Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Herp derp.  Adding le blog to Bloglovin' in order to claim it and get my profile set up.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!

It's been awhile, huh? Here's some of what I've been up to since I last posted:

In May, I signed up the for the Wardrobe Refashion Challenge for four months. While I found myself too busy to actually complete any sewing or refashioning projects - despite beginning several - I did (mostly) honor the "buy nothing new" portion. The one exception was buying a last-minute dress for an annual event my husband and I help organize for 130+ nerd friends every June. At that point, my options were losing my mind completely trying to finish a refashion inspired by this Madeleine Vionnet dress or begrudgingly coughing up $35 for something adequate from H&M.

I may have required a Get Out of Jail Free card during my pledge, but I can honestly say that taking part even as minimally as I did has made a lasting impression. I've since asked to be removed from the mailing lists for the majority of the catalogs I used to receive. It's much easier to resist the siren call of consumerism when I'm not constantly bombarded by it. The Anthropologie catalogs that not too long ago left me feeling want-y now only inspire me to create my own iterations or restyle what I already have.

The boy and I observed our eight years of marriage by ignoring our actual anniversary in favor of celebrating with the aforementioned 130+ nerds in Marina del Rey. Best decision!

The one picture of me (at left) in my pledge-breaking dress is dorky, but at least I'm with one of my favorite people ever, motherhoodlum.


The kidlets and I visited my mom in Cave Creek before Stella started kindergarten in September. She had been so eager to finally go to school that I thought she might explode if we didn't get her into a classroom soon.
Explosive excitement!

I'm fortunate to have a schedule that allows time to volunteer in Stella's classroom, and it has been fun getting to know her teacher and her classmates. Violet tags along most of the time and is convinced that Stella's class is actually hers.

More on the rest of 2010 to follow. A certain sleepy beastie needs to go to bed.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Be My Baby

or How I Talked The Boy Into Letting Me Buy Another Machine

I’ve recently experienced some frustration with the computerized Viking I received from my mother-in-law a few years ago. While I do appreciate it, and it is a far better machine than the one I had been using since high school, at times I feel it is unnecessarily complex. I’ve accepted that this is likely due to user error and decided to take a break.

Then I read Gertie's post on button pressers vs. knob turners, and something clicked. Perhaps the problem is simply an incompatibility between my innate love of knob turning and a button operated machine. I half-heartedly lusted after a newer mechanical like the Bernina 1008, but knew that it would be months before I could afford one.
Peter's post about vintage sewing machines came shortly after that, and prompted to me to scour Craigslist like a madwoman.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I found my new baby. I’d like to introduce the newest addition to my family – a Singer Slant-O-Matic 500A Rocketeer.

I have yet to meet her, as a dear family friend is holding her until we can get to the other side of the state (Thank you again, Candy!). I think Peter may have been on to something; the anticipation is a bit like waiting to meet a child. I just keep looking at her picture and I am and positively giddy.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Happy Birthday, Grampy Bixby!


What began as a dinosaur ended up as a mouse monster. Stella had a hard time writing an r, so she made it wear a party hat. I helped her to spell "Happy Birthday Grampy", but in true Stella fashion she did her own thing and wrote "Happy Birth Grapy."

Which then elicited a giggle fit because, "It's not even a real word. Gravy is a real word! Should I change it to 'Happy Birth Gravy'?" We thought it was very silly and very Stella to leave it as is, so we did.

Happy Birthday, Grampy! We hope you're having a wonderful time in Mexico with Grammy.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Halloween

After a short break from the craziness that was making two Halloween costumes - one from a heavily modified pattern and the other with a pattern I made - all while entertaining a precocious four-year-old and a teething toddler hellbent on climbing everything in sight, I am now in full holiday gift-making mode. That sentence was likely exhausting to read, but now you've got some idea how things have been here!

After naming at least a half dozen costumes I had to make for her, Stella finally chose Katara from Avatar. And I did a happy dance that I was spared from making yet another Disney Princess costume, at least for the time being.


I had originally planned to make Violet a companion costume to Stella's. Then Jake brought home a Yo Gabba Gabba DVD as a reward for Stella. Violet is so enamored of the show - she shouts, "Yo Gab Gab! Yo Gab Gab!" while jumping and dancing whenever she hears the opening music - that it seemed a perfect fit. So I made a dress like some of the dancing children wear.

"My name is Violet... I like to DANCE!"


The girls both loved their costumes, and I'm using that small victory to propel me forward in finishing the heaps of projects I've committed to before we leave for Arizona in three weeks. If I haven't posted by then, please send help to excavate me from the piles of fabric and felt.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

In Which I Beg for Impossible Things



Dear Time Travel Scientists,

Should you happen to visit 1985, please give this Playmobil Pyramid playset to seven-year-old me. This is around the time that my Egypt obsession had fully taken hold and I made a scale model of the Sphinx out of hot pink Play-Doh. And I accessorized my favorite blue sweatshirt with foil-printed Tutankhamun motif with hieroglyph print Keds. Clearly I needed this playset to keep me company because I certainly didn't make any friends dressed this way.

This may also prevent me from buying it as a gift for Stella, then refusing to let her touch it.

xoxo Jen

P.S. If you're feeling especially generous, I will also happily accept the ship and Sphinx.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Craft Talk!

Eventually I'll get around to posting pictures of things I've sewn or painted, but it seems I need to get the intimidating first post out the way.

So to anyone who is ready this, since you are most likely a fellow craft-tastic lady, I'm dedicating this jam to you: