Its been a while...

Okay, I'm a bad blogger, I know! Lots of stuff's been happening over the last few months so I've been a tad preoccupied.

Here's a brief update in bullet points;

• Ben and I still don't have jobs. This is extremely frustrating.
• We went to Modified Nationals car show in Peterborough at the beginning of June. It was fun!
• I've decided I'm going to try and start my own genealogy business (more on that later!)
• I've been getting back into modelling a little bit.
• I've decided that I've neglected my writing for far too long so I was freewriting while Ben was at kung fu last night (again, more on that later)
• I bought my dress for Ben's cousin's wedding (its purple =D) but still have no shoes, handbag or cardigan and its next Saturday!

So yeah, that's all I can think of at the moment.

Now, about this genealogy malarky; Anyone that's read my blog before will probably know that I looooooove family history research. So with that in mind and since I really need the money, I've decided to attempt to start my own business - I now have my first customer! Sounds like its gonna be tricky though as its pre-1800 research and I don't think the records I need have been digitised yet. Time to get in touch with the relevent councils to see if they can point me in the right direction to find the records! I'm charging £5 per hour (for pre-1800 research or research outside the packages I've outlined on my website) which is less than a quarter (yes really) of what some genealogists charge, which I think is extortionate, however this guy is willing to pay me £10 per hour - can't complain! More on that as it comes.

Writing; So, while I was freewriting last night, I came up with a new character. The story so far is that her recently deceased grandmother has left her a substantial amount of money and a 6 bedroom townhouse in Westminster, which considering she had no idea that her grandmother was rich at all, came as something of a shock! I've also thrown in her grandmother's faithful butler, Albert (it was either that or Alfred, but I felt that alluded inadvertantly to Batman and, though I love Michael Caine, I didn't want anyone reading it and picturing him the whole time!) who she decides to keep on after seeing how attached he is to the place and also realising that the sheer size of it may require an extra pair of hands! Once I've written the first chapter I'll post it. I'm really hoping that I get some good ideas for this story 'cause lord knows I'd love to get published one day. Doesn't have to be a best seller, but just to be able to say I did it would feel amazing!

So there's a fair bit going on in my life right now. I'm also thinking of doing some make-up tutorials and posting them here, as I love my make-up and experimenting with it and I've come up with some pretty cool stuff lately - everything from basic day make-up to smokey eyes and dramatic bright colours!

Hopefully in my next post you'll find either the first chapter of what I hope will turn into a full fledged novel or a make-up tutorial - or maybe even both! But let's not get too carried away, lol. Oh, and please take a look at my modelling and genealogy websites and if you know anyone who'd like their family history looked into, let them know about me and I'll love you for ever =D

Rachel's Genealogy Services
Modelling Site

Rayness out!

Return of the Rayness!

Well, I'm back!

I've managed to do it again, neglecting my blog an' all that, but I've been so busy, as usual.

First thing I want to mention is that I'm selling a couple of old clothes on eBay (some never even worn that I've been hanging on to "just in case", I'm sure you know the feeling!) So here's the link incase you're interested (it'll open in a new window); http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/miss_rayness

So what's been occurring? Well I've spent almost three consecutive months at Ben's and I'll hopefully be going back tomorrow night for Incarnation on Sunday, a car show/meet on Brighton beach, although that's a laugh considering the friggin' weather! So we may end up not going if its raining and doing something else, which would suck if I went down specially. Since I'm a little poor at the moment (especially saving for Ben's anniversary present) I'll be getting the cheapest option, the 22.01 for £8.90, which'll arrive at Dorking at 00.37! Pfft. Ah well, at least Reading's a big station so its nice and safe for a change over. Coming back's gonna be more expensive though, about £15, which is a pain. Ho hum!

Also, I've been offered - and have accepted - a place at Brooklands College in Weybridge (Ben's old college) on the "Level 3 Extended Diploma in Fashion and Clothing" course! (What the heck's an "Extended Diploma" when its at home, its a National Diploma dammit!) I'm really chuffed about that 'cause I worked hard on my portfolio, practicing people portraits and stuff - I drew myself, Elizabeth Taylor and my gran in the 1940s - I like to think gran'd be pleased as she was a seamstress herself =)

So in September I'll be moving off down to Ben's. We've redone his room completely too, including building all the furniture except the sofa and the bed ourselves. The built in wardrobe took forever! But its nice and airy and spacious now which is really nice, and since I was planning to move down there before we did it, Ben kindly took into account some space for me to store things, including my own little cubby hole above the wardrobe for my holdall and other things =)

We also had some photos done in December which was my Christmas present from him, and they're lovely - here's my favourite ^__^

In other (but Ben related) news, I've been delving extensively into his family history and I've discovered that not only were his dad's side of the family loaded on one side, but another side of his dad's family lived in Yate before my family did AND they owned the farm that used to be a 30 second drive from my house - spooky!

But the rich ones there are actually old pictures lurking about of which I've snitched and I couldn't believe it when I saw them - the photograph, which I reckon is from the 1880s/1890s, of Ben's great x3 grandfather (Colonel Henry Octavius Currie!) shows me where Ben got the dimple in his chin and his high forehead, and the portrait, which I reckon is 1850s/1860s, of Ben's great x3 grandmother (Meliora Currie nee Gumbleton) looks so much like Ben's sister Laura I nearly fainted! Here's some comparisons;

 Henry Octavius Currie

 Meliora Currie nee Gumbleton

Laura Aimee Chamberlain

I think the likenesses are freaky!

I should start up a separate blog for my family history stuff, lol.

So that's where I am right now, hopefully I'll actually post a little bit more now =D

Rayness out!