Apologies!

I've been sort of AWOL for the last few weeks, I have a sale coming up soon so I have been super duper busy for that! I'll post pictures soon of what I've been working on, and I will have a very exciting announcement in the next few days :D

13 Rules for Calling Call Centres

Okay, apart from various short occasions in retail (which is a whole other post in itself) I have worked in various call centres for the past 6 years and over that time you build up some serious pet hates.

1. Listen to the person's name. If you don't understand it, ask them to repeat it. I'm aware I have a strong accent and it can be hard to understand me, but I would much rather repeat myself than be called Becky, Mickey, Natalie, or most annoyingly, Mecky. My name is Nikki. It's not rocket science.

2. Have your account number or something similar ready. Yes I can find you using your name and address but it's time consuming and irritating. There have also been some jobs I have worked in where no, I cannot find you using your name John Smith, so make my life easier please?

3. If I say "I'm sorry, that's the way it is" then I cannot change that fact, I'm not doing it to be difficult, or because I don't want to help, I'm saying that because that's the way it is. Deal with it.

4. Don't cut me off when I'm speaking, or try to speak over me. More than likely I'll just speak louder. My mother taught me manners, but clearly your mother didn't teach you any, so I don't plan to use mine.

5. It's extremely harsh, but no, I can't be a bit more understanding and do that thing you want me to do, because I am bound by company policy set up by people who can fire me. You are not worth my job, anonymous person.

6. You can say "That's disgusting" all you like, there's still nothing I can do about it. Now you're just annoying me, so I'm going to help you even less.

7. I can't hurry up, because you need to pick your kids up/go out/go to work. Why would you wait until five minutes before you walk out the door to sort out something important?

8. (This one's from Stephen) When I ask you an open-ended question, e.g. "Can you tell me about that?" "Yes" is not a satisfactory response.

9. Telling me you'll just cancel your direct debit isn't a threat. I work for a multi-million pound company who has the power to send endless debt collectors to your door for your "threat". It also means that, even though we'll get the money that you owe eventually, it doesn't really matter enough for me to break the rules for you. Please also see number 5.

10. "I don't mean to be rude but..." "I'm not being rude but..." Yes. Yes you are. And now that you know that, why are you continuing to do so?

11. "I know it's not your fault..." No it's not. Again I am bound by company policy, so why are you continuing to yell at me? Please refer to number 3 and 5.

12. If I arrange to call you back at a certain time, please be available then. If you know you won't be, don't ask me to call you back then. We are well aware that things come up and that you can't always be available when you say you'll be, so at least give us a number where you can tell us that.

13. Do. Not. Lie. You WILL get found out. The reason your account has been cancelled is CAUSE YOU LIED. I didn't lie, you did, so it's not my fault that this bad thing has happened. So don't lie. Comprende?

These rules are here to help you. If you follow them, you'll get on a lot better with the HUMAN on the other end of the phone.

For those of you who work in call centres, or indeed with the general public at all, you are not alone - www.notalwaysright.com

Repping my favourite band in the world today

Hiding my face cause I hate it today. 

Stephen and I went to the cinema to see "In Time" yesterday and it was awesome :D Olivia Wilde is a babe <3 And all I want for Christmas now are Amanda Seyfried's legs. Went to Nandos after for the first time in about 4 months and then it was off to the fireworks! For those of you who don't come from my fair city, every

Bonfire Night, Glasgow City Council and Clyde 1 Radio hold this MASSIVE fireworks display with a theme and music and stuff on Glasgow Green and thousands of people come to see it. I go every year, and since Glasgow Green is now just around the corner from my flat then it was even better! We walked to the Green just in time for the fireworks to start and were home snuggled up in pyjamas with hot chocolate 10 minutes after they ended :D My only complaint this year was it was way shorter than what it usually was, it normally lasts about half an hour but this year it was about 15-20 mins. I took some pictures so I'll put them up later :) I'm off shopping with my mum!

I'd update but Sonic and I are sleepyfaced.

Today has been mental. In college for 9am, working on a collaborative project till 4pm, work till 8pm then straight out to get a food shop for the month with Stephen. I'm willing to bet that I still won't get a decent sleep. Just demolished a kebab and some ice cream (healthy eating can blow me today.) Bedtime <3

Sleepy eyes!

I'm too sleepy to post right now, but I went shopping with my mum today and got a few bits, and also I'm raging at Barclaycard because they've reduced my credit limit which means I'm almost at my limit and I will need to put some stuff on eBay so I can help pay it back. Rage. I'll post more tomorrow. Nanight :)

Makeup post

Witch Tinted Moisturiser in Light

Collection 2000 Concealer in Ivory

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Soft Blossom

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Underground (the darker brown is a shade from my H&M palette)

Ardell Eyelashes in 105

MUA Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Collection 2000 Supersize Mascara in Ultra Black

myface Blusher in Sweet Escape 

Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in Cosmic

Look what I got today!

My jump rings came in the mail and my friend Carol from my class gave me some silver plated wire so I can practice a wire-twisting technique that I wanted to try! Yaaay! 

Stephen and I went to see Contagion tonight, it was okay, kinda scary in the sense that it was so realistic but it was soooo slow! The most exciting part was probably when I coughed during the movie and you could see people actively moving away from me :D

Makeup post coming later. I didn't do an outfit post today cause I don't feel that great about my body today :( Gonna go watch Hocus Pocus while Stephen's making stirfry. OMNOM.

Today's outfit and makeup!

Makeup

Witch Tinted Moisturiser in Light

Collection 2000 Concealer in Ivory

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Pink Blossom

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Zero

Loreal Studio Secrets Eyeliner in Black

Rimmel Glam Eyes Colour Reveal in Black Sapphire

Ardell Eyelashes 105

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Lipgloss in Overtime Wine

Outfit

Dress - New Look

Cardigan - Primark

Belt - Primark

Absolutely flooded with inspiration tonight, I honestly don't think I'll be able to get to sleep tonight, my head is buzzing! Think I'll start going in early on Tuesdays and Thursdays once I've ordered my silver so I can get cracking. So exciteeeeeed!

Yaaaaay! :)

Outfit and makeup for today!

I overslept this morning so my outfit was a rushed attempt and I could barely be arsed putting makeup on! But alas! I post anyway :P

Makeup

Witch tinted moisturiser in Light

Collection 2000 Concealer in Ivory

Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Porcelain

Loreal Studio Secrets eyeliner in Black

The lipstick is Superdrug's MUA range, which doesn't have numbers or shade names, but it's red with gold flecks in it :) It's a budget range (everything's £1) but the lipsticks and eyeshadows are amazing!

Outfit

Top - IronFist

Jeans - Dorothy Perkins

My sister Laura's friend just texted me asking if I would be willing to make something for him and he said he would be willing to pay. First paid commission! YEEEEAH BUDDY!

What my night has consisted of:

Making this, ordering rings so I can make a silver plated one (lazy. I'm supposed to cut them myself, which is what I did with this) watching Gossip Girl and deciding what I want to do with the stones I bought today. Also found an absolutely bitchin' Batman necklace that I am blatantly going to copy. No shame.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend (and rubies and sapphires and emeralds oh my!)

We had a gemstone dealer come into college today so I bought some stones to set :) I only know basic tab and cabochon settings so I only bought bigger, flatter stones so that I don't have to wait to learn to set them!

 L-R: Chalcedony, Blue Lace Agate, Hematite, Amazonite

I think the 2 smaller stones will be rings and the larger rings will be pendants, set in silver obviously!

My outfit for today

Something else I would like to make a frequent thing - outfit/makeup posts! So with that - what I wore today, even though I was only in college for a few hours.

Cardigan & Vest - Primark
Scarf - Internacionale
Skirt - H&M
Boots (not seen) - New Rock

First Post!

Okay - so I love Tumblr, and it's so much easier to post there, but it's full of bitches. I want to talk about my boyfriend and post endless pictures of me, us, my puppy, my family and stuff I've made without having to deal with 14 year old keyboard gangsters.

I should probably introduce myself - I'm Nikki, I'm 24 years old and I live in Glasgow, Scotland with my boyfriend Stephen. I'm a professional photographer but right now I'm studying jewellery design because the photography industry makes me sick. I've kept a diary since I was 13 years old, I moved onto Livejournal at 17, Tumblr at 23 and hopefully this will be the next part of my blogging journey!

This is me!