Work continues to drive me to drink (only sometimes literally), but today was good - I'm making friends with the Chinese sewing ladies. They're so cute and sweet - they gave me sweet raisin bread at lunch today. Their English isn't super, but we generally do fine getting points across. Linda, the one who works upstairs with me most of the time, has me write out the English words for sewing implements/terms and things here and there sometimes when she's not sure what to call them - it's really neat. I like helping! :D

Also, Jennie was out today, so it was just me upstairs most of the day, except for when Yael came in. She's going to Montauk all next week except for Wednesday, so we talked about what all I needed to work on while she was gone, and it was totally fine. She got a little snippy about something later in the day, but overall it was an okay day. I'm very pleased she'll be gone most of next week, because I work really well when she's not breathing down my neck, haha.

But enough about work! Tomorrow we're having a little cookout party thingy at the EMC Compound, and guess what I'm doing: I'm making homemade ice cream! My mom sent me an ice cream churn in the mail, and emailed me the recipe for tutti-frutti, which is a flavor we've always made. It has strawberry, banana, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries! Hopefully it won't be a disaster!

I'm quite looking forward to this weekend - relaxing and getting a lot done, too. I really, really need it.

PLUS: I am hired.

MINUS: I don't yet know quite how much I will be paid.

BIG MINUS: Doris leaves for Belgium tomorrow as expected, but unexpectedly, Yael fired the other design assistant who just got back from vacation, Michelle.

BIG BIG MINUS: I will be doing the work of 2+ people, and basically if any of the garments get fucked up, it's on me.



AWESOME PLUS: If I'm the only other person on the design side, aside from the head designer and the seamstresses, I'm pretty sure that means I can call myself an assistant designer.



So I've spent most of my time since I got home crying on the phone to my mom because I'm so fucking worried/scared that I can't handle the things that will be thrown at me, which is to say EVERYTHING, but when it comes down to it, I'm THE assistant designer at an NYC-LA based company, who is carried by Urban Outfitters and is about to be carried by Intermix, besides having boutiques in the Lower East Side and Los Angeles.

I can do it, right?

Work was pretty good today, except that my alarm totally dropped the ball and I woke up this morning when I was supposed to be out the door, so I was a dirty hobo and 20min late. Oops. I was super wrecked all day, as Elizabeth gave me a call around midnight last night and I went out and had drinks and danced badly with her, Nick, and her mom (who is so super fantastic) - totally worth it.

I'm getting the feeling that Yael is realizing how totally awesome I am at everything! :D I'm getting better at anticipating what she wants, and she seems to be noticing. I left today before Doris told everyone she was leaving, so I'm not really sure what went down, but they pretty much have to hire me for real now. Doris is actually coming over to my place tomorrow - I'm helping her alter some tshirts from the mens' tee line she does graphics for, so that they'll fit her. We're definitely going to keep in touch after she leaves - we get along super well, and might want to start some sort of venture in the future or something!

Oh, also, I'm a dumdum and didn't realize that there are pieces from the Reformation at Urban Outfitters right now, too, not just YaYa! The first six pieces here - I didn't make the connection because I didn't realize they were doing them under the named "Reformed by the Reformation" but I was looking through the backstock today and saw them, haha. So yeah, I can walk into an Urban Outfitters, point at a garment, and say "I work* for them." How cool is that? V. cool.

Also, here's a little panorama thingy of the workroom:



( Full-size behind the cut! )


*Hopefully for real, soon!

GOALS FOR TOMORROW:

+ Make corn salad
+ Call The Red Caboose to see if they have transparent Tamiya model paint in yellow (lol WCS)
+ Buy snap tape (lol WCS)
+ Finish costume top (lol WCS)
+ Do a load of laundry (oh god I do not want to do this but if I don't I'll be forced to wear sleepshirts and no pants every day)
+ Take out garbage
+ Don't accidentally take a nap on the couch
+ Anything else I can manage!

I have been in a shitty mood all day for no good reason. It's making me really touchy and and bitchy to everyone and I hate it.

I switched BC pills to Ocella (generic form of Yasmin) a few weeks ago, and I think that's probably what's doing it. I was on Yaz for around a year, and I think it made me overall more likely to be depressed and feel like shit, and I should've switched from it a long time ago, but just never got around to it. I've heard good things about Ocella/Yasmin, and I know everyone is affected differently, but it's also $7 through my no-insurance prescription plan at my local health center, as opposed to $70+, which is pretty excellent. I'm pretty sure the switchover is messing with me, as they are wont to do.

So if I'm a weird semi-emotional mess right now, I guess that's why. Well, there's plenty of other shit going on in my life, but this is the one bit that's out of my hands.

Had my second trial day at work today. It was pretty brutal - Doris (the other design assistant who was in - she's turning out to be really friendly, and we work well together) and I plowed through a pile of tshirts that needed to be reworked - removing the sleeves and putting tucks in the shoulders, cutting away necklines and adding studs, cutting out the backs and cutting new backs out of lace, etc. It's all really cute stuff. I also copied/recut two patterns that needed to be lengthened, got the preliminary work done on reshaping a loose blouse into a sexy sleeveless top, fixed a top that had some fit/zipper issues and fixed the pattern, and a few other things. We were working all day long, and I'm exhausted.

It sucked, though, because Yael was getting pissy the entire day. It seemed like everyone did something wrong every step of the way, and I understand her frustration, but it was kind of a downer to all of us who were working hard. I messed up a few small things myself, but then again, it was my first day really working on stuff with her around, so hopefully she's taking that into consideration. By the end of the night (I stayed an extra hour till 7pm because Yael asked me to) we were all so overwrought and keyed up. Also, I took my lunch break around 1pm, so by about 5pm I was literally shaking and having trouble drawing/cutting straight lines on my patterns, because my blood sugar was low and I didn't notice. Whoops.

It was a rough day, but it was rough for everyone, so I'm not focusing on it too much. Yael is going out of town again, to the LA store, and won't be back till Wednesday, so I don't come in again till then. I don't feel bad about that, though, because Doris (who is a legitimate employee and not a trial) isn't supposed to come in till then either, so it's not just me. Yael worked with us a lot today - she's a fairy abrasive person, but honest, and in ways that I can understand and respect.

Right before I left, Jennie and I were chatting a little as we collected our stuff. I told her how I felt kind of like a big failure today, and she gave me an emphatic "Oh NO! No, not at all!" and proceeded to tell me how she thought I did really well, and that I work well with Yael. She was like "Because you're smart, and you listen to her" and my inner monologue was all YAY SOMEBODY NOTICED I AM SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE BEAR FASHION GRADUATE :D and it lifted my spirits. She was really complimentary, and said she thought I didn't need to worry or anything, so I'm feeling good about it.

(Also Jennie and Doris seem to think I'm some kind of patternmaking wizard, about which I am not complaining, haha. I helped Doris figure out the flaws in a pattern one of the other assistants made and then rework it, and she was impressed. Yael said she was impressed by the romper pattern, too.)

When I left I called my mom and sat on a stoop on Essex Street for a while to unload, and then took the subway home. By the time I got out of the subway, I realized how much I needed to eat, so in lieu of cooking or eating something healthy, I got a pile of crab rangoons and dumplings from Kam Wei Kitchen around the corner from my apartment.

Tomorrow is fabric shopping and hanging out with Carly, Krys, and Tina! Sunday is probably spending time with Alexis and her dad, since he's cool and my dad is 900 miles away! The rest of the days till Wednesday should be WCS sewing days, too!

Myrtle Beach was fantastic! I had such an amazing time - I totally needed it. After only going out of town for silly animu cons for so long, it was super refreshing to go and just hang out with buddies. I might post some photos a little later, but I didn't take many, so they might not even be worth it!

In other news, I did get in touch with Jennie at the Reformation before I left, and she said I should come in the day after I got back. So I hauled my worn-out ass down to the LES and got there a good 10min early... and there was noone there. The pulldown metal grate thing was still down. So I stood around like a bump for a while, and one of the seamstresses showed up, and she said they're often a little late, haha. (Fashion industry people not being on time? Shock and amazement!) After a little bit, Jennie walks up, sees me, and is like "Ohhhh I forgot you were coming in today!" LOLS. She goes on to tell me that Yael is out of town till Friday, so she has to check with her and see if they want me to come in Saturday or Monday. It's pretty annoying being jerked around like this, but I get the impression they might want me around, and it would be a fantastic gig for me, so I'm more than willing to oblige with a smile.

Oh! Jennie also had another bit of fun news - she said the romper pattern I made was great! Varja (one of the seamstresses) ran it up, and then they cut it in another fabric, and both rompers are out on the floor now, available for purchase! So hey, I did the main work for a garment selling in a Lower East Side boutique! I are real designer now! :B

BRB, going to Myrtle Beach! :D

Work went really well today, for the most part. After my laundromat adventure, the designer, Yael, came in, and talked to two of the other girls who have been working there for a while a bit. Then she was looking through some vintage stuff that had just come in, and she handed me a cute little romper to make a pattern from. I tried it on first and we all stood in front of the mirror and decided it looked good, haha.

I went downstairs to the big cutting table (turns out this tiny boutique/studio has a pretty expansive downstairs!) and got to work. There are three Korean and one Russian (I think) seamstresses who do the production stuff, and they are pretty much adorable. Three of them were set up downstairs sewing and cutting and chatting while I did my pattern, which I got done before lunch around 1:30. Then I went out to get something to eat and pick up a package from Libertine, where Jennie (the girl I interviewed with) used to work. I ended up chilling at Starbucks for a little while and had some pesto pasta, which was tasty.

After lunch, I cut out the romper in some junk fabric and prepared it for one of the seamstresses, and in the meantime learned a little bit more about the process of things there. The two design assistants, Doris and one whose name I forget, were more-or-less helpful, though rather taciturn - the whole staff is, really - it's a surprisingly quiet place.

Once the romper was hung up and waiting to be sewn, I ended up going up to the garment district to get a zipper, some thread, and some trim. The F train was borked coming back, so it ended up taking a good 15min longer than it should have, which was annoying. By the time I got back, it was close to 5pm, and I didn't have anything else to work on. Jennie was texting Yael to see what to do with me (Yael had been feeling sick, so she was only in for an hour or two total, and had left a while earlier). Jennie said I could go ahead and leave, and they didn't need me to come back tomorrow and she would call/email if/when she wanted me to come back, which was a little confusing to me, but I left. Then I called my mom, super worried, since that didn't feel like a good parting-ways to me. She suggested I go back (I was only a few blocks away) and ask Jennie to clarify a bit - if I was out of consideration, or what was up. So I did - Jennie said they didn't need me tomorrow because Yael wouldn't be in, and since she's the one who needs to evaluate me during my "trial period," it wouldn't make sense for me to come in. That made a LOT more sense - if only she had said it originally, haha.

I still feel kinda bummed, even though I've managed to convince myself I probably don't have anything to worry about. I just left on such a disappointing note, and I can't really shake it, despite the perfectly logical explanation of why I'm not needed tomorrow. I worked really hard today, and did good work, and was nice and helpful to everyone, so whatever happens, I did all that I could.

Anyway, I find myself unexpectedly not occupied tomorrow! That means I get to do laundry, oh boy!

So I'm at work, and my first task is... to take some vintage stuff to the laundromat around the corner and pop it in a dryer with a dryer sheet to freshen it up. CAN DO.

Possibly more live-from-India's-phone updates as the day goes on!

What the fuck, I'm going to work tomorrow.

I'm usually pretty relaxed about stuff like this, but for some reason I am NERVOUS AS HELL. I feel like they're going to ask me to do something and it will be something I learned in 2nd semester and I'll be totally blank and then they'll pelt me with swatches and throw me out on Ludlow. It's a pretty irrational fear, since I'm goddamn smart and can do pretty much anything I imagine they might need from a simple design assistant, but it's still there!

Here's hoping it turns into an actual job! The kind where they pay you money!



EDIT: I do already have my outfit picked out, though, so that's good.

Today has been really surprisingly lovely! The weather is gorgeous, which automatically makes everything great, especially since yesterday was rainy and cold and gross.

Elizabeth and I got all of the fabric we had left to buy for WCS, and I'm totally raring to go! Since the rest of my life is getting more in order, I feel really good about working on WCS stuff in my spare time, and not riddled with guilt! Hooray!

Coming home, I stumbled upon a once-yearly "garage sale" (more of a street fair) a block from my apartment, taking up all of 44th St. between 9th and 10th Avenues. Lo and behold, there were PILES OF GREAT VINTAGE CLOTHES. I couldn't help myself, so I picked up a pair of ivory kid gloves for $5 (fantastic condition!), and an adorable dress:



( Bigger pictures and more info behind the cut! )

I had an interview today! :D

It was with The Reformation - they have a boutique in LA and just opened one in the Lower East Side a few weeks ago. (That link is about the LA store, but the operation is the same. The NYC products are in a less colorful color story, though, haha.) They do a small line of their own, but are mostly reworked vintage pieces, which is really cool. All of the production is done in-house - the NYC studio is right behind the boutique (like it was at Daryl K).

The position is a design assistant - which isn't quite an assistant designer, but it's close! I'd be doing a lot of pattern/sample work, which I really enjoy, and my aesthetic meshes perfectly with theirs, which is a great plus. And since everything is made in house, I'd be making garments that would immediately be put out in the boutique and sold. How cool is that?

It was a super quick interview, but the girl I met with seemed to really like my stuff, and I'm pretty sure I'm exactly what she needs. The way they work there is they have prospective employees come in and work for a few days, to see if they gel with how things run, and also to make sure they know what they're doing, haha. So I'm going in Monday to try it out!

The good thing about interviewing in the fashion industry is that you don't have to dress in office-wear or anything - you just have to look really stylish for the company interviewing you. And I totally did! (I look pretty chubby/dumpy in these, but I promise I look cute in person.)



Dress: Johnathan Saunders for Target
Tights: H&M
Necklaces: Vintage, flea market
Shoes: Target
Watch: Mossimo Mens

Also, my portfolio is done for the time being! I don't want to put up all of my designs, but here's some sample stuff.



( What's in this lovely white acrylic Pina Zangaro portfolio? )

My parents went home yesterday - we had a lovely time! I basically ignore the interbutts while I'm around my parents, because I tend to be too busy, so hopefully I didn't miss out on anything TOO important, haha.

My mom and I had a really nice time hanging out in the days before my dad got here. She's pretty much the best thing in the world, if you hadn't guessed by my frequent adulation. I was still fairly sick from Anime Boston, so she helped take care of me by way of making delicious breakfast-for-dinner and then actual-dinner (fried chicken, green beans, and mac n' cheese). We did a lot of eating (Empanada Mama, some French, Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien, lobster rolls at the Pearl Oyster Bar, gelato at Ciao Bella, cheap tasty Mexican at Festival Mexicano, and probably a place or two I'm forgetting!), a little bit of shopping (two tshirt dresses from UNIQLO for $15 each!), a little bit of culture-ing (American Folk Art Museum - they had a bunch of Henry Darger stuff in an exhibit! It was an awesome surprise!), seeing Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (not terrible), and a lot of watching the Golden Girls.

After my dad got in (4hrs late, because of some plane issues - I felt very bad for him), we had a super late dinner at a 24hr French place on 8th called Pigalle. The next day we walked around a little community garden on 48th St and then Central Park, and I took photos!



( Pretty outdoor shit behind the cut! )

1) I got Tekkon Kinkreet in the mail from Netflix this past week, so I'm finally watching it. I really dig it so far. I totally want to make a Shiro/White costume and do a photoshoot in Chinatown. Even though I'm not an 11 year old Asian boy. Those of you who have seen it, do you think I could sorta pull it off? I think a really stylized shoot in Chinatown would look awesome.

2) I'll talk about AB at some point - probably when I have pictures to post. Which is, to say, I didn't take any myself, so I get to wait!

3) There was a lot of stuff I was supposed to do today, but I've felt like poop from the conSARS/allergies, and I can't get my brain in order enough to get anything done. Bleh.

2) My mom is flying in to NYC tomorrow! My dad is coming up on Friday, too, and then they're leaving together on Sunday. I'm so excited! :D

I went to Anime Boston! I judged the Hall Cosplay! I hung out with friends! I had a lot of fun!

Also, I cosplayed Carly cosplaying Link!



I think I may have also caught Carly's cold! More later when I don't feel like Satan took a shit in my sinuses!

Hey, Anime Boston!


THURSDAY:
+ Taking the 3:45 Megabus with Carly and Mark to Boston, then staying the night at Erica's sister's house, which was generously offered as lodging!

FRIDAY:
+ Hall Cosplay Judging 12-6ish, probably wearing Ranka because the rest of the judges are going to be in costume (Uggghhh I'd rather wear normal clothes, but I don't want to look unprofessional or like I shouldn't be judging people, bleh)
+ Link for the evening till I don't want to be in costume anymore! I made myself a sweet foamcore boomerang today. And by sweet I mean hideous.
+ Drinking a really large amount of bourbon!

SATURDAY:
+ Hall Cosplay Judging 11-2ish, probably in Ranka again, unless I don't feel like it
+ Ashitaka for a while with Erica! I also made myself a sweet foamcore sword today. It looks pretty decent (the scabbard is nice) but it will probably fall apart if you look at it wrong.
+ Madam Red for however long I feel like it! Other Kuroshitsuji people, call me! I've got Scout's number but none of the rest of you, and I want to see you!
+ Hopefully finishing off that bottle of bourbon!

SUNDAY:
+ Hahahahaaha I don't cosplay on Sundays.
+ Megabus to NYC at 4:30


Ugh, i can't believe I'm actually taking 4 costumes to a con. It would be 3, but Ranka is probably my best bet for judging, since it's comfortable and looks sharp. Uggghhhhhh I think judging in costume is so unnecessary. Maybe I won't wear it after all. Depends on how lazy I am Friday morning. DECISIONS.

Ugghhhh is there seriously no way to descreen scanned images in Photoshop? What the hell, Adobe?

1) I've got VH1's top 20 countdown on TV in the background (because I'm a loser) and they totally just bleeped the word "gun" in Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," the full line being "Russian roulette is not the same without a "gun". Really, VH1?

2) Farted around with my sewing machine last night and made most of a Tetra costume for Stephanie for Anime Boston, with the help of Forever 21 and their absurdly inexpensive garments. Carly and I are banding together to make it, so we can complete the crew of S.S. Awesome. That is, Carly (Medli), me (Link), Stephanie (Tetra), and Mark (Linebeck). We may or may not have a cardboard boat.

3) Speaking of AB, I have decided to bring Ashitaka! Mostly because it's just that hilarious. I might try to crap out a sword to carry around, so I'll have something to pose with. Otherwise I will be relegated to faux-manly poses like the one on the left.

4) OH MY GOD one of my garment bags is sitting on the floor right now and Sadie managed to tangle herself up and get inside it, so I looked over and there's this black nylon blob scooting around the floor because she couldn't figure out how to get out. Oh lord my cat is the best cat.

5) I thought I had more to say in this entry! I guess not!

Hey kids, just a quick note: I just noticed a thread on 4chan where someone's pretending they're me, so just letting you all know, it's not me! It's nothing bad, but it's definitely not me - someone quoted something I said on a Cosplay.com thread in 2006 about my Faye wig, and is now answering as if they're me. As I've mentioned before, I haven't posted on 4chan since September of last year - I stopped around WCS because I thought it would be inappropriate to post there. I read 4chan plenty, because it's hilarious and occasionally insightful, but I don't ever post. The only reason I'm mentioning it now is because I don't want people thinking I'm lying when I say I don't post.

DERP DERP INTERNET :B