Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everybody!
Unfortunately I can't go trick or treating this year, because I am busy with school work, but I'll be going to the cinema to see Quantum of Solace this evening - I'll give a review at the weekend.
If you're doing anything over halloween, I'd love to hear!




In other news, this blog got accepted to BuyBlogReviews. They have loads of opportunities, all I need to do is "bid" on an offer, and if they like my blog and my price, I'm accepted and getting paid. Payment is sent every two weeks to Paypal.

It's Snowing in October!

It snowed last night, at about 9-11pm. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it, and I am so thrilled! However, I accidentally deleted the photos I took last night, but I have one from this morning- unfortunately it's all ice.

In 2006, it snowed on February 8th, and now it's snowing in October? Before Halloween? Still, I'm not complaining- I hope it snows some more closer to Christmas!

Fun Craft Projects for the Christmas Season

We're starting to enter the commercial christmas season, and all the shops are determined to get you spending. But it's possible to set the christmas atmosphere without the expense. Here are some fun and free christmas projects on the web, targeted at crafters of any ability.

Make a corkboard display - link
This helpful and detailed guide gives you tips on how to make your own moodboard or photoboard. Making a display board is very fun, and it's a nice way to display your life in pictures. I have my own board, filled with models, people I aspire to, things that make me laugh, and postcards from places I've visited.

Knit a scarf - link
With knitting becoming more and more popular, it is very easy to find a pattern online and knit something. But if you're new to knitting, it might be easier to start with a simple project- such as a scarf. And your friends will appreciate the warmth over the winter, too!

Windowsill Critters - link
These cute critters are easy to make and help keep the temperature up- they will be a popular gift, but you might not want to give them away!

No-Sew Sachets - link
Sachets are easy to make, and filled up with fragrances and tied with festive ribbons, will be very well-received. These don't even need to be sewn!

Sequin Ball - link
This is quite a simple, if time-consuming, project, but the effect can be stunning. Give as a gift, or hang around the house.

Halloween + Green : Etsy Picks

Some Etsy items I noticed whilst browsing (=

Do you like happy endings?

I was recently watching "The Count of Monte Cristo" on TV, and the plot is a beautiful one. Towards the end, I was yearning for the happy ending - I would have been really disappointed if the "long lost" young lover hadn't ended up with the countess and his illegitimate son. If her husband had managed to kill the father of his wife's son... I would've been very upset.
Does this make me a romantic? Perhaps, but I love the traditional happy ending.

An example of a sad movie was Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Ignorant little me had not yet read the book, yet proceeded to watch the television series made by the BBC. The story kept getting sadder and sadder, but I still continued to watch... Then it ended. And no prince came along to save the day (and Tess)... there was no last-minute pardon. That upset me very much.

What about you? Do you like twists? Or happy endings?

What Motivates You?

As I start up my blog again, I thought to myself: "Why do I do this?" As I do big jobs to earn a few pounds, I think "Why bother save up for a doll and use all my energies?" and I wonder what motivates me to do the things I do. I will pick the example of blogging, because it probably relates to most users.
Why do you blog?
Is it for money? The thought of an income?
Is it to vent out?
Is it to discover yourself as a person?
To keep in touch with friends and family when you're travelling?
To get the news out about your business... or your religion... ?
Or to connect with other people who share your hobby?
If it is a mixture of reasons, what is the main reason? Is there another reason you blog? You may find it does shape your blog ^^

I think the reason I blog is a mix... It is not for my real life friends, but I hope to make new friends through my blogging (which sites like entrecard help).
It may be, in the future, to tell people about services I offer - art commissions and hand-sewn items.
I want to find out about talented people on the web and tell other people.
I use the blog as motivation, too, for saving up money. For completing projects, etc.
I also hope to make some money from blogging, but that is a nice aside.

So what about you?

Does God Really Exist? : Feature

I normally don't choose to make a blog post simply about another person's blog post- it can be repetetive - but I really wanted to show you this post.
It is about a barber who was complaining about God. He said "God can't exist if there is all this suffering." The customer didn't want to argue, so he kept quiet. Then he saw a man with unkempt and wild hair outside. The customer turned to the barber and said "Barbers can't exist! Look at that man, he has bad and uncut hair." The barber replied "Yes, but he has not come to me to get his hair cut. That is why his hair is bad." The customer then said "Because not everybody comes to God, there is suffering"
Or that was the basic structure of the story. I really liked this story, because I feel that I and many others are searching for a reason for suffering. It is hard to believe in a God when there is death and illness everywhere. But this little story gives a nice little "explanation", if you like.

Go read the full story here...

I'm Back!

Over the last few weeks I've been very on and off... ill, then better, but busy and catching up.

Anyway, I have a target. I want to post at least 3 articles or posts each week until January. I also have something I am saving up for ! A ball jointed doll from iplehouse. (see right for picture)

She costs about $375 for the body + makeup, $60 for her first outfit, and $25 for her hair. In total this is $485, and that doesn't include shipping, which will probably be another $25 to the UK. My estimated total is $500. And that converts to £315.
I've recently got a job, which includes tutoring a little girl once a week or every other week - £5 a session. I'll be getting £5 a week allowance, and at Christmas I'll probably get £25 from grandparents and if I don't ask for anything big, £50. So, really, I'm getting a lot of help with it.
£5 a week until Christmas is £50, and Christmas money is £75. That leaves me £200 to earn.
Here is how I'm going to earn it:
- Paid blogging posts? Maybe one or two a week, if i get accepted. ( £20)
- Mylot - I'm close to the $10 payout and will reach it by christmas (£5)
- Foxcash - A PTC I have a decent balance at due to referrals, I just need to reach the clicking requirement... which may take a while - 250 clicks and only 4 or 5 ads a day. (£7)
- Selling cakes at school, but that brings in very little profit, and I will be giving 2/3 of the proceeds to charity anyway. (£5-10)
- Jumble Sale- I could sell clothes, books, toys ? (£25)
- Car Washing, if my Dad happens to be offering me the job. This will probably occur twice until January (£10)
- Online Commissions... Not so likely, but maybe I could offer my chibis online at deviantart for $3 each? (???)

You know it's Autumn when...

You come down with a cold. The reason I haven't been posting is due to a terrible cold! I have migraines (okay, maybe due to lack of sleep), a blocked nose, sore throat, and I feel so, so drowsy.
Plus, there has been no parcel in the mail to cheer me up! aka. the fabrics I purchased over a week ago haven't arrived...
In other news, I have just realized I swim the equivalent of 10,000m- 10k- every week! I suddenly feel a whole lot fitter (; For me, swimming is a fun way to get fit all around, and doesn't damage your bones like running does. There is NO better feeling than gliding through the water at high speed! And at the end of a good session, you feel so good!

My Pretty Purchases

Here are the pretty purchases I made over the past week.

A pin (I collect them) and a pretty perfume bottle and box, along with a (broken, sadly) necklace!





My Charity Shop Tips Article

Are you a Summer Person or a Winter Person?

You Are a Winter Person

You are calm, serious, and focused. You're the type of person who appreciates the quiet and calm. Winter is the perfect time for you to get cozy and work on a hobby. Summer is a bit too hectic for you. You like the dead of winter... preferably with a roaring fire inside.

Are You a Winter Person or a Summer Person?

Well, I'm not 100% sure about that. It's true, I hate hot sticky summers, but I am a loud person 80% of the time!
However, I am a winter person, despite my loud personality. There's nothing I love more than snuggling up by a fire on a cold night, with thick scarves, blankets, slippers and oversized jumpers! How about you?

Charity Shop Tips

The other day I was rustling through a charity shop where I saw a beautiful beaded necklace, very simple, but the beads were nice quality and a lovely dark bluey-purple colour. However, my friend warned me too late to check that the clasp was not broken- after I had paid, I realized it was.
This necklace was £3.00, reasonably cheap, but when all I was receiving was about 20 beads - beautiful though they were - it was simply not worth it.
I'll use these beads to make a necklace now, but I'm disappointed that I could not use them as they were intended!

Here are my tips for digging through charity shops or jumble sales

a) Don't go in their with high hopes - it is quite rare you'll get a designer steal or beautiful shawl
b) Just because it is a charity shop, doesn't mean it is a good deal! If you're wondering whether that badge is worth £3/$6, it probably isn't!
c) ALWAYS check for damage. Look at the seams of clothes or bags, check the heels of shoes, look at the clasps of jewellery.
d) If buying earrings- first, you should always sterilize before using. second, if they don't appear to come with a backing, try and wrangle one out of the shop keepers as they tend to have some backings SOMEWHERE (;
e) This may be obvious, but ALWAYS check carefully for any stains. If they're still there, they probably are pretty hard to get off. eg. blood stains... big no no!
f) Think "ooh, that fabric is beautiful! ... oh, it's got a gaping hole.... maybe i can repair it?" consider if it's really worth the time and effort. spending £5/$10, and having to spend 20-30 minutes patching up (especially if sewing isn't your forte) isn't worth it! And when I'm buying from a charity shop, I stand by "if you can tell it comes from a charity shop- don't buy it". Quality, for me, is paramount, with my clothes. Not only do they have to be durable, but if they look like they've been handed down your family since your great-great grandparents, I don't want them!

My purchases are posted here...

A Mad Wednesday

So, I've been really busy lately P:
Today I went on a school trip into a local town, really dull, just walking up and down a high street asking people questions...
I've ordered some fabric from Etsy but it hasn't been shipped yet, such a shame! I don't have anything interesting to tell you about yet so I'll upload pictures when it comes!
xx

Shopping In Borders

I had a £10 borders voucher sitting in my bag for a while, so I decided to go to borders today. I bought a book called "Learn to Sew" with 15 simple projects, including patterns.
I intend to make a pencil case using the pattern there. (=

I bought this book at the RRP £7.99, but it is on sale at Play.com for only £5.99.

When the material I've ordered on etsy arrives, I'll be embarking on my first project (=

A nice suprise from Triond...

I almost forgot about being a member of the site Triond, because I haven't been writing for it and therefore I haven't been getting paid. However, I just received a $0.58 payment from Triond, which isn't anything huge but it's nice anyway!
Triond pays you by how many pageviews your articles get and the minimum payment is $0.50 each month to paypal. If you show people your articles and you write actively, a few articles a week, you could be earning $5-$20 a month... And with dedication and time, much more, if you take time to read some of the success stories.

Join Triond Today!


Here are just a few of the interesting articles I found browsing...
> Be Sun Savvy
> Seven Things I Never Knew About French Kissing
> Violent Death in the Insect World : Stunning Photography
> Rain : A Poem

Crafts In Mind...

So, browsing etsy along with my school textiles project has got me thinking about making things <3
I saw some beautiful fabric but it soon sold out before I could nab it
Check out the seller I'm looking at here.

In other news, that bag above is georgous, hand-crafted and affordable.. .only I'm broke.
buy it at only $28.50 today!

Ever tried finding out about your family history?

Today I went to the Imperial War Museum (London) for research on "The Great War" - World War I.
They had a machine which contained the whole soldier database- and I searched my father's last name.
Not only did I find a soldier within the first few records that was born where he was, this soldier shared the same name as my Dad. The database also gave me other information - the name of his wife and two children. I subsequently asked him (my dad) about that name, to which he said it was probably his Grandad!
I found this really interesting, since the church my father and his father attend does not support war of any kind, and I had always assumed that not only my father, but his father and his grandfather would have been Conscientious Objectors.
However, a bit of digging meant I found out something intriguing- my great-grandfather wasn't of the same church and my grand-father changed church mid-life... Maybe it doesn't sound like a big finding, but I was very interested in this... And I want to do further family research.

Have you ever dug into your family's past?


So, photos of the postcard's and the beautiful keychain I bought are coming soon, along with some photos of "the trenches experience".. but I just wanted to tell you about my discovery today (=

I HATE Brainwashed Kids D<

I am really, really annoyed right now! Basically we had a church "gethering" - prize giving for the Sunday School today, which I really don't want to go to.. but I have to, and I was chatting with some of the younger kids when this 10 year old boy started to talk to me about me and my family going to church.
"I think when you get older, you drift away from your family..."
"What?" Knowing immediately by the tone he was talking about my family
"Like [my brother's name here] for instance... I think technology is taking him away"
"What?" Slightly annoyed tone
He tries to change the subject...
"Why don't you come to church that much? You're always missing sessions." the patronizing 10-year old tells me
"I can't come on Friday .. my parents aren't in to take me, and on Sundays I nearly always come.." I say, oh-so-tempted to tell him I have better things to do
"Your parents leave you home alone?"
"Uhh, yup."
"Really?"
"Yes, I think the responsibility comes with age" *at which point I roll my eyes*
At which point he goes on to complain about how few expensive things he has, asks if I have any gadgets around the house I can give to him [yes, really!] and also starts bragging about how good he is at "making a website" and "fixing things" when I tell him, no, i don't have a spare phone, my current phone is also broken.
Uggh. And then he starts moaning about how he can't afford a PSP and how it's too much effort to save up, and then keeps mentioning games he wants.... and how it's his birthday in 5 days!

Anyway, I probably haven't explained this very well, but basically, I hate kids like that D< Snotty brat. Thinks he's better and has a right to nag me... because he comes to church more regularly? And he's 4 years younger than me too..

Etsy Picks

Some beautiful Etsy picks... They have a definite autumn/floral/berry feel, methinks~
Click to view prices and information...





I'm thinking of opening my own etsy store soon, with purses, mini-plushies, keychains, cute things like that... stay tuned! (;

It's Wet Wet Wet! - Photo time!

Here are some photos I took last weekend it Wales. Beautiful location but way too much rain! If we'd been a day earlier, we'd have been stuck in floods~

1) A slug
2) The cat, Felix
3) Some chickens
4) Water dripping down some steps

Not the most artistic photos, just random snaps (:

I got paid by Scavenger Cash

I got paid by the forum Scavenger Cash! (=
They added on a $2 bonus for this first payment, too! I reccommend you join as it pays $0.03 per post, and payout is only $5 to paypal.

Scavenger Cash

Join Todayand be paid to Post!

EntreCard Helps Me Get Traffic!

I joined EntreCard yesterday and have already received 20 visitors in about 24 hours - that's for a brand new blog with no other advertising!
I'm sure you're already a member, so I'd appreciate it if you dropped for me, but if not, why not join today and help promote your blog?

www.entrecard.com

Beautiful Etsy Items

I was browsing Etsy, despite my empty bank account, and I found these beautiful items to share with you (: Click for the sellers

Watching Movies/TV For Free Online!

I'm a total TV addict, but I never have the time to actually sit down and watch a series when it is first aired, and I prefer to watch a show all in one. So online sites are vital for me, but there aren't so many good ones out there.
I also rarely visit the cinema, and prefer to watch Movies or TV online. Here are some of my favourite sites.

Watching TV/Movies Online
IETV < My favourite!
AllUC
SideReel
Flick Peek

IMDB is a great site containing episode reviews of many films and TV shows.

Swag Bucks : Search and Win!

I just discovered this site called SwagBucks, and I've already made 4 swagbucks in 10 minutes!
In Swagbucks, all you need to do is use their search engine [powered by yahoo/google] and then you randomly win Swagbucks! It's a great way to incorporate earning into your daily routine, if you use your computer a lot.
You can cash in your Swag Bucks for prizes- anything from Starbucks vouchers to PSPs.
Another great thing about Swag Bucks search engine is that the search pages don't even have the paid google ads - leaving a cleaner feel, dare I say it? Even better than google itself!

Another great feature is that you can browse through different aspects of the site "Search & Win with Beyonce" or "Search & Win with Enrique Iglesias"
With the "Kelly Clarkson" toolbar, all you need to do is to search "Destiny" to win a Swag Dollar! I also like to use PrizeWish as I've been told that it gives prizes more often than the others, but I don't know if that is certain.

This might all be a little confusing, so I'll just break it down for you:

1. Join and earn 3 Swag Bucks
2. Search with whichever sponsor you want
3. Randomly "win" when searching
4. Collect SwagBucks
5. Redeem for prizes!

Even if you're still a little confused, just join and take a look- you'll earn 3 swagbucks right away!
I hope to see you there!

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! I'm Chrissy, your not-so-average teenage girl, who is deciding to start up a blog, to stop me from ranting so much to people in real life.
Here I hope to talk about the following subjects ...

- Making money online
- Blogging
- School / My life
- Reviews of movies/books/makeup - things I use every day!

I may not post the most intellectual articles, but I'm sure there will be something useful here for everybody - online entrepreneur, blogger, freebie searcher, student, or just average person looking for reviews!

I hope to see you around, please, if you visit, go ahead and post!