past year or so I've had little time for reading. I devour blogs, magazines and newspapers but, traditional books? I simply haven't had the time. That being said, when I do find time I tend to not be able to put books down, easily getting lost in a world of the authors creating.

The last book that did this to me was In The Red by Alexis Hall.

The diary of a recovering shopaholic, In The Red was recommended to me by Zsa Zsa, who spent the best part of a week cramming in the reading of chapters at every available opportunity.

On almost every page there seemed to be an anecdote about Alexis' life that rang true to things that I've done in the past, or am still doing now. Such as buying an oversized fascinator in the M&S sale for when I go to the races.

I have never been to the races, nor am I likely to.

Although I don't have any debt (aside from my student loan, but who really counts that?!), reading this book has really got me focused on saving not spending and I have a number of posts lined up detailing my latest efforts to avoid frittering my cash. 

Namely, making muffins for breakfast rather than buying one from Pret. Every day.

Basically, if you like to shop, read this book. It's an eyeopener. 

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Out of my comfort zone

Today marks a pivotal day in my life (which will be explained in a later post) but first, today's Blogtember topic, React to this term: comfort. 

I've decided to put myself way outside of my comfort zone today and admit something to my parents (and a few of you) that I've kept hidden for thirteen years: I have a tattoo.

Now, by the time you read this I will have admitted this to my Mum and Dad, as I've decided that the time has come to grow up and I'd rather actually come clean in person than do it in a blog post.

My Mum and Dad have always made it clear that they aren't that fond of tattoos so the time has never really felt right to own up to mine. I'm not too fussed either way but I do want to get mine redesigned at some point this year, so it's time to own up.

Sorry Mum and Dad!

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

The dinner party

Today's Blogtember topic: Creative writing day: write a (very short) fictional story that starts with this sentence: "To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century."

To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century.

The months of preparation and planning, the endless trips to Whole Foods in search of the perfect tomatoes, all with the potential to be ruined in a heartbeat by one person.

Miss Fussy, the wife of one of the partners at Jason's firm, was the kind of woman for whom nothing was good enough and who had the ability to crush dreams with one off the cuff quip.

Having Jill round for dinner was enough to strike fear into the hearts of men and women alike. So, it was with much trepidation that I put the wine to chill, lay the table and plumped up the last of the lounge cushions, all the while wondering if the pasta sauce would taste too strongly of garlic. 

It was then that I spotted it, curled up by the log basket. 

I took a deep breath and crept closer, only to hear the tell tale sound of a patent stiletto sashaying up the front drive.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

A picture is worth a thousand words

I'm not a huge fan of blog posts which contain only pictures, I find them to be a little half-hearted and somewhat lazy. So today's Blogtember topic, Only photos, is a bit of a challenge for me.

I am however a huge fan of Pinterest, so here's a selection of images that I've found lately and how they're inspiring me*.

 Interiors inspiration - by A Forest Bird Never Wants a Cage

 Fueling my dreams of a picture postcard home - tumblr

I'm loving this crochet collar necklace by Alienina

 Love these dolls - by De Tacones y Bolsos

Pinterest quotes make my world - this one is by Stylish Lady

Inspiration for Paris packing - tumblr

 Inspiration for next years holiday souvenir - by Crafting Life

Can't wait to make this one-pot-wonder - by Apron Strings

 A constant source of style inspiration - by Vogue

*It's as close to no text as I'm comfortable with.

School days

When you're at school and people, usually teachers, say that "these are the best years of your life" you often don't believe them. It's only upon reflection that I've realised that this statement is probably true.

As much as I adore my life now, I would love to relive my school days. So today's Blogtember topic, A memory you would love to relive, calls for a trip down memory lane. 

The teenage crushes, gossiping with my friends, endless outfit planning for the school disco, hanging around the park of an evening, no doubt terrorising the local residents, I would give anything to go back even just for one day.

Sorry for the bad quality pictures (and fashion choices), it was the 90s after all.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

This is dedicated to the one(s) I love

Today's Blogtember topic kind of has me drawing a blank, Write a public love letter to someone in your life. As much as I'm sentimental and I like to show the one's I love how much they mean to me, writing a love letter? Meh, it's not really something I do.

Generally, as well as writing every day, Blogtember seems to be encouraging me to put my feelings down on paper, which is pushing me way outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I like to make my blog sentimental, but this is a little much. Still, I said I'd complete Blogtember so I'm going to, even if this blog post may end up making me cringe!

To keep this from being too much of an overwhelming task, I've written a series of short devotions to my family, to give thanks for all that they do for me.

Dad,
Thank you for working your whole life to support us as a family. For teaching me what hard work is (allowing you some leeway for the occasional desk nap time these days), and for supporting me in all that I do. Without a shadow of a doubt I would not be the person that I am today had it not been for your support.

Mum,
Thank you for encouraging my creative side throughout my entire life and showing me what can be achieved if you push yourself. I admire you for all that you do and the things that you create and the talent that you show in so many areas of your life often amaze me.

Mark,
As much as we used to hate each other, the camaraderie we now have makes up for those terrible teenage years and I wouldn't have it any other way. The banter we have, whether on the phone or when I return home for the weekend, can make my day and often has me laughing for weeks.

Sarah and Ryan, Gemma and Brad,
Having the four of you in my life is like discovering sisters and brothers I never knew I had. I feel so welcomed by you all and appreciate how much you have all accepted me into your lives. I love you all, with all my heart.

Jane and Gerald,
I feel so at home whenever we come and visit (as I'm sure you can tell by the amount of times I fall asleep on your sofa!), you always make me feel so welcome. You have raised the most wonderful boy who makes my life every day and for that alone I will be eternally grateful. 

...and finally, Michael,
I am more proud of you than you will ever know and I will love you forever.
No more, no less.

So there you have it, overly mushy for a Monday evening but that's just the way I feel!

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

This is me, then

I've decided to interpret today's Blogtember topic, a self portrait, quite literally and simply post a couple of selfie's I took on my iphone. 

Taking photos for outfit posts and Instagram is something that I've got really into this year and its really helped me with my self image. 

As a former fat, still somewhat chubby girl, I often have minor meltdowns when deciding on what to wear, much to The Boy's dismay. Sometimes even just when I'm just popping to the shop I stress about what to wear. So taking my picture almost every day has helped me see that often, I don't look half bad, and that life's too short to worry about what I look like. Plus, I find endless inspiration in other people's selfie's that I see on Instagram on a daily basis.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Lost & Found: My life's work

Today's Blogtember topic is to discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you, and I have to say it's changed how I spend my spare time quite considerably.

I've always loved writing and even studied it for my degree but after I finished studying life started to get in the way. Working in a retail head office and the long hours that it comes with meant that a couple of years back you'd be more likely to find me crashed out on the sofa after a long day than writing a blog post. 

All that changed when I moved to London and I'm not really sure why. Whether it was being away from my friends and family or seeing so many new things, I found myself looking for a way to share what I was getting up to with the people back home.

That's when this blog began. A place for me to write about the places I've been going, the things that I'm enjoying (or not), share things I like and my life in London, Lost & Found is now very much a central part of almost every day.

Another bonus is that writing for Lost & Found encourages me to try out new restaurants and bars and to go to events that I might have passed up before. I don't particularly like jumping on the bandwagon in any area of my life but especially when it comes to blogging.

If I'm not writing up a post I'm nagging myself to get writing, so even if I don't post for a while you can guarantee there will be hundreds of ideas in my head that I'm yet to find time to jot down.

This year has been much quieter for me in terms of posts but that's mainly been due to my work life kicking up a notch as I've been promoted and changed companies but I'm trying to make sure I find time to write. Blogtember is definitely helping and I hope to continue posting often, even after the month is over. 

 *One thing that I have learned lately is that I like reading blogs where there are a fair few pictures of the writer, so here's a gratuitous look of the day for your viewing pleasure.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Shopping is my cardio

Generally, I don't really shop that much online. 

I like the thrill of a trip to the high street to check out the latest offerings, but today's Blogtember topic, links to your favorite online shops, has forced me to examine my Internet spending habits. 

I hate to say it but my online spending habits are somewhat boring. 

Ebay tops the list of where I both spend and earn money, and have done for years. I love that no matter what I want or need I can find someone, somewhere in the world, who'll be selling it at a price I'm willing to pay.

For originality and the closest online experience to the type of shops I like to frequent on the high street, I like Etsy. I've always been drawn to the hand-made and crafted, so this website is perfect for me, regardless of what I'm looking to buy.

California iPhone case by casesbycsera available on Etsy

I love Amazon for books, DVDs and more recently hard to find food and ingredients.

 Walden Farm Chocolate Syrup from Amazon

For kitchenware I love Fishs Eddy, which is both an amazing store and fantastic website which sells crockery with many, many gorgeous designs which are both modern and vintage inspired. When The Boy and I get a place of our own, well, he's in trouble. 

We'll definitely need lots of storage.

Brooklyn glassware from Fishs Eddy

For gifts I like to browse on Not on the High Street, Red Direct and Bloomsbury & Co but usually just get ideas rather than make a purchase.

 Wall hanging print by Minna's Room on Not on the high street

When shopping for clothes online it's normally eBay but I do love a browse on the Next website, as it's really easy to view the products as if you were flicking through the catalogue with a cup of tea. 

Dangerous.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Life changes, in the blink of an eye

Today's Blogtember topic is, Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

Originally I thought I'd make this post about the decision to take my Masters (as that one choice is really the reason I'm working in fashion retail, which is something I'd always wanted to be able to do) but when I really started to think about it there is another more important thing that I've done that caused my life to change for the better.

In 2010 I was starting to feel myself again. I'd lost three stone, had embarked on my Masters course and was really enjoying life, when my cousin and her now husband Rob invited me to go on a group holiday with them and some friends to France.

Now, on New Year that year I'd said to myself that for my resolution I would start to take more risks, embark on new challenges and just generally that if something scared me, I should do it anyway. It was that resolution that encouraged me to say yes to the holiday, when in previous years I would probably have said no.

This was a holiday that would involve extreme heat (not my fave), swimwear (a daunting prospect) and scariest of all, boys. But in the spirit of my resolution I bit the bullet, booked a flight and began contemplating possible swimming costume cover ups.

I'd split up with my last boyfriend seven years earlier and since then had spent precious little time in the company of the opposite sex, let alone contemplated meeting someone new. So the thought of spending seven days in close proximity to two of Becki and Rob's male friends that I'd never met before filled me with dread.

The day of the holiday dawned and I was still feeling anxious but I needn't have worried and we set off for the Loire Valley in good spirits looking forward to a week of relaxation, laughter, good food and fine wine with new friends.

The first night was just Becki and Rob, me and their friend Mike, who I'd never met before. He immediately put me at ease and made me laugh as we sat outside talking on that first evening, and I can't really explain it but I already felt a spark of something special.

It's now three years later, we live together in our beautiful home in Fulham, we love each others families as if they were our own and are actively planning and saving for our future together, and this has all happened because I took a leap of faith and pushed myself out of my comfort zone.

 This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

All about me, a test of personality

Today's Blogtember topic has two parts. 

First we were to take this short personality test and then to respond to the results. 

The Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test has more than 70 questions on a variety of topics which are meant to determine what type of personality I have and what career I'm suited to. 

Now, I'm not going to lie, I wasn't exactly looking forward to this topic as I usually find these tests boring and not particularly accurate, but this one seemed different and in the spirit of Blogtember I decided to give it a go.

Apparently, I'm an ISFJ type, which means I'm 11% introvert, 1% sensing, 38% feeling and 44% judging, or Introverted Sensing and Extraverted Feeling, which to begin, with didn't mean much to me. Until I read this that is...

ISFJs live in a world that is concrete and kind. They are truly warm and kind-hearted, and want to believe the best of people. They value harmony and cooperation, and are likely to be very sensitive to other people's feelings. People value the ISFJ for their consideration and awareness, and their ability to bring out the best in others by their firm desire to believe the best. 

ISFJs have a rich inner world that is not usually obvious to observers. 

This statement alone is so true to my life. I'm more than happy to spend time on my own and it takes me a while to feel comfortable around people. I tend to observe from a distance and always try to see the best in people, even if I don't know them.

The ISFJ has an extremely well-developed sense of space, function, and aesthetic appeal. For that reason, they're likely to have beautifully furnished, functional homes. They make extremely good interior decorators. This special ability, combined with their sensitivity to other's feelings and desires, makes them very likely to be great gift-givers - finding the right gift which will be truly appreciated by the recipient. 

Yes. Buying gifts is literally my favourite type of shopping. Except that is when The Boy takes me on my fifth trip round Westfield to look for Christmas presents for his family and friends, and then ends up buying the items I pointed out in the first place.

ISFJs are extremely aware of their own internal feelings, as well as other people's feelings. They do not usually express their own feelings, keeping things inside. If they are negative feelings, they may build up inside the ISFJ until they turn into firm judgments against individuals which are difficult to unseed, once set. 

Oh. My.God.
This is me in so many ways.

The ISFJ feels a strong sense of responsibility and duty. They take their responsibilities very seriously, and can be counted on to follow through. For this reason, people naturally tend to rely on them. The ISFJ has a difficult time saying "no" when asked to do something, and may become over-burdened. In such cases, the ISFJ does not usually express their difficulties to others, because they intensely dislike conflict, and because they tend to place other people's needs over their own.

ISFJs need positive feedback from others. In the absence of positive feedback, or in the face of criticism, the ISFJ gets discouraged, and may even become depressed. When down on themselves or under great stress, the ISFJ begins to imagine all of the things that might go critically wrong in their life. They have strong feelings of inadequacy, and become convinced that "everything is all wrong", or "I can't do anything right". 

The Boy would agree with the above statement wholeheartedly. I do on occasion tend to be hard on myself and think the worst, which I'm trying to stop and to start valuing myself a little more. If only just to be able to leave the house on time, and without having to change my outfit a million times.

The ISFJ is warm, generous, and dependable. They have many special gifts to offer, in their sensitivity to others, and their strong ability to keep things running smoothly. They need to remember to not be overly critical of themselves, and to give themselves some of the warmth and love which they freely dispense to others. 

Source: http://www.personalitypage.com/ISFJ.html

It's amazing how a series of questions and answers can determine so much about me and my inner thoughts and feelings. 

Spooky almost.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

At first I was afraid...

Today's Blogtember topic is: A story about a time you were very afraid and there really is only one tale to tell.

Back in 2005, in what seems like another lifetime, I went travelling.

A trip across the US of A with a friend, taking in major cities and hidden gems across the country was the kind of adventure I'd always dreamed of, without the issue of a language barrier. 

Having started off in LA, taking in San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Dallas, and San Antonio we found ourselves in New Orleans, home of jazz music, voodoo, mardi gras and American style merriment.
 

We stayed for a few days, keen to take in all the city had to offer, touring the French Quarter, the amazing cemeteries, visiting a voodoo priestess and listening to jazz on Bourbon Street. 

 

The city was baking hot and we retired to our hotel at the end of each day exhausted and content, unaware that out in the bay of Mexico, trouble was brewing.

We knew that Hurricane Katrina had recently hit Florida, along with a number of other storms which had battered the coastline, but as far as we knew Katrina was losing strength and blowing away far out at sea. We certainly didn't think it was heading our way.

We spent Friday night on Bourbon Street, chatting to locals and tourists, drinking, dancing and just generally having a good time before falling into bed late, looking forward to a Saturday morning lie in.

Waking up mid morning, we lounged around in our room before Gemma ventured downstairs to use the phone. On her return she mentioned that a lot of people seemed to be checking out and thinking no more of it we turned on the television.

That's when things took a turn.

Every channel was broadcasting the town mayor at a press conference with members of the army telling everyone to leave the city as fast as they could. Not even to wait and pack their bags to just drop everything and go.

As two British girls travelling across the country by bus this was easier said than done.

Gemma rushed around trying to hire a car for us, whilst I threw our clothes into any available bag before we hurried down to check out. Pretty much all the guests had already left, only the staff and a few people who were unconcerned about the impending storm remained as we headed out the door and jumped into one of the only remaining cabs in the city.

We'd managed to track down a car at a hire place near the airport and as we crossed town to get there, winding through the backstreets, we could clearly see the local residents preparing for what was to come. It was a strange experience, knowing that some of these people had no option but to stay.

The queue at the hire car company was huge with people desperate to leave and we were lucky to have called ahead and reserved the car that was to become our salvation.

We joined the scores of people in the many traffic jams heading out of the city, both pretty freaked out having not driven a car abroad before, and using a map of the entire country to try and figure out which way to go.

We headed in the direction of Nashville, driving through the night down the wrong side of the highway after they changed direction of the incoming side to help with the evacuation. We drove along, mostly in silence, stunned by what had happened but grateful to be able to leave.

We pulled into a motel on the outskirts of Nashville at around 5am, ate breakfast, called our parents and collapsed into bed. Exhausted from the shock of having to leave New Orleans in such a sad way.

Turning on the news over the following days and seeing the devastation that Katrina brought to the city was a pretty humbling experience. We would have almost certainly had to go to the Superdome stadium when the hotel was evacuated, which was where a large amount of crime happened in the days that followed. The now homeless residents mingled with tourists stuck in the city and things became pretty terrible, it makes you realise how lucky you are.

This post is part of Blogtember, the brainchild of Jenni over at Story of My Life.

Advice to live by

Today's Blogtember topic is simple: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.

During last years dark, dark times my best friend Sasha was my rock, my guide, my collaborator and constant source of inspiration. She saved me from myself and for that I will be forever grateful. During this time she gave me a piece of advice which she tries to live by, and since then I've been doing the same. 

The advice is simple, kill them with kindness.

The basic principle of how Sasha and I use this advice in our everyday lives is that if somebody (usually in the workplace but could be applied to any scenario) really gets your goat, gets under your skin or just generally makes you want to scream at the top of your lungs, the best way to deal with them is to be as nice as possible. I normally find being borderline sickly sweet is pretty effective.

Generally people who are rude, inconsiderate or just plain obnoxious know exactly what they're doing, and if they can see that they're irritating you they will be more likely to continue. If you react in a way that they aren't expecting they won't know what to do and, lets face it, having a cheery disposition is far nicer than walking around under a black cloud.