Decembers Snail Mail Collective

Towards the end of last year I came across the Snail Mail Collective on Melyssa’s blog ‘The Nectar Collective’ . It’s a great initiative that’s a monthly gift exchange where you can meet other people from around the world. When I came across this project they were taking sign ups for their last ever one, so I knew I had to take part! What was even better was each round had a theme and Decembers was ‘Travel’! Perfect, I thought, as travelling is one of my passions and I was about to head off at the month for 3 weeks in Thailand!

I was paired up with the gorgeous Jessie who from Seattle in America and blogs over at ‘Enjoying the Journey’. We emailed each other numerous times, getting to know each other. We share a passion for working with children and young people and Jessie is such a positive inspiring person. I really enjoyed the whole process and had fun deciding what to send her!

Due to Christmas and me swanning off for most of January we only recently sent each other’s gifts and I was so excited when mine arrived this week!

 

 

I feel very lucky to have been involved in this project before it stopped and getting to know Jessie has been a privilege!

So as the Snail Mail Collective has come to an end and being a bit disappointed about this, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands! I’ve decided to attempt to run a similar project #TheBloggersSnailMail and would love for you all to get involved! Check out THIS POST for all the info on what it’s about and how to sign up!

Motivational Monday #5

 

I can’t believe it’s the first Monday in March! This year is going way too fast for my liking! It’s really making me want to stop and make sure I fully appreciate all the little things. This post put a massive smile on my face, lots of awesome things happen every day and sometimes we just need reminding of them!

Happy Monday lovelies!

The Skills of a Blogger...

 

During a recent bloggers chat on twitter the question was posed ‘Do you put your blog on your CV?’, I didn’t even need to think about my response! No I don’t, as my blog isn’t relevant in the slightest to my day job. My blog is also my girly indulgence where I enjoy my spare time, so why would I put it on my CV?!

Well, when I started thinking a little bit more into this, my blog actually highlights a diverse range of skills I now have, that I hadn’t really acknowledged until this moment! We as bloggers are pretty multi talented, no matter the size of readership. These are the skills I’ve come up with, let me know if you can think of any more!

WRITING – This is probably one of the more obvious ones and actually my favourite. I love writing and started this blog as an outlet to do just that. My dream is to be a published writer, I just need to overcome the lack of confidence and self doubt!

PHOTOGRAPHY – This is definitely something I have improved on, which you can see if you head back to my first few posts! I now spend so much time trying to achieve the perfect lighting and to make my blog look a little more professional.

MARKETING – It’s just clicked that I do this as a blogger! I am technically always ‘marketing’ my blog to others, whether that’s to potential readers of different companies.

PR – I quite like this one! I guess it’s because I like the interaction with others, it’s also pretty much summed up above in marketing! My confidence has also massively improved in this.

SOCIAL MEDIA – A couple of years ago twitter used to baffle me! Now though, I am hooked! I mainly use it for blogging purposes. I love chatting to other bloggers!

TIME MANAGEMENT / ORGANISATION – I am a pretty scatty person who juggles three jobs, so throw in blogging on top and it can be a little crazy! Therefore when it comes to blogging I need to assert some time management skills and be pretty organised to get the posts up and keep my blog ticking along nicely.

CREATIVITY – All bloggers need a bit of this! It’s what keeps your blog going, helps you come up with post ideas and encourages people to come back and read more.

I also think my blog shows I have initiative and drive! How many ‘hobbies’ tick all these boxes? And I am sure there are tons of other skills I haven’t even thought of!

What skills do you use as a blogger?

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Nails // Topshop Nails in 'Wide Awake'

 

 

Another week another Nails post! I should probably give them a break but its keeping them pretty stops me from biting them! Terrible habit but I’m working on it! Today’s nails are painted in ‘Wide Awake’ from Topshops Nails range. I love Topshops Nail polish, it’s such a fab range and it is chip proof! Seriously! This is one of the best polishes for this and I don’t know why we don’t hear more about this range!

The only way I can describe the shade ‘Wide Awake’ is as a dirty orange, a sort of muted bright orange. I know that doesn’t particularly sell it, but take my word for it when I say it’s a gorgeous colour! It’s definitely a bit different and adds a pop of colour in this winter weather. I really like it, it adds a bit of fun to my wardrobe.

What do you think?

Motivational Monday #4

 

I chose today’s quote as lately I have been feeling very miserable and grumpy. I have become an exceptional moaner! It’s a terrible way to be, I know that but I’ve been finding it really hard to snap out of it!

This quote is a reality check for me, I am exceptionally lucky and in the grand scheme of things have very little to whinge about. Life can be hard sometimes and I do struggle like most people to stay up beat during these times, especially if I’m getting stressed out. This quote makes me look at the bigger picture and is to remind that compared to some in the world I have it pretty good. So this week I am going to more grateful, find the good things in life and try not to be a moaning Minnie! Wish me luck!

Happy Monday Lovelies!

p.s Have you checked out my latest project? I am running a Bloggers Snail Mail and would love for you to join in!

The Bloggers Snail Mail

Back in December I joined in with the Snail Mail Collective which was set up by the lovely Melyssa and Chelsea, it was a monthly gift exchange where you can meet other people from around the world. I had so much fun getting to know my partner and picking their gifts and then receiving my own (I shall be posting about this soon!) I was a little disappointed to find out that December was actually the last one they were running!

It got me thinking and I have decided to have a go at facilitating my own version, ‘The Bloggers Snail Mail’ and see what happens. So here is what I propose:

A quarterly gift exchange where you can meet other bloggers from around the world and spread a bit of positivity! You can sign up in March, June, September and December. During the sign up period, every participant will be paired with one other new participant and you’ll spend a few weeks becoming BFFs (i.e. reading each other’s blogs, sending happy e-mails, you name it!). After that, you’ll send your partner a gift from your country that you think they may like from the info you now know about them. There’s a £5 limit on the gifts to make this project as affordable as possible. Be as creative as you can and make it meaningful! Motivate them, tell them all the beautiful things you learned about them, and make them feel special! We could all use a little encouragement, especially from our new friends. Also, each package should include a postcard (or a letter if you can’t find one!) with some motivating love or positive words of wisdom written all over it.

So to sign up for the first ‘The Bloggers Snail Mail’ you just need to send an email to whatsinyourmakeupbag@gmail.com, title it ‘The Bloggers Snail Mail’ and include in it your name, where you are from, and you blog! Sign ups will be open until the Friday 7^th March. I will then randomly match you all up aiming to make sure you are with someone from another country or at least in another area from you! I will then let you know by Monday 10^TH March who your partner is and you then have 4 weeks to get to know them! So the week of the 7^th April, you can then send your new buddy their Snail Mail!

Once you receive your gifts, write a blog post about your experience, sharing what you gave, received, and learnt through this being part of this and meeting your new pal.

If you want to tweet about this project, use the hashtag #TheBloggersSnailMail, You can also tag me @GemmaMarieJames and ill retweet your post, so everyone can share your experience!

Guest Post // Top Ten Pick Me Ups

Hello! I’m Amy from amyrutter.com and I’m very excited about being invited to write for Lipstick and Lashes. I’m a lifestyle blogger from Brighton and I write about topics such as home, food, health, beauty, fitness and relationships.

When I need a bit of cheering up, there are a few fail-safe options I turn to. Whether I’m feeling a little sad because it’s a dull, rainy day or I’m a bit bored, one of these will brighten my mood.

1.       Watch a girly movie or TV series

 

Something like Girls or Sex and the City normally does it for me. I think it’s mostly about the escapism more than anything else – having a little delve into someone else’s perfect (or not so perfect) life and having a laugh about it.

 

2.       Bake some cookies

 

 

Home baked biscuits are always so much more satisfying than ripping open a packet of supermarket biscuits. And I find it even more satisfying if I manage to make biscuits purely from leftovers. I normally have granola knocking about so I mix it with margarine, sugar, honey and an egg. Simple, quick and delicious!

 

3.       Catch up with a friend

A good natter can immediately cheer you up – if there’s something troubling you, chatting it through will put your mind at rest. I don’t speak to my friends nearly enough, but I know that as soon as I pick up the phone, it’s like old times.

 

4.       Buy little personalised gifts for a friend

Sometimes I like to pick up little gifts, whether they be small pampering products or a DVD I think a friend will like and send them to them as a surprise present.

 

5.       Buy flowers

 

Flowers immediately brighten a home and they cheer me up every time I enter the room.

 

6.       Write a list

 

Ok so I might be a bit of a geek, but I love writing a good old list. It makes my head feel organised and I can’t remember everything without one anyway. And it feels soooo good to tick something off. Is that really sad??

 

7.       Go for a run

It took me a while to get into running as I don’t really do any other exercise (although I was also doing zumba classes when I started running). I take my iPod with me and sing along in my head while I’m having a run around the local park and I love it. Sure, it’s hard work, but again it’s satisfying. It’s a good chance to think things through while getting some fresh air – and burn off some calories!

8.       Have a clean-up and a clear out

This might feel like the last thing you want to do if you’re in a bad mood but clearing up is oddly uplifting. I suppose because it gives you a chance to create some order, clear space and in doing so create order in your mind. There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to find something in your house, so by clearing through stuff you’re going to feel more in control of everything.

 

9.       Watching the world go past in a coffee shop

 

I love grabbing a hot drink and people watching. Replace the words ‘coffee shop’ with ‘beer garden’ when it’s sunny!

 

10.   Have a long hot bath

 

A soak in a good bubble bath with candles and a glass of wine is just perfection.

What’s your ultimate pick me up treat?