Yes I have tattoos, no I am not a thug.

I have a total of 4 tattoos, which really is nothing. Yes, I also have a few piercings but nothing too dramatic; but yet on a daily basis I am judged and on occasion shouted at and verbally abused because I choose to have a few tattoos.
My tattoos are nothing harmful at all, they are to remember people I have lost in my life, they remind me of good and bad times. The one posted below was my first tattoo, it was in memory of my Granny who passed away December 25th 2004. It symbolises a very hard and hurtful time I went through in my life, but I managed to come out of it strong, it makes me who I am today.

 A tattoo I had always wanted was the writing in my last Christmas card in which my Granny had given me. I had known from a young age that at some point I would have this done, and this year in March 2014, I finally got it done. Forever her writing on my arm, a reminder that she will always be with me wherever I am and whenever. (I apologies for bad quality picture)

My last tattoo is one that not until recently I knew what it really meant for me. After having it done over a year ago because I simply liked the design, it presents itself with a lot more meaning now. A symbol of being free and although I have felt down, and rooted like nothing would get better, I feel this tattoo has some how freed me and that even things which if think and dead or old or weeds can turn into something amazing and beautiful. 

So, all I ask is that before you judge someone with tattoos and piercings, please remember they are a person with feelings and their tattoos could be an expression of how they feel, or a coping mechanism or simply because they loved the idea. 

Thanks 

Love yah 

IsThataRedHerring 

The Kindness of Strangers

Who knew how kind people on the internet could me?

My mum was frantically searching the house for some old photographs of my Grandad, it's his 70th birthday in June and my mum wanted to do something special for him. After a few days of searching my mum finally found the photographs she was looking for, however they were in bad condition. I'm not good with Photshop or anything technical so I turned to the internet.

I am an avid browser and occasional poster on Imgur,and I thought on the off chance I would see if anyone could help me and my mum with our photo problem. I wasn't all that optimistic but gave it a shot; and within an hour I had people already helping me.

This was the picture my mum wanted, as you can see there was a crease in the picture and a mark where something was stuck to it. It was a amazing how quickly people reacted to my post and began helping straight away. Several people corrected the picture....

And this was the best results....

I was blown away with how amazing it looked, but they didn't stop there.One Imgur user went out of his way to colourise the picture for me, and my mum actually cried because she was so grateful to the person to do this. She was amazed that someone who doesn't even know our family, is willing to do such a nice thing. 

And this is the photo now. I am so shocked at how good it is, he did this in less than an hour. And even fixed and colourised a few other photographs. 

So, all I have to say is there are some wonderful people out there, not everyone on the internet are weirdos! Once again thank you to literallyfigurative for all your help with the photos, you have made my mum and myself very happy. And have restored my faith in humanity.

If you have any stories like mine, an act of kindness from a stranger, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading (sorry it took me a while to post)

Love yah 

IsThataRedHerring 

Internet dating yay or nay?

It is clear that more and more people these days are using internet dating sites and dating apps to find 'love'. Statistics show that 17% of UK couples last year met online and this number continues to grow. It is clear to see that there is an high appeal for internet dating; its quick, easy and at a click of a button you can view hundreds of single men and women. A simple Google search of 'free dating sites' gives you endless options to chose from.

 

After a quick Google search I came across a free dating site called http://www.freedating.co.uk  I filled everything out and waited for it to be confirmed, within 24 hours I got a few hits and had some guys message me. Some were simply asking for sex whereas others actually wanted decent conversation. It was nice at first, but there were some very creepy people on there. A lot of 50+ men contacted me that freaked me out a bit. After having a few dates from the site but nothing meaningful I decided to give another site ago,I would recommend this site, because I did meet some lovely people, however for me personally a long distance relationship was not an option which limited me in finding people. I decided to continue with online dating but this time I opted for a dating app.

Like many students I wanted to know what all the fuss was about Tinder, http://www.gotinder.com/ the basics behind Tinder, were that you linked it with your Facebook account, all the information that was take was your name and age. you then uploaded 6 pictures from Facebook, and wrote a few words about yourself. Then you were ready to go, it would locate the people closest too you, you would then simply swipe left for 'no I would not like to meet this person, or swipe right for 'yes I would like to meet this person'. It was clear to see that a lot of guys and girls were using this to simply see how many people would like them based on what they looked like.I also  I quickly realised that it was an app simply for hooking up and having sex. On the odd occasion a decent guy would pop up and have a decent conversation but nine out of ten times these guys would also only be looking for sex or later reveal it was only a bit of fun. Tinder is a good app if you are looking for some fun, however for me personally I didn't like it, it almost felt like a game, how many people will like you, I often felt downgraded, and some of the pick up lines were awful.

The third dating app I tried was Badoo, http://badoo.com/en/  I only recently started to use it, literally withing the last two weeks. I much prefer this to, the other two, because although it is done by distance like Tinder, it seems more personal. Unlike Tinder if you don't match you can still talk to one another. I have had some lovely conversations with people on here, and continue to. Of course there are still some people out there pushing for sec, but you will get that with any site.

From personal experience I would recommend Badoo, because it is a great lay out, you can search people either nearby or all over the country, although you can pay for extra features I have not needed them. Tinder is great if you are looking for hookups or causal sex, and Freedating is great if you do not mind long distance relationships. Each site has its pros and cons like everything, but it is about finding what is best for you.

If you have any sites you'd like me to try out, or want to share your experiences with dating sites, I would love to here them.

And one last thing I'd love get Lovelychubly opinion on dating sites

Love Yah

IsThataRedHerring

First Post

For my first post I just wanted to say a little about myself and why I have decided to start blogging.
Like everyone I have had my ups and downs, and now as I leave my teens and enter adulthood, I wanted to show the world what I have to offer, and like many people I thought no better way than in a blog.

I started university two years ago in 2012, I was terrified and had no idea what to expect, but I jumped straight in. I had never had alcohol before and it soon became a regular thing, Monday's and Thursday's were student nights which meant only one thing, cheap alcohol and bad pictures. However, looking through the pictures I couldn't help but feel disgusted about myself, I looked terrible, I didn't mind the weird faces I was pulling, but the fact I was so over weight, I stuck out like a sore thumb.Although, my friends loved me and tried to reassure me about my weight I knew they were only being nice, I had to make a change for myself, for my health and to feel happy and myself again.Therefore this blog is to help motivate ME and hopefully others! I know it will not be an easy task, but in two weeks I have lost 5 lbs and already starting to feel better about myself, but its time to make a change. And it begins now...

Love yah

IsThataRedHerring