Check out my newest thrift store restyles over at Tera Sue's blog today :D
Watch me while I design, bead, yell, create, sew, construct, and sell.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
DIY - July Pin Vest Tutorial
July Pinterest DIY #2 - Vest/Wrap Tutorial From Trang Huyen of Behind The Seams
You can see my list of fave DIY Pins for July here
Disclaimer: Please pardon my yoga pants and bare feet. It's late.
I love how oversized and flowy this is, but realistically I would not be able to wear this to work (where I spend 90% of my life), so I decided to alter it a little bit, hoping I could keep the flowy awesomeness.
I sliced off 4" from the hem and curved the sides up a bit to get rid of that 'pointiness' that I loved. I was willing to trade it for a softly rounded edge that still fluttered.
I used the excess I trimmed from the bottom to bind the armholes, leaving both the outside and inside seam allowances raw. This will keep them from stretching out of shape but still keep the simplcity of the fly-away vest.
Seriously in love and might have to buy a few more yards of knit. I'm thinking a cropped one is next! The only thing I would change about the making of the project is that I should have had someone measure my shoulder width because the 6" over wasn't quite enough but once that's cut, it's cut. Also, I'd like to do some kind of trim or finish to the hem or center back just to spice it upa bit. It's good to have the staple pieces but I also crave attention so I need a few show-stoppers ;)
Defnitely check out the original tutorial here and let me know if you've tried it too!
Disclaimer: Please pardon my yoga pants and bare feet. It's late.
I followed the instructions, folding the fabric in half, measuring 6" down and over and cutting an 8" armhole. This wasn't long enough for me so I cut 3" more. (This photo is sideways, the fold is at the top)
I love how oversized and flowy this is, but realistically I would not be able to wear this to work (where I spend 90% of my life), so I decided to alter it a little bit, hoping I could keep the flowy awesomeness.
I used the excess I trimmed from the bottom to bind the armholes, leaving both the outside and inside seam allowances raw. This will keep them from stretching out of shape but still keep the simplcity of the fly-away vest.
Love the result!
Defnitely check out the original tutorial here and let me know if you've tried it too!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
DIY - Skirt Restyle (100th Post!!!)
I found this skirt at the Salvation Army for a great price of $3!! I LOVE any kind of abstract/tribal print so even though it is 2 sizes too large for me I grabbed it. The colors are vibrant and the fabric has a little stretch to it. Definitely not a natural fiber but I'll overlook that for this print. I did wear the skirt to work one day just to make sure I didn't want to keep it as is. Yeah, that shape is not flattering on me. I was ready to cut it up!
This is a mini skirt I bought at Cotton On a few weeks ago. I am obsessed with it and wear it every weekend. I especially love the oversized front pockets. So I drew out the skirt (yellow paper) and measured every seam length. I transfered this to a paper pattern. It was releatively simple since everything (except the pockets) is a straight line, so I didn't have to actually trace the skirt. *When I get a moment, I'll show you clearer photos of the pattern in case you want to attempt this particular skirt.*
The next step was to measure how much fabric there actually was in this skirt. Roughly 4 feet thanks to all those pleats :) I cut the waistband off, separating the outer fabric from the teal lining (that I really should use for another skirt!). I then Ironed the pleats out of my thrifted fabric.
Now that the fabric is nice and pressed, I cut out each pattern piece (2 front/backs, 4 sides, 2 pockets). I had just enough fabric and I was really hoping I didn't mess up and this point. I left the hem of the original skirt to save me some time, and it really helped figure out top and bottom once the pieces were cut out. I used a scrap of fabric as make-shift bias tape for the top of the pockets. I LOVE how this came out. Then sandwiched the pocket between the front and side front, pinning then sewing.
Here's a clearer photo of the sandwiching. Don't forget to sew the bottom of the pockets closed! Pin and sew the back to the side back pieces. Finally, sew the back to the front at the side seams. Press all seams as you're sewing, this makes for cleaner lines and less mistakes because you're not rushing through every seam. I also did a serged seam finish down each seam in case the mystery fabric decided to fray next time I washed it.
Here's the skirt in its 2D state, all sewn together. Let's take one more look at those awesome pockets! I cut a piece of 2" wide elastic (mostly because I ran out of fabric and couldn't make a waistband) that seemed like a good fit around my waist/hips/where ever I decide to wear the skirt. I measure the waistband in quarters and mark with pins. This helps when stretching and sewing as I can line up the next pin with the side seam or center-front of the skirt. Press your gathers down and you have a beautiful mini skirt with beautiful pockets and a super comfy waistband!
PS This was my 100th Post and I am so excited to have been doing this for a year! I hope you enjoy all my rambling and whining and sometimes good content! :D
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Fashion - Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear Shows
I picked a few shows that I was interested in and "graded" them. Warning - this is not what I'd call 'objective reporting.' You can click on the designer's name to go to their full slideshow.
Alice + Olivia
Christian Siriano
Cynthia Rowley
Elie Tahari
Isaac Mizrahi
L.A.M.B.
Rachel Zoe
Let me know what you all think about the shows. This isn't nearly all of them, I just picked a few names I recognized right off and picked the looks that stuck out to me, good or bad. Judge for yourself at Style.com
Monday, July 25, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Store Update - New Business Cards!
Just ordered a new batch of business cards, solely for my jewelry. I love them. I hope I have a chance to use them!
Ordered via VistaPrint.com
Ordered via VistaPrint.com
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Store Update - Beads to Jewelry
BEFORE:
AFTER:
More to come later!
11 in 2011 Update - 39 pieces of jewerly / 61 to go!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Inside Info - Balancing Your Blog & Life
I haven't made it a secret that lately I am struggling with time management regarding my full time job, blogging and selling handmade merchandise. I've asked a few bloggers who seem to have it all under control for advice in case I'm not the only clueless blogger out there. How do they do it?!
Ana from Live & Enliven recently posted on this very subject:
I get a lot of emails from people asking how I manage to mother, blog, tweet and run a little business in the midst of feeling heart-broken to the point of tears every day. Most of them are in the tone of admiration and there's the occasional one that's meant in the tone of "don't you have a life?"- I take those with a pinch of salt and all other ones with an overwhelming love and yes, pride.
Well, as I mentioned on this post I have always strive to be real on this blog, myself whether happy or sad. I must admit that full-time blogging has its advantages too, when I don't find inspiration I take a break, when things get bad during the day I sign off early, when I feel I'm gonna spill my guts out I breath deeply and do it anyway (sans swear words).
I read a lot blogs too ok, so now you're all thinking I should really get a life. Just kidding.
I do read blogs, mostly those that are written by people who are real and open and who have a down-to-earth perspective of beauty but also dare to dream. Those help me a lot and inspire me.
I often try to find ways to make each day special, I give my daughter more quality than quantity time I pack little gifts and make pretend-birthday parties, I make tea parties for her and teddy, I sit and watch a movie with her, I listen to her and use anything as an excuse to smother her all day long.
Those are the moments that make everything else possible, those little times fill me up and give me a lot more energy than having a less busy or less chaotic life
Hello friends! My name is Thursday. I'm compulsive crafter, lifelong thrifter, hideaway hermit, baker extraordinaire and mama to a Georgia Grace. I blog about these things and more over at My Girl Thursday.
Answer to question:
I always seem to have an endless number of projects on the go so organizational tools are an absolute must in my life. Today I'll share three of my favourite time management tips with you all.
1. Carry a note pad with you at all times. You never ever know when a brilliant idea will strike. It would be a shame to forget that great idea just because you didn't have a way or writing it down. Don't want to carry a pen and paper? Use your voice recorder on your cell phone and tell it all your best ideas.
2. Plan Ahead. I try to plan all my blog posts a month ahead of time. This doesn't mean that I write them that far in advance, but it does mean that when I sit down to write I know what my topic will be. This simple idea saves me hours and hours of thumb twiddling in front of my computer.
3. Schedule time for blogging. Each Sunday I lock myself away in my craft room and write the blog posts for the next seven day. Doing this gives me lots of worry free time with my family for the rest of the week. If a full day or writing is too extreme, then try to schedule 90 minutes each night where you can be alone and produce quality content for your blog.
For more of my thoughts on how to staying organized and motivated you can check out this recent post on my blog. To learn more about how I found and developed my real voice through blogging your can read my post Being Afraid of Yourself and Why That's Probably Not a Good Idea.
Savannah from Maie Dae has a list of helpful insights on balancing her life:
Time management is a HUGE passion of mine. It's always been really important to me to balance my priorities and put time and effort into my family, friends, full-time job and passions (my business MaieDae). I'll break it up into categories about how I best manage my time:
Family: I've been married to my husband for over a year and this January we will have been together for seven years!! Holy wow! A major part of our relationship is our "Date Days"...once a week from when we were dating to married we've always established one day out of the week that is dedicated to time with each other. This day is viewed as a sacred day for us so we intentionally don't make extra work plans or friend plans on date day. This helps us to always know that no matter how busy out schedules get we always have a day that is dedicated to spending with each other. Also, since we've been married it's been very important for us to spend time with each others immediate family...so every sunday is "family day". Having a dedicated date day and family day really make it a lot easier to spend time with those important people in your life.
Friends: Another important thing to Jonathon and I was that once we got married we didn't want to be the couple that never spends time with friends anymore. So every month or so we try to have a small house party and invite all our close friends to come and watch movies and play games....also when we are not having date day or family day we both try and put in some time with friends at least once a week.
Full-Time Job: Aside from running my own business on the side I also work full-time for Chick-fil-A corporate as their graphic designer. It's really easy to let a full time job completely take over your lifestyle but I've made it a point to really try and make sure that I "don't take my work home with me". Once I leave work at 4:30...I'm done. I don't obsessively check my email or worry about things. When I'm at work, I'm at work...and when I'm not...I'm not! This really helps me separate my work from my life.
MaieDae (passions): I currently run a blog, handmade shop and graphic design company on the side and the major thing that really helps me keep on track with everything is to plan and schedule! I carry around a Moleskine journal wherever I go and take time to jot down ideas and notes about my business. At the beginning of every month I sit down and schedule out my blog posts and dedicate specific days to working on graphic design or handmades. On top of scheduling out my months I also take time to set monthly goals and "steps" for my business so I can see what I'd like to accomplish and strive towards getting those things done. My number ONE tip for making goals, schedules and to-do's is to create something attainable. If you are trying to get too much done and set lofty goals for your timeframe you might find that you don't feel your getting far and decide to "give-up"...setting attainable goals helps you see progress. :)
So...to summarize everything; set specifics days for family, friends and yourself. Dedicate those days or evenings to that specific "day". Schedule out your time and goals for each month. Make your lists attainable!
Wow ladies! Thanks for all the great answers and advice. I appreciate your participation and your willingness to help me and other new(ish) bloggers. I have definitely taken everything you've said to heart and have set out to develop my own schedule for my evenings of blogging, creating and living.
Check out my new Blog Calendar on Google Docs. You can see I blocked off Mondays and Fridays as days off...let's see if I can stick to that! You can download my template HERE. I hope it helps!
I get a lot of emails from people asking how I manage to mother, blog, tweet and run a little business in the midst of feeling heart-broken to the point of tears every day. Most of them are in the tone of admiration and there's the occasional one that's meant in the tone of "don't you have a life?"- I take those with a pinch of salt and all other ones with an overwhelming love and yes, pride.
Well, as I mentioned on this post I have always strive to be real on this blog, myself whether happy or sad. I must admit that full-time blogging has its advantages too, when I don't find inspiration I take a break, when things get bad during the day I sign off early, when I feel I'm gonna spill my guts out I breath deeply and do it anyway (sans swear words).
I read a lot blogs too ok, so now you're all thinking I should really get a life. Just kidding.
I do read blogs, mostly those that are written by people who are real and open and who have a down-to-earth perspective of beauty but also dare to dream. Those help me a lot and inspire me.
I often try to find ways to make each day special, I give my daughter more quality than quantity time I pack little gifts and make pretend-birthday parties, I make tea parties for her and teddy, I sit and watch a movie with her, I listen to her and use anything as an excuse to smother her all day long.
Those are the moments that make everything else possible, those little times fill me up and give me a lot more energy than having a less busy or less chaotic life
Hello friends! My name is Thursday. I'm compulsive crafter, lifelong thrifter, hideaway hermit, baker extraordinaire and mama to a Georgia Grace. I blog about these things and more over at My Girl Thursday.
Answer to question:
I always seem to have an endless number of projects on the go so organizational tools are an absolute must in my life. Today I'll share three of my favourite time management tips with you all.
1. Carry a note pad with you at all times. You never ever know when a brilliant idea will strike. It would be a shame to forget that great idea just because you didn't have a way or writing it down. Don't want to carry a pen and paper? Use your voice recorder on your cell phone and tell it all your best ideas.
2. Plan Ahead. I try to plan all my blog posts a month ahead of time. This doesn't mean that I write them that far in advance, but it does mean that when I sit down to write I know what my topic will be. This simple idea saves me hours and hours of thumb twiddling in front of my computer.
3. Schedule time for blogging. Each Sunday I lock myself away in my craft room and write the blog posts for the next seven day. Doing this gives me lots of worry free time with my family for the rest of the week. If a full day or writing is too extreme, then try to schedule 90 minutes each night where you can be alone and produce quality content for your blog.
For more of my thoughts on how to staying organized and motivated you can check out this recent post on my blog. To learn more about how I found and developed my real voice through blogging your can read my post Being Afraid of Yourself and Why That's Probably Not a Good Idea.
Savannah from Maie Dae has a list of helpful insights on balancing her life:
Time management is a HUGE passion of mine. It's always been really important to me to balance my priorities and put time and effort into my family, friends, full-time job and passions (my business MaieDae). I'll break it up into categories about how I best manage my time:
Family: I've been married to my husband for over a year and this January we will have been together for seven years!! Holy wow! A major part of our relationship is our "Date Days"...once a week from when we were dating to married we've always established one day out of the week that is dedicated to time with each other. This day is viewed as a sacred day for us so we intentionally don't make extra work plans or friend plans on date day. This helps us to always know that no matter how busy out schedules get we always have a day that is dedicated to spending with each other. Also, since we've been married it's been very important for us to spend time with each others immediate family...so every sunday is "family day". Having a dedicated date day and family day really make it a lot easier to spend time with those important people in your life.
Friends: Another important thing to Jonathon and I was that once we got married we didn't want to be the couple that never spends time with friends anymore. So every month or so we try to have a small house party and invite all our close friends to come and watch movies and play games....also when we are not having date day or family day we both try and put in some time with friends at least once a week.
Full-Time Job: Aside from running my own business on the side I also work full-time for Chick-fil-A corporate as their graphic designer. It's really easy to let a full time job completely take over your lifestyle but I've made it a point to really try and make sure that I "don't take my work home with me". Once I leave work at 4:30...I'm done. I don't obsessively check my email or worry about things. When I'm at work, I'm at work...and when I'm not...I'm not! This really helps me separate my work from my life.
MaieDae (passions): I currently run a blog, handmade shop and graphic design company on the side and the major thing that really helps me keep on track with everything is to plan and schedule! I carry around a Moleskine journal wherever I go and take time to jot down ideas and notes about my business. At the beginning of every month I sit down and schedule out my blog posts and dedicate specific days to working on graphic design or handmades. On top of scheduling out my months I also take time to set monthly goals and "steps" for my business so I can see what I'd like to accomplish and strive towards getting those things done. My number ONE tip for making goals, schedules and to-do's is to create something attainable. If you are trying to get too much done and set lofty goals for your timeframe you might find that you don't feel your getting far and decide to "give-up"...setting attainable goals helps you see progress. :)
So...to summarize everything; set specifics days for family, friends and yourself. Dedicate those days or evenings to that specific "day". Schedule out your time and goals for each month. Make your lists attainable!
Wow ladies! Thanks for all the great answers and advice. I appreciate your participation and your willingness to help me and other new(ish) bloggers. I have definitely taken everything you've said to heart and have set out to develop my own schedule for my evenings of blogging, creating and living.
Check out my new Blog Calendar on Google Docs. You can see I blocked off Mondays and Fridays as days off...let's see if I can stick to that! You can download my template HERE. I hope it helps!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Fashion - Fall 2011 Couture Fashion Shows, Part 2
Part 2
Chanel, Dior and Elie Saab :)
Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld
This is like a really, really bad halloween costume.
Love the jacket and the cute purple buttons!
What Chanel customer would purchase this?
Love these:
Christian Dior
Susanna Venegas and Bill Gaytten
Not a fan of the wrapping paper skirt and the bubble gum in her hair...
Interesting prints
Love these:
Elie Saab
I can't lie - I loved the entire show!
Chanel, Dior and Elie Saab :)
Chanel
Love these:
Christian Dior
Susanna Venegas and Bill Gaytten
Love these:
Elie Saab
I can't lie - I loved the entire show!
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