The road to slim…

Posted on February 6, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

Afternoon lovely readers!

So this is a completely self-indulgent post, or at least more so that my usual ramblings post.

Its simply about me!

Some of you will know, well all of you if you read the blog, that I am somewhat harsh on myself when it comes to my body and image. However today has marked a real achievement, I have lost just shy of 2 stone. Not only am I lighter, I am also healthier, happier and an all round nicer person to be around.

Its been easy to be honest, eat better and move more. I decided I would exercise for 30 minutes a day, which I have managed to do, bar a few days of horrid flu-ness. I have used MyFitnessPal to record every single thing that I eat & drink, no pretending or lying just honest. Its amazing the effect really thinking about the foods you eat has on your life. I never thought I would forgo biscuits for fruit or bread for salad, but there you have it!

Thanks to some lovelies at work telling me how ace I look today I decided to foray into the world of fashion posts. Thanks to Amy for her wonderful location ideas and photography skills. So here we go, the girl who hates full body pictures, in all her glory!

My dress is from ASOS and is a gorgeous jersey swing dress, teamed with my Primark faux-fur gilet, slouchy black knee-high Carvella boots and of course my obligatory Micheal Kors rose gold watch. Below I even braved it without my gilet! Note my knees are also visible!

So it’s a simple post, just to reward myself for feeling awesome about how I look. I have a fair way to go to get to my goal, but I am on my way and that feels as awesome as I am sure reaching my goal will be.

I had to include this picture – I feel like a superhero!

I want to thank those of you who have been ace and supportive and made me yummy healthy tea when I have been to see them, to my mum for being ace and doing it with me! Who has herself lost an ace amount of weight before she heads of on her epic trip (more of that later)

So here’s to the next 2 stone and the rest of my life

E x

No More

Posted on February 5, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

When I was a little girl I was told, as I know a lot of girls are, that I was pretty, had beautiful unique eyes, had hair grown women dreamed about, and that I could do anything I wanted with my life. I accepted it because I was told it by the people who loved me.

Dad & I

So what happened between then and now. I have the same eyes and the same thick hair, and I am doing everything that I want in life. and yet I struggle.

I struggle with the fact that despite being told throughout my childhood the things I mentioned above, and many more, the only one that I held on to and has shaped me is the one about my ability to do anything I want with my life. I am doing exactly as I wish with my life. Everything I have done in my life has come from me, and yet when I look in the mirror it isn’t my accomplishments I see, it’s the things I think I have failed at.

How come I managed to turn all that positive reinforcement and support about my abilities and capabilities to achieve anything into a real life existence, yet as I sit and write this I am plagued with feelings of inadequacies about my looks that I have led me down a path to being overweight and horribly unfit.

I think that a lot of it stems from the fact that as girls we are taught by the people outside our home life that it’s the things we achieve in school that define us as we age. We are taught in school so that we can continue upwardly through life, to achieve success. In all that though I think certain messages are lost. I don’t think that girls are recognised for their naturally abilities, only those that are taught by others.

Yet as soon as we are grown those wonderful lessons we were taught, the incredible volumes of knowledge we have had imparted onto us over the years fall by the wayside and we are left with an overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction that no amount of pay rises, promotions and big offices can over quell.

I judge myself based on the viewpoint of others. I only believe I am a good friend, if those around me tell me so. I only believe I am attractive if the people I find attractive find me so. I am only ‘right’ when someone tells me I am.

I don’t know if any of you reading feel this way, if you don’t then apologies, but I have decided in the last 40 minutes, although its been coming for some time, that as long as I am happy with the person I am, what I see in the mirror and my actions towards others then the opinions of others become null and void.

At the beginning of 2013 as the clock stuck midnight I made a promise to myself;

No more trying to be someone else, no more trying to be the best at things that don’t matter and instead focus on the things that do, no more spending time angry that certain people in my life don’t behave the way I think they should, no more despising the reflection I see in the mirror. No More.

Instead here are my 2013 vows (not resolutions)

- I will not stop watching airbrushed american television shows that make me feel bad about how I look. Instead I vow to read more of the authors who inspire me, follow the lives of women who work for the bodies they deserve and find time to work on myself.
- I will not dye my hair over and over again longing for it to be something it never will be. Instead I vow to be kind to it and treat it well and most of all not try to have the looks of someone else, but create looks of my own.
- I will not pay to have plastic stuck to me nails because I think that the best way to have long nails. Instead I vow to grow my nails with patience and treat them well.
- I will not use fake tan or sun beds. Instead I will embrace my beautiful pale skin which I have recently realised actually suits my green eyes and dark hair.
- I will not read more into the tweets, Facebook statuses or other social networking site posts of my friends. Instead I vow to spend time with them; honest time so that when they post arsey snarky posts (which they still will) I will know that its nothing to do with me.
- I will not eat junk food. Instead I will allow myself a treat whenever I wish as long as it’s a small amount and I can justify eating it.
- I will not continue to allow my body to deteriorate. Instead I will exercise for 30 minutes every single day. Be it a brisk dog walk, a dance class, a swim or whatever else I wish.
- I will not see the success of others as a failure in me. Instead I will celebrate success with them and strive harder to focus on my aims and goals and not take my eye off them.

Finally I will not deny myself any experience, opportunity or emotion. Instead I will go through life open-minded, honestly and with every intention of becoming the greatest version of myself possible.

Would love to know what you feel about this?

E x

PS don’t forget you can still enter my Instant Print business card giveaway

Is it just me?

Posted on February 4, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

I love quotes; motivational, thought-provoking, compassionate or funny. I am a fan of them all.

Want to know what I’m not a fan of? Over use and under action. I’m one of those people who actually take heed of the quotes and find something within them to take with me either on a day-to-day basis or when I’m in need of a little support.

However, recently the likes of Facebook, twitter and Instagram have been littered with quotes, flippantly used, put out into the world, copied and pasted and I’m not sure of the reason people post them?!

Think one of the ones that really pushed me over the edge recently and prompted this rant, appeared on the blog header of a beauty blogger.

I’m sure when Roosevelt was standing up for an end to racial segmentation, or pushing for the US to join the United Nations or maybe when she sat in the first seat of United Nations Commission on Human Rights she wasn’t thinking this quote would be used to promote a beauty blog! To say the blogger has entirely missed the crux of the quote is potentially the biggest understatement possible. It infuriates me, maybe it shouldn’t, but Lordy does it!

It’s not just the misuse of the quotes, but the incessant use of them, the plastering of them everywhere, and the lack of follow through. I’m not saying that every time you write something inspiring that you must run with steely determination to accomplish something on the back of the quote, but surely by putting them into the world without action you are slowly diluting their message.

I think more what infuriates me is the lack of action, if you are so inspired by the forceful thought-provoking words of the past why are you just posting them on Facebook, why aren’t you acting on them.

So I will share my favourite quote, I hold dear to me and act on, most if not all days.

“Everything will be alright in the end, if it isn’t alright, if it isn’t alright it isn’t the end”

Yes I know it’s not the most powerful of quotes, but as I watched my mum sink further into depression and grief at the loss of the love of her life I searched for comfort for both of us. This seemed to appear out of the blue at the perfect time, on the front of a greeting card. But it helped, it helped me know that if I carried on helping, doing what I was then mum would pull through. Because when it comes down to it, the thought of reality is far more scary than the reality itself.

It’s a great few lines to carry with you in life. To remember that however awful something feels, however difficult, it will pass; things might not be the same, but they will be OK.

So do you have a favourite quote? One you hold dear?

E x

PS don’t forget about my Instantprint giveaway – open for another 5 days!

Sunday Social

Posted on February 3, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

Today marks the start of my Sunday Social – they will be posts about the lovely places I have been and the gorgeous food I have eaten. I wrote a post about Baltzersens in Harrogate last year and it’s inspired the Sunday Social, because lets face it there is nothing better on a Sunday afternoon than perfect food and company.

Today’s post is all about Orchid, the beautiful adored Thai restaurant within the boutique Studley Hotel on Swan Road in Harrogate. I spent 3 gorgeous hours with my favourite second family, Amanda, Tim, Luke, Harry & Chloe have been in my life since the kids were tiny, in Harry and Chloe’s case before they were born! To sit with Luke, 17 whilst he has a beer and we chat about Uni makes me feel ancient, but at the same time so lovely to have been a part of his life for so long.

harrogate restaurant

The beautiful Studley Hotel

The stunning private room we ate lunch in

This restaurant is regarded as one of the best in town, it is full booked most weekends of most weeks throughout the year, but for me the absolute best time to go is Sunday Lunch.

I bet you have all been to an all-you-can eat, but I bet you have never been to an all-you-can eat like this before. The food is just incredible, the blend of Thai and Pan-Asian flavours and textures, just divine. Unlike a lot of buffets, the Orchids buffet offers the best of the main dinner menu.

Included in the starters section of the buffet are the incredible succulent duck pancakes, light tempura vegetables, a sharp and creamy cucumber and avocado salad. I followed that by the beautiful Red Duck Curry, jammed packed with roasted duck, pineapple, lime leaves and sweet basil, paired with the aromatic rice and spicy soft noodles.

I cannot describe how beautiful the food at Orchid is, it’s also a wonderful place to people spot as Sunday Buffet seems to bring out the who’s who of Harrogate.

You can also indulge in some wonderful beer from all over Asia, includes Singapore’s Tiger, Singha from Thailand and my favourite Tsingtao which hails from China. There is also nothing more scrummy that a glass of ice cold Rose to cut through the rich Thai curries and to cool the palette after the chili ginger beef.

It’s a great date night place if you are out to impress and with the beautiful hotel attached its easy to make a weekend of it, walk off all the food and booze in the Valley Gardens afterwards.

Would love to know what your favourite restaurants in the area are, then I can add them to my ‘To Visit’ list and for my Social Sunday in the future.

E x

Super Duper Giveaway!

Posted on February 2, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

So February is upon us, and after the incredible month that was January I am thrilled to tell you about things things I have coming up. Which is handy since I have set myself a 28 day challenge, to blog every day.

I am going to start this wonderful challenge with a GIVEAWAY! Don’t you be telling me that I don’t do awesome things for you.

The lovely folk at InstantPrint got in touch and offered me a 1000 of their gorgeous business cards, of ourse I jumped at the chance. With BPSFW just around the corner and a wonderful trip to NYC the week after where I will be meeting and interviewing some amazing people and brands, the offer couldn’t have come at a better time.

I sent over my design, which was super duper simple to create online, then within a week the cards we with me! I have had a lot of business cards in my life, from my first job in recruitment to having my own company I have always felt a little let down, the quality has never been good enough and the design has been a struggle. So to say I was thrilled by the whole process is an understatement.

I decided on the matte finish on the cards is really expensive looking something I am always a fan of! I even made my first Vine 6 second video of the cards…geeky but I love it! You can find me on Vine heyworlditsmeemma

So the Super Duper Exciting news is that I am giving away 4 sets of 1000 custom cards!

Such a fab prize to win, if you’re just starting up a business, have created a blog or just fancy updating your current cards. Usually business cards are a boring and expensive requirement so I am thrilled I can offer a little bit of help

I might not be offering the most incredibly glamorous prize, but its one that really can add so much value to your venture!

So here is the deal!

1 – Let me know in the comment box for this blog post, let me know why you would love to win one of the sets of business cards

2 – Tweet me @emglobetrotter and include @instantprint in the tweet for an additional entry.

3 – You can also follow Heyworlditsmeemma for an extra entry.

Make sure you put your twitter handle in the comments box along with your reason for wanting to win so I know to add the extra entry for you!

I will reveal the winner at 6pm on Saturday 9th February!!

The competition opens at 12noon on Saturday 2nd February and is open until 12noon Saturday 9th February. This is open for UK residents only.

Good Luck!

E x

I’m Sorry…

Posted on February 1, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

Dear January,

I am writing to confess. I’ve been a bad person.

First and foremost let me apologise. I have been so cruel to you in the past. I have bitched behind your back, I have wished you never existed and I have wanted to leave you behind.

But you stood by me, you held fast and showed me how wrong I truly was.

So, January I would like to take these few hundred words to thank you.

Thank you for providing the big wigs at television HQ with a needy and wanting audience, as such we are indulged in the wonderful drama of Ripper Street, the whimsical wonderland of Mr Selfridge and the insatiably addictive Girls.

Thank you for giving us a fresh start, for offering us a plain piece of paper and the chance to start anew. A literal clean sheet in the form of a new dairy or calendar – the horizon before us is now clear to be filled with wonder and amazement.

Thank you for giving us the hideously bitterly cold weather which means being allowed to have the heating on longer, allows us to unashamedly wear onsies and drink too much hot chocolate.

Thank you for the plethora of inspiration you give to magazines and newspapers, without you January there would be no “fad diet”

So here is my promise January, I promise to be kind to you, to think of you often and to speak only good things when people enquire as to how you are.

So here’s to you January!

All my love

Emma x
January lover!

P.S I will be posting every day in February. Every post will be at least 300 words. I will be taking requests if you want me to write about something, review something etc

So that’s it, that simple

My Match Weekiversary!

Posted on January 31, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

My match.com ‘weekiversary’ has passed and I must say after Mr Shadow Penis things are beginning to look up!

I must firstly inform you though of the delightful creature who appeared in my inbox late last week. Beautiful doesn’t begin to describe him, handsome movie star good looks and witty banter, I thought hello! I’m on to a winner here.

Fast forward around 3 hours and I’ve learnt that although he is a barrister day-to-day, in the evenings he is a ‘butler in the buff’ what joy I thought! However things took a kooky turn when he informed me that he doesn’t wear an apron when he does it, and usually it’s just one on one with a woman. Now I am not a prude by any means, but surely to you dear readers that seems a little…odd?

With further probing I discover that actually if he had it his way he would be naked all the time and finds that it’s the best way to get to know someone! But “rest assured” he said, you don’t need to be naked on our first date. Phew!

So the date is booked with Mr Naked Lawyer and I guess I’l just have to see what happens. Oh did I also mention he sent me a run down of what I can expect from our first five dates…I’l share a little with you!

“Date 1 – I will be naked, you may not be. I will allow kissing without tongues and light fondling

Date 2 – I will be naked you are more than welcome to be in underwear but not naked. You may pleasure yourself as may I but you may not touch me. I can ejaculate on your body”

Now I’m all up for fondling and all the rest, just not sure I need it scheduled in like a dentists check up?! As a very good friend said… it’s all a little Christian Grey.

Mr Naked seemed to spark some flash of change on the site, suddenly I decided that I should just be bold and email guys I liked the look of, my male friends are always saying women should be more forward. I’m pleased to tell you they’re right!

So as it stands I have a date with a reconstructive surgeon from here on known as Dr Slick, a guitar teacher from Leeds now known as Mr Stratocaster and am chatting with a guy who we’ll call Mr Potential.

Don’t worry il be keeping you up to date on the courting as and when they happen.

Until then! Happy Thursday

E x

Opera North – Otello

Posted on January 27, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

The whole idea when I started this blog was to see the world and be in awe of something, anything. I always thought that meant standing in front of Niagara Falls, or watching the sun set over the Canadian wilderness, both of which I have done in the last 12 months. However last Thursday proved me wrong, that actually it isn’t always vast landscapes or astronomical feats of nature, but sometimes simply the incredible talent of individuals.

I never thought I would liken myself to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, however just as she sat and watched the opening scene of Aida, her eyes filling with tears and her face lit up with the sheer astonishment of what she was witnessing, I sat as the lights flashed across the stage and the roar of voices began.

Those of you who know me, know I love nothing more than tragedy in my movies and books, I get enthralled in the tales of the devious, the inner workings of the deceitful and the power of jealousy. So when I saw Culture Vulture’s had space on their Access All Areas Otello evening at Opera North last week, I jumped at the chance. The thrill of live theatre mingled with the incredible classical musicality of Verdi and you have quite simply handed me my perfect night of entertainment.

Otello is known as one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, the story of deceit and jealously, ending with a strangulation and blood shed. Iago is quite possibly the most revolting of characters, his entire purpose in the play is to ruin Othello, he does so by filling his head with the green-eyed monster and doubt leading him to believe his beautiful devoted wide Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio an arrogant captain.

Ronald Samm as Otello and David Kempster as Iago - Photo credit: Clive Barda

To add even more wonder to the evening I got to meet the incredibly enigmatic and enthralling David Kempster, who played the dastardly Iago. His passion for the opera and his clear love of the Opera North home at Leeds Grand was so inspiring. His presence on stage was mesmerising, to have met him and found him so personable, to then watch him snarl and scheme throughout the whole performance.

As the saying goes behind every great man is a powerful woman and boy is that true in this case it was Elena Kelessidi, who played Desdemona. I cannot begin to describe to you the incredible power of Elena’s voice, to have the force in a single voice to be heard in the very back seat, with a full orchestra and still convey the silent torment of knowing your husband is about to kill you for an adulterous crime you never committed. The love between them at the opening act was so intoxicating i felt myself literally on the edge of my seat, knowing what was about to befall their love.

Ronald Samm as Otello and Elena Kelessidi as Desdemona - Photo credit: Clive Barda

Of course there wouldn’t be a true theatre or opera experience without the rousing sounds of an ensemble cast lightening the mood, especially if there are adorable children involved. Cue the wonderful chorus singing to Desdemona about her beauty and grace. The set added wonderfully to the drama of the piece, the 1940′s costumes were exquisite and the choreography of movement on the sage in both the monologues and the ensemble numbers added to the perfection of the evening. A huge congratulations must also go to the incredible people behind the scenes, Conductor Richard Farnes, Director Tim Albery, Set and Costume Designer Leslie Travers, Lighting Designer Thomas C Hase, Choreographer Laïla Diallo, Fight Director Will Tristram

Elena Kelessidi as Desdemona (centre) and Ann Taylor as Emilia (far right) with the Chorus of Opera North and children’s chorus - Photo credit: Clive Barda

It is rare that I have nothing negative to say, this time is one of those times. A truly wonderful experience and a great way for a newbie to both the world of opera and Shakespeare to begin their love affair. Otello is running at the Leeds Grand until 16th February and can book them easily on the Opera North site and have a look at all of the other amazing performances they have on during 2013.

One of my 2013 resolutions is to go and be in awe of the talent Opera North has to offer.

Let me know what you thought if you have seen Otello or if you are planning to go see it.

Em x

4 days down….27 to go!

Posted on January 24, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

So if you read my initial post about match.com earlier this week you will know that I am on a months trial of the site to see if it can boost my 3.5 year stalemate.

I come with tidings of hilarity and horror! Prepare yourself!

It was all going so well, over 100 views of my profile, 37 winks and 14 chaps chatting to me, I was thrilled. I totally understood the benefit of online dating, in the whole 3.5 years of being single I didn’t get a percentage of the attention I have had on the site.

However, as is always the way, things never do run smoothly in my life. So let me begin with some of the delights on the site, how about the 2 guys on there from Harrogate, who I know have girlfriends who have been ‘active’ on the site in the last few days…hmmm interesting! Then there are the guys who appear to have taken their profile pictures in the dirtiest mirror in the world, or decided that the picture where they are one of 30 people is a suitable one to attract attention. But I think the highlight in terms of profile picture goes to this chap – whose face I have blurred out for legal reasons! But if you are brave have a little look down at the bottom right hand corner……

Not sure there is much I can say about that! And for the record that’s his profile image, not something he sent me!

But in all of this I think that the most disturbing has to be the guy who asked me out, we made great plans to go to comedy club, he was witty and we have similar interests. We should have been going on our first date tonight, but yesterday the very exciting opportunity to go to Opera North to see Otello came about thanks to Culture Vultures (I will be blogging about this in the next few days); sadly that meant I had to email mikey78 and let him know that we would have to rearrange. The email was a sweet one, his response ..not so much!

He called me most names you can think of including, a cock-tease (not sure he knows what this actually is) bitch and self indulgent. He was even less amused when I responded telling him that we wouldn’t be rearranging the date!

He topped that though, he went straight to Match and reported me as a fake profile! Cue and interesting few emails from Match. In fairness they were really great and understood my frustration with the whole matter.

So all in all an interesting first 4 days on the site. However I will continue with a positive mental attitude and as always humour. Even if I don’t find love, I am finding a whole world of stuff to blog about!

You can follow the day to day tweetings at @emglobetrotter if you prefer my rants limited to 140 characters!

Until next time….

E x

Match?

Posted on January 21, 2013 by heyworlditsmeemma

Thanks to the 3.5 year mark having passed since I last had a semblance of a relationship, if you read my blog then you will also know its been well over a year since I have been lucky enough to engage with a chap in the no pants dance, I am now embracing the possibility that I will find a chap online! Or at least get a few dates out of it, always good for blog fodder!

So here I go, signed up to Match.com for a month, that’s all I am willing to commit, I am amazed that people sign up for a year right off that bat!

This is totally how I feel about online dating!

So the info has been submitted I have been honest without over sharing and have used pictures that actually look like me, although thanks to Instagram show me in a nice soft light! I am always amazed at how hard people seem to think writing a little bit about yourself is, for me it wasn’t tough. Potentially because I write for a living, and for a hobby, but mostly I think it’s because people aren’t comfortable with who they really are. Thanks to the last 3 years of hell and heaven I have come to a real acceptance about who I am. I worry how much people exaggerate or gloss over some things about themselves. They tick the average looks box because they don’t want to come across as cocky, but knowing all along that actually they are attractive, the say they love things they think other people are looking for or worst of all they create an almost entirely fictional online ‘character’.

Match photos

So here is my plan, be honest, all the time; not to the point I upset someone but I wont be trying to fit the mold someone else is searching for. So at 5.30pm today 21st January 2013 I am officially ‘dating’ the deal is if I get asked on a date I will go! Despite the fact that I have a list as long as War and Peace outlining what I do and do not want in a man. Then I had a little moment where I realised that I have narrowed the must have personality traits and appearance of ‘Mr Perfect’ to such a degree but I am not sure a person like that even exists! So I am branching out…..I am not thrilled about it, but nor am I thrilled to still be single.

So every few days I will update you on how im getting along…..must dash I have a few emails waiting for me!

E x

Hey World its me Emma

It started with 3 months……now who knows

Tag Archives: life