Hello everyone. And hello to my new followers 🙂 I think that may be thanks to a little award I won from the lovely Victoria at Lily Loves Lola… But yeah, thanks for the award girlie ♥ This weekend I went to see Alice In Wonderland in 3D with David, everyone seems to be talking about it just now so I wont rant on. It didnt get a good write up, but I do think it was a very good film. Its had much more hype than alot of other Burton films, so maybe this will encourage people to dig deeper and watch some of his older masterpieces! Ones that dont necessarily contain his muse ensemble of Depp and Carter.
Tonight as Im typing this I am watching Stardust, it is certainly one of my favourite films. One that I could just watch over and over. Yesterday I worked as per usual in the cafe bar, serving up all the mums and dads their skinny lattes and rocky road, and the kids hot chocolates. So many hot chocolates, every fooking saturday! Honestly, by the end of the day Im sneezing out chocolate powder. The families that send their kids to drama works at the rsamd, and the music school cant be short of cash. Half these little ‘uns pay up with £20 notes out their teeny wallets and purses. When I was 10 years old I dont even think I knew was a £20 looked like! I remember getting £2 for my lunch at school and being very happy about that. Maybe my mum spent the remaining £18 on buying me some manners :I Enough said. These kids may be well entertained on a saturday but 99% of them dont know how to verbalise ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. Sometimes Im even lucky enough to have their money put in my hand, rather than thrown on the counter! It really gets me on my soapbox, but its not entirely their fault I guess. The mummies and daddies arent always the most pleasant of folks either. Ever feel like sometimes older people look down on you, if you work in a shop/cafe/cinema or something like that? Yes I get paid minimum wage to put up with your shite all day but its only my bloody part time job. Its made me be more aware of my attitude and manners when I go into a shop and Im served by someone. Even if Im in a foul mood, I’ll always make an effort to be polite. All in the name of niceness and good karma, ye know?
On saturday night me and David got some dinner and watched the latest episode of lost. Loves it! We lay in bed this morning eating cheerios, making each other laugh and I caught a wee bit of hollyoaks. This afternoon I met my daddy for a coffee and a wander around town, then I went and met one of my best friends Katrina down the west. It was chilly but really sunny and my raybans made their first appearance this year 🙂 We had a look around all the charity and vintage shops, and I bought a scottish brooch for the Tam O Shanter hat Im making for the end of the month.
“I never imagined I’d know it for myself. My heart… It feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it’s trying to escape because it doesn’t belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I’d wish for nothing in exchange – no gifts. No goods. No demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine”
Im meant to share 7 facts about myself, but I have bored you all with that old chestnut so many times now. I think instead I will share 7 pictures (maybe a few more) of my year out before uni that I spent working in a fancy dress shop. Something remotely laughable at on a chilled sunday night 🙂
The name of the shop is Forgotten Dreams, they also did events management stuff and these big inflatables were one of the services we provided! I was too small to go in them and only went in once, but I took this picture on a job that I was facepainting on and we had the clown there too.
This is my old boss, Tom, and the back of gemmas head 🙂 We also hired out a range of these big windy men and this is one out the front of the shop!
The company also did balloon decor for events, so I got full training in balloons (ha, sounds technical… not!)
and how to make up arrangements of all shapes and sizes, archways, and balloon modelling. We worked at weddings, birthdays, christenings – you name it. Made me appreciate how much work goes into these strange creations.
Meet my alter ego, Jinty McGinty! This is the horribly unattractive outfit I got to wear when I was entertaining at events and parties. As a balloon modeller the hourly rate was awesome and it was so much fun. I can make all sorts of silly animals, and this will remain to be my party trick for a very long time 🙂
My main work I did apart from at the shop was being hired out as a professional facepainter. I got to work in loads of different events all over the country, from small scale fun days to private parties for big companies. I miss it 🙁 One thing that I wont miss however, is all the ridiculous stuff I had to dress up in! For events jobs especially. Ive been the easter bunny at Ikea, little sister wimpy at the Wimpy Homes opening, Lady MacBeth at Stirling castle in the pissing rain, Mrs Claus in over 5 different grottos… the list goes on. I allow you to laugh at my expense 🙂
Clearly Im not dressed up in this last pic, but I just wanted to post it to show you all how young I looked! I was ony 17, so working full time until I started uni seemed like the longest year of my life. It allowed me to pay to learn to drive and sit my driving test, go a nice holiday to canada, and buy my first snowboard. I wouldnt have been able to do these things if I hadnt been working full time, and my dad thought I would get too used to having money and not want to go back into education. This wasnt the case, and I was absolutely desparate to start uni and have something productive to focus on. I was very young and naieve when I worked at forgotten dreams, it was a family run business and I got caught up in the politics and ended with them on very bad terms. Which I do regret, but there was nothing I could do about it. I started uni with a fresh outlook to life, and glad that I had taken a year out instead of doing 6th year at school. Nearly three years on, I cant believe Im about to graduate! 🙁
I start work tomorow morning at 9am at the Citizens Theatre. Its my first day and Im nervous, even though Ive worked there before 🙁 So I’ve got all my brushes and my kit ready, just need to make my lunch and iron my painty clothes and Il be ready to get to bed. Im working on two shows, one is in the studio theatre and is called Plasticine, and the other is a main stage show called The Three Sisters – a play by Anton Chekhov A girl in my year is doing the design, so hopefully should be a nice show to paint. I’d better be off now to get organised, hope everyones monday morning tomorow isnt too bad ♥
















8 Comments
Emma (girlwiththearabstrap)
Ah I feel your pain with the coffee shop. Raghhh that is my pet hate when they chuck the money on the counter! There's no need for that – I have hands! When someone does that to me I put their change back on the counter, mwahaha. Simple pleasures :P. And I completely agree, I'm always so nice to people in shops too :).
Also, I think I know where that shop is haha :).
Good luck for tomorrow too! xo
March 7, 2010 at 10:21 pmE is for Eleanor
Amazing post! The pics of you are so cute and funny. It sounded like such a fun, interesting job 🙂
March 7, 2010 at 10:51 pmLanguageTimothy
Haha sneezing out chocolate powder! i feel for you lol. I know what you mean these mean little kids have no manners lol I got told off so many times if I forgot to say please & thank yous ahaa 😀 Cool pictures lol wish I could make balloon animals, Im jealous hehe :D:D
March 8, 2010 at 12:59 amAlice
What an interesting job!! Not everyone can say they worked at a fancy dress shop before they went to uni- all in all I bet it was a great experience
I haven't seen wonderland yet! But hoping to do soon 🙂
March 8, 2010 at 9:43 amkavita@iheartvintagex
Thankyou for my award previously lovely! I am in two minds of seeing alice in wonderland :/ I'm not sure! I'm one of those people that hardly ventures out to cinemas however haha! xxxx
March 9, 2010 at 11:43 am♥Music Fashion Clutter ♥
Loved this wee read & rant about the "types" with no manners!!! no need at all, thing is i dont think they know they are doing it which makes it worse!
Hope all else is going well, loved the crazy youngs pics- makes me feel so old though lol
Happy days xxx
March 9, 2010 at 2:01 pmnicola ticola ponders
Hahaha at Jinty McGinty!! I wasn't a fan of Alice in Wonderland, I was suprised at the story line because I went expecting the original story, booo
nicola xx
March 10, 2010 at 11:50 pmLittleclouds
I just came across your blog and had to stop and comment to say that Xmas tree costume is A M A Z I N G !
I have to make myself one 1 day just to prance around in 😀
April 30, 2010 at 1:31 pm