Terrible pictures and what's going on

It has been a flurry of making up in here! This is fun, but also I can't share that much of it. I am going back to Ohio in a week or so to love on my nephews and family and hopefully play some Euchre and drink some margaritas with my mom. It is just me, Ryan will be here to hold down the fort, hopefully! We are not getting our tree until next weekend so I can't even share that with you yet, although I might be decorating my mantle today.



Other than that, I joined an ornament swap! This is a terrible picture of my gingerbread peeps, but there they are. Obviously they are sewn up out of fleece. They are really cute in real life.



We also hosted Thanksgiving. All my pictures came out blurry. Which is why this time of year is a bummer because taking pictures when its dark out is hard for me.

Now I am just a flurry of sewing and knitting and shopping. Which is very fun.

But making for me is fun too!

I have been so happy because this holiday season has inspired me to make some pretty fun things. But I still had time to squeak in something for me. This pattern is a New Look pattern. Right now I can't find the pattern to put the number but I will update it later when I do. I am in special love with this peter pan collar and I think I will be making more of these. They are just so cute! I like that in this picture it looks like I am wearing cute cigarette pants even though I am really wearing work capris. I feel very 60's/hotel maid.

I have a couple of other shirts in the works for me, along with numerous christmas presents for my fam. Today is a perfect "make" day too, because the weather is so rainy and cold. That is my favorite! I am just going to put on a movie and knit/sew.

Im pretty sure that making presents is my favorite!

Or just making in general. I made this little elephant purse for Ryan's niece for her 7th birthday. It is from the Wee Wonderfuls book by Hillary Lang. I think it came out cute, especially because I used fabric I had on hand. The one in the book had a bow on her head, I changed mine to more of a flapper headband. I LOVE it! I hope she does too!



Here I am modeling it. It is a little too small for me but I think you get the point! I used sweatshirt fleece for the body and it worked out great. It is a little small for a bag, but it could hold money or something like that when you go out. It is probably better for a 7 year old's tiny hands too! haha



This is the underbelly where the cash goes.

I love Present making season! Well all except the part where my pics are so dark because the sun doesn't shine when I am not at work. But, that is the way it goes! And the fact that it is acceptable to watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music makes it all better.

Oh, Hey.

Hi There! It has been a minute. I have been busy. But not blogging :( and now it is Christmas present season so I can't even share with you the cool stuff I am doing. But I CAN show you some stuff you missed!




Ryan's mom and Step Dad came and they got Tattoos! Well Joan and Ryan did...



For Reals! Aren't they cute?



It was my OTHER cute little nephew's birthday! I made him some funny shirts and a sock skeleton. He really likes after dinner game shows...



Then it was Halloween, and we put out some pumpkins!



This present second, I am working on a really cute present for Ryan's niece, it is her birthday tomorrow. Now that we are all caught up, I feel much better. Now I can do some more cool stuff and can share it too!

Spooooky!

It is that time of year again! I am not a big halloween person. I am definitely the kind of person that talks a big Halloween game and then does nothing about it. I always want to dress up and have great ideas for costumes but I never get that stuff done. I DO love spooky things so much though, which is why I like to get the decorations and put them up and enjoy them. Most of this stuff is out in my house all year round, just all by itself or hidden or wherever. I just gathered it all up together in one place and it worked! ha



I made that skeleton last year. It is one of my favorite things. It is a SOCK! I made it at the museum last year at a craft night. It was really easy to do! Those tiny ghosts, you have seen and of course the severed hand is from Joan, my boyfriend's mom! It is ceramic, she is so good with that! We have a severed hand AND foot!



The pumpkin is from Ryan's market. We are going to decorate pumpkins maybe this weekend or next. I want to have a few big pumpkins this year to put on our fire escape to see from the street! The little pumpkins are cute too though. I want to also try to make my own pumpkin puree so I can make pumpkin bread. Yum!



The raven I usually have up high on a shelf, watching over my apartment. I am a weirdo. Haha.

It is fun! I have decided it is a warmup for Christmas decorating!

RVCA Locals Only show

Last night was AWESOME! Ryan had a show right down the street at RVCA. It was a group show called Locals Only. It was AMAZING to see his art up and really looked at by such a huge crowd.



People really seemed to get it and enjoy it! I was a weirdo and took a picture of someone looking at his stuff. It was so fun too because so many of his friends came to support. Even my lady Rebecca and her darling husband came out. It was so sweet! It made him feel so good. He was very nervous at first, but he is really good at talking to people and schmooozing it up when he gets started. I don't know why he gets so nervous! I am so proud of him!

Spoooky!

I had the desire to make something the other day, which felt good. I made these cutie pie ghosts out of clay and paper. I thought that they would look cute on my mantle for halloween! Which they totally do. They were really easy to make. I was thinking about drawing their eyes on, and to be honest, I am not good at that. SO I cut tiny features out of paper with an exacto blade and drew them on. It worked out pretty good for me.



Boo! I wanted to share the rest of the mantle with you, but when I went to take a picture, my cameral battery was dead. Story of my life. It is good though because I caught it in time to charge it for tonight.

Tonight is Ryan's first really awesome group show. It is at RVCA. Have you heard of that brand? I think it is an artist collective. They have clothes and stuff with art on it. It is going to be really neat seeing his art up on the walls. He submitted a few really technical pencil drawings. They really show his skill off. I will take pictures. I am so proud of him!

See, I told you it was rainy!

But we are still getting out there. And even though mean old fall is taking all of my daylight, we are trying to get out there for some of that too. Baby LOVES her walks. And while it takes a little coaxing when its wet, she is a professional squirrel stare-er-at-er.



So, we are easing into fall over here. I am trying to find the motivation to sew, but it is really not hanging out with me right now. I got some pretty great patterns on sale this weekend and have the fabric to make them too, I just need the push. We are REALLY excited because Ryan's show is opening this Saturday! I can't wait to share pics of the opening and of is art. His Birthday is next Monday too! We are going to pick out a drafting table for him and then in my family we also have the tradition of a "morning present" which you get early on your birthday. I don't have anything for him quite yet, but I have lots of fun ideas! I love bringing my family's traditions to our family.

This week up for me is more planning, some working out, some great dinners and some birthday planning!

Its Raining, Its pouring

And I am dreaming of sunshine and sitting with my boy eating breakfast. Sigh, I DO like fall, I swear. But I didn't get a summer this year, so I feel entitled to some more sunshine before the rainy winter.



And, I drew a couple of things. That is a start. I also made some ghosts from sculpty clay. They still need eyes and mouths. They are going to go on my Halloween mantle. Ryan and I have been talking about decorating for the holidays, so I am going to pick up a few things so I have some Halloween fun in my life.

Cheese Straws

Yesterday we were hungry! And we had no food. And I didn't feel like going to the store. But! I had ingredients! I love when I have ingredients. It really helps So, I made these! They were like cheeseits but a MILLION times better. Thanks to Smitten Kitchen, I can cook. But she is not a miracle worker, she cannot make me a good photographer, and she cannot make me take pictures of finished things either. Those are in my tummy.

Oh, Hello!

I have been very uninspired lately. It is annoying. I go to the fabric store and wonder around for an hour and buy nothing. I sit at my craft table and stare. I get in the kitchen and cook, but it is not a fun thing. Alas, this is what it is like to be a crafter I guess, it comes in ebbs and flows. I always try to enjoy the flows, because I always have these downs where I feel like doing NOTHING. I have a couple of ideas right now, but no tools to make them happen. It is a bummer. Hopefully that creativity will be back soon.



I did have fun at the park today with my funny dog! She loves grass so much she was rolling down a hill. It was amusing.



down down down



I got nothing. haha

Sewing

I have been uninteresting for a bit. I am not sure how that happens. I think part of it involves present making, and part of it involves laziness, bejeweled blitz on Facebook, and my Kindle being seriously easy to get books onto an thus I sit on my couch a lot and don't sew. BUT! I did recently make a supercute skirt! I made the shirt too but I am not as in love...



The skirt is Simplicity 2512, a Cynthia Rowley pattern. I get weird about stuff sometimes though and I skipped the pockets: I didn't want them, the tie, It seemed too complicated and not worth it, and the binding, cause I didn't understand what it added. Maybe more of a professional look, I guess. I think what I turned out with is a really cute party skirt/work skirt. I loves swishing around all day in taffeta. It was very satisfying.



That being said, I need to learn a new hairstyle for this length haha. I only have about 4 right now and I always end up with this because it takes me like 3 seconds to do. But I do love it.



Today I am excited because I am going on a legitimate shopping trip and spending money on myself for clothes! I love those trips, they are always fun. Also, I am going to try and get back to JoAnns, just for a couple of yards of fabric. Because I am addicted, in case you were wondering.

P.S. I will never tire of these terrible bathroom shots, I can't figure out where in my apartment to take decent pictures and I don't ever like pics that other people take(although its much appreciated) I always feel akward and weird. It is better when I have a couple minutes to myself in the bathroom at work. I know, I am a weirdo.

New Shirt!

I especially love this one! I saw the pattern a million times in the book and it didn't wow me. But, they made it as a sample display for the mannequin and I was sold. I immediately bought the pattern and then didn't do anything for it for awhile. Then, this lovely houndstooth fabric was on sale for $6 a yard and I bought a few yards and set to work. It wasn't the easiest thing I have made, and I didn't make the pockets and I chopped it off as a tunic and not a dress cause I wear pants. It may have been easier if my motivation was there, but it was being made at a time when I was forcing myself to sew. Which can be good and bad. This case it came out awesome. I had to take it step by step and not question things which can be hard for me but in the end, it turned out awesome.



It is New Look Pattern 0431. It has a very old school vibe and gets you lots of compliments.



In this fabric, it also feels like pajamas and is so cozy warm all day but tricks people into thinking that you are dressy. I like that about an article of clothing! And yes, these are more classy bathroom shots!

Flea Market

Ryan and I got up E-A-R-L-Y(for us) on Sunday morning and headed across the Bay Bridge to the Alameda Flea Market. It is something I LOVE to do, but we haven't been doing it too much lately. It is the first Sunday of the month, and we usually for some reason have something going on then. But, yesterday, we hopped out of bed, and rushed over there because we had a mission! We were looking for a new kitchen table and chairs. We have been wanting a formica table with chrome for a long, long time. And when you are lucky you can find them cheap. But when you are at the flea market you can find them not super cheap, but at a better deal than at an antique shop. So we saved a bunch of pennies and set out on our hunt.



The top of the table pattern I guess is called crushed ice. That is what they told us. I just think its lovely.



The chairs are REALLY my favorite. They came from a closed diner. They are a charcoal grey sparkle and they are SO COMFY to sit in!



We were so happy to complete our mission, but some other things caught our eyes! For me, it was this tiny matryoshka doll. It wasn't a full one which is why I got such a great deal, but I prefer tiny things and things that aren't perfect so it was perfect for me!



There were only two dolls in this, but I love her!



And EVERYTHING caught Ryan's eye. He shops like a girl. haha



We had so much fun! And I am glad I have an extra day to recover! Today I am going to sew up a storm!

Mic-key Mouse!

So, like I told you, my nephew thinks Mickey Mouse is a rockstar. So I sewed up a Mickey jumper for him and made him some mickey ears. They came out SO CUTE! I was afraid it wouldn't fit, but my sister sent me a pic of him today! She told me he is smiling because she was calling him Mickey Mouse! He even just likes hearing Mickey's name! I can't wait to see him again and give him a big kiss!!



It is his birthday tomorrow, I can't believe he is ONE!! Times are changing. I can remember my sister being a little baby in her little teddy bear dress. Now she has a cutie pie of her own! I am glad that my family is growing. I am glad they appreciate what I make too!

Hair!

So I chopped my hair! It feels so great to have short hair again! I love the new girl I went to, she was super cute and awesome. The haircut is good, but I think a work in progress. I think we were both a little nervous going from so long to so short. Here was the before. It looks extra bad because I had it up so it was all teased.



Here is the after! I love it. So cute and there is even a peekaboo blonde/carmel color to peek out. Things I would change: Next time, I am going to have her cut the bulk out of the side. It is kind of heavy and I don't think the angle is dramatic enough, I am also going to make the peekaboo part more bold. I think we were afraid to go too bold and it doesn't really get its point across I think. Also, she cut my hair partly with a razor. This makes my hair SUPER frizz for whatever reason. I am going to ask her to use only scissors on my cut so I don't end up looking like a poodle which incidentally I do right now because of the lovely summer fog we get her in San Francisco.



I especially love that I can pull it up like this!



Now I am off to finish my baby present so I can mail it off this week! My baby nephew is turning one in just a few days! I can't believe it!!

Saturday!

It is one of my favorite days again! Saturday Sew day!! While I have one project I am already working on and one in queue, I am getting excited about these patterns that I just bought. I blame JoAnn Fabrics for having ridiculously cheap patterns that I can't resist so that I have more patterns than fabric! Here are a few I bought last week. I need to pick out some yardage soon.



Firstly, I seriously want this shirt. And while I am doubting my ability to make the collar, I am just going to go for it and I think it will work out for me! ha!



I also bought two Cynthia Rowley skirt patterns. I love the overall look of the tulip skirt and top. I am going to try for the whole look of this pattern I think. Although I am not sure what fabric to make the top in. I feel like it should be sporty but the pattern doesn't have a difference from the top fabric to the skirt fabric. I might do a sweatshirt knit and a taffeta. I think that would be an interesting juxtaposition. Or just a nice heavy knit and taffeta. I am not sure yet. I just think it is so cute!!



And finally I LOVE this skirt. I just got my hair cut(pictures soon when the weather does not make me look like carrot top with an afro) Although when I have frizzy hair I am thankful of my years of practicing in my mom's mirror with bobby pins cause I just take 2 minutes and pin it up into a super cute beehive or prom do! I love having short hair again!! Anyways, back to the pattern. I love this skirt pattern. It is super cute, high waisted and a good length. I think I am going to get a couple of cute scoop neck tees from American Apparel and pair them with this look. I am going to try for a heavier fabric here and I can't wait to see how it turns out! I am off to the fabric store today! I also have to get snaps for my mickey look and then hopefully I will have pics of that later this week! It is turning out SO CUTE! Then I have to work on nephew #2's present!!

Mickey part 2

Here is another part of my nephew's gift! A quick little Mickey hat! Now in his little jumper and little hat he is going to be just like the mouse himself! So fun! I used this pattern from Ravelry. It was SO quick! I used wool and it is a little linty. I hope my sister likes it!