B R H

LIFE'S LITTLE MUSINGS. . . . By Bethan Robertson Harris

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New Home Project | Kitchen Lookbook by bethanrobertsonharris featuring copper measuring cups

Nevvvorks colored lamp, $500 / Tom dixon lamp, $440 / Trina Turk LA geometric area rug / Royal Copenhagen porcelain dinner plate / Juliska gold plated silverware / NKUKU rustic dinner plate, $24 / Sur La Table copper measuring cup / Selfridges gold tone silverware, $21 / Kikkerland bar tool, $16 / Kelly Wearstler white home decor, $750 / Handmade home decor / Blue home accessory / By Nord white home accessory, $110 / Diptyque heart candle / Eichholtz gold furniture, $1,440 / Baleri Italia marble furniture, $585 / Colored furniture, $480

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Red on Black on Gold by bethanharris featuring black eye makeup

Cat eye sunglasses / Dramatic French Greek-Key Design Earpendants / NARS Cosmetics makeup powder brush / NARS Cosmetics liquid eye liner / Too Faced Cosmetics black eye makeup / Yves Saint Laurent ankle strap sandals

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C O M I N G  S O O N . . .

A BIG thank you to all of my followers for your patience… I haven’t vanished, just undergoing some behind the scenes changes with my brand new site coming soon!

A reshuffle here, a little tweaking there...some more tweaking... and we’ll be there! *she hopes!

Watch this space…

B R H 

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J U S T  S A Y  N O . . .

Can you? Will you? If I…? When I…?

More often than not is going to be a resounding yes.. whilst simultaneously fending off the ‘you haven’t got time’ ‘you really don’t want to’ ‘you’ve already said you would do this instead’ screams from the inside of my cranium.

Why, oh why, oh why, do I find it so difficult to say one of the shortest, simplest words…No.

I am guilty of all of the following…

I like to please

I really dislike conflict

I do care about people’s perceptions of me

I genuinely want to help

I’m flattered when asked for help from someone

I HATE the idea of lost opportunity

I easily, easily get overexcited!

When put in such a situation where I am forced to promise time, assistance, support etc my mind always runs through the above tick list resulting in an extra letter being added onto what should have been my answer, and turning it instead into a ‘yes’!

Don’t get me wrong I see no issue in helping others where possible and I have a huge amount of time for supporting those people who are important to me, or who deem my input important to what it is they want to achieve. I’m never going to be someone who puts my own time and needs always before others, but I do need to gain a little more grasp over this if I am in turn going to more effectively manage the things that really do matter.

Blurting out ‘yes’ has landed me in some rather awkward and frustrating situations over the years, it has also resulted in me having to let people down when a simple no in the first place would have been far less detrimental.  One of the key aspects of my career in marketing is to manage expectation, so why have I fallen so short of this at times when applied personally? (Eyes scan back to the guilty-of list.)

Just this week I was faced with a situation where the usual me would have shaken my head so much that the yes word came out. Instead I somehow managed to squeeze the ‘no’ word out. Discussing it with my partner that evening he asked me ‘did you not find it liberating?’…truthfully yes, I really did. There was no resounding negative reaction to my ‘no’, there were no repercussions, I didn’t feel like I had let anyone down and I didn’t go to bed that night feeling frustrated, stressed or pushed for time. In turn, by saying no on that occasion it opened up an opportunity that I felt far more positive about saying yes to.

We are all born with a level of empathy, a need to nurture and an inherent want to please (some more than others I should say!) I am very proud of the amount that I would be willing to assist another, however I am also conscious that I can often let other peoples priorities take precedence over my own. A little more time spent considering the essential from the non-essential, the unimportant from the unnecessary and the fear of saying ‘no’ from the reality of saying ‘no’ can only go towards empowering both myself and my relationships with others.

Someone once said to me that by saying no to something you aren’t letting yourself down or failing in any way, you are instead saying yes to something else that you deem genuinely important.

Cue my ringing mobile…I already know what the question is going to be, what’s important is my answer!

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S E L F I E S T E E M . . .

My latest musing featured a little further from home this weekend and found its way onto the online women magazine Queenic.com.

‘From women, for women’ this lifestyle and business publication reaches out to all women in aim to inspire and empower.

Going beyond the expect make up articles, celebrity gossip and monotonous style articles, Queenic instead features an array of subjects that all explore life on a deeper and more inspirational level. I have been truly inspired by the magazine and it was a huge honour to be given the opportunity to write my very own feature for Queenic. A community created by women, fed into by women and shared for women… It’s got my thumbs up!

You can read my latest article here…

SELFIESTEEM- What Does The Selfie Really Say About You?

Thank you to Queenic for this fantastic opportunity, and thank you to my readers for the likes, shares and messages so far!

BRH x

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T H E  B I G  'C' 

It’s one for the ladies...but it’s an important one.

I had many life plans for my 25th year…many of which I made at a much younger age before I had a clue about what life, careers, love and success were really all about. No matter how many plans you make for your quarter century…there’s one that’s already been made for you. That plan being the trip to your doctors for your first cervical smear.

Highly skilled when it comes to putting things off I was eight months into my 25th year before I finally got round to booking the appointment. It’s a daunting prospect travelling through twenty five years of your life before finally being tested for something that could have been lying without clear symptoms for any amount of time. I’ve read the headlines, I’ve heard the scaremongering, I’ve believed the Chinese whispers and I’ve passed them on. For me cervical cancer has always been a headline I’d avoid, a discussion I’d wriggle out of and a responsibility I’d shy away from.

If I’m honest it wasn’t strength of character, personal organisation or NHS prompts that made me pick up the phone. Two months ago a young model named Sophie-Jones died at the age of 19 from cervical cancer. For months she fought with crippling pains being refused the opportunity for a cervical smear purely because of her age. She was fighting for the opportunity to have a test that could have saved her life, whilst I was sat ignoring the opportunity that was offered to me on a plate.

In a plight to show girls the true extent of what this horrible disease can do to you and the importance of catching and treating it early, her inspiringly brave mother released an image of Sophie in her very last days. I had never before seen what cervical cancer could really do to you, and I hope to never fully understand but that image will stay with me forever. Sophie fought to be able to have the very same choice that each day I ignored.

It’s imperative that we work towards changing the law that will give all women of all ages the choice to be screened for this horrific disease. It’s also imperative that we realise the responsibility of age whilst the law still exists and make that step to book the test as soon as we are given the opportunity. I waited eight months before making my appointment, Sophie died just four months after being diagnosed. Time is everything.

The call to book my appointment was unobtrusive, the appointment was local, the nurse was comforting, caring and respectful, the procedure was painless and the results were speedy and in my case negative.

I read a statistic that stated over a third of women aged 25-29 have not yet had a smear test. I was part of that statistic…now I’m not. Book your appointment, get your friend, your sister, your colleague, whoever to book theirs too. It’s something we should all be able to talk about and it’s something we should all push each other to do. If not for yourself then for Sophie and every other young girl that one day will fight for the opportunity that we at the age of 25 are given freely.

In memory of Sophie her mother started a petition ‘Sophie's Choice’ calling for a change to the law giving all girls the choice. Today it has 320,938 signatures, and it needs more.

Book your appointment, sign the petition and tell a friend. You never know whose life you could save.

Sophie’s Choice | Sign The Petition: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62385

Cervical Cancer | Need To Know : http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/cervical-cancer/

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D O  S W E A T   I T  . . .

37,000… an almighty number whatever it’s appropriated to. Today the All Party Commission assigned this number to the amount of people that die prematurely each year in the UK due to lack of exercise.

Bagel in mouth, coffee in hand, bum parked on the sofa... this headline burst across my tv during my morning routine.  My immediate response was to defend myself in every way possible and convince myself that this week’s worry-headline doesn’t apply.

I’m 25, of slim build, drink moderately and very lucky when it comes to health…..but exercise is my demon. When it comes to headlines discussing nutrition, weight, exercise, health etc I very easily allow myself to fit into the position of an outsider, with no visible signs otherwise I convince myself that the issue doesn’t relate.

I rarely do exercise, in the past couple of months I have been on three runs, attended four yoga classes, been on 10-15 walks and persuaded my boyfriend to bring the stomach master down from the loft simply so I could use it once…whilst drinking a glass of wine. That does not an athlete make!

2.5 hours of exercise are outlined as the weekly guideline….. Obviously I immediately start appropriating walking around the shops, running late from the car to the office, and those seven or so sit ups I did before going out bearing my midriff that one time. Pure and utter denial, and don’t I know it!

I loved exercise when I was younger, horses, hockey, netball, CRICKET! Totally rubbish at pretty much all of it but the enthusiasm was always there.  Nowadays it simply goes on the list of things that I’ll get round to one day when I have the time. I have however started to take a little more notice of the shock tactics of the media…last week I undertook the obligatory ‘your 25 now’ doctor’s appointment, added seven more carrots to my shopping basket and limited my gin intake to only the Saturday. Exercise is one that I know I will put off in any way possible, but I know it’s the one thing that if I can somehow convince myself to face up to, I’ll reap the benefits.

So I’ve tried running… Yes I have all the kit and have even considered buying a £110 pair of trainers because due to usage that’s justified! Yes it feels like street by street my body is slowly shutting down to the point that I’m moving backwards quicker than I am forwards. Yes I run like Linford Christie when a car passes or heaven forbid there is another pedestrian on the road. Yes I clatter to the floor in a heap when I am convinced nobody is watching. The point is that when we think of exercise, we immediately jump to the obvious outlets complete with their excuses: the gym (expensive), running (knee health), cycling (at 25 I don’t yet own a shed.)

If however you actually tap into what it is you enjoy and the fact that the seasons are turning in our favour you will see that there are many ways you can achieve you 2.5 hours without a membership, expensive equipment, or a love of sport in any way shape or form! Just because my body might not have started to show any signs yet…my dying wildebeest act/5 minute run to the shop, is enough to tell me that I need to get myself moving a little more. 2.5 hours a week more to be precise!

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B E H I N D  T H E   F I L T E R . . .  

The time has come….. after some deliberation I have arrived at the decision that one of the main relationships in my life has to come to somewhat of an end. Scarily enough that relationship happens to be with a social media giant in the form of Instagram.

I’ve had a strong Instagram presence for some time, regularly updating, liking, following and at times networking. I’ve built up over 2000 photos about my life, some vain, some personal, some emotional, some funny, some reflecting the past and some focusing on the future. A few weeks ago a follower commented on a photo with ‘You live the perfect life’….that comment has haunted me ever since. Those words certainly set my mind thinking about the boundaries of privacy and the extent to which we are truly willing to open up our lives for all to see.

I love my little life, it’s certainly far from perfect but I love to cherish and remember moments big and small. For me instagram has always been a way to record these and I now have a visual bank of a full spectrum of moments built up over the months since becoming a user.

There is something both liberating and epically scary about being able to look back at your year through a succession of photos fed live to the world.

Since starting my blog I’ve given myself a platform to think and open up about my thoughts, fears, passions and interests. It feels true to express myself in that way….and in turn has emphasised how untrue a reflection visual platforms such as Instagram have come to be. Through the click of a few buttons and a carefully selected filter we transform into photographers, chefs, models, therapists, style gurus…you name it! The prospect of living, loving, connecting, conversing all through the screen of a phone is certainly an unsettling one but one that appears to be gaining growing acceptance by the day.

The boundaries have been blurred and I too have at times crossed them revealing more about my life visually than I would be comfortable to on any other platform. When you scroll down a homepage full of selfies, quotes, couples and food pics there seems no harm in adding another to that list and I have done it tenfold. Over the time that I have followed Instagram I have seen the nature of the images change as identities merge and morals lapse. The main goals are now to promote ones wealth, beauty, success, relationship and eating habits (on top of many others.)

You can approach anything with an overly idealistic and moral outlook, I’m not sat here trying to preach about my planned demise of Instagram, but more to put my hands up to a realisation that I have become part of a world that is fuelling greater issues with self-esteem, privacy and adding pressure to an already highly materialistic society. These concerns apply to every social media platform, but never more so than one which focuses solely on the pressures of conveying your life visually in the most attractive way possible.

It takes a little shift now and again to make you step outside of normality and reflect on what’s important, for me the after taste of such a competitive, superficial and addictive platform isn’t quite so sweet when I really think about the wider picture (excuse the pun!) 

I’m not going to walk away completely, there are friends and relationships that I have built over many months on this platform from all over the world. There is also a very enjoyable and beautiful side to Instagram that has created global networks of people sharing inspiring images and re-connecting through photography. It is this side of the platform that I love and this is where its strength lies, over time the superficiality will burn off and there will be a new craze to quench that thirst.

No I’m not leaving it completely…but I will however now approach it with somewhat of a different mindset. What I really want is to see a bit more of this world through my own eyes, I want to go out for dinner without my phone, I want to cook a fabulous meal and dive straight into it, I want to drastically transform my very scary make up free face and not post it for the world to see. When I wake up tomorrow and feel happy in the mirror, or comforted by my coffee or inspired by something I have read…I’m going to keep it to myself, the only ‘like’ I really require is my own.

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L O V E   Y O U R   L O C A L . . .

It’s just after 1pm and I’m doing the lunch run. I know my route, I know where I want to go and I’m driving on autopilot….did I know that there’s four independent sandwich deli’s that I pass on the way? No, not till today.

The three most important things to consumers fall under the headers of money, time and quality. Nine times out of ten when attempting to get the most value out of each we would arrive at a national chain/outlet. Perception is the key word here, and it’s something that is becoming easier and easier to manipulate and in doing so displace reality. I could easily embark on a debate about our increasingly homogenized world, but this started with a sandwich so I’m going to keep it light.

Do you support your local? Essentially no, would be my answer. I’m lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of Cheshire where local produce and successful independent businesses are right on my door. I have however fallen victim to the seductive and advert driven view that speed, variety, value and quality are achieved or found through the national chains. I apply this opinion when purchasing clothes, groceries, electrical goods, toiletries etc but where this doesn’t apply is when it comes to selecting a restaurant. Suddenly my attraction differs, I’m happy to drive an extra few miles, pay a higher price and wait a few minutes longer to receive something that’s local and unique. When it comes to experience we bump up the importance of quality and variety, when it comes to necessity we’re all about speed and value. I stand my ground in the importance of supporting local businesses when it comes to eating out…I then lose all argument when I food shop at the largest possible chain that I can find. Different priorities are always going to be applied, however the same moral reasons should remain constant.

With the best intentions at heart, the idea of considering the bigger picture always falls victim to convenience. Ironically that need for convenience results in me totally neglecting my local ‘convenience store.’ In an attempt to alter my patronage and have a little more conscience when it comes to my local community I’m going to hunt out the gems. Those overlooked smaller businesses that unlike the large chains have a natural interest in the health of the community.

If you love where you live remember the sustainability of that is in your hands. If it means you have to leave a little earlier, assign a few more pennies, or bite your lip when Mrs Smith buys the last box of eggs… try it. Even if it’s just at the weekends, or only on a Thursday pick a day, a week, a month and love your local.

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H A V E   A   V O I C E . . .

It’s been just over a month since I avoided every other thing on my 2014 to-do-list and found myself left with ‘start a blog’. Thank you to each and every person who has taken a couple of minutes out of their day to read a post or have a quick look at my page. Writing forms both a passion and a career for me, and being able to discuss my interests, opinions, thoughts and inspirations has been a fantastic and rewarding experience so far.

Day to day life forces you to scan over things and come to conclusions and opinions in a matter of seconds, therefore it’s been incredibly cathartic to force myself to stop, think and consider life to a slightly greater detail.

I hope that my blog will continue to provide you with small snippets and musings of life and inspire you to do, think, read, visit, travel, cook and many more. Your opinions are greatly welcomed both positive and negative and if there is anything you’d like to see featured, discussed, reviewed or devoured please do get in touch!

Thank you again, it’s wonderful to have a voice albeit a teeny-tiny one and even more so to know that it has in some way been thought provoking to even just one of you!

B R H x x x

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I S  I T  T E A  Y O U ' R E  L O O K I N G  F O R ?

I've already held my hands up to my coffee addiction, but being a true Brit at heart it feels wrong not to even give a brew a mention! Where coffee ignites, tea soothes and comforts. My love of coffee is simple but my love of tea…well it’s complicated!

My office desk is stacked high with an array of teas, my preferences fluctuating daily. I have however managed to button town my top five favourite teas that I couldn't be without… and sharing’s caring!

EARL GREY – My all-time favourite, a perfect blend of black tea infused with the flavour of bergamot orange rind and citrus. Serving preference: Hard brewed 4-6 minutes, slice of lemon and accompanying cake (obligatory.)Twist: If you haven’t already tried Heston Blumenthal’s Earl Grey and lemon infused gin exclusive to Waitrose…you haven’t lived! 

JASMINE DRAGON TEARS - First discovered in a beautiful little boutique tearoom in Alnwick, this luxurious tea is a form of green tea, made from the top two leaves and bud of the new season growth.Serving preference: 5-7 minutes, with its hint of Jasmine the aroma is to die for! I don’t complicate it with food, this one stands alone.

DARJEELING – Quite simply exquisite! Grown in ancient tea gardens high in the mountains always keep a look out for the unique logo to ensure the leaves haven’t been blended with others.Serving preference: It’s a delicate tea so treat it that way, 3-4 minutes tops! Twist: It’s just as delicious as an iced drink, brew stronger, poor over ice and leave to cool.

WHITE TEA -  The baby of the tea world, white tea comes from the baby leaves giving it a delicate and sweet flavour. Serving preference: Always use fresh water, again it’s another one that requires a stronger brewing time of up to 8 minutes.

PEPPERMINT TEA – The nurse of the tea world, not only does it taste wonderful but its healing powers can soothe and calm the most irritated stomach and mind!Serving preference: It gets to work quickly, needing only 2-4 minutes! The perfect after dinner drink or before bed warmer.

I’m always impressed with the breadth of teas offered now at all major supermarkets, however if you are struggling to find any of the above I do recommend ordering from www.teapigs.com. Their collection is extensive including all of the above, along with many, many more. Plus they are doing wonderful things with their ethical scheme so order today and build your top 5 too! 

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A B U  D H A B I  |  T R A V E L  D I A R Y

It pains me to even write this post in the past tense at the realisation that the holiday has been and gone, but it would be wrong of me not to share some of the highlights of my recent travels to Abu Dhabi. I’ll state at the onset I wasn’t totally sold on the idea of Abu Dhabi…I had it down as a showy cultural void with far too long a flight journey and that dry over consuming heat. I’m admitting right now that I had it so so wrong.

In a nutshell, our March visit to Abu Dhabi provided a complete and utter blissful release from the hectic, overworked months of 2014 so far. We dined like kings, gorged on a plethora of exquisite cocktails, and experienced some of the most beautiful sights that the middle east has to offer.

If it happens to be your summer vacation…or its on the list, here are a few of our highlights!

D I N E . . .

USHNA

I’ll make a very big claim here that Ushna restaurant may hold one of the most breath-taking views I have ever experienced. Recommended by two close friends on the day that we arrived to Abu Dhabi, Ushna was the only restaurant that we hadn’t pre-booked and planned for. Arriving at the restaurant in the Shangri La Hotel we graced the bar starting the night in usual fashion with an array of stunning cocktails whilst our table was prepared. Nothing quite prepares you for the view as we walked to our table. Lit only by candlelight and the glow of the stunning Grand Mosque gives a somewhat ethereal feel to everything about this restaurant, diners half mesmerised by the view that ripples back across the water. If you can draw yourself away from the view for a few minutes to enjoy the exquisite indian inspired food, you certainly won’t forget it. I will repeat, one of the best meals in the most beautiful setting that I have ever experienced. It is an absolute must visit for anyone embarking on a visit to Abu Dhabi, and it will be the first place on my list when I return.

HAKKASAN

If a visit to the Emirates Palace itself isn’t awe inspiring enough, the tucked away gem of Hakkasan that it hides down one of its many gilded corridors can’t fail to impress. A maze of beautifully crafted oriental framework meanders around this sophisticated eatery, set in darkness with a subtle blue glow that resonates around the space. The cocktail bar is endless, everyone catered for as you are assigned your own mixologist. The food is exquisite, rich and luxurious, inspiring on both the eye and the tongue! This comes highly recommended for a special occasion, the perfect place to start off the night amongst the elite EmiratI.

55 & 5th

We can’t go anywhere without insuring the inclusion of a steak house….this isn’t your average steak house! Set in the beautiful grounds of the St Regis, 55&5th brings high end New York to your Abu Dhabi doorstep. The impeccable and informed service of our maître d' and sommelier brought the most beautiful meal to our candlelit table, each course entwined with an amuse-bouche, palette cleanser or sweet temptation to die for! The steak was perfection and the truffle risotto tasted quite simply like gold!! Such luxurious dining does come at a price, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend such a memorable experience to anyone looking for that something special.

S T A Y  . . .

We stayed at one of Antara Groups most recent ventures, The Eastern Mangroves Spa Hotel. The service was faultless, accommodation impeccable and probability of us returning impeccably high.

Other hotels that we would highly recommend are the Shangri-La, St Regis and Ritz Carlton.

D R I N K . . .

In no particular order…just make sure you visit all five!

Pearls and Caviar 

55 & 5th Bar

Hakkassan Cocktail Bar

Skylite Lounge, Viceroy

Havana (Emirates Palace)

V I S I T  . . .

The Grand Mosque- It might be tempting to never vacate the pool area between the hours of 8am-5pm…but make sure you spare a couple of hours to visit this beautiful mosque. I can’t bear the thought of visiting a new country and not taking in at least some of its culture. You won’t be disappointed.

Emirates Palace- Seven star hotel complete with some of the best restaurants and bars that the Emirate has to offer. Pay it a visit and why not purchase a gold bar on your way out (as you do!)

Monte Carlo Beach Club- Blue and yellow perfection! By sea or by pool it’s an oasis that you must visit! You don’t even have to leave your lounger to dine on their delicious poolside menu! Spare a day and enjoy!

Where it lacks in ‘culture’ it makes up for in exquisite detail, luxurious hospitality, variety and consistent quality of service across each and every establishment. It’s a sparse desert decorated with some of the most beautiful gems of hospitality, retail therapy, fine dining and serene pampering....get it on your list!

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A R M C H A I R   D E T E C T I V E S . . . 

  Anyone who knows me well will know how accurately this title can be appropriated to me. I’m fascinated by the news, often voicing my own opinion as fact and updating family members, work colleagues, manicure technicians and supermarket cashiers (to name but a few) on the current catastrophe updates just in case they missed them. It’s not just me, the amount of people worthy of this title is growing by the day.

Our appetite for news, urgency for speedy updates and deep rooted interest in the ‘inside story’ is growing. The harrowing story of the Malaysian air mystery of flight MH370 is just one example, albeit the most current to come under the scrutiny of the large population of armchair detectives.

There’s a conspiracy theory for almost everything, fed on at some point or another by the media in a variety of ways. They’ve been around long before the web existed, however, never ever have they been spread so easily with the simple click of a button. Our impatience for news and updates is short-lived forcing many to turn to their own exploration of the why’s, what’s, how’s and where’s.

Technology is allowing us to advance beyond the realms of simply posting theories, Tomnod, a global search site powered by Digital Globe has taken on the Malaysian air mystery as its current project. Entering the homepage you are offered four choices to join in the search ‘Help search satellite images for.. Oil Slick, Wreckage, Raft, Other….’ I can’t go as far as to say it’s sensationalising the catastrophe but there is something incredibly unsettling about it.

The idea of joining in a search party again isn’t new, the rallying of everyday people happens all over the world. Crowdsourcing is the term used to describe the process of obtaining services by soliciting contributions from large groups of people. Millions took to it online last year in a response to the Boston bombings, which resulted in a witch hunt that spiralled very quickly out of control. Crowdsourcing company Reddit were forced to publicly apologise to the families involved and re-asses what appeared at the time to be a naively thought out service underestimating the power of the web.

The responses are not all negative however, the process initially designed for commercial use has been promoted by scientists as a way to gather and asses more reliable data, and they make specific reference to the positive use of it in catastrophe’s such as the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

The increase of a team of searchers to a global scale is undoubtedly a positive, but my concerns lie with the foreseeable manipulation of such processes and availability of power granted to each and every one of us. We are always going to have an opinion on every news story, often going to read between the lines and rarely ascertain absolute truths from the media. What happens when our involvement goes beyond opinion, when it feeds directly into groups and authorities involved?

While it remains a search party, there will always be negatives and positives to each and every situation that crowdsourcing attempts to assist. To think that the growth of online search parties involving everyday people in global catastrophes won’t adapt and transmute into something far far beyond this is a naive thought.

Desensitisation when it comes to the news is subject in itself, but it does play a part here. It is not in the process but in the motives that my uneasiness is fed, in the need to be involved, in the dissatisfaction of leaving it to the professionals and in the ever growing idea that the barriers of access are lessening by the day. 

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L I F E  B E G I N S  A F T E R  C O F F E E . . .

There’s no doubt about it…the world is obsessed! Lifeline, fashion accessory, breakfast essential, socialising excuse or evening invitation…whatever it’s used for, it’s all around!

I have a date with COFFEE every morning, without fail, it’s one of my few constants. With a long commute ahead of me each day it’s an absolute necessity, or so I have convinced myself.

Two years ago a cup of coffee had not passed my lips, I was religious to my love of Earl Grey and that was that. Since then I have taken on more high pressured roles and with that has come the inevitable business statement that is the coffee cup in hand. I've found myself picking a lunch break café for its coffee rather than its food and often posting an instagrammed pic. But why are we now so reliant on coffee? Is it really all down to work pressures and ‘not enough hours’? Is it all in the statement of being seen drinking a luxury brand or appearing to be an at home connoisseur? The reasons for turning to coffee are countless.

My real interest is the coffee cup as a statement. This isn't a new concept, Starbucks have absolutely dominated the luxury coffee brand market for years and the white cup and green logo is not just a recent fashion accessory. With the rise of social media and increasing surge of image based platforms, coffee along with selfies, food pics and today's outfit posts are at their peak. I’m one of millions who have posted, hash tagged, tweeted, and liked all of the above, but how does a hot drink position itself alongside high end luxury goods in the market to an audience of people competing to promote wealth beauty, success and happiness? A Birkin, a Porsche, a red hot manicure….you know what the picture is missing! It’s a marketers dream, as one myself I’m not about to start discussing this from a business perspective, however the trend is fascinating.

The obsession goes beyond fashion with an ever increasing reliance on coffee in the workplace. I've often panicked that I've grown a second head when turning down the offer of an afternoon cup of coffee in the office from the looks that have been thrown my way. Turn on any drama, film, documentary that in any way references an office workplace and I assure you nearly all will feature a little white cup somewhere or another.

The connotations are endless; success, power, sex, style, wealth, power, travel. You name it, in some way or another you can link coffee to it! The innocent little cup is even used as a final stepping stone to inviting that someone up for a little more than just dinner (I don’t know anyone that’s done that with the offer of a brew, hot water or cuppa soup!) The power of the coffee bean is unstoppable.

It’s a trend that I’m happy to be a part of, I love it, drink it in moderation and would miss my Sunday morning view of my boyfriend brandishing a cup to coax me out of bed. Next time I happen to get a Starbucks timed with a manicure I will probably post a picture. On Friday when we have our print deadline and someone does the coffee round I won’t dare say no. How a little boiled drink and a few coffee beans grew to become such a powerful commodity and global statement I will never know….But it makes me smile. When it comes to coffee, I’m a baffled conformist, and comfortable to stay that way for the time being, cup in hand.

http://gb.pinterest.com/pin/350225308494490519/

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I N S P I R A T I O N   E X I S T S …

I recently lost someone who I will always hold as one of my biggest inspirations. Whether it’s a person, a passion, a place or an emotion there is something inside all of us driving us along.

Inspiration exists everywhere and can be found in everything but only you know when something triggers the fire inside you to follow through with an idea or a dream. I was never the brightest, nor the most organised, nor the most confident human being… but I did have a passion. That passion propelled me through school, university and into the world of working life. Over time that passion has been masked, neglected, and unfulfilled…but it never left me. I share that passion with some of the most important people to me, it has given me some of the proudest moments of my life, it’s given me purpose, provided escapism and driven success.

It shouldn’t have taken the loss of such a huge inspiration to make me realise how much I miss something that I owe so much to. We all have a passion and we all know how easy it is to neglect it.

If you do one thing today…remember what inspired you. 

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T H E  S O C I A L  S C E N E . . .

Let’s face it, none of us would like to know the ratio of how many hours we give away a day to social media. I work in marketing, and social media has come to play a prolific part in each and every day.

Whether it’s for personal or professional use, there’s a platform out there for everyone and everything and it's always useful to stay ahead of the trends, so what's on the horizon...

Let’s go disposable... Disposable content is on the rise, if you thought Snapchat was simply for sending inappropriate, unflattering and unexpected images…you were wrong.

Closing in…Smaller, closed and walled networks are set to rise as the necessity for targeted groups dominate.

It’s personal...The nature of interactions are becoming more personal, we all need to listen a little closer, connect a little deeper.

Engage me…The emphasis on likes and shares begins alter as we move towards the importance of engaging with our audiences on new levels.

Brand banter…The importance of a bit of B2B humour is key. If you haven’t already come across this example, take a read!  http://www.buzzfeed.com/scottybryan/this-is-the-best-twitter-conversation-you-will

Real time…. Responding to real time is key, if it’s happening now, we need it now.

Whether or not you are ready to embrace it…the importance of social media isn’t lessening any time soon! There’s no harm in keeping adrift of the foreseeable developments whether applied personally or professionally.

Tweet, pin, post, favourite…you name it, we all do it!

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T I M E T O T I M E …

"Time…something I most certainly don’t have enough of…"

That’s a phrase I’m sure most of us would find ourselves agreeing with at some point or another. Whatever the enormity of the task we continue to put off or not achieve, rest assured time is most definitely at the front of the effecting factors. Time isn’t going any quicker, nor is it passing by any slower it’s one of the few things in life every one of us dreams to stop, pause, slow or hurry….and never will. The possible depths of discussion are huge, however as I have assigned a visual Beyoncé reference to this post I will limit myself appropriately!

I am in a constant battle between wishing time to slow and wishing time away, eternally a victim to the past or future because the present is fleeting.

Work is harder, hours grow longer, commutes extend, sleep shortens…. till most are simply living for the weekend. Work is more often than not held responsible for taking away time, so much so that we attach coaxing mechanisms to the working days to hurry them along. Monday (we all have our own names for that day), Wednesday hump day, and TGIF is well and truly tagged to Friday. I’m guilty of it, I’ve just refreshed my holiday countdown app which is now shouting SIX DAYS TO GO at me.

Our to-do-lists vary, whether they are built up over years or created daily there are always tasks that will be rolled over another day, another month or another year. We postpone the ordinary in a quest for the extraordinary, the dreams, the goals….and then blame time for not achieving any of them.

As a little girl I wanted to be old enough to kiss a prince, as a teenager I wanted to be old enough to have my own place, in my youthful looking early twenties I wanted to stop being asked for ID and right now there’s many new things that I want that will come with time and age.

We constantly wish and wish for more, for the next step, for the next achievement and as time passes it grants many of those things. One day though time will start to take things away, little by little. I hope at that stage I am able to look back and see that I stopped long enough to marvel at the ordinary, enjoy the day to day and to the best of my ability made the most of each and every second….. and if I didn’t quite achieve that goal, or visit that city, hang that picture or update my bloody LinkedIn…I do hope that time wasn’t the reason.

Image pinned from: http://gb.pinterest.com/pin/350225308494588228/