Liebster Award

I have been nominated by the lovely Shirley from Wonder Canyon for the Liebster award. You get asked 10 questions, then make your own and pass it onto 10 more people. It's aim is to help people with less that 200 followers gain more advertising and readers. Hopefully my readers will get to know me that little bit better. 

Rules;

1) The tagged/nominated blog must have less than 200 followers

2) Mention the person/blog that tagged/nominated you

3) Let the person/blog you nominate know that you tagged them!

1) What is your favourite childhood memory? Personally I don't have a specific favourite childhood memory. Although I do have a favourite place where I had lots of happy memories. My grandparents used to own a nice little farm, very rural and it was such a beautiful place. It was in South Africa. I hold many amazing memories to this place. If there is anywhere in the world I'd want to be on any given day, it would be there. 

2) Who is your favourite person to watch on YouTube? I have lots of favourite I even wrote a blog post on it! Read it here. 

3) Describe your dream job. I haven't decided on a job yet, let alone having a 'dream job'. I suppose it would be anything to do with helping people, being creative. It has to be something I enjoy. 

4) When did you put up your first blog post? Oh gosh, I've only just started this blog. My first post was only in May of this year!

5) If you could have a superpower just for today, what would it be? I'd probably want to be invisible. You wouldn't have to worry about the way you're dressed or if you hair looks OK, you could just explore the world freely without being judged. Oh and you could mess with people for fun, ehehe. 

6) What is the most creative thing you've done recently? I tried to literally draw a header for this blog, it turned out OK, maybe I should share it with you all. Hmm, it still needs a bit of work. 

7) Where do you live? Kia Ora. A place called New Zealand. Wellington to be precise, in all honesty it's a bit boring. 

8) What is your favourite thing to do on a Sunday morning? Sleep in, or if its nice weather catch a bit of sunshine. 

9) What is the best part of your life right now? The fact I am seeing One Direction in two days!! 

10) What is your favourite quote? I love lots of quotes, no one in particular. I just chose this by random from my laptop. It's really uplifting! Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter used it an a blog post once, which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Golly Gosh I have no idea how to nominate people. I'm just going to put a certain one out there, my chummy Shannon, http://shannon-fitzgerald.blogspot.co.nz/, I nominate you. 

Also if anyone wants to read this and hasn't been nominated before, let me know in the comments and feel free to take my questions and out it in a post anyway! I'd love to read answers to them. 

Here are the questions:

1) What made you decide to start a blog?
2) What country and city do you live in?

3) Name your 5 favourite things about your country and/or city

4) Describe your style.
5) Post a selfie!

6) What is the best thing about your life right now?
7) What's one thing you are really looking forward to? 

8) If you could be any age, younger or older than you are now, for a day, what age would you be?

9) What is your favourite season?

10) Dream job? 

Dani Darling. x

*Credit to owners of both photos used.*

You've got that One Thing

Hello! Continuing on with my One Direction posts, you can read my first one here. 

Within no time at all they were gone, out of the country. I felt like I'd missed my chance. 2012 was a really difficult year for me, I won't go into any detail though. They were there for me when no one else was, that's how it felt anyway. I remember being upset and home alone feeling so bad and I'd put on Up All Night and it would make me so much happier. I didn't understand why I'd become such a big fan, it was really unlike me and unexpected, but I needed them, for reasons that others don't know. They're more than just what meets the eye, they're not just five lads in a boy band, they're legends. 

I've followed them (not literally), tracked them, tweeted them and bought merchandise since. Two years later, 500 + days after receiving tickets for their October 10th concert and I am still waiting. 6 days away. It feels so surreal. They're real people and I am going to see them. To describe how excited I am would be like describing what air looks like. Exactly. There is so much to organise as well. This roller coaster is hitting its peak!! 

Of course I will be writing a nice lil', its actually probably going to be very long, post about the concert! So make sure you look out for that. 

That's it I suppose. Hopefully that was relateable or somewhat of an insight into a Directioner's mind. Believe it or not I actually refined this post a lot. I would've rambled on way more. I'll try not to write about One Direction too much in future. This is still a lifestyle blog, I'll blog what I want to. 

Dani Darling. x

One Direction and I

Dear bloggersphere,

I have a confession, well not exactly. It's just something I have never shared here on Dani Darling. Don't be alarmed though! Some may enjoy what I will type about, sadly some will not.. but for me to become a better blogger and more engaged with audiences this is a must share. I am, well, a Directioner.

Where do I start? In the summer of 2012, (in New Zealand we have summer over Christmas, so it was 2011, close to 2012), I kept seeing these same five boys on tumblr. At the start of it all it wasn't branding, or popularity, or how handsome they were (and still are! Sorry I had to) that made me want to know more. It was their genuine caring towards fans and of course their amazing talent. It's crazy when you look back and realise how quickly you can fall for something when it brings you joy. 

What Makes you Beautiful was of course the first song I heard. Happiness; that's what that song meant to me right from the beginning. I had totally fallen for them, watched every single video I could find of them, trust me it was never supposed to become this. Just a fan, I use to think. Soon I became extremely dedicated and obsessed. 

I'm able to clearly remember purchasing Up All Night after getting an iTunes card that Christmas. I had it on repeat the last evening of 2011. That night was the moment that I realised, no they aren't just photos or interviews online, but extremely talented. From that evening I'd become and happily what I wanted to be a full on Directioner. I hardcore fell for Niall, at one stage he was literally all I could talk about. Now it's different though, suppose it would be after all this time, but I'll write about that later.

1D in NZ 2012

It spiralled out of control so quickly, and I LOVED it! The coolest thing was that my friend Olivia and I found out about and started liking them at the same time. It was and still is a roller coaster; we are going through it together. One Direction came here in April 2012. Olivia and I missed out on tickets. They sold out in seconds. It was really strange because I was literally in so much mental pain. It's hard to explain, imagine loving something so much that when you get that rare chance you try to grab it but you miss. Leading up to it, I kind of expected to get tickets so I was crushed. Anyway, after entering a million competitions we didn't win tickets. If my memory is correct, it was April 22nd, which was really only 4 months into liking them, but boy did those months feel like forever. On the day they came to Wellington. It was a Sunday.. Olivia and I spent hours outside their hotel waiting for the briefest glimpse, but it never came. That was the closest I have ever been to One Direction. 

So this is part one of my One Direction posts, there will be another one in a weeks time.

Hope y'all enjoyed, bit of an emotional post but I liked writing it. Feeling a bit nostalgic!

What fandom's are my readers in? 

Dani Darling. x

Wonderful Wednesday!

Hello all and hello to another Wednesday. Lets make this one wonderful!

Finally after these 16 years of  mere consciousness I have learnt that nothing lasts forever. Chapters come and go. But right now I feel 'stuck', oh how I shudder at that word. School will end and so will this year but that hasn't been giving me much comfort. It's been this way for a while actually. Wish I could just enjoy life, including school..  but it is really not that easy. School cannot change I have to change my attitude. This is consistent to life, don't like something? Change it (other than yourself of course). Don't like the way you feel about something (cough, negative thoughts)? Change your mind. 

And that's exactly what I am going to do! I am not assuming that everyone reading this dislikes school as I do, but I'm sure everyone has felt this feeling - Stuck because something is keeping you that way.

 

This quote right here, I am not sure where I found it on this vast Internet, but I did or maybe it found me, and here in this blog post I am trying to prove a point. To encourage myself to 'let things go' while hoping that someone will enjoy reading this drawl. 

Maybe its time to stop dwelling on waking up in the morning. Maybe it's time to embrace it. I am at a very important chapter (there I go again being all philosophical) in my life so it is time to be positive. I believe it is necessary to let go of all this negativity - it's become too heavy to lug around.

Love Dani Darling! x

p.s Sorry this was alot of 'I's. In my next post it'll be more about others. :) 

Winter Favourites

It is always interesting reading or watching other peoples 'favourites'. Here is my first 'favourites' post for the Winter that has past. Finally we are in Spring, suprisingly because it's still so cold.. I know all around the world people are going into Autumn and Winter, so hopefully I can inspire them to try some new things. I'd really like that.  

Winter Favourites!

1. BB CREAM - it has been reviewed millions of times; I've tried and tested it 

and in my opinion it is perfect. I suppose its fairly affordable too! My Maybelline BB cream, I’ve been using since the beginning of Winter, is definitely right at the top of my list. Moisturising - it kept my skin healthy for the long run. Using it everyday I found that it did more than just cover up like foundation, it moisturised and protected. It will continue to be my everyday go to.  :)

2. PALE MINT GREEN WALLS - A few months back I painted my room from a lavender to a pale green as shown. I honestly love it. It is calming and it makes me feel some what more mature. I have had purple walls all my life, in every single room I have ever lived in, so it’s a nice and welcomed change!

3. VAMPIRE DIARIES - Its more of an overall 2013 favourite but I love the show so much. I only started watching Vampire Diaries this year. Though even in this short time I have become obsessed; cannot wait for Season 5!!

4. BOOTS - Personally I think a pair of boots in Winter are so cute. Mine were only bought recently so I haven't actually been wearing them all season! I will still be wearing them throughout Spring and beyond. Oh, and the photo does not do them (the pair; no I didn't just buy the one boot identified in the photo) justice! 

5. DANI DARLING BLOG - Why yes, I have enjoyed working on this blog over these colder months. When its freezing outside I've liked to plan and write posts! Luckily Spring and Summer are soon so I'll be getting out more.. which will bring new prospects and exciting new blog posts!

6. COFFEE - The photo stands for itself.. I have become extremely addicted to coffee lately. Its so nice to grab a book in Winter with a nice warm cuppa. 

7. ¾ ZEBRA PATTERNED SHIRT - Again the picture says it all. This top is cute and quirky. It was perfect for the casual days this Winter.

8. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS - My favourite book that I read this Winter was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Beautifully tragic. Catch my review here

Love Dani. x

PS. Do ya'll like my new blog header?