Hoarders...

Would somebody please stage an intervention for me? I have been CRAZY busy for the past couple of weeks, and it has led to some really scary mess taking over my house.  I need to clean, but instead I have been making new messes! 

Behold my office floor, at least that is what you should see in this picture.  I have another show coming up in a couple of weeks and I am super excited about the new pieces I am making, but this is just ridiculous!  I belong on "Hoarders," I think there is a dead cat under this pile (okay I don't have a cat, but it IS really messy).

Since I am publicly shaming myself into a cleaning spree I will also share this photo of one of the jackets I am working on so you can see I am not a total loser.  The show will be amazing.  We have a Mad Hatter's Tea theme.  There will be hats and all of my garments are going to have velvet or corduroy in them, they will feel fantastic!  I can't wait to see everything completed, so I guess I better get back to work.  If you live in the PNW come see us at the Anchor Pub in downtown Everett on Sunday March 10th.

Just a Trickle...

I am so excited, I simply cannot wait any longer to share a little more about my upcoming project!  I know  they say, "haste makes waste," but who the hell are "they" anyway?  As I mentioned the other day I am planning a fashion show for next month, so here is a peek at the front of the postcards, I know it isn't much, but it will give you the event number for tickets early (they won't actually go on sale until tomorrow!  Now don't you feel like a VIP?

I am moments (and a few key bits of info) away from finalizing the flyers, postcards, and online presence for our show, so tomorrow should be a busy day!  Regardless of these trifling details tickets will go on sale tomorrow afternoon, wish us luck!

The Last Minute Show

Well I am officially loco.  What?  You already knew that, oh well... I guess this is like my first step.  I am admitting I have a problem.  I am a Last Minute Lucy.  You know, the girl who waits until the last possible moment to do stuff.  Yeah, that is me.  Yesterday, while I was moving my inventory into the boutique I decided to plan a fashion show... for Valentine's Day.

I am still working out the details, but as of now I have three designers on board (okay, one of them is me), a DJ to MC the evening, two belly dancers, four models (okay, again one of them is me), a man to pour the champagne, a poster with a couple of blanks for more names, and a venue willing to allow my madness to continue unchecked.  Not bad for an idea I hatched about 18 hours ago. 

Sneak Peek- this image is the beginning of my poster...

And I found the perfect fabric on clearance to make the kirtle that will go under my houpellande, now I just have to sew those in the next two weeks, while I plan a fashion show...  Yeah, loco.

Start to Finish

Have you ever thought about the term "start to finish"?  I know I can't be the only person out there  with trouble getting things done.  If you are like me you are probably AMAZING at starting things, but less than stellar when it comes to finishing them.  When I titled this entry I thought, hmmmmm start to finish, as in; I should start to finish this project.  No pressure, I am not saying it is time to get it done, just start to finish.  For some reason I like the sound of that. 

I am in the final stages of sewing on four "period" tunics for use in the SCA.  Three of them are for friends/clients and I should really get them done, the fourth one is for my son (I liked the pattern I used, and thought he should have one too.)  For some reason having these four tunics sitting here makes me think I should really get started on my own garb for Ursulmas.  I am considering a velvet houppelande, something along the lines of van der Weyden's Magdalen Reading...

Image borrowed from http://www.uvm.edu/~hag/sca/15th/ thank you kindly

I know what you are thinking!  I should, under no circumstances, begin this dress until I have completed the other pieces in the works... but, but...  I already have the fabric in my stash, and I really do need something warmer to wear to this cold winter event, and I have at least a dozen more crazy reasons I could give you why I NEED to do this.  Gah!  In the end I know I shouldn't start anything new, did I mention I'm supposed to be organizing and pricing my inventory to place in a boutique tomorrow too? 

Yeah, I guess it isn't the right time to start a new dress... but maybe I could find time to work in a little knitting today?  Hopeless!

Blacksploitation Barbie...

Today I am sharing a deep, dark, hidden secret- I still like to play dress-up!  What?  You already knew that about me?  Oh, well... I bet you didn't know that sometimes I give my outfits names.  Like today's ensemble, I called it "Blacksploitation Barbie," but it could have also been named after whatever version of Better Homes and Gardens was aimed at the black hostess of the '70s.  I rocked my favorite mini mumu with denim short shorts, and lots of accessories.  Since I shaved my head I feel like I can really get away with some fierce/fun looks including lots of make-up and bling.  Sadly I had nowhere to go today, but I looked fabulous while I sat around my yard and painted my nails.

More importantly, I have made it to the half way mark on my embroidered bodice!  Next step embroider the straps with a border, this is simple and will give me a much needed break from the main design.  I will need to pick up some more floss, I am running low on a couple of the colors already.  Then I will trace the completed half of the design and transfer a mirror image onto the other half of the bodice and embroider that too.  I think this will be done in about two weeks, then I can make the dress to go under it!  I am trying to decide between purple and green for the dress, right now I am leaning toward purple, but I am open to suggestions.

Restless Rhymes With Rainy...

 

Rasberries!  I am having a twitchy, itchy, restless kind of day.  It is still raining and I can't get outside to wiggle.  I think it is time to bust out my hula hoop and have a private dance party, yep, I said it.  **sigh**  But first- I made this great top in an attempt to feel productive.

You can find the tutorial over at Her New Leaf, a fun blog about DIY and such.  It is super simple, but I will let you read the tutorial and see for yourself.  The only changes I made were to cut the neck out of a long sleeved T-shirt and cut smaller slits, then I used the described technique, and finally made a little bow out of a strip of the leftover neck and sewed that on over the beginning hole.  

Thanks to my recent stint in retail I have some icky "work clothes" and I do use that term very loosely, these are horrid retail slave appropriate, not for an actual job (sorry retail slaves).   Instead of disposing of these sad little mishappen soldiers I would like to repurpose them.  I actually have two more shirts just like this one but in green and black to spruce up later, and I am taking suggestions.  Have you done any great T-shirt makeovers?  I have lots of very rock'n'roll ones with fringe and ties and such, but I could use some more lady-like options like this.

Now, for some hula hooping

Watcha Been Wearing?

On Wednesday I cut my own hair.  Shaved a mohawk... because I can.  I have been hating my hair for months, I kept telling myself I was growing it out, so I had to suffer through the awkward phase.  Tough it out.  Lame.  Life is short, hair grows back.  I don't have any reason to keep my hair professional right now, no job, no plans, so what the hell?  Besides, I am cute with short hair (at least that is what my husband says).

Whenever I cut my hair I manage to take some pictures to share with friends far away, the friends I still go to for style advice and support.  Well I realized today that I had managed photos three days in a row and that is as close to documenting my outfits as I get, so without further ado; this is officially an "Outfit Post"

Wednesday: skinny jeans w/ navy & white striped mini dress, brown tank, brown cardigan and navy flats

Thursday: skinny jeans, white v-neck T, black cardigan, B&W scarf, and Chucks

Friday: black snap ankle leggings, mini dress, black cardigan, and black flats

So now a little fashion analysis of my selections.  I like to be comfy, but I do not rock yoga pants unless I am going to the gym, or suffering from depression.  This week I haven't made it to the gym once, but I needed to avoid the lurking depression, so I have opted for the comfort of skinny stretchy jeans and leggings.  I like the look of layers, and I live in the chilly Pacific Northwest so I always need a little sweater action, but spring is just around the corner so I wanted to dust off some of my cute frocks too.  That is how I ended up pairing little dresses with "pants" and cardigans.  I haven't left the house all week, so I didn't NEED to get dressed, but I could certainly answer my door if you came by unexpectedly. 

Okay, tongue-in-cheek aside, I guess what I have been wearing is actually vaguely important, writing about it reminds me how I am feeling about my life.  This isn't a fashion blog, (I know you are shocked right?).  This is a blog about my life, and while I do love clothes, and I love getting dressed, I am also in a weird transitional phase of my life... getting dressed is actually part of my ritual of normalcy.  So for those of you out there sitting in your pajamas after 8 a.m. I say, go get dressed, maybe even take a shower.  Then you can answer the door when the mailman knocks too.