The Perfect Picnic Dress

     A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to make myself some new clothes. (Side note, I often have different, random ideas and then I'm like, "I SHOULD DO THAT!" and sometimes... it actually happens.) Anyway, I created this picture in my head of the perfect summer dress: Kind of 1950's style (think ModCloth) with a swingy skirt and high cut in the front and the back (who wants to be worrying about the front of their dress gaping open when they are running around playing volleyball or going on long walks in the woods or whatever it may be?). I wanted a dress perfect for picnics, work, church, gardening... Basically I wanted a dress to live in for the summer.

And then... I found my new favorite pattern of all time: Simplicity 2444

     The funny thing about this pattern is the actual dresses that are created from it look nothing like the cover of the envelope.... They are a million times better! I don't think I would have even picked this pattern up if I hadn't been google searching dresses with my mom and stumbled across someone's creation from the pattern, because the cover doesn't look like what I had envisioned.

HOWEVER, the proof is in the pudding! Here are some dresses that I found that made me think this pattern was/is perfait!!!!

1. via What I Wore

2. via Berni and I  

3. via Experiments and Accidents

4. via Experiments and Accidents 

5. via Kollabora

6. via Sylkotwist

     You can make quite a few different styles of dress from this one pattern. I think that's the idea behind the whole "Project Runway" thing... you can use the included pattern pieces to kind of design your own dress. I, however, happened to really like the very basic version of the dress. I'm making a short-sleeved version right now, but I'm also thinking of making a sleeveless version as well. 

     The hardest part so far was figuring out what size I should make, and how much fabric I needed. The fabric cutter lady at Joanns stared at the back of the envelope for quite a while before deciding how much fabric I needed, lol. 

    However, besides that, it has been a pretty painless dress making process. I have never actually made a dress start to finish before... I've altered clothes and I've made other projects but never an actual dress. I was able to get a bulk of the sewing done a few days ago in a four hour sewing session. All that's left is the zipper (that's the part I'm scared about...) and finishing up the hem/sleeves/neckline. 

     I am so excited with how mine is turning out, and I want to make more after this one!! If you want an easy-to-make dress for spring or summer, then I would suggest you go out and buy this immediately. Seriously. 

Creative Gift Idea

With Christmas in the recent past, you're probably wondering why on earth I would want to talk about a gift idea. Believe me, I understand the thought of Christmas and gift-giving right now probably has you reeling. As my mom said just the other day, "I hate Christmas except on Christmas".

But there are plenty of other times when you might need a great and easy gift... Graduations, Birthdays, Valentine's Day.... So it's always a good idea to have some gift ideas in the back of your head for when the moment arises. I'm not making this right now, but I have some ideas for the near future. As my dad would say, "The creative juices are flowing."

Here's the picture:

It's a memory photo frame for an Eagle Scout ceremony gift. I was wandering around pinterest looking for something else, and happened to stumble across this... What struck me was not the actual design because honestly, I think it's a little tacky. But what I really got inspired by were the cards on the sides with the badges. I saw those and I thought, "That is so personal and cool that they added a piece of something that is important to an Eagle Scout," and that got me to thinking, "You know, that looks like a scrapbook page in a way, except it's displayable!"

And the the gears started whirring.

Now, if I were to make one of these I wouldn't want to have overly bulky elements on the front, like the tags they have on the silver rings. But what if you took those and decoupaged them on? Or you could add a flat pocket to the front for little memories. Maybe one made out of see-through tracing paper with something special inside: Confetti from a party, a lock of a baby's hair from their first haircut,

Think how many cool events and occasions you could customize this for! There is a whole slew of scrapbooking tools, stickers, papers, and inspiration out there for basically every occasion under the sun. Just google them. Scrapbookers and their tools are all over the place! You probably even know a couple who could help you out with your frame. ;)

So inspiration for the day: Make someone you love a "Scrapbook Layout Picture Frame". (And if you do, post a picture on our facebook page. I really want someone to do this! And when I do it I'll post a picture as well!)

So, I Need To Clean My Room....

In my household, we have four bedrooms, and six people to fill them. One of the rooms is being used for a homeschool room, so that leaves three bedrooms for everyone to pair up into. My room-mate just so happens to be my 16-year-old sister, Hannah.

Now, I love Hannah. She is an amazing girl. But sometimes we have a little trouble. Because Hannah is kind of a neat freak. And I am not.

Usually this actually works out to my advantage. I've only had to clean our room a handful of times, because Hannah usually takes care of it. It's great. I'll just come up to my room randomly and find that not only is the floor clearly visible, but there's also clean laundry folded on the bed and soft music playing in the background. This is the effect my dear sister has on our room.

However, Hannah has been out of town the last three days at snow camp, and I have found that left to my own devices, I have a slightly different effect on the room. Yah... I'll leave you to imagine. Just know it's not pretty.

This morning when I woke up I looked around the room, thought about how messy it is, and then I realized... she is coming home from snow camp. tonight.

So I have two options here:

1. Greet her at the door with a, "THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE HOME I NEED SOMEONE TO CLEAN!!!!"

or....

2. Surprise her and clean it for her!

After much consideration, I chose option one.

Juuuussstttt kidding, I chose option two, of course! ;)

Now, on the rare occasion that I clean my own bedroom, I always like to do something different so it's not just the same old same old. I decided to go on pinterest and see if I could find any inspiration for better organization.

First I looked for jewelry organization ideas. The top of both of our dressers are so over-run with jewelry! Here's what I found:

• Pinterest is just teeming with jewelry organization ideas, but I especially liked the idea of using recycled teacups or plates to organize rings and bracelets. I don't think I would do that with necklaces, though, like they have it in the picture, just because I hate untangling necklaces. 

• Doorknobs screwed into a piece of driftwood (or even regular wood) makes a really unique necklace hanger. I love the mis-matched, vintage handles, also. They remind me of the beautiful ones Anthropologie sells. (Here is a lovely turquoise one that's on sale for about $3.00 right now! You can get it in a few colors, so they don't all match, or take a look at their other knobs on sale.)
• For special occasion jewelry, I found one idea in which you take a shadow box, remove the back, and just lay it over top of your jewelry. It will protect your gems, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. J. Crew displays their jewelry in their stores similarly, and I drool over it every time I see it. It's just such an elegant way to do it! 

Next, I looked up scarf organization ideas... We literally got a million scarves for Christmas this year. I love scarves, don't get me wrong, but there are only so many you can drape on the end of your bed before it starts getting frustrating.

• I found this tutorial for using shower curtain rings on a hanger to hang them up in your closet... great idea! (Although I'm thinking this might not work for bulkier scarves.)

• Here's what I would LOVE to do with my scarves except I know this would only last about three seconds... but it just looks so appealing!

Last, I looked up some ideas for a makeup station/vanity. Currently, all of our makeup is in a little container on the floor next to our mirror which is also on the floor. Also, Our room is not well lit at all, so it's really hard to see how your makeup actually looks until you go to a brighter room. I would love to have a little vanity table/dressing area with a lamp and a mirror to make things easier. Not to mention that just seems so glamorous! 

• I love the idea of having a big mirror and a small mirror on your vanity. Big one for hair, small one for things like eye makeup and plucking eyebrows. 

• If you have too much stuff on the top of your table, it will start looking cluttered. Yucky. However, a few pretty brush holders could help organize things, and still keep them within reach. I love the white, lacey ones in the bottom right corner. I bet you could find something just like that at IKEA or even Target for very inexpensive!
• I. want. a. vanity. tray. They are so beautiful! I saw pictures of some that didn't have a mirror on the bottom... you could just use an old picture frame and add a thin piece of wood to the bottom if you didn't want the mirror. However, I happen to love how the mirror reflects light upward and, just like the shadow box with the necklaces, it seems so glamorous!

So It looks like I have my work cut out for me today! I am going to hopefully be taking a trip to goodwill (as long as they are open on MLKjr. Day... crossing my fingers) to find some things for my vanity and for organizing. Hannah's going to love it... :)

10 Things I Learned This Week

1. That working out actually is ok if you do it enough. It's one of those weird things where the first couple of times you hate it and you cry through the whole thing and you end every workout with consolation cookies, but then the more you do it and the more buff you become the more it becomes mildly tolerable... Well, I'm actually getting past that first part and while I still end every workout with consolation cookies, I am actually starting to enj-- en-... No, I can't say that yet. But it's not... completely terrible.

2. That I actually like red lipstick. I always thought it looked weird on me because my lips were too thin, but after getting some with a makeup pack I bought on major sale, I decided to give it a try and I really like it! There's still the issue of it rubbing off on my teeth, drinks, and the rest of my face giving me that Joker-like effect, but I heard if you set it with some red blush (kind of like using powder on the rest of your face) it won't smear so much, so I might try that.

3. That mom and I really ARE connected like twins! First confirmation of this fact: I was about to bring up a totally random topic (I mean, really random) in the car the other day, but right as I was about to say it mom started talking and telling me a story ABOUT THE EXACT SAME TOPIC. I was like, "WHATTT!?!?" Confirmation number two: Today mom and I went to art class and when we took off our coats, we realized we had worn identical outfits. We have matching sweatshirts and boots, and not only were we both wearing those, but we were also wearing the exact same color and cut of jeans with it. I mean, first day of college art class... not only was I accompanied by my mom, but we were dressed like twins. TWINS, I tell you!!! Awk-ward. But also insanely hilarious.

4. In addition to the above story, I also learned that my sister had noticed we were wearing the same outfit right before we left but for some reason didn't mention it to us....... thanks, girl.

5. That Arrow is the best TV show ever! Well... Ok, I take that back because Call the Midwife is really high up there also but since I've watched all of the episodes of that show on Netflix already, I've been forced to find a new obsession. Arrow. He's an awesome, billionaire super-hero character with a bow and arrow and a drive to bring order and justice to his city!!! He's everything Batman tries to be, basically, except with more actual talent and a personality. Also, he's not afraid of bats... It has comedy, action, romance, mystery, conspiracy, money...everything. Oh, and did I mention insanely attractive characters? eheheheh... :D

6. That it is virtually impossible to explain to someone what a blog is if they don't already know. "It's like... facebook except you write posts instead of statuses and... you put pictures and... people hypothetically read it..."


7. That concerts are awesommee!! I went to a Lady Antebellum concert with my sister, grandma, and boyfriend last Saturday night, and it was a great time! Kip Moore and Kacey Musgraves are also on tour with Lady A, so we got to hear them as well. It turns out that Kip Moore is one of my FAVORITE country singers EVA EVA EVA so hearing him sing... well, let's just say I was screaming in tones I didn't even know I could reach when the blue lights started flashing across the audience and I saw him come out. It was fantastic! We were all on our feet singing, dancing, and clapping the whole time. Lady Antebellum was also really good, and I loved hearing their songs "Compass", and "My Kind of Love". Kacey did an amazing job with her smooth, folky vocals. I was just blown away by the whole experience and had such a fantastic time!

I stole this collage from the concert off my sister's instagram.

8. That sociology is actually not as fun as it sounds. Self explanatory.

9. That drawing two cubes stacked on top of each other in a realistic and proportionate way is actually really really hard. And you can actually work on it for a good hour and forty-five minutes during an art class and still have the angles completely wrong. *sigh.*

10. Basically everything on the picture below. I mean, were you aware that the cast of Grease is basically comprised of all pseudo-highschoolers!? These people were old enough to be through college when they were making that movie!!! Really, I think this is one of the most educational things I read all week. It definitely beats "Intro to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspective". It beats it by a lot. a lot, a lot.

University, Take Two (Spring Semester)

Yesterday started my first "week" back to school after Christmas break... I say "week" in quotations because most of the classes were cancelled due to the relentless blizzards and level 3 snow emergencies that began Sunday and kept us put until we could finally dig ourselves out Wednesday. So my week of school was really only Thursday and my one class today (Friday).

Thursday was an interesting day, that's for sure... It all started out when I had to go to the eye doctor for a check up at 8:00 AM. My first class of the day started at 9:30, but we were informed this would just be a half hour appointment. Anyway.... after having my eyes checked and rechecked and being informed I'm a little near sighted but don't need glasses, I began to think, "This feels like it's been longer than a half hour..." As I was thinking this, the eye doctor dripped some yellow eye drops in my eyes which basically numbed them so she could check for glaucoma.

Previously, I thought Glaucoma was more of an issue back on the ships during the Victorian age, but if I looked like I might have it, who was I to prevent her from checking? Luckily, I am Glaucoma-free. I thought I might be able to get out of there at that point, until she put some pupal dilating drops in my eyes, and told me they would have to sit for about 15 minutes before she could look in my eye to check all the stuff in there. I was led to the waiting room, and left alone. I looked at my phone (which was beginning to blur due to the dilation of my pupils) and realized... I had to be at school in a half hour...

Well, after she checked my eyes one last time I was finally able to make a break for the door. At this point I had fifteen minutes to get to class which probably would have been doable, except I had borrowed mom's van to drive to the appointment because my car was being preserved Captain America style, covered in a sheet of ice deep inside a snow mountain in our driveway. She needed her car because she also goes to college and we are in the same first class on Thursdays. (and yes, I'm ok with that and actually think it's really awesome. ;) )

So, I had to drive back to get her, all the while my pupils were continuing to dilate, and the sun was bouncing right of the mounds of snow that have completely engulfed our entire city into my huge eyes... I finally got home, got my mom, we dug my car out, drove to class, found parking spots (which is SO hard to do the first couple weeks of class because people actually come to school right now... ), and walked as quickly as we could over the slush that is everywhere to class.

Unfortunately, however, my pupils continued to dilate as the day went on until they were about as big as my irises, so I looked like I was on drugs or something. That coupled with the fact that it was fah-reezing outside so I was a little shaky from coming in out of the cold at the beginning of my classes just added to the overall sketchy-ness of the look I had going on. Good times, good times.

So that was my morning the first day back... After that whole fiasco, my first three classes of the day went pretty well, actually. It was a nice, relaxing syllabus day... Most got out crazy early so I had a chance to eat a salad and a HUGE caramel slathered brownie in between two of my classes, and I was able to find them all pretty well, too.

This semester I have a pretty interesting line-up of classes. Some of them I'm really excited about, and some of them I'm just doing because they're required. That's kind of my strategy... sneak in some less desirable classes with the fun ones so I'm not stuck with choosing between a semester of completely awful classes at the end or graduating with a non-degree because I chose to never take a math class.

What Every College Student Group Poster Looks Like in a Secular College

Here's my list of classes and my thoughts of them so far!

1.) (Monday and Wednesday) Perceptual Drawing - I am in this class with my mom. I am so so so excited for this class... unfortunately I didn't actually get to try it out at all this week because Monday it was cancelled due to weather, and then Wednesday we got to the class and were met with a sign on the door saying it was cancelled again due to the instructor being sick. I hope she gets well soon because this class looks so fun! I peeked through a hole in the blind on the door into the classroom and I saw huge windows all around, a bunch of plaster statues of people, easels, and chairs all lined up in rows... It looks so inviting and artistic and I am absolutely dying to get in there and just...just...draw something!

2.) (Tuesday and Thursday) Sociology  - I also do this one with my mom. I'm not sure what to think of this class yet. There are about a hundred students in it. Unfortunately, I got there late for the first day because I had an eye doctor appointment than went wayyy over time that morning... but anyway... This class is either going to be really interesting or really, really boring. When the Professor was talking about the syllabus at first, he sounded like he was reading everything, all monotone. But then he asked every person their name and major (did I mention there are a hundred students in this class??), which actually was kinda cool just because he became a pretty conversational guy. So maybe he will be interesting after all... I guess I'll just have to wait and see! It's kind of weird, though, because I cannot figure out how old he is. At first I thought he was old, then I thought he was young, then I thought he was old again... it's just really hard to tell for some reason.

Side note from Allison's college student mom - I was slightly freaking out when the professor announce he was going to have us each talk in class. I KNOW it is a bit weird that I am going to college at the exact same time as my daughter, AND taking a few classes with her, I swear it is completely about my career goals and not an attachment issue!!! OF COURSE our first college class together our professor would decide to go around the whole room and announce our full names in alphabetic order. There will be no sliding by discretely now! Slight panic sets in as we go through A… B… C…, K…, L…M… then "P". Since my daughter's name starts with an "A", I know she'll be first and I'll be left to "explain things"… I had written down my career goals so I wouldn't flub it up but it didn't matter, I flubbed it up when everyone in the whole room turns around after the professor announces, hmm same long unpronounceable name… Do you know each other? The rest was witty history and I'm sure we were conversation starters for more than few get togethers. The mother who couldn't let her daughter go to college by herself… ay yay yay

3.) (Tuesday through Friday) French II - French I was the bane of my existence first semester but I have to keep taking it, so I thought I might as well just get out there and get it done. Well, my professor this semester is so cool! He is hilarious, and despite the fact that he teaches predominantly in french (my last professor mostly taught in English) he is much easier to follow! Also, there are only five students (including me) in the class, so it's a super comfortable class... I am really loving it!

4. (Tuesday and Thursday) Media Writing - This class is already off to a fun start. Throughout the semester we each have to investigate, interview, and write four news articles on any sort of current (local) news topic! I haven't decided what my first story will be, yet, but I know I want to interview my friends for something. The professor used to be a journalist herself, and she seems to have a lot of knowledge. She's very very strict about deadlines though, because she says that if you worked for a newspaper and your story wasn't in by the time it goes to print, you're out of the job. Fair enough.

5. (Online) Math - I haven't done anything with this yet but... I'm scared. Also, the text book was like $300.

Soooo that's pretty much the summary of spring semester, freshman year for me. Here's to a great rest-of-the-year, and an even better summer vacation! ;)

New Year's Resolutions? Ain't Nobody Got Time For That....

So here we are again. The start of a New Year. Amidst the glitter throwing and the parties and the sparkling juice and the ball dropping in Times Square, there is a little tradition that most people participate in: making New Year's Resolutions. We approach the New Year with great ambitions and noble goals, such as, "I WILL exercise and get buff this year! I WILL NOT eat any more sugar! I WILL NOT put off my homework till the night before it's due! I WILL get up at 5:00AM, read my Bible, exercise, and clean the entire house before light even filters through the windows!"

But roughly around the same time that the bloaty-ness from eating one to many BBQ meatballs wears off and the bags under our eyes from staying up till 2:00 AM New Year's Eve fade, the motivation is already lost and the goals are long forgotten.

Well, this year, I really want it to be different. I was thinking, "How can I make this different? How can I insure the goals I've created aren't totally forgotten as soon as the pen leaves the paper?" 

After deliberating for many, many minutes over this question, I came up with only one solution:

Don't write any New Year's Resolutions. 

I personally think it's pretty genius.

....Ok, ok, so saying I didn't write New Year's Resolutions isn't completely true... BUT! It is a fact that ain't nobody got time for "New Years Resolutions". So what I've decided to do is not a list of New Years Resolution. It is really a list of things I've been dreaming about for awhile now, and the New Year just so happened to coincide with my plan of writing them down. So no, these are not New Years Resolutions. This is a list of long-thought-out stuff I want to do with my life in the near future. As in, within the year 2014.

Here's my list:

1. Read the Bible More - Ok, so I actually used this as an example in the first paragraph as a regular New Years Resolution. The difference between that example and this is that I'm not getting up at 5:00 AM to do it. ;) All joking aside, however, this one is first because it's the most important. Any time I haven't read the Bible in awhile, I do something or react in some way that makes me go, "Oh look, there's that the person Jesus died to save me from. Myself." and that's not a pretty sight. Life doesn't work without Jesus. I don't function properly without the Bible. That pretty much sums it up!

2.  Start an Etsy Shop - I'm hoping to get this started soon! This is one of those things where I'm fighting against the part of me that goes, "Ya, that will never be successful. You might as well not even try." But I know for sure I won't be successful if I never even try so I might as well risk it!

3. Learn Archery - I'm getting a bow and arrow in a couple of months here, and I'm really hoping to develop a new hobby! Think how awesome that would be... launching arrows at targets! Hitting the bulls eye! Really, it sounds so fun! Maybe someday I'll even try hunting with my bow... well, as long as I have a guy there who is willing to drag whatever I shoot back to the truck because... I'm not doing that. I'm also not skinning anything... and I don't eat wild game... Ok never mind. I'm not going to be a hunter. But I am going to learn archery! and it will be awesome! (and yes, I love Hunger Games. So, shh.)

4. Get at Least a 3.7 GPA in College - I start my second semester of freshman year this week, and I've officially made it my goal to get at least a 3.7 GPA. Why that number, you may ask? Well, because you need a 3.7 GPA to get into medical school or law school. Despite the fact that I have no intention of entering either, I like to keep my options open. Plus the way I see it if I'm getting the same GPA as a lawyer or a doctor I'm doing ok. :)

5. Get In Major Shape - Another cliche' goal, but I'm young, and a healthy weight, so I think it is a good idea get into shape now while it's still fairly easy to do so! Plus, I want to get these habits developed so they're there. Apparently life doesn't get any less hectic after college... heh.

6. Stay Good - That sounds silly but basically it's an all-encompassing goal which pretty much includes just doing what needs to be done.

7. Get Scholarships - I got enough scholarships last semester to cover this year, but a couple of them expire after a year, so I have to reapply. It's mildly annoying, but it's really nothing when you think about how many YEARS of my life would be spent trying to pay off student loan bills... You know, come to think of it, it's not annoying at all.

8. Start a Blog - Bada bing, bada boom. 

So, those are my goals. I can imagine my life when they are all complete and I really like what I see. I just need to stay on track and get there! "What about after that happens?" you may ask.

Well, as always, anything is possible.... :)