Beginner's Guide to Blogging

Hey guys, today I'm linking up with Jacquelyn for the first ever "Tip Tuesday". This week's theme is... *drum roll* Blogging Tips! (: Since I've only started blogging myself about a month ago, I admittedly do not have that much experience. However, I would like to share with you a few 'starter' tips on getting started and making a name for your blog in the blogosphere (love that word).  Without further adieu, here's a beginner's guide to blogging: 1. Think of a good URL

The best URLs are catchy, easy to write and thus, easy to remember. You can draw your URL inspiration from anything! Your favourite things, the main focus of your blog, favourite song...anything and everything. Unleash your creativity! 2. What will your blog be about?

There are loads of different 'types' of blogs. Beauty, fashion, lifestyle, food, hair, fitness...anything you can think of. It's often that you'll connect with bloggers in the blogosphere with similar interests as yours (: Your blog can be a combination of a few topics but it's best if they're generally related. Most importantly, it should reflect your interests and your personality because then, it'll make blogging regularly a whole lot easier, interesting and more fun! 3. Posts planning

Like everything else in life, it's much easier to have a plan so you know what you'll write about each day of the week. And if something interesting suddenly comes up, you can easily shift your schedule without being disorganized and going crazy trying to remember what post was scheduled for what day.  4. Pictures, pictures, pictures
It's boring to just read a large chunk of text so spice up your posts by having pictures! You don't really need to invest in a super expensive and professional Canon or Nikon, but just make sure that it's of reasonably good quality and has top notch content. You can also take pictures from the Internet but be sure to source them if possible! 5. Layout: Simplicity is key

Your layout is what everyone will first see when they go on to your blog so that will be their first impression! My tip would be to make it aesthetically pleasing by keeping it neat, have a colour scheme with no more than 4 colours and a pretty yet simple background - either printed or just plain! Have a nice header that's unique and creative and play with fonts - but have no more than 2/3 different ones! No two blogs are the same so tweak it, spice it up and make it yours. Want more blogging tips? Check them out here! (click on the image below)
    Follow me on: Bloglovin' // Twitter // Polyvore //Google Friend Connect

Media Rave Sunday #2

Here's what I'm raving about this week: Music

It's Time - Imagine Dragons

I'm really loving the band 'Imagine Dragons' right now & I think that they should be given more credit in the music industry. It's Time is probably my favourite song out of the bunch and my friends and I are attempting to do this song in Battle of the Bands this year!

TV/ The Big Screen

Pretty Little Liars - Season 4
I've read the books a longgg time ago & although the tv series have little to no relations to the book... it's still super interesting and dramatic. I've been waiting forever for Season 4 to begin and the first episode came out this week (June 11)! (: The first episode was a perfect starter and some questions were answered. I love watching this show because it's relatable yet surreal - can't wait to see what will happen this season! Blogosphere

http://x-couturegirl-x.blogspot.co.uk/

Run by: Kayleigh Louise Johnson, a journalism graduate

A fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog (: I believe this blog was the first ever one that I followed and sort of inspired me to start this blog. Check it out because there are tons of good reads (:

So what are you raving about this week? (:

Follow me on: Bloglovin' // Twitter // Polyvore //Google Friend Connect

This & That Tag : Book Edition

Please excuse my bookshelf that is extremely cluttered & consists of more than just books :P Trust me, the one in my study room is more book-filled :D

Saw this tag on Claudia's blog at Beauty and the Chic & since I haven't done a tag before... this would be my first! And since I'm such a bookworm, I thought: Why not? (:

Anyway, here goes:

Audio books or book in hand?

Book in hand. For me, books are meant to be read by yourself instead of being read to. If it's audio books, I would not concentrate and nothing will go in. Plus, with books in hand, I can imagine the voices in my head :D

Soft or hard cover?

Really don't have a preference (:

Fiction or non-fiction?

I'm definitely more of a fiction person because I like being immersed somewhere else. But, I do read non-fiction from time to time - but it has to be written in a SUPER interesting way. 

Fantasy or real life?

Both! I like fantasy because it's a whole new world where you have no idea what happens which is pretty cool - like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson. However, I also like real life stories because it's relatable which is nice (:

Harry Potter or Twilight?

HARRY POTTER! I'm a huge huge huge Potterhead.  Read the whole series about 7 times...I'm such a Harry Potter nerd it's not even possible - I can rave on about Harry Potter for days. I'm not a huge fan of Twilight... not very keen on the plot, movies and I couldn't finish reading the books.

Kindle, iPad or other?

I have a Kindle which is handy when you want to travel without carrying a bookshelf with you. But I still prefer flicking through actual pages than reading digitally.

Borrow or buy?

I always borrow unless there's a need to buy. Books are timeless. You can read the same stories whenever so borrow (:

Book store or online?

Book stores are nice for the authenticity and I often go to bookstores but I think online is just as good if you can't get the book you want near you.

Standalone or series?

Don't mind. I like series for continuity but in reality, series are just a huge ass standalone story divided into parts.

Monster read or short and sweet?

As long as it's interesting, I don't mind. (:

Starry-eyed or full of action?

I'm a sucker for romantic stories! But I like both ends of the spectrum and a bit of both too (:

Curl up in your snuggie or lay in the sun?

Curl up! I can't read in the sun. My favourite reading spots is on my couch or in my bed under the blankets. So peaceful (:

Hot chocolate or latte?

Ohhhh both! Can't decide!

Read the review or decide for yourself?

If I don't understand the plot, I read the plot summary and then re read the book to gain a better understanding. Never read reviews though. Different books appeal to different people

And... that's it! Hope you have fun reading that! If you do do this tag, do leave a link in the comments below! (:

Follow me on: Bloglovin' // Twitter // Polyvore //Google Friend Connect

Rainbows, Cupcakes & Goodies

Today was a mixed day but still not a bad one nonetheless (: But I shall show somethings that I picked up todayyy at various places! First up, cupcakes! A friend of ours from the swim-team bought not one, but SIX boxes of cupcakes (that's right) that said "Good Luck at swimming gala" before training. I had tons of fun eating them & hopefully I will have just as much fun competing tomorrow :P

Apologies for the bad quality! Took this with my phone. As you can see, some have been eaten :D

Next up, some stuff I bought at the grocery store for snacks during the swim meet tomorrow (: Omnomnomnom

Nature's Sensation: Winter Fruit - Dried Mixed Berries (Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries & Golden Raisins): I love love love dried fruit - especially dried cranberries - they are my go-to 'healthy' snack because it's super sweet yet juicy and tasty (:  Anyway, they ran out of my usual cranberries so I thought I'd try this one with more variations which was alright because I like 3/4 of the fruit mentioned (not so keen on raisins in general :/) I've been snacking on them & they do not disappoint :D

Kit Kat Chunky; Mars Bars; Snickers: Dad got these for me & well. the chocolate balances out the berries :P I'm a huge fan of chocolate in general & would eat almost any kind. I love Kit Kat, although not very keen on the chunky kinds as in my opinion, there's too much chocolate & not enough biscuit! I prefer the normal ones - the ratio is perfect :D  I don't eat Mars Bars or Snickers often simply because the chewy sticky bits get stuck in my teeth which I hate so I've tend to stray away from them. But apart from that, they're quite good (:

Finally, I went to a nearby stationery shop to pick up some felt tipped pens that are suitable for writing notes in for my revision - since exams are starting :( 

Yes, that's a humongous life-sized teddy (:

As you can see, the tip is really small which makes it perfect for writing notes in (: And those pens weren't expensive at all! I believe that colour is great for revision because it helps you separate sections out easily, emphasise the important bits and it's been scientifically proven that colour helps your brain remember things easily ;) I may write a post about revision tips as exams are near so be sure to check back!

Do you have any revision tips of your own?

Mum & Dad's 18th Anniversary

I'm so sorry for not posting lately - been incredibly busy revising & catching up on homework due to end of year exams coming soon :/ *worried* Anyway, on Tuesday the 21st of May, it was my parents' 18th (I believe) wedding anniversary! 

I wore:

Dress: Kitschen

(It's my to-go LBD and I opted for a classy and elegant look)

Heels (not pictured): Aldo

They're super glittery and gold and I wore them ONCE to prom so I thought this was the perfect occasion to dig them out :D

Clutch: gifted

Gold chandelier earrings: boutique

Hairdo: half-up, half-down braided

(idk, what you call that hair style :/)

The fam-bam before we left

(L-R) Younger sister numero 1; ME; Dad; Mum; Younger sister numero 2

Me being silly C:

Dad treated us to a buffet dinner at Legend Hotel and it was omnomnomnom, food heaven. I always have a sweet spot for desserts and needless to say, it didn't disappoint! The setting was incredible, the food was ah-mazing, and the desserts were no doubt the best part :D Chocolate fondue anyone? Unfortunately, I didn't manage to take any pictures of the food :( And at the end of the night, ALL of us were stuffed. We bring the meaning of 'gluttony' to a whole new level :P

My sisters and myself being us (:

It was a lovely evening & although my parents do have their not-so-minor squabbles, they've managed to handle me so far together...so that must be a good thing ;)