First Weekend in London

Friday Night

I almost cried saying goodbye to my folks on the platform but luckily I kept my cool enough to get seated on the train and silently wonder what the hell I've actually gotten myself into. 

I was literally sat there on a one way train with my bags steaming towards London at 60mph with no return date! I don't know if it was the sudden realisation of what was ahead but I sat watching Toy Story wishing I was about 15 years younger.

 The train journey itself was pretty boring, 5 1/2 hours of being uncomfortable and not being able to get my laptop on the folding tray without having it digging it into my stomach but hey ho, we can't have it all, at least the guy meant to be in the seat beside me had the decency to not turn up.

My trains arrival in London took my mind off the reality of what I was actually doing (For a start it arrived early-a clear sign I wasn't in Scotland anymore.) Within 20 minutes of dragging my bags across Kings Cross at 1am I found myself stuck in a traffic jam longing for a cup of tea and my bed even though I was only going to get 5 hours sleep.

Saturday-The work started straight away.

Less than 9 hours later I was on my first tube journey to Shephards Bush Westfield Shopping Centre to start my first retail job in London after a quick and surprisingly easy transfer from my shop back home. There was literally no time to ponder the fact that I was running on 4 hours sleep and actually starving from a lack of time I had to get breakfast. It was just hard work from the get go, tube, store, customers, sales, tube, dinner and bed.

Sunday  

Sunday was my first lie in after days of bare minimum sleep so I decided to go by myself for a bit of sightseeing. I'd convinced myself that if I was going to live in London I'd better not be ignorant and actually get some knowledge about the place, basically the worst excuse ever to book myself onto a bus tour for the day...and a boat tour.

I've done the Original Bus Tour's yellow route 3 times before now but it never gets old, I'm pretty sure I could actually host one now! If anyone gets a chance I really suggest taking a day to go and do it cause you really do go home feeling like someone who aced history in high school.
One thing I wouldn't suggest though is to do the open top bus tours on an empty stomach because some of the food I was smelling was torture! Hot dog stalls at Marble Arch and roasted chestnut vendors by Buckingham Palace literally followed me around and by the end I wanted to go into every food place on the way back to Mile End.

When I walked home I decided to round off the night by popping into a pub I always pass on the way to the tube and have a drink.
Now, I knew that alcohol prices in London were steeper than Scotland but when the barman asked me to give him £8.45 for a double vodka cola I actually nearly wet myself. Lesson learnt, sobriety here I come, went home pretty gutted!

With Monday being a bank holiday I got another day off which was basically my lazy day, by midday I hadn't made it out of pyjammas but had managed to drag my arse off the couch long enough to finally sort my suitcases out and move the hoover about the livingroom in a half-arsed effort at housework.

In the afternoon Amber came over to start my training for my new job for the next day and amazingly I managed to stay pretty calm considering all the stuff she was throwing at me, I'm praying to god I manage to pick everything up pretty quickly since I'll be repeatedly doing it 5 days a week.

In general I've been quite calm since arriving here in London but I think it has to do with the sheer amount of work I've had to be doing. At some point, possibly when I start the new job, the panic will seriously hit me...Either that or I'll fail miserably at budgeting and leave myself up creek with no paddle.
After a full week here I'll definitely start to feel more settled, my family back home don't seem to be missing me yet anyway so I'll be here a while, Mums already booked plasterers to come and redo my bedroom walls...

2 nights to go...

Sometimes, after 3 nights of very little sleep, it takes a bottle of Brut from your work to get those precious 8 hours...

I'm moving to London

(This post comes to you from a very tired blogger after two weeks of crazyness and excitement.)

 After some of the craziest weeks in my life I'm absolutely beside myself to say that I'm achieving something I've wanted for years and moving to London for at least 4 months while I do an internship. While I am absolutely buzzing to start something completely new and exciting I have to admit that the preparation to ensure that I can survive while I'm there has been exhausting to say the least and in a way has forced me to make some very grown up decisions. (I've surprised myself if I'm being honest!)

I'm so lucky to have family down there who are understanding and supportive of this opportunity so much that they're allowing me to live with them for the duration and without them it's safe to say this wouldn't even be happening and it's been the key factor in my decision to go through with all this. Basically I'll be paying them back for their generosity for the rest of my days.

So here's the breakdown of how the last two weeks have went...

Just a little over 2 weeks ago my cousin advertised a 4 month internship vacancy at her work. Now I am never one to take risks and the fact that this job is only temporary weighed heavily on my mind before I made any kind of decision about applying for the job. However, after a chat with family and assessing my own feelings towards where I am in life and in my career just now it was decided that I'd have to take the leap to really achieve what I want. Cue a mixture of immediate excitement and panic.

As it turns out, I got the job so taking the risk has paid off but now I was faced with the prospect of moving to London, saying goodbye to my frends and family and somehow packing all of my bedroom into as few suitcases as possible. This is where I had to seriously make sacrifices and mildly began to panic.

In the following week I decided that my main aim was to make as much money as possible to ensure a smooth transition to living in London, the last thing I want when I move is to have to phone up my folks and ask for money, it's not exactly the new responisble Hannah I have in mind!

 So in order to maximise money making potential I've basically sold everything I possibly could. I've sold clothes, furniture, old playstation games and DVDs, my friends have helped me clean out my room and in turn they walked away with a few items each that they like and that I won't be able to take with me. The car has been loaded up with older items to be recycled and I've even sold some of my Harry Potter items to help give me that little extra cash for when I get down there. That part sucked. The good thing is that my room is now so empty that I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere with all the packing!

To also ensure that I make as much money as possible while I'm living in London I decided right away that I was going to have to get a second job. Luckily this turned out to be one of the easiest things I've done in the run up to the move, my current work have transferred me down to a store in London to work at the weekends and it only took a 10 minute phone call! At this point the panic started to subside and was instead replaced by doubt, things were working out all too well for my liking... It all seemed a bit too 'easy.'

So I write this to you on a Monday as I prepare to move on Friday to tell you all that it really does pay off to take risks, I'm extremely lucky that I have family down there to help get me on my feet but the bottom line of the next 4 months is that I'm moving to work not to have fun and go sight seeing. I will be working 7 days and simultaenously trying to save up for what happens after. I've not even moved yet but a lot has had to be sacrificed in the short term to help in the future and overall I genuinly do have a great feeling about this. I think it'll be important to constanty remind myself of why I chose to do this and risk everything on a 4 month job but at the same time be thankful that my current job will provide me with a more long-term financial security. I've already come to terms with the fact that I could be heading back home to Scotland in 4 months if it all doesn't work out but the experience of working in London is all too good and too valuable to my career in the future to pass up. 

I think to round this post up I'll just say that this journey is something that's going to continuously be documented on this blog and I look forward to writing about the internship and how it develops. Whilst I feel like I'm currently in a great headspace where I'm ready to grab work by the balls and really pull my weight for the next 4 months I also have slight negtive niggles in my mind as anyone would when they move to a new city and essentialy lose such close connections to family.

I guess we'll see where this chapter in my life takes me!

Wish me luck!! 

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!