3 Things: You've Learnt From Being a Mother

Welcome back, dear readers, to this blog's newest feature: 3 things! If you're new to the blog, 3 things is a monthly feature, where I ask a group of people from different professions (and interests) the three things involving their area of expertise. The idea is to connect more well-known people with their fans or public and get to know them a little better. Because, we all know how renowned people can seem quite out of reach at times. But, hopefully, by reading this feature, you will learn that they're actually human beings just like us, with comfortable habits and obstacles in their lives and we might actually get inspired by their answers. Thought I'd do a mother-themed month in May since International Mother's Day is this month, so let's see what these mothers have to say on this subject:

ANSWERS

Bianca Jagoe of biancajagoe.com
facebook || twitter || instagram || tumblr || pinterest

DO WHATEVER MAKES NOW BETTER. When my son was a newborn, times felt so impossibly tough and I didn't know how my little family were going to survive. My sister in law said those words to me - "Do whatever makes now better" - and they really stuck with me. I guess it was because I carried a lot of 'mom-guilt' - I wanted everything to be perfect and I felt inadequate because things weren't perfect. Letting go of guilt and just making choices that made 'now better' made life so much easier.

BE MINDFUL AND PRESENT. I have always had issues with anxiety and worrying too much about the future and the past, but I feel like my son is constantly teaching me how to enjoy day to day life more. He and I take a lot of walks together and I am always interested to see what things catch his eye. I love noticing the little things he observes and the ways that he is experiencing and getting to know the world around him - it is really uplifting and it helps me to connect with him and feel more present. This would have to be one of my favourite things about being a mom.

DOCUMENT. All of those cliches about time and children are ridiculously true. I look at my son and I say "You were just born!". I like to write down lists of things he's been doing, words he's picked up, foods and toys he's obsessed with, things he's been doing that make me laugh. Just noticing these things isn't enough because I'll forget them with the passing of time - I have to write them down.I think taking the time to document things makes time slow down a little bit, makes me pay more attention and I get to reflect upon his development (and my own as a mom).

Savannah Wallace of Maiedae

instagram || pinterest || youtube || Disney baby

1. I have to remind myself, just has Soren is learning to speak, play and grow...I'm learning how to be a mommy. Allowing myself to learn and grow and be okay with that is GOOD and purposeful. I will accept that I am a great mom and I will accept each day as an opportunity to grow within this new role. Of all the roles I've been honored to take on in life, being a wife and a mom have truly been the very best.
2. I've never been more tired or happy in my entire life. I really need to get into tea or something with caffeine to get a little pep in my step! Or maybe I could just work on eating healthier and exercising?! ;)
3. Treat yo'self days, girl nights, date nights, alone time nights are essential!! DO make them a priority! 

Melissa Baswell Williams of Bubby and Bean
facebook || twitter || instagram || pinterest 

• I am a very different kind of parent than I thought I'd be. For me, this was the biggest lesson. If you are pregnant (or in the adoption process) for the first time, you probably have a pretty clear idea in your head about how you are going to parent. I did anyway. And guess what? I ended up doing things a lot differently once I was actually experiencing motherhood. For the most part, I've done everything at least somewhat differently than I'd anticipated. Many things I've done completely differently. I could ramble on forever about the specifics with this. From how I would react to her right after birth to how I'd handle sleeping to when I'd stop breastfeeding, I've done almost nothing the way I pictured. So I'll just leave it at that.
• It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about my (or anyone else's) parenting. I'm not going to sugarcoat here. Parents judge one another, and parenting topics can be very polarizing. I mean, you can probably just look at your Facebook feed for a couple of minutes and there will be some sort of parenting debate. Guess what?There isn't one right way. Period. There is only what works best for each child, each parent, and each family. And if someone is doing their best to be a genuinely good parent and someone else chastises their methods because they're different, that's really too bad - because if we all encouraged one another, regardless of parenting techniques, parenting would likely be collectively easier for everybody.
• It's not as hard as I thought it would be. I think I really built it up in my head that raising a baby would be almost impossibly difficult for me, so ultimately, it just feels much easier in comparison. First of all, I got pregnant later in life, and I spent my twenties and much of my thirties focusing on my career, traveling, and only worrying about myself. I had a long time to convince myself that my freedom would be all but destroyed upon becoming a mother. It turns out that, for the most part, it's actually (usually) easier than it is hard. Once I got used to the lack of sleep (and truly, I have just gotten used to it, because it's still there 13 months later), the rest has sort of fallen into place.

So what have you learnt from being a mother, if you are one? And have you appreciated your mother enough?

3 Things: You Look For in a Good Book

Welcome back, dear readers, to this blog's newest feature: 3 things! If you're new to the blog, 3 things is a monthly feature, where I ask a group of people from different professions (and interests) the three things involving their area of expertise. The idea is to connect more well-known people with their fans or public and get to know them a little better. Because, we all know how renowned people can seem quite out of reach at times. But, hopefully, by reading this feature, you will learn that they're actually human beings just like us, with comfortable habits and obstacles in their lives and we might actually get inspired by their answers. So since this month is literary month, I thought I'd round up a few of my favourite bookworms I know and ask them this:

ANSWERS

Kathy Noto-Rillorta of My Peach Days
instagram || twitter || tumblr

• A good plot. I don't judge a book by its cover but I do get my first impression on the plot summary at the back of the book. It's always nice to know what you're getting yourself into. 
• Witty characters. That always lead to witty and engaging dialogues, which are not only entertaining, but are also extremely quotable. I love characters who have a strong sense of humor or, sometimes, even notoriously sarcastic. They make you pause and do a double take on that line so you can savor every word. 
• Romance. I am a huge romance novel junkie and not ashamed of saying so. I think a lot of people don't like admitting they love romance novels just because they're not "intellectual" reads. Well, a lot of them are. I am particularly fascinated with 19th century historical/regency romance reads. The courtships are interesting and so unlike our generation of smart phones and instant messages. The romance sizzles and you can always count authors like Lisa Kleypas or Judith McNaught to give your heart an ache when the characters go through tough times.

M (Starfleet Rambo)

death brigade || the boy who fell || instagram || twitter || deviantart

Grotesque humor - I'm a big fan of humor, even more so if it's mixed with mutilated body parts and dangling organs. I guess a good example of this would be "John Dies at The End" by David Wong
Depressing Tones - I mean the ones that make you rethink everything about life. I want a book that could depress you to the point of catatonia. A story that ends happily with the oblivious hero taking the train into the looming dark cloud of nothingness because that's all there ever was. NOTHING. Plus points if it has happy/humorous scenes mixed in. (ex. Amerika [Der Verschollene] by Franz Kafka) I loved this book so much I wrote a thesis about it!
The Strange - Anything mysterious that leaves the reader wondering. (A slipper found in your closet that's not yours, the shadow of a strange man smoking on your rooftop, a reflection that suddenly blinks at you and you're not sure if you were hallucinating or..?) Better if the answer is something paranormal/magical. Something close to real life except it's not. It's too strange. Too magical. But in a setting so mundane, it's unbelievable. (ex. honestly can't think of one at the moment)


Muhammad Irfan Perdana

Linguistics Student at Bangor University

1) Good characterization. The characters have to be well-rounded and multidimensional, not boring, flat characters with a one-note personality.

2) Well-crafted language. Good wordplay is vital, whether it be for comedy, for scaring readers, for arousing them, etc.

3) Clear aesthetics and themes. A good book, above all else, has to know the feel it's going for and what it wants to do to get there. That's the factor that unifies every other aspect of the book.

So what do you look for in a good book?

3 Things: to Start Being More Eco-Friendly

Welcome back, dear readers, to this blog's newest feature: 3 things! If you're new to the blog, 3 things is a monthly feature, where I ask a group of people from different professions the three things involving their area of expertise. The idea is to connect more well-known people with their fans or public and get to know them a little better. Because, we all know how renowned people can seem quite out of reach at times. But, hopefully, by reading this feature, you will learn that they're actually human beings just like us, with comfortable habits and obstacles in their lives and we might actually get inspired by their answers. In commemoration to eco-month - you're probably sick of me reminding you this every other day but I will not tire of it - I've decided to ask a few people who are passionate about nature to answer this one question:

ANSWERS

Adithiyasanti Sofia (Marketing & Insight at LeafPlus)

twitter || linkedin 

- Ordering/taking food adequately. Sometimes, because we're hungry, we want to eat in large portions. But often we can't finish them and they go to waste. Without realising, the wasted food piles up into food if thrown away by many people. Aside from that, we don't know the detail about where the ingredients come from. The distance obviously matters and we as the consumer have indirectly imprinted carbon footprints which impacts the environment.
- Using or consuming local products. Be it food, accessories or beauty products. If we can help it, use local or domestic products. The carbon footprints the transportation of these items make have their own impact in the world. The carbon footprints produced by imported products will add to the footprints by local prodcuts, the negative effects will also increase.
- Bring reusable tote bags. Maybe it has been a habit of ours to ask for plastic bags when grocery shopping at supermarkets and think they can be reused. However, plastic bags take a long time to degrade - or even non-degradable at all! If this trash pile up and, even worse, make their way to rivers and seas, it will endanger the biotas in the water which becomes the protein for mankind. Wouldn't it be better if we play our roles to decrease the amount of plastic waste on earth?

Paramezwari Sugandi (Analyst at Greenworks Asia)

instagram || twitter || linkedin

1. Say no to plastic bags. Plastic is only used once or twice but it takes a long time to degrade. Also, a lot of plastics pollute the earth and get eaten by wild animals and they die because they can't digest it. That's why we should minimise the use of plastic by refusing to use plastic bags for shopping. Just say no if offered by the till, they don't mind. Bring your own bag from home to carry your purchased items.
2. Print on both sides. Try printing only when absolutely necessary. If you print on both sides, it reduces the paper usage by 50%. It's probably needs a bit more effort but it beats having to waste paper. There are actually plenty of printers which can have the settings to print on both sides now. Deforestation is a very real issue, which leaves a lot of regions in flood and drought, so make a habit of using paper accordingly.
3. Separate your organic and un-organic trash. Organic trash includes vegetables, food, etc. Un-organic trash includes plastics, carton, etc. Organic waste can be reprocessed into compost for fertiliser, while un-organic trash can be recycled. By separating our trash, we can also help the scavengers who usually separate the trash to get to the plastics and cardboard they can sell to be recycled again. So, aside from supporting recycling, we'd also do a good deed by helping them.

Sancaya Rini (Founder of Kanawida and Kana)

instagram || kanagoods || facebook

Clothes: Think not to be too royal in purchasing clothes. Don't purchase new clothes too often. Clothing items take a long process to make, which uses a lot of energy, water and the environment is much disadvantaged or damaged along the way. Think of that the next time you want to buy something.

Home: Start making our house more energy-saving, water-saving and manage our waste and garbage well. For example, when designing a home, do it by taking the climate into account, plant trees to provide shade and oxygen and design an eco-friendly way of disposing our wastes. Use materials which are easily recyclable.

Food: Start by consuming more environmental friendly products. Products which don't use pesticide, not using fertilisers which damage the soil and environment. If you have a little bit of space, grow vegetables or herbs hydroponically.

So how would you start being more eco-friendly?

3 Things: That Makes for a Great Outfit Post

Welcome back, dear readers, to this blog's newest feature: 3 things! If you're new to the blog, 3 things is a monthly feature, where I ask a group of people from different professions the three things involving their area of expertise. The idea is to connect more well-known people with their fans or public and get to know them a little better. Because, we all know how renowned people can seem quite out of reach at times. But, hopefully, by reading this feature, you will learn that they're actually human beings just like us, with comfortable habits and obstacles in their lives and we might actually get inspired by their answers. This month, we are going to hear the answers from some of my favourite fashion/personal style bloggers regarding this topic:

ANSWERS

Annika Victoria of The Pineneedle Collective
facebook || instagram || twitter || tumblr || youtube
1. A cute, colourful wall as a backdrop - or, any backdrop which matches the colour palette in the outfit. I need to use this tip more myself, but it can be quite difficult to achieve this when you take your own photos with a tripod and remote - sometimes you just want to find the backdrop that is the most convenient, rather than the most pretty! Shelovesdresses and Mermaidens have perfected this particular technique, I recommend having a look at their outfit posts!
2. This is more something that should be AVOIDED for a good outfit post: an overload of the same pose from the same angle! If you like a whole lot of shots of yourself taken from the same angle, where you're pulling basically the same pose in each, CHOOSE JUST ONE. I know it's hard because maybe you look great in all of them - but please try to just use one (or two, if you really must)! Variety is the spice of life.
3. I love outfit posts that weave a story between the photos (just like a sentence or two), where the words really serve to bring all the shots together, but enriches them at the same time. Buddle and Squeak does this really well, if you want to get an idea of what I mean!

Elizabeth Morrow of Delightfully Tacky 

facebook || instagram || twitter || pinterest || photography
1.) Great photos with creative posing, good natural lighting, and variety.  It's nice to actually see the outfit, and I like getting different angles and perspectives on the outfit- close ups, full body, etc.
2.) A unique, fun, creative outfit. 

3.) A cool location.  Sure you can take a good outfit shot against a white wall, but what takes outfit photos to the next level, for me, is if they're shot in a place that is also beautiful.  I like to match my outfits to the location, so more bohemian outfits are usually shot in the woods, and more vibrant ones are sometimes shot near graffiti walls, etc.

Daria Patrunjel of Kittenhood
facebook || instagram || twitter || tumblr || pinterest

1. Good photos. This doesn't mean that they have to be professional, but rather well lit and shot in a nice setting. I think they show off the clothes better (and more true to life) and they keep my attention for longer. 

2. Affordable fashion. If a blogger can rock affordable brands and second hand or vintage items, they have my attention. Expensive designer items - while definitely gorgeous - are out my price range, so I don't care much for how they can be paired with even more expensive items.

3. Detailed but not overwhelming. When you take outfit pictures, it can be hard to make the final selection. Since so many pictures turned out nice, why not post them all? The truth is, too many pictures of the same outfit can be overwhelming. I think about 5-6 of them will do the trick, including close-ups of the accessories and different angles of the look.

So what makes a good outfit post for you? I'd love to know!

3 Things: You Need During the Creative Process

Welcome, everyone, to my brand new feature, 3 things! As is with most of my features, this is a monthly thing, where I will ask a group of people from different professions the three things involving their area of expertise. The idea is to connect more well-known people with their fans or public and get to know them a little better. Because, we all know how renowned people can seem quite out of reach at times. But, hopefully, by reading this feature, you will learn that they're actually human beings just like us, with comfortable habits and obstacles in their lives and we might actually get inspired by their answers. As the first post, I'd like to start with my life-long passion, illustration. So here's the one-million-dollar question and what these talented illustrators have to say about it.

ANSWERS

LOIS VAN BAARLE (LOISH)
deviantART || facebook || tumblr || instagram || twitter
coffee - i always need this to kick-start the creative process. not only for the caffeine boost but also the comfort and taste!

snacks - when i'm immersed in the drawing process i often forget to eat, so it's important to have some quick snacks (fruit, nuts etc) around for the moments i suddenly realize i'm hungry.

radio/tv/movies/music/a conversation - i am rarely able to work in silence. when i draw, my mind wanders and i need input of some kind. 

GENEVIÈVE GODBOUT

(ROSE-A-PETITS-POIS)

facebook || tumblr || instagram || pinterest
1. natural light and a big window nearby for mental sanity and to see properly my color work.

2. music or interesting podcasts to stay focused. Somehow, silence often distracts me!

3. a big cup of coffee! I am not a morning person and it's my fuel during the day.

KELLY BASTOW (MOOSEKLEENEX)
deviantART || tumblr || twitter || etsy

-My laptop: so I can listen to something in the background, but it's usually a podcast or movie that I've already seen/heard so I can just zone out and don't have to be really focused on it. Having a background noise is more ideal for me than working in silence.

-A hot cup of tetley tea with milk: it's my favorite drink, (I've been drinking it almost every day for 20 years) and when I draw I like to be extremely comfortable. I sometimes accidentally dip my brush in it thinking it's my rinse water.

-A small heater on blast (usually): once again, I'm trying to build a comfort-cocoon for myself so I can relax and get in the zone. I love the heat.

FRAN MENESES (FRANNERD)

blog || facebook || twitter || tumblr || etsy || instagram || youtube

I need a nice source of light, natural light is preferred. My desk is next to a lovely window, so when I need to unplug from the computer it's really nice to look outside and see all the people walking on the street, the trees or (like right now) the snow falling slowly. I also need something to drink: coffee, tea or water. Since I can draw and listen to stuff at the same time, I love to hear music or put on some movie, series or youtube video on the background.

GEMMA CORRELL

blog || shop || facebook || twitter || tumblr || pinterest

My 2 Pugs

I like having them around for comic relief - when I get stressed out, they comfort me and make me laugh with their ridiculous antics. Also, they are great muses (You may have noticed that I draw a lot of pugs!)

Coffee

I work long hours and I usually work late, so I need it to stay awake! Also, I really do enjoy the taste, which is a handy side effect.

Warm socks

I absolutely hate to be cold. I can't concentrate on my work and I just feel miserable. My feet get particularly cold, so warm socks are very important!

So what are the 3 things you need during your creative process? Share along!