I got an Award!

Happy Monday all,

Believe it or not I won an award, and believe it or not, it's not the "World's Worst Blogger" award either despite my pitiful posting over the past few weeks.

No, no, wonderful fellow blogger Anne over at Writer's Space was kind enough to nominate me for the Liebster Blog Award.

Thank you so much, Anne, it really did put a smile on my face and I am thrilled to accept this award.

Every blog award comes with rules, and this one is no different. The rules are as follows:

1. Tell y'all 11 random things about myself.
2. Nominate 11 fabulous bloggers
3. Inform those 11 fabulous bloggers that they have won the award.

So, 11 things you probably don't know about me (or do depending on how long you have been following my blog/ how long you have known me in real life):

I have been known to sing the same line from the same song over and over again for no apparent reason. This drives my flatmates crazy. The song: 'Just Give Me a Reason' by Pink and that Fun guy. The line: "Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough." Over and over again. I don't know why.

I have been a loyal follower of 'Grey's Anatomy' since it first started back in 2005. Of all the series I started watching at uni, this is the only one I have continued to follow. Shonda Rhimes is skilled at the art of 'emotional manipulation'. She just draws you in.

I don't like eating ice creams off sticks. It makes my skin crawl. The only one I will eat, despite it's nails-on-a-chalkboard effect is the White Chocolate Magnum. But, I hear those are now available in tubs, so dilemma solved.

I made a New Year's Resolution to stop reading The Daily Mail because it represents everything that is wrong with the media, and the world in general. The spelling errors are atrocious and I truly believe reading it made me more stupid. I haven't been on the site since.

I can't use a lighter. I have no idea how they work. It's probably a good thing I don't smoke then ...

Brunch is my favourite meal of the day. Want to be my friend? Take me to brunch.

I love to learn about anything and everything. All things are an experience and an opportunity to learn something new about the world and the people around you. I'd rather be a Jack of All Trades than Master of One.

I am deathly afraid of snakes. They fill me with paralytic fear.

The first story I ever wrote and finished was called "The Ocean". It is spectacularly awful. I was 15 and going through my Sweet Dreams phase. Not good.

I love a good quote.

I hate everything to do with crafts, it brings me no joy.

And now for 11 lucky bloggers, I am nominating my fellow contributors to the Flash 500 ebook, which y'all can download from: BookRix - http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-nicole-pyles-flash-500/

Cindy Cagel - thewoodenrollercoaster.blogspot.com

Emily Jean Roche - emilyjeanroche.blogspot.com

George Beckingham - whyhowwhatif.blogspot.ca

Krystal Wade - kyrstalwade.blogspot.com

L.T. Dalin - chessnysilth.blogspot.no

Nicole Pyles - theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com 

Randy Lindsay - randylindsay.blogspot.com

Scott Taylor - scottywattydoodlealltheday.blogspot.com

Sydney Aaliyah - sydneyaaliyah.wordpress.com

Tony Roberts - writingforfoodinindy.wordpress.com

Yolanda Tong - whereslanda.wordpress.com

Hop on over and say hi.

I hope you all are having a fabulous Monday**

It's Okay Friday on Sunday

Well, I feel like we've been here before.

Oh, wait. we have. Last week Sunday. Oops.

Apologies once again for the lack of blogging presence and my delayed Friday post. But, this week I have an extra big excuse apart from the usual "work is manic", "my boss is driving me crazy" etc. etc.

I'm ill.

I am never ill, and I do not do well with being sick. I generally become a pretty pitiful excuse for a human being and the best thing for me to do is to remove myself from all human contact until I am back to my usual self.

And because my brain is still full of sickness and disease, and my synapses aren't firing the way they should, I am not going to attempt to write anything more, so without further ado, here's this week's delayed Friday post.

It's okay to:

1. Eat a burrito on a bench outside like a hobo. I was with my flatmates so it wasn't too pathetic.
2. Cry laughing.
3. Re-think my John Cusack crush after seeing The Paperboy. 
4. Start reading again. It's been a while.
5. Have a Eurovision pity party.
6. Get accosted on the tube by a 'prick' with anger issues - thank you for ruining my morning fucker.
7. Eat chocolate. 
8. Inhale entire family bags of fruit pastilles in one sitting - I don't even like fruit pastilles.
9. Get the ex-boss's blessing:)
10. Feel like one pretty lucky lady ... 

I hope everyone has had a great weekend and wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

**

It's Okay Friday on Sunday

Hi all,

Sorry about the delayed 'It's Okay' post, but last week was pretty manic both at work and outside of work and by the time Friday eventually rolled around I could barely string a sentence together let alone write a blog post. I did honestly try, but it was just not happening.

To be honest, I've been having another bout of blogger identity crisis as of late. Looking back at my previous few posts, it all just feels a bit scattered and unstructured (pretty much like my thought processes). I'm not sure what it is - I am having a hard time concentrating on anything at the moment and If I had to tell you when the last time I read a book was y'all would be ashamed. I'm ashamed. I just cannot seem to sit still long enough to read or write or do anything. Perhaps it's Spring fever, perhaps it's the fact that I'm pretty darn happy in my life at the moment - I'm not too sure.

Maybe it's just time to shake things up a bit on the old blog.

Maybe not.

I'll see how it goes.

Anyway, never one to scrimp on my Friday posts (they're my favourite too), I thought I would do it tonight instead.

And that's okay.

It's also okay to:

1. Not know which boss to choose. Yes, I have a choice now. Awkward. 
2. Go on an unforgettable (in every sense of the word) romantic getaway with my BFF Sheri. We'll always have Bosworth ... 
3. Take an afternoon nap outside in the sunshine
4. Finally get my hair cut for the the first time in 5 months.
5. Spend some amazing quality time with My Happy, who just makes me so incredibly happy I can't seem to stop smiling.
6. Transfer coffee chain loyalty from Costa to Caffe Nero. It just had to be done. 
7. Fall a little bit in love with Hache and their pulled pork burgers
8. Have an indoor picnic while watching the rain outside. Thank you UK
9. Eat a pop tart for the first time in my life
10. See one of my favourite friends in her future wedding dress - such a special moment

I hope everyone has a fantastic week.

**

Blog Every Day in May: Day 8 A Little Piece of Advice

Today's topic for Jenni's May blog challenge is a piece of advice I have for others, any advice at all. 

The best piece of advice I have ever been given, and probably the best piece of advice I can ever give someone is:

"Go with your gut"

My mama always taught me to follow my gut, to listen to that little inner voice, that feeling in the pit of my stomach that deep down knew the right thing to do. I have carried this piece of advice with me through life and whenever I have been faced with a difficult decision, or not known what to do next or how to move forward, I have taken a deep breath, found a quiet place and tried to listen to my 'gut'.

pic via Weheartit

I like to think of myself as a rational person - I am not completely instinctively driven and I don't base every decision I make in life on a mystical 'feeling'. But, sometimes when you have weighed the pros and cons of something in your brain, when there is a decision to make for or against something and there is no way to separate the two logically in your head - well, then you just need to tap into that 'feeling' and go with what feels right. Because, 10 to 1 (and this is my personal experience) your gut instinct is never wrong. 

I have always trusted my gut instinct, specifically when it comes to people. When I meet someone, I get an immediate feeling about them, good or bad. If it's bad, I tell myself: "Melissa, you just met them. Give them the benefit of the doubt." But, sometimes there is just something that doesn't gel and I can't put my finger on what it is, but it usually comes to light eventually. 

Listening to your gut isn't always easy. Sometimes my gut instinct is so darn quiet, I'm not sure it's there or if it's telling me the right thing, and it can take a lot of sifting through fears and insecurities and anxiety to try and find that gut feeling deep down. But, I have been lucky enough in my life to have had a handful of moments where I have gotten an immediate, physical gut reaction to something. Moving to London was one, just 'knowing' without any logical explanation, that this was the right thing to do. Even when my head told me that staying in South Africa was the better option in that I would actually have had a career (Personal Assistant is not a career in my books), and I would have had my friends and family close by. I just knew I had to go. I felt it.

pic via Weheartit

I have also known instinctively when I am about to make or have made the wrong decision. I have been presented with a couple of opportunities in my study and work life - the option of taking a different path, another route and, despite all the rational signs pointing to 'yes, go for it' I just knew it was the wrong decision. One massive example that comes to mind is at the end of my 3rd year of uni when I was offered a £4000 bursary to switch my degree from a Bachelor of Journalism to a BA with Honours. I seriously considered it, I mean £4000 is a lot of money and I could have done an Honours year in English Literature and theoretical journalism. But, I could not do it. Something told me not to - I just knew it was the wrong move, and I don't regret it. Choosing to study Digital journalism for a year instead turned out to be the right decision for a million different reasons I couldn't even fathom at the time. 

And sometimes, all I have is my 'gut instinct'. When the odds are stacked against me, when the logical and rational part of my brain points in one direction, but my gut feeling moves me in another - well, I have no choice really but to listen and to let it lead me, not really understanding why.

The idea of 'listening to your gut' is not just foo-foo fairy stuff either. The gut is viewed by many scientists as a 'second brain' due to the extensive network of nerves found in our abdominal area. This system, which acts independently of the brain's nervous system is there to primarily aid digestion, but it is also responsible for the physical feelings we get in response to certain stimuli. Butterflies in your tummy when you see your significant other? That's all down to the nervous system around our gut and researchers in Leeds have been conducting research into our 'gut' instincts. If you are interested, have a read of this article, it is absolutely fascinating and if you are someone who likes to have a little science to back things up, it's definitely worth a read. 

So, there you have it ... the best piece of advice I can give you is, when all else fails:

"Go with your gut"

Announcement: Flash 500 Ebook Publication Date

Hi all,

I am just popping by to let y'all know that Flash 500, the eBook I am being published in is officially being launched on Friday 10th May.

The cover

This fantastic little anthology will be available for free download on Amazon.com for 90 days, so head on over on Friday and get your hands on a copy, which celebrates the 1-year anniversary of The Wednesday Writing Blog Hop.

I am so excited to have 3 of my flash fiction pieces included in this collection, and would just like to say a massive thank you to Carrie over at Chasing Revery and Nicole from World of My Imagination for all their hard work in putting this collection of stories together in such a short period of time. The speed of the digital world still boggles the mind.

There are a number of great writers/ bloggers whose stories have been included in this book and I encourage you to visit their blogs and see what they are doing over in their little corner of cyber-space. Most of them put me to shame with their unbelievable commitment to writing:

Anne Organista - anne-writersspace.blogspot.com

Carrie K Sorensen - chasingrevery.blogspot.com (WWBH co-host, co-editor)

Cindy Cagel - thewoodenrollercoaster.blogspot.com

Emily Jean Roche - emilyjeanroche.blogspot.com

George Beckingham - whyhowwhatif.blogspot.ca

Heather Musk - readingwritingeverything-heather.blogspot.com

Krystal Wade - kyrstalwade.blogspot.com

Leanne Sype - leannesype.wordpress.com (WWBH co-host)

L.T. Dalin - chessnysilth.blogspot.no

Melissa Gardiner - unpublishedworksofme.blogspot.co.uk

Nicole Pyles - theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com (WWBH founder and co-host, co-editor)

Randy Lindsay - randylindsay.blogspot.com

Scott Taylor - scottywattydoodlealltheday.blogspot.com

Roman Taylor (Scott's son)

Sydney Aaliyah - sydneyaaliyah.wordpress.com

Tena Carr - jottingsandwritings.wordpress.com (WWBH co-host)

Tony Roberts - writingforfoodinindy.wordpress.com

Yolanda Tong - whereslanda.wordpress.com

So, Friday 10 May. Amazon. Do it. It's free.

Wishing you all a happy Tuesday**

It's Okay Friday

Friday? Is that you?

How did we get here again so quickly? Time is moving a little too quickly for my liking at the moment. It's already May - we are nearly half way through the year. How did that happen?!

I'm reminded of a great little Dr Seuss quote:

“How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” 
― Dr. Seuss

There just does not seem to be enough time. It has been an absolutely insane week at work and I have been driven to the brink of insanity by Boss No. 2 who is now splitting his time between the US, the UK and Europe. Time-zones are confusing - EST / GMT / CET and now PDT?! Managing my own time in one time-zone is hard enough, but managing the time of others in multiple time-zones is almost impossible at the moment. But, thankfully it is a long weekend here in the UK, and I cannot wait to chill and soak up some of that Spring sunshine.

But, I digress. Onto the best part of the week.

It's okay to:

1. Kick ass on the treadmill - 5km in 24mins 45secs. Boom! I am officially under 5 minutes a km, which has always been my goal. 
2. Love kissing you hello, and love/ hate kissing you goodbye.
3. Indulge in pulled pork, burnt ends, buffalo wings and fries with my brother and some friends.
4. Get so involved in a conversation about the beauty that is Michael Fassbender that we miss our tube stop by a good few stations. 
5. Head the wrong way on the Circle Line. Again. Seriously, I really need to stop doing that.
6. Catch-up with one of my oldest and dearest friends from SA who I haven't seen in over a year. Lara, it was absolutely fantastic to see you. 
7. Take a two and a half hour lunch break. Oops.
8. Never trust the iPhone Map app. 
9. Take way too many photos of food.
10. Take 'Casual Friday' a little too seriously today.

I hope y'all have a good weekend. I am off to Warwickshire on Sunday for a girlie getaway with my BFF Sheri, and I cannot wait!

Wishing you health and happiness this weekend**

The Story of My Life in 250 (ish) Words

Hi all,

This post has taken me a while to write (and thank you in advance for overlooking the fact that I am already a day behind in Jenni's blog challenge) the reason being that I find writing about myself quite difficult. Have you taken a look at my 'About Me' page yet? Yep, it's been blank since I started this blog over two years ago. I can do fun little 'fill-in-the-blanks' or I can answer specific questions such as "What was the first CD you ever bought?" etc. but when someone says to me, "Okay, Melissa, tell me the story of your life in x amount of words," well, I go blank, and it all comes out a bit garbled.

But, here we go:

I was born on 11 December 1985 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I went to an all girls' school for 12 years, and the jury is still out on whether or not I like the idea of same-sex schools. It definitely stunted my socialisation skills, because I was very awkward around boys for a long time and even now I don't really have very many guy friends and still find the idea a bit strange. I left home for the first time when I was 18 and spent four years studying Journalism at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, because as a wannabe writer it seemed like the right thing to do. I never wanted to be a journalist - sorry mum and dad.

In 2008 I made the easiest decision of my life when I decided to move to London. I had come over on holiday with my family the previous year and my feet had barely touched British soil when my soul, body, and heart screamed: "Yes. This is it. Home." It's a feeling I had never experienced before - just an absolute certainty that this was where I needed to be. I arrived in London with no money and took the first job that was offered to me - a 9-month maternity contract as a receptionist at a small architectural practice in Chelsea. You know you have those key moments in your life where a seemingly small decision made out of necessity or without much thought changes everything? The decision to take this job was most definitely one of those. I ended up staying at the practice for 4 years, working my way up from receptionist to PA/ Project Secretary. I met some of my now closest friends at that little architectural practice, and they are people who still mean so much to me, they are like family. Incidentally, it was while working at this firm that I met My Happy. But, that's a story for another post ...

I left the practice in August last year and am currently working as a PA at a pharmaceutical company. I live in a gorgeous flat with two amazing flatmates in North London, and am just living my London dream. Looking back at this little story of me so far, it's been a pretty good life. Obviously there have been dark chapters, horrible times where I have spent weeks and months feeling like the world was going to end. But, on the whole it's been a blessed story up to this point and I am so excited for what comes next.

Okay, so I am 200 words over ... whose counting really!

**