Just a Few Little Changes...

Sooo... there's an elephant in the room... Yes, the more observant amongst you may have noticed that Bird's Words has indeed had a bit of a makeover - and let me tell you - it was waaay overdue. I thought the ol' bloggles deserved a little bit of a sprucin' up for it's 3rd birthday this year (the even-more-observant amongst you may have noticed I said '4th birthday' earlier in the week. somebody can't count - just call me Joey Essex...) I started this blog when I was 21 and about to embark upon my first year of university. I had cobbled together the original layout with a quick google session and the scraps of design knowledge I had - it was alright, but skip forward a couple of years and I think it's fair to say that the old design was getting a bit stale - I'd started to feel as if my blog had out-grown its design and it really did need a bit of life breathing back in to it. I just wasn't feeling inspired by my blog anymore - my photography was starting to clash with the overload of pink, the sidebar was looking a bit of a tip, and I just didn't think that my blog reflected the person I am now at 24. It needed a serious update...

So here it is! I still want to make a few tweaks but isn't it amazing what a little re-jigging can do?! When you aren't happy with your layout, it really does effect your desire to post. I had to completely pull everything back to basics and build it from scratch - an empty little Bird's Words shell (terrifying considering I hadn't saved the old design beforehand - schoolboy error - so as soon as I restored it to default settings I passed a point of no return) - but now that I've finished university, I've finally found myself with a bit of spare time to concentrate on things like this.  It seemed like the perfect time to have an update. I don't feel like I'm the same person that I was 3 years ago - or even a few months ago for that matter - so I guess whilst I'm taking my next step in life and making a few changes, it seemed appropriate that Bird's Words did too!  

Apologies for this pointless post - I've been rather busy updating my portfolio this week along with getting my laptop fit n' healthy again after it conked out the day before a presentation last week (always happens at the worst times doesn't it!?) so I haven't had time to schedule anything. But I'll be back with a bang shortly...

New Year's Resolutions & Aims | & a 2013 Overview

2013 was a bittersweet year for me. 'Emotional rollercoaster' is a cliche term usually only pulled out of the bag by people on reality TV shows, but for me, 2013 really has been just that - a complete mish-mash of twists and turns, ups and downs and highs and lows.  2013 kicked off on a bit of a low point for me.  Having being rushed to hospital with a pretty nasty allergic reaction to Penicillin a few days before Christmas of 2012, it's fair to say that I spent the beginning of the year feeling a little bit wobbly and out of sorts.  It was the catalyst for a whole bunch of other health problems and opened up what I can only describe as a shelf full of cans of worms.  I won't go into the ins and outs, but I don't think I've ever spent so much time in a doctor's surgery or sat and had someone stab me with a needle so many times in my life.  Of course, I'm aware I should count my blessings, and that I certainly did, but I can't help but feel that 2013 dealt me a slightly cruddy hand when it came to health and well being. Annoyingly so, this little spurt of health issues and worries bought my panic attacks and anxiety to the boil and I really was pushed to my limits this year. I ended up having to have a course of CBT sessions, something I never imagined I'd have to do again, but luckily I seem to be recovering from it all now. Couple all of this with a really horrible break-up earlier in the year and it's no wonder I spent a small portion of 2013 feeling less than chipper.  However, I battled on through and although it's taken a good year to get this far, there's a lot of light at the end of the tunnel.

2013 has been one of the most successful years of my life to date.  After working in retail full-time for a few years and feeling less than satisfied with my future career prospects, I took a snap decision in 2011 to go to university and study towards something I've always had an overwhelming urge to do - graphic design/illustration. It was a terrifying thought at the time - I gave up a lovely full-time wage, a secure job and a lifestyle I'd gotten completely used to for student loans and one heck of a lot of hard work.  I can safely say I finally reaped the rewards of that scary decision this year.  So much so, I actually quit working part-time in retail at the end of January (yep - I really did cut the cord and take away the safety blanket) so that I could fully concentrate on my new little path in life.  I now have 2 internships under my belt and have a portfolio I can really be proud of. I wrote and illustrated my own children's book that proved to be a major success for me and I took the book, along with the rest of my portfolio, down to London with me in July where I spent a week exhibiting at the New Designers Show with the rest of my course - people who I can honestly say are real, true friends of mine and although I was going through a lot at the time (and felt pretty rubbish for the entire course of the week), it was still an amazing experience. I spoke to children's book publishers, swapped contacts with design agency's and possible future employers, and really got a grasp of what my future might hold.  My work was picked up by a well-known design website and featured among 'the best of 2013's show' - and I also appeared on a couple of lifestyle blogs of people who had been to the exhibition and liked my work - which of course, being a blogger, made me extremely happy!  Towards the end of this year, I found out I'm also being put forward to be part of an online Illustration Agency for 2014 - which if I manage to get in - would be an amazing little leg-up into my future career and could help with the whole 'between finishing uni and finding a job' thing. I can't believe how far I've come in the space of 1 year and I'm so excited for what the next holds. I don't know where I'll be or what I'll be doing this time next year - which is a scary but exciting thought - but I'm determined to make these final few months of uni really count towards something and I genuinely feel as if I'm actually, finally getting somewhere.  Proof that a snap decision can change your life for the better. So anyway, onto the good stuff - my resolutions of 2014.  Every year, we all make resolutions we can't keep. At least, I know I do. But I'm determined to make some changes in 2014 and really make it a jolly good year.  Here's what I hope to accomplish/achieve in the following 12 months.... and if I don't? Well, there's always 2015...

1. Graduate with a good degree & find a job within 5 months

I won't harp on about this one as I've kind of expressed my enthusiasm for my degree in my rambles above.  I finish in July of this year and really, really want to achieve a high grade and continue to achieve well. The sky's the limit.  It sounds a little bit gushy - but I sometimes have one of those reflective moments and feel so blessed that I've got the 'creative bone' in my body.  It allows me to do things a little different from the norm and the fact that I've chosen to persue a career within the field really does make me happy.  It's a really nice feeling when a career path and a passion begin to come together - and I've loved creating things ever since I first picked up a colouring crayon! I've been told by one of my tutors it usually takes an average of 5-6 months to find a design job after graduating, so that's certainly going to be an aim of mine.  In an ideal world, I'd love to have one by Christmas of next year - but it's extremely competitive out there. Wish me luck...

2.  Stop worrying about everything and get my anxiety back under control

Again, I mentioned above about my struggles with anxiety this year.  I know deep down I'll never really get rid of my panic attacks altogether - but I want to get back to how I was before the ordeal last Christmas and finally feel 100% 'me' again.  I need to stop worrying about things that won't happen, stop obsessing over things that don't matter and stop trying to change things I know I can't change.  My aim is to be a much more calmer, relaxed version of 'Beth' in 2014.

3. Save the pennies

I'm actually pretty good when it comes to saving money.  But I really do want to add to my savings accounts this year.  The design industry could take me anywhere and if I need to move for a job then I shall require some dollar in the bank!  I aim to stay local in the first few years of my career (I'm such a home bird...) - but you never know do you? 

4. Kick-start the summer body!
Oo you can't have a list of resolutions without some sort of exercising/'join a gym' goal in there somewhere can you?! I won't lie to myself and say I'll join a gym because I know for a fact I won't. I simply can't afford the commitment right now, however, this year I really do want to detox more and get my body toned and ready for summer.  I managed to keep up a really good fitness regime the year before last and I noticed such a difference so I really want to start making it a regular thing again!

5.  Get back my confidence with driving

I love driving. But I really have lost my confidence with it the past couple of years or so simply because I never need to go far.  I take the bus to uni because it's easier on the pennies and I can't remember the last time I've gone too far from home in the ol' birdmobile.  I'm actually a pretty good driver and I do genuinely enjoy doing it - so this year, I'm determined to get my driving mojo back.  I'm considering doing a couple of refresher lessons - or just putting a random address into a SatNav and grabbing the bull by the horns and just going for it. I've made it my summer task - after the stresses and strains of uni work are out of the way and I can really knuckle down on it for a couple of weeks or so.

6. Take more photos

I blame Pinterest for this resolution. I'm already snap happy but I really want to start taking photographs even more.  The type that look really considered and capture the essence of a moment - the type you see on these really put together lifestyle blogs and on people's Pinterest boards.  I need to set up a new Instagram, actually take my big beastly camera abroad with me and be more creative with my kodak moments.

7. Enjoy the moment more

Ok - this one kind of contradicts the last.  But sometimes I feel as if we are all so caught up in this over-sharing, social media obsessed world of today that we actually forget to just enjoy the moment. If something funny happens, I feel sad I haven't got it on video.  If I miss a particularly good 'artistic photograph' moment with a bunch of friends, I feel disappointed I haven't got my swishy camera with me.  So what?!?! I have an iPhone I can capture it with - albeit it might be a little grainy but who gives a hoot? I need to concentrate more on enjoying a moment for what it is and stop thinking of making everything picture perfect all the time.  It's all stored in the bank of memories anyway!

8. Blogging aims & goals...

I'm not going to set myself any blogging goals or aims this year - as I think it sets me up for disappointment, but I've recently taken a little step back and know what I need to change, what I need to keep doing and where I want to go with my blog.  All in all, I just want to continue to enjoy blogging - I think I lost sight of my blog a little in 2013.  It might not seem like it on the surface, but beneath it - I've realised I've been concentrating far too much on trying to have everything 'perfect'. I put pressure on myself when it comes to my blog and compare myself to others (as I'm sure we are all guilty of...) I just want to take it back to basics and enjoy it in the same way I did when I first started out - less planning, less editing and more enjoyment! So what if there's a pesky shadow in a photograph, or if the lighting isn't top notch or if I've accidentally left my camera on another setting and the photos look slightly 'less nice' than normal.   I'd also love to start commenting more on other's blogs the way I used to - I actually used to comment on every post I read! I think blogging has kind of shifted in 2013 - we aren't as interactive in the ol' comments box as we used to be (is it just me who feels this way?) - I'd love to take time to interact more via Blogger instead of relying purely on Twitter.  I want to reach my milestone of 4k within the next few months (because 4 is my lucky number I'm particularly excited about it) and I also want to continue to experiment with my photography and refresh/tweak my blog design over the summer.   In a nutshell - I just want to continue to be creative with my blog, continue to see it grow and enjoy it for what it is. Mine.

What are you resolutions this year? Any similar to mine?

If you've done a similar post, be sure to let me know in the comments down below!

How to Maintain a Blog/Life/Work Balance | My Tips

When you've lost your blogging mojo, it's very hard to find it again. Especially when you have a deadline looming or a week of late shifts at the office.  One of the things I have found whilst running and writing my blog, is how the flippin'eck to fit everything in to my time! Being a blogger means a lot of your spare time is spent taking photographs, planning and writing posts and tweaking every last inch of your little corner of the interwebs until your hears content.  I love blogging - I wouldn't change my little hobby for the world and I'd quite happily spend all my time tapping away on my little laptop - for me, it's something I jolly well enjoy and I see it as a big part of my life - but sometimes, other things can get in the way of my precious blogging time.

When I started my blog I had a full-time job. A few months down the line and I decided to go to university - which meant balancing writing my blog with deadlines, essays, coursework and all that jazz.. also having a part time job on top of all of that became a massive juggling act. Sound familiar? You aren't alone! I'm certainly no expert with this, but managing my time around my blog, uni work, jobs and actually managing to have a life has been something I've had to discover along the way - and I thought I'd share some hints and tips with those of you who might be going through a 'tough spot' - we've all been there, I'm sure. Think of this post as a way of having a natter about our time management woes.. after all, juggling the blog/life/work balance is pretty impressive. We must be super humans, us bloggers...

1. Photograph your stuff 'in bulk' 
Whenever the 'I really fancy making a mess and photographing some products' feeling arrives, I jolly well make the most of it! I take my photographs in bulk - if there's a few things I've been wanting to review for a while - I simply take the photographs all in one go.  I'm very fussy with my photos and I take hundreds in one sitting, so doing it 'here and there' doesn't work well for me. If you load them all onto your computer and place them in some sort of organised folder, then it's a weight off your mind knowing that should the urge to write a post crops up, you already have a library full of products rearing to go.

2. Schedule/plan your posts 
If you have a particular tough time at work coming up (in my case it was the summer holidays - manic isn't even the word!) or an exam or important deadline looming, schedule your posts!  It makes life so much easier and means that your readers will still be able to keep up with your blog and what you've been loving (or loathing) just recently.  Sometimes, it's hard to sit and write posts in one sitting but if the moment strikes you, or if you feel particularly 'chatty' one day - make the most of it and schedule a few for the next week or so. This way, your blog won't be neglected, and you have time to concentrate on other things for a week or so. Of course, your loyal readers will forgive you should you not schedule posts anyway - but if you're like me and are a massive routine freak - the option is there to get some posts in the bank!

3. Have a routine 
Notice when you have free time, and set aside that day to concentrate on your blog. I take all of my photographs on Sunday morning so I have a stash of content ready for the week ahead.

4. Don't get stressed over it! 
Blogging is a hobby, not a chore. It isn't work. It isn't the be all and end all and at the end of the day, if you prioritise realistically there are a few things that should come before it. Your readers will forgive you if you go a few days without posting or if there's a dip in your normal routine. Just think - when your next post pops up on their reading list they will be as happy as larry!

5. Keep a notebook or blogging journal 
The best blogging ideas strike us at the most inconvenient of times. That amazing idea you get will most certainly pop into your head when you're half way around Tesco doing your weekly shop. Fear not - I always have a trusty little notebook handy. Or if you can't find a suitable place to scribble any notes (leaning on a shelf on the 'frozen meats' section isn't exactly the best of ideas, is it?)- simply jot it down in your phone's notes or text it to yourself.. I'm the most forgetful person ever - so trust me on this one. It works. I also place post-it notes on my bathroom mirror if there's something I need to do so I will see it in the morning when I go to do my makeup.

6. Make the most of your lunch hour 
I used to sit and do uni work on my lunch hour - or make notes for posts. If you're feeling creative, don't waste it staring at the walls of your tea room - as much as that poster on company fire-safety policies is fascinating - use your noggin and use your spare time effectively! I've been known to jot an idea down on a paper towel before! (JK Rowling dreamt up Harry Potter on a napkin, don't you know?!)

7. Get your work done first
In other words, prioritise.  I will hold my hands up and openly admit I don't always do this - but I do try to.  If there's something that needs doing - if you're behind on your work or need to phone some chap about your car insurance - just get it done. Then you have all the time in the world to sit down and enjoy your blog related things rather than having that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that you aren't doing what you should be doing!  I sometimes say to myself 'i'll do some work up to this time, then have an hour doing this' - stick to those promises to yourself. If you don't you're on a slippery slope to getting in a right kerfuffle!

8. When you don't 'feel like it' - accept it
Sometimes a lack of 'inspo' ruins all of this. If you're not feeling particularly chipper, or if you've had a bad week or if you aren't too happy with your layout - sometimes you just don't feel like blogging. Accept it. I've made the mistake of trying to post when I'm not feeling like it before and I ended up never clicking publish. If you just haven't got the 'blogging feeling' - don't blog. Simple as that. Your readers will pick it up in an instant and it won't solve the problem. Just sit back, twiddle your thumbs and wait for your 'oomph' to come back - i find reading blogs and switching up my cosmetic routine works wonders! If you're lacking inspiration - bloody well find some! :)

9. Sit somewhere else to the norm
I usually just sit on my sofa when I blog - slippers on, cuppa tea, feet up - the lot. But if you find you're getting distracted then sit somewhere else.  I find if I sit at the kitchen table or at some form of desk - it's easier to concentrate on what I'm doing and what I'm writing.

10. Realise that hobbies are important
I hate calling blogging a hobby. A hobby is something prospective employers ask you to determine what kind of person you really are or something you have to explain in 'show and tell' at primary school - but blogging is a hobby nonetheless and one that shouldn't be ignored. If you love doing it, then don't give up! Work shouldn't take over your life so much that there is no time for the things you enjoy doing - and if blogging fulfils your life like it does mine (ahh cue the tears and inspirational blogger 'quotes') then it should stay as part of your life.  If you feel overworked, give yourself a break - you should never feel the need to have to 'give up' what you love for a your job.

Truth is, there isn't a 'how to'. There's no rulebook to how your manage your time as a blogger or as to how often you write. Just do what works for you and allow yourself time to step away if you ever need it. When your hobby becomes a chore, you need to re-asses. I'm sure these are tips most bloggers will tell you - but hopefully something in there has helped you in some way if you're going through a bit of a cruddy time with the whole 'life balance' thing.  Blogging around the 9-5 isn't easy, and blogging when you have a tonne of uni or college work on your shoulders isn't fabulous either - but set yourself aside some 'me' time and you'll find you can slot it in somewhere or somehow! Just remember most bloggers have been there, and will forgive you if your normal bloggery-habits slide a little. Give yourself a pat on the back and realise that being a blogger shouldn't mean 'stress'. Stress shouldn't be part of your blogging vocabulary...

How do you maintain your blog/life/work balance?

A New Chapter...

Today, I said goodbye to something that has been a big part of my life and worked my last shift at the shop I've been working in for the past 4 (and a bit) years, and it's been quite a strange day to say the least. I started there as a weekend girl when I was still at college and I remember my first day like it was yesterday! I remember going to grab some lunch on my dinner hour and not having a clue where to go or what to do with myself, and I ended up with a Greggs sausage roll and a donut, awkwardly sitting on a bench because I didn't want to disturb anyone already in the tea room (don't we all just hate that awkward introductory period when you start a new job?!) After college, I made it a full-time thing and enjoyed my 9-5s, 5 days a week (what a way to make a living..Dolly Parton wasn't joking..) and became 'part of the shop furniture'.. for a good 2 years I honestly thought it was where I wanted to go with my life. But then the little niggle started and I haven't shifted it ever since... making the decision to go to uni was the beginning of it.. and here I am a year or so later concentrating on a completely different career path.

I decided that I wanted a change for 2013, and I knew if i didn't make the change now then I would have gone through another year of umming and arring over the job pages of the newspaper, wondering what else could be out there. It was a very big decision for me, and a rather scary one at that, as I'm leaving before I've found something new (cue lots of gasps and 'are you sure's' from family and friends). Admittedly, I'm a natural worrier and doing this has just been a massive leap into the unknown for me - It could either make or break me and I could well find out that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.. but I'm determined to turn it into a positive. I get attached to places and people very quickly and changing things I'm comfortable with doesn't sit right with me.. So I'm now in the ever so horrible position of trawling job sections of papers and job websites looking for something new.. I forgot how horrible it is trying to find a job, and it's even worse knowing I've put myself in this position. But hey-ho! We live and learn... This said, I'm so set on making this work for me, and I really needed a new start this year. I'm so serious about what I now want from life and I just wanted to step back, think about it all and concentrate on that for a while. I suppose that sometimes in life we all have to throw the dice a little and do things we are unsure of, otherwise we would never progress..

My wonderful colleagues suprised me at the end of my shift with a lovely card and presents (wrapped beautifully in bird patterned wrapping paper..they know me so very well!) I really wasn't expecting it and as soon as I'd served my last customer they all presented it to me and I was honestly so amazed as to how thoughtful they had been.  They're all aware I write this blog, and they'd treated me to some Benefit goodies ('Big Beautiful Eyes contouring kit' & 'Go Tropi-Coral' containing High Beam, Cha Cha Tint, Coralista Blush and Coralista Lip Gloss!)  I'd mentioned in the past how I hadn't tried much of their stuff - so it was a lovely suprise and I was totally over the moon about it - they had thoroughly spoilt me! The card was just the best bit though, and I'll keep it forever and ever. They'd all written their own message inside and it just reminded me of how many good times I've had in that little shop over the years with all of them. I've had many a giggle, with both the staff and my customers, and I know that I'm just going to look back on that stage of my life when I'm older and be glad that I stayed there for as long as I did.  It's given me so many life skills and bags of confidence I wouldn't have necessarily gained out of another job, and on the whole it's really shaped me as a person.

Needless to say, it was such a challenge battling back the tears when I hugged everyone goodbye at 5:00 this afternoon...it's very strange how your colleagues become your little work family isn't it?.. If any of you are reading this.. I shall miss you very much... and I thoroughly look forward to sharing a beverage or two with you at my leaving do (although now i'm living off my student loan & 'rainy day savings', the drinks are on you ;))

Keep your eyes peeled for my Benefit goodies popping up on my blog in the near future!
♥