Lesson 108: How to draw fashion... and give your husband a laugh

Friday I planned out my next sewing project. Searching through my patterns I found a simple dress with a full skirt that has yet to be constructed. Having already completed a full skirt dress I decided to be oh so inventive. I would combine the bodice from this dress with a pencil skirt pattern I also have in my possession.

Tyler and I were IMing each other throughout the morning. After several attempts to explain what I was envisioning with this idea I decided to draw what the finished product would look like....

The verdict from my loving husband was that the finished result looks like an apron. I then told him I would draw a person wearing the dress to show him a little better what was going on here...

She is a fashionista.

I just don't think Tyler was fully grasping my genius. Sunday afternoon was spent beginning the construction and here is what I have so far. There is a side invisible zipper, a couple darts in the bodice and darts at the top of the skirt. All that is left is to line the bodice and hem. This was my first experience playing with patterns. It was awesome! I felt like such a seamstress.

Here is Rubert my little pugtito.

For the first half of sewing the bodice she hung out on my lap trying to take a nap.

Lesson 107: How to throw a BBQ at the Opfars

Tyler finally is part of the BBQ community and I am learning day by day what it means to be married to a socialite. :) It is quite a learning experience since I see myself as a solo, homebody, recluse... extraordinaire.

So here we are, throwing a BBQ and this is how it is done...

First: Make sure to invite people,as the solo, homebody, recluse extraordinaire I left most of this up to TyTy

Second: If the party slows down find new and unique ways to entertain your guests. Miranda is seen here playing a new game we like to call "yard work".

Third: Kids love the more traditional activities...

Third point five: In the presence of guests and food keep your eyes on the dog...

 Fourth: Understand the repercussions of teaching new dog tricks. Max learned how to climb up the slide much to the delight of our company... and to the chagrin of Quinn and her dessert.

 Notice Max devour the food while Quinn calls for HELP!!!

 Max lips his chops

Fifth: Keep a positive attitude. You are doing a great job their Miranda!

Sixth: A short lesson from Coop on how to mount a swing

 Final lesson: Be sure to plan the festivities on a weekend because once your guests leave you will most likely pass out where ever gravity takes you :)

Lesson 106: Dogs Love Toilet Paper

Happy Friday everyone! I love Fridays and the promise of a few days off work and time with Tyler. This morning our lesson is that for whatever reason dogs love toilet paper. At least, my dogs do. I think Max did not like it until Ruby came along and showed him the error of his ways... There is also the fact that Max will do anything to make sure Ruby does not have a monopoly on the fun.

Just look at this focus from Ruby. Toilet paper is as much of a reward as a dog biscuit.



"I'm gonna get that toilet paper!!!!"

Success!

"Why yes I eat toilet paper. It is all part of my charm."

Max and his toilet paper square. Part of a high fiber diet?



Award for BEST PICTURE



 He is not snarling, that is the face he makes while devouring TP.
 I shouldn't poke fun, I am sure I would look silly trying to eat a nonfood substance. 



 And here are some pictures of me and the pups. Why do they look so terrified? I am a little offended. With that attitude, good luck getting anymore toilet paper from me!

Lesson 105: Another Pug Therapy Sesson "Might as well face it, you're addicted to SUGAR!"

Welcome back to another installment of pug therapy. Pug therapy... because no one can manipulate me quite like a pug.

 ~Have you ever tried to cut down or control your use of sweet foods?
~Are you using more sweets foods than ever before?
~If you don't have your regular "dose" of sugar, do you get irritable and cranky?
~Have you ever lied about how much sweet food you eat?
~Have you ever felt like you have a sugar hangover?
~Is sugar controlling your life?

If you answered yes to 2 or more of these points you are probably a sugar addict?
Source: "The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program" by Kathleen DesMaisons

source: Mad About Martha Blog

I just bought this book for my kindle and I am pretty convinced the author hired a spy to follow me around because my name is Whitney and I am a sugar addict! This book even has a 7-step program for recovery from sugar addiction! Not convinced this is an actual thing? Well, my skeptical friend, there have even been experiments with mice regarding this issue. If that does not convince you I am not sure what will. :)

In all seriousness this is a pretty cool concept. I'm sold. Although, I should mention I am just starting step 1. protein for breakfast everyday... But I must say the picture of the pug sugar cookies sure are making me hungry.

Lesson 104: What "dog tired" looks like

After a long sunny weekend it is tough to head back to work... mostly because you need a rest after your days off!! We were able to demolish another tree, went swimming, had a BBQ with family, spoke in church, and I even got sun burnt. I attribute that to my super pale Western Washington skin. (There is a reason the vampires comes to live here)

And this my friends is what being dog tired at the end of a full weekend looks like...

Leson 103: My flouncy pink jacket and the Ruby workout

 I finished my jacket complete with flounce and I love it :) I still need to complete the Hong Kong finishing for the seams.... I will let you know when that happens ;)

 Max looking very regal

Max ready for a treat with one paw up

Ruby has discovered a new exercise that I am sure will be sweeping the nation soon...

I wish I had zoomed out so that you could see Ruby is hanging from a rope on the playset in our backyard.

Lesson 102: Do you flounce?

It is time to broaden our vocabularies. There was a time when I thought a ruffle is just a ruffle. How naive I was. Today I  have learned my new word: Flounce!

Basically a flounce is just a wide ruffle.

Go and spread forth your knowledge to the world!

The reason for my new found discovery is that production of the bright pink tailored jacket has begun. This morning I attached the flounce (before I even knew what a flounce was).



I am having the hardest time finding out when the flounce orginated. One source states it has been around for centuries...

Another source states that it dates back to the roaring 1920s

Whenever it came about it is still a fun way to girlie up an outfit. I challenge you to notice people today who have added a little pizzaz to their outfit with a flounce. :)





Lauren Conrad (my fashion idol) has a dress with a flounce on top AND on the bottom!

 

Alexander McQueen with an open shoulder flounce

Vera Wang knows how to flounce her metalic pink dress
(that is skimpy enough to look like a nighty... who says you can't say goodnight while looking gorgeous?)



Michael Kors does a doublefaced flounce

And to show a flounce does not have to be at the bottom of a tiny dress Behnaz Sarafpour flounces up this eyelet top



Lesson 101: Stuck in Hong Kong

Isn't it amazing how when something becomes challenging it is so easy to make everything else a priority.

Example: I can't work out, I have to clean the house... I can't clean the house, I need to walk the dogs... I can't walk the dogs, it is raining... guess I will watch TV until this rain subsides ;)

My poor Simplicity jacket has been sitting in pieces in the sewing room since Easter. I finally got my butt in gear and made an attempt to organize the pieces and take a glance at the instructions. There is a note, even before step one, mentioning this jacket would do well with a Hong Kong finish....

What? Put down the directions and back away slowly. There are two options in this situation. I can
A: ignore this Hong Kong fooey and make the jacket without the fancy seam finish
or
B: suck it up and broaden my sewing skills

Plus why would I take so much time to make a jacket if I am not going to make it as best I can? Today I have looked through as many tutorials on the Hong Kong finish as I can...

Gigi Sews
Burda Style
Daryl's Blog
Sew Country Chick (this blog looks awesome and you should check it out just for fun anyway)

Wish me luck.....


Here is an example of a Hong Kong seam finish

P.S. The above pug pic comes from one of my all time favorite youtube videos: The Pug Head Tilt

Lesson 100: Girls night out and Ellie Goulding

Miranda and I love radio call in contests :) Combined I think we are up to more than 10 fabulous prizes. This is over the course of many many years. I would not say we are any luckier than other people. We just always call when the DJ commands.

My latest prize was getting to go to Girl's Night Out with Ellie Goulding at Trinity Nightclub. It was a lot of fun and I am glad Miranda and I got to have a fun sister night. We were first in line to get in the club and then we were right in front up against the stage.

After Ellie's performance Bender (the DJ for KISS 106.1) asked if a few people had questions. People were asking kind of lame questions like "How old are you?" "How many miles do you run a week?" so I raised my hand and asked "How do you like Seattle?" Which I realize is not that intense of a question but at least it is a bit more open for a possibly interesting answer. For those wondering she likes Seattle a lot and it was the first place she came to by herself in the United States. She is from the UK.

My only regret of the night was wearing my 6 inch strappy fake leather heels. It seemed like a great idea at the time and they are normally not uncomfortable. What I DIDN'T realize was that I was going to be standing for 3 hours with no rest! So much pain....



Me, Ellie Goulding and Miranda



Notice how I am almost as tall as Miranda... a feat only achievable with 6 inch heels



picture taken by Miranda's smart phone. Pretty darn close aren't we?





Picture taken by the KISS 106.1 people. That is me making a dorky face right in front of the stage ;)



There was a photographer that walked around and took pictures throughout the night.




Bender the radio DJ is the man in the plaid shirt. I am off to the right in the navy blue t-shirt



Ellie Goulding performing