The Last Station

So my mum had this brilliant idea to use glitter on our Easter eggs this year. And they look fabulous! Exhibit A:



Of course now the entire kitchen is covered in glitter. Mum and I didn't fare much better. Shaun just walked in, took a look at the damage, and backed out with his hands held out in surrender. I don't think we can count on him to help clean up.

So far today I have:

• worked past midnight in my studio because, hey, I set my own hours


• been rudely awoken at 5AM by the most massively annoying, repetitive, unending, loud racket I've ever heard


• fled to my studio where I napped on the floor (don't judge)


• spent several hours volunteer degnoming the area behind Town Hall


• learned just how hard gnomes can bite

The noise has stopped, thank god, and I've taken a shower, but then I made the mistake of lying down on my bed. If I can just convince myself to get up again, I'm going to drink all the coffee at Qualitea. Not some of the coffee. Not a lot of the coffee. All the coffee.

I had the best, craziest time yesterday! Not, like, the way you would think I mean when I say that. I got the news on Sunday that my younger brother, Eric, would be spending last night in London on his way to Barcelona. Between his inevitable jet lag and the fact that we haven't seen each other in at least five years, I expected it would be awkward as hell to see him again, but it was brilliant! You can only squeeze so much into a 17-hour stopover, especially when he needed to spend part of that time sleeping, but we made a pretty thorough go of it. I guess he's on his flight to Spain now, and who knows when I'll see him again, but at least I have pictures!

( This is my favourite one. )

The concert last night was brilliant! My ears are still ringing this morning, but it was worth it. Congrats to Gulliver's Dragons on a great performance, congrats to the Hydras's players who appeared on stage, and HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Myron Wagtail for a fantastic comeback concert!

I'm in the studio for the rest of the weekend, if anyone needs me. I have concert photos to develop!

After I quit working at Dervish & Banges, it seemed like the perfect time to get my next tattoo. Not exactly in commemoration, but y'know. Close enough. Anyway! Now that it finally looks nice, I thought I'd attach a photo, for the curious. I have to say I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

( photo inside )

I spent two hours this afternoon doing a portrait session for these three dogs that belong to one of my mum's friends. Which, don't get me wrong, I totally didn't mind doing, except that the owners wanted the photos taken at the local park. So there I am, in the freezing weather, trying to corral three rambunctious canines. Did I mention they were Muggles, so that meant no warming charms? I snuck one in anyway, statutes be damned.

Popped out to Wimbourne after, to shoot the match, and I swear I'm just now getting feeling back in my toes.

I've left Dervish & Banges. Gave my notice, worked my final days, had my goodbye party. In a way, I'm a bit crushed because I've loved doing that kind of work and I've loved working for that business. It's terrifying to give up a steady income, but the studio is doing really well, and I couldn't keep my foot in both worlds without tearing myself in half. So there it is.

Woke up this morning to find a pineapple on my nightstand, along with a name and a phone number scribbled on a cocktail napkin. Points for the number, I guess, for all that it's useless in the village, but I'm not sure what I was thinking with the pineapple. Or even where I found it.

Treated myself to a trip out to an estate auction this morning, where I bought a gorgeous Art Deco figural lamp. It needs a little work -- alright, a lot of work -- but I would have had to modify it for charmed lighting anyway, so that doesn't matter. It's going to be brilliant once I'm done with it.

It's been ever-so-helpfully been brought to my attention that I haven't decorated for the holidays at all yet! First thing next week, I'm totally putting something festive together. In fact, I don't want to decorate just the inside of my flat; I want to put up some kind of lighted window display that can be seen from outside the building. And I'm thinking about doing the same to my studio, and even to D&B (if my boss will let me).

With a few notable exceptions, the village sorely needs a little holiday cheer, don't you think? Anyone else plan to decorate?

I've just spent the past two and a half days locked in my studio catching up on my backlog, and I'm happy to say that I've finally finished! Many thanks to my boss at D&B, who let me take the time off, and many apologies for my radio silence. So worth it, though.

I'm not doing anything remotely work related tonight. In other words, I'm celebrating. I'm thinking drinks and dancing -- anyone interested?

Warded to Alicia
The proofs from your session are ready, so let me know when you'd like to go through them.

I missed choir rehearsal! I'm so sorry, you guys, I completely spaced. I spent all morning locked in my studio in some kind of hyper-creative state thanks to whatever was in that apple cupcake I had for breakfast. It was brilliant, but absolutely not what I was meant to be doing with my time. After my shift at D&B, I was so damn knackered that all I could focus on was accomplishing the things I blew off this morning. So I forgot rehearsal.

A million apologies, Andrew. Mea culpa. It will never happen again.

So last night I went home for what my mum had told me was going to be a "family dinner". This usually means steak and kidney pie, Gram's coconut cake, and Shaun and my uncle arguing nonstop about football. Fun times, right? Except last night it also included a surprise wedding announcement, because Mum and Shaun have finally set a date! The real surprise, though, is that the date? Is the Saturday after Halloween. It's just a quick civil ceremony at the register office and a party afterward. Then Mum and Shaun are off to Spain! I couldn't be happier for them.

With my regular work load, two parties coming up (neither of which I'm willing to miss), a portrait session the day before the wedding, AND Bonfire Night just a few days afterward, I'm going to be absolutely, totally, brilliantly busy. And I don't care at all.

Wow, I'd completely forgotten about the Quidditch game that ended Malfoy's career The Daily Prophet featured today. Talk about ancient history. What's the point of dredging all that up anyway?

Warded to Ritchie
Dude, you might want to check on your other BFF today. Just saying.
End Ward

Anyway.

I'm not even going to try to guess how many photos I took at the fall festival (I'll get too overwhelmed if I stop to think about it), but with a concert, two Quidditch games, and three days of other activities -- you can safely bet it was a ton. This is why I love having a studio space. I've done the whole makeshift darkroom in my flat thing and it's rubbish. If I never have to hang up film to dry in my loo again, I'll be a happy woman.

Bad call, sitting down to reread The Shining when I live by myself in a magical village where violent ghosts and murderous topiary animals are less fantastic and more ... disturbingly possible. I got to the part where Danny's about to go into Room 217 and I looked up to realise the sun had set and the building was as silent as I've ever heard it. So (this sounds so ridiculous) I freaked out and hid the book in the back of my closet. Now I'm listening to the WWN with the volume all the way up and I've raided my emergency stash of Cadbury chocolate.

Anyone have a happy, funny story to share?

Very belated congratulations to the Hydras for an absolutely brilliant game! Alexei, Sebastien -- you guys were incredible. And everyone else on the team too! I've never been that into Quidditch (always been a football girl, myself), but I might need to convert.

Not entirely unrelated: Alicia, your photos from the pick-up match before last are done. I'll send them out in the morning.

I finished developing the photos from last week's pick-up Quidditch match late last night. Nev, if you want to see them, they're all set! And Michael, I actually found a couple good ones of you, so I can send over the copies before work this afternoon, if you want.

Haven't really done this before, but since I already did it for Michael -- If anyone else from either team would like a copy of a photo from the last game, I think I have one of just about everyone. Drop me a note and I'll be happy to get one out to you in the next couple days.

Went home on Saturday to do a portrait session for my mum and her sort-of-fiancé, which was weirder than I expected. I mean, I like Shaun, but about fifteen minutes of watching the two of them give each other gooey smiles was more than enough. And the session was nearly three hours long! Mum's happy, though, and that's what counts. Maybe once they see the results from the shoot they'll be inspired to finally set a date!

I also somehow managed to lose my umbrella either at the pick-up match yesterday or sometime afterward. I'm not really sure how that happened because it was raining the whole time and I think I'd remember if I came home without it in the rain, right? Anyway, it's black and white striped. I tried Summoning it, but no luck, so please let me know if you've seen it!

All right, I would have thought that this goes without saying, but apparently not. Folks, Dervish & Banges is willing to repair or restore many different types of magical items, but we do NOT service any device related to *ahem* personal enjoyment. I'm an open-minded witch, but even I draw the line at having a used sex toy thrust (yes, yes, haha) in my face without my consent. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go Obliviate the last fifteen minutes from my memory.

I've been looking over my schedule this week and I've got several work-related items coming up, so it's "lock myself in the Studio" time. Which, frankly, couldn't be better because I am knackered. Whatever possessed me to go back to Signature Room on Friday, when I knew I had the inauguration the next night, I'll never know. Still, Bartender Boy was yummy. So, except for those people I've already made plans with, consider me unavailable for non-work-related events until further notice. (Unless something really brilliant gets planned.)

Guess what I finally found! I honestly thought I had written in this journal before, but aside from a scrap of parchment tucked inside the cover with a vague note written on it, it looks like I haven't. In other news, if anyone knows why I might have left myself the message "halcyon", please tell me, because I haven't a clue. Perhaps a name for my studio? That's actually not bad.

Oh, yes, the studio! I have a stack of fliers here that I never put up (that's what my journal was under, for the record), but if anyone has any interest in a portrait session or event photography, I'm having an August Madness sale for the next two weeks. My normal rates are pretty reasonable to begin with, I think, but at 25% off ... Well, that's not bad.

Happy Monday, everyone!