Self Known

^ ignore the planter photo bomb. ;) This February I... wrote about finding beauty in yourself. shared how to turn a bad day into a good one. shared brainstorming tips and techniques. created Valentine's Day freebies for you guys. wrote about being single on Valentine's Day (and how to deal with those uneasy feelings). shared a book sneak peek. posted the results from my survey. talked about being "normal". started a new post series. What did you do this month?

This is a requested tutorial. :) 1. Create a free account via Shareholic . Once you've done that, head over to your Website Dashboard and add your website. 2. Scroll down the page and click on the drop down button labeled "Add App Location". Click the first option, share buttons . 3. Name your Share button application then proceed to customize it to your liking. You can change the display options of the buttons, which apps you'd like to feature and more, so make sure to spend some time on this step. 4. When done click "Save Settings". Scroll back down the page and click the button that says "code snippet" when you hover over it. Copy and add the code that comes up to your blog's HTML, right under the " <div class='post-header-line-1'/> " (this particular line may show up twice, so place your share button code beneath the second one). 5. Save template and load the page to view your brand new share buttons.

Hello hello hello! Today is such a lovely day, isn't it? A little cold and gray, but that's to expect. ;) As you probably know the deadline for my Q&A session was the 19th. I received 17 wonderful questions I can't wait to answer. So let's get right to it. Enjoy. <3 + + + Noor What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Anything that has chocolate, peanut butter, or some type of cookie/candy in it - ehh, let's just go with all flavors as my favorite. ;) What are some of your favorite blogs? To name a few: + Hidden + Fifth out of Ten + Clover and Dot + Eve of Womanhood + this flawless blog And more. :) How many pets do you own? / Do you have any pets? One. Well, technically two. My older sister moved in with us, and she has a dog named Breyers (yes, she's named after ice cream). Other than that there's out family pet, Monkey (yes, we have a dog named Monkey). They're both girls, so things can get a little catty around her

I'm always comparing myself to you. I'm always weighing our lives against each other, trying to see who's coming out on top. I feel like a hideous failure, so if I stood next to you, I'd slouch - because the weight of you being better than me is heavy on my shoulders. I feel like I'm missing out on the majors bits of your life, because I'm not there. And you know I'm not there. So we're both feeling my absence. I wanted - I want to - I. Me. We. Were. Will we become something, like we've always wanted? Or will be fall between the cracks like the roots of a dying weed? + + + If you read this, you rock. <3 xx Nicole Rose

I'm not good at making friends. I'm the awkward kid, the one who stares at the ground while they talk, or bounces on the balls of their feet, keeping in time with the tune that's inside their head alone. I'm the quirky one of the group. My ideas are either amazing or something to be frowned upon. I like to make people laugh. But I hate it when I can see everyone's head turning in my direction as I speak. I can't take the heat. I don't like the attention. Yet I strive to be that person. That person that everyone around me seems to be. The one who can tell the story without messing up the plot. The one who can express their opinion, and still sound...normal. But I figured out a long time ago; I'm not normal. “The word ‘Normal’ has become, like, a cringing word to me. Because, who wants to be normal?  Normal is something millions of people do every single day.  To be abnormal, to me, is what’s a lot more fun.  And I think the in

i just want to be able to be myself without being judged for it. i sometimes hate myself. i've changed a lot i'm indecisive i can never control my laughter i have trouble putting a book down i'm a perfectionist i'm really shy i love thunderstorms i love hugging people sometimes, i laugh for no reason i sing in the shower i'm mentally dating a celebrity. i would fall to pieces without music. i love chocolate strawberries i sometimes dread going home i love braids. i avoid drama i love converse i'm loud i'm always there for people, even when no one is there for me. i want my childhood back i eat more than i should i wish i had the courage to confess my feelings i push people away i love pizza i hate racism i'm moody i have amazing friends from all over the world

Do you remember when I asked you guys, my lovely readers, to take a survey? Well I've finally compiled the results! Take a look. :) Aren't these results great? Thank you so much to those of you who participated in my survey. You rock. :) Thanks for reading. <3 xx Nicole Rose

This month's new template is called Aesthetic Tones . This template features: + text header + social media buttons + post footer share options + post title logo + sidebar gadget background + styled heading and blockquote + custom pages + custom search & email gadget This is one of my newest templates, Aesthetic Tones. What's your opinion on it? Interested? Learn more about it on my design site, Nicole Rose Designs . xx Nicole Rose

This mid-month linkup is an opportunity to meet other bloggers, discover other blogs, and create friendship as you go! Share anything you like. Mid-Month Link Up Grow your blogging perspective. Make sure to visit other blogs and link up your own! :)

Valentine's Day is only a few days away, so I thought I'd make a few iPhone/iPod wallpapers for you guys. :) Love love love wallpaper //  iPhone 4 +  iPhone 5 XOXO wallpaper //  iPhone 4  +  iPhone 5 Mmm... chocolate wallpaper // iPhone 4  +  iPhone 5 Share your thoughts in the comments - I'd love to know what you think of these. :) xx Nicole Rose

I've been sitting here for a couple of hours allowing myself to get distracted by YouTube while my inner conscience keeps saying "Rose, you should be writing blog posts". But I've looked through my list of ideas and many  partially started drafts, but nothing seems to be speaking to me. So I decided, why not have a brainstorming session and post about that? Genius, no? Here are a few brainstorming techniques I use when I'm stuck in a rut. 1. Listing Whip out a piece of paper and write a word (preferably one that's related to your blog's niche). What does that word make you think of? Write that down. What does the next word make you think of? Write that down. And so on and so forth. No matter what,  don't  stop. Keep going until you find a word/topic you'd like to write about. :) Here's my list: + writing + journaling + daily + experiences + emotions + memories + happy + smiling + laughing + joyful + playful 2. Visua

We all have those days that makes us feel so... bleh . Maybe it started when you stubbed your toe and then found out that your sister ate the last of your favorite cereal, then it progressed from there. Maybe you woke up feeling discontent and bitter. Maybe you're just not up to dealing with the world. Whatever the case, it's always good to know a few tricks that will pull you out of your mood and help you make the most of your day. These are the methods that work best for me. :) PICTURE 1. Crank Up The Tunes Whenever I'm feeling down or my day has taken a turn for the worst, I love slinking away to my room, pulling up iTunes and dancing around until my parents shout up the stairs that it sounds like an elephant is thundering on the top floor of the house. Dance to music like T-Swizzle's Shake It Off and MKTO's Classic helps me not only feel better but burn off all the pent up frustration that has massaged tension into my muscles. How? Create a

Feeling down?  Listen to this magical musical playlist. That's all for now. <3 xx Nicole Rose

Everywhere I turn I see bloggers doing Q&A's. I told myself I wasn't going to give in and do one as well, but... the more I think about it, the more I want to do one. XD So comment below with any questions you'd like me to answer (I might make a video with my answers - how fun would that be?). If you want to contact me through other social media (like Google Plus, Tumblr, or Instagram) as well, use the hashtag #AskSelfKnown. Question acceptance ends on the 19th. I can't wait to hear from you guys. :) (Thank you to Bryleigh  for inspiring me to do this.) xx Nicole Rose

Today I have a treat for my lovely iPhone/iPod users! Yes, yes. I (finally) tried my hand at making wallpapers. And I must say, I'm rather pleased with how they turned out. :) Click the link below while on your device then tap to save. :) iPhone 4 iPhone 5 xx Nicole Rose

[ via ] Beauty. That super unreliable thing a lot of us tend to worry about. It's a noun Google defines as " a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, esp. the sight". Beauty is something our eyes see and allow our brains to process, deciding whether or not the object in front of us is aesthetically pleasing. This word, with its catastrophic description and limit to who and what it touches is  diabolical,  in its own sense. Because so often we allow it to be limited to what our eyes see - the physical flaws, the imperfections - not allowing us to look at the soul beneath the skin. I believe we are all beautiful, both on the outside and the inside. And though it seems like we're not, like we're the only person in the whole world to have somehow received the mutant "ugly" gene, that's so not true. Our inner cores - our hearts, our souls - are ravishing in their own personal and unique wa

It's February 1st which means the 150 followers giveaway has ended. I'd like to thank all of you who joined. I got over 450 entries (WOW) and a total of 35 people entered - which is totally mind blowing. :) Now, I guess I better make this short and sweet, so the winner of the blog design is... Beth Jones! Just as a reminder the winner was drawn randomly through Rafflecopter. :) Congratulations Beth! Be on the lookout for an email from me. :) Thanks again to all who entered. And come back soon because another giveaway is on the way. ;) Happy February, darlings. Coming soon: Feel Better Playlist Turning A Bad Day Into A Good One Link up xx Nicole Rose