Dream Job

It's a new year, a time when everyone wants change and seems to reevaluate their life, me included. I've been at my current job for about a year now, and although I've learnt loads and it's been a great experience, it's really made me think about what my ideal job would be. 

Now, there is no such thing as a Dream Job, one with absolutely no complaints, it just doesn't exist. We're British, we will always complain about something, be it the fact you're worked like a dog or that you're desk is the wrong shade of grey, there will always be something not perfect about it. 

I'm 23 and I've had at least 12 jobs that I can remember, I can't remember every single one because there's not enough room to write them all on my CV. However I will always remember my first, shovelling dog poop at the local animal shelter when I was 14, the height of glamour! 

So, having obtained these experiences, within many different fields, I feel qualified enough to know what qualities I would like in a position to get as close to that Dream Job as possible.

The first is a job that allows me to divulge my creative flare at least once a day. I love to be creative, use my imagination, get crafty, brainstorm ideas, so to be able to do this everyday and get paid for it would be the dream. 

Following on from that, a job that rewards you for hard work. Not in a 'well done for processing that data, here's a chocolate' kind of way, but working on a project from start to finish, seeing the final product and sharing success within a team. A gratifying job that makes you proud of what you've achieved on an ideally daily basis. 

Also, a job that is engaging. I have had many a working day in many different roles when it's taken every ounce of energy just to stay awake because the boredom is so sheer. As well as this, there have been positions where it has taken every ounce of energy to get myself home because I've been so crazy busy day in and day out. A happy medium of sometimes busy/sometimes quiet would be the best balance. 

Face to Face interaction. My current position requires me to sit at my desk all day, staring at a screen, answering emails. I hardly have any meetings, and when I do, they're short and sweet, with little input. My team are great but one thing I have really enjoyed about my past positions is meeting new people everyday, interacting face to face in meetings and discussing points to crack on and get stuff done. I think this shows more than anything what a technological age we live in, which saddens me. Let's keep client interfacing alive and make the effort to engage more with each other without clicking on a 'Reply' button. 

A team who is quite laid back. None of this "you have been on your lunch for 1 hour and 2 minutes, this is UNACCEPTABLE!" stuff. Laid back enough so that everyone feels comfortable, without taking the mick.

A friendly, supportive team that will help out in stressful situations or when you can't cope on your own. As well as a team that doesn't feel hierarchal, one in which you can ask your superior anything and not cowl away from them under your desk. I'm lucky enough to have this where I currently work, and it's something everyone should experience in their roles.  

Well paid. I am a graduate with over 4 years experience in various office positions, is it too much to ask that I am being paid enough to be able to afford bread?! Living in London is probably the worst place to inhabit when you're skint and with the tax collectors nicking literally thousands off us each year, it's damn near impossible to have a normal, 'young, wild and free' life when receiving tuppence for a wage!

A tea loving office. Everyone must love tea and have at least 3/4 cups a day.

A position that involved travel would be a bonus. 

And finally, any building which has an office dog is one I definitely want to join, screw the other stuff!

I realise this is a lot to ask from a job but if one out there exists that is anything like this, I would jump on the chance right now!

If you are thinking about moving positions or looking at a new job, I urge you to try and do this task for yourself. Really think about what you enjoy from your work or past positions and what you want to get out of a job. It could work wonders for your career! 

Looking back, and forward

A blog post about 2014 triumphs and 2015 goals you say?! How bloody original of you! I'm so sorry, I know you've already seen a million of these posts and each one is as boring as the last but I thought I would jot mine down anyway, for shits and gigs, not that anyone gives a toss but hey ho!

As many of us do when a New Year comes round I have been looking at the year just past, what I did, the people I've met, the good memories (and some of the bad) as well as the prospect of the year ahead. Simultaneously, I have created a list (bloody love lists!) of all the things I want to achieve in 2015. Will it be the best year yet? Probably not, but I figure if I keep my expectations low, it can only get better!

On a side note: Apologies for the over usage of the word "I" in this post, I hate self obsession because lets face it, no body really likes reading something about someone else, its god awful and boring, and yes I am starting to loose sight of why I'm writing this post now, I I I I!! However, this is a personal blog so it's kind of what you're supposed to write about. Anddd we're back...

2014. My favourite experiences, achievements and memories:

Got my first, real proper job.

I know it seems like a no biggie but this was a big achievement for me. I am so crap at interviews and when coming to the end of my 6 months interning I was starting to panic, I was literally applying for anything I could in marketing, PR, buying, merchandising, admin, the lot! So when I got my job at House of Fraser Head Office for the Multichannel team I cried like a baby! I was on the phone to the HR man when he told me and he had to stop and ask if I was OK, and like a blubbering freak I blurted '"Yes, I'M JUST SO HAPPY!". I've worked there for 8 months now, which is scary but I never dread or hate going to work and the people there are lovely which definitely makes it so much easier!

Moved house twice.

This was probably the most traumatic experience I think I've had thus far, for anyone looking to move to London, be careful and keep your wits about you to avoid this! Me and my flat mate were due to move out of our old flat in August, we started looking well in advance but something was always wrong and we still didn't know London well, so opted for the East. We wanted an independent landlord because having gone through an agency previously we didn't want a repeat of that nightmare. We really wanted a shared house/flat which is so hard to find for 2 people together which narrowed our search significantly. Every time we went to a viewing the tenants either didn't think we were a good fit (most frustrating thing ever) or it wasn't right for us. Most of them were all so so dodgy as well, with landlords that literally couldn't speak any english. We then looked for 2 beds but that was too expensive or the cheap places were absolute shit holes. We went to speed flat mating to meet people to share with but that was unsuccessful. Finally, we found a place that was bearable for the time being. Turned out it wasn't. It had no lounge, the landlord was a complete crook who my dad threatened to kill multiple times, and everyone who lived there was not an ok human. We promptly got back on the search and 3 months later we're all moved in to a great flat on brick lane. I am working on a full length post about this because I think housing in London is quite hot at the moment and people would learn from what we went through so keep a look out for that! 

Visited new places.

This was both national and internationally. I was lucky enough to holiday in Cayman (second home), Ibiza and Majorca. Then the less exciting places I visited in the UK was Maidenhead, Reading, Windsor, Newcastle, The Lakes and York, thrilling! 

Had some Celeb run-ins.

I saw David Gandy in M&S for his pants launch. I saw Mario from TOWIE at Ocean Beach in Ibiza. I went to a house party in Hackney where I found myself playing beer pong with Kit Harington aka Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, this was definitely up there with one of the best nights of 2k14! I saw some amazing acts in Ibiza but my favourite by far was Haim who's live performance was very entertaining!

Got quite crafty. 

I learnt how to make friendship bracelets again. I had learnt when I was little but I decided to rekindle the art. I also bought a loom from Tiger (best shop ever) and knitted myself and others loads of wooly hats! 

Had some YOLO moments. 

Went to a strip club in Ibiza, which was actually very fun. Did a photoshoot, which scared me to death but ended up really enjoying myself. Tried new foods and broadened my taste spectrum. I do realise these are really mundane but spontaneity is not my strong suit!

So those were my 2014 highlights. On a last note of this section my Best Book of 2014 was 'How to win friends and influence people' because even though I read some incredible Fiction, this book taught me a lot and made me look at life a bit differently. Some other favourites were the book thief, catcher in the rye, the fault in our stars and the curious incident of the dog in the night time. 

It was a great year with a lot of good memories and I will look back on it fondly.

2015. Goals and ambitions.

This is going to be a straight up list of things I hope to achieve in 2015. A lot of these are for personal gain, but that's what you're twenties are all about!

• Write a book: I am starting a writing course next week. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time so I'm hoping to make it a reality this year and I'm excited to get the ball rolling.
• Read more: This goes hand in hand with the latter. Books are incredible things, and as I got a 3 month subscription to Audible as a Christmas prezzie there is no better time to get stuck in. 
• See a bit more of Europe: I am lucky enough to have travelled to America, Asia and bit of Africa but never really experienced much of Europe. The places currently on my hit list are: Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Sweden,Vienna and Munich.
• Watch more live music: I've already booked tickets to see Hozier in June and am on the lookout for my next ticket purchase. 
• Learn Ukulele: I got two for christmas (there was a Christmas list mix up!) I've already kind of learnt Somewhere over the Rainbow so I'm getting there.
• Learn Spanish: I have a growing number of cousins who all live in spain. I have been to Barcelona and Madrid, where they live countless times, so it's about time I learnt what on earth they're all talking about. #lostintranslation
• Learn how to do make up/hair properly: I can't see this happening any time soon but after discovering more and more beauty blogs I am going to attempt to be a girl and learn how to do these things correctly instead of looking like a tramp 90% of the time. 
• Run 10k: Bit ambitious considering I haven't exercised in god knows how long, but it seems like a good thing to do, especially if it's for a good cause.
• Go to a festival: I didn't make it to one last year so I am ensuring that I get my bum to Bestival for a weekend of drunken fun and music. 

Personality wise:

• Become more inquisitive and exploratory: I am terrified of all new activities so facing that fear and saying yes to more things that scare me will be getting over a big hump.
• Don’t be afraid to ask more questions: If you don't know me well, you'd think I was really rude because I usually just sit in silence, but it's because I'm so shy and unsure of what to say so I'm just going to start asking the first thing that pops into my head and see what happens. 
• Stop having panic attacks about dying and growing older and just enjoy life: Enough said. 

Hope you all had a great New Year and I wish you all the best for the coming year!   

Post Christmas Sale Picks

Happy Christmas to you all! I hope the day was filled with merriment and laughter and that Santa was good to you. We have literally not stopped eating since christmas eve, so I thought I would take a break from scoffing left overs into my gob and show you all a few bits and bobs I've gifted myself from the December Sales. Not that I have any money left, but I managed to find a few good buys that didn't burn a hole in my pocket too much! 

I'm not a great fan of online shopping (despite working in e-commerce for the House of Fraser website), partly because post offices are in my Room 101, but mainly because I just can't do it! There are some experts that can order tons, and know exactly what they're items will look like, and get it right every time. I guess this comes with practise, but I always end up having to do returns or not finding the best deal, the whole thing is just quite distressing for me! But with boredom creeping in, I began to scroll the sale pages of my fave fashion sites and I think I've made some good choices here. 

December Sale Picks by emilyrodgers18 featuring statement earrings

The camel coat is a piece I (actually my mum) bought in the store sales at River Island, saving £30 it was marked down to £50 from £80. I love it, it's an oversized cocoon fit with a lovely deep red lining and will do nicely for a new winter coat. 

Accessorize have some great savings as always at this time of year and costume jewellery is everywhere at the moment. They have a lot of great statement pieces, but after searching for some big embellished earrings for a while, I finally settled on these lovely pearlescent pastel drop earrings. They were half price, £7 down from £14, I may have to get another pair I've got my eye on! 

I know, I know, Christmas is over, so why on earth have I got a xmas jumper in here. Well, was it just me or did you also have a mad dash around Primark the day before National Christmas jumper day?! So, to stop that from happening next year, I've thought ahead and ordered one in advance. You can get some amazing deals on xmas jumpers at the moment, I bagged this one for just £6 from Boohoo! 

Urban Outfitters is great for knick knacks, and if you want to be super organised, you can start thinking about next years christmas presents! (too far?) I got the hip flask, iPhone hairbrush case, kitty pencil case, and Russell Brands book into my virtual shopping basket for a good price. Great gifts for the future or little treats for yourself, either way they'll come in handy! 

I've been searching for a new good pair of jeans for some time now which is an ever lasting struggle in itself #firstworldproblems but I thought I'd give some ASOS ones a try as I've always opted for Topshop's Tall section. This pair came in leg 34" which should just about fit, and they're under £20 which is a bonus!

I never ever treat myself to nice undies, I usually just grab the nearest bra to me in Primark and think that'll do. I've wanted to try the triangle unpadded bras for a while so when I came across this one for £6.50 on ASOS with its delicate feminine design I thought I'd give it a bash. Being bosomly challenged, I'm a bit skeptical on how it will look but fingers crossed! 

And lastly, the off shoulder, bardot style top is caked across the sale pages right now. I'm not sure if the trend has been a flop or if it's just getting started, but I love the look of the necklines so I ordered this one from Boohoo for £6. It's always a bit hit and miss with this site so we'll see how it turns out!

Hope you've managed to bag some good buys this sale season. If you know any good sites to recommend for some good bargains, please comment them below! 

The Wrong Knickers by Bryony Gordon: A book review

Scowling the non-fiction shelves of Euston station looking for the next book to fill the emptiness in my morning commute and my night time routine, I stumbled across this copy and thought it sounded like a laugh. On that 2 hour train to Manchester, I couldn't put it down, not even scathed by people beside me, looking alarmed at the title 'The Wrong Knickers', I was too engrossed. 

The story line follows Bryony through her twenties to early 30's on a whirlwind adventure (without sounding too Enid Blyton) of a career, boys (mainly boys), friends, drugs, sex, food and happiness in a discovery of realisation that your life will not pan out how you dreamt it, but the journey brought you self actualisation and a book deal. 

Critics are calling it the new age Bridget Jones, and I wholeheartedly concur, although I would say she is also a cross between Bridge and a grown up Georgia Nicolson (from the Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging series, for those who live under a rock). However be warned, only read this book in public if you are comfortable spluttering and snorting with laughter in front of on-lookers. For me, reading this book and giggling quietly to myself was not only fun in itself, but a revelation. How often do you see people genuinely about to wet themselves purely by what they are reading, and thats what this book did to me! The disastrous attempts at being the 'cool-girl', the numerous cringeworthy dates/ sex-capades and embarrassing tales left me in stitches and even better, left tube goers flocking to different seats, because heaven forbid I laughed in public. 

It was even weirdly relatable, it was like she was living my life, but doing it better. It started as her being a 22 year old (my current age), living on bethnal green road (my current address) with a best friend called Sally (my current housemate), the job I longingly crave for (working for a magazine) and crazy single girl nights out (not too fussed about this one for now, boyfriend and all). She became a writer for the magazine, and like most bloggers who don't have the bottle to pose for the camera in their OOTD but take to their blog to write, thats my dream job. For years I've wanted to write a book, and it almost felt like she was ripping the words from my mouth, but with greater conundrums and anecdotes and fuck up stories. By page 50, I was getting down right freaked out! But the pages turned and the plot changed. As Bryony progressed into her later 20's, the similarities faded and what was left was more hilarity, gossip, drama, and a rather happy ending.

The only downside to this story, of which I always find being a pessimist, is that I started to get irritated by how much of a f**k up she was being without doing anything about it. I'm putting that annoyance down to my uptight personality and inability to do anything spontaneously, so maybe more a pinch of envy more than anything. 

If anything this book inspired me. It made me realise I want to write, it's what I really enjoy. It's also an easy read, one that doesn't require much thinking, which is perfect for a half asleep journey to work. A thorough recommendation and a 4 out of 5 star rating from me. 

Thanks Guys! 

London Fashion Interns

Hi Everyone! I've been taking a mini break from Stray for the past couple of months, getting to grips with my new job, enjoying summer, but most importantly I've been working on a brand new project called London Fashion Interns. 

LFI is a community to come and share your internship experience with others or read about other peoples experiences in fashion internships. The day to day tasks, the ins and outs, in order to let others discover what being a fashion intern is all about. There are thousands of fashion companies and hundreds of different job titles within each one. Interning is a right of passage in most companies, therefore knowing what each one entails, how to get by and get the best from yours is a great way to get where you want to be with ease. LFI can also act as a support system for struggling interns. It’s a very competitive industry to be in, especially being paid next to nothing. Reading about other interns, knowing you’re not the only one struggling, how each person is coping and the option to contact each other is a great way to make it a bit better for everyone.

The idea for LFI came about in a rather simple way. Before starting my internship at Vivienne Westwood I wanted to do a bit of research to see what doing an internship there or in PR would be like, having never done an internship before. After browsing for a good hour on the web I found nothing, and LFI was born. 

A community website where people can share their internship experience with each other.  For those wanting to learn about the fashion industry, for those who’ve never done an internship before and for those who may want to branch out into different fields but don’t know much about it, this is the place for you.

We've already had a few contributors including fashion bloggers, Katie Meadway from http://www.aimabovelimits.co.uk/ and Essy Park from http://www.noirfairy.com on their experiences as fashion Interns. If you would like to read about them, head over to http://www.londonfashioninterns.co.uk. 

We are also looking for more contributors to talk about their internship in fashion. You don't have to be a blogger, or even live in London, but if you've done a fashion internship, we would love to hear about your experience! It's so simple to apply, simply head to the 'Get Featured' on the site, fill in the form and send it back to us via the email: londonfashioninterns@live.com and you'll be on the site for all to see within a few days! All we ask is that you share your post on your social channels to help us spread the word. 

We're very excited about this project and we hope to speak to some of you soon!

https://twitter.com/ldnfashinterns

Tumblr Tinkering

Whilst interning at Motel I was given the company's Tumblr to look after. Update it with awesome photos, maintain those witty hashtags and get those adoring followers up. 

It became my social media baby, my pride and joy, and it pained me to leave it to someone else. So I started my own Tumblr page for this blog, and filled it with my own inspiration and some awesome photos which reflect my style and personality. It's my new fave by far! 

I am still learning loads about Tumblr and love to look at great blogs for inspiration and to see how everyone represents their own style through images. If you have a Tumblr page I would loveeee to take a look! 

You can check mine out and follow if you like it, here! 

She's All That

Hello little bloglings! Since I've been gone (no, I'm not going to start jotting down kelly clarkson lyrics) I've acquired a brand spanking new job (PAID this time) at House of Fraser in the multi channel department of their Baker Street office! I'm still learning the ins and outs but my team are lovely and I can't wait to get settled there!

Secondly, to celebrate my first pay cheque in over 6 months, me and a couple of gals booked a holiday to Ibiza for the grand price of £200! Flights, hotel and parties included, well chuffed! The party places are not my sort of thing anymore but I just couldn't turn down a deal like that! 

Another bit of exciting news, Stray Closet has now reached over 40k views! That's probably a days work for a lot of you, but this has been a long time coming for me! So thanks guys!

Amongst all of this, I have seriously dropped off the fashion bandwagon and desperately need to learn whats what again! 

So, to kick off, I purchased this cheeky number a couple of days ago whilst watching Eurovision (who else is loving Conchita?!).

 I recently watched 'She's All That' and simply had to find a gorge 90s trend spaghetti strap dress like Laneys, and Fashion Union made this happen for just £12! This one also looks a lot like Cher's little white number in Clueless, you all know the one! 

It hasn't arrived yet but I'm hoping it'll be super cute when it does! 

Clueless by emilyrodgers18 featuring a white dress

I've always been so focused on print each season, so this time its all about plain colours and simple lines and shapes. A simple dress can look gorgeous when its got a great fit, and they're so much cheaper too!