spring wish list

I'm still sick, but not so much that I can't get out of bed... It feels like its been forever, but I'm slowly making my way back into real life... so in order to get back into real life my first blog post is about a wish list! haha I know. I live in a fantasy world most days... so here it is, the things I most want (and need) for spring.

New hand bag

Balenciaga shoes. (yeah, right)

Brown belt. I found one that was perfect but I was robbed! I was going to pay for it and it had been recalled so they couldn't sell it to me. Robbed, I tell you!

I want some Oxford flats. Maybe not these colors… but I do love these.

I want these. They are perfectomundo.

I want this blazer. Elizabeth and James… how I love thee...

New specs. I don't know if I want statement glasses…

like these….

But I don't know… we'll see.

Leather Jacket! Natalie Portman is so freeken cute! I want a bad ass leather cropped jacket. I found one but being the broke girl I'm not able to afford it… ::tear::

And I want baggy tees in lotsa colors. I need colors and shirts… bad.

...nnnggghghhg... I almost made it to spring

I've bnnng sick... slurp. Again. bud I do hab much do possd aboud when I can thingk straighd an hear oud of my righd ear again... slurp. hack. hack. I'm goingg bagk to bed.

Monday Rant....

I have to start the week off with a rant about a certain frustration I found this weekend.

Now you all know my love for Mary Kate and Ashley and their high end line Elizabeth and James. This weekend I came across a video of their appearance on Good Morning America promoting their new line called Olsenboye that is available at JCPenney's. I know... I know... what a name, right? And then... they brought out the models.... it was awful. AWFUL I tell you! I know it is a juniors line, but cripes! it was like a bad day at the lake from when I was fifteen. And what is with the 'boyfriend' clothes? Gertie brought my attention to another article concerning that, but I digress.

Now in the video I watched there was only four outfits and I did find the little blazer to be nice if only in shape. The color really leaves something to be desired and the little crest is a cheap little pin that looked like it was about to fall off...




So I went to do a little research of my own. I drug my hubby to the local mall too see if the line was already available and I had just been living under a rock (which I had..). Low and behold there it was... in all of its teen-agey glory. It was so awful I wanted to cry... bright pink bubble dresses, ripped 'boyfriend' jeans and shorts, faded jean jackets, cropped graphic tees...



All of this from girls, nay, women with more creativity and taste (let us not forget connections also) than I could hope to have in a life time.

Now I know I'm trashing on this line, when honestly this is quite fashionable and accessible to young teen girls. I will say that the shoes were something I would consider wearing...




but they were made by Steve Madden... (cheaters) Now, I just wish they would make an affordable line more accessible to the twenty something women who need to look fashionable at the work place and don't have the nine hundred dollars to be spending on a fitted blazer or three hundred dollars for a cardigan. Give me Elizabeth and James for a fraction of the cost, I guess is what I'm asking. I will even sail the sea of sale racks at my local JCP to do it...



oh MKA... Why have you forsaken me!?!?

2.4.10 outfit

I know its been a really long time since I have posted an outfit, but this is the finished product of what I gave you a sneak peak at in my zipper tutorial! Today we had a two hour snow delay and my morning was actually productive which is why I now have outfit shots! Happy day!




The dress was inspired by Elizabeth's dress over at Delightfully Tacky. I wanted this dress so badly, but I had no idea where or when she got it, so there was really no way for me to buy it, so I set out to make my own!





At first I looked for a pattern for the same type of dress at Joanne and online.



Then when I had spent hours and not found what I was looking for, I looked through the dress patterns I already had (duh)...

{I love the light in my kitchen…}

There was one dress that is a Project Runway inspired pattern that had many different options that I could use and I liked the top and the sleeves...






But it didn't have the right skirt… I wanted a full circle shirt and it had only slim and pleated so I looked through and found a pattern with a circle skirt.




I took the two patterns and put them together and this is what I got!

{coffee anyone?}

p.s. the boots that I have not been able to separate from my feet for the past few months were a very wonderful present from my sister for Christmas. She gave me a gift card for Shoes on a Shoe String and they were the last pair and they were my exact size! It was destiny for ten bucks.

p.p.s. Broke Girl's cost break down of the dress
Fabric: 0$ (free from a friend)
Zipper: 0.10$ (thrift store)
Patterns: 2.83$ (when cost is divided by uses)

Total: 2.93$ Score!

I dream in high fashion…

Dior. That is all ladies and gentlemen… Love in one word.


I was looking over the Spring 2010 slide show and as always Galliano delivers the most opulent and drool worthy couture. The first set, in my humble opinion, was by far and away the best. Equestrienne, meets dominatrix… sigh.







AMAZING!

I will say the second set was a little to whimsical for my tastes. Frills and lace are all well and good, but this is too much for me to swallow.



This yellow dress is so cute though, with the little ankle booties. It makes me want to sip tea and ride down a river boat… See? Whimsy.







But I will tell you that when I saw the last set of gowns that undoubtedly weigh a metric ton, I audibly gasped. This gown is what I dreamed of for my wedding. If I had millions I would buy this dress and get married to my husband over and over wearing it…






Dior. That is all ladies and gentlemen.

Zippers!

I know zippers are a pain the behind to put into anything unless you sew them in very carefully. The easiest thing to do is… follow the instructions. Lol! Seriously! Your pattern will have specific instructions on how the zipper is to be put into your specific garment.If it says to press one seam allowance more than the other (half an inch and five eights is popular) it's because they want the zipper to be "lapped" or hidden with one seam allowance laying over the zipper and meeting the other seam allowance.If it says to press both seam allowances the same it is a "slot" or "centered" application. I will go over a lapped insertion in a dress

My sewing book has very detailed descriptions and depictions of how to do both kinds of insertions as well as invisible, either way you will need a zipper foot. A regular zipper foot is the little skinny one. An invisible zipper foot has grooves. You can get away with using the skinny one for both though.

Start by pressing the seam allowances under the specified amount. Then pin one side of the zipper tape to your garment opening.
(your pattern should tell you which side to do first, its usually the back side).

(sorry for the blurry pictures, its hard to take one handed pictures)

Then baste the zipper to the garment. I know this sounds like a pain, but it is to make sure that the zipper lays flat against your body and doesn't get all wavy and wonky.

Next you will do the same with the other side of your seam allowance. Make sure that the seam over laps the zipper and meets the other seam allowance, hiding the zipper.

Pin and baste just like the other side of the zipper.

Once you take the pins out make sure you inspect your job. Make sure it lays flat where it should and flares where it should. And the zipper is hidden all the way down.

Then you stitch! In the dress stitch the top and the bottom in a big long rectangle shape. Then give it a good press and you're done!

I'm going to leave you hanging on what the dress actually looks like since I haven't done outfit shots of it yet! Happy sewing!