Two Dorks with a Blog - Kathleen

Hi everyone!!

I have a bit of a different post today,  so I'm just going to start right away.

I had a friend email me this morning and she said that she started a blog back in like 2012 or something, but only posted 2 posts on it. She asked me what my inspiration comes from and what my view is for the blog. So I'm going to talk a little about how I write my posts, what the focus for my posts is, (grammar?) some tips, and what blogs I often read.

#1
How did I come up with the focus for my posts?

Honestly, I just write what I think is fun and I would enjoy reading. I write about what is interesting me in my life and what is happening in my life. Even for the small audience we reach, I'm astonished and honestly kind of weirded out by the fact that people are reading posts about my life and such. I try and incorporate a little of my deep inner thoughts into my posts as well. Honestly, as an INFJ, I have so many deep thoughts and it's hard for me to feel comfortable talking about them with everyone, even my parents. This is one of the few reasons why I can't wait to move out: because I can live a life that I want without being judged. And the life I want to lead isn't necessarily one of partying. Honestly, I want to stay as far away from that as physically possible. I can't wait to have kids and raise them, and make dinner for my family and just live my life as quietly and gracefully as possible. Grace and mercy is my motto. Sometimes I'm not so great at the grace part though...

#2
How do I come up with ideas on what to post?

This is my favorite part. Like I said above, I take a lot of my inspiration from my everyday life. Those posts, I like to call Vloggy-Bloggies. (I made the name up myself :P) I normally write about what interests me, or something that I think about a lot and want to share with people. The other thing I do somewhat often is take inspiration from Pinterest. The daily journaling prompts are a somewhat useful way to go, but the daily blog post/YouTube video lists are even better. My favorite prompts are those by Hello Neverland. (Link under my signature) These make some great inspiration for seasonal posts. After this I take inspiration from YouTubers. But it rarely ever gets to the point that I need that inspiration. Not that YouTubers aren't great.

#3
Blogger: My Opinions and Advice


 I love using Blogger. It's a very simple way to start a blog and get your mind wrapped around how this whole thing works. You can even start earning money using Blogger. However, if you plan on going big with your blog, I would recommend starting your own website using something more like Wix. While blogger is great, getting your own website gives you a little bit of a boost. In the future (after college) I plan on getting a site through Wix and using that.

My cons for using Blogger is that the designing options only go so far, and that videos don't post very well, if at all. Wix is better for posting videos I've heard.

I will be linking all the blogs mentioned in this post and some of my favorites below so you can access all of them.


On another note, I have questions about festive posts!! What kind of posts do you want to see coming from us this season? Also, how do you readers feel about Christmas music throughout late November and throughout December?

Thank you so much for reading and I will see you next week!!

Kathleen

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Hello Neverland

Candidly Keri

Zoella

Let's Just Chat - Kathleen

Sometimes I feel like the posts I write, while very often on schedule and grammatically correct, they aren't very personal...

Hey guys!!!! How are you! I hope you are all having a wonderful month so far, we are almost half-way through! Comment down below and tell me what you are doing for Halloween or if you are dressing up. I am going to be Meg from Hercules.

Anyways, today I thought I would just kind of chat with you, I want to just talk and get to know you all, because you all hear from me pretty much weekly, but I never hear from most of you. (Some of us are actually friends who I talk to often)

So lately I been doing a lot of school and it's actually a little better than last year. To be brutally honest, last year I was a bit of a slacker, and while my Latin situation was not ideal, I can't blame all of last year on that. I had a pretty rough winter, what with my grandma dying somewhat unexpectedly and then a week after her funeral we left on a 4 day (round trip) drive to Washington DC for the March for Life where I think I hurt my knee and had a really rough time walking around DC. I'm so grateful for my amazing teachers who were all so understanding, however, I know I could have done better. Because of how behind I was, I started procrastinated on school (because I was lazy) then I got more behind and piled up, which resulted in me cramming on everything and just trying to pass classes, which by my standards is getting Bs.

So last year was a really crappy year, which scared me a lot. What with college prep coming up, I definitely feel the pressure to get good grades and stay on top of anything. So I resolved to take good, thorough notes and submit every assignment the day the assignment was due. I took that super seriously during the first maybe 10 weeks which resulted in me exhausting myself and, honestly, working way too hard. I laid of a little bit so I wasn't over-working myself, but still getting good grades and working hard. So this year has, so far, been much better than last year.

Speaking of college, Mom and I are going to Atchison, Kansas to visit Benedictine College. I'm interested in a major in Communications and they also have a minor in Film Studies. I'm also interested in Ave Maria (in Ave Maria, Florida) , they also have a major in Communications and also a minor in Family and Society, which I thought would be VERY beneficial for when I have kids/start a family. Lastly, St. Katherine's in St. Paul, Minnesota has a major in Communications and also Family and Consumer Science. That encompasses both the family and the blogger/I-don't-know-what-to-call-it-but-I-have-it-in-my-head. So those are my college thoughts.

I haven't been doing any activities outside of school for various reasons. I stopped taking piano lessons. It wasn't that I hated piano and it also wasn't because I didn't like my teacher. My piano teacher was amazing, and I love her teaching techniques. I honestly think, she is the best piano teacher I know and it would be hard to top her. The are a few, simple reasons why I stopped taking lessons. A) College is coming up. I'm not planning on majoring in any music, so I want to focus on getting ready for it. B) I wasn't feeling the motivation to keep working and pushing ahead. I was feeling like a machine plunking out notes and not feeling any passion towards the music. Many pianists (or any musician) go through this, but normally in phases. I've gone through phases of not enjoying it, but this one was lasting something around six months, which is crazy. I decided to take a break. I'm super glad I did. I still play a little here and there, in fact, because I took a break, I'm so much happier playing now than I was. I'm working on Perfect by Ed Sheeran. (but the piano music is by The Piano Guys) If any of you are curious about a good sheet music website, I can tell you about one.

So that's a little bit about my life right now; I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me a little about your life!


WAIT WAIT WAIT!!

I have an announcement to make.

So. Last year you may remember that we did Blogmas. This year we won't be doing it. It was so much fun and I loved all the festive everything, but it was sooooo much work.  I think with less posts, the festivity in each post will be upped a bit.

So.

Yeah.

Would You Rather - Kathleen

I actually really love games like this.

Heyyy!! How are y'all, I hope you've finally gotten into some sort of routine with your back to school life...

Anyways, I feel like would you rather games really help you get to know a person. They kind of put you into hypothetical situations and then you get to see how the other person reacts.. if that makes sense. I have some Would You Rathers to ask my self thanks to Conversation Starters (Link in my signature) so let's get started!

Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early?
I think I would always want to be 20 minutes early simply because being early is polite. Plus then I am situated. Especially with my anxiety, it is nice to get a grip on a situation/be prepared early so I don't get caught unexpected by something. Although it might be slightly awkward on dates and such I think it would be easy to explain.

Would you rather lose all your money and valuables or all the pictures you have ever taken?
I would much rather lose all my money/valuables. There is a quote I love, it says, "We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone." This is so true. Money can't replace that. I always try to remember that when Mom wants to take a picture but I don't feel like it or something.

Would you rather be able to see 10 minutes into your future or 10 minutes into everyone else's future.
I would much rather see 10 minutes into everyone else's future. I just think it would be so much more interesting and less stressful and I would get to know someone better.

Would you rather be famous when you are alive and forgotten when you die, or forgotten while you are alive and famous when you die.
Wowza. I have no idea... Either way I would want to be famous for some good effect I left, not money or popularity or anything like that.

Would you rather live in the wilderness far from civilization or live on the streets of a city as a homeless person.
I would much rather live in the middle of nowhere. Not because being homeless sucks, but because I love quiet, and as much as I love shopping, I would totally love living in Maine or something.

Would you rather be alone for the rest of your life or always be surrounded by annoying people.
Alone. While living with so many annoying people would be great for patience, I really like being alone. Whenever Olivia is at dance, and Mom and Dad are out, it's so quiet, and I can just opera sing or bake or watch a movie or read, or basically do anything without being judged/embarrassed. That's when I take most of my blog post pictures...

Would you rather never use social media again, or never watch another movie/TV show again?
Well considering that I really only blog and use Pinterest, I would definitely choose no social media. Without a doubt. Emma's like, "No way crazy lady!" But yeah I don't really use it now so it wouldn't be that hard.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you guys are having fun as summer turns into fall! Here in Illinois, it's still 90 degrees on average so appreciate your cool, crisp autumn air! Have an awesome week!

Kathleen

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

conversationstarters.com

24 Deep Questions About Me - Kathleen

This is round number two because I accidentally published the other one...

Hi guys!! How are you? School is coming up and I can't wait for the back to school posts! Today I have something kind of like the 30 Questions About Me posts, but a little deeper. Lets get started!

1. When was the last time you tried something new?

I think the last time I tried something new was this past summer. We went up to Minneapolis for Independence Day, and while we were there we went kayaking down the Mississippi River. I thought the water would be rough with lots of rapids. Basically like the St. Louis part of the river. But it was actually really chill. I had fun and got a really bad tan line.

2. Who do you sometimes compare yourself to?

Honestly, I don't compare myself to people that much... Really I just admire people who I want to be like. Jess Conte, Collette Butler, etc.

3. What's the most sensible thing you ever heard someone say?

I haven't actually heard someone say this, but it's a quote that I try and live my life by:

"The secret is to never lose sight of the simple, everyday miracles of life. Good food, literature, laughter, music, compelling conversation, nature, and art. Look for them in every day, and even when it feels like your whole life is unravelling, you will never be too far from a needle and thread."

- Beau Taplin (Needle and Thread)

4. What makes you excited about life?

I am so excited to just live my life as gracefully and mercifully that I possibly can. If that makes any sense...

5. What life lesson did you learn the hard way?

I learned that you can't let yourself be shy and you have to get out there. I was not even that shy. But it was enough that I was afraid to speak up and now I have anxiety because when I get in an aggravated situation where people are angry, I have anxiety attacks because I feel like I can't do anything about it.

6. What do you wish you spent more time doing 5 years ago?

I wish I had spent more time getting out there and talking to people for the same reason I mentioned above. I also wish I worked out a bit more, but doesn't everybody? 😄

7. Do you ask enough questions or settle for what you know?

I think this goes both ways. Sometimes I ask too many questions and other times I assume things and end up messing up. Lately I've been trying to slow down and think things through, not only so that I don't miss something, but also so that I don't look stupid.

8. What do you love and what are you doing about it?

I really love photography... and to be honest with you, I'm not doing anything about it... I'm trying to find something I can do in college that helps me towards being a professional photography and having my own business.

9. What is a belief you hold to that most people don't agree with?

Yikes... Sorry Emma we might lose a few views over this...

There are two beliefs that I will always without a doubt hold to. Number one is about abortion. I am a whole-hearted Pro-Life supporter. The second is that I believe in waiting until marriage. I think I might even be taking a vow never to kiss until my wedding day.

10. What can you do today that you couldn't do a year ago?

I can impact so many other people's lives through this blog. That's so crazy to me (even though only six people follow us.)

11. Do you think crying is a sign of weakness or of strength?

It depends on what you are crying about. If you are crying about having to do the dishes, then darling, you're gonna have to toughen up. If you are crying about something you did wrong, then I think it is a sign of strength because you are able to admit that you did wrong and show how sorry you are.

12. What would you do differently if you knew that nobody would judge you?

I would probably become a vlogger... It sounds stupid but I really want to do that.

13. Do you celebrate the things you do have?

I certainly do, but I also realize that I do put a lot of value in material goods.

14. What is the difference between living and existing?

The difference between living and existing is simple. Living is loving, and learning, and experiencing new things. Existing is eating breakfast out of a box, going to work in a box, working in a box, coming back home from work in a box, living in a box, staring at a box for 5 hours a day, and then dying in a box.

15. If not now, then when?

Later. And this is why people aren't happy. Because they procrastinate their way through life.

16. Have you done anything lately worth remembering?

If you are answering by happy, life memories, at my cousins lake house on the 4th of July, we were in a boat parade. We went as Moana, and we danced around on a boat. We placed third. It was so much fun.

17. What does your joy look like today?

I think today, my joy is pink. Childish (finding happiness in everything) and simple.

18. Is it possible to lie without saying a word?

Totally. If you were cheating on your boyfriend you would instantly be lying about your relationship.

19. If you had a friend who spoke to you the same way you speak to yourself, how long would you remain friends with that person?

I don't know. Maybe like a year... I feel like I speak kindly to myself, but maybe I push myself a little to hard sometimes.

20. Which activities make you lose track of time?

Swimming, blogging, cleaning, shopping.

21. If you had to teach something what would you teach?

Probably history...not that I'm good at history, but it's the I would least likely fail at.

22. what would you regret not fully doing, having, or being in your life?

Doing: going to college.

Having: kids

Being: a mentor to someone

23. Are you holding on to something you need to let go of?

Yes. my dog. He's goin insane.

24. When you are 80 years old, what will matter to you the most?

When I am 80 years old, what will matter to me the most is how many lives I have changed.

Kathleen

1,000 Veiws - Kathleen

LOOK LOOK LOOK!!!!!!! We hit 1,000 views!!!!!!! It isn't that many but its our first milestone!!!! Go subscribe so we can get that count up too thank you sooooo much guys, we love and appreciate all of you!

For a preview of the next month and a half, I have a few posts planned:

• My Favorites (YouTube, Bloggers, Podcasts, etc.)
• Aphrodite (guess what it's about :P)
• Goals for the Month
• Dealing with Blogging Burnout

I hope those got you excited!!!! I can't wait for all these summer posts!!

Kathleen

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Blogmas Day #31 - Kathleen and Emma

Hey guys! So this post could be a bit long, so I'm just going to get to it.

For the last few weeks Emma and I have been taking questions for a Q and A today. We only got one...

Awkward...

So I looked up some questions for bloggers, so we are going to do it! Lets go!

dint427 asked, "What is your favorite part about blogging?"

Kathleen:
I think my favorite part is the a) community, b) the freedom, and c) the ability to express yourself. This is kind of my creative outlet, I don't really paint that well, I can't write books, but I looove designing things... Which I haven't really done, but I have posted a few décor thingies. I might do more of those... I also find it hard to express myself through talking. Writing it out is easier for me. That's probably another reason I love music so much...

Emma:
I really love blogging because it gives me a "safe space" to express myself. Kind of like Kathleen said, a creative outlet. I love that I can write about literally anything and everything, and just share my thoughts with the world. Sometimes I feel like it's hard to have your voice heard in such a noisy world, and blogging helps me feel more... visable.

What's a nickname only your family calls you?

Kathleen:
My family calls me Beans. Because it rhymes with Kathleen. Like Kathleen Bean. Sometimes its Beanster, Beanerinies, and on the rare occasion, Beanster-ramavitch.

Yeah, it's a bit awkward.

Emma:
I actually don't have any nicknames. Yeah.. boring, I know. But some of friends call me Em.

What is one of your biggest pet peeves?

Kathleen:
Okay I have two really big ones. You know when it snows and you haven't raked, and so then there are leaves underneath the snow? I HATE THAT. It just looks so ugly and awful. Being a person with 4 huge oak trees in my front and backyard, its usually a yearly thing now. We will be raking this whole week just to get rid of them before winter REALLY starts. Yeah, it's the week after Christmas, this shouldn't be happening. I also go nuts when I'm loading the dishwasher, and I put something in the little place for the utensils, and it falls out. Then I have to move the whole thing, get my hands dirty, move the thing back and put the utensil away... Not a big deal, but I HATE IT.

Emma:
I have so many pet peeves. But the first one that comes to mind is fake people. I really CANT STAND fake people! I want to see the honest and true version of someone. Not the person they want everyone to think they are.. if that makes sense. I also can't stand when people walk horribly slow in front of you, like at the store or in the hallway at school. And they literally just won't let you around them. I'm a bit of a speed-walker, so it's awful.

Which way do you face in the shower?

Kathleen:
I move around a little, but for the majority of the time, my back is facing the shower head

Emma:
Normally facing the wall, with my back facing the shower head.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Kathleen:
Orange Chicken with fried rice, mixed together from this Chinese place down the street, or American Chop Suey. (I don't think I spelled that right)  It's a lot like Chili Mac, but more mac with cheese and peppers.

Emma:
Macaroni and cheese, FRIES, burgers, fast food in general. I know it's unhealthy but I just really love fast food.

That's all for today! I hope you have a wonderful New Years Eve!! Let us know what you are doing for New Years

Have a lovely day!

Kathleen

internationalbffs.blogspot.com

twodorkswithablog.blogspot.com

Hi! I'm Kathleen!

So hello, hello! I'm Kathleen, and I'll save you a great and wonderful intro about me, because it's coming up pretty soon. So I'm just gonna get into it and save a lot of time and reading.

1. What is your middle name? Lucille

2. What is your favorite subject in school? I'm really liking my science's this year, and also Latin

3. What is your favorite drink? I love lemonade. And orange juice. I don't really drink caffeine or soda, so yeah..

4. What is your favorite song at the moment? I love Let It Go by James Bay...

5. What is your favorite food? Thanksgiving Dinner. Turkey, stuffing, green beans, green mountain fluff, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and pies

6. The last thing you bought? Camembert cheese

7. Favorite book of all time? Girl of the Limberlost by Jean Stratton Porter

8. Favorite color? Periwinkle and that deep red burgundy color.

9. Do you have any pets? One Yorkshire Terrier named Papi who has some serious attitude.

10. Favorite perfume? Vera Bradley's Cotton Flower and Bath and Body Works Sunset by the Pool

11. Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving

12. Are you married? No, I'm only 15.

13. Have you ever been out of the country? When I was 3-6 I lived in England and while we were there we visited Ireland. So yeah, it was amazing, and I met the Queen.

14. Do you speak any other language? Latin, and math.

15. How many siblings do you have? I have one amazingly annoying sister whose name is Olivia. She never ceases to drive me nuts. Her hands are always freezing and sweaty.

16. What is your favorite shop? I love Bath and Body works, Lush, The Body Shop, and Charming Charlie. Also White Barn.

17. Favorite Restaurant? Longhorn, or Sapporo. It's a sushi place in St Louis.

18. When was the last time you cried? I cried a couple of days ago. It was because of anxiety which I won't get into much because of a possible upcoming post.

19. Favorite Blog? I love Zoella's blog, and also International BFFs (because I post with them) and this one. :)

20. Favorite Movie? All is Lost, Lord of the Rings, and The Race.

21. Favorite TV Shows? Poldark and Say Yes to the Dress.

22. PC or Mac? PC

23. What phone do you have? LG G4

24. How tall are you? 5'4" and proud of it.

25. Can you cook? I can bake really well and I make a really good hot sandwich for lunch. And fried eggs. And pancakes.

OK, That's it! That went really fast! Umm... Yeah.

So I will see you next week! I think I'm going to post on Sunday's and Emma's going to post on Saturdays or something. But we will figure it all out! Don't worry a bit!

First Blog Post! -Emma

Hello everyone! My name is Emma and I am one of the two owners of this blog! I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to blogs so bear with me as I learn how all of this really works. For my first post, I decided to do the 25 Questions About Me Tag so you can all get to know me better!

1. What is your middle name? Marie.

2. What is your favorite subject in school? I enjoy English class and Vocabulary Studies, mainly because I love reading and writing.

3. What is your favorite drink? Well, I would say the caramel frappachino from Starbucks, but that's sort of typical. So.. my favorite drink is probably a caramel iced coffee from Dunken Donuts. THEY ARE AMAZING

4. What is your favorite song at the moment? This is a really tough question because I have so many favorites. But right now I really love A Little Too Much by Shawn Mendes.

5. What is your favorite food? Anything Italian.

6. The last thing you bought? A burrito from Taco Bell. I have an unhealthy addiction.

7. Favorite book of all time? I love love LOVE Looking for Alaska by John Green. It's amazing.

8. Favorite color? My favorite color is turquoise, But I like any shade of blue.

9. Do you have any pets? I have one cat, Abby. She's pretty adorable but also evil. I also have a guinea pig, Lizzy.

10. Favorite perfume? I'm obsessed with bath and body works. So really anything from there, especially the seasonal things. Right now I'm loving the Suncrisp Apple Harvest scent.

11. Favorite holiday? Christmas is the besttttttt.

12. Are you married? No, I'm only 15.

13. Have you ever been out of the country? No, I haven't. But I definitely want to travel when I get older.

14. Do you speak any other language? Nope, only English. But I'm going to be taking Spanish next year.

15. How many siblings do you have? I have no siblings. But I do have a half brother and half sister that I don't see often.

16. What is your favorite shop? I love Forever 21, Lush, and Bath and Body Works.

17. Favorite Restaurant? Either Texas Roadhouse or the Spaghetti Factory.

18. When was the last time you cried? A couple of days ago when I had to give away one of my guinea pigs :(

19. Favorite Blog? I don't really read very many blogs, but I love International BFFs.

20. Favorite Movie? The Hunger Games trilogy or the first Divergent movie.

21. Favorite TV Shows? Grey's Anatomy and The Gilmore Girls.

22. PC or Mac? PC

23. What phone do you have? The iPhone 5s

24. How tall are you? Somewhere around 5'3"

25. Can you cook? I can bake really well but I don't cook very often.

Well, that's it! Thanks for reading! See you all next time :)
-Emma