Social network me.

As I enter week 2 of real life I realise I have very little to do to fill my days. Jobs are pretty scarce so I don't have mass amounts of applications to fill out, and there's only so much world cup watching I can take. So please, if you have a twitter account, find me - swirledpeacat - and I will follow back. I feel that over the last few months I have lost touch slightly with the beauty community; not done my upmost to find and follow new blogs, or chat to more of you lovely ladies over the tweetverse.


Finally, and yes I am aware I have rather missed the bandwagon with this one, I have set up a formspring account here. Ask me anything you please; be it about University, graduating, make-up, or life in general.

Lord knows I need something to fill my days.

Cat
xx

Happy now, Mother?

Ever since the sun first made itself known a couple of months back (and subsequently went away on holiday to the Maldives again) my mum has been frequenting the same sentence; Cat, why don't you get a summer dress, you'd look lovely in one. She then started picking dresses out of catalogues, handily leaving them poised on the kitchen table for me to see. When that tactic was to no avail she starting thrusting said magazines in my face, alongside such phrases as: 'Order now dear, it's 20% /free delivery/it'll be here in times for grandads birthday' etc, etc. When that failed to spur me to slashing out on plastic, she used her trump card; asking me to go shopping with her.

Now I love my mother, don't get me wrong, and I'm partial to a bit of shopping too but Christ the two ought never mix. The day turns into her spending 4 hours in next, whilst I turn into a 14 year old teenager, moaning 'Muuuuuuuum, I want to go home'. Luckily for me, I have my own car and still have some student loan at my disposal. So whilst mother pottered about in the garden I sneaked off, popped into new look, took advantage of the 20% off dresses offer and popped straight out again with these two lovelies.

 
* All photos taken (badly) with my iphone. I do have a camera somewhere. And a cable to charge it. As well as a memory card. However the 3 items never seem to find them self in the same place. Due to this technical issue I'm afraid you'll have to put up with my paltry, fuzzy and unedited images.

Don't they look pretty, summery, girly and floaty? I thought so. I didn't bother trying them on because dressing rooms are my #7 fear in life. Mistake. When I did eventually try them on I made an awful discovery. My mum, whilst being caring in her sentiments, was entirely wrong; I do not look 'lovely' in a summer dress, but grumpy, fat and pale.

No I'm not showing you pictures of me in them, but if you want an idea of what I look like....

You see me, I'm not much of a girly-girl. I live in jeggings, ankle boots, vest tops and shirts. I don't do heels and might remember to wear a watch let alone bother with jewellery. And so when I slip on a dress I feel a. exposed, b. frumpy and c. well, not really...me. I see women of every shape and size who look beautiful in their floaty maxi dresses, but why not me? Perhaps it's a confidence thing, to quote Sophia Loren 'Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.It is not something physical'. So maybe I need to 'feel' it, 'make it work' as Tim Gunn would say. Or maybe I should just stick to my jeggings, tank tops and shirts. After all, my mother may not be happy with my fashion choices, but y'know, I am.

And on a final note, because I can never make a decision, I want you to tell me what you make of these shoes. Another new look find for £16. I'm in two minds about them, I mean they'll go with most things, but at the same time are just a bit, meh. So tell me, should they stay or should they go?*

*Back to New look, that is.

Thank you for reading
Cat
xx

That's Miss BA with honours to you....

So Miss clever clogs here (that would be me....yes, really!) went and finished that big old degree. 3 years, a very rushed dissertation and probably more diet coke than leaked oil from BP later and I'm all done and dusted. Do I feel relieved? Kinda. Excited about the future? I suppose. Looking forward to life post-uni? Erm, I guess....

The truth is I don't quite know how to feel. More than anything I feel, well, odd. It still feels like this is my summer holiday, and I don't think it'll hit home til at least come September time that my life in education (and thus the long holidays, few timetabled hours during the week, free prescriptions plus 10% off topshop) has really ended. Even as I sit writing this I can't comprehend such a thing.

But nonetheless I have thrown myself into some kind of pseudo real life world this week. I officially ended my exams on the 3rd of June, but had a week and a half off with the Mr, plus my student card didn't end til the 11th, so I counted Monday as my first day of real life. So I thought as an easy way back into blogging, I'd note my day by day my venture into the big wide, scary world. Not because I think you'll enjoy reading it, although I applaud you if you do, but rather so in case my mum comes snooping round my blog she'll see I have actually been productive, rather than spending my time messing about on my laptop and napping.*

*These activities may have taken up a small (ish) amount of my time. But I feel I ought to be excused for this, after all, I have 3 years worth of uni habits to shed.

Real life week 1.

Day 1.

Firstly had a 4 hour drive from Essex back home after staying at the Mr's. However, tempted as I was to spend the rest of the day napping I threw myself into action, kinda. I sat on my bed while I called virgin to sort out Internet problems back at my student house in Manchester, and then spent an equally long time on the phone to the jobcentre organising setting up job seekers allowance. I then mustered up the energy to painstakingly fix up my CV, trying to describe in as many positive adjectives what my work experience as a dinner lady will bring to any further career I choose to embark on.

Day 2.

Went to Manchester to move out of said student house. Spend most of the day cleaning out my room, and 3 bags of oxfam clothes and a wheelie bin and a half of rubbish later, went out to network with uni friends. I say network, but really I went to the pub to watch the footie, but I can't help but think networking sounds far more grown up.


Day 3.

Hangover. Hangover not helped by having to repack all the stuff I packed up yesterday, as managed to pack away all toiletries and make up. Not a great start. Also 'networked' with a couple more uni friends at a pizza place in town. Oh and brought a new mascara and eyeliner, essential purchases in order to create a sophisticated interview make up look. Obviously.

Day 4.

Back in Shropshire for a jobcentre meeting at 9:40am, which apparently is a real time, something I didn't quote comprehend after 3 years of not waking up much before 12. I had never been in a jobcentre before, fish out of water doesn't begin to describe it. However they were surprisingly helpful, setting up my job seekers allowance details, as well as finding me some actual jobs to apply for.

Day 5.

Starting applying for jobs, which is likely to be the most tedious waste of time known to man. Not made any easier by a very dodgy Internet connection that likes to pewter out *just* as you're about to hit the send button and thus deletes hours of form filling. Luckily I didn't dwell on this too much, as went out to the pub to be made comatose by a mix of alcohol and the worst game of football known to man.


....And so week one comes to an end. I wish I had some wistful philosophical or sociological comment to make after my venture into the real world, but really all I have to say is that waking up at 8am is a bloody pain. Otherwise, and aside from all my moaning, life isn't going too badly at all. It's made even better by the fact that I get to see the Mr in 4 days time. Happy days.

Expect another update next weekend. Until then, wish me luck in week 2 of real life.

Cat
xx