A letter to my future child.

No, I'm not pregnant.
But I'd like to pretend that I'm having a child real soon and that he/she will stalk my blog for hours (I'll make sure my child appreciates this little blog or I'll probably disown that little spawn of Satan)
Dear babycakes,
Right now, I am writing (well, typing) this letter for you instead of watching Grey's Anatomy so you better read it all the way. I assume that you found this letter just because you really love reading your mum's blog... and it shows that I raised you damn well. 
I hope that by the time you read this, I'm considered a MILF because that's my biggest goal ever since the day I found out what that word means. You are probably rolling your eyes right now but that's okay, I would have done the same thing if I read your grandma's open letter to me. I would have even banned her from using the internet ever again but let's not go there.
It's a given fact that every parent's number one wish for their child is for them to live a happy life; therefore, I am going to do my best to give that to you. I am nowhere near religious so I can't really talk to you about God, but I do believe in good karma and living a positive life. I will remind you everyday the difference between right and wrong, how to treat others, how to earn people's trust, and many other things that will help you become a better person. 
I will also make sure that you know how much I love you. If you're a girl who turns out to be attracted to other girls, that's totally fine! If you're a boy who would rather kiss and hold hands with a boy, that is okay with me too. It doesn't matter who and what you are, mum will always be there for you.
I cannot guarantee you a life full of colour and sunshine, there will always be bad days. Things will get tough as you grow older and you will feel lost along the way. But don't worry, every person who walked on this planet has experienced this. I'll tell you the bright side though, you will always have me, and that's one things you should always remember.
I can lecture you about keeping your legs closed or keeping your deadly snake inside your pants but I'll save that for later. 
Oh and don't worry, your birth certificate sure as hell isn't an apology letter from the condom factory.
PS: Feel free to surf my Instagram as well. You'll see a shit ton of your photos. You may hate me for doing that but hey, at least people called you cute???
Love always, your mum (100% MILF)

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What are your goals for your blog? Let me help!

I still have about a little less than a month left before uni starts and I want to make the best out of it. Since I love sharing some tips and advice about pretty much everything, I decided to host a mini series about better blogging and social media marketing. The best part? It's totally free! If you want to exchange a couple of emails about blogging, I'm also very happy to do that! 
I think the inner Marketing student in me is screaming for some work to do. I mean, I haven't been in uni since October so I really miss babbling about marketing! Safe to say, this is a therapy for me.
I made an outline... well sort of. It's still tentative and I'm still brainstorming a couple of ideas. 
Week 1 - Branding your blog/small business.
Week 2 - How and where to advertise your website.
Week 3 - Do's and Don'ts in social media marketing/What you should focus on.
Week 4 - Lovely Serendipity's personal tactics and social media strategy. 
If you want to add more topics, please feel free to bombard me with suggestions! I find pleasure in doing this so it would mean a lot if you guys would like to participate. I'm also thinking of hosting a chat via Tinychat so we can brainstorm ideas together and get to know more about each other! 
In the meantime, ask yourself these questions: (you can comment your answers below if you want to!)

• What is the main reason why you're blogging?
• Do you want to earn from blogging?
• What's the best thing that happened to you in 2012? (in terms of blogging/social media)
• What is the big dream you've got for your blog/business?

I still haven't decided whether I'll post the series on my blog or just send it via newsletter. So I'll let you guys decide on that! Tell me what you think :)

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Life Update + Blog sale.

First of all, thank you so much for your heartfelt comments and emails regarding my previous post. I appreciate the fact that you guys took the time to tell me your past experience about it. As you can see from the photos, I also took your advice - I stayed away from my laptop during the weekend (well, I still surfed the internet using my phone but whatever) and it helped :) 
I had a pretty grand weekend. We had a party on saturday and celebrated my sister's 18th birthday. I was supposed to wear my red playsuit but I had a vodka and food belly so it was no goody for the photos; hence the mini skirt and pink top attire. 
I still found myself playing Subway Surf during the party but that was because my mouth was starting to become filthy. One of my friends lowered down the volume and I said "Turn it up, our neighbour's deaf anyway." and I felt so bad as soon as it slipped through my mouth. But anyway, it was nice to see my friends whom I haven't seen for a month or two. 
Not gonna lie, despite the fun weekend I had, I still find myself crawling back to my shell. My friends talked to me about it as well and I'm so glad they understand what I'm going through right now. The solution they came up with though is to go clubbing before uni starts. I went clubbing with 11 boys last year and it was the bomb, I hope this year's going to be much better!
It would be also a lie if I say that I'm no longer watching Grey's Anatomy because I totally am. In fact, that's what I'm going to do for the rest of the day.

And to sum up this post, I might as well add the short announcement that I am now taking Valentine's Day orders! If you want to get your portrait by February 14, make sure that you order on/or before February 5. 

Also, I'm having a blog sale. Please check out this page for more details :)

Hope you guys had a great weekend!!!

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How should I deal with it?

Have you ever been in a situation or phase when you just stopped doing the things that you used to love, used to be so passionate about, used to really care about? I used to be that kind of person who would organise a hang out and invite everyone I could think of. I used to enjoy listening to my iPod until 3:00 in the morning, but now I can't even stand 2 songs. I used to play my favourite vinyls on my record player until my siblings ask me to lower the volume. I used to do a lot of things that make me happy, and now I can't simply bring myself to even like them.
What scares me is the fact that I'm slowly getting used to it. Nowadays I just find myself working, blogging, reading tweets about the snow in the UK, pigging out, and watching 10 episodes of whatever TV show I can find - and it's getting hard to shake it out of my system. I feel like I'm losing my identity and I have no idea how to get it back
What's worse is when I have to deal with other issues rather than focusing on my personal ones. Rude clients who would demand their money back AFTER they've approved everything, people asking me a lot of questions that I don't want to talk about, having a constant battle with myself about pretty much everything, and the list goes on. At the end of the day, those negative and awful thoughts just keep flashing in my head and the only thing I can do is sleep it off and deal with it the following day. It's a vile cycle that I can't escape because I don't have the motivation to get out of it, and it sucks.
Uni starts next month and I hope it will somehow help me go back to my normal self. I am tired of not knowing what I really want to do, what I should do to make myself happy again. Maybe once uni starts, I'll slowly climb out of my shell and learn how to appreciate the things that I used to love. I just hope that this coming school year would work out just fine, even though a lot of things changed in the past few months. I still haven't come up with a plan, but I know I'll make it through... I always do. I just need time.

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So here's what they've always wanted to tell me.

Today's post is going to be a little... odd. Since I'm busy working and catching up on Grey's Anatomy, I decided to let my objects do a guest post for me. I did some sort of interview and here's the chance to let you guys know what they think about me! (or what they want to say) I swear I'm not mental... not yet.
Okay let's do this.

• iPhone - Seriously, stop taking hundreds of photos. You take 5 photos for the same freaking pose. You do know that my battery life sucks, right? Use me for something else! And playing Temple Run 2 doesn't count either, you suck at that game. Why don't you catch up with your friends? Oh that's right, you don't have phone credits. Who's the peasant now?

• Macbook - I know how much you love me, I can feel that. You use me every single day, you even bought me a nice purple casing! Don't be offended but why do you ALWAYS sleep next to me? It's not that I don't like you... it's just that I think we deserve a break from time to time. You don't have to read emails in the middle of the night, I need a rest too. I promise I'll still be here when you wake up... just let me sleep on the desk... PLEASE?

• Bed - If you think I don't know what your friends say about me, well think again. They may always complain that I'm the hardest bed they've ever encountered but I'm here for your scoliosis! You know your back won't survive without me ;)

• DVD player - Seriously? 3 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in less than 2 weeks? Don't you have a life?

• Guy at Blockbuster - Seriously? 2 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in 1 week? And stop acting dorky when you're about to pay for the DVDs, I'm too old for you, I could be your dad.

• Record player - You have 600+ other records, why do you play this album every single day? 

• Camera - Stop taking photos of your siblings' butt cracks, your mum sleeping, and random hotties. I'm worth like $2000, use me for something nice. Like rainbows and the blue ocean.

• Fridge - Dude, no matter how many times you open me, you still won't find anything good to eat.  Go to the nearest dairy or something instead of pestering me.

• Bean bag - You know, most people will sit on me or something. What I don't understand is why I'm being treated as a laundry basket. 

• Slippers - STOP TREATING ME LIKE SHIT! You always leave me in the middle of nowhere... and then steal your siblings' slippers. What the fuck is THAT? Don't you love me?! I have feelings too! I'm getting really jealous here. 

Clearly, they all hate me.
Your turn.

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10 Hypothetical questions... I answered.

I know most of us complain about having a writer's block and having to stare at the post editor for hours. I spent the first half of my day working and the second half watching Grey's Anatomy (well, just 5 episodes) 

After dinner, I pressured myself to come up with a good topic but my mind bulb seems to be busted from working. Then, I remembered all the 'hypothetical' things that Martin and I asked each other whilst waiting for the bus.
You'll learn nothing from here so if you have a busy day ahead, might as well skip this... I'm joking, please don't go.

1.) What would you prefer? To receive $1 a day for the rest of your life or $1,000 cash? - $1000 cash! I won't even defend my answer with some Finance shit because we all know how much I loathe that subject. The thing is, I could use the instant cash for several things like expanding my business. Waiting for 1,000 days feels like a millenium to me. 
2.) If ever God's real and he tells you that your current boyfriend's not the one for you (but you're incredibly happy with him at the moment) Would you break up with him? - Erm, no. I would rather enjoy what I have right now than throw it all away.  
3.) If you were a high school teacher, what would you teach? - English!!!!!!!!! I've always wanted to be a teacher but my parents made sure they talked me out of it and they succeeded (don't even get me started about that) I think the best part would be reading my students' essays... and grading them ;) When I was in 6th grade, my English teacher asked me to mark my classmates' papers.. I "doctored" all their papers and the whole class passed that term. That's when I realised I'm going to be a terrible teacher.
4.) Would you give up true love for $10,000,000? - I can't believe he asked me this question!
5.) Would you accept a $30k/week job offer where you get paid to sit in a pitch black room and do nothing for 8 hours a day? - Nooooooo!!! I go CRAZY when I do nothing. I would rather work my ass off all day than sit down until my ass gets numb. What's the point of having so much money when I can't enjoy it?
6.) You're being held at gunpoint, and the gunman asks you for one reason why he shouldn't pull the trigger, what do you tell him? - I have a blog to maintain.
7.) If you were the opposite sex for a month, how would you spend it? - Not even gonna lie, I'm going to hit town and slut it up. Hey I'm a man for 30 days, give me a break. And great opportunities. 
8.) If you could have free, unlimited service for five years from an extremely good cook, chauffeur, or masseuse, which would you choose? - I eat like a pig, extremely good cook please.
9.) If your partner cheated on you, would you want to know? Guaranteed that he will never do it again and it meant nothing - People say that what you don't know won't kill you. But personally, I would rather find out. 
10.) What would your mum say if she found your blog? - Shut up.
If you want to repost this, feel free to do so! :) And if you have other hypothetical questions to add/ask, you are more than welcome to type it below!

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Life Lately.

Hello guys! I hope you all had a good weekend :) I spent the entire Saturday baking mussels and playing Plants vs. Zombies. Well, not really... we also had a dinner party at home (photos below!) and had a great time :) 

On Sunday, I spent the entire morning mocking and laughing at my dad for being hungover. During the afternoon, I had the sudden urge to give my design shop a new look (see below!) 

On Sunday evening, I was about to continue my Grey's Anatomy marathon when Miguel rang me. 

11PM

Me: "Hello???"

Miguel: "What are you wearing?"

Miguel: "Okay that sounded really wrong. What I meant was get dressed, I'm picking you up. I'm hungry"

Me: "But I'm about to watch Grey's Anatomy"

Miguel: "But I'm hungry"

Me: "Okay"

Do you know what he ordered? A freaking Mcflurry. Mcflurry for the hungry, hooray!

Moving on, here are some photos I took during the weekend. Enjoy, peasants.

 

I gave my online shop a MAJOR makeover! Look at the new look and tell me what you think! :)

Meet my new buddy, Dixxie! She's sooooo big! And she's pink too, which makes her perfect.

My sister celebrated her 18th birthday on saturday! She's still 17 though, we just wanted to have a double celebration. Next saturday's the REAL party ;) Time to get my slut on.

Or not.

Let's just pretend she's already 18.



She looks older but I swear I'm 19.

How was YOUR weekend? If you have a post about it, give me the link! :)

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway! If you want an illustrated blog button and a large ad, here's your chance! :)

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Sponsors Spotlight

We hosted a party yesterday and I'm still very tired. It's Sunday morning and don't kill me for saying this but... I cannot wait for Monday!!! I have really nothing to blog about today, so thankfully, I have 4 ladies here to introduce! Go and say hi, make friends! 

Welcome to Whispering Sweet Nothings! This is the story of a flawed girl. She’s not known for being decisive. She’s honest and unafraid to speak her mind, sometimes to a fault. And she wishes she had more to offer this world. With 7 siblings, a knack for writing, and an unhealthy obsession with sunshine, she's quite the well-rounded gal you’ll learn. As a finance major, she doesn't get to express her creative side much, so this is an outlet to do just that. Join me in the trials and tribulations of this crazy little thing called life, won’t you? 

I would love to showcase you in Operation Beautiful! Add yourself to my Bloggers Coast to Coast map too and find bloggers from your neck of the woods!

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I'm Summer Candy (yes that is my real name) from Oh Summer Candy. I believe in looking fabulous frugally and I am always on the hunt for the perfect price. When I'm not bargain hunting, I like to spend time in the mountains, eating hamburgers, collect vintage items and documenting my life one photo at a time. My blog's mission is to help all females look fabulous on a budget, introduce amazing music and much more! Come visit.

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I was asked to write a bloggers blurb, I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but i'll give it ago! Hi there my name is Leigh. I am the sole runner of the Obviousleigh blog. I always find everyones fashion styles interesting and try to gain something from everything i read and hear. My blog is giving something back, so here you will find mainly a log of my personal style. Just adding something for good measure i chuck in a bit of cooking, D.I.Y, and products i have enjoyed. Why don't you grab a cup of tea (I take two sugars with milk!) and stay for a while?

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The name is Cody and yes I am legal, even if I don’t look it. That is my real redhead hair. I got it from my mother and she got it from hers. Redheads runs in the family. I am pretty blunt and honest. Some people see that as a flaw, I see it as a blessing. I also have the terrible habit of interrupting people; I don’t mean anything by it, just happens. Other than that I am a pretty down to earth girl. I throw myself in when I am passionate about something so you know you can expect great things out of this blog. My blog? Well, it is pretty much a lifestyle blog, heavy on the style. I am crazy about fashion and finding the lasted trends for cheap but that doesn’t always mean I follow the rules. I am also working on New Year’s Resolutions and bucket list. I want my life to be filled to the brim. Soon I will be going to College for Marine Biology because marine animals are my life. Growing up as a Floridian proves it. Haha. Anyways, stop by my little blog or any of my other places to see what I am all about. (After you put your left foot in, jkjk)

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Visit their blogs and say hi!

*Have you joined my giveaway yet? Win a free custom illustrated blog button! Click here.

Giveaway + Boohoo Review

Red playsuit c/o Boohoo, Bracelet c/o Clothing Loves

When I was in senior year, I remember reading a "psychological fact" from the internet which claims that the colour red makes people look extra attractive. I shared that fact to my guy friends, and guess what? The next day, they were all wearing red! I nearly pissed myself because it was just too hilarious. Until today, I don't know if that's true but the moment I saw this playsuit, I fell in love with it right away. 

I actually had a hard time choosing from their site because there are a lot of wonderful clothes. But since that so called psychological fact still remains in my head, I decided to grab it. Oh, and have I mentioned that it feels so comfortable? I'm a big fan of playsuits and this one's my favourite so far ;) I also figured that it's the absolute outfit for my sister's 18th birthday party. I'm so excited to wear it!

Overall, I'm beyond pleased with this gorgeous playsuit. The quality is superb and it looks more hot in person! I also like the fact that it can be worn casually or for a nice night out in town. Love love love it. 

Now for the best part, I'm having a giveaway! I'm feeling a bit generous today so why not give some free stuff, right?! I also asked you guys to answer a quick blog survey and turns out that a lot of you are lusting for some illustration ;) So here's your chance! I will announce the winner next week. Good luck!!!

*I require all entrants to be a follower of Lovely Serendipity. I will check all entries, thanks for joining! xo

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Some tips to increase your blog traffic!

It is no secret that I've been an internet addict since I was 12 (literally 12 okay) Even though we were just learning about long division at school, I was already a member of many social sites. I've also mentioned before that I've had numerous "blogs" in different platforms. In short, I'm an internet whore (no, not a porn star) and I've figured out a couple of ways on how drive organic traffic to my blog.
The good news is, I'm about to share everything I know! This may not work for everyone but hey, it's worth a shot right?

This is the easiest way to drive traffic to your blog/shop... if you do it properly. It also brings a tremendous amount of traffic! One certain post that's submitted to Stumbleupon may get an additional of 50 views in less than a day! It's free and really addictive. Although, I would strongly advise you to limit submitting your own posts because Stumbleupon does not like that. Maybe limit it to 3 submissions a week, and when you do, place the appropriate tags for better results. Install their widget and place the code below your posts so that your readers can share/like it! 

It's like Pinterest with a mixture of Blogger. People often "reblog" photos (similar to repin) so your post gets noticed by a lot of people! I started blogging there on 2009 so I've already built  readership. I place my blog posts there and also get a lot of traffic from that site. 

Based on personal experience, advertising on different blogs give me a traffic jam. This method also gives me potential clients and readers! If you don't have the budget, swap with others! This is how I reached my first 100 readers ;) Just make sure that you choose the right blogs. If your blog's all about food and you advertise on a fashion blog, your target results won't most likely be good.

Personally, when I receive a genuine comment, I click on the commenter's link! Get people to recognise you, give them the nudge to visit your site without being pushy and cocky. Do this everyday and you will see a big difference. Not only will you get more traffic, you'll make friends too! Win-win!

Twitter and Facebook are VERY essential to blog traffic. Why? When your followers retweet or like your post, their friends (or even friends of friends) will see it! Why do you think a lot of companies and bloggers ask you to like and retweet their posts? Or ask you to tweet about the giveaway for extra entries? These social media sites give you free traffic as well as advertising! So get it on and be active.

When you post your content on someone else's blog who has loyal readers and good amount of followers, you just scored yourself another traffic jam and new friends! Be sure that your post matches well with the blog owner's niche. Don't start talking about recipes if you're guest posting on a fashion blog, that's blogging suicide.

Charlotte from Charlotte's Web has a great mini series about it. It helped me a lot! Check it out.

Do you see the 'Link within' widget below my posts? That also gives me a lot of traffic! It's also a great tool for new followers who want to catch up on your blog. Install that widget now and from time to time, link back to old posts if necessary. 

Do you notice that my posts always go live at 6 or 6:30 AM? (NZ time) It's because that's the time when a lot of bloggers are online and awake! (English and American friends are online that time ;) ) Timing is everything, so figure out the perfect schedule for your posts. It will do wonders for your blog traffic.

Even if you do all the other 9 stuff that I've mentioned, they would be all useless without great content. Make sure that a lot of people will want to read everything you post. Be witty, creative, helpful, etc. Totally up to you! 

What about you? How do you drive traffic to your blog?

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Does everything happen for a reason?

I think all of us must have already heard that saying a thousand times. I spent most of my life thinking about it, wondering if every single thing that's happening in this world comes with a reason. Most of the  time, it's a topic that's fun to think about. 
Say that you didn't get the job that really you wanted, only to find out that the company closed down after 5 months. It's easy to say, wow I didn't get that job because it was going to be taken away from me within a very short time anyway. But what about the person who got the job? Does it mean that he deserved what happened? 
Personally, I also have my fair share of experiences that made me want to believe that everything happens for a reason. But of course, there are still a number of things that happened which I don't understand. I can't figure out why it happened. My mind goes in circles thinking about it. Sure, saying that this happened for a reason feels comforting and reassuring. I feel more determined that there will be better days, that it wasn't just for me. But what if it ends there? What if the world suddenly turned its back and just forgot about me? What if I never find out the reason? 
As I think about it again and again, I realised that this saying would probably offend a number of people. Saying that everything happens for a reason would be really unfair to those who are hurting, people who lost somebody because of murder or a natural disaster. What about those people who lost their lives on 9/11? Or the children who lost their lives because of a gun man? Can anyone come up with a good reason why those events happened?
Scientists have come up with several theories about this (if you would like to read my favourite one, here's the link) but I won't talk about it here because I don't wanna pretend that I know exactly what I'm talking about. People have different perspectives about this saying, and I guess what I'm trying to say is, at the end of the day, we all just want the answers to our 'why' questions. 
Until now, I'm still undecided whether I believe that there's a reason for everything. From time to time, maybe I would be lucky to get some answers. If not, then maybe it's just the world's way of saying "Toughen up, life is unfair. Get over it"

What about you? Do you think everything happens for a reason?

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Blame the media? Think again.

I'm pretty sure that most of us have already heard the saying that the media is responsible for a lot of negative stuff that's happening right now. False advertising and expectations everywhere, from magazines to "reality" TV shows. Some parents even blame celebrities for their children's actions; you know, all those violent shows and latest scandals. Yup, all fingers are now pointed at the media.
But here's the thing, if we are all AWARE about the negative influences that they're shoving down our throats, why do we still let them get in the way of our actions and thoughts? What's stopping us from living the life that we want, instead of blaming it to the media? 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I don't have issues about myself. In fact, my self esteem tends to be 10 feet off the ground most of the time. Whenever I feel unattractive or unable to reach the goals that I want for myself, there's no one else to blame but ME. When people suggest that the media is the reason for my unhappiness, it makes me feel shallow. Like I base my self worth and happiness around some glamour magazines or fucked up TV shows. 

I guess what I'm trying to say here is instead of trying to seek out the problem, we instead blame the media for making us unhappy. Want to know a little something, guys? We ARE the media. The media is only showing us what we’ve bought in to. There wouldn’t be a Lindsay Lohan or a Britney Spears or a Snookie if we weren’t watching it. And you know what? We need these people. We need to see these people crash and burn so we can point our finger and say “See? My life is fucked up, but man, at least I’m not going to rehab or flashing my cooch or sleeping with different men.” I almost feel sorry for these people, because we stare at their lives and make them rich and famous, and then look down on them to make ourselves feel better. My point is, stop blaming it. Take a moment to step back and realise people have bigger issues, and if you really think mainstream media is so awful, take steps to change it instead of complaining about it. 
You can continue blaming the media for all the reasons you can think of. But remember this: At the end of the day, it's still YOU who decides for your actions and emotions. 

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Life Lately + Care to share your thoughts?

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's the fact that I don't like summer. In fact, I hate it. I spent countless hours whining about the heat and staying in front of the fan. I had mild headaches as well for the last couple of days (including now as I type this) Long story short, I've been really unproductive.

Well let's see how I spent the entire week (please don't roll your eyes)

• The Walking Dead marathon - Goddammit, the characters are banging hot (ehem Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon) I won't rave about it since everyone knows that it's a great show so there's only one thing I would like to say: I CANNOT WAIT FOR FEB.11! (Eff timezones)

• Brainstorming - Since I'm having a writer's block, I figured that the best way to make up for it is to come up with more marketing strategies. I have discovered a fast and cheap way on how to drive instant and guaranteed traffic to your site, which I will talk about later.

• Looking for inspiration... - Inspiration for design, blog content, and many other stuff. I tend to juggle everything all at the same time, and I think that's my problem! I'll make a timetable for my daily tasks...hoping that it will help me focus more.

• Manage my shop - Self explanatory.

For the second part of this post, I would like to introduce a new option for sponsorship here in Lovely Serendipity.

New advertising option! I will "pin" your featured post on Tumblr! (2,800+ followers and still growing!)

Your pinned post will stay on top of ALL MY FOLLOWERS' DASHBOARDS! The pinned post will stay on top of the dashboard no matter when they log in. Simply put, it is GUARANTEED that they will see the post.

Just imagine your feature post being on top of everyone's Facebook newsfeed, that's how pinning on Tumblr works ;)

This option includes a maximum of 2 photos + short blurb about you or your product. This is a great way to drive traffic to your blog/shop! 

For more info about the new sponsorship, please visit my sponsors page.

Now, for the last part before I enjoy my weekend: Here's a quick survey, hoping that I can gather your thoughts and opinions about my blog and shop! 

Please take the time to answer this survey! First 5 people to complete this survey will receive a FREE small ad which will run for 30 days! 

(Upon completion of the survey, you can either leave a comment/send me an email/tweet)

Can't see the survey below? CLICK HERE.

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A letter to my future self.

(photo credit)
In the past few years, things really happened so fast. It seems like it was only yesterday when I first entered high school, experienced my first heart break, landed in NZ, etc. I want to dedicate today's post for myself - 3 years from now. 
10/01/2013
Dear Gia (23 year old version),
Before you start reading this, I would like to greet you a happy birthday! You just turned 23 today and this is my special gift to you. I don't know if you regret sending this letter or not but whatever...grab a nice cup of Swiss Miss to keep you company. If you already have a boyfriend by this time, then screw the hot chocolate.
If you're reading this now, I hope you're doing just fine. Right at this moment, you just finished watching Pretty Little Liars (Season 3, episode 14) and you're listening to 'Always Returning' by Brian Eno...which inspired you to write this letter.
You started many things and commitments in the past few months, with a lot of encouragement from people of course. I hope that by the time you read this, you're still doing the things you love because you truly enjoy it. You have given so much dedication and energy into these things, so I wish that it all worked out for you in the end. If for some reason, you stopped doing it, then this is a sign. Take this letter as a sign that you should re-consider picking up what's left of it. Those things helped you go through the hardest days, so at least give it another shot.
Right now, you have a lot of questions in mind. You still haven't got the proper closure that you wanted and you're still hoping that you will get it someday. By the time you read this, I hope your mind's already at peace. I hope you've learnt to let go of all the negative things that you once thought were good for you. Right now, you're still having a hard time accepting all the sudden changes that happened in the last couple of weeks. I know that time heals everything, and I hope that by the time you read this, time has already done the healing.
Hopefully, you've already graduated uni by the time you received this email. If not, then this is a sign that you should just drop everything and run off from your student loan. Be a damn prostitute or something, you're wasting your time ffs!
After reading this letter, please take a moment to reflect and see how far you've gone. Maybe you're rolling your eyes, or laughing like a hyena, I don't know. But remember this: 3 years ago when you wrote this whole thing, these words meant a lot to you. 
PS: RIGHT NOW, you have all the material things that you could ever wish for - you  bought them in the year 2012. But it sucks that the thing you really WANT the most (at this very moment) cannot be bought with money.  I hope that by the time you read this, you already found what you're looking for. I hope you're happy. 
Enjoy your birthday, you just turned 23 - your favourite number. 
Love always,
Gia (19 year old version)

Now, it's YOUR turn. If you want to write a letter to your FUTURE self, here's the link. 

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