Weekend Wrap Up

Unfortunately, I didn't get a TON of sewing done this weekend.  I was feeling a little under the weather on Saturday and took the whole day off.  I'm starting to wonder if I may have gotten my sister in law's mono before we knew she had it.  We share makeup from time to time, and it's possible I used her lip gloss.  But, my throat has been hurting when I swallow for about the last week, and I don't have tonsils anymore...

But, I did sew yesterday after a very disappointing trip to the mall.  We're going to Florida for Christmas and I wanted to get some shorts.  Did I find any I liked?  Of course not.  Then we went to best buy, almost got run over and then heckled by the runner overers.  Honestly, why would someone yell back a response about Hubs' weight when I was the one who screamed at them in the first place. And all I said was "Are you going to run us over? Jesus"  Maybe I've lived in Boston too long...

Anyways, yesterday I worked on the tank top I was making for my friend Julie from the One Yard Wonders book.  This is the same book the dollhouse came from, and I love it.  I love the projects and feel like this will not be my last.

Making the bias tape was kinda a pain, but I love the way it turned out.  I think the fabrics go really well together.  The pattern was for a tank top, but I decided to keep it as a halter.  I thought it was cute, and honestly, I wasn't really sure where to attach the straps so that they would fit Julie.  I tried to try it on myself and attach the straps, but the girl are just a little too big for the size I made.  The kinda laughed at my face.  I looked a lot like Christina Hendricks did at the Emmy's last night, but with a bra..lol

Here's the front of the tank top:

Front of Tank

Closeup of the front and of the back.  I made a little too much binding, so I decided to bind the back too.  I think it looked nicer and more finished.  I'm glad I did it. 

Front Detail

Back Detail

And finally, here are the seams.  I finished them so it would look uber professional.  I think the proper term for this is a flat felled seam.  I just call them pretty seams.

Flat Felled Seams (I think)

What do you think?  Will Julie like it?

Next, I'm making the mini bloomers from Collette patterns to go with the tank. I read the directions last night.  I think they will be pretty quick actually.  I'm really excited to make them.  Updates to come!!

Don't cross a black cats path

I see the craziest things on the T. It's really the only thing I would miss if I got another job.

Today I was playing my game on my phone and noticed a little doggie on a leash by my feet. I looked quick.

"Weird."

Didn't look like a dog. I looked quick again.

"What."

Game is paused.

" Oh my god! It's a cat on a leash. Where is my camera. "

I have a freak magnet. They follow me. I don't mind really. It's gives me something to write about. Enjoy!

Finally Friday!!!

I only worked till 1:30 yesterday (my boss's idea of a half day.....don't get me started). I had a quick doctors appointment and then figured I would go home and work on the tank top.

If only that had happened I feel like I could be posting a picture of the finished product today ( yeah it looks that easy). Of course, I didn't do that. I got home, laid in the couch an played a rousing game of luxor, which I'm obsessed with in my iPhone right now. By the time I had to leave to grab Hubs in town as I had promised I had completed less than one step. I was tired. Lol

Hubs is on a gym kick right now cause he wants to lose a ton of weight before our vacation. Being the encouraging wife I am, I go with him, even though most days it's my second gym trip. Yesterday, Hubs an I went to the gym with his brother. They lift together. Patrick is Hubs' personal trainer. I knew we would be there for awhile so I settled in for a long run. Five miles later, I was way too beat to sew when we got home.

In summary, I have no updates to show today, but as a consolation prize I took a picture of myself at the gym after my run ( yeah I am that sketchy). I am embarrassingly disgusting......ENJOY!

Big night guys ......

Years ago (six to be exact), when I was a senior in college, Hubs and I went to Ireland on February break with a bunch of our friends and my brother and sister. Hubs was born in Ireland, and most of his family still lives there in Galway. One of our mutual friends, Dillon (we call him by his last name which I didn't realize for a long time), is quite a character. I don't know how to explain it and be politically correct at the same time. Sometimes, I just don't understand how he comes up with some of the stuff he says.

Every night when we were on vacation in Ireland we would leave the hostel and go down to a Restaurant on Quay Street. One night, we were walking back to the hotel, and Dillon, out of no where turns around, walks backward and says "Big Night Guys" then he clapped and reiterated "Big Night Guys". Usually we would drink after dinner, I mean we were in Ireland. So that night, which was maybe four days into the trip he says to us "Guys, tonight we should go to a real Irish Bar". We jumped all over him. Imagine seven people screaming "Dillon! They are ALL real IRISH BARS! WE ARE IN IRELAND!!", and that's what happened. He's also never been able to live it down.

Now, every time something big or exciting happens, or if I'm just meeting with my friends I think to myself "Big night guys, (clap) big night". Oh Dillon. Thanks.

Last night, I posted a link to the Peyton's place article on facebook, and it was a big hit. I couldn't believe how many comments I got saying how great the dollhouse looked. Basically, it looks like I'm going to be very busy sewing for the next few months, which I don't mind at all. My stomach is still full of excitement today, it's an amazing feeling.

Despite all the facebook excitement I started working on my next project. I have all the blue pieces of the tank top cut out. Today I just have to cut out and make the bias tape. It looks like it's going to be a super easy and super fast project. Since I turned my sewing table into a makeup table (which I've been loving), I've been doing all my sewing on the coffee table. I thought I would share a picture with you guys cause it just cracks me up.....



More updates this afternoon after I do some sewing! Finally today it's not raining in Boston. YAY!!

Peyton's Place

I got out of work early today (for being on call last week) and finished the dollhouse.  I made the dollhouse for my friend Heidi's daughter, Peyton, and I can't wait to send it to her.  I hope she loves it.  I don't want to sound like I have a big head or anything, but I think it's lookin' pretty good.

I setup a makeshift "studio" in the hallway with a white towel and a suitcase of beer.  I am that "classy".  After a bit of auto fixing in Picnik, I think the pictures actually look pretty professional.

There was a bit of a scary moment halfway through the photo shoot.  I went into the kitchen to get some packing tape to tape the towel to the wall (I told you I'm classy), and left Guinness with the dollhouse.  This was a classically bad move.  When I came back the dollhouse was in his mouth and one of the buttons were missing.  I thought for a minute he had swallowed it...and Hubs would be so mad at me (cause I really did know better), but thank God I found it.

Enough explanation already, you want to see Peyton's Dollhouse.  Here it is. Hope you like it.

Front of the House

I added a little "grass" around the bottom of the House when I got home today.  I think it was the last perfect touch.

Front Detail

I had cut out flowers from the front out of a printed material scrap I had, if you remember from a previous blog entry.  I changed my mind.  I was too lazy to sew the zig-zag around them, and frankly thought it would be too hard, so I decided on the embroidery.  I think it looks better.  I'm glad my laziness took over!

Back of the house

The back roof didn't line up correctly, which has been really bothering me because I measured, and measured, and measured again.  I was going to try to fix it, somehow, this afternoon, but I decided that it looks fine.  It kinda looks like a saltbox.  So, Heidi, if Peyton asks why the back roof is longer than the front, tell her that her dollhouse is a saltbox.  Okay?

Back Detail - Tree + Swing

 I love the cherry fabric that the tree is made from.  My Mom had made me a valence for the kitchen out of this fabric. Basically, this dollhouse was able to be made all from scraps I had, which is really fun for me, cause each piece has a memory of what I made with it (the first time).   I embroidered the rope for the little swing(in real life they show up much better).

Back Detail - Dog House

The dog house is Hub's contribution to Peyton's Place.  I wasn't sure, after making the tree, what else to put on the back.  He suggested a dog house.  It was a great idea.  Needless to say, Guinness was thrilled about the addition too.

Interior and "Exterior" of the House

The inside of the house came out a little puffy, and I like it.  I think it makes the dollhouse look comfy, like a pillow.

Interior Detail

 Inside the house I put a window with curtains and a picture frame.

Detail "picture frame"

 The picture frame just happens to be a "tag" with my business name on it.  I thought that was pretty clever of me.  Don't you think?

The "exterior" detail

 This is the outside area, inside the dollhouse.  I never wear green, so I didn't have any green fabric scraps.  I searched through all my material and couldn't find anything.  Then I remembered that I had a nightgown, in my re-purpose pile (that I wore for my sister's college graduation) that would be perfect, and here it is!! I love the way it looks as the grass.

Detail of Handles

 I cut the ribbon for the handles (which I got from buying running clothes at Aerie!) exactly the length that the book said to, but I thought it was a little long looking.  So I added one bow to each side to kinda shorten it up.

Button Detail

Finally, are the buttons.  I needed a button that stuck out to keep the house together when Peyton wasn't playing with it.  I saw these at the store last night, with little kids on them, and knew they were perfect.

This was the first toy that have ever really made.  I think it came out great.  I just hope Peyton feels the same way :)

Dollhouse Teaser and my next Project.....

I have been dying to post some pictures of this dollhouse I've been making on the blog. Hubs and I have been trying to get to the gym after work so that we can lose some weight before our Christmas vacation.  The time at the gym, while good for my waistline, made the dollhouse project take a lot longer than I had thought it would. 

 

There are a few more details I want to work into the decoration before I have the offical unveiling, but I thought I'd post some teaser pictures to keep you interested.  Here they are:

 

Front of the house

Back of the house

 

What do you think??

 

I'm hoping to start my next project today too!  I bought the fabric for it last night.  There was a little over a yard left of one and then almost two yards left of the other.  I just bought all that was left.  I really liked both prints and think they will go well together:

Sorry...it's super blurry.  I was running late this morning

 

I'm planning on making this with the material, and will use the green for contrast and the blue for the main color:

 

From One Yard Wonders

 

I've been toying around with the idea of making these to go with, as kinda a sleep set but haven't decided yet. 

From Collette Patterns

Anyways....just a teaser for now, but I'll update again this afternoon with more (and better) pictures.

 

Thinking Fall Thoughts

It's raining and cold out so I'm thinking about fall.  Inevitably, when I think about fall I think about Halloween since Hubs is a Halloween enthusiast (read = nut).  So, I thought to myself, "ooh, new season means new patterns.  Lets look". 

I went and pulled up McCall's, Butterick, Simplicity and Vogue and looked at their Early Autumn and Autumn patterns.  I have to be honest, I wasn't impressed (especially with McCall's, hello eighties).  But, here are a few of my favorites that I'll have to purchase once they go on sale at Joann's.

Vogue #1189

 I've never made a Vogue pattern before, but I've been wanting to try.  I think I'm going to have to get this one.  I love the cut of it.

Butterick #5520

 I don't usually look at Butterick, cause I used to think their patterns were kinda tricky.  but I love the view of this dress in gray. I think I'm going to have to try.

Butterick#5545

 I need to have a toddler STAT!  This little petal princess tutu looks strikingly similar to the one that I made for myself last Halloween.  Don't you think?

Simplicity #2305

 It's kinda hard to tell in this picture, but I absolutely love the skirt.  It has this grommet detail all over it, which I would obviously have to buy.  But I think it would look cool just stitched like that also.

Simplicity #2330

 These Alice in Wonderland costumes are just too cute for words.  But, why would they randomly throw in the Fairy Princess costume.  Was that a character in Alice in Wonderland that I'm  forgetting?  Why not add in a Queen of Hearts Costume instead?

Simplicity# 2351

Finally, I'm really liking this Cynthia Rowley Apron pattern.  I like how they are so ruffly.  Do you wear aprons when you cook?  I see them everywhere lately.  I have two myself, and both of them are hanging from a hook in the kitchen.  They usually remain hanging there every time I cook too.

Just for fun, and since we were talking about fall I thought I'd post pictures of the patterns Hubs and I got for our Halloween costumes.  Of course they match, cause what self respecting married couple wouldn't have matching costumes.  We are going for the Wild West look:

Hubs Costume Selection

My Costume selection

Hubs has requested the whole deal.  He wants the fancy vest, tie and jacket, which should prove challenging.  I'm not sure what view I should make on my pattern yet. I think I'm partial to the blue view.  What do you think? 

If u like Piña Coladas.....

It's Monday morning, again. Here on the ReRe project Mondays mean that I write a blog entry about my (fabulously interesting) weekend, and post pictures of the projects that I completed. Well, this week is going to be a little different. I worked all day yesterday on my fabric dollhouse, but as I'm trying to bat this one out of the park, it isn't quite done yet. I have a few more embellishments to make on the exterior piece of the house, and one more embellishment for the inside of the house, and then I can start sewing it together. I thought about posting more "in progress" pictures, but I think I'm going to wait. I think this dollhouse is going to be super cute, and want to have a big unveiling when it's completely finished.

Saturday Hubs and I ran around downtown Boston in the morning, and at the gym in the afternoon, so by the time we got home we were pretty tired. We decided that we would spend our evening drinking and playing Lego Harry Potter for the x box. We decided to make Pina Coladas on the Rocks. Hubs found the recipe and I've been combing the internet for it but can't find it. Basically, it was Coconut Rum, Pineapple Juice, cream of coconut and sparkling water mixed together. I tried to keep the blender out of the mix, but after the first batch Hubs dragged it out. They were delicious though. I'll figure out tonight where the recipe is from and add it into this post. Until then I'll leave you with a picture :





Doesn't that look good? What your favorite weekend cocktail?

Naked in Times Square...........

Yesterday was a big day for me.  I shared my blog on facebook.  Now, to all of you who are reading, you may be thinking, "Wait, why is sharing your blog, which is on the Internet in the first, place a big deal?"  Honestly, having something public on the Internet is like walking around in Times Square.  People are only going to notice you if you want them too.  Now, if you took off your shirt and walked around in Times Square, you'd get noticed (small commotion only, it is New York City after all).  So, think about it this way, yesterday in regards to my blog, I took off my shirt and walked into Times Square and I'm very shy about my body......

 

Everything worked out okay though.  Better than okay.  I've gotten a lot of traffic to my little corner of the internet here since I posted the link on facebook.  Good thing I've been posting for over a year without advertising so there would be enough material for my new readers...haha.  I'm really excited though, and it's taking everything I have to do my work today, especially because my boss is away.  (She's been on vacation all week, and lets just say it's been a nice vacation for me and my co-worker too.)

 

This morning when I signed onto Blogger I saw that I had gone from 9 followers to 12. Woooohooo!  That's the biggest jump I've seen in MONTHS! No, really...lol.  I'm considering on doing some sort of giveaway when I get to thirty followers.  I see this sort of thing happening in blog-land all the time, and I think it's good bribery motivation for you guys to sign up and follow me (you just need a Google account and really...who doesn't have one of those?)

 

Enough about that...sewing updates.  I didn't do a whole ton of sewing last night, cause Hubs wanted to finally use our new memberships to the Y (thanks to my Aquatics Supervisor brother in law who finagled them for us for no start up and only $42 a month!).  Before we went he had to set up his brother's new computer for him.  While he was setting it up I sewed.  I started doing the zig zag stitches around the decorations on the dollhouse exterior.  I didn't finish everything before he got home, but I got pretty far.

 

 

We went to the gym for about forty minutes.  I ran another two miles.  I had run two miles at my gym at work during my lunch already.  While I was running I watched Project Runway, which really got me pumped for doing some more sewing. But when I got home, I was just too tired to turn on the machine again.  It was already 8:30 and we hadn't eaten, so I just collapsed in the chair and watched TV.

 

Hubs and I watched the Real World New Orleans, which I may have mentioned is my guilty pleasure.  I love Jemmy and Knight.  In last week's episode Knight came off like a real douche, but this week he was better.  I'm pretty sure last week's doucheyness was just because of MTV's editing liberties.  I feel very confident that if I were to meet Knight we would be best friends.  He would get along so well with Hubs.  Hubs may be the red headed, less whorey, without a drug problem version of him.  Okay, well, maybe they aren't that much alike, they just both like to drink.

 

This weekend I plan on doing a lot of sewing and drinking a lot of coffee.  Updates to come.  Have a good weekend!

Introducing Dorchester Designs, and Sewing Project Updates....

Remember last week when got all introspective about having been at my job for a year and disliking it so much?  Well, I really did a lot of thinking, and I decided that I was going to try to built myself a little sewing business on the side.  For now it's just going to be something small, where hopefully, I can get a few custom orders and alterations to keep me busy. 

I came up with a business plan for myself (kinda).  The first step was to make business cards.  Hubs and I got out the computer, came up with a name for the business and ordered the cards.  They came in yesterday:

Hire Me!

What do you think?  I think they came out super cute and I'm really excited to pass them out.  Oh, and yes, I did black out my phone number.  If you are interested, email me.  I just didn't want the whole Internet to have my cell number. You understand I'm sure :)

Step number two is send out a few samples of my work, to whet people's palettes.  I emailed a few of my facebook friends, and Anne (who is my lonely only regular commenter) asking them if I made them something (free of course) and they liked it, would they merciless advertise me.  I got overwhelming yes responses.

The first sample project I'm working on is for a friend from high school that has a small, adorable daughter.  I decided to make her a fabric dollhouse like the one here:

http://uklassinus.blogspot.com/2008/08/fabric-dollhouse-tutorial.html

It's a project that I found in my "One Yard Wonders" book, but that is also at the website UKLassinUS.blogspot.com.  It's really a super easy, super adorable little toy.

I cut out a few pieces on Tuesday night, but then had to stop because I didn't have any plastic canvas or batting (for the house pieces).  Hubs went to Windsor Button in town yesterday for me during work and got the canvas and the batting.  I gave him a list and he just passed it to the sales lady saying "I need this, but I have no idea what it is".  What a good Hubby right?

Since I had the plastic canvas and the batting last night I was able to continue.  I cut out and covered the house pieces.  I secured the batting with packing tape.  I had started doing it with hand stitches, but it was just taking too long.....so, the tape came out.  When finished they looked like this:

I know, definitely not pretty, but it's going to be covered.....sooooo whatever.

Then I started on the fun part, embellishing the exterior of the house.  The directions said to do this with felt after the house was put together, but I vetoed that idea.  I wanted to applique real fabric onto material for decorations.  Currently, I have everything cut and pinned out that I want on the front and back of the house.   I just need to secure it with zig zag stitches on the sewing machine tonight.  I was way too lazy to take out my sewing machine last night.

It's a little hard to picture right now, but the front of the house has a window (with curtains), a red door, and roses.  I'm going to add in the window panes with embroidery floss once everything is stitched in.  The back of the house has a tree with swing (again, going to use floss to make the rope on the swing) and a dog house.  The tree and the dog house were Hubs ideas.  He was super proud of himself for them.  I'm considering putting a puppy somewhere, but maybe I'll do that around one of the other sides. 

That's what I have so far.  What do you think?  Can you picture it?

Tax Free Weekend

I promised you a post yesterday about my tax free weekend exploits.  I did a little shopping with Hubs and my Mother in Law....but not that much.  Honestly, it starts like a bad joke.

"Where did the Irish Family go on tax free weekend?"
"The LIQUOR STORE!"

Bad-dum-bum! oh but it's so true.  There is mega tax on booze in Massachusetts right now, and this year lawmakers decided to free us of that for two whole days.  We said, Great!, got in our buggy and headed to the liquor store.

Honestly, we went there cause we were having a BBQ and wanted to get beer for it.  The trip just turned into a lot more of "shopping" than we intended.  While we were at the store, I wandered, cause lets be honest, I like looking at shiny things.

I usually don't get a chance to browse at the packie.  Hubs and I know what we like (Hubs - Bourbon or Whiskey, Me - Wine or Vodka), grab it, peek at the nips, pay and are out.  But, Saturday, since my mother in law was with us, we were there for a long time.  I was able to take everything in and read all the labels, and I came up with a few questions.  So, I decided...why not blog about my experience and lay the questions on you.  Here they are, in no particular order:

We will start with the nifty little booze collage I made here. Which contains four liquors I had noticed for the first time.

1. Ed Hardy Wine.  Really? Why does Ed Hardy need to come out with a wine.  He's a clothing designer.  I guess douche-bags need to drink wine too....
2. Pyrat Rum.  What is the pretty little pendant hanging from the neck of the bottle? Think people take that and wear it as a necklace.  More importantly, why is this called Pyrat Rum and not Buddha Necklace Rum? Just a thought.
3. Crystal Head Vodka.  Seriously, has designer vodka gone so far that there actually is a demand for $46 vodka in a skull shaped bottle.  Hubs told me it was Dan Ackroid's brand of vodka. Which brings me to another question...What does Dan Ackroid know about Vodka (or Ed Hardy about wine for that matter?).  
4. Three Olives RangTang Flavored Vodka.  What is RangTang?  Does this have anything to do with Tang Drink mix as I am led to believe it does?? Just curious.

On to our next pictures.  Absolute.  They actually make for cities now.  Don't get me wrong...I love Boston. But, What does Absolute Boston taste like? Dirty Water? What do you mix it with?

I have the same questions about Absolute Brooklyn.  What does it taste like.  Or is it just plain vodka with your city's name on it.  I don't get it.  But I do know that whatever it tastes like, Boston is just better.

Finally, My favorite bottle of liquor!
Remember that movie preview where Liam Nieson yells out "Release the KRACKEN!!"  Hubs and I yell that to each other all the time (cause we are insane).  Look at the name of this one:

Could it be more perfect?

What do you think? Seen anything crazy at the store lately? Liquor or otherwise?

Weekend Wrap Up

This morning was absolutely crazy at work!  I've been dying to blog all day, and am just getting a chance now (it's 2:30!!).  This weekend I was on call, so we didn't venture out too far.  It was a sales tax weekend in Massachusetts, and we did our fair share of shopping (at the liquor store, separate post to come). 
Sunday morning I sat down and started sewing.  I had bought this dark floral print a few weeks earlier and had planned to make a tank top with it.  After I got everything pinned out I realized that it was just impossible to see the markings, so I gave up. I bought some wide black elastic and decided to make a work out of it. 

I had to cut my face out.  Just too little sleep, not enough eye cream.

 I usually wear my newly sewn clothing to work on Mondays, but this skirt felt a little short.  I actually realized when looking at the tutorial again today, I didn't really construct it exactly right.  The way I sewed the skirt onto the elastic kinda cut the width of the elastic in half.  Lessons learned, I think I'm going to try again.  It was super easy, and if I would have sewed it straight through I think it would have only taken a half hour.

So, what do you think?  Do you like it?

Heaven, in a cookie

Last night our house was filled with the deliciously deadly aroma of chocolate.  I was making cookies for work.  Since I had found the fabric for Freddie's tie in my stash, I felt like I needed to give him something to go with it.  Instead of buying something extravagant I decided to make extravagantly delicious cookies. 

 

First Step:  Find Freddie's favorite treat?  Cookies...done

Second Step: What kind of Cookies?  Chocolate Chunk....ok

Third Step: Furiously search internet for blogs with Chocolate chunk cookie recipes until one that whet my fancy is found. 

 

Step Three resulted in a recipe for Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies from this website http://picky-palate.com/2010/05/20/salted-caramel-dark-chocolate-chunk-cookies-the-la-cookie/.  They sounded both unbelievably delicious and easy.

 

Every now and then Hubs will announce to the people at work that he's bring in deserts.  He knows I love making deserts but I won't make them for just us.  When he found out that cookies were being made yesterday, he made the announcement.  His co-workers were pumped.

 

I got home, ate dinner and got to cooking.  I love love love baking, especially when I'm doing it for a big group of people.  I imagine how well received the fruits of my labor will be, and how much it will brighten their day to bite into my delish cookies.  I never eat the batter when I'm making cookies, but last night, I just had to try it.  It called for caramel to be mixed in and I needed to see how it tasted.  It was amazing.  I knew if they tasted even close to as good cooked as they did raw I would be all set.

 

 

The cookies ended up being amazing, and they were super easy to make.  Thankfully, we evacuated all but two from the apartment, and came out of the experience with only one delicious cookie eaten each.

 

You should try them out they are soooooo sooooo good. 

 

Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies…The LA Cookie

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla

1/4 Cup burnt caramel sauce (you can use any caramel sauce here)

3 3/4 Cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

12 oz bag mini chocolate chips

1 1/2 Cups chopped good quality chocolate

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until well combined.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla following the caramel sauce until well combined.

2.  Place the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl; mix.  Slowly add to wet ingredients then the chocolate chips.  Save chunks for later.

3.  Place 1/4 Cup of cookie dough and place into muffin top cups.  Press down then sprinkle with a pinch or two of sea salt then press chocolate chunks over top.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just golden around edges.  Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Serve with milk!!

18 Large cookies

I said delicious a lot huh?  But seriously, don't you want one?

Fit to be Tied

A few weeks ago I made this skirt over the weekend and wore it to work on Monday.  I love wearing my newly sewn clothes to work on Monday.  Anyways, I was in a braggy mood about it, cause I thought I had done a superb job sewing it, so I told my coworker Freddie that I had made it.  He was impressed (as I had hoped), and asked if I knew how to make ties.  I had never sewn, or even really thought about sewing, a tie in my life.  

 

Then Freddie announced that he was leaving for the Dana Farber (for a job, not cancer).  I had an idea, I would make him a tie for his going away gift.  It couldn't be that hard right?  Right?

 

I searched the Internet for a free pattern, cause why buy something if you can find it free.  I found this patterns on the purl bee:  http://www.purlbee.com/fathers-day-ties/.  I read through the directions and thought it sounded super simple.  I just needed to find fabric and heavy interfacing.  Saturday, I found the perfect fabric while cleaning out my stash, and went to the store for the interfacing.  I was ready to start. 

 

Monday, I started my cutting.  Tuesday, I finished the cutting, and ironed on the interfacing. Yesterday, was the sewing, ironing and completion day.  I had some issues but, I think the tie ended up looking pretty good when finished.  Since it is for a gift, I wanted to add a little tag for remembrance.  I stitched my initials on a piece of ribbon and attached it to the tie.  I figured it would serve a dual purpose, as it would be able to hold the little tie in the back too.  (look at how technical I am with my terms). 

 

So, what do you think?  Does it look okay?  Am I a pro now?  I'm already planning to make Hubs a tie to match my skirt for our special Walt Disney World Christmas Dinner!  He's pumped by the way :)

I swear my hairbrush was here just a minute ago.......

I see a lot of weird stuff on the train during my daily commute.  Often times, I'll really want to take pictures of the stuff I see, but I won't, cause that's just creepy.  I don't want the people around me to think I'm creepy, or worse yet, the person I'm taking a picture of to catch me.

 

But today, I just couldn't help myself.  Today, I saw something that just had to be documented.  If only I had my real camera on me, cause the IPhone picture came out a tad bit blurry. So here it is.  

Scene from the Green Line - 8/12/10

 

Now my question, what exactly is going on here?  Did the hairbrush get stuck in her hair and she just said "agh Hell, I've got to go to work, whatever!" or is this her hairstyle.  If it's her hairstyle I'm impressed.  It takes a special kind of crazy to walk out of the house with a round brush stuck in your hair....especially if it's on purpose.

 

What do you think? Have you ever done your hair in a round brush and left the house (with the round brush still attached?).  I can honestly say I have not.  I haven't even thought about doing that.  Maybe I'm missing out.

Happy Work-a-versary to me!

 

August 10th exactly a year ago was a very big day for me.  It was the day that I started my job that I have now at the hospital. I was very excited.  The job I had left had been slowly depressing me emotionally and financially for the last five years.  The new job paid much more and seemed like such a great opportunity.

 

365 days later, here I am, oddly enough, wearing exactly the same shirt that I wore to orientation last year (zebra print Calvin Klein short sleeved cardigan).  My heart feels differently than it did last year.  Last year it was full of mirth and excitement.  This year, it's just depressed and tired of my less than perfect working environment. 

 

In honor of my one year work-a-versary I've been thinking a lot about work.  I'm not happy in my job at all.  I'm not even sure if I'm happy with my career.  Unfortunately,  I seem to be good at what I do, and can make money doing it, so I stay.  I would LOVE to be able to do something creative, where I don't have to sit at my desk, in front of a computer all day.  I want to be in front of a sewing machine. 

 

Maybe there's a way where I can be a computer nerd that gets paid, and sit in front of a sewing machine? Maybe I can do sewing on the side.  Think I could get anyone to hire me to make sewing stuff?  These are the thoughts that have been going through my head all day.  What do you think , how hard would it really be to get a little side job sewing?