How to Pick Up Where You Blogged Off

Posted on February 6, 2013 | 3 Comments

Last week I convinced myself that Transitionelle was finished.

At my wits end.

At my wits’ end.

I haven’t updated it in months. I’ve all but lost my following. And I want a fresh start.

Or… do I?

Why not continue to use this blog to follow my adventures in twenty-something life?

What if I used this blog to fill in the gaps of my resume? What if I wrote out all the whys? What if I use this blog as one more tool on my search for my dream job?

What if I used this blog for other projects? To share my writing? Or to display tidbits of inspiration?

I can’t quit Transitionelle!

Are there rules for restarting your blog? Not a chance! It’s your blog – your voice – and you have the power to restart your blog at any time. So why not now?

Here are some tips for restarting your blog:

  • Feeling inspired? Use that rare opportunity as an extra push to get yourself going!
  • Delete all of those old drafts. Seriously, don’t let those dark clouds hang over you. Delete and move forward.
  • Just write something. Anything. Do a 10 minute free-write on any subject. Get those juices flowing. And post something new. Now that it’s out of the way, blogging isn’t so scary.
  • Write 10 post ideas. Now you have 10 ideas! Go with them.
  • Rethink your message to be. What was your reason for stopping? Do you still want your blog to follow the same direction, or do you want to move off on another tangent? Read just and go with it!
  • Reconnect with your best blogging buddy. Ask him/her for a little extra push – I’m sure they’ll be glad to see your posts again.
  • Consider your blogging schedule. Do you want to hold yourself to blogging every day? Or are you more of a ‘when inspiration strikes’ type? Figure out what works for you.

Don’t forget to ask yourself why you quit blogging. What obstacles may stand in your way? And how will you overcome them?

Other posts worth reading

Blogger Sentral suggests locating new blogging trends and getting on board. You’re starting over, so why not catch a new trend?

Darren Rowse at Problogger suggests taking a look at your old posts – get inspired by your personal or fan favourites and go from there.

Ninenines has a great guide to improving your blog content, looking at everything from design to SEO.

Happy Blogging :)

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Handmade Christmas Presents: Crochet Dinosaurs and a Unicorn

Posted on January 4, 2013 | 3 Comments
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My creations

Now that the holidays are over, I think it’s safe for me to share the handmade goodies that I made for my favourite 3 and 4 year olds. I’ll let the photos do most of the talking :)

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What little girl could resist this cuddly unicorn?

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A red-spiked crochet dinosaur for a little boy

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A blue-spiked dinosaur

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And one last dinosaur for a friend’s little one

Cute, right? Each creature was made by crocheting individual limbs, stuffing them, and sewing them together. The results are adorable – and so were the reactions of the kids when they opened them up.

The dinosaur was made using this pattern - I used Google translate to get an English version. The unicorn was my own creation.

I’ll definitely be making more of these guys in the future.

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So many parts for such a little unicorn

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A Wildcard’s Afternoon In Downtown Fredericton #Bringitdowntown (part two)

Posted on November 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Last week I described my role as a wildcard in Downtown Fredericton’s Bring it Downtown campaign. Here is the rest of my wildcard adventure – and how I spent my remaining Downtown Dollars.

Yarns on York

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Such a beautiful selection of yarns at Yarns on York! I’ll be using the cherry red to create another crochet christmas present

I popped into Yarns on York to find the perfect companion yarn for my current project: crochet dinosaurs. I have plenty of green yarn, but I wanted a new colour for spikes. I found the perfect soft red acrylic blend. More photos to come :).

Any knitter or crocheter will drool over the variety of colours, textures, and blends of yarn offered at Yarns on York. The staff members are knitters themselves, so they have a good feel for how each type of yarn will work up. Also, they offer plenty of classes – need I say more? It’s the perfect first stop for a handmade gift this holiday.

Made You Blush

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Pretty things at Made You Blush

Remember the whole NEW theme? The best way to prepare myself for the holiday season was to update my old cosmetics. So I had to visit the girls at Made You Blush for some tips.

One thing that I love about this store is the helpful staff members. They’re easy to talk to and able to track down items with even my vaguest of descriptions. I wanted to update my eye makeup regiment, so I asked for some ideas.  We did a round of the store to check out the new shadows, while explaining some of the specifics of shadows and some of the key looks this holiday season.

I picked the Two Faces Neutral eye shadow collection. It has the warm browns that I usually wear, along with plenty of sparkle and shine for the holidays. I’m already in love with them – the colours combine perfectly and the pigment is long-lasting.

Made You Blush also has plenty of great gift ideas for the holidays – everything from bath bombs and lip glosses; nail polish and makeup kits; makeup bags and brushes. They have plenty of popular gifts set aside and are happy to give you some advice.

Urban Almanac

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Pretty gift baskets at the Urban Almanac

This is another great shop to find unique Christmas ornaments and kitchen implements for any occasion. The Urban Almanac also has a great variety of gorgeous gift baskets featuring organic sauces, jellies, and jams, as well as a section of tasty gluten-free mixes for cookies and cakes. Something to keep in mind if you have a gluten allergy in the family.

I was drawn to the Tasha Tea section. I’m just beginning to explore the world of loose leaves, so I wanted to try something new to me. After much smelling and discussion, Scott and I settled on the Caramel Care Mate. It’s a tasty drink – with just a hint of caramel – that I’ll be happy to share with guests over the holidays.

Picaroons

Having recently acquired a Growler, Scott and I were excited to fill ‘er up with Picaroon’s seasonal “Winter Warmer”.  We both enjoyed the drink with our friends that evening. They offer a great selection of delicious beer and will fill your growler up for just 10$.

 

We had such a blast Bringing it Downtown this year – there really are a lot of interesting shops and great gift ideas to choose from. The only person that we didn’t see was Santa Claus, though I’m sure we’ll catch him making his rounds in the weeks to come!

Follow @downtownfred or check out the #bringitdowntown hashtag on Twitter for more Downtown adventures.

Will you be shopping in Downtown Fredericton this December? What are your favourite places?

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Posted in Holidays, Hometown Ideas, New Brunswick, Social Media

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A Wildcard’s Afternoon In Downtown Fredericton #Bringitdowntown (part one)

Posted on November 22, 2012 | 1 Comment

This year I am a wildcard.

That is, I won the chance to take part in Downtown Fredericton’s second annual Bring it Downtown campaign. Fifteen social media junkies and five wildcards were chosen to receive 100 dollars to spend at over 160 downtown businesses. Just in time for the holiday season!

After following the campaign closely last year, I was thrilled to be chosen to share my downtown experiences. I adore popping into the cozy little shops on Canada’s Great Street (Queen Street), eating locally sourced food, and wandering around with my boyfriend. What better way to prepare for the holiday rush ahead?

The theme for this year’s Bring it Downtown campaign was NEW. Trying new cuisine. Creating a new look. Finding a new holiday embellishment. Or trying a new activity. I set out on my adventure with the intention to prepare myself for the holiday season.

So Scott and I decided to start off with our favourite meal: brunch. And where was one place that I’d heard wonderful reviews but had yet to try?

The Cedar Tree Cafe

Yummy treats at the Cedar Tree Cafe, Fredericton

Locally sourced Lebanese cuisine served in a trendy atmosphere – the Cedar Tree provided a perfect brunch date for two. I ordered the mezza sampler (hummus, tabouleh, babaganoush, grape leaves, falafel, pickled turnip, pita) to get a feel for the Cedar Tree’s offerings. It was all very tasty, though the falafel stood miles above the rest.  Scott opted for the breakfast special: a 3 egg scramble with feta and spinach, hummus, granola, and sausage. The sausages were particularly delicious – spicy with a nice texture. He’s also added that the coffee was great. Of course, I stuck with tea.

I must say this will be a new place that I’ll suggest when my girlfriends and I are debating on where to exchange gossip over caffeinated drinks or a casual meal. The servers were helpful and energetic. And despite the Saturday morning crowd, I was still able to enjoy conversation and to check out the local art. A relaxing way to start your shopping adventure.

I’m not much of an impulsive shopper; this trip downtown provided me a great time to look into stores to ponder the perfect gifts for family and friends. I popped into some of my favourite shops to gather ideas for future Christmas presents. 

The following is a sampling of the stores where I browsed:

  • Endeavors/ Think Play: All manner of art supplies for the artist on your list and the coolest toys in town. My favourite toys were their delightful puppets (fraggles, wizards, and an assortment of animals), the Magic Ball 3D puzzle, and the
  • Savour Decor: With a gorgeous assortment of decorative items for the holidays, there’s something here for every home. I fell in love with their owl decorations and multi-coloured tea sets.
  • Geek Chic: The perfect place to pick up mugs, t-shirts, and plenty of stuffed nintendo characters for the proud geek on your list. Scott and I are still debating over the shower curtains – should we go Periodic Table or Water Cycle?
  • Room 2 Remember: Known for their mad variety of K-cups, this store sells some of the most interesting kitchen and bathroom bobbles that I’ve seen. A must-stop for future wedding and house warming gifts!
  • Westminister Books: My favourite bookstore in Fredericton. They offer a great selection of popular fiction, along with an extended selection of Eastern Canadian titles. Of course, Scott and I made a beeline to the kid’s section. They have something for every young reader on your list.

So what did I buy with my remaining Downtown Dollars? You’ll find out tomorrow!

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Posted in Hometown Ideas, New Brunswick, Social Media

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My Experience at Doors Open Fredericton

Posted on September 25, 2012 | 1 Comment

It’s been a while since I posted here. I suppose it’s because I was working on a couple other projects – although I must admit that I’ve had nothing interesting to discuss over the past couple of weeks.

Until now.

This past weekend I experienced my first “Open City” event. These events give members of the public a chance to explore a selection of government and privately-owned buildings. My hometown, Fredericton, offers just such an opportunity and I was excited to check out a few new places.

I started off with a tour of Fredericton’s E. John Bliss Water Treatment Plant. I wanted to share my passion for water treatment (weird, I know) with my boyfriend – so this was the perfect opportunity. The Water Treatment plant was shiny, new, and equipped with all the latest in automated water-management technology – a beautiful sight to me after touring equivalent facilities in Scotland.

Some interesting facts about this new water treatment facility:

  • The facility was built in 2008 on the site of a former gas station – the land was remediated and repurposed successfully
  • The water comes from ground-water wells in the Queens Square area
  • Lime and chlorine are added prior to filtration – this treats the moderate levels of manganese present in our otherwise very clean water
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The Observatory (on UNB campus)

Next, we headed over to the Brydone Jack Observatory – Canada’s first astronomical observatory. We learned about the politics that surrounded the construction of this tiny observatory, and about its original purpose in land-claim disputes. It was interesting to learn that much of the province’s original land-surveying was based on one man’s work.

Finally, we headed over to the Provincial Archives. Here we chatted with friendly staff about the use of the Archives – which are open to everyone – and the storage process. We got to take a peek inside the massive holdings of the archives and discussed the length of time that modern documents could be preserved. I was particularly interested to learn that modern papers and inks decomposed quicker than those printed more than 100 years ago on cotton-based papers.

I learned a lot more than I can describe in this quick blog post. The opportunity to see behind the scenes in just 3 of 19 available buildings was fascinating. I hope to check out more next year!

Thanks a lot to the coordinators of Doors Open Fredericton! Next year I’ll be sure to snap more photos.

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Posted in Hometown Ideas, New Brunswick

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