Two Plates of Calamari are Always Better Than One

Yesterday I headed to Manchester for the day. This is where I went to uni so have quite a soft spot for the place and look forward to going back when I can. However, this time I was not going for the usual social reasons, but to meet the make-up artist for my photo shoot, Jodie.

This was the first time I had met her, as up until now we have only talked via email. We wanted to get together so we could talk over all of the ideas each of us had for the shoot. I showed her numerous tear sheets of make-up styles that I particularly liked, so she was then more aware of the image I wanted to create in the look book. In addition, I took along my scarf samples so she knew exactly what Lucy Jay was about and the style I want to create for my label. Jodie's work is perfect for what I want, so I am really excited for the day and seeing what we come up with. We have talked about big hair and bright lips; in combination with my print designs it is all going to look pretty good!

My next stop was to meet Sarah, a good friend of mine and also the photographer for the shoot. After a few cups of coffee throughout the morning and not a regular coffee drinker I had quite a caffeine buzz by now, so we did get slightly side tracked and end up having more of a catch up, however managed to tie up any odds and end about the shoot and have a chat over some additional ideas. Again I pulled out some of my trusty tear sheets to ensure I am keeping her updated on my ideas for the day. Sarah, or Patel as I call her, is the most organised person I know so has done all the test shots and preparation for the shoot and is ready and raring to go. We are both looking forward to having a bit of an experiment on the day with lighting, composition etc.

All this talk about the shoot got me really excited about it, I am really looking forward to it and cannot wait to see it all done. My mission now over the next few weeks is to sort out a good variety of clothing samples for the day so that we can mix and match to create the perfect style. I have managed to persuade one of my other friends to help out with the styling, as she is what my mum would say 'one of those people who has a good eye for stuff like that'.

All in all I feel pretty organised for the shoot and (I am going to say it again) really excited to see it all come together.

And Finally...

This is my friend Nia Jones, I want to thank her for treating me to the super dooper tapas meal we had in our favourite restaurant La Vina. What we learnt last night was that two plates of calamari are always better than one, maybe next time we should make that three plates of calamari. They are sooo good! Thanks Jonsey and sorry I didn't help you get the massive spider you were screaming at in the bath this morning, it was half six after all!