We're moving!

It has finally happened - my boyfriend turned around to me the other day, saying: "I think it's time for us to move out." I wholeheartedly agreed.

This past year, I've been living with my boyfriend, his parents, two brothers and a cat. They're lovely people, who have welcomed me into their home, which I'm forever grateful for. However, I have missed having my own space. My boyfriend's single bedroom isn't quite what I've imagined.

Now, once my boyfriend is on board with something, things tend to happen fast. This was no exception. We looked at a cottage down the road, decided to go for it, filled in applications, and now we have paid the deposit and first chunk of rent. All of this has been planned and considered for a shorter amount of time than my last curry night with work - in fact, it has only been about a week since we talked about looking for something, and now everything's settled and we get the keys on Monday!

We are super excited (and a little bit scared) about this big step in our relationship. I'm sure living together and sharing responsibility for our home and finances will be a new challenge for us, since we are both quite used to having our disposable income right now, and we know that won't last.

Now, let's keep fingers and toes crossed for this new experience!
And: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Loving the Denim Trend

 

I don't often follow trends, but this outfit was indeed inspired by one I saw in a fashion magazine recently. The denim jacket is new (from Fat Face), the white denim skirt is an old flea market purchase, and the shoes were from ModCloth about 4 years ago.

Also trying a bright new makeup look with blue smoky eye (mixing mua bright eyeshadow with model's own black), and a No7 coral lipstick.

Go Get A Bra Fitting

Earlier this week, I went to the local shopping centre for a look around the shops. I was taking my time, looking around, and as usual I went into my favourite lingerie shop to have a look around. There is a sale on at the moment, and I was considering to maybe buy a set. Because I love pretty underwear.

There is, however, one little thing that has been bugging me for some time; the fit of my bras seem to vary, some are better than others, but (I thought) I'm between sizes. Because of some awkward fits, I wasn't sure what size to get. So as I walked around, I thought maybe today is the day to be brave and ask about the FREE BRA FITTING that's advertised all over the shop floor (and that any self respecting lingerie shop will offer).

So I did. Girls, if you haven't done this before, do it. Yes, it does involve stripping to your bra, but that's something we've all already done in PE in school and at the doctor's already, right? It's really not too bad. I may only be saying that because the girl assisting me was really lovely, but still.

Measuring me, I came in as a 32B, the size I was wearing. However it didn't fit right, so the girl suggested I tried a C. She went to get one, and mentioned it didn't look big enough but try it on anyway. She came back after I put it on, looked at it, and went out to fetch a D. At this point I was puzzled, to put it mildly. 32D? Really? And I didn't think I had boobs. As that, too, appeared a little to small, the girl asked, seemingly as surprised as I was about the work involved in finding the size of my breasts, if they were real. At 32DD we finally had a fit.

As it turned out, this particular bra had a slightly smaller fit, so the next one I tried on I needed to get a D cup. Seemingly I'm still between sizes.

I can tell you one thing though, when I changed back into the bra I came in, I didn't now how I'd been able to wear that for so long. How did I not know it wasn't supposed to feel like that? How was I not terribly uncomfortable? So much so, in fact, that I went into the bathroom immediately after I had paid for my new underwear to get changed.

London Daytrip

Instagrammed collage of the day

Last Thursday, my dad and sister were in London, and I came down on the train to see them. Some would say I'm mad. It's something of a train journey, after all! But it's nice to see my family, and who would say no to a nice day in London, so I went. I managed to secure some cheap 1st class train tickets the night before (seriously - the price difference was £3.50), so I had a nice, comfy seat with a big table, loads of space, and free tea, sandwich, crisps and wifi. I also had bought Glamour magazine for the journey, which really isn't half bad for a girlie mag. It actually has some text in it. 

After meeting at London Euston, we got a bus back to their hotel in Kensington, got coffees at Starbucks, and sat around in their hotel room talking for a few hours. Then we headed out, perfectly timed for the London Rush Hour experience, and went to Covent Garden. We had a little walk around, without actually buying anything for once. Did take some photos though. I was using my phone, as I have been pretty much all month, and got my sister to take a couple of pictures of my outfit, as I was feeling pretty stylish in a leather trenchcoat, black wedged boots, and a mod target handbag. You know, since the sixties are once again back in fashion. 

Photo courtesy of my sister, who had her camera with her.

After a quick dinner, I went back on the train. I was too full to accept my complementary sandwich, so instead, I enjoyed a glass of white wine on the journey back, while thinking about how lucky I am to have such a great family, how good it would be to get home, and how much I miss being in London. I think I need a weekend at the moon some time before long, so time to start saving I suppose!

In Defence of Walking

Look, I'm a walker. I'll walk pretty much everywhere if I can, and anything less than 1 hour is what I consider walking distance. And people tend to think I'm craaaazy. Yeah, maybe I am. But there are reasons.

I like being in control. If I walk, I am in control. I know when to go and when I'll get there, and don't have to depend on anyone else.

I also hate to stand and wait. This is why I can't stand the bus. Standing and waiting is wasting time. Walking might take longer, but because I'm actively in the process of moving, it doesn't feel like that time is wasted.

Not to mention it is time to myself, to listen to music and think. Sometimes it is necessary to be alone and have time with your thoughts. It is essential for creative processes, and it's just nice.

And did I mention exercise? That too.

14 Days of Love instagram challenge

So here it is, a photo a day!

1. Colour

2. Book

3. Music

4. Time of Day

5. Memory

6. Cookie

7. Possession

8. Hobby

9. Pet

10. Collection

11. Clothing 

12. Movie

13. Quote

14. Yourself

When Life Is Good

Right now, I feel like there's nothing to blog about, simply because things are going alright. I'm not enraged by anything. Not annoyed. Not super excited, either. Things are simply... progressing, steadily, and I'm adjusting to a new role in life, a new purpose, a new identity. I'm doing an instagram challenge, and will represent my new workplace in a pancake race tomorrow. I have prepared by spending an hour today learning to flip pancakes.

A Bloody Issue

I have now spent the last 2 1/2 days in a state of agony. The pain is almost impossible to describe, if I were to have a go it would be like someone is trying to tear my spine in two using brute force and constant pressure. It hurts to walk, stand, bend, sit and lie down. Certain tablets do help, but fail to completely eliminate the pain. Lucky for me, I've had almost a week off work, so most of this could be spent at home, in bed, feeling sorry for myself and wishing I had some ice cream. Next time I may not be as lucky.

So the question is: when are periods going to be recognised as a chronic illness?

So I do realize that for some women it's not really much of an issue at all. At least that's what feminine hygiene product ads would have us believe. But for others, such as myself, that's bullsh*t. Feel confident on your period? Ha. I'd be lucky to feel functional on my periods. I dread the day I'll have to pose as a useful member of society during this time, because I feel so reduced compared to my usual self. Not only am I in pain, I also get terribly depressed, and something in my brain seems to just stop working. I get confused, logic goes out the window, and I feel a strange and disturbing urge to watch romantic comedies and cry.

I don't have time for this nonsense. I now declare myself a man and expect to stop having periods. Or maybe I'm a tree. Yeah. I'm a tree.

Pet Peeves

Don't we all have those things that just annoy you beyond belief? I know I do. Little things. Insignificant nonsense.

Leaving things to dry after washing up.
Sorry, but we have tea towels. That's what they're there for. Dry it up and put it away for crying out loud, washing up isn't done until the kitchen is cleared and everything put away.

Half-emptying the dishwasher.
It is possible that this only annoys me because I live with other people, but here's the thing: leaving the dishwasher half empty gives me doubts as to whether or not it has been run. I don't want to put dirty stuff in the cupboards. I don't want to run things twice. It's normally possible to see if things are clean, or smell it, but sometimes you've got THAT ONE THING that doesn't wash properly. grrr. we hatessss  it.

Distracted Cashiers.
have you ever been in a queue, looking over at two working tills, and still not been acknowledged? I have. And I hate it. See, I will typically walk up to the till when the cashier acknowledges my presence, that way I know they're open and ready, not, you know, just about to close or on their break. Or worse still, on the phone and consistently looking in the opposite direction. This happens every time I need something from Costcutter. And no, I don't shop there if I can avoid it.

Other People's Mess.
I don't mind my own.

Misplaced games/DVD discs.
So lots of people have this habit of putting the disc in the cover of the one they put in next. Or the first empty one available. It drives me mad! MAD! I once followed a trail of at least 5 misplaced discs. After the 3rd one I got annoyed.

Being asked if I'm ok because 
A) I'm quiet or
B) I've got a funny face.

A) I can go for weeks without talking, what makes today different? and B) IT'S MY FACE! Stop insulting my face.

Are you annoyed?
No I'm not. No I'm not. No I'm not. I wasn't until the third time you asked. NOW I'm annoyed.

Dirty bus windows.
I like to be able to see out. Because I don't know the area, or the bus route, well enough to know it on the feels. And because....

Local Buses don't announce their next stop.
You know, because people know the bus route well enough to not have to depend on that information to be available on the bus. Except I'm not that local and I've only been on this bus a couple of times before, WITH company.

Bus service that runs once an hour.
It's just stupid.

Being Late.
I can't stand being late. It's embarrassing. It's basically a huge sign saying "I can't manage my time!" And you know, it annoys me when other people are late too. Punctuality is a big deal for me.

News and Interviews

Well then, some news since last time I updated this blog - it's been a while, though I'm posting daily over at my Photography blog, since I'm doing the daily photo challenge this year. Which is, uh, a challenge...

Anyways, through some miracle, I have been offered a job in a very tough economy, and all by myself too, as I don't have many contacts here to get me work or even put in a good word for me. It has been a tough couple of months, sending out loads of applications and getting very few replies, but it made me realize something: I must interview quite well. See, I don't have a lot of experience. So I've only got 2 interviews out of the whole process. The first one lead to a work trial, that sadly didn't lead anywhere, but I got through the interview on a positive note. The second one lead to a job offer. So that is giving me some confidence. Surprising, sure, since I do get terribly nervous in high-pressure situations. I'm conscious of my nerves, and tried pretty hard to appear confident. So, because I'm an oversharer and love talking out of my ar** about stuff I know nothing about, I'll give you, the reader, some advice you should probably ignore about how I tried to appear confident during job interviews.

1. Dress smart.
OK this goes without saying, but bear with me. I don't just mean wear a smart shirt and businesslike trousers or skirt. Underwear is just as important. NO, not because you get up on the table and do a striptease if things go bad. Because wearing sexy lingerie is a good way of feeling beautiful, sexy and empowered - at least for me. So I would make sure to wear a nice matching set, stockings and suspenders, and a pair of nice looking, but fairly neutral heels.

2. Arrive early.
It just gives them a good impression of you, OK? I usually try to get there 10-15 minutes early, though that usually means get there 20-30 minutes early and wander around a bit because I don't want to be so early it looks like I've got the time wrong... But 15 minutes is good. It gives you a minute to relax and breathe before the interview, and it signals clearly that you are a good timekeeper and, in the future,  will be ready to start working once your shift starts.

3. Accept that drink.
So I'm usually the mousy never-mind-me, i don't want to be an inconvenience, don't want to trouble you type. But I've been thinking - a job interview is already highly imbalanced. They're in power, I bend over backwards to please them. Just accepting a drink at the beginning of the interview makes me feel more assertive, which makes me feel a bit more at ease in the situation. Just asking for a glass of water is no trouble for anyone at all, and i've established my presence.

4. Stop Fidgeting
Yeah I'm nervous. It's natural. I'm supposed to be in that situation. But being conscious about sitting still makes me look more relaxed. So hands down, back straight, posture, posture, posture. And of course eye contact, nod, show understanding and agreement. Be a part of the conversation even when I'm not the one talking. Not to mention having that glass of water in front of me can be a life saver when I really need to do something with my hands!

So that's it, the rest is probably down to luck, but making myself relax and feeling confident does make me feel more comfortable and less intimidated about the situation. Of course the interviewers I've come across have all been super nice, which also helps a lot. I'm not going to say 'this is how you nail that interview' because honestly, I don't have the experience to show that it works every time, and I've never been the one on the other side of that table. This is just what I've been telling myself to get those nerves under control.