SURVIVING LONDONS PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Before I arrived in London I knew that the biggest hurdle I was going to face was the morning and evening commute. Aside from having a really irrational fear of falling onto the live wire and frazzling, (honestly, I lose much sleep over that) the high numbers of half asleep morning commuters can make the morning tube commute utter hell for a newcomer. I'm no stranger to London but when I came here on holiday I was at least clever enough to avoid rush hour like the plague but now, after 4 months of learning to commute the hard way, I'm going to share with you my London Tube Do's and DONT'S!!!!!      So here we go!      1. Never ever ever EVER approach a ticket barrier if you don't have your Oyster card or contactless ready   Well done, you have just pointed out to the whole of London that you are a) a commuter newbie or b) a tourist, none of which goes down well during rush hour. Sad but true. In a city where every second counts and most people find the 2 minute wait between tubes unbearable, a bottle neck or hold up at a ticket barrier is an absolute no no, having to stop is inexcusable. Having to stop for more than 5 seconds while someone fumbles in their bag for a ticket is downright life-ruining.     2. It's worth waiting the extra 2 minutes    This is the one hack I learnt when I moved to Acton. If you have two trains arriving a minute apart, get on the second one and let everyone else get on the first. All the rushers will have piled off of the platforms onto the train and when the next train arrives a minute later, the platform will still be pretty empty, allowing you to get a seat on the commute like a boss. I'ts worth saying that if the last train was 5 minutes ago, the next train will be heaving as the platforms at previous stations will have gotten 5 minutes to get nice and busy again. Avoid those trains.     3. Plan your exit strategy   In the morning I swap from the Central line to the Victoria line at Oxford Circus, one of the bussiest stations. When my train gets in at the platform, the exit for the Victoria line is right at the back of the train (very end of the platform). To save fighting my way through the crowd on the platform I always travel in the last tube carriage, that way when I arrive at Oxford Circus I get off, turn right and boom! Off the platform before anyone can get in the way! This is definitely one of the best pieces of advice I could give, I hate fighting my way through crowds of people on the platform, its a lot like salmon swimming up stream so figure out ASAP where your station exit is and where is best to stand on the tube so that you get to it as easily as possible.    4. Pair your suit with a nice set of Nikes   This is one for the women! I don't fall into this category as my footwear can we whatever I want but it' not an uncommon site to see women on the tube ditching the heels for trainers- at least until they get into the office. Commuting is hard enough without getting sore feet or your nice new heels stood on so its worth 30 unfashionable minutes if it means you can leg it up an escalator and beat everyone to the ticket hall.    5. Learn the Luggage Laws   Personally, If I'm travelling with a suitcase I avoid rush hours altogether but for some people taking a suitcase onto the tube during rush hour isn't an option so here are some tips on what to do.  DO NOT move down inside the train and stand between the seats, you have blocked the whole damn corridor and will find it impossible to maneuvre the suitcase to let people past when they need to get off. Stay in the open area infront of the doors but DO NOT stand right infront of them. When those doors open during rush hour its a mad dash to get as many people off and then on as possible, if your suitcase is in the way it's going to get kicked repeatedly. DO stash the suitcase beside the doors and the glass separator, suitcases prosper well there, if you can score yourself a space in the area where the seats fold down even better!!. (Glad I got that bit over and out the way!)   6. TFL Route Planner   This pieve of travel genius has gotteb me out of many sticky situations since I got here. It's basically a fail safe for planning your tube commute until you're confident doing it. I use it when I travel anywhere in London that I've not been before or if theres a problem with my tube line and I can't take the usual route home. It's a great thing to have just in case!    TFL Route Planner    7.  It gets hot in here   I struggle with heat, and underground it feels to me like it's magnified ten-fold. I don't know why it is, probably a lack of fresh air circulation but the tube on a hot day is absolutely horrible. If you also add into the equation the sheer number of people who are on your train and feeling just as terrible as you are, you can start to get an idea of how hot it can get. Perfume and deoderant should always be in your bag for these occasions so that you can freshen up again when you arrive home/to the office. Water is also a no-brainer for a hot tube commute and if there's one place I suggest you stand it would be right infront of the open window at the front of the carriage, it's not fresh air but as least it's a bit cooler...     8. Bring a book   Or listen to music. As with any form of public transport, making the time pass faster is always preferred. Personally I love reading a book because I like to hear the tube announcements but loads of people board the tube with Metros, books, Kindls, PSVitas, Ipods you name it! I don't think many solo tube travellers dare start the journey without having something to distract them so be sure to have something on you to make the time pass faster.
So those are my tube tips! Some of them are definitely more obvious than others but maybe some of them have taught you something new before you tackle your commute. I definitely don't know everything there is about surviving rush hour in London but so far after 4 months I still don't find it boring which is a good thing. If I'm being honest you see some weird and wonderful things when travelling on the Tube in the morning and you definitely arrive at the office with some stories to tell! If you have any extra tips you could share with me, feel free, I'm forever looking for new ways to survive the morning and evening rush hour!

Industry Insider

 When I first started blogging a few years ago one of the first things I aimed to do was scour the internet for fellow bloggers to take inspiration/learn from. Sometimes this process can be a hit or a miss but every now and again you find a blogger who blows you away with their design, creativity and content. 

Jemma from Dorkface is one of those bloggers. 

When I decided to reboot the Industry Insider section of this blog and cater it more towards the blogging community as well as those out there in the creative industry Jemma was number one on my list of people to interview. 

Below Jemma gives us an insight into her day-to-day life in terms of her blog as well as some sound advice about what it takes to progress your blog and ensure you provide a quality experience to your reader. 

1. First of all what inspired you to get into blogging? 

I've always loved writing, it's my passion. And after Uni I really wanted a new way to be creative everyday :)

2. Did you take any particular classes or courses growing up that lead to your choice to start blogging? 

I studied Fine Art for years at college and then university; and always wanted to share my creativity. 

3. Can you tell us a little bit about a typical day blogging for you?

I wake up each day and make a to do list for the day. Usually I have a couple of illustration clients, and I try to get them done in the first few hours of the day. Then I'll take a bunch of photographs for upcoming blog posts for a few hours. Then the evenings will be when I write up all my blog posts and finish up any illustration work for the day. My days are busy, but I love them :)

4. How do you manage your time to run your blog efficiently and consistently? 

I stick to a rigid schedule, and I always plan ahead! 

5. Where do you look for inspiration when the writers block hits? 

I usually find painting really helps me, and ideas come to me naturally if I take time to relax. Music and reading really help too.

6. What inspired you to start the #girlgang and the subsequent podcast for your followers? 

The girl gang began because I loved the idea of spreading positivity in the bloggosphere, and reminding people that it's good to spread a little love. The podcast is simply a fun project my boyfriend and I had wanted to try for the longest time, and I'm so glad we did.

7. As I'm a reader of your blog, what do you hope I take away when I read your posts?

I hope you feel inspired and motivated more than anything!

8. Are there certain topics/genres you stick to when you write your blog posts or do you like to write whatever comes naturally at the time? 

Oh no way, my blog is my happy place to share anything I'm inspired by! :) I'm always happy to write about new things.

9. Has having your blog opened any doors or provided you with any opportunities that you wouldn't have had otherwise?

Oh definitely! I now work for myself because of the opportunities I'm so lucky to get now. Writing and illustration have always been a dream of mine and now I get to do each every day :) I also have a whole range of wonderful new friends thanks to blogging.

10. What direction do you see your blog going in now that you've expanded into podcasts and gained quite a large following? 

I've no idea! Haha. I'd love people to feel like they can get to know me more, and so through podcasting I feel like thats a little more possible. I just hope to keep enjoying it like I am now and hopefully it'll grow. As for my blog and everything else though? Who knows! I like to go with the flow :)

11. What advice would you give to someone starting their own blog? 

Try to do the best you can with everything. You'll improve naturally over time, but the most important thing is to let your personality shine through! :) Be yourself and write about what interests you most. 

12. What in your opinion makes a successful blog? 

Something that inspires you, and others.

13. Are there any bloggers you admire or try to emulate?

A good one that comes to mind is Mandy from A Girl Obsessed. She's a great inspiration.

14. As a fan I personally love your blogs layout and especially its bright colour scheme, it gives me the idea that you have this really fun, bubbly personality. Do you feel it best represents your personality and is this something you take into consideration when you look at other peoples blogs? 

Thank you!! Thats EXACTLY what I was going for :) I love a nice clean layout, but IRL I am quite a colourful, loud and bubbly person. I'm obsessed with bright colours and cute prints, so I try to inject that into my blog as much as possible. No matter what Im taking photographs of, I'll always try to get a pop of colour in there :) I do think this is an important thing for bloggers to do. It makes you, your blog and your photos build up a recognisable brand.

15. What apps/purchases really helped you with your blog? Do you have any programmes or items that you use that really help step up the quality of your blogs appearence/content? 

My photography lights FOR SURE. Such a great improvement. I can now take my photos at night even, yay! I got them from Ebay for about £40 and they are amazing. I also love my blog layout, which I bought for a great price on Etsy.

16. How do you balance blogging with the other aspects of your life such as family/work etc? I'm always in awe of people who spend hours replying to people on twitter and wonder how they balance staying in such close contact with followers with everything else thats going on in their lives.

Honestly, it's HARD. It really is. But its a case of planning :) I plan everything as far ahead of time as possible, and it really helps. Plus I'm just pretty much obsessed with social media haha.

17. Finally, if you had one piece of golden advice to give someone with a struggling blog following, what would it be? 

Be as active as possible, and share your personality as much as possible. Your blog, promotions, posts, etc - will only get you so far. People want to see your life, your work, what you do in your spare time, and just you being your true self.

 I would like to end this post by thanking Jemma for taking the time to do this interview and I would also like to say that you can find Jemmas Dorkface blog by visiting

www.dorkface.co.uk

This post is a tad different from my usual posts about fashion, make up etc but I like to keep you on your toes so here goes!

I love Gaming.

You may be reading this and thinking 'Damn Hannah I love gaming too!' in which case 'GREAT!' You'll agree with me when I say that I absolutely love blowing off steam with a good game and letting the stress go whilst shooting someone online (It's a good feeling I promise.) That's why I want to talk a bit about why I love my PS3 so much and why I only really got into gaming at a later age even though I've played as long as I remember.

As a 90s kid the SEGA and Nintendo 64 ruled supreme. Looking back I remember playing Aladdin, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Lion King and Streets of Rage at after school clubs and at friends houses for hours on end without any regard for time or letting someone else have a shot (yeah I was one of those.) Whilst I was only about 8 years old and very much preocupied with Barbies and other girly things, there was something about playing games consoles that I just loved from the word go, not to mention my generation was somehow born knowing how to set up a games console into the TV so gaming just seemed to ring true to me.


Growing up the Gameboy was a staple for kids my age and a boss ass Pokemon save could guarantee you popularity at Golden Time on a Friday at school. Pokemon is probably the first memory I have of a 'cult game following' but Pokemon Yellow and it's subsequent releases seemed to rule the playground at my school. At 10 I found myself suddenly begging my parents for a Gameboy for my Birthday just so that I could get involved and low and behold my first ever Gameboy Advance complete with Pokemon Silver arrived on July 4th 2002, thanks Mum and Dad.


Whilst I was late to the Pokemon party I was instantly hooked and I always have fond memories when I see Pokemon today. It was the first game I ever fully committed myself to and to this day I have a Pokemon emulator on my PC should I have a moment I find myself pining for the good old days.

Moving on through highschool I continued to try out all sorts of games and consoles. My Rayman phase came and went closely followed by Spyro and Crash Bandicoot and then a friend introduced me to what I still believe is one of the greatest games of all time. Final Fantasy 9.

To sum up my addiction to this game, I remember sitting in my 2nd year English class staring at the clock and dreaming of going home to play it. It's one of the only games I can say that I am almost a master at I've played it that many times but the first time I sat and watched my friend play it I remember thinking the graphics were out of this world. I'd also never played turned based RPG but to this day it's my favourite genre of game and I've not found one yet that I'm not in love with.

 Final fantasy 9 and my newly acquired PS2 were now getting me seriously hooked on games. Moving on through the years and classics such as GTA San Andreas became staples in kids lives (I still have my copy) and I got immersed in Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. One Christmas when I was 17 I got my family a Wii to hopefully get them involved but it turned out to be a present that I pretty much bought myself and they continued to go on wondering what gaming was giving me that provided so much satisfaction.

The thing is, whilst what I've written previously tells a tale of a girl who gained serious enjoyment from hours spent levelling, battling and catching em all the truth is that this all pales in contrast to the gaming addiction I have now at the age of 23. I hold media platforms such as YouTube and Twitch responsible for the monster that I have become but at the same time it's opened my eyes to the opportunities gaming can offer.

I currently live in a day and age where DOTA competitions sell out arenas and earn spots on news broadcasts, online there are thousands of dedicated streamers who earn money for the work they put into speed running and providing us with enjoyable content. YouTubers endlessly put out walkthrough videos and Sim House builds that exceed everyones expectations in regards to creativity and I sit here infront of my computer at their mercy, totally soaking it all up and applying it to my own in game experiences.

You have to remember that when I was young you bought walkthrough books if you wanted to know the ins and outs of a game but now each new release comes with it's own dedicated YouTube channels and streamers who do all the hard work for you and then some. Everything you could want to read or watch on a game is more accessible than ever and I personally lap it up. If I can't be bothered physically playing a game I get great enjoyment out of watching a playthrough online or a Twitch streamer speedrunning. It's the things dreams are made of, these are people who are lucky enough to play games and get paid for it!

What I want you, the person reading this to take away from this post is that my love of gaming comes from the fact that it has constantly evolved with me as I have grown up. It's something that I feel has always been there and when I look at people online who also have such a great love of it the ages suggest that it's part of being a millenial. We are the kids who just got it's potential. 

 Today I may spend hours watching streamers and money on playstation store but gaming to me is just the perfect destresser (if that's a word) after whatever the days thrown at me.  I have nothing but fond memories of the hours I've dedicated to grinding on FF10 and I'm definitely not sorry for the precious early teen years The Sims 2 stole from me (seriously, that shit was crazy addictive and robbed kids of hours outside in the sun.) The point in this blog post is that whilst I may love fashion and collect lipsticks an equal part of me actually loves sitting in jammies and playing a good game whilst simultaneously watching PewDiePie and that's awesome.

 To round this up I guess I'd say that this particular post is just something different I wanted to write about and share with you all. Some of you may even be like me and find yourself in your work dreaming of getting infront of your games consoles when you get home so if you are feel free to share your memories of gaming growing up and if you still play becauseI'd love to hear it!

My New Tattoo

At this point it's pretty obvious to all who know me that I really love Harry Potter. 

I could go into great detail about why I love it and all the various bits and pieces of props I own as a result of this but instead I want to talk about why it was my obvious choice for my latest tattoo.

The symbol of the Deathly Hallows stands for the Cloak of Invisibilty, the Ressurection Stone and the Elder Wand, 3 Hallows that when combined, make one the master of Death. 

It's a very common tattoo amongst Harry Potter fans which was part of the charm for me, its instantly recognisable to Potterheads but most importantly its reference to Death and the idea that one can greet it well prepared and without fear is an idea that's comforting to me after dealing with certain losses in my family .

I also love this as a tattoo because it's so simple. I'm not a fan of colour tattoos so this is something nice and basic to wear on my wrist thats not too in your face .

Definitely looking forward to showing this one off, even though this is now my third tattoo, the rest  are on my back so I don't really get to look at them so it's nice to get reminded of Harry Potter everytime I see it. 

Let me know what you think and feel free to share any Harry Potter tattoos you have!

Debenhams Press Show - Day 2

DAY 2- MORNING SET UP 

I can't remember the last time I slept so well. After all the commotion and hard work yesterday brought I made sure I had an early night and was well-rested for the chaos of finishing the set up for the press show. 

I was of the impression that the second day would be all hands on deck and a little bit manic but because of how much work we done the day before the day had a more relaxed vibe. By this point everyone had spent some time together and was feeling a lot more comfortable about the situation in hand so we were all working around each other and making plans for the evening ahead which was great and created such a chilled out atmosphere to work in.  

The morning was taken up mostly by mannequin dressing and minor alterations to the clothes and luckily the bags me and Kayleigh needed for our two accessories shelves arrived so we set about making them our priority in the morning, photos of the two shelves appear below. 

 Things really started to come together when the catwalk seating went in simply because of all the space it filled. You got a really good idea after that of how the evening was going to go and where everything was etc. 

 As the morning gave way into the afternoon we had photographers arrive, interviews being conducted and the lighting was finalised. Stylists also arrived along with their interns to sort out models outfits etc so as the day wore on the hall got more and more crowded and we became more aware of how little time we had left. The negative side to there being so many extra bodies as well was that the visual team got less time with the event organisers and therefore had to to rely a lot more on our gut feeling when making decisions. Turns out everything we done was bang on though which was great to hear. 

Below are the two accessories walls me and Kayleigh done. The first is of our sports luxe trend and the second is our tutti-fruiti trend.

I'll admit that these walls gave me such anxiety because they were literally on either side of the entrance and I was very aware of everyone watching us doing them so you really start to doubt yourself.

In those situations though you just have to try and convince yourself to trust in what you know and in the end we were both really happy with how things turnout out for us. We got a lot of really good compliments in the end and we were happy with the layout and the amount of products used so all in all we done the right thing by just trusting in what we know. 

 The sports luxe trend was by far my favourite, I love simplicity and so the black and white with the iridescent/monochrome colour scheme was right up my street. 

Tutti Fruti on the other hand was all pops of colour, eye catching tropical prints and shoes and really stood out from the rest of the room. From what I've seen on twitter and blogs from the evening this trend in particular was something people really gravitated towards and enjoyed looking at. Personally I was just thrilled none of the stock we velcro'd to the walls fell off as the day progressed! 

The two photos below are of the entrance to the hall and the catwalk area of the hall as a whole so you can see the progress from the photos of the previous day.

It looks sooo premium when you take in the two photos, hard to believe it was a totally empty hall before we were let loose on it! 

 We actually got away at 2pm in the afternoon which was great because me and some of the girls went out for lunch and cocktails (Which were really deserved) before going to the Glasgow store to get changed and glammed up for the evening event. 

THE EVENING EVENT

In true excitable employee fashion we arrived at the press show...super early and immediately regretted how keen we were to get involved in kicking back and enjoying our hard work. 

After awkwardly standing about still wearing our jackets we were thrilled to be handed champagne (which was filled up by waitresses when they got a tad low) and told to stash coats and bags under seats at the catwalk so we were sorted for the fashion show later on. Result!

We then set about searching through the rails and looking at the clothes whilst Scottish bloggers, Debenhams store managers and employees all filtered in the venue with some straggling models bringing up the rear. 

As the hall filled up with all these influential bloggers and employees from our work there was a real buzz of excitement. From what we could hear and were told people loved how the hall looked and all of the work we had put into the layout etc and being able to speak to people we would never usually have the opportunity to speak to was great! 

 Throughout the evening me and the girls got interviewed for some magazine which was one of the most awkward situations of my life having to tell someone who I was wearing (John Rocha leggings and a River Island blouse) and we also had a few situations where the camera man who was filming the event for Debenhams had turned around and was filming us which was also the most bizarre thing ever.

We actually got fantastic lighting for a group selfie since he decided it was something he wanted to film us doing. High-pressure selfies! 

 Some shots of everyone enjoying the event.

 And finally it was time for the fashion show! We took out seats and waited eagerly to see the clothes (which were already in stores but my store is quite small and doesn't receive all the lines) and we were not disappointed with what we saw! 

I tried to take photos of everything but sadly my phone just couldn't hack photographing models without blurring so I've had to make do with the few of mine that did work out. 

 I'm holding Kayleighs glass, I swear I'm not an alcoholic!! 

 See!

 My god the atmosphere in the room changed when the men hit the catwalk in swimwear 

Some of our safari inspired clothing, anchored by Star by Julien Macdonald.

Some Debut and Jenny Packham formal wear

Some of our new swimwear ranges.

 And to round up the successful 2 days and evening, some selfies to remind us of the fun we had! 

To give you a round up of how I felt after the two days I would say that any opportunity where I get a chance to take part in events that are above and beyond my usual position are extremely motivating and rewarding. It's also great to meet all the other visual members across parts of Scotland and spend some time getting to know them. After this and the training I was sent on I'm seeing a few of them quite often now! 

For me personally, getting to do things like this gives me a massive boost and a new injection of life into my job and if anything else it's just great to get out of Livingston for a few days and see a different city. 

Oh and did I mention there was free unlimited champagne?