Tag: blog

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and not a creature was stirring…

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

..apart from the poor souls working in a call centre. *coughs* Yes, apparently I have decided I don’t need much of a Christmas holiday this year, as I am working both the 25th and 26th. I am a bit of an idiot sometimes.

But I felt I should put that creativity into something productive. And that productivity was to make it so my domain name comes up with my wordpress blog. Which I cant do, because I have apparently forgotten almost everything to do with managing my site online. Which is so handy. I think I put off looking at it for too long. Mosly because I’m scared I’ll break it.

I need to get more confident with this stuff, because its the one side of things I am unsure of, and I refuse to take up any work related to it till I have a bit more confidence in it. But that is a good thing, because it means that I won’t be doing anything that is out of my league. And untill I am completely happy with the process, I don’t think I would be able to deliver something 100%. Work in progress, I guess.

Anyways, hope everyone has a lovely Christmas.

Blog Recommendation: Domestic Sluttery

~ Sue ~ 1 Comment

If, like me, you are a foodie with a fondness for design blogs, check out Domestic Sluttery.

You see the name, and you may think you are being directed onto some x-rated site, I can assure you it is nothing of the sort.

Domestic Sluttery: The home and lifestyle blog for women who have better things to do.

It’s purpose is to show women they can be ‘domestic goddesses’ but can still enjoy their lives. It is a really inspirational blog, with a number of different contributors and they cover a wide variety of topics. Why I like this blog, is because I feel that it has a little bit for everybody, whether you are looking for shopping ideas or for a new food recipe. And I like that freedom the blog seems to have.

All the contributors volunteer time to do articles and reviews, and most of them contribute to other sites. And because there is more than one person writing for the site, there is different opinions and thoughts, and that collaboration makes the site seem very warm and friendly. The site itself is very simple, and inviting to people who are possibly ‘low-tech’. A friend actually recommended the blog to me, because she knows I both read and write a lot, and this was the first blog-site she had read repeatedly.

Although, I am well-aware, that this is not what people think about, especially when starting up any kind of site. But you want it to feel warm and welcoming, as that is what gets you repeated views. A lot of sites don’t have a friendly, simplistic quality, and don’t realise that this is losing them visitors. From what I understand, Domestic Sluttery, has caught a lot of people’s attention by being pretty basic in design, and actually caring about the chosen topic. You can sense their passion for everything they post.

What has the internet done for me?

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Actually, the internet has done quite a lot for me personally.

It all started back in 2005 when I started my LiveJournal account when I was at the Vet School in Glasgow. It was a part of my life where I spent a few months at a time living away from home, and thus felt quite lonely. So, I stumbled upon LiveJournal, and started writing angsty blogs. It was helpful, and something that helped de-stress me.

Using the internet there, was the first time that I ever had enjoyed any real type of access to the internet. So, as every other person did, I started up a Myspace and started going onto other websites just to waste time, I should have spent doing homework and studying.

For a few years, I used the internet by mostly visiting the local library, which was good enough. All I did back then was write a blog, where I complained about work or something as equally mundane.

It wasn’t until 2008 that my house got the internet. Why then? Well, I get free internet through my work, due to the fact that ‘work’ is a major broadcaster/phone provider. So… once I had round the clock access, I began joining more sites, and began to do more social networking. In particular, blogging and going onto various forums helped me find ways to express myself. Like I finally found a ‘voice’ to express myself.

This is something that I enjoy about the internet. I feel that I can say things online, without boring people, it means people can volunteer to converse about my topic of discussion. It means that I don’t feel that I am forcing myself onto people. Which I am aware sounds very strange. But what can I say, I am a very strange one.

People tell me I am ‘sad’, that I spend my time online, and that by doing things such as write this blog from my bed, I have ‘no life’. To these people I say ‘my life has become better thanks to the internet’. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it really helped me find a place to belong, and I know that I’m not the only person like this. The internet allows one to share opinions with like minded people, that you may not get the chance to meet in real life. And that is what has made my life better.

After spending most of my life feeling like the odd one out, I now no longer feel like that. And that has made me happier, which has effected my day-to-day life. I have made friends all over the world, I have made contacts with people who are designers and journalists. It has given me so many awesome opportunities and brought me closer to my heroes.

I feel like, I now know where I belong, and that place is on the internet.

Regime Change

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Yeah, so after deciding that this place is starting to sound a little bit too whiney and such, I am forming some kind of structure for stuff.
This is my vlogs and my blogs.

I spend way too much time complaining, and after looking through a few blogs, I felt I needed some kind of consistency. So, in a bid to liven everything up, I am giving myself a schedule, or a set of challenges, even. Basically, I have the task of talking about certain topic on certain days of the week, and its done to also encourage me to look at new things, so I can talk about them.

Yeah, well…it seems like a good idea to me.

MONDAY–will be book day, where I reccommend books that I like, and talk about them.

WEDNESDAY— Website day, I have to talk about a website (includes blogs) that I think people should look at.

FRIDAY– Music day. Whether a song, band or album, I talk about why you should listen to it,

SOOOOOO……

Seeing as today is Monday, I have a book, I think that anyone with an intrest in Art or Design should read.


Art And Text
It really is a great book, with lots of great images of typography. I have loved typography since I was little, and this book just shows why I love it. The whole point of the book, from where I am standing, is to show that typography is more than just letters that physically spell out something.

It shows conceptual art, where the lettering, is just one part of the piece. There are installations, paintings, and lots more. I really like the variety of work on show. But the thing I like most about the book, is that unlike most art books, the work on show helps a person feel like they can achieve something extra out of typography. That with a liitle imagination, writing can be much more objective, and even more direct. But then, that’s what I take from the book. As with all art, it is all in how someone precieves the work.

Techwaffle

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Like tech/mobile phone news delivered to you with a comedic twist?

Well check out Jon Quatchi’s Techwaffle site.

Jon used to do Vlogs for Tehkseven, a popular phone site which gave away free themes, and such. He has recently left the successful Tehkseven to start of his own project, Techwaffle. Here he still does his vlogs on mobile news, but he also does things like humourous cartoons.

The Best Way To Combat iPhone 4 Reception Woes

I came across Jon when he did his Phonage vlogs for Tehkseven, and loved his style. Although you’d think that talking about phone specs and software releases may seem pretty boring, Jon has a way of keep the information interesting and fun. It is obvious that all his videos are planned out, with him using various techniques to get a lot of laughs.

Visit Jon on http://techwaffle.net

I’ve Been Workin’

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

So been busy.

I’m at the point where I am half way through my website, which I am pretty pleased about. But I have been spending a lot of my holiday with friends and family, which is something I don’t often get a chance to do. But with me not going to college next year, I am aiming to use all my free time during the day to work on websites and other projects.

Due to my financal status, I am planning on using the next few years to do small scale work and get my business plan in gear. I hope that by the time I am in a better situation, I will be getting more work through the door. Because at the moment, it is hard getting enough work to properly start my business.

Luckily I still have the evening job, so that has made the situation of earning through my work, not quite so bad. And it is also allowing me to take opportunities, such as working towards blog sponsorship (which is a possibility) in the coming months. I am also in a position, where I am working towards showing in an exhibition next year, which would be awesome.

So things are moving, and the next year or so will be deciding the best way to move further. Exciting times in the life of Sue.

Sue the Vlogger Blogger

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Howdy.

The world of Vlogs is an intresting one. One where you could lose hours of your life, just observing those around. Yes, youtube has destroyed whatever life I tried to have outside the interwebs. *d’oh* Basically, everyone knows I am addicted to blogging. Well vlogging is worse. I mean I make videos so that I can see the improvements, and because I really like talking about myself.

Obviously.

I find it hard telling people things face to face, so I write about it. And call me strange (no, in a minute not yet), buuutt it is a lot easier talking away to my camera, than it is a real person. (OK, now you can call me strange) I think its because when you tell someone something face-to-face, you have to see their reaction.  And if you post a video explaining something on youtube, you can kind of psyche yourself up before you see their comments. And I think thats why vlogs and sites like Youtube are so popular. And finding someone that understands you, also helps.

I find myself always on here or youtube, and I crave to see what people think. But that is kind of stupid, because I could just tell them whats on my mind, rather than stalking facebook to see  if anyone ‘likes’ my link to my new vlog. Oh well, its how I roll. I guess.

The good news is that I am on the market to get a deccent video editor,  other than windows Movie Maker, because it annoys me. Ideally I’d be using Adobe Premier Pro, because it is so easy to use. But, alas, I can’t afford it, so am stuck using the package which came with my computer.  Any suggestions, send them my way.

I’ll be so thankful, I may even create something in your honor.

Yep, I am in need of a decent video editor. Maybe its not that the software that is fail, so much as it is me.  Seeing that I have only ever made 1 other video, other than the stuff I have uploaded on my channel. Maybe it will get better.

*crosses fingers, clicks heels three times and wishes apon the brightest star that my videos get a lot better*