guest post: pia

Today the super amazing and super cool Pia is guest posting! With a name like Pia you're bound to be cool, right? Right! So kick back and relax whilst this incredibly wise and pretzel deprived chica shares some of her wisdom... 

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Hello dear friends of Jasmine! My name is Pia and I am blogging over on Making Memories. I am so happy to be here today because Jasmine is super awesome and I wish we'd live closer so we could be real life friends.

I was thinking back and forth about what to write about when Jasmine asked me if I'd like to guest post on her blog. Since I've been a member of the blog world for more than 3 years now, I thought it would be good to tell you a little something about what blogging has taught me so far.

1. Take pictures.

I never really knew how to properly handle my camera and take good pictures. Then blogging came into my life and I started experimenting with my camera. Reading other blogs and looking at beautiful pictures has inspired me a lot. I know that I am not a super great photographer, but blogging has sort of changed my photographic view. I try shooting from different angles and I basically take pictures of everything around the apartment.

2. Putting outfits together.

I just wrote about this on my own blog, but before I started blogging I had NO idea how to dress myself. Jeans and tshirt were my go-to items, I never wore skirts or dresses. But that has changed a lot now, I hardly wear jeans and I LOVE skirts. Reading fashion blogs has taught me how to create great outfits and I love that I am no longer the plain jeans-and-tshirt-girl.

3. Be real.

Reading blogs can be overwhelming sometimes. It didn't take too long and I started comparing my own life to that of others bloggers. Why am I not happy all the time? Why isn't my life perfect? Of course that is incredibly stupid, because I don't think anyone's life is perfect. I needed to realize that most people only write about the good stuff and leave out the bad days. And that is totally ok. I needed to realize that, just because they are having a picture perfect life on the blog, that doesn't mean that their life is picture perfect.

Same goes with the number of blog readers and sponsors and whatever. Don't compare your blog to other super big blogs and even copy their style of blogging. I had to learn that. A big amount of readers doesn't make a blog great, but a blogger who is true to her/himself and real, does. That is why I recently shut down my old blog and started all over again. I needed a fresh start because the posts on the old blog weren't me, but I tried to "satisfy the audience" so to speak. And I don't think that is right.

Blogging has taught me a lot and I am very glad that I took the step over 3 years ago and opened up a blog. I also met amazing people through blogging and I really don't want to miss them in my life.

I always like to make new friends, so if you're interested come on over to Making Memories and say hi!

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Isn't she just lovely?! Pia was one of the first bloggers I stumbled across and fell madly, head-over-heels in love with. Without a doubt, her new blog Making Memories will be just as amazing as her {old} blog Odds and Ends. If you haven't already checked her blog out, then you're just being silly. Go on, run along!
Xx

currently, i am...

So the other day I stumbled across this babe whilst blog stalking. Her name is Bobbi. Or at least that's what her blog leads us to believe.. Her blog goes by the title: Today, I'm Bobbi. Now don't get confused. SHE'S Bobbi, I'm me. Silly billies. Anyways, I was like stalk, stalk, stalk and then I found this post and I liked it so much I wanted to steal it (borrow it) and do it myself! Yay!

Everyone should do it and link me back!

I am currently...

...obsessing over...

my trip to Melbourne! I leave tomorrow - ahh! Packing for a weekend away seems harder than packing for a month long trip. You must be economic yet not boring, practical yet not ugly. Life is tough I tell you.

...working on...

designing a button for my blog to give to the lovely Bobbi!

...thinking about...

Kindles. Is that lame? I presume it might just be. Either way, I am. I want one but I just can't bring myself do it. I also kind of want one now but I'm sorely lacking in cash at the moment so I can't justify the purchase. If anyone wants to buy me one that'd be great, ta!

...anticipating...

what my uni timetable will look like! I find out next Wednesday and I am SO excited! Why? Because it means that uni is really going to start SUPER soon and also because this way I can plan my life out a bit better. I'm not enjoying this lack of structure in my life. My inner control freak is crying.

...listening to...

some whiny person on the radio. I'd turn it off except it's in another room and that involves walking - an activity which requires energy, which I lack. And as of right now, I'm morally against walking. Bring on mind control powers.

...eating...

I just ate some pasta, mm pasta. And had some tea. Yes, together. Milky tea with pasta, MMMMM. I'm disgusting, I know. It's fun. 

...wishing...

that on this day a year ago, things had been different. A lot of people have suffered, and are still suffering, and they are the best people. People not deserving of such sadness. People that you look at and think 'I wish I could be more like you'. People that inspire you and who are so generous and kind. It just breaks my heart to see their pain.

In memory of K.


X

book review: the legacy

The Legacy - Peter Turnbull

I like crime novels. I don't know why, I just do. It's kind of my thing I (just) realised and I like that.

This book, however, I did not like... Well, I didn't hate it but I didn't like it either.

The word that comes to mind is average. It just kind of fizzled into nothing. It starts well and the first half or so of the book is very interesting. The character development is interesting and the crime itself is also interesting.

And then... nothing. The author manages to digress completely, almost forgetting that this is a crime novel. Of course there is a crime, and as usual it gets solved, but there's this sense of dawdling and then BAM! It's like the author wrote 189 pages and remembered that the bad guy hasn't been realised, the crime remains unsolved and justice is yet to be served. What does he do? In essence, all of that happens on page 190.

It was just so disappointing! This guy, Peter Turnbull whoever he may be, seems like he has such potential. The concept was good (good being the operative word) and the writing style is quite enjoyable but it just seems like he has no idea what he's doing. So many characters get delved into and for absolutely no reason. Usually they contribute in some way to the plot or you don't learn HEAPS about them. That's how it works. This book just got it all wrong.

To make matters worse, the characters are so cliche you kind of want to scream. I read part of this book on a train and sighed out loud (and loudly) which then awkwardly generated several raised eyebrows and a smirk. 

I think this review has gotten increasingly scathing as it goes on and Pete, I apologise. It wasn't THAT bad. It just had so much potential and then... you chopped off it's head and hands and left us feeling.. incomplete (ha ha ha).

If you like an easy read and are only mildly interested in the genre, go for it. This one is for you. If you're like me and are a wee bit more interested in the complexities of the crime genre, don't bother.

Happy reading! X

book review: the messenger

The Messenger - Markus Zusak

I'm going to say something that could be somewhat controversial... I couldn't finish The Book Thief *gasp* ... It was THAT bad! *gasp gasp*

I'm assuming you're in quite a state of shock now. So sorry... I really, really could not see the appeal. I think the concept was a good one, I just don't think it was well executed.

I can't even say that about this book. 

Both the concept and writing were shocking in The Messenger.

I like to read a bit of everything, I like to branch out when I'm reading. Most things I enjoy with only minor criticisms. This book was really, really painful. Save yourself the time.

I have firmly come to the opinion, now that I have sampled two of his works, that I do not like the way Markus Zusak writes. Feel free to disagree with me but he makes lots of unnecessary, wordy remarks that I feel do not help me connect to the characters whatsoever. I have to at least understand the character if I don't relate to them. The protagonist in this novel was annoying and pathetic and really, the things he had to do, no one would ever do because they were weird and unrealistic.

The plot revolves around cards (hence why I thought I'd like it!!) but this absolute nobody (which is the point) gets involved in this weird adult scavenger hunt and he goes from 'messenger' to 'message' (yes -- that is the final epiphany...) What an absolute joke. 

It was an absolute struggle to read. I had to force myself to pick it up and read it. Never again will I read Markus Zusak. His writing style just does not float my boat. 

On a positive note, the book FEELS good. My version is a paperback, 386 pages and it's a 'floppy' book. I hope you understand what I'm talking about... It was just nice to hold!

If you read my last Book Review, you would've noticed that the next book I promised to review was The Great Gatsby. Never fear, this is still a work in progress. It is a dry book but I'm refusing to rule it out until I'm at least half way. In the meantime, I borrowed 3 books from the library today, all by authors I've never even heard of before so I'm keen to give them a try!

Next book: The Legacy by Peter Turnbull