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About Me
As a writer with over 10 years' professional experience, I can help you convey your business' message to your audience in a way that is simple and digestible, while being informative and engaging.
I began my career as a journalist, first as a freelance writer for local magazines while studying for my degree in English, then, after graduating with honours, I became a full-time editorial assistant at a luxury lifestyle magazine, before progressing to content writer, then deputy editor at a national hair and beauty title.
Following this, I decided to take the path to become a full-time freelance writer. Since 2017, I have worked with independent businesses, agencies and influencers to create content that captivates their audiences.
Why employ me and not ChatGPT?
I believe we have a moral obligation to keep a human element to business. Your audience is human, so what better way to connect with them than with a human writer? I can write (good) humour; I can make obscure references to nineties pop culture; I can talk about an experience or product in a way that elicits a visceral response from the reader, allowing them to connect with your brand in a way that can't yet be facilitated by AI.
I'm also a brand geek. This means that, when we work together, I become a fan of your brand. From the ins and outs of your audience, tone, style, genre, to graphic elements such as the use of imagery, typography and colour palette, I commit to understanding your branding just as well as you do. This helps me tailor my writing style to fit your business.
Experience
I have worked with a number of different content management systems in a range of formats. The CMSs I have experience with include Wordpress, Blogger, Webflow and Squarespace. I also have experience with Substack, Mailchimp, Shopify, Podio, Trello, Later, and a range of other platforms. I can also learn new software quickly, and adapt to your business' needs.
I have experience writing B2C as well as B2B, in the sectors of: fashion, beauty, lifestyle, travel, pet care, horticulture, psychology, gynaecology, rheumatology, recruitment and human resources.
If you have any questions, please contact me at jenloumeredith@gmail.com
I hope we can work together!
Jen
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Using Sunglasses As My Shield
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Saturday 21 January 2017
Becoming a Better Person in 2017
I know I'm not the first person to say that 2016 was not a great year. Sure, time is linear and our calendar is just something that we've made up, and we shouldn't blame a year for everything that's gone wrong in the world - but nonetheless, last year wasn't one for the books.
Or was it?
Thinking back to last January, 2016 didn't start off great for me. My family had moved away, I lost my job due to liquidation, and I was fearful of losing my home. I got depressed when I started working in a job that I hated, and I was starting to become the negative, anxious person that I never thought I would be.
I took a little bit of time off to clear my head, and that's when I decided that I would pull myself together and take control of my life. Much to my family's disapproval, I quit my awful (though well-paid) job, and took a risk on a different path.
The months flew by and now my life may not be perfect, but thanks to following my gut last year I was able to get myself back on track. It's because of this that I'm thankful for 2016.
The reason I've named this post 'Becoming a Better Person in 2017' is because I want to take this year to cleanse the excess negativity I have in my life, and to focus on the good. Good things are happening all the time, from all the love I felt at Christmas from my partner's family, to becoming besties with my amazing coworkers (and finding awesome new vegan chicken places to visit - hello, Temple of Seitan!).
In contrast with last year, when I was too low emotionally to focus on all the good, this year I'm going to take the good and run with it. Every time I get a compliment, I'll appreciate what that compliment meant rather than asking myself why I was complimented when I didn't deserve to be; every time I write a blog post or a feature for a magazine, I'll take pride in having written it instead of excessively critiquing myself; every time I get into a debate with someone about my beliefs or values, I will feel fulfilled at having defended my own opinion, rather than questioning myself.
Just so this post isn't about me, I've put together a little list of things everyone can do to become a better version of themselves. Not all of these might be to everyone's taste, but one or two may help!
Tuesday 17 January 2017
From Over-processed to Silky Smooth Hair in One Product
Like a lot of women, I have over-processed hair from colouring and bleaching, which is all thanks to my love of bright and unusual colours. I’ve done the whole brunette-to-blonde ombré, and on top of that I’ve gone purple, green, turquoise and navy (I was prepared to go bubblegum pink, but my hairdresser talked me out of it).
Friday 6 January 2017
Fashion For Lunch talks Instagram, Chanel & bright colours
Sunday 1 January 2017
Ikea Kallax Kitchen Island Hack
I'm a woman of little time and little energy, with little use for fussy furniture, but a big imagination; so, naturally, Ikea is my best friend. Hand me an Ikea catalogue, and I can spend the entire day planning out an entire room full of repurposed creations, some of which could be copies of far more expensive furniture seen elsewhere.
For Christmas my partner and I received an Ikea voucher (yes, we love Swedish furniture so much that it has become a running joke between friends and family), and we decided to use it to purchase a kitchen island. As we've only got a small kitchen, storage and counter space is like gold dust - therefore a kitchen island would make our lives so much easier.
However, me being me, I was looking for something quite specific:
1) It needs to be small enough so that it wouldn't become a hindrance, but large enough to fulfill its purpose as a place to store small kitchen appliances and crockery
2) It needs to be easily movable so that I can push it out of the way if I need to vacuum or if we have a party
3) It should be between hip and waist height so that we can use it for preparing food
4) It needs to be affordable (i.e. under £100)
T H E O U T C O M E
After browsing the website, I found a few islands and kitchen trolleys that I liked the look of; however, they were over our budget, so I decided to get creative. I saw the Kallax, a simple, square shelving unit which had oodles of potential, and decided that this would be our starting point.
We went to the store to get a feel of what it would look like when all the components were pieced together, and excitedly made our purchase. In total, our little project came to just over £80:
- Kallax Shelving Unit in White, £25
- Kallax Inserts in White (x2), £18
- 4 pack of Rill Castors (wheels), £8
- 40cm Kungsfors Rail (x2), £5
- Lamplig Chopping Board (x2), £20
- Skydd Wood Treatment Oil, £4.50
Total = £80.50
We began by putting together the Kallax. Easy enough.
Then, we attached the castors to the bottom of the unit using our Black & Decker Drill. Screws are not supplied with the castors, so make sure you purchase some before you start (they need to fit a 4mm hole, and you'll need 16 of them). Luckily, we had some in our tool kit.
We then turned the unit on its side to attach the Kungsfors rails. These also need extra screws, and the fixtures overhang the unit by a few millimeters - so make sure you get the measurements right.
After that, we put together the door inserts that would fit in the squares of the Kallax to act as cupboards. We wanted two inserts, so that we could use the other two square spaces as display shelves. Helpful tip: make sure you line the inserts up correctly, as you don't want them poking out the back of the Kallax unit and making it look un-neat.
Next were the chopping boards. As we wanted to use these as the surface for our kitchen island, they needed to be oiled to protect the wood and prevent against the build-up of bacteria. The Skydd wood oil is perfect for this, as it's a natural mineral oil which doesn't contain harmful chemicals. A bottle will last you forever, as you only really need around a tablespoonful per board, and it only needs to be topped up every couple of months.
I flipped the boards over and attached them to the top of the Kallax using large-size Command Strips (find them here on Amazon) so that the island can be easily repurposed if needed, but you can use wood glue if you have it to hand.
This took around four hours to complete - and we're so in love with it. It fits our specifications exactly, and was incredibly affordable (so much so, that we were able to get a few extra pieces of home decor with our voucher!). However, I have to say that the best thing about this piece of furniture is that we put it together ourselves and made it our own.
What do you think of our creation? Have you repurposed any Ikea furniture? Let me know in the comments section below!