Collaborative / Partnered Post - Get Out Of That Rut In 2022 And Find Some Creative Inspiration Online*

Hi Guys and Happy New Year! Although this wasn't the post that I'd planned for my first blog outing of 2022, I thought it was an interesting one to start with x Over the last couple of years so many of us seem to have lost our way somewhat, and while some people have found new hobbies and new ways to express themselves, a lot of us have just ended up stuck in a rut, and do you know what? that's okay, but now with hopefully a better on the year on the horizon, surely it's time to start doing more of the things that we love. I know a lot of people are planning all sorts of elaborate and fun holidays, but it can be as simple as finding a new hobby, planning a house makeover or trying a new recipe, whatever it is in 2022 hopefully we can start being inspired to try new things and to do more of what we love.

After the last two years or so though it probably isn't surprising that so many of us are feeling uninspired and as though every ounce of creativity has been snuffed out but there are ways to get your creative juices flowing again and to get that mojo back for the new year.

It sounds obvious but start off by thinking of the things that you love and enjoy, sometimes all it takes is being introduced or even reintroduced to something you find appealing, and then at least you have a starting point. The most important thing to remember is that we can't force ourselves to be inspired by anything, yes so many of us baked banana bread during lockdown but how many of us are now ready to apply to Great British Bake Off, not many of us I imagine, doing something like a hobby shouldn't be done purely for something to do, it shouldn't be artificial, it should be something that we enjoy doing, and it should say something about who we are as people.

In this post, then, I'm going to share a few ways of finding creative inspiration by using one of my favourite methods, social media. Social media has a bad rep at times but it can actually be a really helpful tool to help us find things that inspire us and things that we enjoy, so try this out to make sure your computer and digital organisation efforts are up to scratch before giving some of these tips a try x

Collate Images You Appreciate

Now I wouldn't be a blogger, and an avid social media user, if I did't recommend some of the top social media platforms. Using online tools like Pinterest, Instagram, blogs you enjoy (Mine ;), image boards, and more, you can put together visual mood boards that help you think through ideas. I've recently got into Pinterest and that is one addictive platform and already I've learnt so much from it, I've found recipes, nail art ideas, outfit ideas, and crafting suggestions, and that's just on one site, you can also search tags on Instagram, and for blogs and You Tube channels that can inspire you to cook, paint your nails, and decorate your bedroom - the online world is your oyster!

Even looking through digital art using platforms like Behance can make a great deal of different. Simply consider the kind of art style you find enjoyable and influential, and collate them in a note-taking app, or if you're more of pen and paper person print them for your sketchbook, or your notebook This can help you index and hold on to material that's inspired you, and will help you flourish as a creative hobbyist or that can even help you grow in your professional life

Follow Influencers That Inspire You

Much is said about the rise of the influencer, both good and bad, but it’s true to say that you only need to focus on those that inspire you. I have to be honest and say that I've unfollowed a lot of people / influencers over the years, and I've gone on to follow different ones as I've changed and they've changed. Don't be scared to unfollow people, if someone makes you feel bad about yourself, and you can't relate to them then it's the best thing to do. There are many artists, writers, bloggers, fitness professionals and more with your sensibilities, or sensibilities that might challenge you at first but also help you think of the world in a different way. No matter if you’re hoping to learn more about plus-size fitness, or African fashion trends, or anything else that inspires you, searching for these profiles is as simple as a few worthwhile hashtags. Whatever your interests or passions, there will be people out there that you'll love and that will inspire you, don't necessarily look for the big names, there are some fabulous smaller 'influencers' out there that produce some fabulous work and really have something to say.

Read Blogs You Can Relate To

As a blogger I'm bound to push this one but again the same applies, there are so many amazing bloggers out there, again not necessarily the big names, that produce some fabulous informative, and from the heart content. Outside of social media posts and Instagram pictures, however, a blog gives us the chance to understand people’s intent, their meaning, and their willingness to be vulnerable. No matter if this involves a bloggers’ struggle in raising their child right, to losing weight bit by bit, to managing a health condition, following those you appreciate, supporting them, opening that dialogue, all of this can and will have a profound effect on your faith in people in general, because although it's hard to admit it social media can often be pretty fake. I've been blogging for a long time now and things have changed a lot over the years, and whilst the focus is now on Instagram with it's pretty pictures, and constructs, blogging for me has always been about keeping it real, being honest about my life and my failings, whilst at the same time enjoying talking about my passions and things that I love. The written word for me is always more honest than a photograph, and that's why blogs will always win out. From baking blogs, to make up blogs, to crafting and interiors blogs there is something out there for everyone, and being inspired by real people doing real things has to be one of the best ways to learn, and if you are inclined there is no better way to create something than to create your own little space on the internet, and to start your own blogging journey.

So whether your looking for inspiration and for a new hobby online, or like me and numerous craft kits buys, in the middle aisle at Aldi, hopefully I've given you some ideas, all be it ones that are close to my heart, about how to get out of that creative rut. We all have dreams so why shouldn't we start trying to fulfil them in 2022, whether you want to write a novel, paint a picture, or even set up your own food blog, don't dream it do it!

*Collaborative / Partnered Post 

Intu Metrocentre A/W 2017 Style Event - Power Dresssing, Pizza And Printing*

Now as much as I love and appreciate every blog event that I get invited to, I always feel an extra surge of excitement when an invitation pops into my inbox from the fabulous team at Intu Metrocentre. I've been to quite a few of their events over the years, and I always feel blessed to work with such an amazing brand. Their events have ranged from the traditional fashion show, to more intimate beauty, fashion and lifestyle showcases. Whatever format they take though, they are always lots of fun and I always seem to learn a lot, be it about beauty brands, or fashion styling tips. A week or so ago now I headed down to Intu Metrocentre for their Autumn / Winter 2017 blog event which took both the educational and fun factors to the next level.

The event took place on the upper floor of Zizzi, which is an Italian chain restaurant situated on the second floor in the Garden Walk area of the centre, close to the cinema and perfect for a pre or post movie bite to eat.

Although it wasn't the main focus of the night, us bloggers like a feed and Zizzi delivered with trays of appetisers including olives, arancini, dips, salads, crudities and mini kebabs. We also had the chance to try out some of their rustic pizzas, and also some of their vegan pizza and garlic bread offerings. I didn't realise that Zizzi offered both a full vegan and gluten free menu so that's a thumbs up in my eyes and I'll definitely be back for a pizza and garlic bread fix in the future.

With a backdrop of food, nibbles and mocktails the stage was set for an evening of fun and education. While half the room was set up with tables, goodie bags, nibbles, clothes rails, accessories, an overhead projector, and subdued lighting, the other side of the room was set up with lots of light and tables full of goodies to explore and play with.

On the night we were lucky enough to have the ladies from The Crafthood with us to help us bring out our crafty sides. The Crafthood is a North East based company run by two lovely ladies Sharon and Kay, who specialise in making bespoke hand lettered pieces for weddings and so on, and other handcrafted and hand designed items. They also run crafting workshops across the North East teaching everything from brush lettering, and calligraphy, to block printing, Christmas crafting and candle making.

I love crafting but in all honesty I'm just not that artistic or dare it say it talented. If you've been reading my blog for a long time you'll know that from time to time, I do indulge in a little bit of paper crafting. When I have the time and the energy I love making my own greetings cards, and I also enjoy scrap booking, and I'm particularly proud of my NYC scrapbook. When it comes to anything with thread, sewing or fabric though it's a different matter entirely. I've never been any good it and my dragon like school textile teacher pretty much put me off for life and destroyed every ounce of confidence that I ever had in my own abilities with needle and thread.

You shouldn't let a lack of ability or talent get in the way of trying new things and having fun though, crafting is all about having fun at the end of the day and when I found out that we were going to be making things and getting our craft on I couldn't wait to get started.

Our task was a relatively simple one, we were going to decorate our own fabric pouches / cosmetic bags with simple block printing. I have a bit of experience with stamping on paper and of course I'd used a potato to print designs before but printing on fabric was something completely new to me, - all I'll say is thank goodness for the practise fabric!

The idea was that we created an on trend monogram, initial style design, which sounded easy enough but it wasn't quite as easy in the flesh, and one little error in my eyes lead to a complete change in direction from the simple, Gucci esq monogram design that I'd planned in my head, to an eclectic star and star burst design.

It may not have gone to plan but it's an original and nobody else will have one that looks like mine :) It may not be perfect but it's mine and I had a lot of fun creating it. The two ladies from The Crafthood were incredibly helpful, walking around and offering suggestions and advice, and in particular helping us bloggers make our tassel's - as I said I shouldn't be left alone with thread as the residue in the picture probably shows! I really enjoyed the session with the ladies and I'm really hoping that this experience will help reignite my crafty side!

As well as our session with The Crafthood, the Intu Metrocentre team had also arranged a speaker for us for the evening. Our speaker for the night was Meridith Towne, a bespoke dressmaker and costume historian. whose speciality is women's history through fashion - The topic she spoke to us about was Women In Power and The Art Of Power Dressing.

How can I summarise such a fascinating and in depth talk in a few lines, I don't think I can in all honesty, but her talk basically covered the history of powerful women and the role that clothing has played in both defining women and creating and defining their roles. She touched on so many things including how the definition of power dressing has changed over time, and how it changes in different countries and in different cultures, and on how social media can be used as both a force for change and as tool for enforcing ideas and ideals.

As well as using as overhead projector and a power point presentation (operated by her lovely mum), Meridith also illustrated her points with clothing, costumes, fabric and accessories from her own collection including a beautiful Victorian gown, 80's suiting, pussy bow blouses, and beautiful hats and African tribal style prints.

She also illustrated some of her points with clothing and accessory pieces from some of the many fashion stores that Intu Metrocentre has to offer, including Top Shop, Aspinal, Accessorize, and House Of Fraser. There was so many beautiful pieces on the rail that perfectly illustrated the concept of modern power dressing and how things come back into fashion. The rail and the bags were particularly lust worthy and I couldn't help but fall in love with the ISSA Maisie Printed Jumpsuit, that Meridith used to illustrate her point about prints - it has cats on it - what's not to love?

Source

As someone who loves fashion and history, and who studied a lot of both gender and women's studies as part of both her BA (Hons) and MSc I found Meridith's talk both fascinating and eye opening - a lot of people think that fashion is just fun or frippery but it really does tell a story and it really can both make a statement and define you with just one glance.

If ever you get the chance to attend one of Meridith Towne's talks then I would fully recommend it. She's very knowledgeable and very passionate about the things that she talks about, and I definitely came away from her talk feeling as though that I had learnt something, and that I'd learnt something that can and will effect me in the future. You can find out more about Meridith and both her costume designer service and her talks via her own personal website.

It was another fantastic event from the team at Intu Metrocentre, and it was probably the most fun, the most tasty and the most educational one to date. I would like to thank, Zizzi, the ladies from The Crafthood, and Meridith Towne for a varied and enjoyable evening, and of course I'd like to thank the team at Intu Metrocentre and all of the stores that were involved in the event and that contributed to our super generous goodie bags. We were kindly gifted a French Connection Monogrammed Fabric Bag, which included a Hotel Chocolat The Yumpkin Milk Chocolate Pumpkin, a travel sized Aussie Shampoo, skincare samples from The Body Shop, skincare samples from Estee Lauder, and Elizabeth Arden, perfume samples from Valentino, and Dior, and make up samples from Benefit, Bare Minerals and Smashbox. We were also generously gifted some bits from Intu and a very generous discount card which I will definitely putting to good use.

Huge thanks again to Intu and if you have any questions on anything that we got up to, or if you want to tell me how wonderful my crafting attempt was ;) then please don't hesitate to leave me a comment below x

*Blog / Press Event

Hillarys Crafternoon With Joe Bloggs Blogger Network

I'm going to start this post with a bit of a confession - as much as I love crafting, card making and scrap booking, my sewing skills leave a lot to be desired.

Photo Courtesy Of  Joe Bloggs

No matter what skills I'm lacking though  I'm always up for a challenge so last Saturday I joined, lots of another north east bloggers (I'm hiding at the back somewhere near the lovely Laura) at a Joe Blogs Blogger Network event at the popular Jazz Cafe in Newcastle city centre. The title of the event was the Hillarys Crafternoon so we teamed up with Hillarys Blinds and the lovely ladies from The Crafty Hen for afternoon of tea, biscuits and crafting.

Although I was told that there was no sewing experience required as soon as the ladies from the The Craft Hen started demoing our first activity I knew that I might need to pick up a needle and thread for the first time in 10 years!

Another Photo Courtesy Of Joe Blogs

The first activity was to use some of Hillarys, new 2015 fabrics to make a reusable book cover. It sounds easy enough and I have to say this one wasn't too hard. The fabrics were all cut to size, so all we had to do was fold over our covers, and stitch ( or glue and stitch in my case) them together and add some embellishments. There were lots of different fabrics to chose from but since I am a huge purple and lilac fan, I went for the Bohemia Damson curtain fabric, which features purple and lilac toned flowers on a cream background.

The task wasn't too hard but the small round tables in the venue didn't really give us a lot of room so I improvised and used a stool as my workbench. The hardest parts were making sure everything was straight and trying not to burn myself with the glue gun, but my cover came together pretty well. Then it was time to choose some buttons and ribbons to decorate my cover, there were some lovely flower and bee shaped buttons but I wanted to stick to the purple and lilac theme, so I picked three buttons and some ribbon, and grabbed my glue gun.

I'm actually pretty pleased how this turned out, my fabric was quite thick and I ended up giving it an iron at home but I loved the fabric and colour tones.

After a short break and some lovely chilled water with fresh limes, it was time for our second demo from The Crafty Hens.

Photo Again Courtesy Of The Joe Blogs Team  - See If You Can Spot Me

I have to say as informative the demo was, this one scared me a bit! Our second task was to make a fabric bird. There was no way round this one - I was going to have to thread my needle and so some sewing.

Again I picked the Bohemia Damson fabric and returned to my stool / workbench to get started. The first task was to cut out the bird templates - total fail on my part - I have zilch scissor skills even with paper, so trying to keep it even and cut it out was tough to say the least

Then we had to sew our two pieces of fabric together, leaving a gap to turn our bird the right way round and stuff him. The concentration was intense - there was barely a whisper as the bloggers concentrated on the task

Another Picture From The Joe Bloggs Term - Instead Of Where's Wally, Where's Lou

Hmm well I managed to thread my needle but that was about it, my little birdy like so many others was an abject fail, despite  advice from The Crafty Hen ladies, my poor bird ended up looking, like a raggy seal, bird, fish hybrid lol.

Hey I can't be good at everything can I? the term is practically perfect after all! To be honest its all a bit embarrassing how bad my sewing skills are but after this attempt, I'm determined to get better and practise a little bit, after all practise makes perfect. In fact I've even bought a craft magazine with a free felt flower making kit, complete with a needle and thread - go me!

 I have to say despite my inept sewing skills I had a fabulous afternoon, and I've never laughed so much in ages. It was a great event that give us an opportunity to do something different,  learn some new skills, and spend some time with some lovely people,

            Picture Courtesy Of Team Joe Bloggs

As a thank you for attending we received a lovely goodie bag from both Joes Bloggers and Hillarys. There were several different bags to choose from all of which were made with some of Hillarys most popular new fabrics. As soon as I saw it though I fell in love with this retro floral print.

If like me your a fan of Orla Kiely, and you're looking for new curtains, or blinds then you need to have a look at Hillarys latest collections for very similar retro style prints. My bag is made from the Daisy Pistachio fabric, which has a gorgeous iridescence and 60's feel.

Inside the bag we recieved some of Hillarys new catalogues, a Hillarys branded pen, a mini bar of Green and Blacks chocolate ( not pictured - whoops!) and a Yankee Candle Salted Caramel Wax Tart.

I want to say a huge, huge thank you to everyone concerned, to Hillarys for their beautiful fabric, to Jazz Cafe for the lovely venue, to The Crafty Hens for their advice and patience and of course to the lovely Joe Bloggs team. If there holding an event in your area I would definitely recommend going for a chance to socialise with some other bloggers, to learn something new and to have some fun. I know that they are planning some more event up north and I for one can't wait.

Outfit and Face Of The Night,and A Bit Of Crafting - Pic Heavy x

Last night I headed off to my Godmothers 80th birthday party :) I had a lovely family evening that just makes you appreciate what you've got :) I took quite a few pics of my make up and my outfit and also of a few cards I made for her - First up cards - I love making cards and scrapbooking but I have to say it's something I haven't been showing as much love lately as I should, still I've made a couple this week and it will soon be Christmas :)

I used a few QVC kits here including a fabulous one by a company called Kanban - as well as the perfume bottles, you also get some shoe and handbag embellishments, card and  papers, so me and so cute and a really good quality kit :)

OK the outfit, embracing a bit of animal print and plain black, I went for this little combination, including my new clutch bag from Dorothy Perkins - just as well I was indoors tho the weather last night was awful really, really cold and windy. - Excuse the mess behind me eek

Yesterday I Wore

Black Jersey Dress - La Redoute
Animal Print Jersey Cardigan - ASOS
Brass Ring Necklace and Bracelet - Made
Black Opaque Tights - George at Asda
Animal Print Ballet Pumps - Primark
Black Clutch Bag - Dorothy Perkins
Black Silky Parka - Primark } Not Seen But
Animal Print Scarf - Bought in Cyprus }Worn Outside

OK Make Up - bit boring a naked eye a bit of liner and mascara, pale lips and lots of shimmer almost a la Edward Cullen I have to say tho it didn't look half as bad irl lol :)

Today I Wore

Models Prefer Light Diffusing Foundation - Medium
No7 Trio Concealer - Darkest Shade Only
UDPP
Laura Geller Balance n Brighten - Regular (to set)
ELF Studio Blusher - Peachykeen
Prestige Mineral Bronzing Powder - Pure Shimmer
Urban Decay Eyeshadows - Sidecar, Darkhorse and Virgin
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil - Zero
Bourjois Coupe de Theatre 2 in 1 Mascara - 51 Noir Exceptionnel
YSL Rouge Volupte - No1
Revlon Lipgloss - 150 Peach Petal (added later)


Any questions on anything please let me know xx

Crafty Bits

I haven't posted any pictures of my cards for a while so I thought I'd share with you one that I made for my cousins new baby boy x




Hope you enjoy - Oh and I will be popping the second part of my make up collection video on You Tube later so don't forget to check out my channel - DurhamLouLou xx

A Review of The Day

Fooled yah - no not a beauty product review but I couldn't think of a catchy title for this post about my day so this is what you've got (evil giggle) LOL
As you know I had a doctors appointment at an unearthly hour this morning - I am pleased to say it went OK, my blood pressure and ears are fine, and he is leaving my medication at its current levels - wahoo!!! We talked about a few things and I have been left with something to mull over and look into - I am not going to say what it is at this stage because I may decide to take it no further but I have some serious thinking to do on something that could be life changing (or not!- maybe that is one of the biggest things I need to consider whether it would change my life- hmmm).
Anyways maybe more of that to come - I popped into Tesco as planned only to discover the absence of any magazine I wanted - no August issues yet boo :(. Not only that but despite the temperature being really high in Northern England today, the sun wasn't shining and the sky was actually quite dull. Obviously my planned afternoon of sitting in the garden reading a glossy mag just didn't happen today, I may have got some kind of tan even with the sky being dull but it just wasn't appealing anymore, so I spent the afternoon watching Christmas crafting on QVC can you believe it Christmas already!!! argh! I was going to watch some tennis but women's tennis doesn't have the same appeal to me - the Williams sisters dominance and all that grunting to be honest really puts me off :( so QVC it was.
One good thing did happen today though (apart from some yummy strawberries and cream - £1.99 for a punnet of strawberries in Tesco and you get a free carton of single cream :) ) my Avon came, and because I didn't get a magazine my mum paid for it :) I got two tubes of the Skin So Soft Targeted Firming Treatment for £5 (BOGOF :))

I am really persevering with this one these will be my 4th & 5th tubes. I can't see whether its making a real difference yet but it makes your skin so soft whether its down to the product or the built in knobbly rubber applicator which you use to massage the cream in I don't know but there always seems to be some sort of offer on this line so its well worth trying :)

My shopping trip on Thursday is still on up to now and I can't wait - the thought of Superdrug is making me particularly excited at this moment in time -GOSH, Barry M, Sleek - Bring it on!!!!