on the go.

New job started today. I just bought 15 vintage coats for £60. Time to celebrate with a packed lunch in the car. This salad is on serious need of halloumi though. Everything in life is made better if you add cheese.

casual friday.

I'm not a jeans t-shirt and trainers girl. I'm a Brogues, chinos and silk shirt girl. But recent bouts of on set costume stand-by work and the purchase of a particularly garish pair of Nike Airs, stirred by a small section on the dress down chic of trainers in Wednesday's London Evening Standard has got me thinking maybe I could be a trainer girl.

adieu 2011.

I don't remember seeing in 2011. I was in a reasonably terrible bar in Ascot surrounded by people I didn't know (lovely people but unknown people nontheless) save for one friend who came to the rescue when my orginial plans fell through. I ended up being put in a cab to go home early and being really rather sick.
It's not the best start to a year.
At the beginning of the year I was working three jobs. Two different waitress jobs to keep my head above the water and freelancing to attempt to push my "career" forwards. I did every short film, feature or tiny bit of experience that came my way. All unpaid. Then I got a properly paid job designing the costumes for a feature. It was minimum wage but it was paid. I had to quit my waitress jobs to do it. I thought it was the start of my career. It wasn't. It was horrendously unproffessional, I didn't get paid and I quit the job halfway through. Thankfully, the incredibly kind people at Porters and Bedgebury Pineatery took me back.
I had no money. I felt sick with worry.
And then, a few days after my birthday in May, I got a phone call to come and do a couple of days work as a runner for the costume department on a feature. And this happened.

 And then this happened. Then this.


I feel incredibly lucky right now. Here's hoping 2012 will be as kind.

new job.

I have disappeared for a while. The last film I was working on that was featured here turned out to be a total disaster. But lessons were learned and I gained some rather lovely new friends from it. But onwards and upwards.
I've now gone from Costume Designer to Costume PA. From the top to the bottom, From the smallest budget to the biggest. And I couldn't be happier. Plus, the on set catering is soooo much better. No more stone cold chicken and rice every single day for me. A barbequed pork chop at 11:30 am? Why the bloody hell not I ask you?!

Plus, the very first feature I worked on is available to pre-order on Amazon here. You should get it. It's pretty funny.

jump!

Taking a stroll to the corner shop at lunch and couldn't resist this charming blue wall.
Production design, sound, and two make-up ladies.

catch up.

So I gave myself three days and I lasted two. That's comitment for you! To make up for it, three photos to cover the days I have missed.

Summon Robo-maid

There is a stationary theif on the loose

Inspired by a brilliant blog post by my sister, I thought I would post the (I like to think modest) contents of my bag. I bought the bag this week. It's my first ever handbag. It's the closest I'll be getting to a nightingale for a long time.

Bag from TK Maxx, Ray Ban wayfarers (not mine), phone charger, Body Shop handcream, tapemeasure, Filofax, Keys (with Boba Fett and Santa Lego), wallet, Costume Design 101 by Richard La Motte and my HTC Desire HD (I'm not an apple gal...yet)

belted.

My on-set work belt. I need a prettier one with apropriate pockets. I'm not sure this is what Screw Fix had in mind when they made a tool belt. I'm thinking a quilted leather Chanel style one is more job-appropriate.

shadows.

In a vague attempt to keep a record of what's going on around me, I'm going to try to take one photo a day.
I give myself about 3 days.
This was taken on location in a disused wing of a psychiatric hospital. Actually not as creepy as it sounds. I'll admit that someone else did all the settings on the camera for me. All I did was frame it up.
Cheat.

working girl

I have been a waitress since the beginning of my working life. Which is a few years now. Last month I quit the two best waitressing jobs I've ever had. One in a cafe in the middle of a forest with endless tea and cakes and cute ducks. The other a seriously characterful wine bar with the funniest staff and best food. I am now officially a Costume Designer. For the next two months at least. I'm in North London shooting a low budget feature and living with my costumes. It's cosy.

And it comes with perks. Namely two boxes of Puma stuff to use in the film. But personally, I'm more excited by half of it being set in the 90s. I used this post by the ever inspirational (and ever youthful) Tavi. I now have the boxset of My So Called life on my wishlist.

Plaid and floral? Yes.

It also means I get to watch Clueless. Any excuse to watch Clueless.

And Spiceworld. Purely for research. Of course.