Simplicity 2257: Who's that lady?

Ever since the first time I set eyes on this pattern, I knew I wanted, needed, couldn't live without view D. I have not been able to keep my mind from wandering to that gorgeous skirt. So I've been on the hunt for the perfect fabric.

Then I found it at fabric.com. 

I cut this in a size 12, which if I were to make again, I'd slim down a bit. It fits, but it's just a bit bigger than I would like.

Here's the skirt on. I'm wearing it with McCall's 4922, which I featured in my last post.

This skirt is adorably full. I don't have anything like it in my wardrobe, so it's a welcome colorful change. I feel so lady-like in it. I want to curtsy and twirl and faint whenever I'm under duress. 

I also noticed that most of my clothing is solid. I have no prints, and this fabric was bought in the hopes that I would begin to solve that "problem." The print is kind of islandy. It reminds me of pineapple tops. And the colors are so refreshing.

This skirt was ridiculously easy to make. Except for a small snafu: I decided I wanted to add pockets, so I took a pocket pattern piece from another pattern, and sewed them in. I was even clever enough to sew in an invisible side zipper along with the pockets. But once I tried it on I realized that I was a moron. (As a side note I have that realization at least once a day.) I had sewn the pockets too far down the side seam, so the pockets made me look like I had the worst saddle bags in the history of saddle baggery, and the pockets were only usable when I hunched down to reach them. The whole thing made me laugh. So I ripped out the pockets and continued on without a hitch. Pocketless skirt.

The shoes are some of my favorites, Jessica Simpson Edith. These were the kind of shoes that when I saw them for the first time at the DSW I gasped. Then I tried them on. Then I asked TC eighty-seven times what he thought: where they too expensive, were they worth it, would I wear them, could I really get them? 

He answered me about fifty-three times before he just started to respond with an affirmative grunt. So I got them. 

That was back in February. These shoes have gotten a lot of use and love and care. Unfortunately they are starting to show their loved-ness.

the Classics: Simplicity 9825 and McCall's 4922

For the third time now I made up S9825. It has become my go-to pencil skirt pattern, and I love it.

This time I decided to go wild with animal print fabric I ordered from Fabric.com. 

I had previously cut this pattern in a size 10, which is now too small (too many cookies), so using the a-line version which I had previously cut in a 12 as a guide, I kind of winged the resizing from a 10 to a 12, and surprisingly it turned out great. 

And now on to the shirt I'm wearing. I've had McCall's 4922 in my stash for ages, years, centuries. And just now I finally made it.

I was really REALLY excited about the fabric. It is a woven cotton stretch pique in a great white WHITE color. I bought it from fabric.com more than a year ago. It was one of those fabrics that I loved so much I was scared to cut into it. It's not even like it was expensive or irreplaceable or anything like that. I think I just couldn't stand the thought of me wasting such a classic, lovely piece of fabric. 

At any rate, I finally garnered the courage.

I franken-sleeved it using the cap sleeves from Simplicity 2473. It fits great. I had to take it in at the sides by about an inch total (so 1/2 inch on each side). It's a great shirt to tuck in, but untucked it's a bit unfitted and lame. The hip area is kind of baggy. Could I fix it? Sure. But with the tail hem line it was obviously meant for tucking, so I've decided that it's a tuck-in shirt, and I'm not going to bother with the baggy hips.

 Oh, and I didn't even have to lengthen it like I usually do. 

Now on to the shoes: They are Guess Florie in cream. They are "all manmade materials" which I typically try to avoid, but still pretty comfortable. They were discounted at DSW when I bought them last month. I feel just a little bit "real housewives of NJ" in the shoes and the animal print skirt, but overall, I love the outfit. I think the white button-down grounds the whole outfit in reality? I don't know.

Simplicity 2473: A long time coming

Way back in March TC bought me the awesomest birthday present ever: a dress form. This dress was my first project using the dress form to fit. I cut it out in a size 14 and shaped it to fit. I pinched a little here, a little there, took in the waist to fit me exactly, slimmed down the skirt from a 14 to a 12, and voila! A perfect fitting dress. I also lengthened the skirt by 3 inches, and still, I think I could have lengthened it just a bit more.

I love the rolled collar like crazy. I think it's adorable and a little bit retro. I have trouble with the back of the collar standing up a bit, but luckily it doesn't show up in these photos.

I love to wear a little brooch on the collar. 

Overall I like this dress. The extra effort in fitting really paid off. I finished it in April and it's gotten quite a bit of wear since then, which brings me to my shoes...

Guess Patches in black leather. They are comfortable. So comfortable. and I love wearing them.

We bought them in March from DSW and they have been getting a lot of wear since then.

Let's be snarky

Let me begin by saying that I'm a snarky jerk.


I think most of you already knew that.


I just want this to be a full-disclosure website.

If judgmental snarkiness turns you off, if you don't have the stomach for it, I invite you now to close your browser, navigate to another page, do anything except read this post. Because I warn you right now, it's gonna get U-G-L-Y.



Our house hunt continues. The reason it continues and has not come to an end is that we have very, VERY specific ideas about what we want. I mean really REALLY specific. So specific that we decided to look into building. There are unique challenges that come with that project, which is a post in itself for another day.

While we search for land to build on and the like, I continue to look at homes for sale, just in case something that meets our very specific specifications comes on the market right at our price range, right in the neighborhoods we are interested in. Fat chance, right? Right.

Instead I have found more to be snarky about. Like this home, which seems like a bargain at $51 a square foot. This whopper of a home is nearly 7,000 square feet.

But it has a few leetle tiny flaws:

It needs some work. Like some wallpaper ripped out. Some carpet replaced. Some window treatments removed.

It's a little dated. The turquoise carpet is a dead giveaway.

Oh, and the rose carpet.

And the dark sea foam carpet.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that it has a "some" water damage. And "some" mold.

And checkered tile.

Oh, and hot pink doors.

And a colorful tile backsplash that looks like it's straight out of Super Mario Bros.

Also, I noticed three doors leading to the outside. Three doors that each look like "front" doors. (Seriously. Go back and count them.)

And a urinal.

Wait, what?

That's right a urinal.

Okay, so I know what some of you are thinking: These are all very fixable flaws. With the exception of the water damage, these are minor fixes. Put new carpet in here, retile there, paint, etc. It's all cosmetic. And having a urinal installed could be very convenient for the men in my life.

Some of you may be thinking that I am beyond a judgmental creep, and what did this house ever do to me that I am calling it out on the (stained-dirty-filthy) carpet.

Some of you may also think that I should just feel lucky to even be able to consider buying a home. I should feel lucky to have a place to live at all. I should feel blessed that I have the opportunity to be so picky.

All of those statements are true. And believe me, I do feel blessed. I want to keep my bless-ed state as in tact as possible. Which is why I am steering clear of homes with urinals.