Oops..

Well, doesn't time pass quickly??? Profuse apologies for my lack of blog action recently - I hope that I haven't lost you all! Things have been all change for me over the past 2 months (thats shameful that I've been awol for that amount of time). I have landed a full time job, which is always good news - it's nowhere near what I was earning before, but it's a steady full time job, in an area I enjoy - jewellery. And high-end jewellery at that - very posh. Who knows where is might lead? 

Other things I've been up to - my herb garden is fabulous - fresh coriander is taking over my kitchen, and I'm in the tentative stages of chilli pepper cultivation - oh, how my life has changed over the last 12 months!! Am nearly at the end of the fashion course - I completed my toile (I think thats how you spell it - fancy word for mock up) for my dress, and have been scouring charity shops for some bargains to alter/style up. 

General current obsessions to confess: 

1 - Mary Portas - Queen of High Streets, Queen of Common Sense in my opinion - this woman rocks. The programme last night on how the next step to revive the high street is to convince consumers its ok to shop again was excellent - Mary, you are my new hero. 

2 - Stripes - Am just loving stripes - on bags (I got the free Uran Outfitters stripy bag with the rope handles from Elle this month - loving it) and vest and tops (mais oui, it just makes me feel so French, n'est pas?)  - stripes rock. 

3 - The weather - I know its not considered PC - but I love laying out in the sun - it's been like living in the Med recently - fabulous. 

4 - The Hills - its back, and I love it - how crazy is Brody's Playmate girlfriend?!!?!?!? Brilliant!!! 

5 - Rocket and honey and mustard dressing - yum. 

6 - The colour coral - I have a brilliant new nail varnish from H&M which I have been wearing on my toes - beeee-autiful. 

So that's about it for me - if I have any readers left, due to my complete incompetence, please confess with me your latest obsessions - admitting the problem is the first step to recovery!! I promise to get back into my blogging routine - I'm very annoyed with myself that I let it slide - I hearby pledge allegiance to the blogging flag once again. 

Sorry...AWOL...

I have been absent recently - I know, I know, I'm slack. But lots of news for my next post which I'll do over the weekend. And will also be doing my awards post, in response to the lovely shout out given to me by Recessionista UK. Right back at you sister..

Scary but so very exciting...

The fashion course started last night...it was awesome. I'm making a little dress with bell sleeves - bit 60's, very cool. My biggest regret in my life was not pursuing fashion as a career, and last night, I felt a bit excited about the future again. But also really scared at the prospect of an almighty change in my life. I think it's a bit of "scared of what I might be able to achieve", rather than being scared of failing. By the same token though, I still have to remain realistic - I still have to earn a living while learning this new skill, so the job search continues...

Optimism, anyone?

Is it me, or does it feel that the sun has brought with it a little optimism to the world? I've read several stories in the press about "green shoots", and I feel a bit better generally - is anyone else feeling a little less grim? 

Let's hope I actually use this workout DVD

So, this morning I won a DVD on ebay for the bargain price of £10.50 all in - "The Tracy Anderson Method" Dance workout, or words to that effect. I figure that if I'm going to be out of work, then I might as well get a buff body while I can. Now, I don't know if anyone has seen this woman, but by God, if I look half as good as her, then I'll be super-happy. She's Madonna and Gwyneth's trainer - now, I'd like to state that I don't want to develop muscles like Madonna. I'm looking to become a bit stronger all round - plus, exercise is good for the spirit as well as the thighs, and I'll take any help going in both of those areas! 

Wish me luck...

Another lightweight TV programme I'm hooked on..

I am already hooked on The Hills and The City. I'm an educated woman, so goodness only knows why I'm hooked, but I am. Pure escapism. And I have another to add to that list - Running With Heels. Just saw an episode - hook, line and sinker. 

It's totally because it has fashion and New York - at least I recognise my own weaknesses...

New Opportunities

So, something cool happened. I got offered a free - yes, free - place on a 10 week fashion design course at a local design college. This is freaking amazing. You see, I always thought I should have been a fashion designer. As a young 'un, I would constantly be drawing dresses, shoes, bags etc, and even won national competitions and had designs made up into actual garments...but never pursued it any further than that. 

Why? Well, I think I probably listened to all those people who tell you to stop being a dreamer - the ones who said stuff like "Designing dresses will never pay your mortgage you know" - yeah, tell that to Karl Lagerfeld, pal. Anyway, I went down the corporate route, built up a pretty good career, which has just pretty much fallen apart, thanks to this lovely economy. 

But, was I happy? Was I hell. I pretty much detested what I'd become, not because of the organisations that I was working within or the people I worked with, but because I didn't feel the passion in what I was doing - it was like dating some guy that was "kinda ok" - believe me, this career I had was no heartbreaker. 

So now I find myself at the crossroads - and look what turning just opened up - the fashion highway....

April goals

I'm pretty much obsessed with personal finance blogs at the moment (as you will see from my blog reel to the right). I find myself even more prone to pouring these sites for hours on end now that I find myself in the league of millions - yes, unemployed. 

So, of course, every penny counts now, so am really trying to concentrate efforts and look for ways to cut costs but not have to live like a complete pauper. I'm really lucky as having been made redundant before in 2007, I was very sensible and kept my settlement (a not-at-all-misery sum) safe away in a savings account - so I have some breathing space, and can really look at what I want to do with my future. 

With time on my hands during the job search, I've seen how alot of you PF bloggers do your monthly goals - Im loving this approach, as it totally works for anything, and being a bit of a Monica Gellar-type, I love to organise myself and keep things on track - so here goes, April goals as follows:

1. Get a job - if only for a few hours a week, I need to get something, as I feel uncomfortable having no incomings at all at the moment
   
2. Do my mileage/expenses reclaim - as you can claim up to 40p per mile done for busines purposes, I can claim up to that back - previously was paid 12p per mile
3. Volunteering - something I've wanted to do for a long time, so want to have an interview set up with the local volunteering co-ordinating office before the end of the month
4. Switch BT line rental to broadband provider - will save a couple of quid a month - no catches
5. Cancel bank account - not as weird as it looks, I currently have one of those added benefits current accounts that you pay a monthly fee for - I am mystified how I ever justified it to myself...
6. Car boot sale - the season is here, ladies and gents - dig out your wallpapering tables, get up at the crack of dawn to stand in a muddy field and fend off the hagglers (How much is this? It's 50p. Oh, will you take 40p? Jeez...)
7. Convert small bedroom to home office - its currently a dumping ground - not great or productive for anyone
8. Blog more regularly, and try to get more followers

And there we have it - I will probably develop a few more as the month goes by, but this is an interesting exercise for me - I respond well to goals, and i think the whole "I dont have a routine during the day at all" thing will grind me down eventually, so I need to keep on top of it.

Why the British press seem to thrive on bad news

Now, before I launch into this, I want to state that on no account am I saying that the recession/credit crunch/economic nightmare/armageddon is not happening. I am too affected by unemployment, the seemingly endless lack of jobs, but....

...Why does the British press seem to get so excited about being able to broadcast endless stories of how it won't get any better any time soon, how unemployment will top 3 million by the end of the year, how Gordon Brown should resign blah blah blah? 

As I said, I am not saying that this global financial mess isn't happening. The banking industry has got us into a right pickle, and this isn't going to be easy to get out if, but I really don't see how it helps anyone by constantly seeing and hearing news readers, who quite frankly seem to thrive on delivering this news, always underlining the bad news. I do think as Brits we have a natural tendency to look on the "glass half-empty" side of things generally, so this incessant ticker-tape of bad news helps no one. No one. As a nation, and as individuals, we need to be informed, but please, reader, take it all with a pinch of salt - figures can be interpreted in different ways - political parties will use stats to their own ends. As a world, we will get through this - personally, I think eventually, we will come through and there will be positive results that we will see - improvements in the banking industry, people thinking before they borrow against their homes for the latest Mercedes, communities looking out for each other, food being eaten instead of wasted, real improvements in recycling and the impact that will have on the environment. It will be painful to get there, but this will end. But what helps no one is looking back, lamenting about what has happened - it's done, it's happening - stop repeating it. 

Rant over. 

I heart www.bigwardrobe.com

I discovered www.bigwardrobe.com today. It's basically a site where you list clothes, bags, shoes etc that you don't want and you can request either a swap, cash or combo of both in exchange for your item - how awesome is that?! and better still, its free to list your stuff. I listed a few things - I want to sap them for something. I'm kinda interested in the swapping aspect rather than the cash - I'd like to see what I could barter! I like the idea of being able to swap something with someone - that way we both come away with a new piece of clothing - rather than a few quid - the new item means more, you know? Anyway, check it out - it's ace.  I also listed a few books on www.greenmetropolis.com today too - and got an email about an hour ago saying one had sold! Hooray! Anyone who's shared this sweet pleasure will understand how pleased I was to sell my book - it's weird cos it's only £3, but the amount doesn't matter - I think it's the whole "one woman's trash is another woman's treasure" thing. 

A good day for recycling, all in all. 

Welcome..

Hello there! 

So, let's get right down to answering some immediate questions..

Why Obsessional Confessional?

 

 - So, I decided to name my blog Obsessional Confessional (hereonin referred to as OC - remember Seth/Summer/Ryan and Marissa - sigh, happy days) because, and a few of you may understand where I'm coming from, during day to day life, I get mini obsessions - whether they the latest political hot potato, the latest mini trend in the fashion world, what Im reading on other people's blogs, social commentary etc etc. Now, I'm not saying I'm some kind of authority on any of these things, but I love a good soapbox moment - I am known for having a bit of a rant. I care about things enough to want to know a bit more about them and talk to others about them. So, blogging seemed to be a good way to confess all of these musings - et voila, here I am. 

What kind of things are your current obsessions? 

 - Now, these can vary from week to week with me - but there are a few love affairs that are long term, no chance of trial separations: 

          

- New York City

Most people who have been there will agree, it's quite simply as though you are wandering around a giant film set when you hit those steaming sidewalks. Devouring a delicious cupcake whilst wandering around the tree-lined parks in Greenwich Village, getting neck-ache while starting up at all the giant buildings on Fifth Avenue, or wondering how it really is as though you have left Manhattan while dodging joggers in Central Park - it rocks. Fact. To be honest, travel in general is pretty much a big obsession of mine - I'd much rather spend money on holidays, soaking up new cultures and experiences than p*ssing £100 up the wall every Saturday night. Simple as that. 

         

-  Fashion 

Let me clarify here, I'm not some loon who only wears Burberry raincoats and Manolo Blahniks and funny headbands (no judgement). When I say fashion is an obsession, its from an artistic perspective - urgh, how pretentious does that sounds? But, it's true - in terms of building a 'brand' from clothing, being able to create an image and therefore a perception of self and change it whenever you want, I think that's pretty cool. I do still like just looking at nice clothes, shoes and bags though :)

- Personal Finance

A relatively recent one for me. I suppose the recession has brought this to everyone's attention, but it has really struck me how much you need to understand your own relationship with money to be able to make the best of the dough that you get. It occurred to me that, even after doing micro and macro economics at uni, I still didn't             really have the foggiest how the world has ended up where we are now, and what the implications are for our future. At school/college/uni, no one really teaches you what a mortgage means, why savings linked to the stock market can be a risk, why ISA's are cool etc etc. So, I've really started to re-educate myself - on things like being a bit thrifty, how I want my finances to work for me, assessing my spending habits (hell, thats a whole other series of posts!!) and basically gen-ing up. On my travels through the world of the internet, I've found some really cool blogs/websites/articles on all of these - all of which I'll reference somewhere in the blog as time goes by. (you'll see a few of them listed to the right I think)

- Cooking/Baking

This is another childhood thing - I can remember terrorising my ma by dragging a kitchen chair over to the worktop every time she started to make a cake - I loved cooking, and still do. Many friends find it very odd indeed that I actually cook to relax - for me, it provides me with a much needed way to stop my brain whirring and whizzing - its my meditation, man. My latest craze is for baking - am totally loving making cupcakes, icing birthday cakes etc - I'm turning into a feeder, forcing vanilla cupcakes or chocolate ganache biscuits down the throats of anyone who comes within a 4 foot radius of me. I'm Jane Asher. 

- Beauty Products

Another fluffy category, but no less important. Scrubs, lipgloss, serums, gels, mousses, glitter, sheen - whatever, I love it. BUT, lately,I am only interested in products that are actually any good, that haven't blinded a few bunnies on their way to the pharmacy shelves, don't cost the same as three bedroomed semi - basically, I'll only part with the cash if they are "worth it", to coin a phrase. 

- Our Society

This one was a tough one to categorise - basically, I obsess on a few issues that could be termed as current affairs within our society today - firstly, politics and the responsibility of those 'in power' to guide our world. I often nearly blow a blood vessel over Question Time every Thursday night (it's that soapbox again) when some out of touch politician goes on about how the reason that kids act up at school is because they are just inherently evil troublemakers who will go on to lead a life of crime regardless of what anyone says...grr, there's the red mist again... 

   Another obsessional channel for me is the whole green movement and how we can all take little steps to help - I won't evangelise, I promise, but it riles me when people just simply can't be arsed to recycle - hello?! It's easier than ever - they even colour code the bins!! Another couple of topics linked with this are the organic food movement and healthy eating in general - another topic I could go on about for aeons. 

Well, I hope this gives you a bit of an insight on the type of issues I'll rant about on this blog. One thing I really would like is for anyone to comment on anything I post - I'd really like to create a bit of a community feel - after all, everyone needs a sounding board now and again, right? The blog set-up is a bit sparse at the moment, as time goes on, I'll build up different functionality - tips always welcome!