Have You Been Working Out?

Answer: Yes, yes I have.

I have never been one for exercise. Ever. As a child, I failed at every sport I ever tried and it discouraged me. So once I got to high school, I didn't even try and bother and put in the minimum I could get away with. I have always despised PE.

But this month, I've decided to make a change. After piling on weight at Uni with chocolate and take aways, I haven't been looking my best the past few years.

Spurred on by a holiday in June, I've finally decided to do something about it. After all, I didn't wanna feel entirely self conscious in a bikini again.

I also realised what's been said for years. That it's diet AND exercise that help you lose weight. While I've tried diets in the past, I've never really got on board with the whole exercise thing.

But that's changed. It's early days but I've been strict with my diet, walking the mile and a half home (with many steep inclines may I add) as well as doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.

You may have heard of it, there's been a lot of buzz about it on the internet. That's why I tried it out. It's tough, and after the first workout, I was in a world of pain, but I've persevered and it's getting easier everyday.

I knew a workout DVD would be the best option for me. I have a long working day and limited money as well as living in a village and not being able to drive - so the gym or exercise classes weren't entirely ideal.

This 20 minute workout is based on high intensity circuits of abs, strength and cardio. The idea is you do it every day for a month and you see results. Hence the name. I'm going to try it over 2, so with any luck I'll have a sexy bikini bod by June.

I'm only just over a week in on the DVD, so I'll have to let you know how it goes but I'm already feeling fitter and better about myself. I actually don't mind doing it and go ahead and make myself do it as its only 20 minutes of my time and I can feel better about myself when it's done.

I think I finally realised that if you want to lose weight, you can't just wait around for it to happen. It actually takes a lot of work and discipline and if I want to feel better about myself - I need to make it happen for myself.

Beer pong, cake fights and a caravan - A day with CVUK

I've just found out I can blog from an app, so excuse any mistakes. This may have to do until I can afford a new laptop as my dell is on its last legs.

Yesterday I spent the day with California Vintage UK and 14 girls in a caravan in the countryside. And it was one of the most enjoyable days I've ever had.

We were filming a video promo for spring and took our pick out of CVUK's fabulous collection of vintage apparel all the way from California before heading to a caravan to have an American themed party.

Within possibly the coolest interior of a caravan I have ever seen was a table of all the sweetest treats you could ever desire - including a two tiered green and pink pastel coloured cake, brownies, cookies and candy apples (Which are chocolate. covered apples in the US - who knew?) .

We began by playing beer pong - which despite 3 years of Uni, I have never played. We even had the authentic American red solo cups. Who knew that beer pong was my hidden sporting ability?! A game that possesses short distance throwing ability and alcohol - Americans have the best ideas.

We had the ability to be as creative as we wanted - we drew over the ceiling with chalk, tried on hats and stuffed our faces with food. As we all enjoyed a slice of the cake, icing was smushed into girls faces, cake was thrown and chaos ensued.

The shoot was like a day long party where we got to drink beer, dress in vintage finery and dance to amazing music. At one point we were dancing so hard that the caravan was rocking violently, bottles were falling over and chalk dust was falling off the ceiling. It was good old fashioned fun and I could of stayed there forever.

The team behind California Vintage are among the most creative I have ever met. They're fresh, exciting and bring a new approach to vintage that my area hasn't seen. I love their collection of clothes and have already bought a few items. Look them up on Facebook and Instagram because they're destined for big things.

I'll repost the promo when it's done and I also want to interview them for the blog - but first I want it all made over and pretty.

Girls and my massive girl crush on Lena Dunham

 

I am in love with Lena Dunham.

I am prone to developing girl crushes on particularly amazing women, but none have stole my heart quite like the fabulous Lena Dunham. This writer, director and actor has a talent so large, that it's baffling how she can be so amazing at so many things. But she is, and she gets our generation of women like nobody else. Mainly because she is one of us.

For years I've failed to relate to any of the women I see in films and TV. Yeah I always loved Sex and the City and have quoted Carrie Bradshaw for years, but these women were rich and affluent and had no problems pulling - not to mention they were in their thirties.

But with Girls, it has a realism unlike anything else I've seen. It doesn't strive for the happy ending or the fantasy - it deals with young women trying to find their way in the world. At this time in my life, it's describing me perfectly.

The thing about Lena is that she's not afraid to give herself fully to her work. She's so honest and relatable, that every week of watching her show I just want to shout 'THAT'S ME!'. I relate to Girls and Lena's film Tiny Furniture like nothing else I've watched.

As Hannah Horvath in Girls, Lena embodies things that I see in myself but would rather not admit. She's slightly narcissistic, she throws herself into relationships with toxic boys, panics if things get too serious, argues her point to the end and she's a writer. 

Her group of friends, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna are just as perfectly written. Marnie is beautiful but uptight, Jessa is fabulous, witty and unpredictable and Shoshanna is sweet and clueless. All these women are relatable and have made Girls a perfect depiction of our generation.

I am addicted to this show, series one was fabulous and series two has just started back on Sky Atlantic. I beg you all to watch it, Lena is an awe inspiring talent, and watching her work makes me feel like I'm not entirely alone.

One Year Later...

Well it's been a while...

I really have been an awful blogger and all I can say is that I'm sorry for that. I said I'd blog loads and I didn't. But this time I will really try. I've been reading a lot of other blogs and writing a lot for work, and it's something I really want to get back into. I have lots of ideas, but I'm not really sure if I'll keep it a mix of many things, or try my hand at a fashion blog or specialise in feminism. I'm also really interested in Vlogging, so we'll see.

Let me explain myself, 2012 was a fairly busy year for me. I interned for the first five months, had a holiday, looked for a job for two months, interned for another month and then got a job as a copywriter. I spent much of my year working full time and commuting, so I wasn't entirely inspired or filled with enough energy to write anything. But I need to stop spending my spare time sleeping, so I'm really going to try and be strict with myself over blogging again. I need some kind of outlet where I can be creative and talk about things I care about.

So, what have I learnt in the past year?

1. That Lena Dunham gets me like nobody else. Expect a lengthy blog about how amazing Girls is.

2. It is quite possible I will die alone. Men are baffling.

3. Becoming a journalist is a lot harder than I thought.

4. That people will role their eyes when you try to explain why feminism is relevant to them, but it's worth debating it with them anyway.

5. That I need to live in London already.

I promise I'll do a proper post soon. Maybe even straight after this one. Just thought it would have been weird if I'd come back and ignored my year long silence.

LAD.

Scrolling through social networking sites daily, I've noticed a subculture forming and it wasn't until recently I found out the name for it...LAD.

Suddenly it's become acceptable for men to talk about women in a completely derogatory way, in what is supposed to be irony. I understand that these comments are supposed to be banter, but I'm just not getting it.

It's not that I don't have a sense of humour, I can see the funny side. Who doesn't love a bit of banter? But when it becomes offensive and you can no longer see the line between somebody having a laugh and genuinely disgusting comments then as a feminist and even just as a female, I have to object.

You can't expect me or any other women to take these comments as a joke, just because you or someone else has added...'LAD'. I thought the whole 'lad' culture died a death a while ago, of course in Essex it never really does, but still.

If anything it makes me completely lose respect for the culprits, who are usually really sweet guys in real life. What if I suddenly turned the tables and came out with crude comments about men, people would judge me in an instant. As it has been in our society for some time...it's one rule for the men, another for the women.

Whether you're a man or a woman, I believe you need to have respect for others and yourself. It is your decision what you do in life and I try not to judge others, but it's how you carry yourself that is important.

I'm not being an uptight feminist, those who know me are aware that I'm a new wave feminist and I don't hate men. I'm not militant about my beliefs. I have my views, I like to debate and educate. I just believe that in this day and age, things are still not equal between the sexes and some things need to be rectified.

I don't understand why these comments are funny or acceptable, feel free to explain to me why you can class it as 'banter' and why it is OK to talk that way. If we were talking about race, sexuality or disability would it be acceptable?

New Year

I'm sorry I've neglected this blog so much, it's been an odd 5 months. Since finishing uni and my graduation, I've been working a lot and trying to sort my life out. Alas, I'm still not a full time professional journalist, but I do begin a two month internship in a week and I have had freelance work every few months. I'll get there...hopefully sooner than later.

Meanwhile, a new year has begun and I'm making some resolutions and goals. The start of the year always scares me, I can never imagine where I'll be by the end of it. So much can happen in a year, and that opening of possibility always scares me. Especially at this time of my life when anything could happen.

By the end of the year, I want to be in a professional job and in my own place. Two big goals but something I need and want to achieve. I am not one of these people that can just let life pass them by, I need to achieve things and reach my goals. I can't sit waiting for life to begin, I need to make it happen.

Along with life goals, the year brings the typical new year diet. This year however, I actually intend to stick to it. I need to take better care of myself, inside and out.

I also intend to pay more attention to this blog, it's been an odd relationship. I have been slack and I will rectify this. I need to write more, I need to keep in practise and I need to vent my many thoughts on something other than Twitter.

As for love, who knows. It's one of those unpredictable things, and I've come to a point in my life where I have no expectations. I'm so used to near misses, let downs and the single life that I'm no longer bothered either way. And that's a place I've had to get to for years. I can laugh instead of cry, and I'm a stronger person because of it. In some ways, being single during these vital years has made me who I am and independent and strong because of it. I don't need anyone except myself. And those who I do have, I am all the more thankful for.

2011 had it's ups and downs, and I'm a better and stronger because of it.

These whole 'New Year, new me' blogs are so cliche, but I have a genuine good feeling and I want it to be an important year for me. I have good intentions and hopes and I can't wait to get started.

Happy New Year folks, let's not leave it so long next time.

And now, the end is near.

Tomorrow I graduate university, and it feels too soon.

I don't want to be officially pushed out into the real world, it's scary. For seventeen years of my life, I've had an educational establishment to fall back on every September. To look forward and plan for, with a routine and a set path. I knew where I was going! I wanted to be a journalist, I had since I started high school and now I've got the qualifications and experience to do it, it's just getting there.

University was always sold as 'the best years of your life', and in some ways it was. The freedom was euphoric. We drank, we danced, we had silly inside jokes and stayed up til the small hours. In fact, while I think about it now, so much happened in those three quick years and I have so many memories to take with me. Some of the adventures I had, people I met and lessons I learnt were important parts of my time there.

I had the best of times, and I had the worst of times. I made friends, I lost friends. And maybe I was never quite fully understood, and things didn't end as I hoped but it's over now and it's the way it goes.

To think that tomorrow I will be in graduation gown and cap, with a crowd of people I shared those memories with, in the city I lived them, for possibly the last ever time is surreal, sad and scary. I've worked so hard, and it all comes down to this. I can be proud of myself and know...

I did it my way.


Goodbye class of 2011.