Blogging is one of those things that I’ve gone back and forth on, as you can see in the dates that this blog goes back to, without a lot of consistent posts, and I think my problems have been that I didn’t think I had anything to say, that I wasn’t good enough, and that I’d put in a lot of work and not have anything to show for it.

Those things are all still true, but I believe in improving myself, and this might save me from evening classes, so I’ve signed up for Blogtacular this year (and it’s next weekend!), which is something that definitely inspires imposter syndrome, after all, my blog isn’t big, and I am scared of being thought to be trying to say I know what I’m doing when I really don’t.  

But this is exactly one of the things that Blogtacular is there for, so I’m thinking I should go for it.  Why not!

I’ve also signed up to the rollercoaster of running an indie business, which is another way of looking improving my blogging.

It’s a 3 month programme, with June being about indie business, July being about social media, and August about finding your tribe, so I’m really looking forward to it!

This is the welcome pack for the Indie Rollercoaster.  I’m loving all of the rainbows!

So, my thinking at the end of this is why not explore different things, and find something that interests and excites you!

Good morning! ☀️ We’ve made it to Tuesday and we still have a colour walk ‘hangover’ from the weekend. ? So we’re just going to pretend we’re still in Brighton, taking snaps against colourful walls and cuddling all the fur babies. ? #brighton #incolourfulcompany #incolourfulcompanybrighton #timelapse #furbaby #acolorstory #effyourbeautystandards

A post shared by In Colourful Company (@incolourfulcompany) on Apr 30, 2018 at 10:20pm PDT

Here’s a close up of my skin from November 2017

It did make me think, though, and I decided I’d try something to see if it would work, and I remembered Caroline Hirons had mentioned Glow Tonic as being good.

And a close up of my skin in April 2017

First, the backstory: I got married in December, and my new surname is Sartain.

We both love Lego, and this was a present at our wedding!  We restrained ourselves from building it right then and there!

I’ve been searching for a blog name that I could have on Facebook and Instagram, so I could say ‘yay, look at what I’ve written’, without spamming my friends and family, who might not be interested!

This blog used to be called ‘A few of my favourite things’, and other than being taken everywhere by everyone (and a great many variations!), I wanted something short and snappy, that was memorable, and some of my favourite blogs are Epbot, Random Nerdery, Boho Berry, Rock n Roll Bride or are people’s names, such as Caroline Hirons, and I’ve found all of them relatively easy to remember!

I was sitting at my laptop this morning, pootling about for names, and was thinking of Geek Out, because yes, I really do that, and I have lots of enthusiasm, I’m always smiling or giggling, and I love a lot of geeky things. But, that was taken, along with lots of other variations (can you see a pattern?).

I started looking at a dictionary of Phrase and Fable, and it went into the meaning behind some words, which made me wonder about the meaning behind Sartain, which, according to Ancestry.com is “English: nickname from Old French certeyn ‘self-assured’, ‘determined’. (The phonetic change of -er- to -ar- was a normal process in Middle English).” I was reading that, and playing with the name in my head, and came to Certain, and merged it with Geeky, and Certainly Geeky was born!

I want to use this blog to write more and to record the fun things that I’ve done and will do!

One of my leaving gifts from my old work was a Tatty Devine workshop, for making a lobster necklace, which I went to late last year.

It was at their Brick Lane shop in London.  You get to go into the shop when it’s closed, and spend about an hour and a half making whatever the workshop is for, and then the shop opens to the general public!

At the end of the workshop, you get to spend some time in the shop, looking around, and you get discount that you can use that day in the shop, to buy any bits that you’ve been lusting over for a while!  All in all, it’s a lovely way to spend a morning!

Not the brightest of days, but look at the outside!  It’s mock Tudor, built in 1924, and I love all of the detail, inside and outside!

There is something about these chandeliers that feels very fitting in Liberty!

I thought this plate was adorable!

I walked up the hill from the train station which made me feel pretty virtuous!

This was in the foyer – what else does every foyer for exhibition centre need than a bit of a jungle, complete with sphinx?

I think these were thimbles that you could wear around your neck, so you always have a place to put a pin!

No, I’m not sure why there’s boobs and genitals on the wall either….

Sorry for the bad photos – these were all taken on my phone!  But here’s a photo of some lovely overdyed thread in rainbow colours!

As you might have guessed from my silence this year, I’ve been a little busy!

The last year has been a very different year for me – I quit my full time job, ebayed, and started organising renovation of 2 house, one of which is finished, and the other will be finished in the next month (urk! There’s still a lot to do!).  I’ve become a teacher, at a local college,  passed my AAT (and had a graduation ceremony for!), and taken up running.  A bit of a difference from last year on all counts!

Here’s some lovely lavender that’s grown in our garden!

But now that things are starting to slow down (or will do later this year!), I’ve decided it’s time to get back into blogging, so there should be a sudden flurry of activity on here!  I hope you enjoy it!