Post Comment Love & Blogger Showcase 8 - 10 June

Hello there and welcome to this week's #PoCoLo. If you were here last week, it was great to see you and if you're new here then you're very welcome.  Either way Morgan and I are sure you'll find some great posts (and blogs) to read as you link up.  

We've had the shortest of working weeks with just two days in the office and the rest at home. It's been a momentous week too, as the builders have all but finished and we're starting to "reload" our conservatory.  There's been more cleaning (joy!), some shed tidying up (yes, we know how to live) and quite a few deliveries. 

My photo this week is what we saw when we opened one of our deliveries, not quite what we expected, and not right either.  A replacement is on its way and should be with us later today, I hope - look out for more, including where it's from soon.

Blogger Showcase: Tamanisha from Sincerely Tawn

1. Who are you?

My name is Tamanisha (Tawm-uh-ni-sha) John and I am a Ph.D. student at Florida International University, where I study International Relations full time and run a “relaxed lifestyle” blog— sincerelytawm.com — whenever I’m procrastinating. 

2. How did you discover blogs/blogging?

I’ve always been fond of writing in general, and have always loved the idea of having my own blog. 

3. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because staying up late at night and writing in my iPhone notes became much easier than writing in a notebook. However, due to space constraints on my phone, I made the switch to blogging. In my notes, I would simply reflect on my days, reflect on events that happened, ideas I’d have, and food places I’d love to try eating at or have gone to eat and enjoyed it. It was sort of like memory keeping.

4. What do you find most challenging?

At the moment, the most challenging thing has been balancing being 100% honest with myself— as I had been with my iPhone notes— on a more public platform. I fear being judged. However, this fear may be a bit irrational since everyone that I’ve ‘met’ (online) whilst blogging has been encouraging. 

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

My favourite topic to write about is memory keeping for myself. Something unique to my blog that I was not writing about before in my notes, were movie and book reviews. I really enjoy writing those. I also enjoy doing more in depth food reviews, by researching restaurant owners beforehand.    

6. Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

Initially I was blogging for fun, but now I do think that I have goals. My mom is probably the most ardent reader of my blog, and she followed my entire left hand planner creation process and has convinced me to share and create a left handed planner in my image. This has gotten a lot of traction from other interested lefties, and righties. And so my current goal is to be the ‘home of the #leftyplanner’ that others can practically use. 

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

My favourite thing about blogging is being able to share my memories with others. I never knew how helpful individual and personal memories can to be others. I also like being able to relate to my co-workers and colleagues more who read and enjoy— both my lifestyle blog and academic blog. 

8. Have you ever attended a blogging conference and if so, what did you think?

I have never attended a blogging conference, but it does sound like something I’d be interested in!  

9. What are your 3 best posts?

In terms of views and engagements, my three best performing posts are: ‘Finally A (Healthy) Brunch Shop in South Florida,’ ‘PlannerCon 2018, San Francisco Weekend: Day 3,’ ‘PlannerCon 2018, San Francisco Weekend: Day 2.’ But personally, my top three favourite posts that I’ve written are: ‘Rest Peacefully, Granny LJJ,’ ‘The [not so] Automatic Millionaire. A Review...,’ ‘Life and Planner Updates!’

10. Describe yourself in three words!

Responsible, Outgoing, Mellow

11, Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?

Tea and biscuits please!

12. What's your idea of a perfect night out?

A perfect night out for me, consists of dressing  cute and going out with my friends to a nice lounge that has great music to dance to. 

13. Your perfect night in?

A perfect night in consists of a criminal investigation type series or sci-fi movie, as I eat my favourite pizza. My favourite is Pizza Hut‘s thin and crispy pizza, with garlic buttery crust, topped with beef, green peppers and Peruvian cherry peppers 

14. What would your best friend/OH/mum or kids say is your best quality?

From friends to my mom— and also my ex— they would say my best quality is my honesty. My co-workers would describe me as blunt and diplomatic. 

Thanks Tamanisha for joining in.  If you want to connect with our blogger showcase this week please check out her social channels:  Twitter  -  Instagram  -  Pinterest.

An InLinkz Link-up

On loving maps, and the fear of wallpaper

Fear, it’s a funny thing isn’t it? And before I go on I should let you know the fear isn’t actually the wallpaper, but more of being a little bit scared of something new.  And in this case, the actual putting it on the wall part, as that’s something I’ve not done before, or unsupervised anyway; dad was a decorator by trade and so I've never needed to know. I'm sure he tried to teach me on more than one occasion, but...  

But I do like maps.  

A lot.  

I can't tell you the number of rooms and room sets I’ve seen online, in magazines and in real life that I’ve pored and lusted over. I think maps have a timeless charm, they're full of intrigue, the unknown and the anticipation of adventure.  So when the opportunity arose to work with Wallsauce, who create made to measure wallpaper murals I jumped at the chance, immediately forgetting how much wallpapering was an unknown, because, well because, maps! 

Exactly.  

But which to choose?

Despite overlooking the actual wallpapering - again, our brain's are funny things - I knew exactly which wall my map would go on.  For maximum impact it needed to be a wall without pictures, or obstructed by furniture and so the obvious choice was the curved wall which encloses our spiral staircase. 

When I told MOH he immediately shook his head, not only because he's also a wallpapering novice but because if you can choose any wall, of course you'd choose a curved wall, wouldn't you.  Well, yes dear.  And so of course, it's going on the curved wall, but which one.

It's not as simple as just wanting a map though, oh no.  There's many to choose from on the Wallsauce site, and if maps aren't your thing then there's plenty of other mural options to, and you can even upload a photo of your own.  I didn't even go down that option as I've way more pictures than its possible to choose, and of course, maps!

Grabbing a cup of tea, I settled in for a map browsing session. 

• I'm a classic kind of girl, deep down and so was immediately drawn to the Classic World Map (see below left), MOH nodded but deemed it safe.  I disagreed and as I've said before classics are classic for a reason.

Classic World Map
Image credit: Wallsauce

18th Century World Map
Image credit: Wallsauce

• MOH is more of a traditionalist and was more taken with the 18th Century World Map (see above right), which while attractive, I thought was a little dark for the space we had.  And on closer inspection I spotted that part of the Americas had yet to be discovered and I wanted a full map on our wall.

So that was two discarded, although I still had the Classic Map on my reserve list.  Next I tried a different tack, not a world map, but London.  We live in London and so I thought that might work.

• The vintage map (below left) was a real contender, although I was after a bit more detail so then I saw 
• The detailed map and I was smitten.  It's just my colours too, but as we live where the plant is in the picture (below right) and being a confirmed South London girl, after some consideration I thought I'd want a bit more South London on my walls.

Vintage map of London
Image credit: Wallsauce

Detailed Map of London
Image credit: Wallsauce

So it was back to the drawing board - or website - again.

My next couple of choices took a completely different approach, and rather than a traditional map they're both a more modern take.  I knew they might take some work to convince MOH (the traditionalist, remember) but while I'm a classic kind of girl, I do also like a modern touch - they say opposites attract, don't they?!

So while I liked both the Fly Away Map and the Colour Splash World map (both pictured below) they didn't fit my brief, which I didn't know I even had.  I briefly waved them in front of MOH and he even looked quite impressed, I decided though to save the campaign for either of these for another day, and most likely another house. 

Because as the best advice goes, you need to know when to open negotiations, don't you?  (I think the advice is actually about choosing battles, but I prefer my less confrontational version)

Fly Away Map
Image credit: Wallsauce

Colour Splash World Map
Image credit: Wallsauce

All of these maps are works of art in their own right, and would enhance the right space.  In the end though while these were all contenders our choice isn't one of these - you'll have to wait to see what we chose in the next post - sorry, for being a tease!

Choosing a finish for our wallpaper

I’d seen on the website there were three different finish types: textured peel & stick, classic paste the wall and premium paste the wall.  Not knowing where to start, I decided samples would be the way forward.  My wallpaper-putting-up-phobic self thought the peel & stick approach might be an option.  I've used wall stickers before successfully, but realised that before they'd been a much smaller surface area, so a whole wall length might not be the same.

When the samples arrived, I'll admit to rethinking the whole map thing and just going with a zing of colour instead, but I think not having the actual design (or designs) we were considering helped as it was easy to focus on the finish and feel of each sample.

We decided against the peel & stick finish, as MOH also thought it might not be as easy as we first imagined, which left the classic and premium options.  As you'll have realised by now, I'm no wallpaper expert and nor is MOH, but to us we preferred the feel of the premium sample, it feels lighter and more pliable. 

I've no idea if that will help us or not, but I don't think we'll have long to find out as the Wallsauce website says that orders are shipped in 1-2 days, which doesn't give us long to swot up on techniques, so if you've got some wallpapering tips or tricks that you swear by, now would be a really good time to share them with me...

* This is a collaborative post, but all views are my own.

Post Comment Love 1-3 June

Hello there and welcome to the first Post Comment Love of June, I'm not sure how we're already this far through the year, but it seems we are.  If you were here last week it was great to see you, and if you're new here you're very welcome.  Even though I'm still reading last week's posts, I know you'll find some great blogs and posts to read.

This week I've been even more of a jumble than a usual week with a Bank Holiday in. It was my birthday on Tuesday and so we took the day off work, which was lovely - apart from the weather! - but it's meant that I've been even more confused by what day it is.  I'll be glad when it really is Friday, this week.

As usual I've a busy weekend planned, and am expecting our new allotment shed to arrive tomorrow.  We've some more time off at the end of next week and we've the exciting task of clearing out MOH's shed in the garden as now our conservatory work is drawing to a close (yay!) his bike will no longer form part of the decor in there.

My photo this week is of another favourite plant, but one that's a bit cheeky too.  I say cheeky, others might say invasive, but as the plant is known as mind your own business I can't help but like it.  It's one that I'm sure MOH pulls up when I'm not looking, but I've thwarted that by having backup pots growing so I can easily replace it!

Blogger Showcase: Ashley from Adventure Out There

You can read Ashley's full answers over on Morgan's blog this week, but before you go let me share a snipped of our Blogger Showcase this week.  Ashley is a travel blogger, a Canadian living and working in France who enjoys giving travel advice from the tricks she's learnt herself.  She's kind, determined and curious and thinks you can't go wrong with cake - I think I agree with that!

Connect with Ashley on her social channels:  Twitter  -  Pinterest  -  Instagram (photography)  -  Instagram (lifestyle)  -  Facebook

An InLinkz Link-up