The Creators have been so good to me!

Though this post won't be solely dedicated to my fly sistah over at Flytieonline, I need to give her the respect, love and appreciation she deserves. I can't even recall when exactly I found myself drawn to her. Probably the first time I saw something she had created. No, a matter of fact I think I first saw something she created for another sister and I AND to find out who it was putting all that creativity in one garment. Whatever or whenever it was I just know that now I have so much admiration for her and her work. And I think the rest of the world (or whatever part of it that reads this blog) should take note. And if you're feeling really good, go ahead and buy something of hers. I promise you will never regret it!


So just before Thanksgiving I received THE BEST HOODIE ever in the mail. I was ecstatic! See, I had been drooling over her Steppin Razor hoodie for quite some time. And as the Universe would have it I finally have one of my own. Please people forgive me for not having better pictures f the hoodie right now. But as I said before it's about time I openly let her know how much I appreciated not only her generosity, but her thoughtfulness and talent. The hoodie fits perfectly, it's in the most perfect colors a person could make it in. IT'S REVERSIBLE. Yes you heard right! Please somebody pinch me. What I most appreciate about it is the intricate hand stitching details she put into it. I know how much that sucks. But she didn't half ass it. Everything looks so professional and perfect. I only wish she had put her tag on it somewhere. I wouldn't care WHERE, but I would want folks to know immediately it's hers. I *heart* my hoodie.



Once I got it in the mail I immediately put it on. Then I proceeded to wear it three days in a row. Once on the green side and twice on the purple side. Since then I think I wear it at least once a week. Probably more, I just don't want yall knowing how much I repeat clothes. lol

T, thank you so much! I can't tell you enough how much I love this hoodie and how much I appreciate you. You are an amazing designer. Keep doing what you do.

In other stylish deliciousness I bought some fly earring from another etsy shop call www.Lunaversoul.com. People please peep the Dragon Fly Remix!
Take note of the asymmetry. Oh.Em.Gee! I wear these earrings with everything. They are quite the conversation starter. What I appreciate about this seller is that she was more than accommodating to my pesky metal allow sensitivities. And she substituted the hooks with gold plated ones at no additional charge! Go head nah! Excuse me while I rock 'em real hard like:


Also take note of the new hair do. I finally put some braid extensions in my hair. It took me 4 days! It normally would have taken me maybe one full day including breaks for food and bathroom. lol. But I was extremely sick. I had to take a two day break because walking pneumonia would not allow me to move very much. Being ill is no fun at all. And it reminded me once again I need to take care of myself. I was M.I.A. from work and got a late start in my new position in the Training Department. I'm feeling like so much has transpired since my last post. I hardly know where to start! Tis late in the day and I wanted to get these thoughts and such out now before my busy week started up.

I give thanks to my Creator for good friends, good family, LIFE, LOVE and Joy.

Inspired once again

I must make this. I spotted this coat via random googling for crochet wearables more than a year ago. Ran across it again and I still *heart* it very much. I truly believe I can crochet a very similar version of this. My verson would be tweeked a bit. Namely, the bottom trim would be a different stitch pattern. I’m thinking the coat was done using the “top down” method of crochet. Top down is just was it says, the item is worked from the top down. I prefer that method for garments because it provides a better drape, the item can be tried on and sized as you go and there is little to no seaming required. Can you imagine this as a toddler coat? I don’t believe I’d ever WEAR this myself, but I could surely see some lil chica rocking it. How fly.

I've been crocheting bit by bit. I've had a couple of custom orders which are now complete. When this sickness finally decides to leave my body and give me back my energy I hope to work up a few things to add to inventory. I have only a few things left in the store, but that's a blessing since it means someone is buying my creations.

I give thanks to the Creator for the new opportunity unfolding in my life. Amen.

100% Pure Love

My lil Prince scored a 15 out of 15 on his very first spelling test. We told him he could get a special treat when we went to the grocery store. He proudly selected some Cheeto’s Hot Fries. lol. That child loves some spicy food.

In the last week I have sold two items! I am very proud of myself, but feeling the pressure to create more. It has been on the back burner the last few days since I’ve been making it a point to do some fall cleaning and organizing on the home front. Today I plan to fold all the clothes recently washed, and organize my sewing table which also sits in the dining room. I do believe I need more storage bins for my yarn and fabric. But for now I’ll have to work with what I’ve got. I need to get over this urge to save every little scrap of fabric. Much like I use to do with yarn. It just kinda piles up into a heap of confusing tidbits of projects (some gone bad) and it can get overwhelming. My mood is affected by my environment. And a cluttered or messy environment irritates me to no end. So the plan is to organize all this stuff and eventually get more storage containers so I can KEEP it organized.

I’ve been thinking about things I’d like to add to my winter wardrobe. Fortunately I’m already set as far as jackets and coats. I still have my lovely purple trench style pea coat. Which I still absolutely adore. But I’m trying to figure out what direction as far as color that I’d like to go with a hat, scarf and mittens. Last yearn I wasn’t exactly coordinating. I wore my coral pashmina scarf (which I still have and love wearing) and made some off white arm warmers. I plan to go the arm warmer route again since the sleeves on the coat are still too short. But the choice of color is stumping me. I could just go with a winter white again, or I can step it up with another color that would pop. Maybe a very light purple or stick with the coral so I don’t have to make a scarf? I may go yarn shopping today during my lunch break to see what I can find. I’m thinking wool is the way to go for this winter.

I’m definitely on the look out for more cardigans. They seem to go perfectly over my dresses for added warmth. I wear cardigans year round because the office STAYS cold. I’m sitting her now (yes, blogging at work) with cold hands. I have a pair of cheap gloves that I sometimes wear to get my fingers warm again.


So I was blog hopping and came across a blogger who kept posting picture of her Bento http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento . Now first off had no idea what the heck a Bento was, but I loved how it had the lil compartments for everything and figured it would be a great way to maintain proper portion sizes for food.

I was thinking, man I’d love to have a dish like her lil Bento thingy. Well come to find out a Bento basically a single portion mean that traditionally contained, rice, meat and veggies. I’m like HELLO! Great idea, you Japanese folks. Lol. But seriously, I want one. I know there are various Tupperware contraptions that have the lil compartments to separate food. I think I may just buy one of those. Right now I usually have bunch of different plastic containers and sandwich bags to hold my lunches in. It can be cumbersome to remember everything and getting it to fit just right in my work bag. But the Bento seems like something I should have to maybe streamline my whole lunch packing process. So I’m on the look out for something Bento-like to fill that void in my life.

But what I really want to know is, what ever happened to Crystal Waters?

I Voted Today

I finished a really cool looking beanie today and am now debating on if I should list it in the store. It's a monotone blue skully/ beanie style hat I'm sure some dude may like. HOWEVER I got to the end and was ready to crochet in the elastic and discovered I misplaced the last bit of elastic. WTF? I'm typically a "place for everything, everything in its place" type of gal. Even when things are a mess I meticulously put things as important as elastic in its proper place because I know I'll need it again. Well I cannot find it in the usual places and that sucks monkey balls right about now. Cuz this crown is real fly and I want to share it with the world.

Methinks I'll have to go to the craft store at some point this week or weekend and pick up a couple of things. I discovered that I have almost a whole mini skein of hot pank cotton yarn. Oh joy! How cool would a hot pink cloth set be?

So as I browse some of the shops on etsy I notice this shocking trend of folks selling "vintage" goods and charging retail (or more) prices. What is the deal with that? Clearly they have rummaged through thrift stores, garage and estate sales to find this stuff. And when did the 1990's become "vintage"? What bothers me is I know some of those dresses I see listed for $60 only cost the person about $9 but they are selling it for sooo much more. To me it's a rip off. I'd rather get off my ass and go find the stuff in the thrift store myself. I enjoy the whole experience anyway so maybe I'm just not a good target market for their "vintage" finds. But I cannot justify paying $60 for a polyester dress that cost the seller no more than $10 to purchase themselves.

So while I sit here typing out this rant about overpriced vintage goods I've considered selling thrifted items in my own shop. I believe myself to have a great eye for thrifted treasures and would love to have another avenue to share that with peoples. I mean, let's be honest, folks seeing me wear the gear is not as fun as them being able to wear it themselves.

As I contemplated a way to avoid being one of those sellers that I just ranted about I figured I'd just charge a flat fee plus the actual cost to me to purchase the item. For instance if I found a fly dress for just $4 I would list the item in my shop for the $4 plus $20 (not sure yet if that will be the amount) for my time, energy, and amazingly great eye for vintage deliciousness. I still keep a decent margin and I won't feel like i'm cheating someone. And if I end up offering this "service" via my etsy shop, I may also prewash each piece before selling it. That way the buyer gets fresh smelling clothes and know if it's actually stained or not. I tend to leave stained clothes alone anyway. I've learned over the years to avoid anything stained at the thrift store because it usually won't come out.

Tea and Toast

Last week I conjured up a single workout day. The rest of the time I was either too busy or unmotivated. Today is a new day starting a new work week and I’m focused. The key for me is to remain focused. Sometimes I get too dependent on the fact that I’m a pretty fly mama already. Lol. I forget I need to MAINTAIN this physical flyness. Especially as my body changes and reacts differently with age. Over the last few weeks I've seen improvement in the middle area. I want to keep that up as well as get my arms leaner. The middle area is usually the first to go. No complaints there!

I started this morning with some deep breaths and appreciated the fact that I had no neck or back pain. For me that means no stress. For the last few years I’ve noticed my stress shows up in neck and back in the form of pain and muscle tension. Today I’m free of that and its confirmation that my mind is at ease.

I’m committing myself to focus on my breathing again. And I may as well add some stretching in with that. I’m now afforded the time each morning to have at least 30 minutes to myself. That is assuming I’m to bed at a decent hour. But when I awake it will be MY time to BREATH.

These summer mornings have reduced my appetite. In the winter I look forward to turning on the stove and making a wholesome breakfast. Now it’s so hot that my hunger does cry out for wheat pancakes, eggs and morning star sausage. Tea and toast are enough to waken my digestive system. However by the time I get to work my stomach is literally calling out for food. I think it just said “feed me Seymour!”

My hair is certainly growing. Now I’m beginning to wonder how much longer I can take it. I tend to fantasize about cutting my hair around the time my hair gets past 4 or 5 inches. I’m past that mark and still enjoying growing my hair but feeling a bit stifled creatively when it comes to how I style my hair from day to day. While at work I don’t want to draw TOO MUCH attention to my crown with large afros. And I tend to keep it pretty tame (based on my own tastes) since I

despise going into conversations about how my hair does that “cool” thing without hair spray with my coworkers. Also I’ve chosen not to wear my head wrap since being promoted because it does not fit into the professional image I wish to display at this time. So I’ve limited myself to mostly shrunken fros, stretched puffs and the occasional twist styles. Twist styles take more time and effort than I’d like to exert right now. What I’d really like is a fly cornrow style. Something that can easily translate to the professional setting but still gives me the creative outlet with my hair. Now, if I could just find someone I trust to style my hair for me...

This summer I want to continue to get out of the apartment as much as possible. My little one loves it. He’s always asking “mama what are we going to do today?” During the week he’s occupied by his summer program. So I know he gets plenty of activity then. So most of those evenings we come home, have dinner and maybe hang out in the yard a little bit. But on the weekends I have no excuse. Out of the 24 hours in a day I know I can spend some of it out in that sunshine. Besides, I love the chocolate glow my skin gets with a lil UV radiation. Lol. Which reminds me, we need to pick up some sun block. This shea butter only provides so much UV protection, and I’m no fan of melanoma.

Creatively I've been sew busy. I finished the shirts for my sis, mom and another young lady at the church. My older sis and the other young lady have actually performed with the blouses on. The following is a picture of my sis after her praise dance. She did SOOO good! Had me in tears.

In the next photo you'll see my younger sis, myself and older sis again. The dress I'm wearing looked a little different when I bought it (yet another thrifty find). The neckline is LOWer than I'm comfy with so I sewed a panel across the front with a stretchy cream fabric. Now I can wear the dress as is and not have to layer another tank underneath. Cool huh?












I had this idea for a shirt and just went with it. The following is the result. I still have some work to do in order to make it look more "professional". So far it's looking much how I envisioned it. And I just adore the color purple!


Finally I refashioned an already cute (at least I think so) vest into a more trendy one. I figured if it didn't turn out quite right at least I only paid a couple of dollars for it at the thrift store. But it turned out super cute. I only have the before picture right now. The after will follow soon.

Stylin'

My prayers go out to any and everyone affected by the tornados over the weekend. I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like to have everything suddenly blown away. I think living in the city makes me take for granted that it’s not likely to happen to me. But I know tornados can and have hit in the city before.

Family time is some of the best time. We grilled at my place yesterday. My Kingman was such a wonderful help yesterday. While my mother, younger sister and I went to the thrift store in the morning, he cleaned the entire apartment and started cooking the food. And never did he complain. Our apartment is quickly becoming the family hang spot. Partly because we have more space than my mom’s place and my Kingman is allergic to my older sister’s cat. A brotha gotta breath, ya dig?

Lately I’ve been entranced with blogs and websites that display everyday street fashion. It’s inspiring and eye opening. Here I was thinking 80’s fashion was NOT gunna make a big come back, but after checking out this blog by Artistic Bling it’s all the rage in Brooklyn. But browsing these sites reminded me of how uninspiring the fashion community is here in Minnesota. While I don’t consider myself a fashion expert, I do take pride in my personal style and how it’s evolved over the years. I’ve found that my style is mostly inspired by the global community as a whole. I don’t have any hard fast rules that go with my fashion sense besides “no tight on tight crime”. Lol. My sister and I coined that term years back. I was browsing Hel Looks over the weekend and kept thinking “ok I’m NOT crazy for loving cardigans and skirts that go past my knees!” That site inspired me to finally purchase some tights (5 pair) so that I could rock my skirts and dresses at work and not break dress code. Ladies have to wear “panty hose” with skirts and dresses at my place of employment. My closet has several dresses that I love but haven’t worn to work because they show too much leg for me to get away with not wearing panty hose.

I stopped wearing panty hose some time in high school because they were so uncomfy and I would always snag them on something. I was such a tom boy, it’s a wonder I ever lost my virginity. Now I’m a bit more of a girly girl and can go a day without a snag. The real trick now is finding tights that properly squeeze over my thighs and butt. I must say, the pair that I’m wearing today have given me no problems at all.

I plan to re-read “The Secret” very soon. As soon as I find the book. A sista friend of mine is reading the book and it’s got me to thinking that I need to get my mind right again. It’s a great book to have around.