Knitting

Posted on by April-Rose Appleby

Yeah I know, not my coolest hobby. But, this summer I started a jumper, I am still knitting that sodding jumper and at this rate it will be ready by 2020 if I am lucky. So is there a way to knit faster?

No, just knit. Once you feel comfortable knitting without looking you can knit and watch TV. I do it all the time. It kills two birds with one stone, you were going to watch anyway so why not watch TV at the same time?

Feel guilty about not exercising as much as you should? Invest in one of those little bikes, you know the ones that are just pedals that you can just sit in your chair and knit with. Get one. You can learn to knit, watch TV and ride your little pedal thingy all at once. And then you are killing three birds with one stone. Getting some exercise, staying warm, knitting and catching up on whatever high jinks are affecting your favourite shows these days. Don’t feel guilty for making that hand crafted with blood sweat and tears gift slowly like you’re doing nothing. You my friend are going to be the world’s fittest knitter who is clued up on all those shows you would have missed otherwise.

The Confidence of ink

Posted on by April-Rose Appleby

Ok. It is no secret, I have tattoos, and piercings. To look at me day to day in the office, the only clue is the tattoo on my wrist. Small and delicate, it’s a memorial to my grandad and to myself in some ways. It’s a promise to myself.

As soon as this contract ends, well that might all change, I might be happy and lucky enough to be able to be myself even more, I would love to have more ink, and not be made to be ashamed to hide it because it is classed as unprofessional. It doesn’t change how I do my job.

Well actually yes it does. Since I have had my ink collection grow, a lot, I have felt in myself more confident, coinciding with a lot of change in my life, but still, the process of the change, the physical change of the tattoo is amazing. I have brought out what was on the inside I used to protect and hide, had it turned into art and had that art etched into my skin. It makes me feel proud, yes this is me… The ink has made me feel more body confident too.

You don’t believe? Ok, but before I used to dream about the body confidence to go and get my ribs done. It was always “when my stomach is flatter” or “when I am more toned” as my excuse. In the end I just said “Fuck it” and I got that tattoo, and my god I love it. Sure I do have those fat days and I think “woah, how did you ever get those ribs done looking like that”. But those thoughts, they don’t last long, because it changes to “my gosh, it is a beautiful tattoo though.” And it grows and snowballs. Because I find more things I like. The tattoos make me feel like, “hey there’s something else that you do actually really love and like about yourself.” All you have to do is focus on that feeling.

I’m inked and proud. But I will not go around flaunting them every single day. I don’t want to make everyone jealous 😉

Hooked on a Book THREEEEEEE

Posted on by April-Rose Appleby

Oh man am I in trouble. Last week, I told you I had started the second book…

Well much to the dismay of my current work, I am now on the sixth of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. What the hell has that woman done to me?

Non stop, non stop have I been reading her work, screw my own writing schedule and to do list, I have just had to keep reading. It’s addictive.

What am I meant to do with my life once this series ends?  It won’t take me long until that is a real true thought I have to think about. But I don’t because I know what it is I should be doing, what I have been neglecting the past few weeks.

Do you want to know something?

I am really hooked on the books. But at the same time, I know that there is work I need to be doing, if not for writing then perhaps look towards my work work, my day job. While the two do not match, and I do have a favourite, I know which one I want to do for the rest of my life.

But like I said, hooked on the Vampire academy series. Managed the first five books with ease, and now book six, it’s a slippery slope of spoilers and addiction. I may need to go to readers/writers rehab whatever that might be at the end. But I won’t be going quietly. I’ll do a Hathaway and fight my way back to normality and civilization.

I have had complaints that I haven’t been as chatty recently from a few people, I am not sure the explanation of “I was absorbed into another world and now I have to face reality and that sucks” would work well in my favour.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. All I can do is warn you about these highly addictive awesome books. And then tell you to go read them, NOW!

An Author update?

Posted on by April-Rose Appleby

So it has occurred to me, that although I do talk on this page I don’t say much directly about what is going on with me in reality.

So I figured, the last Saturday of the month I would give an update as to what I have been up to in the month and give you an insight into who it is you are reading. Now, I have been told by a friend that I should keep what could be deemed to be a public life and a private life very separate. While I do understand the logic, I thought I may blur the lines.

So, here it is.

Obviously I am female, if you hadn’t have assumed by now. I’m in my twenties, not sure if I have mentioned that. I use Twitter and I have a Facebook page as I am sure you know.

I really do wish I led a healthier lifestyle. But I work in a chaotic environment in an office. Writing is my passion and keeps me sane if that makes sense.

So this past month, my excitement has been over arappleby.com being an actual thing, its a thing! Yes I know I shouldn’t call it a thing, its a website, but its a thing in a good way. I have been super excited about this for days on end. I also got really excited on the 7th  October when this bad boy (or girl?) was released… The Coryburn Girls final in the series I mean.

So I have been doing a wee bit of writing when I get the chance in the evenings or weekends, that or editing. This particular line of story that I am writing, by that I do mean the story, it originally started as a way to break my own boundaries and restrictions, but I am really struggling with the fact that the design to see what could break and destroy the character has grown so much. It seems to be a majority of this characters journey is me just throwing obstacles and situations in the path in the aim to see what it takes to just destroy the character as a whole. What it would take for the total break down, it feels a bit cruel really.

It’s also been a lot of learning this past month, apprenticeship wise, I took some of my exams and it wasn’t too bad.

I recently realised, I seem to be very hard on myself and I do have impossible standards that I set myself. I am trying to change that, I think my expectations of what I want to do can be a bit high, and it is both a problem and a solution because I always want to do better. I think that  eventually should help growth on a personal level in order to do more and explore more ideas with writing.

So this month, I’ve spent time hanging with friends, writing, and I got more work done on my tattoo… Which is now healing quite nicely. Oh and I discovered Netflix, which now means I have even less time and a bigger work load, and I have discovered a  book series thanks to a movie on there… So, as a treat, for completing my exams and working hard on my assignment I might be treating myself to the box set… uh oh!

So… Maybe once I have finished writing the whole of my current project (which is quite a bit of work) I will allow myself to read it.

So many thanks for the reads.

Love

ARA xxx