Job hunting campaign!

I'm sure there are many people who are in the same boat as me but oooh how frustrating this is. 
I left university and didn't know what to do. Including college I had just finished five years of photography study. I needed a breather. 
I started working at a spa in london and it was awful. Clients could be awful, it was a dirty job and strange hours. I was a wreck and suffered from loads of migraines that meant I couldn't work anyway. 
I decided to leave in June and have been looking for work ever since. 
Luckily I work once a week at a study centre, which I really enjoy. This pays for the essentials but not enough to move out, learn to drive or even go out for a pint. I'm 22 and i'm running behind life, not alongside it. 

The point of all of this is that I WANT A JOB!!! Yes, I actually want to work and make money, pay rent or mortgage one day, go on holiday and learn to drive. The simple things. All I need to achieve the life I want is a full time job. Preferably monday-friday, human hours. 
Unfortunately, we are in the recession and after 6 months of applying for jobs it would seem that employers are looking for candidates with one hundred years of work experience, completing different types of jobs, attended a variety of courses and then you have to have the ability to smile and type at 50 wpm at the same time. Fine.

I am a smart girl, my brain is definitely switched on. I can type rather fast, I have a great telephone manner, I can learn very quickly and get the hang of things fast. I consider myself to have a good sense of humour. I know Microsoft Word, some Excell and have worked with both PC's and Apple computers. I can use a calculator and I am teaching myself maths again. I work well under pressure. I love reading and music and movies.
Did I mention, I make a great cup of tea and do not judge the amount of sugar you may require. I also provide great hugs when needed. 

If any one knows of anything or is looking for someone reliable and lovely contact meeeeee!!! frances.jose@rocketmail.com

Thanks for reading, over and out!

Frankie :)

Dec the halls!!!

Penguin Christmas Craft Evening

Its that time of year again YAY!

My christmas decorations have had a lovely warm welcome by Love 13 gift shop and friends as well so, whilst in talks with a friend we decided it would be a nice idea to share the christmas decoration love!

I arranged a very last minute craft class and everyone chose to make the penguins which made things a little easier! 

I had three guests come a long to make the penguins and taught them how to make the decorations step-by-step. Mince pies were also present. 

Here are the results:

Lovely jubbly! I hope to see pictures of the penguins in there new homes.

I hope to do more classes in the future. What to make next...hmm

Frankie xxx

My Christmas Decorations!!!

Tis.the.Season!

Well, it's been a very busy couple of weeks (yay!!)

Whilst looking for full time jobs day in, day out I tried my hand at some felt christmas decorations. 

I just wanted to make them for friends and family but there in lyes the new business venture!

I entered a local gift shop with the decorations I had made and asked if they'd be interested in selling them and to my surprise they said yes and ordered five of each! After a week and a half of making (and job hunting) the twenty decorations are complete and officially sitting in the shop!

Here are some snaps of the finished products:

I hope you like them and if you want some for your house, family and friends, head down to Love 13 in Bush Hill Park, Enfield. 

Thank you,

Frankie 

Sleep Challenge

People all over the world go to work in the day, relax in the evening and find it near impossible to manage to drop off at night.
Stress is a contributing factor of course, but for some it is simply very hard to fall into slumber.
Personally I haven't had a good sleep pattern for as long as I can remember. I tend to hit the pillow, snuggle up, get really comfy, take a few deep breaths and BAM, my brain turns on. I usually end up thinking about negative unnecessary things and toss and turn until I finally go to sleep..
Once I've fallen asleep I then wake up through the night, only for a few minutes but as most will know you're brain has to re-start REM etc and after waking up briefly about 10 times, you feel as tired in the morning as you did when you went to sleep.

(To look like this when you wake up make sure you have applied make up and straightened your hair before you go to bed and do not move!... she does look peaceful though!)

After some research I have found various pieces of advice and feel I should put them to practice. I will be doing a 7 day sleep challenge to determine if these tips work or (as Sheldon Cooper - Big Bang Theory would say) if it's a load of hokum.

What I shall be doing:

• Daily exercise to work off extra energy and built up frustration which typically keep people awake
• Eye mask - block out any light or distractions
• Lavender scents 
• Bath before bed
• Hot drink (caffeine free)
• Peaceful music

Any other suggestions will be gratefully excepted. I will be starting my mission on Monday 27th August. WATCH THIS SPACE!

Have a great weekend!

Frances :) x

Inspiration

At this time of life I am 'between' jobs. 

I must have applied for about 50 jobs so far and the only one I heard back from was a receptionist job at a hairdressers which had no chair...now I don't mean to sound fussy (the job was also commision based) but 8 or more hour shifts standing on one spot?

Well, putting it all together it just wasn't any improvement from my previous job.

Its at times like this that its a good idea to look for inspiration.

My inspiration file holds a place for my sister. Louise is almost 3 years older than me and has achieved so much. She is now 25 years old. This is what she has done:

•               Marketing degree

•               Learnt to drive

•               PA job (although she called it something different)

•               Marketing job

•               Bought house

and last but not least tomorrow she gets this creature: 

OOOh isn't it pretty! 

Not only does she work really hard but she is also a brownie leader and always volenteers to help others out.

So, a message for my wonderful sister:

when you finally run out of energy and have a temporary break down i WILL be here with copious amounts of tea, cup cakes, pina coladas and face packs. 

Lots of love

Who is your inspiration?

Frank x

Get smart, get fit!

Like most people, I have found losing weight is a lot easier when you have something to aim for!
Well lucky me, I am jetting off for a sun-set holiday in August.
I hope to lose a stone by the holiday and look nice a trim by the pool.

I plan to do a daily update of what I have done to push the weight-loss process a long.

Already I have begun doing 20 minutes a day on the exercise bike. Its best to go at a steady pace so you don't run out of all your energy straight away.
I also had the opportunity to walk about 2 miles the other day to a friends house and back home again. If you can think of any situation like going to town for some shopping and think you might be able to walk the distance, even just part way and get transport the rest of the way, do it! It feels great afterwards and you feel like you have achieved something.

I have begun doing yoga. I go to one class per week and try and do the exercises I can remember each day. Yoga really is relaxing and great for the body. You start to feel muscles stretching in places you never felt before.

Of course diet is important too. I try and drink a few glasses of water each day but I count tea and squash into my daily recommended amount too. Lets hope to see improvements soon. I shall keep you updated on my progress and maybe they'll be a before and after snap too.

Thanks for reading,

Frances x

The fruit kick!

So I decided its time to gage up the fruit factor and made some super duper smoothies!

Ingredients: strawberry low fat yoghurt,
Raspberries and blueberries.

Easy peasy!

And slurp :) its really nice chilled so keep yoghurt in the fridge for a while first. Over and out!

Happy Mothers Day!!!

To all the mothers here and gone, the grandmothers, aunts and sisters. It's takes a village to raise a child..so they say.
Well my mumma did it by herself and I recon she did a spiffing job if I do say so myself :)
Treat your mums well today and for the other 365 days of each year.

Lots of love xxx

Book Club

I have decided to start my own book club for young adults such as myself.
No one reads enough anymore; statistics for the amount people read has decreased quite dramatically. I wonder if this is because it would mean you're a book worm if you enjoy that kind of thing!
Well, whats wrong with drifting off into an imaginary world and breaking away from real life for a while each day?
I can't seem to find any local book clubs that are aimed for young adults or that aren't online. So I have taken it upon myself to start one of my own.
Its a great excuse for a meet up and natter and a good way to encourage reading.
The only struggle is to work out which books to read...I know what my favourites are and will people be able to afford one book a month?
I understand that people are busy too or have different levels of reading pace so we might not all finish the book but thats ok...taking part is what counts right?

If you have any suggestions to help me build my young adult book club or any books you suggest please let me know, that would be a great help :)

Frances x

 

Pick Pockets

As you may have read in my previous post, it would seem I was pick pocketed on Monday of the way home from work.
I had to go through the palaver of cancelling all cards and it was quite upsetting.
Well this morning I was shocked and surprised to receive a letter from the tottenham police station saying they had my property. Wow someone had handed it in! I've just got back from picking it up. All cards were there (mostly useless now). It had been thrown on the street and recovered by a patrol cop.
My card holder had somehow travelled from hackney-enfield-tottenham.
I'm very glad it's all okay but a bit creeped out that someone has had their mits on my stuff.
A word of advice, only take out cards that you need. Keep your train ticket/ oyster card separate from important cards and make sure you keep your valuables close to you and safe.

Good luck in the real world :)
Frances x

What a way to start the week!

If you have something coming up this week or the next which you are dreading this should most likely cheer you up! As previous readers will know I work at a spa which isn't 100% joyous.

Well today started as most Mondays would, slightly crammed on the train with an oversized man opposite who decided it was ok to lean his knee in my knee..and he seemed to has an inability to close his mouth. Lovely.

At work today I came a cross a massive cockroach, luckily the boss took care of that; however as I went down the corridor towards the spa I spotted a poo. Yes, a human poo poo on the floor. Luckily he who deposited on the floor did actually clean that up. I thought I was at a spa not a nursery.

So after the annoying leg/mouth man on the train, cockroach and poo poo I was rather relieved to get out like Aladdin and gene from the cave...oh but it didn't end there!
I ran to the station and up the 30 something stairs to find I'd just missed the train and had to wait another half an hour for the next one.
Once I got to the station I reached in my pocket and realised I didn't have my oyster card! I have lost my bank card, provisional license and cinema card so when I got home I spent the next few hours phoning companies to cancel cards and report lost/stolen property!

What a day. Tired and watching tele now. There is a bright side though, the boyfriend earned major brownie points by bringing round these lovely roses and ferror Roche chocs x

I hope this puts a few smiles on a couple of faces and maybe cheers you up for whatever you have coming up xxx

Birthday :)

Today is my 22nd birthday and I have found myself reflecting. The last few years have not been easy to say the least but I feel encouraged and happy that now things are working out.
I have passed my massage therapy course so I can now begin to practice. I have been working for the spa for 6 months now and feel a little more comfortable here with much needed sense of humour.
Bring on the next few years of discovery in love, life and business.

I got some fantastic pressies this year including a business book for dummies, driving theory book, tele, smelly stuff and not forgetting the cuddly toy! Here's to the future.

May you realise and appreciate how far you have come and what is yet to be and I wish you enjoy every minute of it!

Chin chin!!!

STEP 1: NEW HAIR

I may have got a bit carried away!

Here it comes...

Oh gosh, now the pout.

and for the grand finale...the swish!

I hope you have enjoyed this awful display of cameritis and laugh merrily into your mug of tea :)

All the best, me...

Frances xxx

Out with the old, in with the new!

It is the Tenth of January and I am sitting here with dye in my hair. That's right guys I am changing my look.

It all started about 3 days a go where I spontaneously dyed my hair as it has been not quite blonde not quite ginger naturally for years and I'd got fed up! Here I am doing it again however, as unfortunately first time round my hair turned out an odd ginger colour which changed in different light. hmm.. not a good look I'm afraid!

The next thing I did was take a lot of photos down from my wall. There were some from 2006, ticket stubs that reminded me of nasty things and drawings from friends I no longer see. Doing this was nice and refreshing as i think its only healthy to realise every now and then that life is not what it was and its time to except this. In doing this however, it has made me realise how small my life has become and now I wonder what I should fill that wall with? Will I meet new people? Will I travel? When will I learn to drive so i can go and take new shots and have new experiences?

I promised myself that I'd get on top of things this year and this means combatting stupid things like...feelings ergh! Oh theres a lot to combat and one of those things is weight.
Im not humungous but i still manage to get nasty comments and looks. Im a size 14 (UK). At work on Monday (just before I managed to swing a metal stand into my leg and cutting myself oops) a work colleague..horrible little man with something large, wooden and sharp lodged up his behind decided it was ok to say 'Frances, you've got a belly'. Thank you.
At Pizza Hut the waitress seemed to insist I had diet pepsi and just to top it off she gave me the pizza me and the other half couldn't finish in a take away box. Lets rephrase that..the waitress gave ME the box. Grr.

In conclusion, there is only one thing for it. Change my identity and run away! Too much? OK Ill start with the basics.

Step 1: Dye hair to feel different and a little more sparkly and new.

Step 2: Learn to drive.

Step 3: Lose some weight. Lets face it, none of us want to be part of the statistics. "UK IS OBESE"

From now on I will blog about a variety of things such as, healthy recipes, easy exercises and how my weight is shifting. I'll also be updating you on my friendly fun endeavours so if you fancy, follow me for this nano-second of my life and maybe I can help you with yours.

Picture of hair coming soon...

Frances x

Sister Act!

Me and my sister, Louise are very handy to eachother. Louise has a degree in marketing and I have a degree in photography.
Louise has become increasingly interested in the crafts over the last couple of years (hands on not witchy poo craft). When Louise went to a tweet up and showcased some work the Brentwood Gazette people asked if she would feature in the newspaper and show how to make a christmas cracker. Unfortumately there wasn't a photographer at hand....in comes my role :)
So here are my pictures of my sister in the Brentwood Gazette. My first public work. Its very exciting!

Have a peek.

Lots of love :) xxx

Interesting/hilarious convo 1

On Monday 12th December 2011, after deep cleaning the spa again I felt well and truly shattered and fairly fed up.
However, Mondays = men only day at spa.
The men are much nicer than the women if not a little flirty but if they aren't chucking flannels at me or shouting at me bout temperature and boob exposure I'm a happy bunny! Anyway, onto the story.

Group of men discover I am doing a course in massage therapy and then produce, with team effort a career plan for me!

First man: You should join the Navy and massage the soldiers, that way you can see the world!

Second man: No, cruise ships! You can definitely see the world and its a bit safer.

First man: Okay, you should work on a cruise ship, get out of this place, see the world until you're 25, then come home and get married!

Third man: Theres just one problem to this plan...are you sea sick?

Me: Oh, I don't actually know.

First man: You'll have to hire a boat, just a paddle boat. Sit in it for a few hours and see how you feel, Then you'll know!

What a brilliant conversation!
How nice for these men to invest thought, imagination and life experiences into my massage therapy career conundrum!

Thank you gentlemen, you have made my week...possibly month.

Frances xxx

11.11.11

Last year as a photography project to celebrate remembrance day I visited the veterans at The Royal British Legion in Muswell Hill

Here were the results.

They were lovely people. Quite shy about having their photos taken but brilliant and patient. They are proud people who have helped carved out country into what it is today.

Frances x

Birdies :)

I have lived at my house for about 15 years now and pretty much every day swallows fly around near my window with their wonderful flight display. 

Today I had the energy to run around getting all the camera equipment together to photography the show :)

I love the formations they make. OK, OK, this is a small group compared to the swarm of swallows famed to cross the skies of Brighton, but these birds are majestic just the same. 

Isn't it great to find something in life that brings you to absolute attention and peace at the same time?

I hope you enjoy these photos.

On the theme, here are the musical stylings of Birdie, a 15 year old singer with the voice of a tweeter hehe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNzCDt2eidg

Frances xxx

Pamper week!!!

So after a weekend of working and then scrubbing down the spa for 3 hours yesterday I decided to treat myself!

A thermal face mask! Sounds off but it literally heats up as it touches your skin which feels very strange and im not entirely sure what the point is! The heat sort of wares out after a while and it was fun, even if i looked like a gremlin for a while hehe!

Ok so my day got a bit naughtier after i invested in a....wait for it...wait for it...

Oh yes! It was wrong but yet soo right! hehe! Ive hidden it out of sight for now :)

Its ok because ive lost 5kg! erm..11 lbs wow yay!

What do you do as a treat or a pamper?

Lots of love xxxx

B for beads!

I realise i have already done B for a photo a day but i couldn't resist including this.

I am pretty proud of this latest craft project. String still to be attached but it should be a decorative item which could go on the christmas tree or wedding table decorations or just simply something nice to have round the house.
I have hand stiched all the beads on myself with a few hurt fingers and a few hundred beads later it is complete!
What do you think?

Lots of love xxx