BLITZ

Jeg har ikke fått skrevet så mange "shopping" - Londontips enda, jeg skal prøve å bli flinkere når det kommer til det, men jeg skrev om en bra butikk for vintage/ thrift-shopping i London noen måneder tilbake, noe som dere syntes til å like veldig godt. Jeg tenkte derfor å skrive litt mer om thrift-shopping i London, og anbefale enda en bra butikk.

I have not written that many "shopping" - London tips yet, I will try to improve on that, but I did write about a good shop for vintage/ thrift-shopping in London a few months ago, which you all seemed to enjoy a lot. I therefore wanted to write some more about thrift-shopping in London, and recommend another great shop. 

Blitz er en utrolig stor thrift-shop i East London, Shoreditch, som vi besøkte i går. Jeg har tidligere delt mine tanker rundt vintage/ thrift-shopping i Camden og Notting Hill, som er utrolig flott turistplasser som jeg virkelig liker, men som ikke har det største utvalget når det kommer til bra thrift-shops (spesielt når det gjelder mote/ klær). Hvis du virkelig vil ha en full dag med thrift-shopping, anbefaler jeg deg å ta turen til East London, mer spesifikt Shoreditch og Brick Lane. Mens vi gikk nedover gatene i går, så vi mange flotte butikker rundt over alt. Det finnes mange forskjellige typer, små, store, dyre og billige, og det er så utrolig gøy å kikke gjennom de. Det er også en Rokit Vintage der, som jeg har blogget om før. Blitz er bare en av de mange butikkene du finner der, men jeg vil nevne den spesielt fordi den er såpass stor og bra.

Blitz is a huge thrift shop in East London, Shoreditch, that we visited yesterday. I have previously shared my thoughts on vintage/ thrift-shopping in Camden and Notting Hill, which are great tourist-places which I really love, but where there is not too much good thrift-shops (at least when it comes to fashion). If you really want to have a full day on thrift-shopping, I recommend you to take a trip to East London, more specifically Shoreditch and Brick Lane. While we walked down the streets yesterday, we saw great-looking shops everywhere. There are a lot of different ones, big, small, expensive and cheap, and they are all so much fun to have a look through. There is also a Rokit Vintage there, which I have written about before. Blitz is only one of the many stores you can find there, but I want to mention it because it is so extremely big and good.

 

Med to store etasjer, høyt tak, en rustikk følelse og til og med en liten kafé inne i butikken, har Blitz mye å by på. Det er en vintage department store, som dekker alle etasjene til en fantastisk, gammel møbelfabrikk. Her kan du finne vintage klær (både ekte designer og billige produkter), accessories, bøker, plater, sko og så mye mer. Du kan enkelt bruke en hel dag her, se rundt på alt de har å tilby og lete etter de beste funnene. Prisene varierer selvfølgelig veldig (fra de billige enkleste t-skjortene til designer-produkter), men jeg ville sagt at det er gode priser, og rom for mange kupp her. I tillegg får du som student 10% avslag, noe som selvfølgelig alltid er gøy!

With two big floors, high ceiling, a rustic feeling and even a small café inside the store, Blitz has a lot to offer. It is a vintage department store, covering all floors of a glorious old furniture factory. Here you can find vintage clothes (both real designer and cheap items), accessories, books, records, shoes and so much more. You could easily spend a whole day here, just looking through everything they have to offer, hunting for the greatest items. The prices do of course range a lot (from the cheap simplest t-shirts to the designer coats), but I would say there is a lot of good bargains to be made here. In addition you get a 10% student discount, which is always fun!

What: Blitz London 

Where: Shoreditch - 55-59 Hanbury Street London E1 5JP

Price: £££££ (simple second hand and sale-stuff) - £££££ (vintage designer items) 

10% student discount

LONDON FOOD: BAKE-A-BOO

Afternoon tea er noe jeg har villet prøve helt siden jeg kom til London, og denne søndagen fikk jeg endelig prøvd det ut. Afternoon tea er en veldig typisk engelsk tradisjon, som du virkelig burde prøve ut når du har sjangsen. Noen av de mest kjente stedene å gå er fancy hoteller som The Ritz, hvor jeg selvfølgelig håper på å få gått en gang, men som akkurat nå blir litt i dyreste laget for studenttilværelsen min. Det som mange ikke vet/ forventer, er at det finnes så mange andre muligheter enn disse dyre hotellene når det kommer til afternoon tea. Jeg og Isabelle bestemte oss for å finne noe i prisklassen £15-25, og vi hadde da mange valgmuligheter rundt omkring i London.

Vi endte opp med å forelske oss i den søte kaféen "Bake-a-boo", som serverer afternoon tea hver fredag-søndag, med priser fra £18. Etter å ha kikket gjennom menyen og stalket bilder på instagram, ble vi fort veldig begeistrete, og booket med en gang. For de fleste afternoon tea's må du booke i forveien, og vi måtte også betale 50% på forhånd, noe som virkelig ikke er noe problem. Vi booket for klokken 1 på søndag, noe som var en perfekt tid for litt mat og kos.

Afternoon tea is something I have wanted to try out ever since I got to London, and this Sunday I finally got the chance to go. Afternoon tea is a very typical English tradition, which you should really try out when you have the chance. Some of the most famous places to go are fancy hotels like The Ritz, where I would of course love to try out one day, but for now that is a bit too expensive for my student life. The thing that a lot of people don't know/ expect though, is that there are so many other options than these expensive formal hotels, when it comes to having an afternoon tea. Me and Isabelle decided on finding something in the price range of £15-25, and we still had a lot to choose from! 

We ended up falling in love with the cute café called "Bake-a-boo", which had afternoon tea every Friday-Sunday, with prices from £18. We quickly got really exciting after looking through the menu and stalking Instagram photos, and decided to book straight away. For most afternoon tea's you have to book in advance, and we also had to pay 50% upfront, which was really no problem. We booked for Sunday at 1pm, which was a perfect time for a little afternoon-tea snack and relaxation. 

Bake-a-boo vanskelig å gå glipp av når du nærmer deg, med sin rosa logo og matchende stoler og bord utenfor, dekorert med fargerike konfetti. Med en gang du trer inn i den lille kaféen lukter du en deilig duft som er en blanding av nybakte cupcakes og kaker, sammen med alle de forskjellige typer varm te de tilbyr. Kaféen er ekstremt liten, smal og overfylt, men det er også akkurat som du forventer at den skal være. Taket er dekket med ulike typer dekorasjoner, hjerter, pomponger og annet rosa og pastellfargede fint. På tallerkenen din ligger en rosa meny, med en lange liste av tesorter på den ene siden. Vi valgte begge å starte med en "jordbær og kiwi" te, men dere kan også velge hver deres forskjellige sorter. Utover måltidet kan du også velge å prøve ut noe annet, vi valgte da ut den indiske "Darjeeling" teen.

Bake-a-boo is hard to miss when you are getting close to it, with it's pink logo and matching chairs and tables outside, decorated with colorful confetti. The second you enter the small café you smell a delicious scent that is a mixture of freshly baked cupcakes and cakes, together with all different sorts of steaming hot tea. The café is small and narrow, but it is just as you would expect it to be. The ceiling is covered with different sorts of decorations, hearts, pompoms and other pink and pastel colored prettiness. On your plate there is a pink menu, with the long list of tea selections on one side. We both started of with a "Strawberry and Kiwi" tea, but you can choose different ones. You can also change it out to different ones, during your meal (we later tried the Indian Darjeeling). 

Når det kommer til maten, kan det bare beskrives som helt fantastisk. Når jeg ser tilbake på bildene mine lengter jeg etter fingersmørbrødene og søtsaker, og jeg vedder på at munnen din begynner å fylle seg med vann nå. Det vakre etasje-brettet vi ble servert på bordet vårt hadde tre etasjer med godbiter, og vi begynte på bunnen med fingersmørbrød. Hvitt og brunt brød med fire forskjellige påfyll (hummus, kremost, egg-salat og agurk) var virkelig en fantastisk start, og  for å være ærlig jeg skulle ønske det var flere av dem. Neste etasje var fyll av deilige nybakte engelske scones og kaker, som vi delte i to og toppet med fersk krem og jordbærsyltetøy (som vi fikk i de søteste hjerteformede skålene noensinne). Etter det andre laget var jeg allerede stappmett, men på toppen ventet mine favoritter noensinne: jordbær dekket med sjokolade og cupcakes, så jeg måtte ta en for laget (meg selv). Jeg kan helt ærlig ikke huske sist gang jeg følte meg så mett som etter dette måltidet, men det var verdt det på så mange måter, og det får meg lyst til å gå tilbake og spise mer nå med en gang. 

When it comes to the food, it can only be described as delicious. Looking at the photos I long for the finger sandwiches and sweets, and I bet your mouth is watering. The lovely layer-tray on our table had three layers of goodies, and we started at the bottom with the finger sandwiches. White and brown bread with four different toppings (hummus, cream cheese, egg-salad and cucumber), they were really the perfect start, and to be honest I wish there were more of them. The next layer had delicious freshly baked english scones and cakes, which we cut in half and topped up with fresh cream and strawberry jam (which we got in the cutest heart-shaped bowls ever). After the second layer I was practically already super full, but on the top awaited my favorite treats ever: chocolate covered strawberries and cupcakes, so I had to take one for the team (myself). I can really not remember the last time I felt as full as after finishing that meal, but it was worth it on so many levels, and it makes me want to go back and have some more right this second. 

What: Bake-a-boo

Where: 86 Mill Lane, Greater London NW6 1NL

Price: £££££ (£18 for regular Afternoon Tea, other options more expensive)

SUNDAY DREAMING ... VALENTINES DAY

Valentine har aldri vært noe jeg har brydd meg så mye om. Jeg har alltid vært en fan av hverdagsromantikk, noe jeg spesielt setter pris på nå etter jeg og kjæresten flyttet inn sammen. Vi har feiret Valentins sammen de siste to årene nå, men det har egentlig aldri vært noe mer spesielt enn noen annen date-night. Jeg har i år ikke tenkt for mye på Valentine og alt rundt det, og hadde egentlig ikke planer om å blogge noe om det, men den siste uken har det liksom vært overalt. På hver blogg, Instagram, restaurantside og alt annet jeg har sjekket i det siste, har det vært noe som har med Valentine å gjøre. Det har derfor vært noe jeg har tenkt på og samlet litt inspirasjon til, siden det faktisk er nå neste lørdag, og siden jeg synes det er gøy å samle inspirasjon. Jeg vet at folk har mange forskjellige meninger om denne dagen, men for meg handler det bare om å ha en fin dag - sammen med de du er glad i (uansett om du er i et forhold eller ikke). Kle deg fint og gå ut hvis det er det du vil, eller sitt hjemme og nyt en take-away pizza. Det viktigste er trossalt å ha det gøy, og å sette pris på dine kjære.

Valentine has never been something I have been too into. I have always been a love of everyday romantic gestures, which is something I especially enjoy and take notice of after moving in together with my boyfriend. We have celebrated Valentines Day the last two years now, but it is not really anything more special than any other date-night. I have not given this years Valentines too much thought yet, and did really not think I would blog about it, but the last week it seems to have been everywhere. On every blog and Instagram, restaurant-pages and everything else - Valentines is there. So it has been something I have thought about and gathered some inspiration for, just because it is this Saturday, and I think it is fun to be inspired. I know people have a lot of different opinions about the "holiday", but I think that it should simply be a good day - spent with the ones you love (even if you are in a relationship or not). Dress up and go out if you want to, or stay in and order pizza. The most important thing is to have fun, and appreciate your loved ones. 

OUTFIT: ALL WHITE

Idag hadde jeg virkelig lyst å ta noen skikkelig fine antrekks-bilder, mens solen skinte og det var skikkelig fint ute. Men, etter at jeg kom tilbake fra en herlig afternoon tea, etter en utrolig forsinket togtur der jeg endte opp med å miste mitt andre oystercard på to uker, følte jeg virkelig ikke mye for det lenger. I tillegg var selvfølgelig solen nesten helt borte da. Men jeg og Simon hadde det gøy oppe på taket og tok noen bilder uansett, jeg følte bare ikke at alle ble like bra til å dele med dere. Uansett, under kan du se antrekket mitt for dagen idag, kledd i helt hvitt og mitt nye midi-skirt, elsker det!

I really wanted to take some good outfit-photos today, as the sun was shining and it was really beautiful outside. But I when I got back home (after the most amazing afternoon tea!), after a really delayed train ride and loosing my second oyster card in two weeks, I really did not feel like it anymore. In addition, the sun was of course almost completely gone. But me and Simon had fun and took some photos anyway, I just don't feel like I got that many that I wanted to share with you. Anyways, underneath you can see my outfit for the day, dressed in all white and my new midi-skirt, I love it! 

LONDON FOOD: GIRAFFE

Igår kveld hadde jeg og Vilde en veldig flott kveld i London, hvor vi utforsket forskjellige steder og nøt god mat og drikke. Vi startet kvelden i Mayfair, gikk ned til Southbank, gikk etterpå bort til London Bridge langs Themsen, og endte natten i South Kensington. Mens på Southbank, stoppet vi på Giraffe for en rask matbit og noen drinker. Vi ville bare noen små retter til å dele, og endte opp med å bestille "bruchetta fingers" og en "Messe plate", sammen med den beste cider noensinne (Rekorderlig Strawberry & lime). Siden vi allerede hadde spist tidligere ønsket vi ikke noen store retter, men menyen hadde mange fristende middager til en annen gang, i tillegg til noen desserter som så helt nydelige ut, (etter det jeg så på bordene rundt meg). Prisene var veldig greie/ normale, spesielt til at det er så fint plassert på Southbank hvor mange turister går, og det var tydelig en veldig populær plass. Vi startet kvelden ganske tidlig og gikk på Giraffe rundt klokken 17-18.  Det var da allerede ganske overfylt, men vi fikk et bord med en gang, og vi fikk og maten og drikken vår svært raskt. Servicen der var fantastisk, akkurat som maten, og vi hadde en veldig fin tid der. Når vi var ferdige å spise og ønsket å gå videre til et annet sted, møtte vi plutselig en veldig lang kø som ventet på å få et bord, så jeg tror vi var heldige og gikk der i en virkelig god tid. Hvis du ønsker å gå dit på en fredagskveld, i hvert fall hvis du er mer enn to personer, ville jeg kanskje foreslå å bestille et bord!

Last night me and Vilde had such a great night out in London, exploring different places and enjoying some good food and drinks. We started of in Mayfair, walked down to Southbank, walked over to London Bridge afterwards following the Thames, and ended the night in South Kensington. While at Southbank, we stopped at Giraffe for a quick bite to eat and some drinks. We just wanted some small plates to share,  and ended up ordering "Bruchetta fingers" and a "Messe plate", paired with the best cider ever (Rekorderlig Strawberry & lime). Since we had already eaten dinner earlier we did not want anything to big, but the menu did have a lot of tempting dishes that I would love to try for another time, in addition to some amazing looking desserts I saw people around our table ate! The prices were very good/ normal, especially considering it is such a great location with the Thames, where a lot of tourists go, and it was clearly a popular place. We started the night quite early and sat down there around 5 - 6pm. It was already then quite crowded, but we got a table immediately, and we also got our food and drinks very quickly. The service there was amazing, as well as the food, and we had a really good time. When we were done eating and wanted to move on to somewhere else, there was suddenly a really long queue waiting to get a table, so I think we were lucky and got there in a really good time. If you do go there on a Friday evening, at least if you are more than two people, I would maybe suggest you to book a table! 

What: Giraffe

Where: Southbank Centre (and many other locations)

Price: £££££ 

JOSEPH KOSUTH EXHIBITION

Kunst er noe jeg aldri har forstått eller kunnet mye om, men som jeg alltid har interessert meg i. Det fine med å bo i London, er at det er så mye du kan gå å se på, og mye av det er ofte gratis. Jeg kan ikke mye om kunst, men jeg lar meg interessere og fascinere av mye, og jeg liker å utforske det som er gratis. Jeg og Vilde tok oss derfor turen innom Joseph Kosuth sin utstilling i Mayfair i dag, før vi hadde litt mat og noen drinker. Vilde var den som hadde lest om utstillingen, og vi synes begge den virket kul nok til å ta turen innom. Utstillingen består av tre rom fylt med ord/ setninger i neon lys. Det er ganske abstrakt og enkelt, men kan og tolkes ganske dypt, og det er bare en helt utrolig atmosfære når du går rundt å kikker og leser. Mange av kunstverkene var utrolig fine og spennende, på forskjellige måter, og det var en fin liten tur. Det som fascinerte meg aller mest med kunsten, var at det er kunst fra 1960-2011, noe som betyr at mye av det er "veldig gammelt". Dette virker rart når du ser det, fordi det er såpass "moderne" og spesielt, at det virket helt uvirkelig at mye av det var 50 år gammelt. Utstillingen er passe stor og lett, og er en veldig fin plass å dra innom før du skal en anenn plass eller mens du allerede er i nabolaget (Mayfair). Det er som sagt gratis, og du får et helt annet inntrykk når du går rundt der selv enn når du ser det på bilder, så jeg anbefaler alle som har sjangsen til å ta turen innom. Men kjapp deg, for utstillingen varer bare til 14. februar!

Art is something I have never fully understood or known much about, but that has always interested me. One of the great things about living in London is that there is so much you can have a look at, and a lot of it is also often free. I don't know much about art myself, but I do get interested and fascinated by a lot, and I do like to explore what is free. Culture has always been one of my biggest loves, and I want to explore as much different as possible. Vilde and me therefore took a quick trip by Joseph Kosuth's exhibition in Mayfair today, before having some food and drinks. Vilde was the one who had read about it, and we both thought it sounded cool to have a look at. The exhibition consists of three rooms filled with words/ sentences in neon lights. It is quite abstract and simple, but also meaningful and deep at the same time, and it is a great atmosphere when you walk around and look and read. A lot of the artwork were incredibly nice and exciting in different ways, and it was definitely a good trip. What fascinated me the most, was that the artwork is made between 1960-2011, which means that a lot of it is "quite old". This seems a bit strange thinking about it, since it looks really "modern" and unique, it was quite unreal that a lot of the pieces were more than 50 years old. The exhibition is appropriately sized and easy to have a look through, and it is a very nice place to stop by before doing something else/ if you are in the neighborhood (Mayfair). Like I said, it is free of charge, and you really do get a totally different experience and impression when you see it for yourself, compared to looking at the photos, so I do recommend everyone to have a look. But do hurry, because the exhibition ends at the 14th of February! 

What: Joseph Kosuth exhibition 

Where: Sprüth Magers, Mayfair

Price: Free! 

LONDON SNOW

Når jeg var hjemme i Norge, begynte det magisk nok å snø på julaften, og hver dag jeg brukte der ette det, var det et tykt lag med hvit snø på bakken. Når jeg da kom tilbake til London, var alle sjalu på oss norske som hadde hatt snø i julen, siden de hadde ingenting, eller på pittelitt selv. Men denne uken har det snødd annenhver dag, og når jeg ser ut vinduet mitt nå daler snøen ned. Den eneste forskjellen er at "snø" her, er ikke den samme opplevelsen som jeg hadde i Norge. Der var det nemlig Disney-eventyr lignende, med et tykt hvitt lag og solen som fikk det til å glitre. Her viser det bare så vidt, fordi det dekker ikke mye, og det er borte igjen etter noen få timer. Været gjør det og nesten umulig å få tatt fine bilder ute, og jeg som har så mye å vise dere! Ja, jeg lengter etter sol og palmetrær, men jeg lengter også etter den tykke nydelige snøen, hvis vi først skal ha snø, for dette er det ikke...

When I was back in Norway, it magically started snowing on Christmas Eve, and every day I spent there afterwards, there was a thick coat of snow covering the ground. When I then came back to London, everyone here envied us Norwegians, because there had been either none, or just a tiny bit of, snow here. But this week, every other day has been a snowy one. The only difference is that "snowy" here, is not the same snowy I experienced in Norway. In Norway it was Disney-fairytale like, with a thick white layer, and the sun making it glitter. Here it barely shows, because it does not cover much, and it goes away within a few hours. This weather also makes it almost impossible to take photos (the photos underneath are from back home), when I have so many things I want to show you! Yes, I do long for the sun and palm trees, but I also long for a thick white snow, because this is not it...

Photos from back home

Dress: Jane Norman

Location: Vangen, Haugesund

Photography and Editing: Anne Marthe Widvey

MUA: Anita Fosen

BLOGGING: WORKING WITH BRANDS

Når jeg snakker med folk om blogging, er en av de tingene som de alltid finne mest interessant, men også vanskelig å forstå, "blogger freebies/ gaver". Mest fordi de ikke forstår hvordan blogging kan være en skikkelig jobb, og hvor mye tid og krefter du bruker på det, har de ikke forståelse for hvorfor bloggere får betalt og mottar gratis produkter. Som en blogger selv, vet jeg hva folk legger i det, og hvor mange som har blogging som en fulltidsjobb i dag, så jeg har fått en helt annen forståelse for det. Ettersom bloggen min har vokst siden jeg først startet den (opp igjen) i august, har jeg fått en større og større forståelse av businesssiden av blogging, og jeg har vært privilegert nok til å jobbe med noen fantastiske merker og nettverk. Derfor har jeg nå tenkt å dele noen tips og triks med dere, som gjelder businesssiden av blogging/ det å jobbe med produkter/ "freebies":

(Jeg kommer til å skrive tipsene kun på engelsk, siden det blir et ganske langt innlegg. Bruk translate, og heller gi meg en kommentar/ send meg ein mail, hvis du lurer på noe!)

When I talk to people about blogging, one of the things that they always find the most interesting, but also the hardest to understand, is "blogger freebies/ gifts". Mostly because they do not understand how blogging can be a real job, and how much time and effort you spend on it, they do not understand why bloggers get paid and receive free stuff. As a blogger myself, I know what people put into it, and how many that do blogging as a full-time job nowadays, so I have a completely different understanding of it. As my blog has expanded since I first started it (up again) in August, I have got a bigger and bigger understanding of the blogger business, and I have been privileged to work with some amazing brands and networks. I therefore thought I wanted to share some tips and tricks, when it comes to the business side of blogging/ working with brands/ "receiving freebies":

First of all, I think it is important to know why bloggers receive gifts/ samples/ "salaries". When I first started blogging/ vlogging in 2008, the blogging business/ society was on its way up, but not nearly as big as it is today. Since then, thousands of thousands blogs have been made and grown, in addition to the growth of social media in general. In many ways bloggers are now "the new celebrities", traveling everywhere, attending big events and sharing their life with the world. They have thousands/ millions of followers on social media, and their blogs are read by people from the whole world. This admiration of one person/ several persons that we now have more and more of, is for many just a hobby, both blogging and reading blogs, but when you look at it as a business, it is so much more. Browsing through your Instagram feed, or checking out someones newest blogpost, I bet you have more than one time looked at a product showcased, and thought "I love that, I want that, where can I get it?". And this is basically the business of blogging, and this is why bloggers receive freebies, it is really as simple as that. Every time they post a product on their blog/ social media, that product gets a lot of attention, you might say their "5 minutes of fame", and this can result in someone else buying it, which again results in profits. 

So, as you might understand there is a big business in the blogging industry, and bloggers are quite attractive to PRs and companies to work with. As a new blogger or someone who has just not quite understood/ tried out the business side of blogging yet, it can be a bit overwhelming. I have therefore (not at all being a pro, these are just my personal tips based on personal experiences and friends) written up a few of my own tips and tricks underneath here, to get you started, or to simply just give you a better understanding/ some guidelines. 

Set a goal.
When you start up blogging, I think it is important to have a goal/ purpose. Yes, it is easy to look at your favorite bloggers receiving tons and tons of great freebies/ earning "easy money", and think that you want to do that as well. BUT, If you start up a blog solely for the purpose of receiving these "goods", and advice you to stop right now! Blogging takes time and effort, and you will never get anywhere if that is the only reason for you to do it. Start a blog because you want to share your life/ style/ photos/ recipes or something else you might be passionate about, not solely for receiving the "goods".

Looks and numbers.
After your blog is created and published, all the hard work lies ahead of you. It is important to keep your blog updated, posting new content as often as possible, and keeping it as "nicely designed" and navigational as possible. You also need to be good at getting an audience, by for example sharing your blogposts frequently on social media, and building a network by commenting on others blogs and so on. Because when it comes to PRs and companies working with bloggers, two of the main things they will look at it looks and numbers.

Looks being one of the most important things can sound really superficial, but when all comes to all the blogging business often is. When I talk about "looks", this can mean anything from the way you look/ present yourself on the blog, they way your blog looks (design, navigation, style), the way your posts look (blog/post-themes, photos, amount and quality of text) and the way the rest of your social media looks. Be sure that your blog and social media represent what you want it to.

There is also a lot of numbers that can be important to companies, and that are always worth mentioning. Number of followers (both on the blog and other social medias), number of readers (often with proof/ statistics), number of blogposts, number of comments, how long you have been blogging for, how many brand-collaborations you have done before and so on. There is a lot of numbers involved in blogging, and different brands might be interested in different ones, so be prepared to share (and give proof of) different numbers.

Know how to use Social Media.
As a blogger in the 21st century, having simply a blog is not always "enough"/ all. With Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook, Lookbook, Bloglovin and so many more different social medias, it is easy to get lost and confused. But, as a blogger, I do advice you to use as many of them as possible, and to use them frequently. You can of course have a few main ones, and then some other that you update every once in a while, but at least you have to know all of them, and to know how to use them. This is not only because it is big and you can show/ share so many different sides of you, but also because it is a great way to network and to get contacts. I have been contacted by brands on both Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, which would not have happened if I was not on there. It is also always great to mention when talking to brands/ contacts, that you do have many active social medias where you can share their products/ brand, in addition to on your blog.

..And how to e-mail.
E-mailing is maybe not something you do on a daily basis, now that we have texting, Facebook messaging, Snapchatting and so on. As a blogger, on the other hand, e-mailing is one of your most important tools, and you need to know how to do it. It might sound stupid to mention, but it is so important that I just have to. E-mailing is great for a lot of reasons. One of the things I personally find the most easy about it, is that you can e-mail whenever, wherever. I often spend my mornings on the train replying to e-mails on my phone, if it is not something I need my mac for (like choosing out products from a website and so on). The "whenever" part is also great because of time zones/ differences. I recently for example worked with some brands from Australia and America, where I have day and they have night. I therefore often received e-mails in the middle of the night, but it is no problem, because I just replied to them when I had the time, in daytime. If those e-mails would have been phone calls instead, it would have been a lot more difficult. I also advice you to create your own blogger e-mail, both because it often looks more professional, but also because it is easier to keep track on your (important) blogger mails from your personal mails.

Use blogger communities/ networks.
Okay, so you have your blog (with several posts and readers/followers), you have several other active social medias, and you know your way around e-mailing. Where do you go from there, to receiving the goodies? This is of course where it can be very different from person to person, but I will try to help you get started. A good place to start when building up contacts and wanting to work with brands, is often Blogger Communities. There is really a lot of different ones that you can find on the internet. I have signed up to and tried different blogging communities/ networks, but I have three favorites that I keep coming back to. (Some if these are of course mostly London/ UK-based, but if you live somewhere else, try googling blogger network for your country/ city.)

1. Bloggers Love Hub. I was contacted by Bloggers Love on my Instagram when I first moved here, and I started of as a model for them, and then became one of their VIP bloggers. Personally I think this network has grown so much since I signed up to it less than half a year ago, and it is now a clear personal favorite! You can sign up to join them on their website, and you can also follow them on twitter, where they are very active. What I love about this community is that there is a lot going on, they work with many great brands, they have blogger events that you can attend, and they are in general such a great community. In addition they are so extremely friendly, and anyone is welcome to sign up and join the events/ gifting and so on. There are now follower-requirements, so this is a great place to start up when you are a new blogger. On their website there is also a "gifting-lounge" where you can request brand products/ samples using a simple form, which is a really easy and accessible way to organize it.

2. The Blogger Network. I think this is one of the biggest blogger networks (at least for British bloggers), which of course makes it a great one to join. Everyone can join this network as well, no requirements, and there is a lot happening here. It is more social media like, in the way that you have your own profile where you can add photos and posts, and you can add other people/ brands, and message them. On their front page they also have three categories, "Brands/ Publishers Looking", "Competitions & Giveaways" and "Jobs", where you can brows through different ways of working with brands/ people, from competitions to job opportunities. It is really easy and clear as well, and there is a lot that you can be involved in there, I have just not been too much into it yet to be honest.

3. etailPR Blogger Network. This is the newest network that I have joined, after being recommended to do so by a fellow-blogger friend. On this network you have to apply and be approved to join, but I do not think the requirements are too "hard", I honestly think they accept most bloggers. This network works with a lot of great brands, both big and small, and there is a lot of different work opportunities. Here you can brows through and apply for different "campaigns", which can be everything from a sponsored post, wishlist-post or event, to sponsored/ gifted products. After applying for a campaign, you will be approved or not, and if you are approved you will get more details/ chances to choose samples and so on.

Stores own blogger/ affiliate programs.

In addition to blogger communities and networks, a lot of brands actually have their own blogger and/ or affiliate programs. They are always easy visible on their webpage (most often at the bottom of their page, around or under "contact"), and most often consist of some kind of form you need to fill out. If you are approved by this, you will receive an e-mail with more details. These programs often want you to either showcase products on your blog (gifted), have giveaways, make "wishlist posts" with links or similar. You might either receive gifted products, gift cards, something for a giveaway or just (a small) commission from sales from your links. There are a lot of brands that have these kinds of programs, a few examples are Sheinside, Style Moi (who I work with and are very happy with), Chicnova, Romwe and other similar brands. Another easy way to get started! 

Getting in contact.

The examples of blogger networks and programs is a great place to start getting contacts, and working with brands. Often if you apply for something from a brand, and you do not get it, they still want to keep in contact for future events/ campaigns, and this is always a great way to start a conversation/ "relationship" with them. If you are not chosen to try out their products for example, still be polite and answer their e-mail, saying that you understand, and look forward to working with them in the future. Your name and e-mail will then be in their system, and you never know when they might want to work with you another time! 

When it comes to the idea of approaching brands by yourself, a lot of bloggers have different opinions about this. Some bloggers only work with the brands that contact them, and never contact anyone themselves, while other do the opposite. Personally, I think it can be fine to approach brands yourself, just as long as you know how to do it. First of all, it is important to write a clear and good e-mail, explaining who you are, what you do, and what you can do for them. If you have an interesting idea or plan for a collaboration, explain it to them! The second thing to remember is to contact brands that actually would be interested in you, and that are fitting to your blog "agenda". If you are a fashion blogger, you contact fashion brands, it is as simple as that. Of course if you have some creative ideas for something you normally don't do, but would like to try out, you can tell a brand about it, but just please be realistic. If you are a lifestyle/ food blogger who has never posted a fashion post ever, don't ask for free clothes (which is what most people is always most excited about). Also be realistic when it comes to which brands you contact, if you are a brand new blogger with very few readers/ followers, do not try to ask for freebies from big brands like ASOS, Urban Outfitters, Topshop and other bigger brands. This will not be taking seriously. 

It is also, of course, important that you contact the correct people, and approach them correctly. If you find the website of a brand you like and click on their contact info, there is often a lot of different e-mails there. As a blogger, you always want to use the PR/ media-enquiries one, if they do not have a specific blogger-email (which more and more brands have now). Also be careful what you write as the e-mail "subject" and how you write your e-mail in general, as companies get a lot of e-mails everyday, and you want to be as professional and clear as possible. 

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This has turned into an extremely long post, and to be honest I could still have written so much more about it, so I do hope that you enjoyed it and that it helps a bit. I just want to point out that "freebies" is really not the only important thing in life / blogging, and you should not get too caught up in it. And again, you should never start up a blog only so that you can receive free stuff (!!!). Blogging is truly a lot of fun, and working with brands is always great and makes a lot of good posts, but please don't fill up your whole blog with sponsored products posts. Don't sell out, don't accept anything just because you can get it for free, and always know what you get and what you are supposed to do with it. I could write another post about what you do after getting in contact with brands/ after receiving a sample/ gift if anyone is interested in that next time, let me know! And also please contact me either by e-mail or a comment, if you have any questions about this post!

SUNDAY DREAMING ... PARADISE

Det er søndag og jeg sitter å drømmer meg bort. Denne siste uken har været her vært helt forferdelig - kaldt, windy og vått - og jeg lengter så mye etter paradis, med sol og palmetrær. Qatar-turen min er endelig bestilt, og jeg kan ikke vente med å reise tilbake. Spesielt i dag kunne jeg ønske jeg var der, ettersom det er pappa sin bursdag (gratulerer med dagen papi!). Det er nå mer enn en måned siden jeg sist så foreldrene mine, og jeg kommer ikke til å se dem før om to måneder til, i tillegg til at jeg ikke har vært i Qatar på nesten et år, så denne søndagen bruker jeg til å se på "paradise" bilder på Pinterest.

It's Sunday and I am dreaming. This last week the weather has been so awful here - cold, windy and wet - and I am longing so much for paradise, with the sun and palm trees. My trip to Qatar has finally been booked, and I really can't wait to go back. Especially today I would love to be there, as it is my dad's birthday (happy birthday daddy!). It is now more than one month since I last saw my parents, and I won't see them for two more months, and I have not been in Qatar in almost a year, so this Sunday I am spending on Pinterest, looking at amazing photos of "paradise":