Inspiration (As If You or I Needed Anymore...)

I'm trying to wean myself from gathering hours and hours of sewing/knitting/crafting inspiration online (and therefore accomplishing very little actual sewing/knitting/crafting)...but I seriously got giddy when I saw this on the Anthropologie website today.  I never knew my dreamstyle had a name, but I think this it:  50's Proper Preppy Prim. 

How fun it would be to file court motions in these.  Now to sew!

On a related note...did you know that you can find free patterns to download at the BurdaStyle website?  I haven't tried any yet, but this skirt makes me want to!

I love that this girl made a dress from it!

Flight

One year ago tonight, my future husband was on a plane from Boston to Missoula, Montana to see a girl he hadn't seen in roughly 12 years:  Me.  Happy anniversary of flight, dearheart.  It's been a crazy year...I love you.

My Weekend Project, Part II

This is what I really made this weekend.  I didn't decide til around 6:30 pm Sunday that I needed to create something...so one card was as far as I got.  It's amazing how long it takes to cut out a herd of tiny hearts!  No tutorial for this one...just a prefolded white card, some cardstock, scissors and glue.  And...if you're smarter than I am, a heart hole punch!  I can't decide whether to leave the front as is, or write something clever like, "Happy Valentines Day!"  Thoughts?

My Weekend Project, Part I

Okay, so I thought of posting a My Weekend Project every Monday to help motivate me to create more...The only problem is 1)  It's Tuesday...and 2)  This project is actually from a couple weekends ago.  Oh well, it's a start.  Hopefully later today I will post Part II, which will include what I actually created this weekend.

I never really saw the point of making pillowcases before, honestly.  But this last December when I was so homesick for family and Christmas in Montana, I discovered some flannel snowmen pillocases* that my mom had made for me a few years back.  Putting them on the bed made me feel so homey and festive and loved.  I don't know if making my own pillowcases have quite that effect (especially since Mac mildly hates them), but I really enjoyed the process and was pleased with how they turned out.  I used the Perfect Pillow Case tutorial from Stop Staring and Start Sewing, only I made my border (yellow) 2 inches wider (12"), which made the body (blue) 2 inches shorter (23").

Yeah, they're a little bit more Holly Hobbie-ish than my usual style...but there's also something comforting about that (maybe because my oldest sister used to make me and my middle sister Holly Hobbie art for Christmas presents).  There's also something kind of happy-sweet-silly-eccentric-English-lady about tossing floral prints wherever you want (perhaps this explains my strange addiction to cotton prints??). 

Mac's main reason for not liking them (or the one that he'll admit to, anyway), is that they don't really match** the rest of our "decor".  I'm putting quotation marks around the word decor because we haven't really done much that can be considered decorating...as you can see by the writing on the wall.

Hope you enjoyed the first of the My Weekend Project posts!  I'm really excited and hopeful about creating more this year.  I have linked the title of this post directly to the tutorial--I will try to do that every time I use a tutorial for a project so you have an easy reference.

*  Back then I wondered what I would do with 2 pillowcases!  I guess my mom was psychic.
**  It is truly a mystery to me when guys started caring about these things...I know I'm not the only one with a husband with a strong sense of style and equally strong opinions.  Ah well...at least he has good taste!

Good News Train

Mac developed some film for me for Christmas--Here's a favorite photo from our summer cross-country road trip!

I recently realized something about myself:  I am not very forthcoming with good news.  It's strange.  I'm not that shy about telling people my struggles, but I have the hardest time telling people about good stuff when it happens.  It's almost as if I don't really believe it...or maybe I don't trust it.  As if I think the good news is going to disappear once it's spoken outloud and I'll be standing around like an emperor without clothes.  It often happens that, rather than being thankful and celebrating all I've been given, I live in fear that it won't last and I forecast depression on an otherwise pretty bright future.  It's ridiculous, really.

I've been thinking about this because I've had a lot of people act surprised when they find out I have a job--a 'real' job, not seasonal retail or temp labor (though I'm thankful I had that when I did).  It makes me sad I've been so tight-fisted with this information.  So here I go...the law office I had been working for on a temporary basis has offered to keep me on indefinitely, and is training me to be a legal secretary/assistant.  They have been really good to me--patient and kind and generous.  And I actually enjoy my job...fancy that!  Right now it's only part-time, so something will need to change, but...I don't know...deep down I feel like it's taken care of, and what's required of me is just to work well and be grateful. 

God is so good to me, even when I can be an unthankful little brat (my words, not His).  It feels refreshing to share good news with you.  Speaking of good news, my husband and our music pastor are singing When Peace Like A River (It Is Well With My Soul) in the living room as I write.  Talk about being thankful.  The full story of that song is here, but it was written by a man who lost nearly everything...including 4 daughters in a sinking ship.  I remember my dad singing this song in church and getting teary-eyed.  I guess he was thinking of us.  Yeah, I've got a lot to be thankful for.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

World's Shortest Giveaway!

You all deserve a prize! 

Celebrate Life--for guessing the other item I had at the check-out stand before the cashier told me it was $8.99 (It was sooo cute, but it was basically a pillowcase sewn to a tank top and I just couldn't justify that price...Told you I was a cheapskate!).
One Crazy Mom--for following instructions best by including her e-mail : ]  (I also had a hard time saying no to that sweater.  It was navy and wine colored stripes, but a little bit too sheer...neither of which show up in the picture...strange!).
sylvia--for becoming a new Mac and Me follower (Yay!!  And because looking back at the pictures while writing this post, I was kind of sad I didn't snag that jacket...)
Betherann--for guessing the correct item!  (I think Beth realized my love for all things turquoise long before I ever did!)

Congratulations, Beth!  One green apron will be heading your way soon!  Thanks for playing along, everyone--You guys are the bestest.  I'm excited to do more giveaways as the year progresses.  They won't normally be based on questions with only 8 possible answers...or questions at all per se...but I couldn't resist this one.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sew a pillowcase to my tank top!  (That dress may find it's home with me yet!)

Goodwill Tour--and Apron Giveaway!

(clockwise from top left:  short sleeve empire, pink stripe oxford, pleated button down, T-shaped sweater, pillowcase tank dress, short sleeve jacket, long sleeve empire, and balloon sleeve top)

Last Sunday on my way home from church, I accidentally found myself in the turn lane when I had intended to go straight.  I decided that since I had to circle back anyway, (and didn't really feel like watching the football game that was being viewed at home) I would check out the nearby Goodwill.  While I was there, I remembered the Clothing Wars challenge that Beth presented.  I giddily completed my entry for that (most likely making the staff and customers wonder why on earth I was hauling such a hideous assortment of items to the dressing room.), but I'll hold off on posting those photos for now, because I have my own mini-challenge for you, my readers--Read on!

Remember when I said a while back that the Mac and Me household was without a full-length mirror?  Well, we are still without one, but I have found it to be sort of helpful in a way.  On the days when I photograph myself, I discover certain things.  Things I wouldn't necessarily notice in a mirror.  For instance...some things don't look as good as I thought...some things look better than I thought...some things work/don't work together when I had previously thought otherwise, and some things are just plain boring.  I don't know why we see ourselves differently in a photograph than we do in a mirror, but I guarantee you it's true.

Anyway, I decided to apply my 'makeshift mirror' technique in the dressing room at Goodwill.  Here are some of the discoveries I made:

1)  It was easier to narrow down what I really wanted to take home with me (and I am a spendthrift with a part-time job so it had to be a VERY narrow list) when I took photos of what I was trying on.  If looking back at the photo made me think, "Yay!", then I knew I had a contender.  I'm sure some stores frown on this, but sometimes I need a second opinion and this was as close as I was going to get without asking an unsuspecting employee/customer/child playing in the nearby toy section.
2)  I discovered that I tend to gravitate toward empire-waisted shirts a.k.a. baby-doll shirts (but not like the 90's belly shirts!!) and plain cotton button down shirts (like preppy man-shirts for girls).  I decided maybe I should curb my penchant for both.  The former is something my mom would probably say "doesn't do much" for me...though I partially blame her and all her cute maternity tops in the 70's for the allure they hold.  The latter is safe for work, but becoming a little bit boring.

So...having said all that, I'm proud to announce that I went home with only one item.  My challenge to you is, which item do you think it was?  Tell you what.  I will send one green apron (pictured at right) to the first person who guesses correctly!  One guess per person...One additional guess if you choose to follow my blog (and are not doing so already).  Crafty, ain't I?  The rules are pretty simple.  Just leave a comment on this post and an e-mail address spelled out (i.e. sweatsuited at yahoo dot com) so I can get in touch with you!  I don't expect this to last long...I'm not that hard to figure out!

P.S.  As for the red cowboy boots and fedora, I can tell you I didn't go home with either of those (darn, right!?).  They were part of the Clothing Wars challenge so you'll be seeing them again soon!

Favorite Shoes

The Velveteen Rabbit of shoes.  Except, unlike the Velveteen Rabbit (near as I can remember anyway), there was a time when I had to let these go forever.  I started noticing that every meeting I went to (back in the days when I had a real job) smelled suspiciously like feet.*  A sad day for many reasons.

Anywho, they (Seychelles) don't make these anymore (also a sad day when I found that out), but someone is selling a slighly used black pair on ebay.  As much as I loved them though...I'm not sure I could handle the potential of someone else's foot smell showing up one day like an uninvited guest. 

How do you guys feel about used shoes?  Have you ever owned a pair of shoes you wore to death/sadly discovered aren't made anymore?

* My feet don't smell normally, I promise!  It's just that I wore these shoes THAT much.  And it's true what your mother told you...don't go without socks/stockings.

Confession

So, I was logging in to write a random short post about my favorite pair of shoes when I stopped to read the latest posts from friends whose blogs I follow.  Two of them (and I only follow about 5) were about Haiti relief, and I suddenly realized something that's been sneaking up on me for some time.  I have become someone who has grown quite comfortable with avoiding bad news...well, with avoiding news altogether I think, but the presumption is that it's really the bad news I'm avoiding. 

I guess I don't always know what to do in the face of it all.  I feel overwhelmed, and I often choose to bury my head in the sand.  This makes me pretty sad because I think God's given me a perfectly good head.  I guess the trouble is that He's also given me a heart that is prone to growing too big and heavy for me to carry on my own...so rather than going to Him with it, I turn a blind eye to protect my selfish heart.  I can't help but think this makes God sad too.

I was so encouraged to read in the article that Katie posted (from Imago Dei Community), that one of the first opportunities we have to get involved is simply prayer:  "We have access to the God of all creation in prayer. There is perhaps no more powerful resource we have than to turn to our Father and seek him on behalf of the people and the tragedy in Haiti."  (For ideas on specific needs to pray for, see article).  How easy it is to overlook this powerful opportunity to serve people.  Why is that?  Maybe as Americans we've just grown so used to throwing money at a problem in order to "fix" it.  I'm not saying we should stop giving.  I love that Americans tend to be so generous in the face of crisis and need.  I just have a couple issues with it.  1)  (Speaking selfishly, because I am more and more discovering what a selfish beast I am)  It makes me feel powerless when I am in a position where I want to give so bad and can't.  2)  I think when we are able to "fix" things with money, we are (I am) tempted to forget our need for God and we (I) fail to trust and pray.  3)  I think some part of us thinks that with enough money, a problem will go away.  But the problems of the world go so much deeper, and they extend so far beyond any given crisis.  We live in a broken world where opportunities to give and serve (and pray!) surround us at any given moment.

So...I am feeling both challenged (not to bury my head in the sand anymore) and encouraged (that there may well be times when I can't board the next plane or even give money to help...but I can always, always pray).  I don't exactly know the ways that God has called me to be His love in the world, but I sure as heck (can I say that?) want to spend my life finding out.  Maybe it changes with each day or season.  For today, I pray.  

I Love an Awards Show!

So, I had to bat my lashes a bit to reserve the tv for Golden Globes (and not football), but I'm so excited!  I dragged my laptop into the living room with me in case any of my Skype friends were watching it too, and Mac said "Oh boy...are you blogging live from the Golden Globes?"  Haha, well I wasn't planning on it, but come on...so fun!  Watch with me!

Jenna Fischer - Golden Globes 2010 Red Carpet - Photo Gallery | Just Jared

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Context

I feel like I should add some context to my middle of the night notes from a few days back.  I have always been someone who struggles with a lot of fear, anxiety and (little wonder) depression.  So I often find that I'm surviving life like an attack and therefore, I'm always looking for someone or someones or something to save me.  Sometimes I guess I have to hit rock bottom before I'll finally look up.  When I did, I found that I already have Someone who saved and saves me.  Every day, every hour, every second...God saves me.  When will I ever get it and stop looking elsewhere?  I am so tired of making myself and everyone I lean on miserable in my empty search for what's already been found.  Either He is all the love, hope, life, joy, acceptance, approval and glory I need...or He's not.  There is no room for lukewarm sentiments here.  I for one want to believe.  God, I believe in my head...help my unbelief in my heart.

On my drives to work last week, I started listening to a podcast series from my friend Katie's church in Oregon (Imago Dei, also Donald Miller's church).  The series was entitled Rugged Spirituality and deals with the life of David, king and writer of many Psalms (one of which contains my favorite verse).  Anyway, what I had heard that particular morning was this.  We all find ourselves in a wilderness at some time or another.  In David's wilderness, he learned to pray.  The prayers he prayed in the wilderness (running for his life!) are some of my favorite Psalms today.  So think about this...when we find ourselves in a wilderness, it just might be an opportunity for us to learn to really pray from our guts...and that just might be something God uses to bless the whole world--even future generations--through us.

Clothing Wars

Dedicated to my dear friend, Beth.

When I feel blue, sometimes it cheers me up to go to a store and try on something I would probably never purhcase (or wear) in a million years.  My friend Beth and I developed a game around this when I was still living in Montana.  It's called Clothing Wars and here's how it works: 

We would enter a store together and within 5 or 10 minutes, pick out the most ridiculous clothes we could find for each other to try on.  The person who came up with the silliest/worst outfit (for the other person to wear) won.  Beth always won.  Seriously, I would pick out what I thought would be the most hideous thing and somehow, they always looked almost wearable on her.  Whereas I, on the other hand...well, you get the idea.

Another version of the game was the Prom Season version.  I don't think there was ever a winner or loser with this game, because really we both just liked to try on ridiculous prom dresses.  Yes, we were in our mid to late twenties.  Do you see the second photo below?  It is blurry because the shop girl was very angry with us for sharing one dressing room and demanded that we get out at once.  So scary!

I really miss Clothing Wars.  While it did cheer me up quite a bit to try on something I normally wouldn't wear and make silly faces while holding my camera in awkward positions...it just wasn't quite the same without my friend.  So here is what I propose.  A long-distance Clothing Wars that goes something like this:  Walk into ___________ store and pick up the first ___________ (i.e. brown) shirt you see.  Now grab the first ____________ (i.e. pleated) pants you see...and on and on until we have a competition worthy ensemble.  Then we photograph ourselves and post the pictures for our readers to judge...and then we hope that the stores don't sue us or publicly chastise us.  Hm...perhaps one day we should consider trying to make the best outfit instead...then the stores will thank us for all that free publicity!

What do you say?  Anyone else want to join?

P.S.  I actually ended up liking that black dress I tried on!  Too bad it was so baggy up top and too bad I never go anywhere but work and church.  It was cheap!

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning...

A hard fought lesson:

The thing about God is, either He's it or He's not.  Maybe it's time to stop looking and believe.

I don't know if anyone else needs to hear this too...I just know things changed when I did.  If you say you believe God and yet are still looking for someone to die for you, approve of you, tell you belong, call you family, know you deeply and love you unfailingly...you are hurting yourself.  There's only one who can hear your heart's cry at any time of day or night--whether it's expressed in words, broken sobs, or just plain old heart wrenching.  So what are you waiting for, my friend?  Cry out.

My Weekend Apron...or, New Year's Revolution Success!

I did it!  I said I was in the mood to sew and I actually did something about it!  Granted...I was only motivated because of a last-minute gifting opportunity which failed to materialize in the end (didn't finish in time, didn't like it enough to give it away)...but hey, I sewed!  It's been way too long, I have to say.  Both me and the machine could use a few improvements, but all in all I'd say we got along rather handily.

I made up the pattern for this one, but as I was brainstorming and gathering inspiration online, I did come up with a few patterns that look fun to try.  Best of all, they're free!  I really love the internet sometimes.  I'll try to post the best of my findings soon...I'd like to make another apron in the near future.  No real reason...they're just simple and fun, and I like having the freedom to experiment without worrying about whether I'd wear it (in public) or not.  (Sadly, this worry has become less and less frequent of late, and I think I may be in need of some fashion counseling soon.)

My workspace was looking so inviting this weekend, how could I help but sew!?

I'm Sew Excited, I Just Can't Hide It*

I saw these photos from Built by Wendy today and it's official:  I'm in the mood to sew! 

This is a good thing, as Mac told me the other day that my New Year's resolution should be to sew more...to which I responded that it was!  Actually, I wrote about 2 pages of 'revolutions' (no more resolutions, I always seem to fail them!), but sewing and just generally creating more were high up on the list.

Mac gave me this sewing machine for my birthday last year.  It belonged to his mom.  I am so excited to start sewing again!

*Come on, you knew a bad sewing pun was bound to happen sooner or later.

...Et Voila!

My favorite discovery of the day, courtesy of Animal Head Vintage (a super inspiring site I stumbled upon in my usual Sunday evening blog-wanderings):

La photocabine.  It's a virtual photobooth, just like the kind Mac and me (I know, I know...it should be Mac and I) went on a cross-country quest to find.  Just like the kind I grew up using at every K-Mart, Sears and Bon Marché my little saddle shoes, Keds and jellies could drag me to...but have sadly since been removed.  Yes, just like that...only free! 

The instructions are en français, so just click the curtain to get inside and push the button when you're ready to go! 

My second most favorite discovery will be seeing the photos that all of you take.  Blog them, flickr them, facebook them, e-mail them...but by all means, don't let me down!