Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2020

When Curiosity Keeps Us Going

I've been reading a friends blog posts lately (I hope you will check them out too). He has been writing about things that made him curious. Things that have driven him to learn about something new. And they have been quite inspirational to me. They push me to look at things with eyes wide open. 

Bast Creative has his blog posts under Curiosities. What started as a website to promote his photography has escalated to a deeper look at the ordinary things in life. He often talks about things he has found on his weekly treasure hunts. I admit, I'm quite envious of this. I miss going to yard sales on Saturday mornings. I miss searching for those things that no one else would see value in. Things tell stories. If you can listen for them. Look for the post about turning your lights on! It is one of my favorites. This post is more of a response to his postings. Hats off to a fellow treasure seeker!

So what do I treasure?

I'm an eclectic collector. Normally, I stick with my nerdy tendencies. Minecraft, Stranger Things, Wonder Woman, Star Wars, Steampunk, Cosplay - not necessarily in that order, but you get the picture. However, that doesn't mean I'm only drawn to those things. Take the following treasures for instance...

My Fire King Peach Luster Soup/Chili Bowl - I don't know where I found this. I think it happened with my grandfather, but I can't be 100% certain. I fell in love with the luminescent shimmer and the unique shape. Bowls don't often come with built-in handles, you know. They are not standard sized when they can fit comfortably into your hand. I like curling up on the couch, cupping my bowl as I read or watch videos. I've even considered getting more like it, being that they are so inexpensive and we need more bowls. Then again, maybe having just one makes it that much more special. For the longest time, I knew nothing about it except it was beautiful and sparked the dream of a reading nook, in my own home, while snow flakes or leaves fell outside. I had plenty of times when I contemplated getting rid of it, but could never bring myself to do it. After doing some digging, I found they are vintage, but cheap. I learned what kind of a bowl it was and saw so many others. But this one is mine, and that makes it unique to me.

My party bowls - They aren't special besides the fact that they have patterns embedded in them. I think my mom gave them to me many years ago. I especially love pulling them out to bring rolls or chips to parties and events. I feel like I don't get the chance to do it often enough. I was curious and took a closer look at the bottom of the larger bowl. I found Arcoroc and France stamped to the bottom! Sadly, I can't find any that look like mine. Whether they are real or not, I don't care. They are beautiful. And I hope to use them much more over the years. 

My Johann Haviland Forever Spring Platter - I recently found out this piece is from Bavaria, Germany. Who knew? All I knew, was that it was pretty and made a great serving platter. It is another thing that is cheap to buy, but means more just because I like it.

What might be concluded from this? 

I love parties! Well, no. I love cooking and serving up good foods to others. I also love vintage pieces, regardless of them matching. They go well with my views on how a variety makes things interesting. And finally, I love foreign things... Does this mean these are my only treasures? No way! I have some other fantastic things that are not easily accessible, or they would have found a feature spot on this post too. Like my Galadriel and Legolas Barbie dolls from the Lord of the Rings... Or the tiny crystal glass that my grandfather rescued from a condemned house... Oh the memories that come with these!

What about you? What is something you have that wouldn't be worth much to anyone else, but you simply couldn't let it go? Leave me a comment below and please be sure to check out Bast Creative's website and blog. Share the love with a rising blogger!

Monday, October 2, 2017

Social Media is a Killer

As a blogger, I rely on social media to get my posts in front of more eyes. I use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and YouTube. The more I blog, the less I like the social media aspect of it. If I didn't have the blog, I'd get rid of Facebook and Twitter immediately. They are evil, if you really think about it. Dangerous even. You put your life out there for the world to see. And for what? Or maybe you spend hours browsing through the lives of others. Again, why? Because humans are social creatures? Ha! I don't think that's the case for the vast majority. 
There have been numerous times that I've heard of studies conducted to determine the impact that social media, especially Facebook, have on an individuals life. You know what they find? Facebook can be so depressing. How so? Let's break it down. First of all, what do you see when you check your news feed? What do you look for on there? You check out your connections and what is going on in their lives. And how many times might you be tempted to see their lives and compare it to your own? "She met the man of her dreams!" "He has an amazing job!" "They get to travel all over the world." "I wish my house looked as grand as that." I could go on. Parents compare kids. Adults compare houses, jobs, spouses, vehicles. Smiles are abundant. But do we ever consider what hides behind those smiling faces? Not at all. We are too busy comparing our own lives to the fake one before us on a computer screen. Twitter is as much of a waste to me now as I knew it would be when I started using it. The only posts I put on there are for the blog. And that's the only reason I started one. What is the point to Twitter?? And why do people share so many stupid details of their life? I don't care what food you cooked. I don't care what movie you are watching. I don't need to follow the details of your day as they happen. Give me a summary in a blog post, if you feel so inclined. 

So as we compare, we start to falter. We begin seeking to mimic the lives of others. "If I just do this..." "Maybe if I buy that too..." "Why can't my kid be as talented?" Depression hits a lot of people when they spend too much time surfing social sites. Its why there are so many campaigns encouraging "unplugging" from technology. Open your eyes to life away from a screen. Or maybe you should look at this way... Are you stalking? Creeping? Are you checking an individuals page to have something to gossip about later?

YouTube is great. I love being able to look up music from various authors and just let it play one after another of my favorite songs. I subscribe to my best artists. But in the midst of so much amazing, you have so many idiots posting crap too. I don't surf YouTube. I'd lose brain cells if I did. I started a channel way back when to post Lego building videos and blog review clips. But there are so many crazy things your eyes can stumble over on there.

Pinterest is my electronic best friend. I can search for new recipes. I can get hints, tips, and pictorial advice on just about anything I can think of. I can create boards and save pins for later reference. I have to be careful or I get too carried away and think I can do anything.
I think we all need to evaluate our usage of social media. Question what it is we are getting from it. Is it worth our time? Are we on too much? Are we simply following the crowd and using it because its the "thing" to do? More importantly, you should ask yourself, "Am I satisfied with my life, no matter what I see of others' lives?" Remember to be happy with what you have. To appreciate what is going on in your personal life. And also to know that there is more than meets the eye on those sites. So much more.Don't let social media steal your joy. Not talking about happiness. Happiness comes from something happening in your life. It is a fleeting feeling. Joy is something deeper. Something that you can hold on to in the darkness that you face. But it can be silenced when we look out and feel as though we are less in life. Are you falling down with a bad case of the social media blues?

Thursday, September 28, 2017

When the computer and internet fight...

Last week was a real downer. This week has been taking a turn towards the same path. My internet and computer broke up. Talk about hating the cupid role. Try getting those two to communicate again. My husband finally coaxed them back into an intermittent relationship (mostly because I begged him to). It was time-consuming and even now, isn't nearly where I'd like it to be. It is taking me hours to get through all that I have been unable to do from my phone. Including blogging. 
So what have I been up to in the meantime? 
Migraines. My neck and shoulders feel as though everything under the skin has turned into stone. I turn my head, and suddenly the room spins. Everything tenses up and I feel as though my head is slowly building up to an eruption as magnificent as Mount Saint Helen's or Vesuvius. 

Homework with my three scholars. Frustration with at least one of their teachers. My boys are in second grade and my daughter is in Kindergarten. They have so much homework after being at school all day, that we don't have time to watch a movie or play games during the week. We can't even go to the store or run an errand, really. There isn't any time. They get home just after 3, we are having dinner around 5 (if I'm lucky), and they are in bed by 7. There is only homework, dinner, baths, and maybe a quick Bible study or story time. And then you have teachers that are so lazy, I should get their salary. What do they do all day?! Oh wait... that's right... babysitting the pathetic losers whose parents aren't raising them. And yet they say I'm not doing enough to boost my kids' grades. Sure...

Struggling to contact lawyers. What is it about them? They want to rape your wallet, but when you are trying to contact them, no one wants to answer. They have the Contact Us with your case to review page, but no answer. Then I finally get one on the phone today... Guess who was denied by even them? Seems to be a theme. And by the way, this is concerning disability matters. They said I need to start seeing a doctor to be reevaluated to determine my true diagnosis as the last one I had was done too long ago. Hello, people! I'm unemployed. I'm broke. I have no insurance. And if I was working, I'd have no leave time or money to pay for the doctors visits. That's why my stint with Amazon was cut short. But I digress. 

I've also been cleaning out our storage closet.
I pulled out the box of my "skinny" clothes that I used to wear before I got pregnant last year. I've come to the decision that I can no longer hold on to everything with the mindset of "one day". For starters, it is quite depressing. Then you have the fact that it wastes space. And finally, there is no guarantee that I will ever get my hips to shrink back into those outfits. No guarantee that my tummy will go flat again. So, I did the logical thing. I'm keeping my absolute favorites and letting go of the things I think I can replace in an appropriate size. Some of them, I just need to realize I am no longer the right age for. Like my gamer dresses. My rear has enlarged and now I can no longer bend over in them without giving an unwanted show. The corset I had was a little small when I was smaller, so I need to invest in one that fits properly for my cosplay. Little reasoning's like this have helped me clean out quite a bit. And my bins (I had 3 large storage bins full) of books... Cleaned those up too. Any books that are not truly needed, like a favorite series that I won't ever read again - time to let go. Especially with the knowledge that it might be a couple more years, with a couple more moves, until we are able to buy a house and settle down for sure. Don't know about you, but I hate moving. And the heavier the boxes, the less I want to take them with me... 

I sold one of the costumes I had been using. I decided that if I can't be the cosplayer I want to be, its time to cut back on those things as well. I don't often make it to conventions. And even less times do I get to dress up. I went to San Japan to help my friend set up her photography booth. Sadly, I didn't dress up. Honestly and truly, I wanted to. But I didn't want to be alone at her booth in costume and I knew my husband wasn't going to dress up or want to stay too long as he had worked the night before and was already tired. Then I went to the Monster Con they had to get people ready for Halloween. It is a local one that is free, based in a mall that hosts just such events regularly, and is growing in popularity. But once again, I decided to skip the costume. I figured we weren't going to be there long. My husband wanted to go, but also had things he needed to get done. We went to provide support to my photographer friend and our newfound Steampunk/nerdy friend we met through the photographer. They had a booth set up there. I've been questioning whether I should give it up completely, though it is a hobby I love very much. But cosplaying takes time, effort and money. You can buy cheap costumes anywhere. Or you can take the time to create something that will last ages and make you feel accomplished. That is what I do with my cosplay. I just don't have the money right now to continue piecing them together. I'm also limited with my creativity as I'm not as brilliant with my designing abilities. Which again, means that I would need to hire help on some projects. Then you have the price of the ticket to events. Not every one of them are free. The bigger conventions charge anywhere from $20-1,000 depending on the package you want to access. My heart is torn on this one. 

I spent some time creating my list of meals and what I would need to make them for the next week or so. My husband and I have been considering shopping exclusively through Amazon. Sadly, shopping for groceries is only cheaper on there if you have Prime. And that is something we could not afford right now. So I've am budgeting and planning our meals very carefully. More so, now that I have no income whatsoever. Besides the odd jobs I've been taking, the unemployment came to an end this week. Talk about an eye opener. I've been trying for disability because of my spinal injuries and deformities (didn't happen though). As well as trying to establish myself as an editor. That too isn't enough to pay the bills. So I am cutting anything that isn't essential out of my life right now. We were careful before, we will double that caution now. Pinterest is amazing with the meal planning though. I have some great recipes that my family has been loving from there. 

I'm not fully in the groove. And my computer isn't running quickly or smoothly by any means. But I'm getting there. I've got a couple posts started and I'll be pumping those out just as quick as I can. Looking forward to being back! 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Blogger reviews

I recently read some posts on a forum about bloggers making requests to review products and there were a lot of negative comments about it. For those of you that don't know, this is how it works: A blogger sends a request to review a product. If accepted, the company sends them a free product to try and review. The blogger then takes 1 to 2 weeks to try it out, take notes and write the review. They post it on their blog and tell you what they think. Sometimes the company will even host a giveaway through that blogger so you can win and try the product too.

What does this accomplish? For the blogger - it gives them a chance to try new things for free, build their fan base, and share the things they learned with their readers so the readers can make a more informed decision on products before making a purchase. For the company – it means more interest in their websites or place of business. Which then, can lead to more sales and growth.
Companies or individuals who decide to take a chance and give away something for free could get more sales and growth. There are no guarantees though. Are bloggers really just looking for handouts and freebies? Some of them might be. You can tell a good reviewer by the reviews. The more details put into it, the more time taken to make sure it’s well written and easy to understand = the more they care about what they are doing and saying.
What does all this mean for the readers? You can see for yourself pictures of the product that aren't touched up or photo shopped, read what a real person who has used it, thinks and knows about it, and make a decision that's more informed about the product or company. Most people buy things based on what they hear about it right? Your friend tells you, "Hey I just found this amazing deal on a super pair of shoes at So and So's." They show them off and maybe even let you slide your foot in to get a feel. What are you likely to do? Well, if you need or love buying shoes - you will probably head to that store and spend money there. Basically, you will be listening to a review.
That's what review bloggers are supposed to be about. Helping you see and experience something before shelling out your hard earned cash on something that might not be worth it to you later. So if you are a skeptic about review bloggers - I hope you can see them in a new light and maybe understand why some of us do what we do and ask for things like we do. And the rest of you readers out there - I hope this makes things a little more clear on what my purpose is when it comes to reviews. I will be completely honest about things. I won't write a rave review just because something was given to me free. Nor will I endorse something I don't believe is worth it. Hopefully soon, as my numbers of readers and followers grow both here and on my Facebook Fan page, you will see more reviews and maybe I can even start giveaways. Thanks for reading!