Moda Handbags

It has been just over 2 months since I left Moda in Pelle, to take up a Trainee Buying position at Next. In my new job, I am working in the Home department, working on Downstairs Furniture. It is a total contrast to the shoes and handbags I have grown to love!Whilst I have left Moda, I still keep an eye on their website and love to see the new shoes, boots and bags coming in! I got particularly excited to see the new handbags over the last few days. I spent my last few months working with the Junior Buyer developing a range of handbags. This was the first time I felt I had a real input into the decision making on the product. I helped prepare the design briefs and saw as the samples started to come in. There are now some on the website, and they are looking fab! I think I am going to have to treat myself for the Christmas

party season! Here are my favourites below...

It's the end of an era...

Since finishing Uni, I have been working on the Customer Services department at Moda in Pelle... this was just a temporary role because my heart is in Buying, but unfortunately they don't have a suitable full time role available for me. So I began applying like mad for graduate and entry level Buying jobs. I applied for the trainee scheme at Next last year and they got in touch at the perfect time! The assessment centre was in July, and a week later I was offered a job! They confirmed my start date (the 26th September) 4 weeks ago and since then my life has been extremely hectic! I now have a house in Leicester and a pile of boxes ready to move!

With new starts, comes goodbyes! On Friday I had to say goodbye to everyone at Moda. Although I am very excited about my new job, I am also so sad to be leaving Moda behind. I have been there for 3 and a half years, working in various departments and with some very lovely people! On my last day, they presented me with some gorgeous gifts including a doormat for my new home and gift vouchers for Cath Kidston.

So whilst I have a million things to do before the move... I can't help but ponder over what to spend my vouchers on! I will certainly enjoy filling my new kitchen with some gorgeous goodies!

Happy!

It is three weeks now since I finished Uni and handed everything in (I was mega busy in the run-up to hand-in, and have been busy enjoying my freedom which is why I've not blogged in forever!)

It literally feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders! And more importantly I'm feeling happy, and free, and enjoying myself!

So for the past few weeks I have been working my usual Thursdays Fridays at Moda in Pelle. I have been working on a slightly different project which I am enjoying a LOT! I'm hoping that I will be able to start full-time in the next few weeks! Will keep you posted.

I've had some good nights out recently, and plenty more planned in the next few weeks! Mostly catching up with friends I haven't seen for a while! I've also been having a serious spring clean; I've put all my Uni books for sale on Amazon, and had a ruthless clearout of my wardrobe which is now all on ebay!

I am also super excited this week because my Mum is coming home on Sunday! She has been away in South Africa for 10 months and she is back for a 3 week holiday! It feels like Christmas but better... so giddy! To make it even more exciting, we are going away to Marrakesh for a weeks holiday whilst she is home! We are staying in a luxury spa hotel, about 20mins from the centre of Marrakesh. So we're going to have the perfect combination of a chill-out girly holiday, with some culture, shopping and good food! I am planning on taking plenty of photos and will blog about it once I get back!

So that's it really... just a quick update on what I've been upto and why I've neglected my blog!

xxx

British Bridal Exhibition 2011

I have spent the last two days working at the British Bridal Exhibition in Harrogate. I got the work experience through a tutor at Uni who is the owner of Eternity Group. He and his wife own the company that has a range of collections including Bridal gowns, Bridesmaids, Mother of the Bride and Prom. Eternity Group was exhibiting at the three day event, and I was able to go along and help dress the models for the catwalk shows that took place four times a day. I was very excited to be going to the exhibition, as it will be a great insight into the wedding industry, and should help with my bridal footwear project.

Eternity Group were showing 97 wedding dresses from their collection. They had four models for each catwalk, and a team of 7 people helping to dress the models and collect and return the dresses onto the rails. The first catwalk took over an hour, but by the end of the day we'd managed to shorten it to 45 minutes as we got used to the dresses and which ones fitted the models best. I found I was best at handing the dresses to the dressers, and then re-hanging them afterwards.

Although it was an exhausting experience, everyone was lovely, very friendly and welcoming, and I really enjoyed myself! I'd love to go back again in September!!

Something Blue goes live...

As part of my project, I have been designing a website for Something Blue Bridal Footwear. The proposal for my project is to create a brand specialising in wedding shoes. I have decided that I will launch the brand as a wholesaler rather than retailer, as this made the accounts business plan a little simpler for me. This also made the website less complicated, as I wont be creating an online shop, instead an online catalogue of the collections. So my very clever boyfriend has turned my Photoshop documents into a real website! There is still some work to do, and some more products to upload.... but I am too excited not to show it off!

Would love to know what people think! I still have a while until my deadline so if there are any good idea's I can make changes to make it better!

www.somethingbluefootwear.co.uk

Pizza night!

When I was younger, we often used to have 'pizza night'. We would each get to make our own pizza's, choosing the toppings and decorating them ourselves. So yesterday, I suggested to Christian (my boyfriend) that we make homemade pizza's for our tea! My idea of homemade, is buying the base, and then just adding all the toppings, but Christian got really into the idea, and decided not only to make the dough for the bases, but also he made the tomato sauce from scratch!

It took ages to prepare the dough, but the rest of it was easy! I was in-charge of chopping the veg (I can't be trusted with anything else apparently). But then it turned out I was a master in making dough balls with the left-over dough.

Although it cost about five times more than a supermarket frozen pizza, they ended up being the yummiest pizza's I've ever had! And we'll def be doing it again!

Here are some pics of the whole process...

Warning: these images will make you hungry!!

Making the tomato base...

The perfectly chopped veg!

A little helper!

Preparing the dough...

The base, nice and round!

My awesome dough balls, and dough ball initials :-)

The pizza's!! Guess which one I made!!

ASOS addiction

I am the first to admit, I have an ASOS addiction. I check their 'new in' section as often as I check my emails and facebook! I decided to restrain myself this time, and limited myself to around £30 (with student discount)

After a bit of an issue with Parcelforce, my order is now waiting for me at the Post Office... so I'm going to drag myself out of bed soon, and take Primrose for a walk with a detour!

Here are the things I chose... I will let you know what they're like!

Leopard scarf - £15

Vintage stud earrings - £6

Wave ring - £6

Swallow stretch hairband - £6

Models Own nail polish - £5