Studio 64

Have you ever felt like everything in your path is preventing you from getting where you need to go? Like someone's telling you should go? That's sort of what yesterday felt like. For months now I've had this makeover planned. I won it one day after filling out a questionnaire on the street. Not expecting to win, I was thrilled when I got a phone call saying I'd won. I decided to drag Ed along for the fun of it. When the day finally arrived, I couldn't wait to be pampered, and made to feel pretty. As per usual, I had researched which Tube we'd need to take to get to the Studio, and how long it would take get there. I also planned which bus I'd take in, and where to meet Ed. Well you can plan all you want but if the great London Underground wants to be difficult there's no stopping it. The day started going askew when I realized I didn't have enough for a day return of the bus which was £16 (shock horror), so I had to get a single instead which was £13. This also meant I would have to buy another single on my way back! After worrying that I wouldn't get on a bus to London because they were all so full (was everyone going to London??), I thought I'd be late because of the traffic. Ed was having his own trouble trying to get his hair cut so he was running a bit late. After we finally met up in Victoria station there was the issue of getting a ticket for the Tube. In the past we've always been able to buy the tickets for the Tube downstairs by the entrance. This was not the case this time... so we queued with the other 100 people to get a ticket, and once I got to the card kiosk we got our tickets. Theoretically, it takes 20 minutes to get from Victoria station to Farringdon station...so long as the Circle line is running!! It was only when we'd be waiting for 15 minutes thinking how odd it was there hadn't been a Circle train in a while, that we figured out they weren't working. Not because the announcement said: "work on the line" or a sign saying "no service on the Circle line 21-22 Feb," more because there weren't any trains. So, plan B: take a District line and transfer onto another line to get to Farringdon. Nice thought, if there hadn't been planned works on District meaning there wasn't service between Embankment and Blackfriars stops, despite the destination on the boards all saying otherwise. Luckily we didn't take one of those trains, and moved on to plan C: taking the Victoria line to St. Pancras and changing to get to another line to get to Farringdon. This plan actually worked! So at Farringdon, and after Ed finally got his ticket to work to get out of the place, we set out to find the studio. I had phoned ahead to say we'd be late but the receptionist seemed to think I'd take the opportunity to take my time now, I mean really. I said we'd be there in half an hour...our half an hour was up in 2 minutes. Charging through the empty roads of Farringdon, Ed and I walked in circles for a bit until we finally found the Studio: a discrete grey sign, and chrome door. No one answered the buzzer and when another pair of people arrived to have their appointment we stood there waiting for 5 minutes. That was until a man wandered up to the door, looked at us curiously...and pushed the door open and walked inside. I bet they'd all had a great time watching on the camera standing out there when all we had to do was push the door! So anyway we were finally there, we had made it despite everything trying to stop us. The rest of the day went extremely well. As I was getting my makeup done, glad to be sitting there, Ed was sitting behind me getting his hair done. With my eyes still shut I heard one of the stylists say to Ed: "Well, that's your hair done, won't be long until someone comes and does your makeup"... to which I heard a shocked reply "Makeup?". Poor Ed thought he'd be getting mascara and red lipstick, but you couldn't even tell he had any on wen they were done. It was all for the photos, really. And that was an experience too! I don't really like my photo taken, but the photographer was really cool and made you feel relaxed. After the photos Ed and I had a private viewing of all the photos. I would have bought them all, but no can do. So we picked three that we liked, and left it at that. Although we almost didn't get there and I nearly broke a window to get in, but sitting and being made pretty was certainly a treat. Getting back to Victoria station had its troubles attached to it. We descended into the Tube station, and were greeted by a mass of football fans that had been recently released from an Arsenal's game. Luckily we weren't going through the same gates as they were, however we did share a train back to Victoria with them. So naturally space was scarce, but we managed in the end. Ed and I finished the day by having a burger at a pub in Victoria station. It was the end of the day, so I paid for my second single ticket of the day, and then slept all the way back to Oxford. Being "glamorfied" is tiring!! :) Here is the result of the day....

After the photo shoot...taking advantage of the background.

The cute couple :P

My Handsome Man!
Guess :)