As an avid social media fan, I am always on the look-out for
campaigns that grab my attention, especially those that I can get involved in,
myself. Personally, I find Twitter to be my ‘go to’ hub for information and I
can always rely on the amazing people of the Twittersphere to let me know of
anything new, especially @SpamellaB and @OriginalRogue (these girls know
EVERYTHING!).
So, 100 happy days? But surely, that’s impossible! Well not
according to this new social campaign!
They claim “We live in
times when super-busy schedules have become something to boast about. While the
speed of life increases, there is less and less time to enjoy the moment that
you are in. The ability to appreciate the moment, the environment and yourself
in it, is the base for the bridge towards long term happiness of any human
being.”
Which, in one sense, is very true. Sad but true.
They
also say that 71% of people who do this challenge, give up half way through
because they don’t have enough time.
Don’t
have enough time to be happy? Insane!
Don’t
get me wrong, I have days where I find myself in a downward spiral of not
knowing what I want, or where I want to go and ultimately this makes me unhappy.
I like to be in control of myself and my future – this isn’t always possible.
But what is possible is making ourselves happy – pretty much forcing ourselves
to smile, be positive and grateful! We need to make time to sit back, relax and
realise how lucky we are, which can make us understand and recognise how happy
we are. Happiness can be so easily misplaced in our complicated, busy worlds. Simple
things like, both your eyeliner flicks are symmetrical one morning, you find £1
on the floor, someone held the door open for you, or someone said/did something
to make you smile, it is very easy to get lost in moments and forget to smile.
This
challenge is allowing us to take a few minutes, minutes we are surely entitled
to, out of our day to document the things that have made us smile on that
particular day, for 100 days. You can upload your images to your preferred
platform i.e. Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
CHALLENGE
ACCEPTED!
I chose to use Instagram as this easily one of my favourite social platforms
but I can also feed through to my Twitter.
If
you’re planning to join myself and the many others in this challenge then
register here 100 Happy Days and upload your images to your platform using
the hashtag #100HappyDays or create your own! And let’s see if we can stop
taking those lovely, little moments/people/memories for granted and just be
happy.
Here’s
my first #100HappyDays post, dedicated to my wonderful best friends who always
make me happy! To see the rest please follow me on Instagram or Twitter
@hopegorton
Wow, 2014 already - didn't 2013 fly by? Saying that, 2014 looks like it's about to do the same seen as we're almost half way through January! In my opinion the sooner January finishes the better, not a fan of being skint and having the Christmas blues!
Hope you all had a fabulous time and didn't celebrate too hard? ;) I had a great time with my nearest and dearest and couldn't wait to start a new year! I haven't made any resolutions this year, as to be honest, I don't really believe in them. If I want to do something, I'll do it and if I don't, I won't! I'm just going to continue what I have been doing, as let's be fair, it seems to be working for me so far. Simple - I have promised myself I will be more healthy and start my exercise regime all over again but I'm not going too torture myself over it. Plus, this year is all about putting my all into the build up of my career and start putting some savings away so I have a good start to my future!
Anyway, enough about the new year and my anti-resolutions.
Here's to my 2013 in outfits! I have had some good ones and also looking back - I did kind of say to myself "What were you doing?" but that's the fun with fashion, something that looked good at that moment in time, doesn't always look good in another years time.
My 2013 has been a bit of a rollercoaster - I've had numerous ups and downs. But the one thing that has never let me down is my wardrobe :)
2013 hasn't been a hugely successful year regarding being adventurous or trying new things, but towards the end of the year I felt like I was starting to get better with my spending and fashion choices. There are some outfits above, especially the early ones in the year, where I know I wouldn't wear it again or would style it differently, but that's what I love about fashion - there's always room to play around and try something new, and if you look back and dislike your choices you can learn from them and start again.
I have started to pick and buy staple pieces that can be worn with numerous other staple pieces so I am saving money but still wearing different outfits but with the same pieces. My fluffy black jumper, black and white pointy heels, pencil skirts and black camisole have been some of the pieces I have not stopped wearing and will continue to wear for many years to come. The only thing I need right now is a WHITE SHIRT - I cannot find one anywhere - so if anyone knows of anywhere, please let me know.
This is the start of my 2014 outfit collection. I have loved each and every single one of my outfits in 2014 and cannot wait to get dressed in the morning and find new things to wear.
If you want a constant update of my #ootd then follow me on Instagram - all my images are posted on there and feel free to ask me any questions or post a comment, always happy to talk :)
Happy 2014 here's to a super chic, fashionable one!
2012 was always going to be hard to follow, let alone beat
after an incredible year filled with jubilation and excitement that surrounded
the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. However, it could be argued that
2013 has been equally successful especially in regards to social media
campaigns and viral videos. 2013 has definitely been one of the most social
years to date.
There are 100s of brands on a variety of different social
platforms, all creating content to grab your attention, increase
conversations/sales and wanting to become the ‘next big thing’. So, to try and
find the best social media campaigns EVER during 2013 is almost impossible, as
there are so many. I’ve decided to share with you some of my personal favourite
campaigns, viral videos and popular topics/trends of 2013.
There were some pretty impressive social media campaigns but
one of my favourites has to be the world famous Oreo tweet sent during the
black out at the Superbowl. Oreo saw an opportunity, seized it and played it to
its highest advantage. Greatly simple or simply great? I’m going to go with the
latter.
I’m a sucker. And I mean a big one. Anything that can pull
on your heartstrings, make tears well up in your eyes and make your tummy
summersault is a winner in my eyes. These sorts of campaigns tend to be the
ones that people relate to most and want to be seen as a supporter of such a
topic. There were so many to choose from, but I have managed to narrow it down
to three.
The first graced our Facebook news feeds in March this year
and lead to over 120 percent more users changing their profile picture on
Tuesday 26th. This was the powerful social media campaign lead by
the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) to support equality in marriage, especially for
the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. I was one of those users
who changed their profile picture – this was a campaign that proved there is a
huge majority of the world who believe in marriage equality and were more than
happy, and somewhat proud, to show their support.
The next is also another non-for-profit organisation who
used the powers of Facebook to promote their charitable work. UNICEF sent out a
pretty powerful, hard hitting message to its Facebook following; “Like us on
Facebook, and we will vaccinate zero children against polio”. Pretty harsh,
right? Wrong! This was the perfect message to send out to the public to prove
that no matter how many likes or followers a social platform has, it isn’t going
to change the world but it helps to get the messages needed across.
The third one has to be one of my favourite campaigns of all
time. I am a huge fan of previous campaigns that have been created by Dove but
this one is just amazing. The video that was created for this campaign can only
be described as pure genius – women describe themselves to an artist, they draw
what they hear – the same happens but someone else describes the same woman and
the images in comparison to one another are simply incredible. This is
highlight how women are their biggest critics and should stop being so harsh on
themselves – a lesson I think most individuals can relate to.
There are also campaigns and virals that simply make you
smile. It’s as simple as that. For the few minutes you take out of your day to
witness these campaigns/virals they make you feel happy and that everything is
right in the world.
Then there are the viral videos that you just so happen to
come across when someone has shared it on Facebook or you read about it online.
Some are fun, easy-viewing designed to create giggles but some provide warmth
in your heart and sometimes make you feel things that you never thought were
possible. I didn’t have to think about these, nor did I have to do any
research, as these were pretty obvious decisions; San Fran Batkid and West Jet
Christmas. I fill with joy just thinking about them let alone watching them
again.
For those of you who don’t know what these are (shame on
you!) here’s a brief summary of the two.
San Fran Batkid – what a hero! Five year old, Miles Scott has been in remission
for Leukaemia for the past four years was given the chance by the Make A Wish
Foundation to become Batman or Batkid for the day. Volunteers and employees of
the foundation did everything they could to make the streets of San Francisco
turn into a real life Gotham City, where he would work alongside the ‘real’
batman fighting crime and doing things that superheroes do. Now, at the moment
this is just a lovely story about a young boy, suffering with cancer being
granted a once in a lifetime opportunity and honouring the amazing work that
the Make A Wish Foundation do… Not so! Once the citizens of San Francisco
caught wind of what was going on, through numerous tweets, hundreds of people
lined the streets to witness and cheer on Batkid whilst he was saving the city.
Just amazing. Social media is such a powerful tool, and can do ANYTHING (ok,
maybe not anything, but it can help with a lot!) it brings communities together
and allows conversations to start where anybody from around the world can join
in and be a part of something bigger.
Another great example of how social media
can be used for the greater good and for selfless ways was the moment a plea
popped up on everyone’s Facebook news feed and was retweeted throughout
Twitter. Harold Percival, a war veteran sadly passed away at the age of 99 in
2013, who had never married or had any children was facing his death and funeral
alone, however the power of social media came into play, the news spread across
Twitter and Facebook pleading for people who had spare time and lived near the
area (or wanted to travel) to turn up to his funeral so he wasn’t on his own.
The result? Up to 300 people arrived on the day of Harold’s funeral and gave
him the send-off he deserved – if that doesn’t give you goose bumps then I don’t
know what will.
I don’t feel like I need to say anything about the West Jet
Christmas video as it simply speaks for itself. Enjoy.
So, I’ve discussed the ones that make you cry and fill you
with joy, the ones that make an impact or provide a powerful message, but what
about the ones that a just fun and get you physically involved?
Co-operative Food hosted a fantastic campaign called
Tweet4aTable. This was where followers of the Co-operative Food twitter page
could tweet at any time of the day to secure themselves a table at the pop up
Tweet4aTable restaurants. This was a brilliant campaign that allowed Twitter
users to get involved physically and received something in return, but also
promotes the Co-operative food itself. If you want more information from
someone who actually ate at one of the pop up restaurants then I recommend
reading the amazing blog by Pamela Bustard.
We’ve (finally) come to the end of my year online. There
were hundreds of campaigns and viral videos I could have wrote about, but we
would literally be here forever. These are some of my favourites, and all my
opinions are my own. Hope you enjoyed reading and hopefully there was at least
one that made an impact on you today just like they all did for me.
WAIT… I couldn’t finish this blog without letting you watch
this fantastic video (if you haven’t already seen it). I don’t care what anyone
says, I seriously LOVE this.
XMAS JAMMIES!
Hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New year! Here's to a successful, happy 2014!
It's that time again when I use my Monday to try and motivate all you out there (or just the people that take the time out to read my blog).
I was sat here for a long time last night trying to think of how I was going to say what I wanted to say.
I have decided that I am going to share some personal information about my life recently and how it has motivated me even more for my future, and I hope it will do the same for you.
Sometimes, life is very simple. Everything is black and white, and everything seems to make sense.
Sometimes, life is a pain in the arse. Everything is rubbish and complicated, and there doesn't seem to be a way out of a downward spiral of negativity.
Today. Life is good.
Life isn't always simple and it isn't all roses and rainbows, but there's no reason why it shouldn't be.
If there was absolutely anything I would like people to take from this post, it would be this by Anthony Burrill;
Work hard and be nice to people.
I do believe, sometimes, it really is as simple as that and it really is the easiest thing to do.
Yesterday, on the 10th November 2013, after 2 and a half years of tests, I was given the all clear and I am officially clear of cancer! No, I haven't had cancer but had a horrible scare that has meant I have been in and out of the hospital for the past 2 and a half years. This is something no one really knows about, as I have just been getting on with it and it is very personal. As ridiculous as it is, sometimes, we have to receive bad news or be put into a bad situation to come out better on the other side, but that shouldn't be the case. Life is yours. No one elses, if you want something go and get it! There was no way I was letting this set me back and make me not achieve the things I set out to achieve. So, not only this week have I officially graduated from University with my 2:1, I have also been given the opportunity to work for an amazing company in my dream job as a Digital Account Executive. If you work hard, go above and beyond of what is expected, and want something hard enough you can always, always achieve and get what you want.
Do you think if I let or you let all the bad things that get in the way of life, we'd be where we are today? Hell no!
If I quit university when I was at my lowest, I wouldn't be able to stand here and say I have a decent degree and amazing memories to go with it.
If I didn't work hard and volunteer as often as I could, with every day off I had, I wouldn't be able to stand here and brag about all the skills I have, the amazing people I have met and the places I have been to.
And if I stopped and gave up on my job hunt and let myself fall into a negative spiral, I wouldn't be able to stand here and I say I landed the job of my dreams and can officially say I am a career lady and can start enjoying my life, my future and growing up.
If you want something, go and get it. Life isn't here to hand you anything for free, nor does it owe you anything. You earn what you get in life. So, be the best you can be, do the best you can do in everything you do and make the most of the people you have in your life - stop taking things for granted. Get up and do something, make yourself happy and achieve the life you deserve.
And the be nice to people? Just do it.
It's not hard, it's actually very, very easy and will make someone's day.
Again, been ignoring my blog a little bit recently! One minute I have writers block then I have about 5 things to blog about all at once, so, hopefully they'll be a lot more content being put up over the next few days!
Well, it's officially, I am (finally) a University of Chester Graduate... And, it feels AMAZING!
I had the best and most lovely day celebrating with my loved ones. It was the best feeling knowing that all the hard work had paid off and we were being recognised for the past three years, what a fabulous end!
When deciding my outfit for the day I wanted to make sure I got something that I could wear again and again and again, rather than something I would wear once and never wear again (over use of the word again, sorry about that!)
So, ASOS do dresses called 'wiggle dresses' and I have been an admirer for quite some time but they never have any in my size (boo-hoo!) but for some unknown reason a couple of weeks before Graduation I decided to look on the website again and low and behold, they have a wiggle dress, in my size, in an amazing colour and pattern that I knew I would wear afterwards - perfect!
It fit like a dream. Easily one of the best purchases I have made for a while! Seen as the dress was very busy with all the flowers and burgundy colour, I decided to keep it plain and simple for Grad, teaming it with nude peeptoe platforms, clutch bang and chandelier earrings, as I didn't want to take away from the beautiful pattern. I know I could wear this dress in the day, with some mid heels/loafers with my mac and it would look fantastic! I would recommend all girls, especially with curves, to go and purchase a wiggle dress. It is the comfiest dress I have ever worn, was a perfect length and hugged me in all the right places - what more could you ask for?
It was such a lovely day and I am so glad I can finally call myself a Graduate! :)
Good news time? Last week I found out I had got the job of my dreams - you are now looking at the new Digital Account Executive for The Fresh Group. I could not be happier! It's the best feeling in the world to feel like you're being rewarded for all your hard work. I am so glad I stayed determined and focused in my job hunting otherwise I would never have got this opportunity!
Here are some snaps from the day that I thought you might enjoy :)
Daddy Gorton & I
Mummy Gorton & I
A few shots of me in my cap and gown :)
(I had to change my shoes during the day so I didn't have sore feet!)
It's been a long time since I did a Motivational Monday blog post.
I no longer want to apologise for my lateness - I have come to the conclusion that, sometimes, I don't have the motivation myself to motivate others (human beings, eh?) so when I do blog... I want to make sure it's something meaningful and relevant to what I have heard people say/discuss. How can you motivate the motivatee?
Today's Motivational Monday is all about body image. A topic that surrounds are everyday being and our day to day lives. A topic that I, personally, have strong opinions about, and today, I wish to share them with you.
Over the years, from the ages of around 13 until now 21, I have struggled with my body image.
I have had moments of sheer weakness, self-loathing and disregarding myself as a 'fat, ugly mess'.
I have had moments of strength and feelings that I have overcome my demons and I am happy with who I am and the way I look.
I have also had moments where I seem to knock myself back down again and have to start from scratch.
The main word in this sentences is 'I'.
No one else makes you feel this way or makes you see yourself as a 'fat, ugly mess' - sure there are people in your lives who make it very difficult to see anything else but that comment and who fuel your negativity and tear you down rather than build you up. But ultimately, you are the only person who allows yourself to feel, act and think this way.
Over the years, I have taken it upon myself to be more positive. Be more proactive with my attitudes towards myself and other women. Be more happy and confident with what I have and not what I haven't.
So, there are two words I like to think of when looking at body image. Lots of people may disagree but a lot of people make agree, and if it changes some people's perception on the way they see themselves and their attitude then I know I have done what I was supposed to do.
The two words? Understanding
and Acceptance
Many people would say it's about changes. Changes in your attitude and changes in your mindset. Changes in your diet and exercise. Nope - the only changes you need to make are the ones I'm going to talk about right now.
Understanding?
Ok, so I bet many people when they see the word understanding would assume it's quite a patronising statement to make. That we need to understand about body shape, but we do. Body image is an education. A lesson that needs to be learnt as soon as possible, and with the right tools and teachers, can be a very easy topic to grasp and understand.
You must learn to understand your body shape. I would say I was a mix between a pear shape and an hourglass shape - which has it's good and bad points. This means I have a smaller upper body (small waist, fairly slimmer tummy and slimmer hips) but a huge ass (that could rival JLOs and Kimmy K) and pretty damn chunky thighs/calfs but my shoulders and hips are the same width apart which is wear the hourglass comes into play. So, over the years of self loathing and wishing I have slimmer legs, a more toned tummy and a smaller bum - one day I came to understand that that wasn't my body shape and never will be. If I was meant to be a skinny minnie, then I would be. I have fluctuated between sizes 8 - 14 and have found myself at a happy medium of a fairly healthy size 10 (I could probably do with losing a few inches for my BMI but I love cake too much!). It doesn't matter how much I exercise or eat healthily or how many inches I lose - I remain the same size. Comparing yourself to women who are not the same or have a similar body shape to you is automatically setting yourself up for a fall and a negative frame of mind. Look up to women who are curvy, or have a big bum or big boobs, or skinny legs! It doesn't matter whether you're a size 6 or a size 16 you have to UNDERSTAND your body shape and UNDERSTAND that you are who you are, if you were meant to look like someone else or be a different size you would be. A healthy mindset and an understanding of your body shape will give the best and positive step forward to accepting who you are.
Which is where acceptance comes into it.
Once you understand your body shape, find clothes/underwear that suit you and your figure you can move onto acceptance. Accepting yourself and others around you. By doing this will you (practically) stop comparing yourself to others. In my opening paragraph I mentioned how I could never write a motivational post without feeling motivated about a particular, relevant issue that I know affects many people. I also posed the question how can you motivate the motivatee? And I ask this question quite often, as I am very passionate about motivational speakers and looking for new role models, well it's easy... They're everywhere you look. My personal favourite is Instagram - its so easy to find fashion, beauty and motivational bloggers just at the click of a button! I follow so many plus size models and bloggers who provide me with inspiration every single day. I just think, why on earth would I compare and look up to women who are super fit or super skinny? Those women are equally as fabulous and they look incredible, but, I'm not super fit or super skinny so why would I look for motivation/positivity from women who look nothing like me! Be realistic and accept the body you have been given because you are beautiful, and there's no one in the world who can tell you different other than yourself.
We always want what we can't have. I'm not going to sit here and write that by doing both these things you will automatically love yourself and never have a bad day! Jeez, I still have my strops and fat days - ask anyone of my friends, they can be more often than not, but the fact I understand my body shape and accept who I am, it's so much easier to bounce back. I'll put on a dress and feel sexy, slim and happy with my body. Or someone will compliment me on what I am wearing which will automatically put a spring in your step - or you'll even find someone who finds you attractive even on days where you don't think/feel you are or decided not to wear as much make-up or wear baggy, scruffy, comfy clothes! And another thing, if you don't learn to understand and accept your body shape how can you have fun with fashion? After embracing my big bum and tiny waist, I now love (not all the time, like I say, I still have fat days) wearing pencil skirts and tight fitted dresses which show off my assests to the best of its ability.
Fashion has always meant to be fun not a chore! How can you possibly have fun if you're obsessing over looking like someone else! Be you because everyone else is already taken and simply because no one is better at being you than you!
I seem to be on top form with my outfit posts recently! Here's another one to feast your eyes on.
Today's look is a little 70's inspired - oversized blouse and flares? Match made in fashion heaven!
This leopard number is one of my all time favourite items in my wardrobe and I wear it with practically everything - jeans, trousers, pencil skirts, dungarees etc... It is fairly old and has seen better days (years old & has a small tear in the arm) but it goes with everything I own and I am a sucker for a bit of leopard print.
These wide leg trousers were a recent purchase from Miss Selfridge. As soon as I seen them in the front of the store I new I had to have them! I dressed them down with my Office Onward Platform heels and this leopard blouse, simple yet a really lovely day look. On a night out I would put them with a crop top and some super high wedges. They provide the perfect silhouette, cinching in my waist, sucking in my stomach and skimming over my bottom - a bottom curvy girls dream!
The only problem I would say I have with these trousers are the pleats in the front. Sometimes depending on how you stand or the way the trousers rouche up - it can be quite unflattering! But all in all, one of my favourite A/Q items in my wardrobe and I can't wait to try other shirts/tops/patterns!
