Typecast

Keeping ourselves busy, even amused, can often feel quite difficult; although there are plenty of means to keep entertained, sometimes the sheer number of options available can be overwhelming . Therefore it’s important to seek out activities that are among the most versatile, not only will they prove to be the most popular, but usually they are the more accessible. Seeing as our lives revolve almost entirely around our smart devices, then let's take a lot at some of the best online forms of recreation. Read Confessions I’m sure a lot of you have heard of apps like Whisper: they’re designed to allow users to spill their darkest secrets and confess to questionable acts, all while remaining anonymous. While on the surface it may not sound very entertaining, a lot of these stories are enormously funny, and allow you to escape from your own life for awhile. Laughter and humour is among the best forms of fun around, and what can be better than real life stories of it in action?...

We are just over half way thought the year and I've still not managed to settle into one notebook or diary. The Hobonichi Techo (mentioned in my  Planning in 2016  blog post) didn't totally resonate with me. I really liked the layout however I wasn't a huge fan of the paper (* hears all stationery aficionados draw a sharp intake of breath *) and I was missing my travellers notebook set-up.  I dipped in and out of other notebooks from time to time and ended up settling on the official  Bullet Journal Leuchtturm 1917  which was a gift from a friend. I'm making a conscious effort to see this notebook to the end however I still haven't found a particular set-up that gives me 'planner peace'. In the meantime, there's been a few notebooks that have caught my attention so I have tried and tested a couple. I'm a long-standing fan of  Dodopad   and used their Acad-Pad when working in education as it was easier to plan my work timetable alongside the...

For a long time I have been interested in the way in which the trend for e-cigarettes, or vaping, has grown. Marketed as an alternative to smoking cigarettes or as an aid to giving up smoking, part of my concerns stem from the way in which smoking was glamorised back in the 1920s and 1930s after smoking was originally associated with prostitutes and 'wayward women'. Clever marketing connected smoking to the growing independence of women and liberation movements along with sponsoring training sessions which taught women how to smoke delicately and lady-like! In 1923 as few as 5 percent of American women smoked, rising to 12 percent by 1923 and upwards of 33 percent by 1965. Although smoking related diseases were still rare for women in the 1950s, by the year 2000 more than 70,000 were dying per year in the USA with lung cancer surpassing breast cancer as the lead cause of cancer death in women in 1987  [ source ] . Fast forward to 2014 and vaping is hugely popular ....

You know me and notebooks... it's a total love affair. But I'm always on the lookout for something new and different and that's exactly what these Dreamday Journals are. Adopting the trend of stress-busting 'adult colouring', Laurence King Publishers have created six luxe notebooks which are unique in their layout and I was lucky enough to review two of them.  Each notebook has 100 pages (uncoated ivory paper) and you get a mixture of blank and patterned pages. The two notebooks I took a look at were the Japanese themed journal with its cherry blossom pink cover and leaf-and-wave designs and the Marrakech themed journal with the blue cover and Moroccan mosaic inspired patterns. In fact, you can have a proper sneak peek inside the journals by watching my video . These  Dreamday Journals  have quickly become my desktop jot pad because I have blank paper to hand to scribble notes on but then I can while away a few minutes when on the phone or jus...

Recently I mentioned in a video on YouTube (it was either this one or this one ) that my favourite style of pen to write with has to have a fairly thick barrel. I also had a bit of an epiphany because I realised that the reason for this is because of the way I hold my pen - balanced on my ring finger rather than my middle finger, therefore the thick barrel compensates for the difference in grip. So when choosing a pen to review from US-based pen retailer, Pen Chalet , it was only natural that I gravitate towards a larger sized barrel.  I also chose to review a rollerball rather than a fountain pen simply because I don't use my current fountain pens enough and wanted a good quality, everyday pen. A couple of reservations I had when accepting this review was that it was being transported from the USA to the UK so delivery time was something I was conscious of and whether custom duty charges would be applied.  As it was, I didn't need to be worried about either. Th...

It comes as no surprise to you that I'm a huge stationery fan and often nip into The Works in town to stroke notebooks have a look at the latest bargains. I should really remember that I can buy all the  stationery online  too though so here a list of some of my favourite recent buys and some other items that I've added to my wishlist.  Over the past few months I've bought all my art supplies for the Jennie Maizels Sketchbook Club course. The course itself teaches you to use multi-media to create different styles of sketches (see some of mine here and here ) so to find the supplies so cheap is an added bonus. Knowing how much I love sticky notes, a friend recently bought me this "Get The Message" writing pad set. I'm ignoring the recommended age of 6-12 and use the cuteness to brighten up my bullet journal! I adore all the collapsible storage boxes but I just had to own these London Underground ones, obviously!! I bought them a while back ...