Dear You, Love Em

RECIPES TO TRY THIS WEEKEND.

2015-06-27T04:56:00.000+01:00

Source: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

First and foremost congratulations on making it through another week. It’s always a great feeling finishing up on a Friday knowing that you can kick back and relax for the next two days. I mean, housework, shm-ousework… right?

Recently I’ve really been getting into Pinterest (I know, I know I’m a bit late to the party). I really can’t help but drool at some of the recipes that I have stumbled upon however I’m determined that this weekend I’m going to have to give one a go. The pictures above are the ones I’m planning on cracking out - if it goes well I’m sure to brag about it on here soon to keep you updated. If you’re into pinterest come by and say hi (my account is here).

What have you been cooking/ pinning recently?

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WEEKEND AWAY | TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

2015-05-24T08:12:00.000+01:00

Living in the hustle and bustle of Sydney life it feels wonderful to get away for the weekend, which is exactly what Dan and I did recently for the weekend. We drank wine, ate cheese and crackers, sat by the fire and played hypothetical questions (am I the only one who loves playing that!? Surely not!). I am a bit of a grandma so taking it easy and relaxing was my ideal weekend. Dan then took me the next morning to a surprise beauty salon to get a massage and then we went out to dinner (and it was just so delicious!).

All in all I am a very happy chappy and Dan has certainly got a few extra brownie points up his sleeve!

What did you get up to this weekend?

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GETTING CRAFTY: D.I.Y FRIDGE MAGNETS

2015-04-13T11:58:00.000+01:00

There is something about leaving a note on the fridge in the morning that I love. Usually we leave post-its around the house with notes on them occasionally but I love the idea of your very own fridge magnets. Knowing Dan will go to get the milk out of the fridge in the morning and walk away with a goofy smile makes me so happy. Alright, lets do this!

Tools:
- polymer clay
- magnet tape
- rolling pin
- scissors
- small letter stamps
- baking sheet

Lets get started:
1. Warm the clay in your hands. Once soft, use the rolling pin to get to your preferred thickness. Note: the thinner you get it, the better for the magnet’s sake.
2. Using the magnet tape as a guide, cut out strips of clay.
3. Stamp your desired words onto the clay.
4. Place the words onto the baking sheet and bake in the oven at 120°C for 20 minutes.
5. Once cooled, attach the magnet to the back of each word and walllaah! You are done!

What do you think? Do you love alphabet / word fridge magnets?

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MY CHILDHOOD BUCKET LIST

2015-03-25T10:55:00.002+00:00

Twelve years ago, I wrote a bucket list. This list was filled with the aspirations and daydreams of eleven year old Emily. Although unlike other hobbies I had at that age, I managed to maintain this list for another five years, diligently crossing off accomplished items and replacing them with new plans. Ultimately however this list became buried under years of clothes, books and new memories… until I stumbled across it a week ago.

I have always found it interesting reading things I wrote a year ago, (let alone eleven years) and seeing to what extent my personality and writing style has developed. Interestingly, it seems some things never change. I still want to be a better person, own my own apartment and 'live instead of exist’. Saving money is more of a necessity if I’d like to eat this week rather than an objective on a list, and kissing in the rain isn’t all it is cracked up to be. Not to mention I should probably listen to #9… Clearly some things never change. Maybe one day…

1. Get Married / 2. Save a persons life / 3. Learn to speak Italian / 4. Save money / 5. Stop Gossiping /

6. Get my own house or apartment / 7. Get my drivers licence / 8. Write a book and get it published /

9. Stop playing on the computer when I have things to do / 10. Make a CD of Happy Songs /
11. Be less addicted to MSN Messenger / 12. Get a boyfriend / 13. Kiss in the rain / 14. Stop being jealous / 15. Be pretty / 16. Get my ears pierced / 17. Be a better person / 18. List three things that make me happy everyday / 19. To live instead of exist / 20. Start a magazine.

Have you ever had a bucket list from your childhood?
What was on yours?

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WHATS MADE ME HAPPY #20

2015-03-01T11:04:00.000+00:00

Happy March everybody! It's the time of the year where everything is slowly getting back into routine. Early morning bus rides with a coffee mug surgically attached to my hand, sitting in traffic on the way home, and passing out in bed by 8pm (I like to embrace my inner granny bedtime, nothing wrong with that!). All the while counting down until the weekend, just to repeat the week all over again. But enough is enough, it’s time to be grateful for the little things and stay positive. That said, here is a couple of my favourite things from the week thats been…

1. Playing board games with the family and laughing till your cheeks hurt.

2. Taking an online course in social psychology. Finally getting my brain back into gear!

3. Going on a ‘date’ with Dan to the movies to see ‘The Theory of Everything’… honestly, I think my expectations were too high. If you’ve seen it, what did you think?

4. Oscar chasing me around the house (If you haven’t met him, you can meet him here)

5. Spending this morning at the beach eating breakfast and admiring the view.

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month!

What has been your highlight of the week?

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PARIS | PHOTO DIARY

2015-02-26T02:30:00.002+00:00

I am a homebody through and through. Track pants, cuddly jumpers, blankets and Greys Anatomy re-runs are my haven. Backpacking, living out of out of hostels and surviving off a loaf of bread and cheese for a week was not up my alley, however when Dan and I went backpacking across Europe I suddenly realised what it was all about. We visited some of the most beautiful cities that stole my heart, but in true cliché style I fell madly in love with Paris.

I didn't climb the Eiffel tower, or go inside the Louvre, we didn't pay for extravagant tours or go to fancy restaurants. It rained the entire time we were there, and we actually had a fight underneath the Eiffel Tower when we arrived (not exactly the city of love, right?). All this, and it was still one of my favourite places in the world. Why? Because of the little things.

Paris is a treasure trove of unique finds, secret passageways and quirky signs from the 1950s. Sitting on the metro (which is so much better than Sydney trains) and listening to people speak to each other in their incredible French accents, swoon. The Parisian style, the elegance and the culture were so dreamy. Not to mention France is home to the greatest cheeses in the world, and don't forget the macaroons, the crepes, pastries and baguettes... Hungry yet?

Have you been to Paris? What did you think?

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BAKING: CINNAMON AND SULTANA TWISTS

2015-02-18T17:30:00.000+00:00

CINNAMON AND SULTANA KNOTS:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tbsp instant yeast

2 tsp sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup warm water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter (melted)

Inside the knot:

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon

3 tbsp sultanas (or other dried fruit)

1. In a large bowl, place the flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt and warm water. Mix together with a wooden spoon until combined, and then knead for 6-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.

2. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until risen. Roughly an hour.

3. When ready, roll the dough so it is even and roughly 0.5cm thick. Spread your sugar, cinnamon and sultanas (or other dried fruit you desire) on the top and roll again.

4. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into roughly seven parts. Roll each into balls, and then into ropes. Make a knot out of it and place it on your baking paper.

5. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake at 200° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

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FIVE THINGS | I’ve learnt in my 20’s.

2015-01-31T13:06:00.004+00:00

I am almost twenty three, and it scares me. When I was younger I remember sitting around the swings in the park, listening to my friends talk about their goals in life while I clutched my pen diligently listing down my own. I decided if I was going to live my best life, I needed to start organising it. I called it my ‘life plan’ (creative name huh?) and I loved it. As much as I love spontaneity, I have always been a fan of lists and plans. They provide comfort. They provide direction. Not to mention the fact I had ‘Marry a man with a British accent’ on mine. What’s not to like?

As wildly creative as my ‘life plan’ was, it is certain to say I haven’t stuck to it very well. I am not a model, an actress, nor have I been on Oprah. I am meant to marry by 23, have a baby by 25 and oh my absolute favourite, ‘save the world’ by 32. Yeah… I told you I was a creative little one. What I’ve learnt is that unfortunately life doesn’t always go to plan, but it does give you things you never imagined and teaches you pleeeenty along the way. Here are five things I’ve learnt so far.

1. The world doesn’t owe you anything: You are not entitled to anything in this world. Put your head down, work hard and respect the people around you. Try and stay positive and be the best version of you that you can be, its the only thing you have control of and it’s the only way you’ll get anywhere.

2. Don’t waste your time: Time is non-renewable. Once it’s gone, it’s really gone. Don’t waste your time on people or things that have a negative impact on your life. Forget the friends or boys that forgot about you, and cherish the good ones that hung around. People change, friendships fall apart but the ones that stay are keepers. You deserve to have people around you who love and support you, anyone else is a waste of your time.

3. You’ll make your money go further: You’ll learn to do more with less. You’ll also learn that if you spend your weeks pay on a big night out you’ll get to enjoy baked beans every night for the rest. of. the. week. Great… Just great.

4. Life goes on: My Grandpa used to say ‘no matter what happened the day before, the sun will always rise the next morning’ which really put things into perspective. We all go through breakups, loss of jobs, friendship meltdowns, the list goes on, but the world will keep spinning. Failure is part of life and there will always be other opportunities out there if you keep your eyes and heart open.

5. Your parents are people too: In your 20’s they are no longer the totally uncool authoritarians you saw as a teenager, nor the all-knowing protectors you saw as a child. They are peers, just two people who are somewhat flawed like the rest of us, doing their best to help out in every way they can to give you the best life you deserve. They deserve a medal.

What have you learnt in your 20s? Let me know!

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FIVE GO-TO PHOTO EDITING APPS.

2015-01-26T04:37:00.000+00:00

Hands up who loves a good-ol’ photo filter? Everyone? Thought so. Gone are the days where you rely solely on Valencia on Instagram to give your photos that ‘oomph’. Today I thought I would dive on in and give you a list of the top photo-editing apps I rely on. Ready? Lets go.

Afterlight - It may cost you a penny or two but this little app is my go-to for the majority of my photos. It lets you frame your images, gives you adjustable filers and regularly update their content so you never get bored. All hail Afterlight!

FxCamera - This is a relatively new one I stumbled upon a couple of weeks ago and I’m already in love. FxCamera lets you simulate different camera types making your photo look like it was taken with a polaroid camera, fisheye lens and the list goes on. Considering this app is free, its certainly worth having a look at.

Cymera - Admittedly I don’t use this one very often but it’s fun when you have time to play around with your photos as this nifty app offers you the ability to make your smile bigger, face slimmer, eyes larger. You name it, Cymera can probably do it.

Mextures - After paying for this app I instantly felt a twinge of regret. We couldn’t afford to splurge on ice cream this week but I could buy an app for $3? What. Was. I. Thinking. Then I opened it up and started looking at the incredible filters you could add to photos, and the rest is history. This app lets you mix and match your own filters, layering till you get the perfect photo, needless to say it was money well spent.

Piction - If you’re a quote lover like me you’ll love this for writing captions or text directly on your images. There is a large selection of fonts, styles and colours so you can personalise it to your taste. Be careful though, this app is pretty addictive after awhile…

What photo editing apps do you use? Let me know!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2015-01-01T23:40:00.000+00:00

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month and I hope you all have a very merry and wonderful New Year! Before I get into anything else I think I need to confess something… We’re getting quite personal now, are you ready?… I don’t have any resolutions for the year. I know, I know, I was pretty darn shocked too. See the thing is, I looked at my watch on New Years Eve and thought ‘Five hours left! That’s plenty of time to be hit with some Disney-like inspiration’ and then before I knew it, it was 11:59PM and there still was nothing.

I have made New Years Resolutions ever since I was a youngin' and to be honest the first few years consisted of me saying ‘This year I’ll get my first kiss!’ which progressed to ‘this year I’ll get my first boyfriend!’ and you know what? It never happened. Then I stopped wishing for it and it happened. What I’m trying to say is I’m not a huge fan of the old ‘ New Year, New You Resolutions’ business because I hate the pressure, stress and time restraint associated to that.

So without further ado, here are my goals for 2015. If they happen, thats amazing and I’ll feel kick-ass. If they don’t… well I’ll keep on trotting on and everything will be OK.

- Learn (beginner) French.
- Enjoy the little things and take more photos to remember them by.
- Be more tolerant of bad drivers.
- Live in the moment and stop stressing over things you can’t control.
- Develop a good morning routine.

What are your new year resolutions or goals for the year?

I love reading what people have planned!

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FREE PRINTABLE:
I also finished designing my very first printable monthly calendar which can be used for any year (handy huh!) and I thought I’d link it for free here. Please just respect copyright and don’t publish/share without crediting the calendar back to me (but I know you won’t do that anyway, you gooduns!).

MY CHRISTMAS EVE RITUAL.

2014-12-24T11:12:00.002+00:00

Christmas Eve used to be for last minute Christmas wrapping and heading down to the local pub to have a couple (hundred?) drinks with friends, but for the past few years its been a different kind of ritual.

While I admit to still doing some last minute wrapping (some things will never change), I really enjoy relaxing in front of a couple of festive movies (My favourites: Elf, Arthurs Christmas, Bridget Jones Diary and Home Alone) with a cup of tea, whilst popping on a face mask which is an essential right now thanks to my skin breaking out recently (thank you ‘that’ time of the month).

I’m pretty excited about tomorrow! How will you be spending Christmas Eve?

On a side note: I wanted to take this time to say a really big thank you. Thank you for commenting, reading my posts or laughing at any of my bad jokes (of which there are probably one too many). This year has been an amazing one in regards to DearYouLoveEm, I cherish my little blog so much and I really appreciate all the time you take to read the content and connect with me on social media. I wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

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GETTING CRAFTY: GINGERBREAD HOUSE.

2014-12-22T07:30:00.000+00:00

It’s that time of the year again. With the hustle and bustle that comes with this time of the year I feel like I need someone to inject the christmas spirit straight into my femoral artery, like a muscle relaxant that’ll leave me with a dreamy smile and closed eyes. Any takers? Seeing as that wasn’t looking like an option, the next best thing was some good old fashioned Christmas baking.

I’ve never made a gingerbread house before so the idea was quite taunting, but after ogling at some wonderful creations on Pinterest I thought it was time to roll my sleeves up and get crack-a-lackin! The decorating was by far the most enjoyable part although I got a bit generous with the icing and… let’s just say there was a landslide. Thankfully only one gummy bear was hurt in the incident, but overall it was a success!

What do you do to get into the Christmas spirit?

Not long now!

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LIFE LATELY…

2014-12-15T09:55:00.000+00:00

1. My favourite little man Oscar has become so cheeky recently and I love that his personality is really shining through at the moment. There is nothing better than coming home after a long day and seeing him bounding up to you with his long floppy ears flying.

2. Falling in love with fairy-bread all over again. It is just the easiest thing to make and bring to picnics/parties, not to mention much more creative than bringing a packet of chips…

3. Everyone in my family knows that I am officially ‘Uno Champion’ (I know, I know, I’m pretty cool). I have happily carried this title my whole life until I recently stumbled upon Uno last week and have been playing against Dan. We get quite competitive but thats half the fun, right?

4. I don’t know how I am going to describe this without my mouth watering… Ah too late! Let’s just say I found a new creperie in town and it was one of the tastiest things I’ve ever had. Mmmhmm.

5. Weekends away with Dan mean plenty of photos, adventures… oh and red wine. *wink!*

6. Sydney CBDs Christmas tree made entirely of lego brought back my childhood love of lego, but on a slightly bigger scale.

7. Katy Perry concert the other night was incredible, along with singing my heart out I also managed to lose my voice. If you can’t lose your voice at a concert, when can you?

8. Wrapping up Christmas presents with my little helper. Now, if he’d only stop unwrapping the presents and eating the wrapping paper…

9. Sunday brunch. My favourite part of Sunday.

I have been really into Instagram recently, feel free to follow me here *wink* and get ready for lots of photos of my bunny and inspirational quotes by the gallons …

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SUMMER LOVIN'

2014-11-23T06:00:00.000+00:00

I adore Summer. Although there is exactly a week until Summer officially begins, the weather today has been pretty darn close to typical Summer days here in Sydney. Besides, its never too early to look forward to warm Summer days is it? Naaah.

Here’s a list of some of my favourite things about Summer:

Summer Dresses

Big Floppy Hats

Fresh Flowers

Bare Feet

Summer Fruit

Mix ’n Match Bikinis

Ice Cold Cocktails

Messy beach hair

BBQ’s

Camping

Bonfires

Picnics

Christmas

Late nights

Road trips

Sand between my toes

Walks on the beach

Ice-cream

Dinner parties

What are some of your favourite things about summer?

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WRITING BLUES: A BLOGGER’S GUIDE

2014-11-15T10:21:00.000+00:00

Your mind is buzzing with ideas and your memory card is filled with photos, you sit down at your laptop and suddenly its gone. Inspiration has left the building. Your genius idea now seems like something you’d have written in primary school and you're left with doubt whispering in your ear. If you’re anything like me here are a few things that stop me from writing...

"I’m too busy” : You have a job, a partner, a pet or a block of chocolate in the cupboard waiting for you. How can you possibly find the time to write?
“My idea sucks” : Now that you’ve read over your post a few times its clear that your idea is boring and there is no way to fix it. All the ‘real’ bloggers never need to rework their idea, it just happens for them.
“I have no muse” : Everyone knows when real bloggers sit down in front of their computers, the words just pour out. Successful writers must all have muses who inspire them in their dreams and solve all their writing doubts.
“I’m not qualified to be a writer”: You don’t have a degree in Creative Writing, or maybe you have a degree in something completely irrelevant to english/literature. How on earth are you meant to be successful when you aren’t even qualified to write?

Now here’s the truth:

Most bloggers are 'too busy' to write : Most successful bloggers have spouses, children, rabbits, cats, full-time jobs. Yet, they still write. Instead of finding the time to write, you make the time to write.
Good ideas are developed, they don’t just appear: As far as having an idea that sucks, welcome to the first draft of every post I write. It takes time, research and patience to develop the right post. It doesn’t just happen. Although that would be nice if it did…
What muse?: I have no idea who has one, but if anyone does I would like to stage a kidnapping. Immediately.
Forget the qualifications: While I would love to have a degree in creative writing, the only thing you need is an idea and a pen. Then let your imagination do the rest.

I hope this helps! Do any of you also struggle with doubt when writing?

Let me know!

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WEEKEND AWAY: THE HUNTER VALLEY

2014-11-07T06:01:00.000+00:00

Last weekend Dan and I decided to pack up our bags and hit the road. It had been a really big week for both of us so it was a much needed holiday away. We drove to his family’s farm about two hours out of Sydney and really enjoyed being able to sit back and wind down.

My favourite part was that after a big storm came through the power didn’t come back on for the rest of the night so we were in eat-all-the-ice-cream-quickly-before-it-melts mode and we ended up playing board games by candlelight. Swoon. My not so favourite part came in the morning when the milk was off because the electricity still hadn’t come back on so we had dry cereal for breakfast and left a little earlier than scheduled. But you just got to role with the punches! All in all it was a really lovely time away and I know one puppy thoroughly enjoyed her stay!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Any excitements? Let me know!

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WEEKEND BREAKFAST | VANILLA FRENCH TOAST

2014-10-25T07:49:00.001+01:00

There is something incredibly satisfying with cooking up a delicious breakfast on the weekend and eating it across the table (or in bed) with a loved one while you’re both still wrapped up in your pyjamas. This weekend I decided to have my go at making a yummy vanilla french toast and it turned out surprisingly well. I really enjoyed the taste of vanilla and cinnamon just to make it a little bit different and extra flavoursome. So without further ado…

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs

- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1 tbsp butter

- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar

- 5 slices of bread

Instructions:

1. Whisk all ingredients (except for the butter) in a medium sized bowl.

2. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat.

3. Dip bread slices in the mixture and brown each side in the pan.

4. Serve with any condiments you desire (My favourite is maple syrup!)

Hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend and happy eating!

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WEDNESDAY WISHLIST: SUMMER HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS

2014-10-15T06:00:00.000+01:00

Hat: ASOS
Shoes: Witchery
Bag: Portmans
Watch: Daniel Wellington
Diary: Kikki K
Dress: Sportsgirl

Admittedly I am getting a tad ahead of myself by finding my ‘Summer’ holiday essentials, but the weather in Sydney last week was so warm and so heavenly that Daniel and I pulled out our swimmers, made some frozen smoothies and spent the weekend lying by the pool in pure bliss! Oh yeah! Naturally as a cruel twist of fate the weather has taken a turn for the worst. As attractive as the above outfit may be I am currently typing this wrapped in not one, not two, but three jumpers and my old faithful uggboots. Yeah I’m looking smokin’. Rain, rain go away, come again another day?

My favourite piece has to be the Daniel Wellington watch. I actually spent over an hour looking at the #danielwellington on Instagram the other day… I know, productive-shmuctive. One day I plan on buying one, but until then I will just keep stalking everyone else. Go on, admit it I know you stalk on Instagram too!

Whats your favourite piece?

How are you holding up with the weather at the moment?

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JUST TO SAY THANK YOU | GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

2014-10-13T06:30:00.000+01:00

I have recently been blown away by so much love and support from our little blogging community so I decided its time to give something back - and if its a pretty packaged MAC blush then thats even better, right? Also its Monday and I’ll do whatever I can to improve your dreaded Monday!

Lets just keep this simple shall we?

- open internationally.

- ends 24/10/2014.
- 1x powder MAC blush (colour of your choosing, as long as its available in AUS)

- 1 x winner will be drawn and will have 48hrs to reply to my email to claim price.

- no giveaway blogs or accounts.
- cheaters will be disqualified.

- if you’re under the age of 18 please have permission from a guardian prior to entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WOOHOO! GOOOOODLUCK!

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SUNDAY SMILES #15

2014-10-12T07:00:00.000+01:00

Can you believe the last time I wrote for my ‘Sunday Smiles’ series was at the very beginning of August!? Madness. Thankfully I can promise you that I have smiled in the couple of months, especially this past week and here’s why:

1. Oscar’s personality is starting to shine through: The cheeky thing isn’t just an ‘eating and pooping machine’ after all. phew. If you missed meeting him, check out the man here.

2. Putting life into perspective: Warning, this is a bit of a tear jerker but after watching this I really started to realise how valuable life is, and feel blessed for every moment. A must see.

3. Filming a video for Youtube: My best friend came over and we filmed two videos - I honestly don’t know if they’ll ever surface from my memory card because it is just a whoooole lot of ridiculous, but it was really fun. Let’s just say there’s a reason I’m a blogger… haha!

4. Finding new apps: Okay, if you grew up with a tamagotchi then I am about to blow your mind. I found this app called ‘Hatchi’ and it is really addictive. You do have to pay for it, but it brings back childhood memories and I love it!

5. Having a Giveaway: I know this sounds ridiculous but I am having my first proper giveaway for DearYouLoveEm just for all you lovely people who comment and tweet me. I just really like you and I think it’s time I take what we have to another level wiiink. It starts tomorrow so get excited!

What has made you smile this week?

Let me know!

SYDNEY ADVENTURES : THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA

2014-10-07T10:09:00.003+01:00

Hidden amidst the industrial section of Alexandria in Sydney’s inner East is where you’ll find the tastiest coffee, delicious food and inspiring atmosphere. Honestly, this place goes beyond a cafe. As you wait for a seat to be available they give you a buzzer and let you roam around the grounds, admiring the cute little bakery stores, flower markets and lets not forget a barn yard with the famous pig ‘Kevin Bacon’. Is it weird to say they make waiting… fun? Unheard of!

My blogging chummy Hannah recently went here and her photos were so inspiring I just had to check out what all the fuss was and I wasn’t disappointed. I am a firm believer that a picture says a thousand words so I’ll leave it here, but feel free to scroll back up and try not to drool too much.

I hope you’re all having a lovely week!

Where is your favourite cafe?

FRIDAY FIVE : FIND YOUR BLOGGING MOJO

2014-10-03T09:47:00.000+01:00

It's time I have a confession. Are you ready? Alright. I have a whopping 45 drafted posts that I have jotted down when inspiration has struck ready to finalise and publish. I genuinely get so excited when I get to sit down at my laptop and have a bit of me and you time (yes, you right there reading this!) and I have so much planned for DearYouLoveEm, in fact… is it too much to say I have already started writing three Christmas related posts? Yeah-huh that happened. That said, its not always easy so here are five tips to get you back into the swing of things if you’ve lost your blogging mojo…

1/ It’s not a competition: I am the queen of comparison. I need more beauty posts like (insert blogger’s name), I should buy a fancy camera because (blogger’s name) has better photos and mine just won’t do! Whatever you have thought, trust me I’ve been there too. The problem with comparing yourself to other bloggers is that there will always be blogs that are better (and worse) then yours, so you need to take off your competitive hat and just enjoy your blog for what it is. Uniquely yours.

2/ Remember why you started: I can’t stress this enough, if you start because you want followers or PR companies to notice you, you won’t last long. It takes awhile to get feedback and you know what? Thats a good thing! The number of familiar faces I recognise that comment on my blog give a sense of a community and thats why I write. Remember why you started, was it a creative outlet? A fun and supportive community? A love of writing in itself? Keep true to why you started and you’ll find your blogging spark in no time.

3/ Communicate: I spend hours everyday looking at other blogs, and talking to bloggers on twitter and instagram. The more you invest in the community, the more inspired you can be to create content for it. Its that simple.

4/ Organise organise organise: Have a folder that has anything that inspires you. Motivational quotes, images and ideas for future posts. Whenever the writers block hits, just open up the folder and it’ll get creative juices flowing and give you a fresh perspective.

5/ Try something new: Try writing about something you wouldn’t usually, or get a new editing software for your photos. Whatever it is, try and spice up the way in which you produce your content. You never know, you might discover a new way of doing something that changes your blog for the better. Win.

Have you recently lost your blogging mojo?

What got you back into blogging?

Let me know!

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THE WEDNESDAY WRAP UP

2014-10-02T02:03:00.001+01:00

It’s been awhile and over the past week I sat at my laptop knowing that I should write something, but nothing seemed genuine. I never want DearYouLoveEm to feel scripted, it needs to be real, authentic and well… me!

Thankfully I am feeling more and more like myself now, but have nothing to report to you other than how incredibly wonderful it was to be back in my own bed and see my favourite bunny jumping towards me… Oh Oscar, you big cutie! Thankfully the world keeps on spinning and I found some things to keep your eyes (and your bellies) satisfied until I am back on the horse!

1. Here are 52 Lists to help you find your spark - trust me, they work!
2. Is this what we've come to? Time to put our phones down.

3. I have the biggest blog crush on these girls - its just beautiful!
4. I can’t wait to give this feature wall a go when I am feeling better.
5. Is your mouth watering? Well its about to! For those of you going into Autumn this soup is for you!

Please share any websites/news that you’ve found interesting this month!

I love a good read!

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SUNDAY SMILES | MEET OSCAR

2014-09-22T08:14:00.001+01:00

If you follow me on instagram (@dearyouloveem) then you'll know that this week has been a different kind of wonderful. It certainly wasn't free from its downfalls but this week Dan and I fell in love with this tiny Mini Lop. He is only 7 weeks old and an absolute trouble maker, he will get in to anything even though we make all efforts to 'bunny proof' his room. Also, he eats everything and anything - in fact I am pretty sure that is all he does (just quietly I bet he got that from me...).

My favourite part is that he plays 'chase'. If you run away from him he'll just follow you around the room weaving in and out of your legs - its melt your heart adorable. On a side note it also means I've accidentally stepped on him a few too many times, but we will keep that our little secret!

Do you have an animal? Tell me stories!

WHEN LIFE IS A BEACH... SERIOUSLY.

2014-09-17T07:08:00.002+01:00

It's been a nightmare the past couple of days and I was going to embrace my inner negative Nancy until I realised there was no point. Don't get me wrong, I think sometimes you need to vent and let it all out, but sometimes (especially when you aren't in control of the bad things going on in your life) you need to ride the wave.

On that note (smooth segue huh!) I wanted to share photos of a recent trip I took to the beach. I took this on the last day of Winter as Dan and I decided to grab a sneaky milkshake, some dumplings (weird but delicious combination, I assure you) and go for a walk along the sand. The trip was short, but our conversations were long and it was perfect.

How are you going at the moment?