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capseycartwright · 7 years

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I wish you write a fic where Aaron is on his way to a meeting and it's a long train journey. To kill time, he starts scrolling through his phone. He goes over all the stupid text convos with Rob. And then looks through the photos that he's taken of him and Rob. And reminiscing the little story behind each one. And he realises how happy he is with Robert. We don't usually get things from Aaron's POV and how much Robert means to him. Would really like it if you wrote this insanely fluffy fic. :)

i changed it slightly if thats okay (very slightly) but this was the most!! fun to write anon, so thank you for this gorgeous prompt! (it got a bit long, so enjoy.)

we keep this love in a photograph

aaron reminisces about some of his happy moments with robert on a train journey home (1,811)

Aaron settled into his seat on the train, a cup of tea in hand as he began his long journey home to Emmerdale. He’d had to get the train down to London for a few meetings, and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the three hour journey home. He didn’t deal well with long journeys at the best of times, and he was bone tired and just longing for his own bed, in his own flat (and maybe a pint, before he slept for at least two days.)

London was busy, and exhausting, and it was the first time in a long time he hadn’t gone with Robert by his side, his husband there to distract him from boring train journeys and busy cities with a smile and an overly enthusiastic list of things for them to do together.

Robert.

Aaron barely held in a sigh as he thought about his husband. They’d been fighting a lot lately, over ridiculous things, and it was driving Liv, and his mum, and everyone else insane.

Rooting for his phone, Aaron sat back in his chair and glanced at his screen, seeing he had a few messages from Adam, and Liv. Replying to the work related texts from his best mate first, he turned his attention to Liv’s snapchats, wondering what ridiculousness his sister had sent him now.

“Robert, why does your face look like that?” Liv asked, her camera pointed at a serious looking Robert, who was hunched over his computer.

Robert glanced up, rolling his eyes at Liv, his blonde hair ruffled and out of place. “If this goes on your snapchat story, I’m going to let Aaron make dinner for the next month and you can get scurvy.”

Aaron couldn’t help but laugh at Robert’s response, and the cheeky face Liv had pulled in the next snapchat she’d sent him.

Liv was brilliant, she really was.

Feeling more lonely now than he had before, Aaron started to scroll through his photo album, skimming through the thousands of photos and videos he’d somehow ended up with. He’d never really considered himself a sentimental person, but he had a lot of good things to document over the past few years.

Pausing at a recent photo of Robert, Aaron felt his heart swell with love for the man in the photo. He’d taken it one lazy Sunday morning, Robert in bed with the duvet pulled up around his waist, reading a new book.

He was always lost in his own world, when he read, Aaron remembered, totally lost in the pages until he’d read it from cover to cover. After a quiet, sleepy round of Sunday morning sex, Robert had decided he’d stay in bed and enjoy his book for a while - Aaron had gone to get them both a cup of tea when he’d come back to see Robert so enthralled in his book, he’d had to take a picture.

It was one of those little things he’d learned about Robert after they’d decided to give their relationship a proper go, his love for reading. Aaron knew the easiest way to keep Robert happy, or brighten up a day was to just buy him a new book, the newest science fiction novel or murder mystery.

Aaron wasn’t a reader, really, but he liked seeing his husband so invested.

Flicking through his album again, Aaron had to stop on a photo of him and Robert on holiday in Greece the previous summer. They’d managed to book an entire week away, just for the two of them, and had spent six out of seven days soaking up the sun and christening every surface of their apartment overlooking the beach.

They’d ventured out to the local nightclubs a few times, too, and Aaron had taken the drunken selfie on their last night. Robert was sun kissed and completely relaxed, wearing a pristine white shirt, garish pink cocktail in hand and his arm slung around Aaron’s shoulders, love in his eyes and a bright smile on his face.

It had been one of the best weeks of Aaron’s life, Robert determined to make every day a new adventure, dragging Aaron to secret coves and tourist spots, the two of them eating and drinking and soaking up every ray of the Greek sunshine.

It had been easy, to be on holiday and be in love. Easier than it ever was when real life started to interfere with everything they did.

Aaron started flicking through his photos again, stopping as he got to one of Robert he’d taken when his husband hadn’t been looking. Robert had been doing the most mundane of things, standing in the kitchen making them both a cup of tea, but Aaron still remembered how his heart had ached with love for him in that very moment.

Robert was wearing an old jumper of Aaron’s, the sleeves rolled up to hide how short they were on his husband’s long limbs, the navy jumper paired with a pair of flannel pyjama bottoms, Robert sleep soft and happy, the two of them in the midst of a Netflix binge.

Black Mirror.

Aaron only remembered what they’d been watching because Robert had loved it, completely fixated on the show, episode after episode. They’d spent the day curled around each other, skiving off work, and life, and just slobbing out as if they were silly teenagers in love, with no responsibilities.

He wished thats what they were, sometimes. Two business to run, and Liv like another full time job - well, it didn’t leave a lot of time for those gorgeously lazy Aaron and Robert days, where they’d focus completely on each other, or go for dinner together, go see a cheesy film and snog down the back of the cinema like a pair of sixth formers.

Aaron flicked onto a video, smiling as he realised what it was before he even hit play. He’d had to leave for an overnight job to Liverpool, and when he’d finally checked into his B&B, he’d see Robert had recorded a video on his phone.

“It’s our anniversary today,” Robert had said with a soft smile, his blue eyes wide and sincere. “Not our wedding anniversary, don’t worry, you’ve not forgotten. April 14th, the day you gave me my second chance, all those years ago.”

April. Simultaneously the best and worst month of Aaron’s life at times, a mixture of violent nightmares and genuine hope for the future, the month Gordon had been sent down and the month he’d gotten the love of his life back all in one.

“I love you.” Robert said simply, his own face brightening at the words. “God, I love you. Thanks for giving us that new start, because I don’t know where, or who I’d be without you. Drive safe, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Aaron had wanted to do nothing more than snog the face off Robert when he’d watched that video for the first time, Robert’s genuine gratefulness clear as he spoke, thanked him for that second chance.

“Happy anniversary, Mr Sugden. I’m so proud of you.”

Robert said that a lot. Told Aaron just how proud he was of him, told Aaron just how much loved him. Aaron knew he didn’t say it half as often, say those sorts of things half as much as Robert did, but now, even now, with three years of marriage under their belts, he found it hard.

Found it hard to find the right words to sum up just how much he really, truly, deeply loved Robert. What he’d said that day in the garage, all those years ago, it still rang true - he loved him so much, Aaron didn’t know what to do with it sometimes.

Loving someone the way he loved Robert was terrifying. Robert was in every part of his life, his home, his business, in his Facebook profile picture, on his phone lockscreen, in half the photos that lived on Aaron’s mobile. Aaron knew his life would be as close to an empty shell as life got without Robert.

Looking at his phone, Aaron felt a familiar, happy warmth spreading through his body as he admired his screensaver. It was a photo of Robert at Pete and Leyla’s wedding, his husband wearing a smart navy suit and an expensive pair of sunglasses, champagne glass in hand and a bright smile on his face as he toasted to the future of their close friends.

Aaron loved him. He loved Robert so much, loved how thoughtful he was, how kind Robert was when it came to Aaron, when it came to the love they shared. Aaron loved every inch of Robert, the good, the bad, the gorgeous.

And God, he was happy. Recent fighting aside, they were happy, really, truly happy. The kind of happy Aaron didn’t think was meant for people like him, people with broken pieces and unhappy pasts, people who weren’t easy to love.

But he was. Aaron was easy to love, and Aaron found it easier and easier to give his love freely, and openly, and without question every day of his life he spent with Robert.

Decision made, Aaron hit Roberts number on his phone, holding it to his ear as London faded to countryside, green fields rushing past the window of the train, making his heart long for Emmerdale, and the life he had there.

The husband he had there.

“I know the last few weeks have been hard,” Aaron began, almost grateful he’d gotten through to Robert’s voicemail and not Robert himself, knowing he couldn’t bottle it if he was talking to a machine. “But I want you to know that I love you, and no one makes me happy the way you do. I’m sitting on the train home, and I just… All I want is to be with you, right now, and for the rest of my life. Yeah? So whatever else is going on, we’ll sort it, because I love you, Robert.”

Aaron swallowed thickly, surprised at the emotion in his own voice. “I’ll be home, soon. Pick me up in Leeds, yeah? We can go for dinner or something, I want to spend some time with ya.”

And he did. All he wanted was to spend some time with Robert, to be able to forget all the problems and arguments they’d had recently and just sit with the bright, happy man that adorned his lockscreen and be happy.

“You’ve got a lovely husband,” the elderly woman sitting across from him piped up, giving him a sincere smile. She instantly reminded him of Pearl, of her nosey but well meaning comments about how sweet he and Robert were together.

Aaron returned the smile, a happy feeling settling in his bones as he willed the next two and a half hours of his life away. “Yeah, I do.”

#aaron x robert #robron #emmerdale #in which i ramble #in which lorna writes fic #this is so cheesy forgive me

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redheadwanderings-blog · 7 years

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March 12th

Today I went BACKPACKING

I may be very happy in the photo, but retrospectively the graininess of this phone’s front camera makes me sad :(

I woke up with the sun, packed up my stuff, and started walking into town. Luckily I was able to hitch a ride just beyond the campground so I didn’t have to loose valuable trail time by walking along a road.

Once in town I picked up a map and a bit more food to eat. Then I sat in a café, eating a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich while my phone charged. I also took this time to actually download some of those yoga videos. And at 10am I started for the trail head.

My planned loop conveniently starts and ends in Halls Gap (click on the link for a map). Since I’m going at it alone, I wanted to make sure I could meet Lita somewhere easy for her to get to when I finished. The only downside is the trails around Halls Gap were hella crowded due to the long holiday weekend and the same easy I was taking advantage of. Although, the constant presence of people meant I always had someone to ask to take a picture for me! So thank you, strangers, for helping me document my hike.

I absolutely loved the geography and vegetation in this area. I think Australia gets a bit of flack for not having tall, pointy mountains. But their gentle slopes contain dramatic contours. And the flora is incredibly varied. While yesterday I was seeing a lot of low level grasses and bushes with scattered eucalyptus, today I saw a ton of green and all of it was taller than me (I know, you’re thinking a short joke. HAHA VERY FUNNY).

Venus Baths

Splitters Falls

On the way up to The Pinnacle

There were a ton of these thin sections that the trail wound through. This was the first one and it emptied of people just long enough for me to snap a photo. But every single passage after this one was not only thinner, but also filled with people. Several times I had to stand off to the side and wait several minutes for enough people to pass. Too many people!

Seeeeeeeelfie

View from The Pinnacle

Selfie on The Pinnacle

I’m pretty sure Victoria is just a series of cool rock formations

Once I got past The Pinnacle the crowds disappeared. I still saw people on the trail, just not constantly. I only saw one other person at the Lakeview Lookout. And once I passed Rosea parking lot I was pretty much alone. As I like it :)

I decided to push to Mt Rosea and then stop for lunch. While the last few kilometers were tough (all the rock scrambling really wore out my knees), it was definitely worth it. I found a comfortable spot and just chilled, eating my lunch with the best view.

Lunch time

Uuuuuuhgn that view!

Just as I was finishing up and mentally preparing to find a spot to do my yoga for the day, a couple walked up and said hello. Being friendly I said hello back and we struck up a conversation. I do not sounds Australian, so they asked me where I was from. Per usual, after my answer of “I’m from the States,” the woman asked “How do you like your new president?”

Now, let’s review. I am on top of a mountain. I just hiked 4 hours to get here. All I want is some quiet space to breath fresh air, get dirty, and enjoy the view. I want to get sweaty, not talk politics. If I wanted to talk politics I would be on my phone. But that thing is on airplane mode for a reason. But I’m an American under a Trump presidency. So eeeeeeeeeveryone wants to talk to the real-life American citizen about our politics.

I get it. Really, I do. What happens in the US echoes around the world. People watch us closely. And you know, for most of the last several months (because this started back in October), I haven’t minded the conversations. But recently they’ve grown weary. Everyone says the same thing. I respond with the same explanations. They satisfy whatever curiousity they have, and I get a little more weary having my countries issues thrown in my face once again.

But I want to be polite. So I respond to the woman with a simple “I don’t.”

Normally at this point the person I’m talking to comments on a few areas of American politics, perhaps exclaiming dismay at how inaccessible our healthcare is, how terribly we treat refugees, or how sexist, racist, manipulative, and ridiculous our new administration is. For the first time, however, I spoke to a non-American Trump supporter.

A Trump supporter who believed in taking money out of education

Who believed the US should build the military up even more

Who said, direct quote (there are some things one doesn’t forget hearing) “And it’s not the, the, the Mexicans we need to worry about, but the Asains. I mean, I’m not racist. There’s just so many people in China.”

Woah

Like, wooooooooooah

I just…

So I’m going to start with, if you have to say “I’m not racist” then you’re racist. Not probably, but definitely. And let’s be real. We’re all a little bit racist. Racism is built into Western culture. So we all gotta check ourselves because racism is a real live thing. It didn’t just disappear with the Civil Rights Act.

Second, anyone who’s tone has that much venom when speaking about another people has some deeply rooted inner hatred.

Oh, and did I mention the couple were not actually from Australia? Cause they weren’t. They moved to Australia from a socialist country a couple decades ago in an effort to create a better life for their children.

So according to this woman, it’s perfectly okay for white people to move in search of a better life, but nobody else can.

That’s called, you guessed it, RACISM.

This is the first time I’ve been confronted with such blatant racism since I personally realized it did still exist. So I had no idea how to respond. I just sat there in disbelief, wishing these people away and off the mountain I had sought out in search of peace. I’m embarrassed and sorry to say that I did not call her out on her hypocrisy and racism. I just didn’t know what to say that would both educate her and end the conversation. Because mountains are sacred. Mountains stand and watch over our stupid human issues, knowing when we destroy ourselves they will outlive us.

To his credit, her husband clearly saw I wasn’t interested in having this discussion. So he called his wife away and eventually she left.

I tried to find the peace that existed before she approached me. But my mind couldn’t stop spinning. I picked a train that it could settle on- developing ready to go statements to shut up racists and end political discussions I’m not interested in having.

“Can we change the subject?”

“I am not going to discuss this.”

“That was a racist statement.”

I hope, the next time I’m confronted with a political discussion I don’t want to have or someone who Is racist, that I step up and say something. I think having these responses in the back of my mind will help. Have any of you had such an experience? What do you do when you see racism? What do you say to stop conversations you are not interested in?

Anyways, I think this was a perfect bell story moment*. So in a universe in which I was a ranger once again and could tell a political bell story, here’s what I would say:

SO THERE I WAS, ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN IN VICTORIA AUSTRALIA, WHEN A COUPLE WHO EMIGRATED TO AUSTRALIA FROM A SOCIALIST COUNTRY A COUPLE DECADES AGO TO PROVIDE A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR CHILDREN START LECTURING ME ON HOW WESTERN COUNTRIES NEED TO CLOSE THEIR BORDERS, INVEST IN INDUSTRY, TAKE MONEY OUT OF EDUCATION, AND PREPARE FOR NOT THE MEXICANS, BUT THE ASAINS. ALL WHILE CLAIMING TO NOT BE RACIST. AND ALL I COULD THINK WAS…

I eventually did find quiet in my mind again. I selected a flat-ish spot and worked through Revolution – Day 6 - Attention (and Abs) Practice. A very kind couple helped me take this photo and shared some snacks. One last view from the top, and I headed down towards camp- Borough Huts.

Once I got past the rock scrambling bit I just flew down the trail. It was the perfect grade for hiking and the air was beginning to cool. I got into camp around 7 and plopped down at a picnic table.

Despite my 23.36 kilometers (14.52 miles), I wasn’t very hungry. My appetite usually decreases while backpacking, so it wasn’t a surprise. I had a dinner of nuts (gifted from the kind couple on the mountain) and chocolate. I then set up my tent and did some more yoga! Revolution - Day 7 - Stability Practice. Two videos, one day! Told ya I would catch up :)

Really, today was fantastic. It’s been a while since I last just pounded out a bunch of miles. I’m covered in dirt and everything hurts a little, but life doesn’t get better than this.

Thanks for putting up with such a long post. As a reward, here’s one more beautiful view. Love you all, xxoo

*A Bell Story is a Philmont Ranger tradition. In front of the dining hall in base camp there is a bell on a stone pedestal called the Ranger Bell. Before every lunch and dinner, 4 rangers climb atop it. One lucky ranger shouts a story beginning with “SO THERE I WAS” and ending with “AND ALL I COULD THINK WAS.” At that point, all the other rangers start shouting the Ranger Song/Chant which begins with “I WANT TO GO BACK TO PHILMONT.” A one point the four rangers on the bell trust fall backwards and are caught by the ones below. There is much hip-hip-hurrary-ing and general cheering. It’s all very exciting. I find that former rangers (myself inluced) will often start stories with “So there I was…” and, if there’s another former ranger around, we’ll finish it “and all I could think was...” trailing off and sharing a smile with others in the know.

#australia #grampians #backpacking #solohike #thepinnacle #grampiansgrandcanyon #lakeviewlookout #mtrosea #31daysofyoga #yogawithadriene #yogarevolution #surprisepolitics #racism #philmonthrowback #rangerbellstory

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the-connection · 6 years

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Image: Daniela Cadore

My Instagram Story persona could not be further from the real me.

She's chill, constantly smiling and laughing, and always living her best life in some far-flung place that looks as if it were built with the 'gram in mind. To be quite honest with you, I sometimes prefer her to my IRL self.

Scratch the highly-curated veneer of the 2-dimensional version of the life I purport to lead, and you'll see someone struggling daily with severe anxiety and low self-esteem.

This gaping chasm of difference between these two identities became a source of anxiety for me this summer. "Will people be disappointed when they see I'm not as fun as my Instagram self?" I worried as I returned from a summer holiday in France, which I'd documented on my Story.

SEE ALSO: How a vacation and a digital detox app helped cure my iPhone addiction

I knew my Instagram Story wasn't telling the full story. And, I'll wager yours doesn't either.

A new book by journalist and influencer Katherine Ormerod explores these very feelings that the social media generation experience every single day — and, crucially, the impact social media has on our wellbeing.

Its title — Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life — might sound a little scaremongering, but Ormerod's well-researched book is packed full of wisdom that will not only make you feel less alone in your worries, it offers advice and tips to help you armour up against the all-consuming force that is social media. Given that one in three young women feel a pressure to portray their lives as "perfect" on social media, according to recent research by Girl Guiding, this book couldn't be more needed.

"There was a moment where I sat back on my sun lounger thinking: what am I projecting here?"

Ormerod is no stranger to the feeling that her Instagram persona doesn't measure up to the reality of her everyday existence. A journalist and social media influencer with 46K Instagram followers, Ormerod tells Mashable she started to feel "quite complicit in a lot of the messages" that social media can disseminate. But, one moment made her "sit back and take a moment," she says.

"I was on holiday in Tulum, which is obviously the Instagram destination, with a bunch of other amazingly successful hard-working women," says Ormerod.

"None of us had come from loads of money, we'd all made our own businesses, and worked really hard." She says that while they were all having a "lovely time" they were also "fielding calls from the office" and managing a variety of things that come hand in hand with running your own business.

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Tonight’s first instalment of realz captions comes in the form of this monochrome summer shot. People often ask me who takes my Instagram pictures and more often than not it’s my boyfriend. Everyone laughs about the ‘Instagram husband,’ but for me it’s actually a thing and over the years has caused more than its fair share of rows. The cataclysmic argument which followed this shot was focused on the fact that I wanted to take a picture when he was hungover and not in the mood - which really is fair enough. Without Hade snapping me on his iPhone pretty much everywhere we go, there would be no pictures on this account and I’m unendingly grateful for his patience. But that doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes have flare ups and a worrying amount of time it’s because of pictures for Instagram. So while it may seem that this account is all me, there are actually two of us behind it, generally getting on but sometimes arguing about how he’s managed to make me look like I’ve got 17 chins #whysocialmediaisruiningyourlife

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But, the way the trip was presented on social media couldn't have been further from the hustle and grind that went on behind the scenes. "The pictures we ended up posting from that trip were sunset views, five star hotel rooms, designer bikinis, and there was a moment where I sat back on my sun lounger thinking: what am I projecting here?"

"You aren't insulated from tragedy. It's part and parcel of life and no one's life is as perfect as it looks."

She says the story told on Instagram didn't accurately represent "what success is really all about" — or the hard graft that not only leads up, but runs concurrent to success. "I truly feel that social media is only representing the rewards without showing the graft that goes into getting to that place," says Ormerod.

She decided to set up a website called Work Work Work and she began interviewing friends and fellow journalists and influencers about the "less photogenic sides of their lives." These conversations formed the basis of the idea for the book.

"We discussed mental health issues, eating issues, miscarriages — all the universal issues women go through no matter how ritzy your life might look on social media," says Ormerod. "We've all got parents, we've all got health issues. However privileged you are, you aren't insulated from tragedy. It's part and parcel of life and no one's life is as perfect as it looks." For those of us who've posted glamorous-looking selfies during some of the most difficult moments of our lives, Ormerod's words ring very true.

Ormerod says that while being an influencer might look like you're leading the most lavish, luxurious life imaginable, the reality is anything but. "I come from a really modest background, but it looks like I'm really rich on social media," she says. Armed with the knowledge of just how much it took to get to this point in her career (doing several low paid jobs in order to be able to work for free for two years on a fashion magazine) Ormerod is under no illusion about the 'glamour' that comes with life as an influencer.

But, that's not to say she's immune from social media's influence on how she sees herself.

"It's such a relief in the unbearable pressure cooker of perfection and social comparison to hear that actually it is a fantasy."

"I'm just coming up to 35, I thought by this time I'd be married, I'd be in a nice family home, I'd be really secure financially," she says. "Instead, I have a baby and I run my own business but a lot of those tick-boxes have remained unticked, or have veered terribly off path."

Ormerod puts this down to "benchmark anxiety." "You think when you look on social media that everyone has hit these standards that you have been socially conditioned to think you're meant to have hit by a certain amount of time," she says. One thing that has helped her counter these feelings is the realisation that "it's all bullshit." Once you realise this, she says, "the edge of social media comparison does wear away."

There are two sides to the story and many of us — myself included — are only sharing one side with our followers. But, Ormerod wants to change that.

"Obviously I do put pretty pictures up online because I love fashion and shoes and beauty and I'm not ashamed of that — that's part of who I am. But, I do really believe it's important to show both sides," she says. As part of her book launch, she's started a digital campaign encouraging people to tell the real story behind their supposedly perfect pictures.

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I’ve shared the story behind this fashion week in a few places, but in short, my husband had just left me, I’d found out that thousands of pounds were no longer in my bank account and I was struggling to get my landlord to let me out of my lease. As an addition to this, as a total rebound I’d also had a fling with an American guy who had persuaded me to come early to New York before fashion week to see him. On a crazy whim I decided to go and booked the hotel room - which he said he would pay for - on my credit card. I had so much anticipation, had decided to use the money I did have left to get a wax and left feeling like I was about to start the next stage of my romantic life. But then I arrived and he stopped answering my messages. Finally at midnight I got a text saying he couldn’t actually make it as had to go to a hockey match. A HOCKEY MATCH. I never heard from him again and all I was left with was my Brazilian wax and the hotel room bill. Then I had to do fashion week having not only just been left by my husband, but also the rebound guy. It was BRUTAL. But this was the picture I posted. #whysocialmediaisruiningyourlife

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She's reposting old photos and sharing the no-holds-barred story behind those images. "My husband had just left me, I’d found out that thousands of pounds were no longer in my bank account and I was struggling to get my landlord to let me out of my lease," reads one of the captions to Ormerod's reposted 'gram. She then details that not only had her husband just left her, but she'd flown to New York to spend time with a "rebound guy" who promptly stopped replying to her texts the minute she arrived. "I never heard from him again and all I was left with was my Brazilian wax and the hotel room bill," she wrote.

"There's a picture of me at Glastonbury saying 'yeah, everyone loves going to Glastonbury but I fucking hate festivals and I was just there for the content,'" Ormerod tells me. "I came home after one night but I didn't put that on Instagram."

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Here’s another picture of me from that year - this time at Glastonbury. When you look at social media everyone seems to be on endless once in a lifetime experiences and constantly having fun. But sometimes living for content - or going places and doing things just so you have something to talk about/ appear to be having an interesting life can mean you waste a lot of your time doing things you don’t much enjoy. I fucking hate festivals. There is nothing casual about me so it takes all my strength to pretend Im ok with camping. I don’t particularly like the countryside, hate being around people doing drugs and never know any of the bands or the words to the songs. I ended up leaving Glasto after one night sodden, drenched and totally, totally over it. But I didn’t write that on instagram #whysocialmediaisruiningyourlife

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Based on the responses she's been getting, Ormerod feels that this double-sided stories are something that people are "dying to see." "It's such a relief in the unbearable pressure cooker of perfection and social comparison to hear that actually it is a fantasy," she says.

Of course, telling yourself that it's all "bullshit" is far easier said than done. But, Ormerod's book identifies on a granular level the myriad thoughts and feelings one experiences when social media begins to skew our perceptions of ourselves.

"How close is your online identity to your offline identity? Are you merely tinkering with the digital version of your life, or is it pure fiction? Take a long, calm look at what you are curating online and be honest with yourself," reads the book. "Does it feel like hard work to keep up the pretence?"

For many of us, the answer to that last question is a resounding yes. But, rather than giving us a rap on the wrist, or telling us to delete all our apps, or labelling us self-obsessed narcissists (as many headlines do), this book offers a realistic step-by-step approach to taking back control over social media's place in our lives.

"I think there's nothing wrong with social media, there's nothing wrong with technology," says Ormerod. "But the way we're using it and our perspective on it is something we need to reframe and that's really what this book is about."

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This was a very popular picture - taken at my mum’s in France. But what I wasn’t mentioning was that I was 9 weeks pregnant and PUKING MY GUTS up about 15 times a day. I’m holding my bag in front of my tummy and have got a lot of bronzer on, so masking the fact that I was in actual hell. The second picture is actually what I looked like every day for the next month and a half. Friends have asked me how I was so stylish through my pregnancy - the truth is I was mainly in oversized t-shirts with my head in the loo, but that look, strangely, did not make it on to social media #whysocialmediaisruiningyourlife

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Reading that I'm not alone in feeling like my Instagram persona is like having a prettier, happier, more successful twin sister is reassuring. Having the tools to do something about that feeling? Even better.

Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life is available from Sept. 20 for £12.99.

WATCH: Chrissy Teigen made a transfixing Instagram story about a snail's journey to safety

Read more: http://mashable.com/

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news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 6 years

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If you prefer the Instagram version of yourself, read this book

My Instagram Story persona could not be further from the real me.

Scratch the highly-curated veneer of the 2-dimensional version of the life I purport to lead, and you'll see someone struggling daily with severe anxiety and low self-esteem.

SEE ALSO: How a vacation and a digital detox app helped cure my iPhone addiction

I knew my Instagram Story wasn't telling the full story. And, I'll wager yours doesn't either.

"I was on holiday in Tulum, which is obviously the Instagram destination, with a bunch of other amazingly successful hard-working women," says Ormerod.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ＫａｔｈｅｒｉｎｅＯｒｍｅｒｏｄ (@katherine_ormerod) on Sep 11, 2018 at 11:24am PDT

But, that's not to say she's immune from social media's influence on how she sees herself.

There are two sides to the story and many of us — myself included — are only sharing one side with our followers. But, Ormerod wants to change that.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ＫａｔｈｅｒｉｎｅＯｒｍｅｒｏｄ (@katherine_ormerod) on Sep 11, 2018 at 11:24am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ＫａｔｈｅｒｉｎｅＯｒｍｅｒｏｄ (@katherine_ormerod) on Sep 10, 2018 at 12:04pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ＫａｔｈｅｒｉｎｅＯｒｍｅｒｏｄ (@katherine_ormerod) on Sep 11, 2018 at 11:24am PDT

Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life is available from Sept. 20 for £12.99.

WATCH: Chrissy Teigen made a transfixing Instagram story about a snail's journey to safety

#_author:Rachel Thompson #_uuid:e702dc63-cb44-37e2-a73e-61b376ff68b4 #_category:yct:001000002 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_revsp:news.mashable

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harryandmeghan0-blog · 6 years

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Princess Eugenie and the most star-studded royal wedding ever

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/princess-eugenie-and-the-most-star-studded-royal-wedding-ever/

Princess Eugenie and the most star-studded royal wedding ever

It’s no wonder Harry and Meghan’s wedding was a star-studded affair, thanks to the bride’s friends from her acting days and the celebrities Harry’s bonded with through charity work, but Princess Eugenie could be set to outdo them.

The royal, 29, will follow in their footsteps by exchanging vows with her long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in October, and according to Harper’s Bazaar they will also be surrounded by A-list invitees.

There’s expected to be some crossover of social circles with Amal and George Clooney, James Blunt, Cressida Bonas, Elton John and the Beckhams predicted to attend their second royal nuptials of the year.

READ MORE: • Meghan Markle’s secret revealed in old blog post

But Eugenie’s guest list is set to have an extra sprinkling of edginess in the form of a younger, cool crowd including Ellie Goulding, Cara Delevingne and Suki Waterhouse and modelling royalty Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford.

Read on to find out the line-up for what could be the most star-studded royal wedding yet.

Amal and George Clooney, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber

Eugenie’s fiance Jack has been a brand ambassador for Casamigos Tequila in the UK since 2106, the spirit brand was set up in 2013 by George Clooney with Rande Gerber and real estate developer Mike Meldman.

Ellie Goulding

She famously performed at the Duke and Duchess’s 2011 wedding, and Ellie is a close friend of Eugenie, Beatrice and Prince Harry.

Eugenie and Jack were spotted together taking in the Brooklyn Nets Vs New York Knicks game with Ellie and her boyfriend Caspar Jopling at Madison Square Gardens in October 2017.

In April this year, Ellie and Princess Beatrice were part of a very glossy posse who jetted to Jordan on holiday, including Karlie Kloss, her boyfriend Joshua Kushner – brother-in-law of Ivanka Trump and Meghan Markle’s friend Misha Nonoo.

The singer has also been seen at events with the royals before such as the The UK’s first ever We Day in London in 2014.

And she’s even joined the York girls and Fergie for one of their cosy mother-daughter dinners in London after the trio attended one of her gigs.

Sofia Wellesley and James Blunt

Sofia is the glamorous and well-heeled granddaughter of the eighth Duke of Welllington.

The two are known to run in the same circles and are often spotted at festivals and launches alongside Sofia’s husband, singer James Blunt.

They even attended a rain-soaked festival together at Kensington Palace in 2016, where they were seen snapping selfies and sipping from plastic cups in their ponchos.

They may well have forged a friendship through Prince Harry who is good pals with James, and invited the singer and his wife to his big day with Meghan in May this year.

Eugenie’s guest list is set to have an extra sprinkling of edginess in the form of a younger, cool crowd. Photo / Getty Images

Cara Delevingne

Whilst they aren’t often seen out and about together much, Princess Eugenie clearly considers Cara to be a close friend and invited her to her 25th birthday celebrations in 2015.

They may well have met after rubbing shoulders at their gym, the exclusive £5,500 a year Grace Belgravia.

The pair were seen attending Love Magazine’s Party at Lulu’s Member’s Club in September 2015 and were seen leaving hand-in-hand with model Clara Paget in the early hours.

Rather than just putting their money behind the brand, Rande and George have always been vocal about plugging the spirit.

And even though it sold to Diageo for $1 billion in June 2017, the pair said they would continue to promote the brand.

Given their close association with their brainchild it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rande and George arrive with their glamorous wives Amal and Cindy.

Amal and George were also among the high profile guests at Harry and Meghan’s wedding back in May, proving they’ve already built bonds with the royal family.

Cressida Bonas

She may be Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend, but Cressida is very much still part of the circle and often seen out on the social circuit with Eugenie and her older sister Beatrice.

In fact, the York sisters’ friendship with the high society blonde pre-dated her relationship with Harry and it was the girls who first introduced the former couple.

The RADA-trained actress and dancer, 28, has been spotted out in London with the royals in recent years and even enjoyed a skiing holiday with them in Verbier alongside Andrew and Fergie.

She attended Harry’s wedding to Meghan at Windsor Castle in May 2018, proving there’s no hard feelings between the former lovebirds that would prevent her securing an invite.

Holly Branson

The daughter of Richard Branson is friends with both Andrew and Fergie’s daughters.

In April 2011, Eugenie and Jack and Beatrice and her then-boyfriend Dave Clark attended Holly and Fred’s engagement party in London, weeks before Kate and William walked down the aisle.

The foursome also jetted out to the Caribbean for their 2012 nuptials.

Beatrice even set up a charity with Holly, Big Change, which helps young people develop skills such as communication, resilience and team work.

Eugenie and Holly are often snapped together at various glittering galas on the charity circuit.

Kate Moss

The party-loving supermodel has become friends with the equally sociable York sisters after attending countless events together over the years.

She’s also close to their mother Sarah Ferguson and the pair have been on holiday together on several occasions, including a 2013 trip to Venice where they were spotted dining out with Beatrice and Eugenie and their mutual friend, the late David Tang.

In fact, they seem to have multiple pals in common with Kate, Eugenie and Beatrice all attendeding the wedding of Prince Christian of Hanover to Alessandra de Osma in the bride’s native Peru in March 2018.

Elton John and David Furnish

The singer’s connection to William and Harry is well documented, as he was close friends with their mother and wrote a moving version of Candle In The Wind, which he performed at her funeral in 1997.

The princes maintained the bond and Elton and his husband David Furnish attended both William and Kate’s wedding in April 2011, and Harry and Meghan’s big day in May 2018.

However, he also has links to the York family and sat in the front row on Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew’s wedding day with his then-wife Renate in 1986.

The Duchess of York and her daughters have been regular fixtures at Elton’s famed White Tie and Tiara fundraising balls, indicating the veteran hitmaker is very likely to be on the guest list.

Victoria and David Beckham

The power couple are already a fixture at royal weddings after securing invites to William and Kate’s and Harry and Meghan’s nuptials.

And it will be no surprise to see them making their second trip to Windsor of the year, given their connection with Princess Eugenie.

Controversy arose in July 2017 when Harper Beckham and some of her pals were invited to Buckingham Palace for a tea party to celebrate sixth her birthday, after being invited by Fergie.

The treat was paid for by Prince Andrew and Harper and her friends go to pose for a picture with ‘real life Princess’ Eugenie in her father’s private office.

Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12108614

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clubnail · 6 years

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Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her

Don’t think of luxury as expensive—it’s a state of mind, or at least I like to think so. As I sifted through my favorite online beauty emporiums, the items I chose for this luxury beauty gift guide needed to meet a certain set of criteria. Is it extravagant in its own right? Is it something someone can indulge in and enjoy every single time? Consider these gifts upgrades to everyday lifestyle choices. Whether you’re on the hunt for holiday gifts for the special women in your life or perhaps you just want to treat yourself—I’ve put together the ultimate luxury beauty gift guide.

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit: This complexion palette is almost too beautiful to use. It offers everything she needs to contour, highlight, brighten and finish. This is perfect for those who travel frequently or rely heavily on just a few makeup essentials.

2. Stila Eight Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick Set: For the liquid lipstick lover, this mini set includes a mix of six iconic matte shades plus a preview of two new shades with shimmer. For years, I’ve used Stila Liquid Lipstick in Beso (a classic bold red) and I swear by its long-lasting formula.

3. LuMee DUO iPhone Case: This isn’t any ordinary iPhone case—it’s the perfect tech accessory for gorgeous #motd selfies. The LuMee DUO is a studio-quality illuminating iPhone case for both front-facing and back-facing photos. I was recently gifted with the DUO case and I was amazed at how I was able to capture such beautiful photos without relying on natural light. I don’t know how I ever managed without it!

4. Luxie Rose Complete Face Brush Set: Because who doesn’t love rose gold makeup brushes? These brushes are made of premium, soft synthetic bristles and the set includes a round top blender brush, tapered highlight brush, face brush, blending brush, eye shading brush, flat definer brush, lip brush, and brow/lash brush.

5. BeautyBlender Gold Mine Set: I swear by the BeautyBlender sponge because it makes applying makeup so much easier. Originally, I was going to recommend the BeautyBlender for All Seasons gift set in this luxury beauty gift guide but unfortunately it’s sold out. The Gold Mine set is just as good because it also includes a mini Beautycleanser solid, making sponge cleanup super easy as well!

6. Urban Decay Naked 4Some Vault: If you’re shopping for the eye makeup connoisseur, then you’re basically gifting them eyeshadow for a lifetime with this ultimate gift set. The vault includes NAKED (bronze neutrals), NAKED2 (taupe neutrals), NAKED3 (rose neutrals, my personal favorite), and NAKED HEAT (scorched neutrals).

7. Drybar The Texture Toolkit: This limited-edition kit has everything you need to create gorgeous textured waves at home. As someone who currently only relies on a curling wand and some texturizing spray, I’m kind of wishing someone gets this for me!

8. NEST Festive Petite Candle Trio: If you’re heading to any holiday parties this season, make sure you have a gift for your host! You really can’t go wrong with candles from NEST Fragrances. This trio is composed of favorite fragrances including the classic Holiday scent, Birchwood Pine and Sugar Cookie.

9. GLAMGLOW Let it Glow Supermud Set: Skincare sample sets are great for those who don’t wear much makeup. The set contains a Supermud Clearing Treatment, Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment, Gravitymud Firming Treatment and Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment.

10. LED Vanity Mirror: Keeping up with my rose gold obsession, this is a fabulous upgrade from your standard bathroom mirror. This light-up vanity mirror makes primping so much easier. The bottom compartment also can hold jewelry, additional makeup or accessories.

11. TOCCA Hand Cream Collection: This formula is made with coconut oil, shea butter and aloe… three easy reasons why you can’t go wrong with gifting TOCCA’s classic scented hand cream. I always stock up on a couple of these each seasons to gift to girlfriends and co-workers.

12. Chanel COCO Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum: This is my favorite scent from Chanel and I may or may not be hoping my husband is reading this gift guide to take a hint! Personal strategy aside, if you’re thinking about gifting perfume make sure it’s for someone special. If they are particularly sensitive about fragrances, scoop up the eau de toilette.

13. Dyson Blown-A-Ouai Set: I was recently gifted the Dyson Supersonic Dryer and simply put, I’m obsessed. Dyson teamed up with Ouai to really bring the best and most needed hair essentials. Gift this to someone who is always on the go. They’ll be amazed by how quickly they can dry their hair.

14. First Aid Beauty Tales of Fab Skin Set: I rely on First Aid Beauty skincare for maintaining a healthy complexion, especially during the cold winter months. This set comes with four full-size products to help combat dullness, dryness, pores, and uneven texture. It’s also currently marked down to $42 (value: $110)!

15. Slip Sleep Mask & Pillowcase: This isn’t just any sleep mask and pillowcase. It’s an anti-aging, anti-bed head pillowcase that feels like an eight-hour beauty treatment. Silk fibers will help lock in your skin’s moisture and those expensive skin and hair products you rely on.

16. La Mer Gift Set: This Christmas, I’m gifting my mom with some La Mer skincare. I’ve always considered La Mer to be super luxurious and for many, it’s a holy grail skincare line that doesn’t disappoint. I love gifting my mom with high-end beauty gifts because I know she’s usually never willing to treat herself the rest of the year.

17. Aquis Waffle Luxe Hair Turban: Consider this a nice little upgrade for someone still relying on a basic cotton towel to dry their hair when they get out of the shower. The hair turban helps dry hair to a damp stage and also controls frizz and breakage.

18. YSL Black Opium & Mon Paris Lipstick Gift Set: This set includes two favorite scents in travel-friendly packaging paired with a bright orange lipstick.

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I hope this luxury beauty gift guide is helpful! If you need other gift recommendations, you can reach me on Instagram @politics_pretty or email me politicsofprettyblog[at]gmail.com.

The post Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her appeared first on Politics of Pretty.

Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her syndicated from http://ift.tt/2kHgYTQ

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clubnail · 6 years

Text

Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her

18. YSL Black Opium & Mon Paris Lipstick Gift Set: This set includes two favorite scents in travel-friendly packaging paired with a bright orange lipstick.

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

I hope this luxury beauty gift guide is helpful! If you need other gift recommendations, you can reach me on Instagram @politics_pretty or email me politicsofprettyblog[at]gmail.com.

The post Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her appeared first on Politics of Pretty.

Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her syndicated from http://ift.tt/2kHgYTQ

0 notes

clubnail · 6 years

Text

Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her

18. YSL Black Opium & Mon Paris Lipstick Gift Set: This set includes two favorite scents in travel-friendly packaging paired with a bright orange lipstick.

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

I hope this luxury beauty gift guide is helpful! If you need other gift recommendations, you can reach me on Instagram @politics_pretty or email me politicsofprettyblog[at]gmail.com.

The post Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her appeared first on Politics of Pretty.

Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her syndicated from http://ift.tt/2kHgYTQ

0 notes

clubnail · 6 years

Text

Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her

18. YSL Black Opium & Mon Paris Lipstick Gift Set: This set includes two favorite scents in travel-friendly packaging paired with a bright orange lipstick.

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

I hope this luxury beauty gift guide is helpful! If you need other gift recommendations, you can reach me on Instagram @politics_pretty or email me politicsofprettyblog[at]gmail.com.

The post Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her appeared first on Politics of Pretty.

Luxury Beauty Gift Guide For Her syndicated from http://ift.tt/2kHgYTQ

0 notes