Year of the Snake

Okay! A promise to myself this year is to document more of my life. I have a feeling that when I'm old, I'm only going to have small portions of my life to show my kids about the person I was. At least it will be small portions in comparison to all the people who take a million photos of each instance in their lives. I think I need to find a happy medium somehow! Why not start up the whole blog again? Let's see how long this lasts for...

I've just caught up on all the rest I think I'm ever going to need since returning from my lovely Christmas holiday at home with my family and best friends in America. I had such a fantastic time with them all....it made everything a lot harder and put shit in perspective in my life. I was lucky enough to see my new baby nephew, Sheldon in Canada. I also got to see my 3 year old niece Abby...Life is a beautiful thing. They're both so fantastic and adorable, but they don't know who I am...at least Abby really doesn't yet. I realize I need to be around them more or the strange distant family I have grown up with will be something I just go along with. I'm not all about seeing aunts and uncles once every one or two years. That's not how family should be. I also need to learn how to speak french. The scariest bit of all of this is maybe not being able to communicate with the little ones...I only speak english, they only speak french. I've got to change that.

Another thing is...this is my last year in England. That is both terrifying and slightly exciting....The whole thing is going to be bittersweet as hell, but hey ho. Unless something super extraordinary happens like I win the lottery or something, I can't do anything about it. I'm just going to have to make the absolute most of this year with my friends.

Need to make the "UK Exodus Bucket List" innit.

Alright 2013! Lets have it! The year of the snake is MY year.

And we jump to August!!

Oh hello world!

I feel like I haven't written anything in forever...which is mostly true. I tend not to update things much anymore because either everything in my life is mundane orrrr boring and not worth telling. However, since my life is getting better bit by bit, I thought I'd enlighten the poor saps that still read this!! (Psst, that means you.)

I think where I left off before was that I had mentioned I'd be dressing for Phantom of the Opera and then Lion King right after. Phantom of the Opera was amaaaaaaazing! I was utterly crap at dressing at the beginning, but I got the hang of it a couple of weeks in. I met some absolutely fabulous people (and some incredibly crap people as well...-_-) and I really really really really enjoyed dressing the male ensemble! I had to wear all black, which is okay and just get on with the work as and when. I could catch up on my reading or have a chat with the actors that aren't on stage, etc. A brilliant job.

Brilliant as it was, I got a bit too attached to the cast though and when they had to leave I cried and cried...haha I'm such a baby :P They did give me presents though! I got a knitted mini bunting (which is super CUTE) , loads of flowers, chocolates, two bottles of wine, my own "Masquerade" masque, a fabulous necklace...I was truly spoiled by my boys and the wardrobe team. ^_^ I am so grateful!! xx

 

Phantom was gone before I knew it...so I donned my waistcoat and name badge and went back to Front of House. It was so so lovely working with all my mates again, but you know...once I had a taste of dressing everything just felt a bit different...Hm...But I did enjoy working in my home department again and wanted to make the best of the work before we went dark for 7 weeks whilst The Lion King was setting up in the theatre. 

One day I was asked to do some backstage work for Lion King by one of the backstage guys which involved an incredible amount of heavy lifting and pushing and climbing and all. I had SO MUCH FUN! And I felt super happy that I was even asked to do that sort of work despite the fact I'm a girl. I got to show off the strength that I don't think the other guys knew I had and I was also introduced to the Wardrobe Mistress! She was impressed with the fact I was pushing all the things around and asked if I would be interested in working for them while the Hippodrome was dark. Seriously, that couldn't have worked any better for me! I had one week of doing 10:30-6 and then literally sprinting off to the Hippodrome for a 7-10 shift. My god I was tired!!! ...but it was awesome.  :) 

The theatre then went dark and I could concentrate on what was going on in rehearsals for TLK. I was asked to do so much! I sewed, I ran around, I dressed the cast in rehearsal costumes, I labelled, I organized, I did LOADS and I loved every second of it. I actually felt like I belonged...like part of a team you know? I got to meet the cast from the very beginning and now I'm forming some pretty incredible friendships with them. I don't think I've ever met such a large group of talented and very humble people working for a company. And speaking of companies, DISNEY IS AN INCREDIBLE COMPANY TO WORK WITH!!! I had never felt so welcomed in my life! Everyone is so friendly and smile at everyone and is just like...wow!! Such a positive attitude! 

Say "Hello" to one of the dancers trying out his head for the show. Such a long face!

Now we're a month into rehearsals and everything is coming together so beautifully and even when I'm not at work, the cast noticed and ask where I was and why I wasn't around and stuff. Aw!! If you're coming to see TLK, you are in for an incredible treat. The costume is just...wow. Amazing...I'm so priviledged to be working in the Wardrobe department and the ladies in the department are all so amazingly lovely. I love my job right now. I love the people, I love the atmosphere, I love the responsiblity, I love EVERYTHING. I hope it stays like that. How I would love to do this for a living. :) 

Anyway, that's enough rambling, well done if you read all of that. I'm so happy. OH and I'm going to be moving in with Sioban on the 22nd into a gorgeous flat where we shall drink and be merry all the damn time. So so so so so so excited!! Ahhh!

Good things are happening, people. No, not good - Great! :D xx

Dressing dem in Costume, doe.

Hello! Happy May, guys! Oh man, I can't believe the month is actually almost gone. As if doe!

Good things have been starting to happen! One of the most important things is that I'm starting to get my confidence back again. I'm looking at things a lot more positively which is super great for my health and future career as such. My mates in and out of Bristol have been absolutely fantastic and have just been there for me! Totes proved that I wasn't as alone as I thought I was a few months ago. :D

In the beginning of April, I left TOAST. That may or may not be a terrible decision, but the whole job thing that they offered me what a teensy weensy bit of a piss take. I couldn't have just sat around for over two months waiting for the company to decide if they could actually take me on or not. That's was actually okay though. As much as I enjoyed what I was doing, I thought it was a good time for me to leave. After 6 months of commuting to Swansea to work for free does take it out of you. Kudos to the people who do that all the time - Seriously, doe.

Anyway, since I've left the company I've been called up loads by different agencies trying to get me jobs patterncutting around the country and such, but something in me wasn't too fussed if I got the job or not. Not the right kind of attitude, right? Just goes to show I don't really want that right now. Oh well! I've accepted that and that's fine. Maybe I'll hang up the Patternmaster for the time being!

So as you may or may not know, I work in a theatre part time as Front of House staff - which is an awesome job! I get to be around awesome people all the time and around awesome shows and beautiful sets and the venue is just stunning! Last month or so, I asked backstage if they needed help dressing costumes for any of the shows and the manager said that he would need me for the Lion King which is at the end of August. Um the LION KING, guys.

I get to deal with stuff like this!!!!:

You jeally?! Yep you should be!!! I've been amazed by the Lion King costumes ever since I saw it on Broadway when I was a little girl. But now 15 years later, I'll be able to be a part of it for 3 months. Ahhh, I cannot stress how happy and excited I am for this!! I mean, how creative are these costumes!?!?! Ohhhhhhhhhh guys!

So that's a thing! I was perfectly content with that and waiting until it was here, but last week the backstage manager sought me out at the beginning of my shift and asked if I would be available to do any dressing for the Phantom of the Opera.

You mean for stuff like this...?

Um YES!? So that's where I am at this point in my life. I'm dressing for Phantom of the Opera...that's an actual thing. I'm just amazed that just one little curious question landed me all this. Just goes to show that if you don't ask, you don't get, people. And it's not always what you know, but who you know. Admittedly, mentioning that I studied Fashion/Textile Design did make things easier, but just wow...

Today will only be my 3rd day dressing the PotO cast (male ensemble, if you're wondering!!) and I'm loving it so much already. It's hot and sweaty and really busy but I'm feeling super confident about this. Who knows what this could lead to in the future?! One step at a time, but I'm definitely progressing. 

And to my tutors in uni that said my designs were "too costumey" sometimes? LOOK AT ME NOW! Boo-freakin-yaaaaaaa!

Happy happy Holly. xx

The Season of Broken Hearts and Warm Ass Weather

Oh wow. About 3 months since I've last updizzled. Holly fail to the max, ya'll.

What's been happening...

-Been doing a lot at Toast...but been feeling neglected and less like part of a team. Bad.
-Been super poor. Also bad.
-Been dumped. Very bad.
-Been deprived of internet in my house. Super bad.
-Been feeling super sorry for myself and not knowing what to do with my life. UBER BAD.

But do not fear, good people! The weather is warm and I love Bristol and that's given me the motivation to sort myself out. I've got lovely friends and a wicked awesome mother who has passed down some amazing "I don't give a fuck" genes ;D I've allowed myself a week to feel sorry for myself and now it's time to buckle down and figure out what I want to do with my shiny new visa.

Shall I move off to London or Birmingham and be a proper fashiony drone oooooor stay in Bristol and enjoy being fancy can carefree and attempt to start a business with some carefully selected friends?! I may have to choose the former instead of the latter because I gots bills to pay!

Oh my, it does seem that the majority of my friends have been having the same problems as me though. Heartbreak, general confusion about life, being poor. Damn. Post uni life isn't that amazing though is it?

Alas, it's spring and I'm doing my own personal spring cleaning go get all them cobwebs out of my self conscious and all up out of my life. I've been sending out loads of CVs for a nice new pattern cutting job and I've already got a call back from a recruitment agency saying they're going to forward my CV to the company. Fingers crossed!!

A word of advice to my readers and friends - Shit gets real and ugly, but only the weak don't get used to it!! DEAL.

Time to be fearless and fancy free. ;D

Voice of Reason.

Call my mother today to ask her opinion on what I should choose:

great company that treats me extremely well
low paying career
basically no social life
leaving all my friends
leaving a place I finally call home
move to a city I'm not too fond of
become single again
be super lonely and scared in a new place

OR

continue to intern
continue to have work placement pay for my travel
gain valuable experience
have social life
have all my friends
work on portfolio to further my career in a higher paying job
still have a lovely boyfriend (at least I hope so)
stay in a city I love

After many tears and loads of thinking (and complaining), My mom said she couldn't tell me what to do and that she'd pray that the right answer will come along soon. I got off the phone with her thinking that I won't know for ages and ages, but after having chats with my Hippodrome work colleagues, I've got a general answer for what I should do.

"Holly, don't go to Swansea," said Andy today at work. Now Andy has always been absolutely lovely to me, such a lovely father figure in my life here in Bristol since he started working at the Hippodrome. After explaining to him what my options were, he thought all day about it and flat out told me not to take the job. He said to continue to intern and it makes sense. It's a win/win situation, really. The company saves money, I continue to slowly make money, I get to live in Bristol and I get experience all the same. I really needed someone like him to tell me what he thought would be the right decision and I'm super grateful that he took the time to think about my situation.

Who knows, that may be my mom's prayer and my questions answered, ey? Thank you Andy.

....

(and thank you to everyone else who took the time to listen to me whinge about it and tell me not to leave!) xx

Ticking time bomb.

Why hello there, blog! I haven't paid you much mind lately. Soz about that.

Well, well, well...what do I say? Where do I start? My work placement has been going extremely well. I've pattern cut several things already and that funnel raincoat came back. Of course I made mistakes with it, but still it was so lovely to see it made up in the right fabric and ting! Oh how proud I was! It's rather exciting seeing something that you've worked on going to the store!! Well I don't know if it will be dropped or not, but it's still so nice!

Another thing is, I'm so happy I don't need to toile up anything anymore, I just make the patterns and BOOM - Amanda the machinist makes it. Simply lush.

I've moved out of that wretched office, been juggling two jobs, sleeping very little and trying to sort out my current visa situation in the UK whilst still trying to maintain a social life and a relationship. When I lay it all out like that, it's actually quite alot...I haven't really realised the amount I do in a week and how little relaxation I get.

Everything seemed to be looking up and turning quite nice actually - my new house is quite nice, even though I have a small ass room...but it's cosy, bright and it's really growing on me. TOAST has made an offer for a job which is nice....but I'm still waiting for that visa. If I don't get that visa then I can't do anything and have to return home which would really be devastating. For the first time in the past few months, I'm actually cheering up and sorting my life out, but I can't make any long term plans until that decision letter is in my hands.

I can't really accept the job, I can't switch banks, I can get a new contract for my phone or my house until I'm certain I can stay. All of this is properly stressing me out as I'm sure you can imagine...

Another factor about the TOAST job is that I really wouldn't really be able to stay in Bristol because of how little the salary is. Oh Bristol...you're a city I love so much and that I honestly call home. I honestly don't know how moving to Swansea would make me feel...especially now that I've found out that other important bits of my life would basically disintegrate...regardless if I decide to move to Swansea, or not. There's a time limit on everything...I guess on happiness as well.

Why does real life have to be so difficult? Just when you think everything is lovely and good, something crazy comes out of nowhere and fucks everything up.

The real question is...do I move to Swansea, pursue a career in a profession that I've actually gone to uni for and I enjoy and become a work zombie for 2 grand less than I was expecting and have no social life outside of work, or stay in Bristol where eventually is going to go to shit. Do I enjoy what's left of the good times in Bristol and just...ah well. Too much to think about, and I'm not making any sense anymore.

Do I chose a job that was basically handed to me to further my career or do I just like being happy doing fuck all at a dead-end job with a lovely bloke...? I think the answer is staring me in the face but I do like being properly happy for once...

You see what position I'm in. Fucking decisions.

Grrrrr.

Hello people people!I just realized I didn’t update at all last week. What’s that all about? I was given a dress to trial wear (which is so lush, omg), I found out that I am a size 10/12 in dresses now, and I became violently ill Thursday –Friday and had to cancel my Sunday night Thanksgiving dinner because the illness didn’t give me any time to prepare anything.

I had mixed feelings about it, to be honest. I was quite happy not to cook because I have no kitchen of my own to feel happy cooking it. I was also very guilty because everyone had it in their diaries for ages. I felt a bit awk asking other people for their kitchens as well so I may as well do a summer Thanksgiving BBQ or just wait til I live in a better place.

Well good news, I was given something to make. Bad news, I feel as if I took way too long to finish it.

I was given a jacket to pattern cut, which I was so totally chuffed about, and I was way eager to get started. I was given the design at around 12:30/12:45 on Monday last week and I so wanted to skip lunch just to work on it. Can I just say how wonderful it felt to pattern cut again!? I feel a bit out of practice, not gonna lie, but it made me feel awesome to sort curves out and alter a seam here and there. Oh, sheet bliss.

I worked on it for ages, and then my boss told me not to forget to go home, lol. Time flew like whoa. I went home to bed, totally excited to go back to Swansea the next day. I pattern cut all Tuesday :D Had a mild freak out cos I forgot how to do something so simple regarding darts, but Jim, one of the other pattern cutters told me to chill down and relax lol I think that made me feel a bit too relaxed so I slowed down (which is a huuuuge thing for me to do cos I like working way fast, yo) and then went to meeting and toile fits during the second half of the day. So.I spent about 6 ½ hours pattern cutting. I thought I spent a lot more time on it, but my day was actually filled with other things.

Wednesday my mate Charlie came down to Bristol so we got up to some shenanigans in the evening. Saw my mate Anika and met their friend Dave and we all proceeded to drink…Mind you, I had just finished doing a double shift at work, but I was so up for going out and spending as much time with Charlie as possible and making sure she wasn’t having a shit time that I drank a bit too much and stayed up til 4:30am. …yes I know, not the best of my life choices, but in all fairness it was a fun night. In my inebriated state, I managed to take a shower, pick my outfit, book my tickets and sort my bag out before going to bed for an hour. I forced myself up, found myself to be quite drunk still, stumbled to the train station and passed out so hard on the train, the ticket dude couldn’t even wake me to ask for my ticket. :P whoops.

I trekked to Toast with really rubbery feeling legs and then tried to act as normal as possible, but I know that people could tell something was up. I was staring at my patterns for ages and doing very little to them, started sewing stuff up…but I made such mistakes and I felt ill and I had a headache and I didn’t eat lunch and I felt weak and I was just a mess. I managed to finish the majority of my jacket before heading back to Bristol. I took the pattern with me to fix the mistakes at home as well.I remembered it was actually Thanksgiving that day so I made chilli at Trout’s house and we had a quiet night playing on the computer and sorting his new iPhone out. I waited for my parents to call me to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving, but they didn’t until 2am…what an after thought. I felt SO HURT that they forgot about me on a day that’s supposed to be spent with family and such. Ah well…more of a reason not to move back home.

I wonder if they’re going to bother calling me on Christmas day. Hmph. Insulted much.

Anyway, I altered the collar that I screwed up and now it looks alright, but now I’ve noticed today that all my measurements are wrong and the jackets the wrong length. So much for showing them how “good” I am L

I’ve also had a case of the despressies again. I don’t honestly know what the hell is going on with me. Why can’t I just be happy for bloody one week straight!?!

Boo. Eh well I’m off to finish my jacket. Hopefully it doesn’t look completely shit. :/

It prints, it cuts!

My mornings consist of these things. Coffee, railcards, train tickets, list making, Toast (but not for breakfast), the Matrix building and the printing machine.

Aint that cool? Only cool to fashiony people, I'm afraid, but omg it's amazing! It draws the pattern on the paper and then cuts it out with seam allowance and errthing! How insane! I wiiiiiiish I had one of my own haha.

Right, well I've had an incredibly lazy day...the only productive thing I've done all day was go food shopping. I was meant to do so much like finish my visa. get photos taken, tidy my room, look for socks for Trout... All these things were ignored and sleep overtook my day. :( I need to sort my life out....

LIFE FAIL.

...just thought I'd let you all know. Back to watching Series One of Skins. Classic.

Swansea, you're letting me down. :/

Monday, Monday…

I walked into the office this morning and there was a heated debate going on about how this particular company in India has very foolishly sewn a garment together incorrectly and how the designers wanted things changed and if it would possible to make something that was cut on the bias to be cut on the straight and still have the same drape. Pshh, no. Elementary, my dear Watson, seriously. I just chuckled to myself as the pattern cutters argued (if you can even call it that, the British are far too polite for a heated argument in the workplace, methinks) for about 20 minutes on how to change things whilst the designers are in India at the moment. It all doesn’t make sense and again it amuses me that the real world is just as, or even more disorganized than uni. It’s the most riled up I’ve seen them so far, but in that died down quickly and everyone went back to work. Standard.

…so here I am sat down at a brand new wide-ass computer screen, even though I don’t know why I have a new screen at all, I do fuck all on the computer. I came into today thinking that I would have something to pattern cut, so naturally I was so chuffed and excited to finally start something. My manager came up to me and said that the designer wasn’t here today and won’t be here until Wednesday, which means I won’t do anything at all until Thursday. But even that’s not promised because I don’t know how delayed the designers are anyway. I am so so so so so gutted and frustrated…although I should have expected this now that I see how everything works around here. I’m not slating the company, just noticing how things are.

I’m getting a little tired of just sitting here all day waiting for various 5 minute long jobs to do, to be honest. I think the other pattern cutters are a bit concerned that I come here and do very little. They keep wondering why the designers haven’t given me anything to do yet. They do their best to show me what they’re doing with each garment they work on, but it’s not quite the same is it…?*sigh*

On a lighter, funnier note, a good friend of mine at the Hippodrome came up to me in the break room and asked me how my “gash” was. Now, if you’re not British, you may just be thinking of a cut or something, which is what I had! I sliced my leg open on a broken bottle that was just chilling in a bin bag the previous day and he was just checking up on me. But “gash” also is quite a vulgar British slang word for vagina, which is what I took it as. I was so hot in the face, omg. It was just so funny, because my eyes went SO wide and I just stared at him really wondering if he actually asked what I thought he did. We both laughed for aaaages. Oh the funny misunderstandings in life.

Right, I’m going to go back to doing nothing again. :/ Peeeeace, brethren.

What am I doing here?

Is my coming back to England just a waste of time? :/ I ask myself that a few times a day. On the plus side, I love being around my friends and love working in a theatre that pays minimum wage, but why does life seem so much harder after uni?

What has actually changed though besides the fact I'm not paying for fabric everyday and losing sleep over a stupid final collection? ..Nothing. I work about the same amount or even more than I did whilst at uni. I have a rad work placement where the company pays for my travel. Even though I always say I'm hungry, talk about food all the time and have a strange obsession with cheese, my clothes are starting to hang off of me. Everything's getting too big. Don't get me wrong, I do like having that lovely hourglass figure all of a sudden but it's happening to quickly, I'm quite concerned.

Rrr...I wish I had that security of family though. ..family in this country, I mean. I have loads of friends who always offer to have me round and stuff, but there's nothing quite like that comfort of going to your own home. At the end of uni, I was gutted that the majority of my Fashion/Textiles girls have all gone back home to live with their parents, but it's nice to know they have somewhere to go. I could have had that too, but I think I'm a bit too unhappy back home in NJ. I think I'm jealous..?

...Is it even worth me going for that graduate visa...?

I don't know where I'm going with this. :/ Blah blah. Pillow, take me now to a land of no worries for a few hours. /depressingrant

Swansea...Swan sea. Sea of Swans!? I just got it...

Ah another day in good old Swansea. The sun was actually shining today and I would have appreciated it a bit more if I wasn't wearing my glasses and getting horrific glares on my lenses. My eyes are on the fritz; they're SO DRY. I need to stop forgetting to take my contacts out after a night out. I also shouldn't go out on a night before going to Swansea....

Last night's sleep was a mixture of satisfying and terrible. I have a new mattress, you see. Well it's not really new persay, but it's new to me as I got it free off a friend. I love how I managed to get free solid wood bed frame, a mattress, a coffee table and a bookcase for frizzle, yo. Freecycle is where it's at, not gonna lie! I need to snoop around there on my lunch actually. I need me a wardrobe, drawers and a desk now :D

Anyway, back to the point, the mattress is ever so soft and it killed my back. I also needed to wee just about every hour to get all the cider out of my system. At least my heater did a brilliant job of keeping my room toasty and nice. ...but still a terrible nights sleep. I woke up with my eyes bloodshot (compliments of my angry contacts), every muscle in my body sore and extremely tired due to a mere 5 hours of restless sleep. Oh I am feeling the pain now, but meh, tis my fault for going out after work. Never again, I say. ....well I'll just be smarter about it next time. #beingrealistic

Right so I talked to the lead designer today and she said she's going to try and have something for me to make next week. I really really hope so...I finally managed to find my Pattern Master when I was unpacking and I do intend to use it. Quite a happy day in my life, to be honest.

I'm going to finish on a very random and gross note:

The bridge I cross in the mornings to get to the office is always covered in poo. What kind of poo? No friggin clue - it's either a very large dog or a very lost and nasty person :/ Sad thing is, it's always there; A nice fresh load just chilling on the side of bridge every morning. There's also some on the tracks in the train station. Unless people are throwing poo onto the tracks, how is it they have time to leave something so vile in such a busy place?! Obviously someone was on a mission. Gross.

People (and/or dogs) of Swansea, you need to sort yourselves out. Seriously.

Another day in sunny (pah) Swansea!

Oh how I wish it was sunny here. :/ It's so...cloudy and sorta miserable, but I guess that's the office's secret to staying so focused, there's no distraction due to sunny weather. Meh.

I was meant to start pattercutting a design by myself today, but seeing as the toile fitting was late, the head designer is now casually (and slowly) eating her lunch, and I only have 2 hours left till I go, I fear that it won't happen today :( I'm gutted actually cos I was looking forward to this for a week, but meh, what can you do? Shit happens.

Instead, I have been packing up a whole bunch of patterns to send to Hong Kong. I've also gotten to the point in my time here that I'm comfortable enough to can enjoy a bit of cheeky banter with a few people in the office. I'm even confident enought to crack jokes and whoa whoa - I'm getting laughs. So I guess you could say that I am truly fitting in, or at least I feel like I am. That's what counts, right?

[Now those of you who don't really know or care about patterncutting, go on and skip this bit!]
I don't think I've mentioned anything in depth about the Digitizer and the insane patter piece printer. Okay so basically, you print out your block, alter it to go with the new designs, then you put it on this massive digital table. You then pick up this obscure mouse/remote thing and mark all the important points on the pattern piece, you press a few buttons and voila, the whole new and improved pattern piece has been uploaded onto the computer just like that. All you have to do is make sure all the notches and measurements match up on the computer program and then you're good to print out the new pattern. Within minutes you're ready to start the toiling. Boggles my mind. You know how much time that would have saved me and the girls in uni!? Fookin' 'ell. But I am quite glad I understand the manual aspect of patterncutting though. Everyone needs a good foundation, right? :D
[Okay, the patterncutting bit is done!]

I'm feeling tired a lot more though...I need to eat more vegetables and I need to start (dare I say it?) working out. *shudder* Yesterday morning my alarm didn't go off at the right time and I was BUGGING OUT. My heart felt like it was gonna fall out of my butt. (Nice visuals, huh? Eyyyy!) But Trout was totally awesome and drove me to the station. He basically saved my life haha, but its not like a lot of stuff happened yesterday anyway...*sigh* I WANNA PATTERN CUT!!!

Right, I'm off to go find something to do. Harumph.

Signed,
A disgruntled, yet somehow still optimistic and eager, intern.

Delaaaaaaaaaayed post!

Hello, hello. This is waaaay overdue, but I feel as if I should make more of an effort to keep you people up to date. Voila. Sorry about the wait, oh random array of people who read my blog. Much love your way.

Tuesday 25/10/2011

So it’s weird right? As I go through my days at TOAST, I always, for some odd reason, have this narrative going on in my heard so it can be put in this blog. I feel like JD from Scrubs. Alas, by the time I get home, I’m exhausted, resulting in a lack of a week’s worth of posting. What!? Blasphemy, I do know.

But why am I finally blogging again, you ask? You see, I’m writing this down in my trusty notebook so I can just type it up without having to think about my day. It just so happens that on this particular morning (where I failed to have breakfast and my ever-so-important cup of coffee) I somehow feel wide awake…for now anyways. Well no, I’m exhauseted but I just have that much more energy to subject you to my drivel.

Maybe it’s a mixture of Feist and my body going into addict mode. One minute I’m sat all comfy in my seat, and the next thing I know, I somehow made it to the food carriage on the train, purchased a latte and here I am again…sat…watching the sun rise…with an empty coffee cup. I seriously need to learn how to slow down when consuming food and drink. I’m thinking I may need to ween myself off the java too, but when it’s free at TOAST, why the hell should I?

As toast…I do wish I had something to eat before I left the house this morning…*sigh* oh well! But back to actual TOAST related thoughs, this work placement is going rather well! I sent an email out last week saying…

Good Morning, Everyone!

I’m sure I’ve been introduced to most of you last Monday, but if not, I’m Holly! I’m the new intern over in the technical department who is a fresh graduate from UWE in Bristol. If you need anything measured, anything typed up, cut out, ironed, or anything done at all that you just don’t want to do (and think I’m capable of doing), please don’t hesitate to ask! I look forward to helping all of you out!

Holly Pacius
Technical Department Intern

And I got some really positive responses! People kept coming up to me, introducing themselves (much to my joy and dismay as I am crap at remembering names…) and saying that my email was a lovely thing to get first thing on a Monday. La, how nice! Anyhoozle, I’ve had many a garment places on my desk, ready for me to measure all the specifics and see if everything is alright for another prototype or to be put into production. It’s quite nice having a company care SO MUCH about each millimeter to ensure the highest quality of clothing. Loves it, I do.

Went to my first TOAST toile fitting last Tuesday…

“Pinch a bit out from the neck”“Change the angle of the dart…” “..Yes, the dart is awfully long isn’t it?”

Took ages. I thought uni was bad! Haha, and this wasn’t just because of thee quality and things, but because the designers kept going off on those random tangents, quite like my tutors did. Hilarious. I love how stuff like that happens in real life! So about 7-8 garments and 2 ½ hours later, we finish the fitting. Brilliant. Then we have to do another handover for the second drop for SS12, so at 11:30, we’re all waiting for the designers to come over and tell us what’s happening, but we end up waiting yet another 1 ½ hours. Haha We finished handover where Jim and Marieona (the main patterncutters) got about 4 garments to finish ASAP. They’re so good, they finish within hours. They’re both so nice and so skilled, I would love to be like them one day!

Thursday I got a lovely email asking for my assistance from the Studio Assistant, Becky. She’s about my age and has been working at TOAST for 3 years. She also just graduated, but previously worked here part time. How lucky! Anyway, she asked me to help pack up all the homewear stuff on the following Monday. I was so excited! Not so much just to help, but because I was emailed specifically! Woop! Little things….

Packing was fun. I bubble wrapped my heart out! You see, all the homewear stuff was being sent to Italy for a photoshoot and it needed to be there on the 4th of November. All 30 boxes. Not small boxes, no no, they each weight about 20 kilos and were double boxed. From 9:35 – 4:15 all 5 of us wrapped and packed and only just made the deadline. I felt so busy in fact, I actually didn’t have time to sit down and have a proper lunch. I was told I needed to measure 3 things ASAP cos the specifications needed to be send to India in a matter of hours and then Homewear needed me to keep wrapping and packing and then I asked to measure yet more things on top of that. So my lunch was me just cramming a BLT in my face in front of the computer whilst measuring arm lengths and stuff. It was fuuuun I liked being busy. :D

Right…I could keep going, but I’m boring myself haha. May nap…40 minutes left til Swansea! Turrah!

So I need to go all the way to Wales for Toast...?

10/10/2011 10AM

First Day @ TOAST…what!?!! Woke up at dawn to catch the direct train from Temple Meads to Swansea…in first class no less! Don’t get excited though, first class is roomy but I was the only one in my car for the whole ride. Thought that I might be on the wrong train, but it was alright though! Good time to nap and drool all over the table a bit. Pure class, yeah?

Now let’s see! Where have I been all your life? Home, as you may know, but alas, the dude at customs in the airport let me back in the country so all systems go! I’ve got to apply for my graduate visa next month to let me stay here for another 2 years. My plan? Get loads of fabulous experience at TOAST for the next 3-6 months, get someone amazing to hire me and get a fantastic work visa THEN!! Totally either get married to someone handsome devil and secure my residency here! …or just apply to become a British citizen. Phew…totally do-able, yeah? Pfft, yeah, totally.

It’s a terribly dreary day in Swansea. Cold, miserable, windy, but at least there’s some Lady Gaga playing on the radio! I can’t help but feel a bit useless right now though…I’ve been sat here for the past 20 minutes doing nothing so why not look busy and type away? Might as well type until my hand cramps up. Everything is super high tech over here! Uber fancy, yo! There’s a machine here that draws AND cuts out (WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE OMIGAW) patterns for you. A printer with a pencil instead of ink! Amazing. The atmosphere in this office is amazing. Pretty soon I’ll have my very own TOAST email and I even know the code to get into the office after I go to the loo! …TMI? Oh get over it :P

Right. I’m going to wash up my mug and snoop around until someone notices I’m not sat at this desk anymore. Nyahahaha~

12AM

So far I’ve cut out one pattern piece…haha. Apparently we were meant to be doing something called “handover”…? But we’re all waiting on the design team to be ready. Handover was meant to start at 9AM then was moved to 11AM..haha reminds me of uni so much. It’s nice to know that companies can be late within the office…shit happens – it’s the real world and it’s comforting to know that we can all be a little late with things and life goes on and you won’t always get told off! Although I do think someone will get told off a bit for this now…told off gently with slight disappointment in their voice….like when you get told by your mother, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed…” Um, worst sentence ever. Anyways, like I say – chill atmosphere. I can’t wait to be doing stuff though! It’s almost lunch time though….apparently there’s a sandwich lady that comes in in a minute…hmmm…

You know, I quite like Swansea. Wales in general! Their buses are so nice! There’s a cool host/hostess tickety person who comes over once you get on the bus and asks where you want to go and what kind of ticket you want! So cute! So drastically different to Bristol too. I kinda need to vaguely learn Welsh, methinks. Eventually…someday…I think that would be a fun activity to do in my ever-dwindling free time. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I’m in Swansea from 10-4 (which excludes 4 ½ hour traveling time) and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (and the occasional Sunday) I’ll be at the Hippodrome. I guess my free time is on the train basically…and evenings…or what’s left of them.

I need to find a charger for my iPhone…shits dying on me all the time L The same goes for my British phone too…poor crap thing is cracked and the touch screen has been on the fritz for almost a year (seeing as I got it around Christmas…dropped it drunkenly off a balcony a month later…whoops) Anyway, I don’t really know why I went off on such a tangent to be honest. Might invest in a tablet. HAVE NO MONEY. I need to be saving up for a bloody house. Yes, I am homeless…I’m graciously being let stay at a fish’s house. :D I feel bad though, I’ve been there for what…3 weeks? Bloody Nora, I need to get out of there soon before he breaks up with me L /other random tangent

I wonder…can I deck out my desk with cute and wonderful things?! OH! This is actually quite exciting. I’ve always wanted to plan out my own office space. All those year growing up and wondering when I would be able to buy those cute filing boxes and star-shaped post-it notes and multi-coloured magnets at Staples! Dreams really do come true! May go to Wilkinson’s on Wednesday to see what’s occurring over there! Bloody hell…when’s lunch!? I may or may not be dying of starvation. But you know me…I always moan about being hungry. Nothing new there.

11/10/2011 15:43

Well! I do like it here indeed! I cut out more patterns, I measured about 6 garments I got fully set up in the system, I have my own email address, phone and access to the company’s files. Zing! It’s really awesome seeing how everything works within the industry though :D The people are nice too. I need to be less shy and more outgoing though – I’m reverting to my old self where I’m timid and quiet. Can’t imagine that? Well try, cos I was super shy and awkward not too many years ago, yo. Peeps change though! There’s this one lady here who reminds me of a combined version of Brenda and Linda from university. Odd combo if you know both of them, but this lady is lovely! And I love how everyone within the technical team tries desperately to find something for me to do! Haha, it’s good to know that they haven’t forgotten about me. Yea…I can defo see myself doing something like this for the rest of my life. It would be nice to be left to just do my pattern cutting things, you know? I can’t wait to learn all the software they use so I can design myself an AWESOME…something! Love love love this office Kinda gutted though cos I have to go in 10 minutes or so…Gotta catch the bus back to the station and then do the 2 hour trek back to Bristol. *mega sigh* I think I might nap before I get ready to go to Pizza Express with my old housemates Stace and Slawa J It’s quite odd really…doing stuff during the day and then fitting things in such as catching up with friends in the evening. Is this what they call “the professional life” Oh deary me, how life has changed.

I love me some Beachin' and New Yorkin'

Yo! I had quite a fun week! Went to the beach with my brother and so mates, had a bit of fancy Asian Fusion food at a restaurant called Teak and I went to NY yesterday and oh such fun! I met up with some friends from my previous university in Philadelphia and met some new people and had a loverly time.











*The bartender gave me such grief when I ordered a coke with lime juice. If you know me at all, you know I love lime. I often ask for lime cordial with my coke when I'm in England and get crazy looks there but it usually ends up getting me free drinks for being so odd and I even got a bartenders phone number once? Random, right? But meh, that's one of my favorite drinks I order it when I can! The bartender at this restaurant called me fancy pants :( Let me enjoy my beverages with a splash of citrus in peace! Try it, it's good. Trust.

Crazy shoes right? I followed her for a block trying not to look like a creeper while taking a secret picture of her heels. Wish I got a better picture, but I'm glad I got something!







Hellooooo All Saints! It was good to see the store in the city :D I haven't seen so many vintage sewing machines in one place in my life. They had at least 4 walls covered from the ceiling to the floor with sewing machines. Insanity.


These I must recommend. They're called Pink Bulldogs = Pink Lemonade Margarita with an upside down mini bottle of Corona (Coronita, as it says on the bottle! It's so cute!) One of the best drinks ever considering I usually hate Corona or any beer in general! Don't have too many of them though because you might die a bit the next morning, but if you're ever in NY, go to Blockheads! Or the bar that's exactly the same as it that is on the other side of the fountain...You'l have a good night. Especially if you're in the company of Asians, Germans and Russians. Woop woop!

The Grove

What else is there to do when it's too hot to go to the beach? Why we go to the Grove and shop, of course! My bezzie mate Kathy and I went off on a spontaneous shopping trip to one of the nicer shopping centers in the area. It's a nice open plan outside and it was nice shopping with all the doors open in all the shops...although they were ALL wasting electricity which I hated but... America, eh?

Check out the random snaps of the afternoon.

How sweet is that!? Umbrellas for the public to take around when it rains! Aw!
And they match with the colour scheme of The Grove, yo!

We went to Anthropologie! It's kinda the way more expensive and whimisical version of Urban Outfitters. We could NOT afford anything in there, but Kathy did try on these fab shoes! How cute are they? I'm loving the wooden wedge and the assymetrical design! Nice nice! But at nearly $300, we thought they would look best on the display for now...

What a clever way of reusing wine bottles! They were filled with bubble bath soap. Mhmmm and the nice item underneathe was felted soap! They just put a nice knit around the bar of soap and felted it. ...simple but clever cos they you can reuse it and it lathers up the soap for ya! Neat!

More afforable wedges from Old Navy. Comfortable. As. Hell. Just sayin'. I usually hate anything with height to it, but these work for me. :) I want to wear them with over the knee socks and my new Terracotta paper bag shorts that I got on sale from Urban Outfitters! Woop!

I love shopping. Be smart and sensible with your money though, ya'll! x

P.S. Everyone in England stay safe with all the rioting going on! It's appalling that the youth feel the need to destroy everything in sight for no good reason...-_-