Catching Yourself

I feel like I have just woken up.  Not from sleep, but a state of mind.  

Have you ever been in a rut without realising it or a downward spiral that you did not know you were on?  This has been me for the past few months.  Except that I did not know, until I was sat in the dentist's chair last Thursday.

Now the dentist's chair is of course not the normal place for self reflection and realization.  But there I was, petrified and shaking as usual when I happened to look down at my legs. They were hairy.  I'm not talking about forgot to shave for a couple of days hairy, I'm talking not shaved for weeks and weeks hairy.

(By the by, nothing wrong whatsoever whether you choose to shave or not; it's just my own personal preference for myself).

I had no idea whatsoever why I had hairy legs. I was so confused.  It was quite a good distraction from what was going on in my mouth to be honest, as I racked my brains for an answer as to how I could have forgotten to shave for so many weeks.  I wear a dress every single day.  How did I not notice for all this time?

When I got home, I looked in the mirror.  Again, I felt like I was looking at myself properly for the first time in months.  My makeup looked like a five year old had put it on and my hair?  It looked like it had not had anything but my fingers running through it since I washed it.  Being honest, I could not even remember last time I brushed it.

I felt and looked like an old house that was previously well kept but was now in a state of disrepair. The only way I can describe it is that I felt that my mind and who I am had a vacation away from myself, but not bothered to tell me.  Like I had just been on autopilot for a while. Does this make sense to anyone else or just me?

Looking back over the past few months, I see nothing that would have triggered this apathy.  Because that is what this was.  It was not laziness or a change in my routine.  The thoughts of shaving my legs, brushing my hair; applying my make up; did not ever factor or occur to me.

I have still been going to work, having a normal home life; writing blog posts but I really do think that the essence of what is me disappeared for a while.  Hell, I did not even blog about the debacle of the UK referendum or the catastrophic screw up that is Donald Trump.

I feel like I have been on safe mode, like you do with your computer.  My screen flashed back on in the dentist chair.  Maybe I needed a jolt.  Something to get part of me going again that I did not realise was not working anymore.  I don't know.

What I do know that I feel more alive than I have for the past few months, more alert.  More ready to make plans, do things; live my life and plan for it.  My legs are returned to their shaved selves.  My hair has been brushed.

I do not know where I went, but I am glad that I am back.

Styling the Opposite Sex

The way that we dress and the things that we choose to wear are a reflection on our personalities.  These days, this is as true for men's fashion as it is for women.  

Geek, goth, emo, classic, hipster, sports fanatic, punk; they are all represented and are clearly definable. 

I remember a few years ago now when a male friend of mine challenged me to go shopping with him and few up some new outfits for him to wear.  I felt like I was entering into a foreign land.  I am so used to choosing outfits based on what will enhance and suit a woman's body; the concept of choosing men's clothing, more personality orientated that body aware was something new for me.

I did not do too badly however, although he might disagree as he had spent £500 by the end of it!

But men of course, like women, have their challenges too.  Maintaining their style with a fuller figure, sourcing clothes that will fit taller than average bodies.

With that in mind, my friend recently challenged me to come up with an outfit for a larger man.  So here in my idea of an outfit for a winter's day.

Men's Parkas £100.00

Joe Brown's Funnel Neck Jumper £45.00

Lambretta Recharge Jeans £55.00

Trustyle Chelsea Boots £30.00 - perfect match with the Joe Brown's jumper!

So fellas, how did I do?

Pro Tips for Creating Video for Social Media

When it comes to putting your voice out there on social media, there are so many platforms to choose from.  

Everything from concise 140 characters tweets to an hour long video on Youtube.  Depending on what you want to say and the audience you want to appeal to; this may affect what platform you decide to use, although many use a combination.

Although I have been blogging for a few years now and have been active on Twitter, there is one social media platform that I have both eyed from a distance and toyed with from time to time.  Video.  It both intrigues and scares me at the same time.

Whilst your words on a page have an impact and can engage a reader, there is nothing like speaking directly to your audience through a video format.  This is the perfect platform for people who speak about beauty products as you can see in front of you how the product looks and how it was applied. 

Video is also a great format for anyone who likes to do opinion pieces or has a specific subject that they wish to talk about regularly.  It can be a great insight into someone's life and teach you things that you did not know before.

I particularly love Pamper & Curves Youtube channel featuring the fabulous Betty who talks about family life and her journey into all things vegan, including cruelty free makeup.

Toast TV have created a handy infographic which they have allowed me to share here today.  There are some fantastic tips such as what to do in the first few seconds of your video, the part where the viewer quickly makes up their mind as to whether they wish to continue viewing.

Check it out below!

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