Ruffle or Bow???

 

I can't decide which I like better. Should I go with the ruffle or the bow? Don't worry, I'll finish the tail of the ruffle. This is just a practice to see what it would look like. This dress was super easy to make so I could make it again. Thoughts?

Wedding Colors: Green

Initially (before we were even engaged) I assumed we would use green for the wedding. It's Dan's favorite color and he uses it quite a bit in his work. Apple green/Chartreuse, something in that family. 

 

Say Yes to the Dress

I'm not going to Kleinfeld's (who doesn't love that show?) but I am going dress shopping this weekend!! Yay! I've been thinking about my wedding dress since the day we got engaged. Ok, maybe before that. ;-)  I've been saving pictures and going through wedding magazines and I CAN'T WAIT!!! I'm pretty excited. Can you tell?

Several people have asked if I would make my dress. While thats a flattering question; I wouldn't even know where to begin. I've thought about having my mom make it, but that seems like a lot of pressure and extra stress. I will probably make dresses for the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon.

I've been given lots of wedding dress advice and I take Say Yes to the Dress very seriously. So I know the rules: don't take a big crowd, don't try on anything out of your budget, etc. I am a little nervous though. What if I don't like anything? What if I like everything? As a shopaholic, what if I want to continue shopping? Too bad I can't have multiple dresses.

Here's a couple dress that I've fallen in LOVE with! I'm kind of thinking A-line with a sweetheart neckline. Although I do love the one-strap look! Short dress!?! I plan to try on all styles.

Wish me luck this weekend.

PS- I've asked Dan's opinions on some of the dresses, but don't worry he won't see the final choice until the big day!! 

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

I made some tasty banana bread muffins this weekend! They were so tasty I downed three right away. (Nom, nom, nom)  Fortunately they are relatively healthy, however next time I'm thinking of adding chocolate chips. Yum!

Banana Bread Muffins

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 large very ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup applesauce

Mix first 4 ingredients (flour, powder, soda, and salt) in medium bowl. Mash bananas in a large bowl. Add sugar, egg and applesauce. Stir together. Fold in flour mixture, do not over mix. Scoop batter into 12 large lined muffin cups so they're almost level with the top of each cup. Bake on 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes! 


Enjoy!! 

Wedding Colors: Plum

We are starting to consider colors for our wedding and currently hooked on Plum/Purple. Here's a few pictures I've collected for ideas and inspiration.

       

Photo Credits:

Amanda Fales Photography - amandafales.com

Jessica Strickland Photography - jessicastrickland.com

Baking Season

It's no secret I'm the queen of sweets. I seem to bake a lot more in the fall and winter. Once the weather gets cooler bring on the baked goods! I love making breads (banana, zucchini, cranberry) pumpkin pie, cutout cookies, christmas cookies and so much more!! Mmmm!

I'm making a new low fat banana bread this weekend! I'll post the recipe tomorrow! Stay tuned for more recipes and pictures throughout the season.

Him and Her - Getting Married!

We met 7 years ago, dated for 6 years and have been engaged for a few months. And now we've set the date!! Dan and I are getting married July 30, 2011 in Jasper, IN!!!! We are thrilled to finally set the date and location. Now let the fun begin. We are really excited to spend the day with our friends and family!

I can't wait to be married and spend our life together. I am incredibly happy and so in love!

Learning to Sketch

Goals:

1. Learn to Sketch

2. Finish dresses more professionally. 

I'm definitely not a perfectionist and therefore my sketches look like stick women and my dresses aren't "finished" looking on the inside. Basically I draw out ideas, throw patterns together, figure out how to sew it and wear it as soon as possible. So over the next few projects I want to slow down, take my time, and finish dresses. By finishing I mean sewing the lining down, adding a tag, and overall creating more polished work. Wish me luck, and most of all patience! 

Sample of my sketching. 

**Any suggestions on how to draw bodies and heads for these dresses are welcome! 

Upcoming Projects

I've got a lot of things in the works for this fall. We still have 2 more weddings to attend! Plus with the weather change, I've got fall fashion and clothes on my mind :) Here's a look at my inspiration boards for the fall and of course dresses I like. Is this nerdy?

Lineup of fall projects. 

I'm not sure where to start!  Stay tuned.  I'll keep updating when I finish projects in the next few weeks. 

Welcome to Fall (Cooking)

 I have to admit fresh summer foods are my favorite! But now that the weather is getting cooler I've already broken out my crock pot. I wanted to share 3 easy crock pot recipes I have made recently. 

Mexi- Chicken

2-4 Chicken Breasts (raw)

1 jar of your favorite salsa

1 can of black beans

1 can of mexicorn

Cook on low all day. Serve with rice or in tortillas! 

"Some Like it Hot"

Chuck Roast

Jar of peppercinis      

1 Packet of dry Italian dressing mix                                                 

Cook on low all day. Serve on buns for sandwiches.

German Favorite

(1) 5lb pork picnic roast

Half a jar/can of sauerkraut

salt/pepper to taste

chili powder to taste

Cook pork with a few cups of water all day on low. Add sauerkraut before serving. 

**(Don't be afraid of the sauerkraut). I'm not a fan of it either, but you can't taste it. The recipe calls for a full can, but I only put a half (I'm a little afraid). Seriously, you can't taste it though.

ENJOY!!!! 

Vintage Bags

I love vintage purses. The best bags are found in thrift shops or grandma's closet. Check out the 2 handbags I found a few weeks ago at a thrift shop in Muncie. I paid no more than a couple bucks for each purse.

 

Designer Handbag

Balenciaga Bag 

 

I fell in love with this bag last year. Kourtney has been carrying it all year too! Although mine was a whole lot cheaper!  Shop Suey Boutique

Sewing for Others

Last year my good friend, Danielle, asked me to make her a dress. I was hesitant, but up for the challenge. I  used my trusty sweetheart neckline cocktail dress pattern. I had no idea how stressful making a dress for someone else would be. I wanted everything to be perfect, which isn't how I normally work. I usually prefer to get my dresses done quickly and don't pay too much attention to how everything looks. (I'm working on this) I don't mind seams not matching up and the insides frayed. If no one else notices, who cares?

Making a dress for someone else was really stressful. I'm still working on my sewing skills and I'm not very good at finishing dresses to make them look professional. Plus its incredibly difficult to get the fit right. I'm used to trying them on myself and making adjustments. But in the end it turned out alright and I even made her another one in a different color just recently.

For now, I'm gonna stick to practicing my sewing skills on my own dresses.  Hopefully soon, I will have more confidence and feel comfortable making clothes for others.

 Danielle's Dresses 

                    * I did not make my own dress. 

Goin Golfing

Or really just to nine bars (holes). My sorority sisters from college put together a golf themed bar crawl in Chicago for a sista's birthday. The original rules stated that everyone must wear plaid and golf attire. Naturally I went to the sewing machine and whipped up a dress.

The rules were changed a few days before the crawl and I packed multiple cute outfits for the trip to Chicago. Not a single outfit included golf attire. I honestly didn't think everyone would dress accordingly. (Sorry girls). Unfortunately,  I was wrong and had left my plaid at home. So here's a look at the dress I made and the borrowed outfit I ended up in. Either way I was a WINNER!!!

GO TEAM: The Perez's.

Learning by Mistakes

I had high hopes for this dress. I loved the color fabric and style I had chosen, but it did not love me. Again, I started out trying to use more than one pattern. By doing so, I had to change the zipper from the back to the side. Should be no problem. I also wanted to add the ruffle skirt. To add the skirt I used my best high school geometry skills to hand draw a circle then measure around it based on my waist size. (Diameter, radius, pi, circumference) Remember those? All just to get the skirt to ruffle the perfect amount.

After 2 circles, and way too much fabric (5 yards!), I finally ended up with what resembled a dress. Unfortunately it wasn't the best fit and in attempt to make it fit better, I cut the strap. Well, I cut the strap too short. While I probably could have added material or fixed this mistake. I just chalked it up to practice. The whole dress wasn't a good fit anyway.

Here's a look at what could have been....

*Look closely the strap does not attach. 

Rompin' Around

I have been dying to make a romper since last summer! I finally found a pattern I could use. It was actually really easy! I used green seersucker material, perfect for a summer golf outing.  I would love to make more, but how many rompers does one person really need?

Wedding Dress?!?

I want THIS dress! In white, obviously!

One Sleeved Headache

Whew! This dress was a huge headache! I used three patterns to make the dress (sleeve, bodice, and skirt). Combining the patterns was a bit difficult for this amateur seamstress. I got to the end, all ready for the zipper, when I realized it wouldn't match up. The diagonal top had gone wrong. It was literally mind bending. I could think of no other option, but to mail the dress home for my mom to take a look. Fortunately, she's a pro and figured it out for me. She fixed it and promptly sent the dress back. UNfortunately, the package never arrived.  I went for weeks wondering what happened, calling the post office and waiting for the mail. After all the hard work, it disappeared! The saying is true, it literally got "lost in the mail". 

Miraculously, about a month later I found it at the post office, paid the extra 40 cents it was missing in shipping fees, and was finally able to wear it! 

I love this dress!!!