Friday, June 29, 2012

Happenings

I made this little tank top, and these little shorts.
 Hazel got a tiny little play pool one day before we went to my dad's for dinner, so we filled it up for her to play.



 Biked to a Deer Valley concert.


 Been workin on our yard.

 Hazel's playland




 Little chair. 
Little Tricycle.
She climbs on and rocks back and forth to tell you to push her.

Even though she drives me crazy sometimes, I really love this little girl she is becoming.

Monday, June 25, 2012

People are cheap. They are lazy. They want too much for too little, and they dont want to work hard for any of it. I am one of those people. I wrote a really long and depressing post , and then I deleted it, to spare everyone. This jist of it was this: I suck at life. I'm selfish. I give up on everything long before it is finished. I make excuses. I don't want to make the effort. I just want the reward.

The end

Sunday, June 17, 2012

I haven't blogged in forever. Worse, this blog will contain no photos.

A few things:

-Today was Fathers Day. I love all the dads in my life. A TON!

-When we were at PC Silly market the most horribly inappropriate, vulgar, disgusting song ever came on over the PA. I expected they would hurry and change it. They didn't. We left. Then I wrote them a nasty email. Really though, it is a family function.

-I met a little girl named Mabel. SO CUTE. I have also met a baby Lois recently, which is my grandmother's name. I love these old fashioned names. Our list (which is talked about constantly, although we don't plan on being pregnant anytime soon) contains the names Gwen, Rosemary, Agnes, and Gertrude. Our list of boy names is empty.

-Hazel had an awful night. Then she had an awful day. She just nursed, and nursed, and nursed, and slept, and slept and slept, and cried a ton. I was frustrated, because I couldn't get anything done.Then I noticed her gums swelling around where her lower molars should be. Poor thing.

-The zoo is far more exhausting when it is crowded.

-I have a ton of sewing to do. I'm not ever agreeing to sew things for other people again, even if they are paying me. I can sew something so quickly if it is for myself, or I want to do it, but as soon as there is something in the queue that I don't want to do I avoid that machine like the plague. ugh.

-I bought white shorts. I have to wash them between every wear. I don't do that. I try to wear my clothes a few times before I wash them. It's bugging me. I am considering dyeing them a different color. Coral maybe.

-I bought a shirt from the thrift for two dollars. It is sort of a dark coral, with white polka dots. It's like many of the tops I have seen at modcloth and ruche, a button up with a collar. It was big, and had no contouring, so I took in the side seams, and added darts in the back. I love it. Also, I am proud of myself, and I feel like this opens up a new world in clothes shopping for me. As I begin to understand tailoring, and garment sewing more, I can buy cheap, large things from the thrift store and make rad clothes out of them.

-I bought mint skinny jeans 4 years ago from Pac Sun when I was working at the ski resort. I don't know why. Then I cut them into shorts, because I never wore them. Now, although I have cute mint shorts, I wish I hadn't done it. I really want mint jeans.

That is all

Saturday, June 2, 2012

How Pinterest Saved My Fashion Sense....I Think.

I am a horrible shopper.

I love shopping. Or at least I did before it entailed toting around a screaming, wiggling, uninterested baby, who has absolutely no valuable advice on what looks good and what doesn't.

I Absolutely love new clothes. However, I have never, ever, ever been able to put together the perfect ensemble. I have never had a piece of clothing that was versatile, and worked with many of my other pieces. Sometime I would think I had a good thing going, and then I would see a picture of myself and think "Why didn't anyone tell me I looked ridiculous!". I have become more and more frustrated with my failure of a wardrobe.

When Mike agreed that I needed new clothes, and said we could put some money aside for it this month, I decided I needed a plan.

No more buying things on a whim.

I needed to find specific clothes that all worked together, and that I could create multiple outfits from. Naturally, I started with pinterest. I looked and looked through my boards, and my friends boards, and then when I decided on an item I searched pinterest for the item, and collected all of the different ways of styling that particular item. Then I looked for common items, and items that would work well between my chosen pieces. Then I made a visual shopping list with pictures of all of the items.

So, I went shopping. First on the list? Green skinny jeans. You would not believe how long it took me to find those! But when I did, they were only $15.00, from Aeropostale (a place I NEVER shop at), SERIOUSLY, $15.00! So, I got my black skinnies, green skinnies, hot pink skinnies, pastel yellow skinnies, and a pair of white shorts, A lace top, a striped tank, a color-blocked top, a gingham button down, a chambray button down, and a polka-dot top. I got leopard flats, cobalt flats, a cute hat, a few bracelets. I painted my nails, bought lipstick that isn't close to my natural lip-color (which is basically a first) and learned a little more about make-up. The best thing is, all of my tops could potentially be worn with all of my bottoms. Most of the items aren't things I am worried about going out of fashion anytime soon. Items I hope to be able to wear for a long time.

Afterwards I came home I looked at the clothing I have been hanging onto, and while some of it is cute, and some will work with my new clothes, I was ready to get rid of so much of it. A few Items I realized would be wearable if I put my sewing skills to use, and turned them into better-fitting, clothing. Old jeans that do nothing for my figure were turned into skinnies, some tops were taken in. I am feeling much much better about my clothes now. I have wasted a lot of time and money shopping for things that don't work at all with the things already in my closet. Then, when I found something that did work I would wear it and wear it until it bit the dust.

After all of this, I read this awesome series on Kendi Everyday about having a working closet, which EVERYONE should read. It basically cemented what I learned from this experience. I will hold myself to MUCH higher standards about what I will or wont buy. Her rule about making sure a piece could create at least 5 outfits is perfect. Having a plan, shopping around, keeping things organized, and shopping your own closet are all things that I have never really done before. Now I have a list of things that my closet needs, and things that I want. for example I need a pair of strappy tan heels. They will go with everything I bought, a ton of stuff I already have, and are very versatile. I want another pair of shorts, but I already have enough to get me through the summer, albeit, a little less fashionably. I need a coral necklace, because you can't wear turquoise with everything. I want more rings, but I have plenty of those. I need a pencil skirt because I don't own a single one. I want a sheer green top, but It wouldn't work well with my green skinnies, so It didn't make the need list. If I can get all of the items on my need list, then I can consider buying some of my wants, IF it is in the monthly budget (which it isn't because I blew a ton of money on these clothes).

So anyways, I think I did a good job, and learned a lot. I only wish I had accessorized a little, because my closet is seriously lacking in that area. Does anyone else put this much planning into shopping, and creating a working wardrobe?