Essentially Steph

Watch me realise in real time that I did not for one second think about the placement of the pockets or the seams when attatching the skirt to the bodice... I have one front pouch and one butt pouch now.

This morning I checked out, then got breakfast on the way to Kelvingrove gallery. Had a little wander around there, then walked through the uni and up to the botanical gardens and got myself a lil raspberry matcha as a treat on the way.

Really enjoyed the botanical gardens! Then I got the subway to shields road to have a quick roller skate session at the rink there! Forgot it’s summer holidays and was just full of kids, thought it might be a nice quiet mid-week session lmao. I shit you not, I did not count to 10 even once without someone falling over, often right in front of me hahaha but it was still fun to glide around and I think I sweat out all the alcohol from yesterday.

Then I walked back to central to get my train and saw it was cancelled, but I was quite early anyways so I got on an earlier service, and no one asked for my rail card either direction which is great because I recently realised it expired on the 1st not on the 27th like I thought!!

Had a little read of the first chapter of Chiara’s book 👀 so exciting!

Well everything went wrong from there, I snapped 3 needles in quick succession, zig-zag stopped working entirely, I did find a solution on YouTube (essentially gear jammed but manoeuvrable by hand) so I ended up sticking to the normal presser foot after I fixed it to save myself sticking my hand inside the machine to manually change it each time, but then I ran into (maybe) tension issues, but nothing I have troubleshot has worked so I think it’s a thread issue? Was using a poor quality one from a sewing kit so I’m gunna buy a good quality thread tomorrow and pray that works!!

The material is a million times better to work with so I’m just frustrated that I’m now stuck because of issues with the machine, when everything else was actually going well! Have to remind myself that I wouldn’t have got it all done today anyways. It’s ok. But I am hoping to finish it before the end of the week (and I’ll be away tue + weds!!)

Fucking DONE. This was such a ball ache fabric to work with I’m actually pissed or rather than satisfied to have completed the project!!

Lots of bodge-job bits, lots of cba that will DO. Ruffles aren’t as ruffly as desired, waistband isn’t straight, I don’t care!!

4 photos from hogueras with Matt and Andy last week.

I’d already paid the consultation fee which would be redeemable against the treatment, but I heard her initial panic at the length of my hair and had to point out that all the teenage boys with shorter hair than me are getting perms lmao which is when she asked me to send some photos. Ultimately it was the bleach that put her off, but I didn’t really want someone doing it who wasn’t used to working on that length.

The salon I went to today specialise in perms and are unisex and weren’t put off by the bleach on the ends and were overall very positive about the possibilities and talked everything through and I feel in good hands! They’ve taken a strand to test and should get back to me today so 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

I can’t decide whether I’m being stupid deciding I want to make this dress before my holiday at the end of July, when I still have to finish my festival shorts and hopefully re-make the matching top AND the new edition of the frog bag before the festival but that’s not til end of August, so I’d have time post-holiday.

New car!! Hard not to think of it as “Andy’s new car” because I’m not even allowed to drive it until I convert my license (my residency is already 2 years old, so well passed the 6 months I’m allowed to drive with my UK one) and I’m obviously not gunna convert it before I move back, and I have no idea when that even will be. Also not paying anything towards it until then except some petrol.

Problem is I’m still on the graduate course, and although I’ve finished all the self-guided learning, there is a final in-person event whose date is entirely out of my control, and until I attend that, I can’t get promoted (cry). Promotions only happen once a year, so I really don’t wanna miss this year's chance!

Next week marks my 1-year anniversary with this company, which means 3 years of professional experience. I’m definitely ready to not be a grad. I have emailed the early careers team to a) obtain the date of the final event, and b) see if I can be moved to an earlier cohort given my previous experience so that I can attend that event sooner and hopefully be eligible for this year's promotions.

I have also bought a leave in peptide hair mask to try and repair any damage because it has been lightened - I think I’ve only done what is currently on my head once, so not like it’s super processed, but I know you’re not meant to bleach and also perm, so just want it to be in the best condition when she assesses it!