One day I'm going to be really good at this.

Eventually, I'll actually stop taking 'mirror' photos of what I've worn, it looks so rubbish. However, due to being a Photography graduate and having studied all sorts of photographic genre's, I could probably whip something up about mirrors, wardrobes and clothing pretty quickly if it was required of me.

I was going to post these and a bunch of others at the end of the week, but I need to unwind a bit after a slightly frustrating day. I really, really should start wearing shoes in these.

06 September 2011:
Cardigan: H&M
Shirt: H&M
Scarf: Primark
Dress: Etsy
Tights: Marks & Spencer.
Going to London Bridge to have some lunch (I also wore lipstick for the first time today, like a grown-up).


07 September 2011
Cardigan: H&M
Shirt: Etsy
Belt: eBay
Skirt: Dorothy Perkins
Tights: Marks & Spencer
Sign-up interview on Oxford Street and signing on at the Job Centre (but not really the second one).


I bought this shirt to take the postage and packaging cost down for the dress (above) as they're from the same seller on Etsy, but I think I actually love it. Especially in this combo, it's so bright and happy.
I've been having a pretty busy week so far, I went to have lunch with Moon and my old friend Tom in London Bridge yesterday and today I had both a sign-up interview with a Digital Media Agency and I went to the Job Centre to file a reclaim for Jobseeker's Allowance.

Yesterday was great, it's always nice to see old friends because things are rarely different and usually just easy. We had a nice lunch at a pub opposite Borough Market. Moon had an interview around London Bridge and that's where Tom works too, I had nothing to do so I just tagged along. Moon got the job by all accounts but it turned out to be quite demeaning and rather insulting when you consider that he is already a graduate and soon to finish a Masters degree, so he left during the trial this morning.

Today was a bit different. The sign-up interview went well I think, but I need to do a bit of research into Digital Media Planning/Buying to be considered a more serious applicant. It seems quite promising though and the roles that are potentially on offer are intriguing so I think I could definitely get into it.
After that I had a quick wander into Urban Outfitters and Topshop, it would appear that my more thrify lifestyle has meant that I've ignored these shops for a while and I don't think that it has actually made a difference, I saw nothing new or exciting. Which is not only quite good because it means that I get to keep some money in my purse, but it also doesn't really matter because I'm actually quite liking my wardrobe at the moment, especially since I've been losing weight. I did see a dinosaur t-shirt though that I could have gone for, but not for £20, sorry.

< prepare for a rant about the job centre >
Then I headed over to the jolly old Job Centre Plus. I officially hate it! It is such an uninspiring place, the people that work there are horrible and rude and nothing is on time as it should be. I arrived five minutes early but still had to wait 20 minutes, and I can bet that had I arrived 25 minutes late, I would have got it in the neck, it's idiotic. The whole process didn't take very long though because I was only making a reclaim but I'm dreading follow-up meeting on Monday. Basically being on Jobseeker's Allowance means using DirectGov (which is a terrible website most of the time) to search for jobs more often than searching for jobs through other platforms, you also need to put aside unrealistic (but not actually unrealistic) goals in order to be in work but unhappy for the rest of your life, just like the people who actually work in the Job Centre.

Second point on the 'Jobseeker's must' list:
- Have reasonable chance of finding work if you limit:

the kind of work you are willing to do.

where you are willing to work

the hours you are willing to work

So I may have potentially sold my soul for £50 a week, but maybe something will come up instantly and I can just leave it. I've sought out nearly 30 jobs to apply for this week, so something should come up soon. I do feel a bit more stable now that I'm signing-on in a way as it means I won't have to ask my Mum for things like train fare, but I'm not a fan of the bureaucracy that I already appear to be a part of despite the fact that I'm doing nothing much different than I would have been doing before, but I'm now reporting to someone... urgh. < / rant >

Post.

These just came through the post!


Only ten days to go before I can hear Dry the River live again, they're so beautiful.
You can read a previous article that I wrote about them here. They've been touring hard and it doesn't seem like they're taking a rest any time soon so I would catch them while you can.

Life update and holiday snaps.

Hello, it's been a while since my last 'proper' blog hasn't it?
I've been a very busy-bee this morning arranging my life. I have two meetings lined up this week and another potential one for next week. I have also booked my very first (ever) driving lesson, which I'm quite scared about but I have to do it at some point and rather at 22 than 52. I have also arranged to meet up with a few friends over the next week or so, which will be nice as due to my hectic summer schedule I've not really seen anyone other than Moon (I should really probably fix that).

So yeah, my first driving lesson will be taking place at 3pm on Thursday, terrifying stuff, I also discovered last night that I'm also seeing Stephen Merchant that day, something that I had forgotten about and assumed was much later this month. The tickets are a present for my sister's birthday. I have also arranged to go back the Job Centre to sign on properly, it is a bit of a dent to the old ego but at least I will have some money coming in and I can actually do it this time rather than ditching it, an extra £50 a week will come in very handy for driving and job interviews, particularly when I'm actually doing what I'm supposed to do (applying for 4+ jobs a week).

Finally, I thought I would share a few of my holiday snaps with you. This is probably the last holiday I'll get to go on until I get a job, so it was a nice way to end everything. It will be nice to finally get to pay my own way though in a lot of ways. I have uploaded a larger collection onto Flickr, so you can have a look. I'm also in the process of uploading an album onto Facebook, if you want a more detailed account. I'll just lay out what we did during the week. I think the photos speak for themselves really. My family have been going to the Dinan area of Brittany for over ten years now, particularly during the time that we had the use of my Dad's house out there. We're really familiar with the area and I suppose it is somewhat of a struggle to find new activities to do, particularly now that my sister and I are older but it's still a beautiful area to stay in. We made the most of the weather, and went to the beach three times, we also had a private pool with the house (as well a resident sheep) and that was a great bonus. It was just nice to relax at a slightly warmer temperature, spend some time with my family and eat fresh bread every day.

26th August - 3rd September:
Day One: Overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo Friday, 8pm - Saturday 8am.
Day Two: Getting into the house and unpacking as well as a short walk around the hidden areas of Port De Dinan.
Day Three: Cancale - famous for it's oysters, which are delicious (if you like oysters).
Day Four: A trip to a beach - it was somewhere I hadn't been before so I can't remember the name.
Day Five: Saint Luminaire beach and dinner at Port De Dinan by the river.
Day Six: Alligator Bay and Mont Saint Michel.
Day Seven: Dinan Market and a trip back to Saint Luminaire to catch some rays.
Day Eight: Saint Malo and dinner at one of my all-time-favourite restaurants, Timothy - it's beaut.
Day Nine: All day ferry back from Saint Malo to Portsmouth, 10:30am - 6:30pm.

This came about due to the fact that the inside of an oyster shell is similar to nail enamel, I think I may be obsessed, but I think it's quite pretty.

Super sorter.

I'm currently watching 'Natures Miracle Babies' (the weirdest nature programme soundtrack, ever) and sifting through my photos from Brittany, feeling much less lonely than I was but I really should have something to eat.

Have a photo of my cat sitting in a window to prepare yourself for my photo-essay epic that's bound to come up later. I hate Sundays they're so quiet and boring, and I never get any e-mails.

Bonsoir!

I got back from France a few hours ago, after a eight-hour ferry ride with seemingly every irritating member of the British public. It was a lovely week and it was great to spend some quality time with my boyfriend as well as have him mix in with some of my family that he doesn't see that often.

I've taken a ton of photos, which I'm going to sort out some time in the next few days - along with my life.
Expect some updates soon, I did manage to turn my phone into a modem and get on the internet while I was away, but bandwidth is pretty restricting and I'm terrified of my next bill as it is..