Workspace-Playplace.

One thing I am looking forward to incredibly once I am finally able to move out is not having to have a desk in my room. Silly as it sounds, I'm a definite believer in keeping the bedroom a bedroom, it's for relaxing and sleeping, not somewhere to work and be distracted, I'm even in two minds about having a TV in my room still, but I don't use it as much as I was worried I would.

However, while I deal with my distaste over having to have everything I own confined to one room, here is where I spend my days job hunting and pointlessly refreshing Facebook and Twitter.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been trying to create a more 'Me' space, just to keep myself motivated. So I've ended up making extra room, getting rid of my monitor and replacing it with nice photos. I'm still bummed about the desk but I should be getting a new one/my old one back in the next few weeks.

I'm a big fan of looking at lovely, creative workspaces and right now mine isn't fully living up to my expectations but it will do for now and I'm quite happy with it.

Lovely desks, and interiors in a similar category.

Raisin Heart — I found this on Tumblr through Lyzi from Being Litte. I think it has a really good balance of work and play without becoming clutterd.

Kate Moross — If there's one thing that I admire about Kate Moross, it's definitely her studio/work spaces. She's got a great set on Flickr documenting the changes in her studio environment between 2006 and 2010, there's so many nice colours and so much lovely storage space.

Crap by Never Ever Ever — This is a photo I found on Flickr years ago, but I still think it's great in fact when making this quick list I was kind of hoping that I still had this one tucked away so I could share it with you.

Samantha Stolz — There are things that are almost perfect about this one.

Oliver Fields' Office — (If I could find a better photo, I would) Although 'Beginners' is beginning to feel like my 'movie to obsess over 2k12' this is relevant. The main character, Oliver, has the most bangin' office space at the design agency he works for, it has a yellow wall, this very important and provides major workspace porn.

While I'm here, here are the cute things I bought on Saturday in Shoreditch. I didn't go mad or really spend much so I think these purchases were both justified and harmless.

Tea-light holders, InSpitalfields, £2 each

These were in the sale at InSpitalfields, an adorable giftshop in Spitalfields Market, I can't go to Spitalfields without a visit there, everything is so cute. Not quite trumping Maiden to the topspot of 'Fave Shoreditch shops' but it's still pretty great and I thought these were a steal and I've been looking for some for a while. I wanted three but they didn't have any with ladies to go with the gentlemen :(

Vintage 1930's Transfers, Spitalfields Flea Market, £4

I will be the first to admit that this is a bit pricey for what they are but I also don't think that they broke the bank either. Plus the lady I bought them from said that I can stick them on anything and that she'd just stuck some on some glasses, which sounds like a cute craft idea. If nothing else, they'll definitely match my new cat-lady persona.

The Maccabees Fabric Poster, Brixton Academy, £10
Frame, Charity Shop, £4

You probably spotted this above, I found a frame for this a lot quicker than I thought I would. It's a really old and weird frame but I don't think anyone will notice/be looking at the back so it's all good. I'm in two minds over the crease across the poster, on the one had it show it's fabric and it's effort to iron and take it out, but on the other it would probably look a million miles better if I ironed it... I think I'll leave it like this for the moment until it has a more permanent home.

Paul Thurlby card, Scribbler, 75p
Frame, Barnados, 99p
So while I was taking these, Dolly realised that paper is the enemy and must be destroyed, apart from paper bags, they're the best. So thank you InSpitalfields, not just for the tea-light holders but also for the minutes of entertainment that you provided my kitty.
We're getting to know each other better and better and she even responded to her name earlier, although finding bits of tissue paper everywhere is slightly annoying...

713.

This is a bit rubbish but here are a couple of outfits and more things I bought this week, as well as a couple of gratuitous photographs of Dolly.

So these are the outfits I wore on Wednesday evening and Thursday. I went out on Wednesday for the first time in ages it was a bit of a shame that it was only a quiet one due to my interview the following day. These dresses are too good; great shapes and such cool patterns.

Left:
Dress: Yumi, £12.99
Belt: Primark, with another dress
Tights: Primark
Shoes: New Look, last year

Right:
Jacket: H&M, last year
Scarf: Primark, nearly 5 years ago
Dress: Yumi, £21.99
Tights: Primark
(wore with) Ankle Boots: River Island.

I got these in the Dorothy Perkins sale for £5, best £5 spent on shoes, ever! They're so comfy and so ugly, the best! ♥

I'm really liking the idea of putting neat things like greetings cards in frames. Scribbler might have a sale on and I might have popped into the one in Kensington while waiting around for my interview on Friday. They're by an illustrator called Paul Thurlby and I thought they were pretty cute. The 'Embrace' one would make a good Valentine's card but I feel it might be slightly to mushy for Moon's taste in that context and I'd prefer it for myself as a piece of art anyway. Now I know that Scribbler is far superior to Paperchase in it's card selection at the moment, I'll definitely be taking the time to browse there first.

I got around to printing out my graphic CV a whole week ahead of schedule. Which I probably knew I could do but it does wonders for motivation when you tick things off your to-do list early. The man who works at the printers in New Malden was quite nice and has asked to potentially use photographs from Malden Fortnight to display in the window. I don't know if anything will come from it but it was kind of nice. I'm to drop some business cards to him during next week.

All baby animals like to do is play.

Vrooom!

Hands up if you made it over a life-hurdle yesterday? No, I still haven't got a job, they've actually been a bit slow on the ground so far this week.
I passed my driving theory test! No more dumb DVD revision, it was the revision part of it that made me wish I'd done it when I was 17. I haven't had any kind of exam in over four years, and I hope that that was the last one I have to do. I was so nervous, not just because a load of questions were ones that had never come up while I was revising, but also because it would cost silly-money to retake it if I did fail, but I didn't so it's out the way. I got 44 on the theory and 56 on the hazard perception.

Busker in Kingston, who put on a pretty sweet performance and having filmed him (and his back-up dancers) and having recently seen 'Once', I felt compelled to give him money.

So, after visiting the Job Centre yesterday, which turned out to be fine because I've switched advisors, I had a ton of time to kill before going on to the test centre. An annoying amount of time in fact, not enough to go home, but too much to spend mooching around. What better way to waste time though than to shop?

I actually was pretty bad yesterday and spent more money than I should have, therefore basically breaking one of my New Year's Resolutions. However, up until then I hadn't really spent any money apart from a couple of things in the Christmas sales and Christmas presents... I'm not going to try and justify it, yesterday was a crap-money day.
I even bought room-spritz, just to come one step closer to my free Body Shop gift..

Anyway, here are a selection of the things that I bought, which I like, and although I feel remorseful for my bank account, I think I made some wise choices, anyway, I had a bit more money than I thought I would so...

Brook Street Mews - Nails Inc (Gift set)
053 Apricot Punch - Rimmel
Top Turquoise - Models Own
3D Glitter Polish, Magic - Accessorize
Nail Art Pen - This eBay seller
Top coat - 421 Clearly Clear - Rimmel Pro

I used the last of my Models Own Top Turquoise on this mani, but I really like it. Apparently despite having tons of nail art pens to choose from, I'll still go for trusty black. I'm still on the hunt for a Topshop pen but this one, which came in the set my sister bought me is basically the same as the WAH Nail Art pen, which I probably won't buy again due to it's now tiny (and therefore inferior VFM) packaging.

It's been all about Models Own for me for a while but Accessorize have really creeped under the radar. They're making some awesome polishes at the moment, some metallics they have could potentially rival Model's Own's Beetlejuice, and with Accessorize being £1 cheaper, I'm really drawn to them. There's been a bit of buzz around '3D polishes', to me it just seems like it just means that they contain lots of differently shaped glitter. I've thrown a lot of polish out recently so I thought I'd introduce some new ones and think I made a good choice with this one. Sadly it's much prettier in the bottle but it still looks nice on, although I'd say it needs four rather than the suggested three coats.

I bought this card from Scribbler. I think it's meant to be a bit Valentines-y but I think it's far too nice for any boy to really appreciate, so I bought a frame for it so I can hang it in my someday home. It's by Rob Ryan, I've liked his work for a while now. I got a free print (which I need to frame properly) a few years ago when I bought an issue of It's Nice That and I've been coveting the heart he did for Tatty Devine for ages, now I have another piece of his work and it makes me feel warm.
Rob Ryan on Etsy

Monday Cat, Gemma Correll, £3.50 + P&P

I had to have this as soon as I saw it, although admittedly this item isn't part of the haul I got yesterday, I only got it in the post today anyway so I thought I may as well share it with you. I've been looking everywhere for relevant cat-lady accents to add to my life and I think this is lovely. I think Gemma Correll is great, it's so lame that her 'Pugs not Drugs' illustration has been ripped off by everyone, but now Urban Outfitters sell an official t-shirt. I'm a proud 'Pugs not Drugs' tote owner, before it got overused ♥.

Sticky notes, Paperchase, £4.50

These were something I needed as the ones I bought last year for my diary have now nearly run out. Admittedly I could have gone for standard (and cheap) post-its, but I'm a sucker for slightly nicer paper. At least they'll get used, that's how I'll justify it to myself, plus look at the patterns and the lovely shapes and sizes. Unf.

Horse-print dress, £12.99 - Cityscape dress, £21.99, both Yumi.

Don't worry I wouldn't normally pair either of these with this lazy legging/socks combo.
I had no idea that the Yumi sale would be so amazing. Yumi is usually a brand that I tend to stay well away from because usually I see everything as overpriced, although what I really mean is that I can never afford anything. But I saw these two bargains and I had to have them, they're such nice shapes and really flattering, with quite original patterns. I know, I know, another horse-print dress, but I promise, promise, promise, this is the last one and this one is a bit different. I love the cityscape one, the birds fly really high on the back. I kind of get the usual £40+ price tag at Yumi, because they're both really well made, but I'm still umming and ahhing out of principal because I think they are more realistically worth what I paid for them in the sale... then again, I'm poor so what do I know?

I'm so, so nervous for this interview with Mirrorpix on Thursday, but excited, because what if I get it? I don't think I would want to move out on my own though, going back to a house that just has a cat and no one else screams loneliness and potential madness to me.