GIVEAWAY CLOSED | Beauty





CLOSED
WINNER KELLIE KEARNEY !!

I am super excited to be launching my very first ever product giveaway on the blog today!!

I am so grateful to you all for taking the time to connect with Strawberry Topics
 What better way to thank you than with a giveaway.

Competition is open to ROI and NI residents.
Go to my Facebook page strawberry topics
Like it and tag a friend.
Simple!

Closing date will be Tuesday 30th November 2015!

Can't wait to see who wins!

Louise x

Blogger Conf 2015 | Life

Canon masterclass













  


















I took the opportunity to improve my blogging skills this weekend and attended the very first Blogger Conf hosted by EOF | Media. I went with a group of bloggers from ITB Blogger Society.

I love these conferences. There atmosphere is always electric. Bloggers, Youtubers and brands have a place to network and of course it is the place to make new friends!

I was so lucky to meet a number of influential people like Melanie Murphy, Riyadh from Spin 1038 and Glamforce Gail! I literally fan girled the shit out of them all.. I am not even ashamed... 

When I am going through the bad times I forget what I love about blogging. So when I surround myself with other like minded people I fall in love all over again.
The sense of community is amazing. For once in my life I feel like I belong (in a room of 500+ strangers- haha!). I come in to myself and it feels great to forget about the grief for a few hours!





I picked up so many tips today that I will use to put out decent content for you all. 

Anouska PB(Check out her instagram here) gave a talk about social media and photography. Her style is next level and it gave me so many ideas for future work!

Here's some pictures of the day! 

See you soon 

Louise xxx
The Marker Hotel

Melanie and me being besties

Dying over instagram



Leticia, Dee, Anouska, Kewe


Declare stand (Fav skincare!)

My learning style | Life

(I'm setting the scene here with the text below!! This post is to help you figure out your specific learning style...
 If you are a school leaver or like me just getting on in life take this test.. It will help you figure out what it is you are good at and what may suit you :))


Have you ever listened to a song and immediately you memorise a song as soon as you hear it!
You could be taught a computer program and master it in minutes...

When I was in school we weren't thought about learning styles the way you are now............

I am the second child of four. I walked at 10 months, I was talking just after.
I thought myself to read at age 2 using my sister's school books. 
One of my earlier memories was of my Dad taking Amanda's school book off me so she could go to school and I cried because I was really into the story... (I know ha geeekkkkkk)....

When I started primary school I was two years ahead of the class. I read everything from the back of the toilet rolls (haha you did it too :P) to newspapers. 

My ma and da were told to stop letting me read the news as I was repeating things back in class. 




(----- I will always thank my parents for being so open with me even when the school treated them badly.. It allowed me to grow as a person  ---)

Not only did they make a show of my parents but the teachers actively put me down in class. 
It encouraged bullying, (which followed me throughout school!).

So I realised throughout secondary school  that I could learn and master something by seeing, doing and practice.
I knew I was intelligent but my leaving cert only reflected same on practical subjects that involved projects like Biology and Home etc.
(I always wanted to teach.. I didn't get the points in leaving to teach, left long term job in retail at 21... At 25 I am in training... 27 I am in college)

It wasn't until I started my training to "teach" in current job that I learned about different personality / learning types and realised that I am intelligent but my learning style does not suit the Irish academic system AT ALL!!!

I thought I was different....  I'm not... I am a Kinaesthetic learner...Eg: I am the type of person who has a go before reading instructions... I am a talented make up artist... I can cook something from memory.... I am a talented web designer....


I am also very detailed and cannot make a decision until I consider all factors...
There is a place for EVERYTHING in my home and my car... I freak out if things are not in place.
and that's only the start of it...

If you are in school I would highly encourage these tests that will help with your learning.
If like me you left school within last 10 years this may help you understand the way you are....




Love Louise  xx

http://www.whatismylearningstyle.com/index.html

http://www.whatismylearningstyle.com/index.html


VARK questionairre


personality types...

16personalities.com
(I am ENFJ - Barack Obama is my celeb equivilent)

http://personality-testing.info/ 







Hi | Life update

Hey guys!

I'm back for an update. It's been a few months and if you have been following me on social media then you know I have been minding the noggin and taking it easy.

This week a number of articles have appeared on The Journal.ie (see here) about grieving and bereavement.
I must admit it is hard reading other peoples' stories but it is a lovely and brave thing to be part of. Some of the pieces have been written by terminal disease sufferers and some pieces have been about what to say to someone who is grieving.

You all know at this point that I am in the midst of grieving for my husband Stephen who passed in January 2015.

It is almost comical at times how some people react when they hear this.
I am 27, I have the ability to put on a mask 99% of the time so I don't have to share my pain with the world so when someone new meets me (that's been happening a lot lately- more on that later) you can see the metaphorical jaw being picked up off the floor.

Us Irish are great for keeping things private and not discussing death in public. Cancer used to be a killer for everyone, the survival rates are improving all the time. Poor Stephen was one of the unlucky few,
I don't bring the subject up mostly for fear of what will be thrown back at me. Some people are insensitive and seem to keep at me until they see tears.. Others avoid me like the plague.
It hurts sometimes because I lost two people I thought were friends that way.
Sometimes a simple "how are you getting on"? question is all you need to say. If I say "I'm grand" I don't want to talk. If I start pouring out my worries then I want to talk!

On October 25th just passed, I celebrated my first wedding anniversary. I spent weeks worrying about how I was going to be. I didn't want to make a fuss. I wanted to just live in the moment and have some privacy so I didn't have to feel pressured.
I got locked with Gemma (well I got locked she slept) in a hotel in Loughrea, Galway.  We went to a spa and had a massage and went home the next day.

Grief is like a rollercoaster with lots of peaks and dips. You never know how you are going to feel. One minute I am grand the next I am sobbing. There are flashbacks that haunt me and nice memories that make me laugh,

I am a very spiritual person and believe that Stephen is around me. Meditation helps a lot as I am able to calm myself and being around positive energies helps too.

There is so much more that I could talk about here but a lady needs to keep some secrets hahaha who am I kidding I am a pure bloke! hahaha sorry I am cracking myself up here... ok... tumbleweed passes...

Quick round up of what else I've been up to before I let you back to your day...

- El Dieto stopped after marathon... Emotional eating has been put under control for now so I'm actually following your man Paul McKenna book - I can make you thin link here

This is not a diet, It is about changing the way you think about food. It not only works on your attitudes but also your self esteem and confidence.

I am liking so far!









- I was accepted into and am 8 weeks into college. I am studying Creative Digital Media in Institute of  technology, Blanchardstown. This is a 4 year honours degree course and a blogger/youtuber dream. It involves alot of project work, creating, film making, photography and web design. I am in my element. I am up to my eyes but the motivation to get back into blogging is there.
creativedigitalmedia.ie

- I am the founding member of a blogger society in college! Yay! More work for me but again anything to get the creative juices flowing again

- I'm a qualified Make up artist.. Again.. I went back to get my ITEC certificate over the summer..

- I am working part time again. It's a struggle with course load but I love the place so am working hard to keep the job.


If you made it this far, fair play to you. I will catch you in my next post!

Love  Louise xxxx