The Dress Saga

[altogetherisi]

This always happens to me.

I went to a dress shop. I found a dress I like, (shiny royal blue strapless thing) which isn't *too* expensive and kinda fits. Hurray! The dress shop has an alteration service, which reminds me that yes, I can have the dress professionally altered so that it fits better, and therefore could justify buying it. So, I buy it. Lovely. I just want the hem put up a bit, but the dress shop isn't sure how fast it could do it. They promise they could do it by Sunday though after I say I'm going to check with another needlewoman that does alterations.

So, I take the dress to shop #2. The woman there straight away pins not only the hem line but also to tighten the fabric just above the bust and agrees she could do everything I wanted easily, and quite cheaply - but she can't do it fast. Crap. I go back to the first shop and explain that now yes, I would like to use their alteration service please. So, fine, they go to pin up the hem again - but then I mention that I'd also now like the fabric just above the bust tightened as well, and they basically stare at me in horror and say this is impossible without me actually meeting the needlewoman in person. Which, btw, I don't know why I can't do that.

So then, the woman in the first shop makes some calls, and tells me I should go to a third shop on the other side of town where they do emergency alterations and where they will do and the alterations I want and fast too. I say thank you and off I go to shop number three, which turns out to have a different name to the one I was given (so, I do still wonder if perhaps I never found #3 and just wandered into #4, but whatever, it was the only alteration place on that street) where they confirm that yes, they can do the alterations I'd like, and can absolutely do it fast enough. 

But they want to charge me more to alter the dress than the dress originally cost. Crap. It's particularly outrageous considering they want more than four times as much as the woman from shop two had said she would do it for if there had been enough time.

By now I'm feeling pretty dispirited about the whole thing.

So, I go and buy another dress.

I'm not sure it's really good enough to be worn to this May Ball instead of the blue dress, because it isn't as long as I'd like, just reaching the knee instead of covering it, but this dress fits me perfectly and it purple and lacy and it makes me feel both thin and curvy simultaneously and the shop is nice and it makes me happy, and it's not expensive anyway, plus there's a student discount, so I buy it. Whatever.

God. I just want this all to be sorted. And I haven't even got to clutches and fascinators yet...

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The awesome weather has become steady, rubbish rain. Apparently it might become torrential later. Great, thanks.

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Today my friend N is going back to Montreal. I'll see her when I go over to visit in August but that seems such a long time away now. We and two Js had lunch together yesterday, and it's just been so so great to see her these few times recently.

After lunch yesterday, had dinner at a small but lovely Gavin and Stacey get together at C's house. Much fun, and far too much Indian food, was had by all.

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MARMFISH: There was at some point discussion of some people meeting up in London on Sunday 4th July for sightseeing and good times. Was that just an idea or is it definitely happening? Is there any wiggle room on the date if it is still a "maybe, could be fun" thing? Only, I really wanted to, it sounded awesome - but I may now be going to Wireless festival that day... 

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Small amount of angst over G not replying to my request to sleep on her floor. I'd feel slightly rejected if she said no, but even that, and the irritation of having to ask someone else/consider a B&B maybe, would be better than not knowing what I'm doing just a couple of days from now.

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There's going to be another series of Torchwood, with Captain Jack and Gwen, written by RTD, set "internationally" ie probably in the USA, jointly produced by a company called Starz which very much isn't Fox. I'm surprised by how I'm actually kinda optimistic about this, considering everything. Thoughts?

Comments

[pigrescuer.livejournal.com]

If there is wiggle room on the date I would very much like to wiggle! It's Pride the day before, will be dead from too much good times. ^_^

Your dress story is very depressing. We should all learn to sew!

[altogetherisi.livejournal.com]

The next day would be totally possible for me, and you could be well rested after fun and good times at Pride. I'm not sure I can make Oxford Pride this year :/ since it's this weekend and I don't even know if I'm gonna be in Oxford or Cambridge.

I'm not totally useless at sewing - I'm seriously thinking now I may try to see if I can do something to the top of the dress myself and then ask the women at shop #1 to please sort out the hem line like they said they could. The whole thing is just really draining. Le sigh.

[playwithfyr.livejournal.com]

I almost wore a dress backwards for my ball (: then my mum was like 'it looks strange on the back...'

[playwithfyr.livejournal.com]

I'm fine to wiggle if wiggling is needed. I'm not doing anything in July (:
(I don't think Lisa can do earlier though)

[altogetherisi.livejournal.com]

The 5th? The 5th would be totally great for me... But I dunno if some people needed a weekend day. I guess it's really up to Brim when she would like to, but I'd just be sad to miss it since it sounds really fun and also since SOME PEOPLE can't make the launch and it would be lovely to see them :)

[laliandra.livejournal.com]

Gah, I am sorry about the Dress Saga! You talking about dresses the other day gave me prom flashback dreams...

Anyway, I am not sure about the date, I'm still not 100% on when Kara will be here in our fair country. But I think maybe there would be some wiggle room, idk. The thing is that I would prefer to have it at the weekend, just incase I have a job by then, but it's not a be all and end all kind of thing. Didn't Lisa say then would be good for her because she's staying with her Dad then?

Anyway, I am more ??? about the launch. Do we know who is coming etc? Because it's a looooong way from Leeds and then back again if I've nowhere to stay and there won't be so many of the awesome!fish there :/

[hanelissar.livejournal.com]

I am also ??? about the launch. Is it the 15th? Because theoretically I am supposed to be having a TheoSoc meeting that day (though I can totally wriggle out of it if needs be, who needs treasurers?) but also London is much further away from Bristol than it is from Bucks, and I would need somewhere to stay probably which I don't think there is and although if people are coming in the morning it'd be awesome to hang out during the day, if I'm just going for the hour-or-so-long launch party then turning around again and going back, it is not necessarily so worth it. :(

I think we need to have a marmfish post of discussion and organising for it.

[altogetherisi.livejournal.com]

Oh ok, if Kara isn't clear herself then it's understandable I'm confused! And obviously, it is to her that we must fit. But if there is a chance we could consider the 5th instead of the 4th, I'd be very grateful. If you do need a weekend date, I would selfishly champion the 3rd over the 4th, but PR says (higher up this post) that she has Pride that day (so the 5th would let her be less tired, lol!). Lisa has said she can't come at all :( But, to make up, we now appear to be planning a marm fish meet up in York for later in the summer...

I too am becoming more ??? about the launch. I want to go, and I can go, but it seems almost everyone I speak to about is either ??? themselves or just can't make it, which is sad. Plus, that it's in the evening instead of the afternoon is kinda annoying because if I go, and particularly if I stick around for a while, I'll miss something else I had hoped to do in Cambridge (which is actually a whole other massive headache because I have no idea where/if I can sleep if I go there...) and I'm happy to skip that if other wonderful fish will be there but missing it to be where most fish aren't would be kinda sad. :( I think we really need a roll call marm fish post to sort everything out.

[laliandra.livejournal.com]

Life and plans, so confusing! Well, I think Kara would be fairly flexible anyway. But, yes, I could probably do the 5th. Oo! York. York is very lovely and accessible to me. I have, or will have by that point, a spare room if people need somewhere to stay.

I really want to go, because, film! Marmfish! Sarah! Cool stuff! You should do a roll call post (I am typing this on my phone from my bed) and then we can see what's what. Or if maybe there would be somewhere to stay. Because if, say, you and Han were going, I would consider that enough to go... :)

[hanelissar.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm sorry about your distressing dress situation! But the one you have sounds really lovely too so I am sure it will be okay, it just sucks you could not have what you originally wanted! (I am being very lame about my ball and wearing a full-length ballgown I bought in Waterloo and really really want to wear because it's gorgeous for dinner, and then going and changing into a less lovely cocktail dress for the partying afterwards. LAME.)

I am sick of the rain too. We planned this awesome barbeque for last night and then it rained. And now it is raining again today, and my fridge is full of yummy food we cannot eat because of the rain! Stupid, stupid British summertime.

I am kind of 'meh' over Torchwood really. It will probably be quite good, but I am an old-school person who loved stupid series 1 and 2 Torchwood where there was just mini-scale crises in Cardiff with my lovely broken team. When it got to CofE (I feel like I'm talking about the church whenever I do that...) it became all huge and epic and 'excellent' but by day three I was worn out with it. So although I am happy it is coming back because yay! Torchwood! I am also wary of how much I'll actually enjoy it. When they announced it was happening I just said 'oh, okay, cool' rather than squealing excitedly, so I guess I'll have to see what happens.

Love! xxx

[altogetherisi.livejournal.com]

The purple, lace-y dress is perfectly nice and would be perfectly fine I think, it just look more like a generally nice dress rather than an especially nice dress for a Ball. But whatever, I cannot possibly complain about such things really. Your dress situation doesn't sound lame AT ALL though, it sound BRILLIANT and totes sensible. I just wish wish wish I shall one day have a full length gorgeous ball gown.

THE SUN HAS JUST COME OUT. IT'S A MIRACLE. I have punting plans coming up, really hope the weather tends to be nicer and less like the world is ending.

I fully expect to be disappointed with whatever the next series of Torchwood does - series 2 was the best, absolutely - I'm actually pretty surprised with my own reaction being kinda... excited? Hope over experience I suppose.

[julyflame.livejournal.com]

Adventures with Dresses are always interesting. *nod*


Also, you are welcome to be optimistic, Starz is pretty decent.