All posts filed under: Writer Spotlight

Laughter Looks Good on You

Published by

Originally posted on This, That and the Other Thang:
I love my laugh. It’s probably one of my favorite things about me. (I know, in a society that values modesty above all other things, that’s not exactly something that you’re supposed to say. You’re not supposed to have favorite things about yourself; other people can have favorite things about you and give you compliments and you take them graciously, but you never admit that you agree. Well, I think that’s kind of silly, because if you love something about yourself, you should own it. But I digress.) Someone once told me that my laugh is the kind of thing people know they’ve earned, that makes them feel good about themselves, because they feel like they were genuinely funny enough to earn such a reaction. It’s a loud laugh, obnoxious at times and certainly the direct opposite of sexy (boy, I’m really selling this thing, aren’t I?) because I’ve never been able to learn how to make it quieter and I’ve never bothered to try. I’ll giggle…

Film Review – The Dressmaker (2015)

Published by

Originally posted on Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys):
The Dressmaker Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse Based on the novel by Rosalie Ham Starring Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving Review by Jordan The Dressmaker is Shakespeare told via the dusty outcrops of rural ‘50’s Australia. When the well-travelled (nay, exiled) Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet) returns home to the insular outback town of Dungatar, she brings with her not only haute couture and the ability to entrance footballers like the song of the siren, but also the intent of a femme fatale, whose desire to uncover the mysteries of her tragic past is weighed down by her little-explored but obviously troubling (and bleakly amusing) childhood curse. Tilly’s relationship with her reclusive, alcoholic mother Molly (Judy Davis in an excellent performance) bears the scars of intimate lies and an innate desire to rectify them, and reluctant connection to rugged local Teddy (Hemsworth) shows a capacity to escape her emotional confides if only her aura of bad luck could be broken. Macbeth, then, is the most…

Surprise Trip to San Francisco

Published by

Originally posted on for the love of nike:
My husband surprised me with a trip to San Francisco last weekend to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. What better gift could a girl ask for?! Over the course of the weekend we ate, drank, and walked (51 miles) to our hearts’ content. We stayed at the Hotel Adagio. This little boutique feeling hotel is owned by Marriott. They were so sweet–giving us a room with a view and a bottle of wine on the house. (Note the giant tiger mural by Nychos. You’ve got a great view of it from there.) Our first stop was Lombard Street. You know, that bizarre crooked street that people actually drive down (amazingly without hitting the gaggles of tourists)? You have to love (and hate) the typography of San Francisco. It creates the most beautiful architectural reactions (and gives you hella blisters). Get a load of those giant wheels spinning cables below. That’s how the famous SF cable cars work. We hopped on (each trip costs $7) and made our way…

The Pros and Cons of Event Work

Published by

Last week I worked 12 hours as a bar staff worker for a festival in North London. I got the job through an events agency, which typically post events throughout the year (mostly in Summer) that you can sign up and work. You get paid minimum wage, work long hours on your feet, have to deal with difficult and often irate drunk people and if you’re lucky you’ll get two fifteen minute breaks. But on the plus side, you will make around £80-90, you will make friends, you will gain experience and you’ll be forced to be physically active. If you want to make a bit of extra cash or your employment history is noticeably blank and you’re willing to try anything, here is my list of pros and cons to consider before you attempt this line of work.

How I Planned a Trip Around the World

Published by

Originally posted on Run Adventurouslee:
Many of my friends and followers have asked me over the past few months how I started planning my trip around the world.  My trip started off with my decision to volunteer abroad somewhere.  I started looking up volunteer abroad programs, and came across International Volunteer Head Quarters, and decided that they seemed like the best volunteer program to go through.  IVHQ had a lot of countries and programs to apply for, and I wanted to try and do programs that were more related to what I went to school for (Environmental Science).  All of this research started in April 2015 and originally was just going to be a two week trip.  I applied for an Environmental volunteer program based out of Italy for 2 weeks, was super excited to do it and put down my registration fee to ensure my spot – only to find out that they just changed the program length to a minimum of 4 weeks.  At that time, I only planned on taking 2 weeks…

29 in 29: Life Lessons and Self-Discovery

Published by

The questioning, the learning, the mistakes, the discovery and frustrations—It has been a wild ride so far, guys! But many, many life lessons later, I can wholeheartedly say I have never felt more comfortable being who I am today.I wake up excited to get my breakfast on! Well, that, and to experience what each day has to offer: to continue to learn something new, to be inspired, and to experience the awe that this amazing life has to give. I recently turned the big 2-9. I know! I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that one. So in celebration of my last year in my 20’s, here are 29 Life Lessons that I’ve learned thus far: 1. Learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Risks are where magic sparks, y’all. 2. Laugh. Play. Be … Love, love, love! 3. Be patient with yourself. All the quirks, the uncertainties, the aspects that make you different; they’ll come together, support you, and may even become your biggest asset. 4. No matter how many times you may …