New job, more cooking and how the two things finally connect.

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Sunshine in October

I haven’t blogged for ages. You would think that the months I’ve had without confirmed employment, could have been spent blogging, creating, setting up a business from my kitchen table etc. I could have become one of those women who tell tales in glossy mags of how they founded thier dotcom empires as the result of getting a life knock. But what I found about being with no specific employ, was it became harder to do anything. And I mean ANYTHING. I was rudderless and energy less. Getting paid to do several things at once but nothing specific took all my spirit. I feel ashamed that while other people use difficult situations to spur themselves onto greatness, I used it as an excuse to sit around feeling sorry for myself and in the evenings lie on the sofa watching Lewis/Grantchester/Scott and Bailey.
On the other hand, lots of people did point out that I’d had a very full on job for ten years which had involved 24 hour thinking, planning, and in the latter months knowing I was steering an oil tanker through a gugrling stream, so I could afford to give myself a break for four months. Plus, my idea of ‘not doing much’ did involve completely renovating a room in our London home, settling our eldest son into secondary school and consulting on several brands also published at Hearst UK.
I also found time for two trips to France – the latter of which was an amazingly hot week in October with zip wiring, lake walks and plenty of cooking which as you know is actually one of my favourite things in the world to do. A glut of squash from our various neighbours meant I persuaded the entire family to eat squash soup with every meal. Plus I made a beef stew with squash and chillis for guests one evening.

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Home made Calamari and squash soup with sage croutons

My love of food is well documented on this blog and on instagram and while in France most of my relaxing time is spent cooking. I even treated myself to a crepe maker this visit.

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oh Crepes!

And as I’ve mentioned several times on this blog, things all happen for a reason. And on my return from France and a lovely restful week of genuinely doing nothing, I had a call to go and see my big big boss. He had some news. I’d been working on lots of interesting projects across Hearst for the last few months (from Elle to Digitial Spy) but my favourite temporary role had been dropping into Good Housekeeping magazine to work on their digital strategy and social media. The biggest selling monthly lifestyle mag in the UK was a very different beast to my old home on a relatively small title like Company. On Good Housekeeping everything was big. The office bigger, the departments bigger and best of all – there was food! Recipes to be tasted, tested and triple tested. An entire cookery department, hundreds of thousands of recipes on the website and things to instagram that I genuinely have an interest in. And the news from the big big boss – was that Good Housekeeping wanted me to stay permanently with them. To be their Digital Director! And so I have a new job. A fabulous new job that means although I won’t be hanging out with One Direction and wearing improbable fashions anymore – I will legitimately be able to live tweet while watching Midsommer and my French idyl is considerably more on brand than it was before. My ‘real’ life and my work life have finally come into sync. I can stop pretending that I listen to experimental indie music at the weekend and luxuriate in Buble’s Christmas without guilt. And best of all – I can bore you all with my food pics on instagram.

One last one….

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Quiche for kids AND adults (one half without asparagus!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22 thoughts on “New job, more cooking and how the two things finally connect.

  1. Marvellous news, congrats! I’m glad it’s all worked out for you. I’m in a real career rut at the moment; I’m stuck between being good at an Office Manager job & wanting to utilise my creativity. I’m trying to be confident something will come up & your story makes me feel more sure!

  2. Brava! Sounds as if things have really come together for you. Enjoyed the entry. Thinking squash soup for lunch–ah, the power of suggestion.

  3. I know what you mean about not being to do anything. I was made redundant a few years back and even walking to the post box was a big achievement in a day. I am glad to say those days are over. Congratulations on your new job!

  4. Congratulations, that’s good news! I’m much the same. Having spent most of this year French house hunting I’ve rather neglected my creative professional life and am finding it difficult to get motivated again with my mind in French mode now we’ve finally found our house. Enjoy the blog and best of luck with the new job.

  5. Congratulations! And lovely to see a new post from you. Great that your loves have combined. I myself have left a job after 12 years and am still somewhat in that weird limbo period before securing/starting a new job (and I regularly feel rather lazy!). It has also given me time to become more obsessed with the idea of having a house in France though…!
    Laura

  6. Wow big change since last read your blog. Having had to leave France ourselves and return to U, k maybe a holiday home is the answer., missing it badly.

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