the creative & adventurous life of jenna harju

dress form

2011-12-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

i had my bridal shower about a month ago and one of the gifts i received was a lovely decorative dress form (grey with paris written all over it...literally). i also received another dress form as an early wedding gift, but it's adjustable and more of a "workable" dress form. it's great because i can make it have my measurements for when i'm making a dress or something. the decorative form, while not my measurements, comes in handy when photographing my pieces:

bridal shower dress

halloween costume

cocktail dress for wedding

dress inspired by a McQ dress (that's a line of Alexander McQueen)

wedding process: things to think about

2011-09-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

AISLE RUNNER: so i contacted the venue's wedding coordinator asking her what length aisle runner would be best...she said that she's never had anyone use a runner before (really? how is that possible?) and advises against it because of safety issues. oh. well...crap. as much as i would love to have a runner with my hand-painted logo on it, i'd rather not have my wedding out-shined by someone falling down and breaking something (like a hip or something). can you imagine an ambulance pulling up to your wedding? talk about a kill joy. plus, you know what? i already have a lot of other DIY projects still to do for the wedding (um, like hemming my wedding dress). so taking this off my list is no biggie. goodbye, aisle runner idea - it was good while it lasted.

BUSTLE YOUR DRESS: do you know the difference between an American (English) bustle and French bustle? if you're a bride and you're getting married in a long gown with a train, you should. with an american bustle, the excess fabric gets picked up and attached outside the dress, and the french gets tucked under. personally, i hate the american/english bustle, and LOVE the french...but maybe that's cause i love all things french. for some dresses, you may be stuck with one or the other, and not have a choose due to how the dress is constructed. of course, i chose to do a french bustle on my dress...which i will do as soon as i hem it!

GUESTS WHO DIDN'T RSVP: really? who does this? what inconsiderate, rude people show up to a wedding without rsvp'ing? apparently, after reading many bridal magazines, this occasionally happens. i'm not quite sure why or how, but i guess it happens. so i'm doing everything in my power to make sure this doesn't happen. on the rsvp cards, i have designed them so everyone invited has their name completely typed out for them already. hopefully we don't have any friends who are rude enough to write in a guest...when they are not invited with a guest (hello, budget!). as much as i would love for it to be a big party and everyone is invited, that's not happening. we are also asking that everyone reply a month prior to the wedding - allowing us plenty of time to call people to find out if they are coming, if we haven't received their rsvp card (have you guys noticed that the mail service just isn't what it used to be?). and hopefully our friends and family are kind, considerate people who rsvp for weddings!

ETIQUETTE: i know there's wedding etiquette/traditions when it comes to planning a wedding, but i feel like no one fully (or partially?) sticks to them. like the idea that the bride's parents pay for the wedding...uh, yea, so not happening with my wedding (although they are contributing a huge chunk). and what about a rehearsal dinner for just the wedding party? nope, out the window too for our wedding - we have so many guests coming in from far away (germany, luxembourg, england...virginia) that we want them to be able to make a weekend of it. so we're doing a meet and greet party for family and some friends, instead of rehearsal dinner. also, usually you're suppose to send invitations out 2 months prior to the wedding...not us - we're sending them out earlier than that since people have to book flights, hotels etc. in other instances, we are following tradition - ie, having my dad walk me down the aisle, seating plan & escort cards.

wedding planning: aisle runner woes

2011-09-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

it seems very silly to be obsessing about an aisle runner, when in reality it'll be used for all of 20 minutes, but i'm a bit crazy and i am obsessing about finding the perfect aisle runner - meaning, an aisle runner that doesn't feel like the underside of a box spring mattress or a cheap picnic table cloth. and i really want our logo painted on it.

i did some pricing and found several companies: The Original Runner Co, Customized Wedding Creations, etc, who are willing to paint your lovely design/logo/monogram onto a nice woven fabric aisle runner if you're willing to pay $100 or more (i think i got a quote for one around $300?!). that's when i decided, well duh, i'm an artist - i can freakin paint it on myself. just gotta find a plain white aisle runner.

well my friends, easier said than done because what i have in my head is an aisle runner made of a woven fabric that feels like the kind of rayon/silky fabric that you'd feel on a dress or something. not the cheap "rayon" that is non-woven like every wedding accessories website is selling out there. i want something that looks nice and pretty. maybe i'm wrong - maybe those type of aisle runners will look nice once laid out. but the plain white aisle runner that i ordered off the internet & currently have in possession is exactly like the sort of gauzy, weird feeling crap that's on the underside of a box spring mattress. so we're returning it (my fiancee doesn't like it either - yay!).

after searching and searching for "cloth" aisle runner (meaning woven fabric that you can wash - who knew?), i finally found a site Sand Scripts that sells plain white cloth aisle runners for around $50, which is somewhat pricey, but believe me, it's the best i could find (i searched online for an hour). down side is that i don't know what "pongee" fabric is (although it sounds nice) and i won't be able to return it if i don't like it. my other option is to go to the fabric store (or online) and find fabric i like that is white, 44" or less wide, and buy 8 yards (24 feet) - then roll it around a tube and tie cording or ribbon through the tube so the runner can be rolled out nicely. sounds like a lot more work that way, but if it's cheaper and i'm actually KNOW the fabric i'm getting, it'll be worth it. well, at least, i think so...i know ya'll think i'm crazy, but that's ok.

website re-design

2011-08-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

my vow this summer was to re-design my personal website after completing web design 2, which i took this summer at SMC. i was under the impression that i would learn all sorts of cool stuff in that class that i'd be able to utilize while re-designing my website (fyi, my website was originally designed by someone else about 7 years ago...it was time for an update/makeover). unfortunately, web design 2 was more like a review of what i just learned in web design 1. we did learn a few new things, like embedding video, and some spry widgets, but really not much about designing gallery pages in cool ways. good thing i made a friend in the class who went on to explore lightbox and slimbox in her own time, and then shared the info with me!

for those of you who don't know anything about web design, i'm sure you don't realize how much work goes into designing a website. first, gathering all the pics (for me, i had to take new pics of all of the dresses i wanted to use on the site...it was just me & the camera's 10 second countdown, since i had no one available to help me) and content to go into the site. then doing the design comps, and slicing/optimizing the images, and finally designing everything in dreamweaver. i decided to use slimbox for my gallery pages of "artist", "seamstress", and "graphic designer", so i had to read up on the that to understand more about it (like why do i have to use jquery? which i also to had to understand more about...talk about domino effect).

i'm not quite sure how much time i put into working on the website but i feel like it was around 15-20 hours, including the time that i took the pics. so you can understand why i'm so proud of having finally finished the website and the work that i did. i've tested the website on several web browsers - chrome, safari, firefox, and internet explorer. unfortunately, slimbox and/or jquery don't work (?) on internet explorer - at least, not on mine - and you can't view the gallery pages in the same cool way you can view them on the other browsers. so i just have to figure out what to do about that...if you know what i have to do, please share.

please feel free to check out my website: www.jennaharju.com

i also set up my website so that there's a link from there to my blog here!

my love affair with the gap

2011-07-20T13:31:00.001-07:00

so i have gone 7 months and 15 days without shopping and buying anything at the gap...quite an accomplishment, let me tell you. part of the reason is because since i got engaged at the end of january, i didn't feel that it would be right to spend money on clothes that i didn't really need...that money should go towards stuff for the wedding (ie, hatboxes for the centerpieces). so i made a vow not to go shopping for clothes, unless i absolutely needed something (like a new pair of jeans since i only have 1 regular pair - ie, not skinny jeans - that fit me, since all the other pairs were too big). hence my avoidance of the mall and the clothes section of target.

well on saturday we were at 3rd street promenade and there was a sale sign outside the gap...and i went in. i tried on a few things, but i ended up only getting a dress and a loose tank top...both items that i did not "need", i do admit. (don't worry, this isn't like "confessions of a shopaholic" - btw, those books give me anxiety while reading them...how could she get herself into all those messes?).

anyways, in my defense, 1) both were marked down, 2) i got an additional 50% off the already marked down price, 3) i had to use my gap card so that they wouldn't close it down and ruin my credit.

spoken like a true addict, right? well, it's not like i'm getting drunk at noon...like most of you out there (just kidding...i hope). and it's not likely that i'll be heading back into the gap anytime soon (fortunately, their clothes just haven't been that appealing to me). there was a time, a few years ago, that i would go into the gap once a month. i owed at least my first born child to the gap credit card company (not actually, but i owed a lot of money), so i did try to stop going to the gap. i even gave one of my friends my credit card and told them not to give it to me...but then when i was at the mall, i remembered that you could give the gap your ss# and drivers license for them to look up your cc info. so that plan didn't quite work out. but then, i just stopped focusing on it so much, and eventually my problem wasn't so big anymore. (kind of like dieting for me...being on diet would always make me over-eat, but then when i stopped caring, i lost 10-15 pounds...don't hate me).

so yes, i went to the gap. yes, i broke my vow. but you know what? i like both items that i bought, and i've already worn them...and they were on sale. so there.

wedding planning: 2 wedding dresses, 1 dilemma

2011-07-13T17:01:00.001-07:00

so i think my last post was about how i was satisfied with my wedding dress, with the changes i made, etc. about a week later, i realized that i still wasn't completely sure about it. so i used my joann fabric coupons and bought more fabric for a 2nd dress. i didn't tell anyone that i was making it, and i made sure that my fiance wasn't around when cutting out the pattern and fabric, or when i was sewing it. this past weekend, i finished hemming the organza layers of the 1st dress (which we'll call Dress A), and finished the 2nd dress (Dress B) as much as i could...just haven't done the hem (since i'll need someone to mark it).

then i tried on both dresses - Dress A first, then Dress B. and i was really hoping that i wouldn't like Dress B because i had made a deal with myself that if i didn't like Dress B, then i would discard it (or do something with it, like shorten it) and no one would ever know about it. well that's not what happened.

i ended up liking it. and now i don't know what to do. i like both dresses and there are different factors weighing in to as why i should choose each dress.

so i'm opening it upto others...i'd like to get your opinions on which one you think i should wear for my wedding.

the dress that is pictured in the first 3 photos is Dress A. it's made of ivory satin, with 1 layer of patterned organza overlay, and 1 layer (the outside layer) of ivory organza, with a black satin sash and ivory organza flower. it has princess seams, meaning that the seams run from the top of the bodice to the hem.

the dress pictured on the left, below, is Dress B. the bodice is ivory brocade, and the attached skirt is ivory satin with an ivory organza overlay. i haven't settled on a sash yet, but i'm thinking ivory satin ribbon (in the photo, the ribbon is cream...too yellow) with possibly the same flower attached.

so if you choose Dress B, also weigh in on whether you like it with or without the sash/flower. i'm thinking that the sash would just snap in back instead of tying with tails. keep in mind that Dress B does not have a finished hem and the temporary sash is just crossed and pinned in the back.

wedding planning: dress resolution...hopefully

2011-06-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

i spent most of last week coming up with a plan b, and even a plan c, in regards to my wedding dress. i had promised my fiance that i wouldn't do anything further until i took the dress to his banking client, who is a designer and has a shop in beverly hills. with little to no hope, i made an appointment to see her this past saturday morning.

in the meantime, i looked at dresses online, just in case i was going to have to buy one. of the 1500 dresses priced under $1,500, i liked three. did i mention i'm sort of picky? i also looked through my four boxes of patterns and started piecing together, in my head, a plan of action in case i was going to make a new dress completely. i even priced the fabric at the fabric store.

saturday morning, i made my way into her shop, told her what i didn't like about the dress, and then put it on for her. she and her assistant assured me (like all of you out there) that it looked gorgeous and that i looked wonderful in it. and then we started discussing what could be done to fix it. first, a different sash. the sash i had on in those pics was a temporary one anyways (i made it for the bridesmaid dresses), and we decided if i did a thinner sash (like 1" or 1 1/2" wide), that would help. i had also made an organza flower quickly and pinned it to the sash...we decided we liked it but it needed to be fuller. second, the sweetheart neckline needed to dip more at the point to give my upper torso more shape. third, the skirt needed more "oomph". we talked about adding horsehair braid (woven polyester mesh that helps to give shape to the hem of dresses and skirts) and/or a crinoline. she pinned a temporary crinoline to the underlining, and the dress looked so much better. i left her shop feeling a bit relieved, but also a bit sad (i sort of wanted to make a new dress! it's okay, though - i'll make a dress for my bridal shower, the rehearsal party, and a dress to wear after the wedding!)

i made an appointment at david's bridal for sunday afternoon, and the two girls who helped me were amazed that i made a dress (am i the only bride to have made my own dress?) and loved it as well, especially when a ball-gown crinoline was underneath (waaaay better). but the train was still giving me issues. so on monday, i bought many yards of 1" wide horsehair braid and attached it to the hem of the satin layer of the dress. now i just need to hem the organza layers, and try the dress on again with everything...the crinoline, the sash, and a finished-off gown. let's just say, this better be it...all that will be left to do is to mark where the ties for the bustle will be (going with a french bustle!).

i don't think i'm going to post pics (unless i hate it again) - i think i'd rather wait and let ya'll see it at (or after) the wedding. thanks to all of you who were really supportive and complimentary of me and the dress...i know i'm my own worst critic!

wedding planning: tales of woe

2011-05-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

i finished my dress yesterday (except for hemming it, since i need help with that), and then i cried myself to sleep. i don't love the dress. my fiance and mother like it (my fiance took photos of it that i sent to her last night), but it just seems off to me...it's not how i envisioned it nor how i thought it would feel.

here are my issues with it: 1. it just...hangs. i think this is due to the satin layer being to heavy, and it needs something to help give it shape...help to "poof" it out a bit...maybe some horsehair braid around the hem, like i suggested in a previous post. 2. i feel like i look fat and frumpy in it. but that may just be me being super critical of myself. i just feel like my waist isn't very defined. 3. it's sort of heavy and hard to walk in. granted, it's a bit long and perhaps it'll help when it's hemmed at the right length, but that won't really help the heaviness of it. i can just picture myself getting annoyed by the dress when i'm trying to dance in it at the wedding. and hearing the whispers of guests saying "she made that? ugh".

i've been asked if there are adjustments i can do to fix it. i think i made a mistake using satin for the under layer of the dress...it's just too heavy for my frame/body. and unfortunately, i'm guessing that in order to help lighten up the dress, i'd have to get rid of the satin...which is the structure of the dress. so at this point, i'm not even sure if there's anything i can do to save it.

my mom told me that if i didn't like it, that they would buy me a dress. but there are several problems with that idea...first, the cost. second, i'm really picky (shocking, right?) and i just haven't seen any dresses out there that i love...except for a few that cost over or around $2,000 (before alterations). i just can't really justify spending that much on a dress that i'm gonna wear for a day. third, i'm running out of time. most brides order their dresses at least 6 months prior to their wedding...it has to be made and then there has to be time for alterations. and i'd rather not pay a rush fee, even for a dress i love.

my fiance told me last night that it's "just a dress" - but its not. this is the dress that a girl is suppose to look her best in on one of the best days of her life. i'm not ever gonna get to wear a gown to the oscars or some other awards show...i'm not going to have a chance to wear a floor-length ballgown (unless it's for halloween or something). i want to wear something fun and pretty (that makes me look thin, of course) that i can walk and dance in without throwing a tantrum (believe me, i'm not beyond throwing a tantrum when i'm incredibly frustrated).

so where do i go from here? i'm taking it to a designer who is a client of my fiance's - she has offered to give me suggestions/help with the dress. if she doesn't feel that it can be fixed to be what i want it to be, then i'll have to figure out where i want to go from there.

wedding process: website FINALLY finished

2011-05-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

i'm not even sure how many hours i put in to the creation of this website for our wedding. i know it's totally unnecessary - i could've just created a website using templates provided on various wedding-related websites. but i wanted to do something more creative (as usual) and i also wanted to apply what i'm learning in my web design class at SMC. i think it's always better for me to learn by doing.

and because this was my first attempt, ever, at designing a website, it was a lot of trial by error. i didn't know exactly what i was doing 100% of the time because i was trying to do stuff that we hadn't quite gone over in class...so i did a lot of "trying things out" and searching in my text book for the answers. on some issues that i still couldn't resolve by myself, i went and asked my teacher. very helpful!

i think the process might've been a bit faster if i had done what you're suppose to do and gathered my content (pics, content) ahead of time. i had most of it, but i didn't have all of it until i had pretty much built the webpages.

and then there was the "uploading my files to a host for the first time". we decided to go with godaddy and for a lovely low rate, we paid for our domain name (alanandjenna.com) and hosting for 1 year. unfortunately, they don't offer step-by-step instructions on how to upload via ftp from dreamweaver. i tried what we'd been taught in class when the teacher told us how to upload to the class site, but that didn't work. but godaddy has tech support 24/7 (awesome) and, even though the tech guy didn't really know how to upload from dreamweaver, we eventually figured it out. and then i had a live website!

despite all of this work, it was a lot of fun and a great learning experience - i can't wait to work on my personal website this summer!

check out our wedding website: www.alanandjenna.com

let me know what you think! any suggestions to make it more user friendly?

wedding planning: stress about the Dress

2011-05-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

so the Dress (aka, the wedding dress) is taking more shape now...i've finished the satin, which is the main layer and the lining with the netting (helps to give shape and "poofiness"). i've sewn the two overlays of organza together (french seams and all!), so not much further to go.

the problem is that i'm not sure i love it as much as the version i had pictured in my head. this would not be the first time i made something that i ended up not being a fan of once i finished (most of those projects ended up in the trash, never worn). it's not that i do not like the dress - i'm just not sure i love it. i must admit that it isn't finished yet, so it doesn't look how it's suppose to yet. and perhaps i will love it...once i finish it, with the sash and everything.

but because i'm a planner, i have a back-up plan in case i don't love the dress. plan B: i'll just make a new one. i'm sure most of you are thinking i'm crazy...my fiance says that the back-up plan should be that we just buy a dress. but that's not gonna work because that would mean i'd have less than 8 months to find and order a dress, and go in for fittings...i'm sure it could be done, but also i'm considering the cost. my parents were kind enough to fund materials for the Dress (so of course, there's that guilt too, if i do not end up wearing it), and i don't feel it's fair of me to ask for more money. soooo i would be responsible for paying for my back-up plan dress...either the fabric or ordering something.

and of course then there's the additional concern of "if i make a 2nd dress, am i gonna end up disliking this one too?" if that happens, then i'll take pics of the 2 dresses and put it to a vote. my fiance already has said he likes the dress i'm currently working on...but then again, he's a guy.

i'm torn. part of me really want this dress to work out...i don't really have much time to be making another wedding dress! the other part of me wants to make another dress...just for fun. i think that would just be getting myself in trouble. and trouble is the last thing i need on my plate.

wedding planning: registering for gifts

2011-05-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

so my checklist on theknot.com reminded me that we have to register for gifts...in fact, this was past due. my first thought was, how is this past due? we aren't even close to sending out invitations. my second thought was, how do you register tastefully for cash for the honeymoon?

fortunately, i googled (how could we live without google?) "registry" and discovered www.myregistry.com. you can create a cash fund (honeymoon fund) and also register for gifts at various stores. or, if you've already registered at, say, Target, you can sync up your registries - how frickin cool is that?! i'm sure i'm like the last person to discover all of this, but i still can't be impressed by how cool it is.

now we just gotta figure out what to register for. we know which stores (Target and Crate & Barrel), and we have a small list - we started one a few months ago when i ruined a pan...and when alan thought he broke the microwave (which is the apartment building's)...and when we thought we lost 1 of the oven mitts...and when i melted a spatula (fortunately, we have a spare). needless to say, i shouldn't be in the kitchen...at least, not at the stove.

so, our list, right now, is a short one, made up of what we will need in the future...like dishes that all match, and even amounts of silverware. my fiance and i have a lot of stuff already, since we've been living together (oh the sin!) for over a year. someone told me we should put something fun on the list...but what? we have everything we could want to have "fun" - we need pots that aren't gonna blacken beyond use (just in case i'm cooking...haha). the only thing "fun" i could think of to add, that i don't already have, is a serger...obviously, not my fiance's idea of fun, but i would love one if they weren't so freaking expensive.

anyways, here is our list so far:
plates
silverware
glasses
pots & pans (nice ones)
microwave (we're gonna need one if & when we move)
George Foreman grill
luggage (what we have now is total crap)

and i think that's about it. any suggestions?

web design is a lot harder than i thought

2011-04-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

i'm currently taking my first web design class at SMC, along with other graphic design classes. up until yesterday's class, we've been dealing with a lot of the basics - what you should consider when designing a webpage, the different aspects (design, interfacing, programming, etc), and a lot of html code. and i totally thought that you could design a webpage using photoshop and then slice it up, optimize it, and load it to the browser (well, you could do it that way, but it's not really proper).

yesterday, we opened dreamweaver (a program i have heard about but have never worked in) and it's pretty amazing. THIS is where you design your website - you use photoshop to do your mock-up (kind of like doing a sketch before painting on canvas). although we haven't really gotten into css (styles) yet in order to edit the appearance of a page, entering html code in dreamweaver is a lot faster. the little that we did yesterday in class makes me eager to actually, fully design a webpage.

so since i intended to design the website for our wedding (info and more) this summer, i thought i'd get started on designing the site using photoshop - i can at least do that, until i learn more about using dreamweaver and css. and my first big mistake was that i didn't do thorough research for inspiration or ideas. i looked at a few other wedding websites, but that was it. i started designing, but i still wasn't thrilled with the design. so i looked through a web design book that had samples of a bunch of other websites, and i got inspired to change my design. so i'm sort of back to square one, but that's okay. designing this website is a great learning experience, especially to apply what i'm learning in class. hopefully, you'll be able to visit our website soon!

adventures in reading

2011-04-11T12:25:00.001-07:00

so i find myself lacking in reading material. i borrow books from the library, because if i bought every book i've ever read or wanted to read, 1) i'd be poor, 2) i'd have a house made of books. so now that i'm re-reading the harry potter books again (for the 5th time, i believe? i've lost track), i thought i'd share my top/favorite books. these are books that i loved so much that i've either bought them or wouldn't mind reading again - books that i've laughed out loud or cried while reading. books that i couldn't put down, some of which i found myself staying up til 3am in order to finish reading.

1) harry potter series - there are 7 books, and while i love some of them more than others, you can't read one without reading the rest. it astonishes me when i discover that someone has read books 1, 3 and 4. how can you skip 2? and why didn't you finish reading the series? what's up with that?! needless to say, i have all 7 books, in hardback, and they are among my most prized possessions. for those of you who don't know, the series follow a boy named harry potter who learns at the age of 11 that he's actually a wizard, whose parents were killed by a super-evil wizard when he was a baby. in each of the books, he turns a year older and fights something related to lord voldemort, until the final showdown in the last book. the author has written in a manner that the reader becomes attached to the characters...(SPOILER) i actually cried when hedwig dies in the 7th book, and cried again in the movie, even though i knew what was going to happen. even re-reading them, i find bits that i forgot about, and it's almost like i'm reading them for the first time.
SUGGESTED READING: if you like books about witches and such, check out "the discovery of witches" by deborah harkness. it's a bit more grown-up than hp.

2) girl with the dragon tattoo series - there are 3 books and this is the first one. the 2nd is the girl who played with fire, followed by the girl who kicked the hornet's nest. the books are about a journalist in sweden who (in the first book) to look into the mystery of unsolved death, aided by a hacker who looks like a super-goth teenage girl. the following books are mainly about lisbeth and her past, with mikael trying to prove her innocence and get her out of trouble. it's said that there was a 4th book in the works, but then the author died (of a heart attack i believe) and we got nothing...apparently, it's partially done, but the girlfriend is holding on fierce to the laptop, and not giving it up. very disappointing for us fans! let me just say that when i look for books to read, i usually am attracted first by the cover, second by the summary/blurb. i wasn't going to read this book, but then last may, i was lacking in material and my mom let me borrow this book. i went to aruba with it, and couldn't put it down. i was eager to start the next one, and i purchased in during a layover on my return to la. i ended up selling the paperbacks, and bought all three in hardback...mainly because i was number 126 on the waitlist for the 3rd book from the library. i couldn't wait.

3) twilight series - there are 4 books and i've read all of them at least twice...maybe 3 times. sooo much better than the movies (i really do not like kristen stewart - worst actress ever). i've grown to love the characters...well, except jacob since i think he has a total ego and is not "all that." the author's writing is so engaging and wonderful, it's no wonder that there are crazy twi-hards or whatever out there. if you don't already know, these books are about a girl falling in love with a vampire, and a werewolf falling in love with the girl (love triangle!)
SUGGESTED READING: the host by stephanie meyer. it's her first adult novel

4) pink carnation series - as of now, there are 8 books in the series, and it's still going on (yay!). whenever lauren's books are released, i devour it within a few days, leaving me waiting for another year, til the next is published (usually in january). there are a few that i wasn't so much a fan of, but you kinda have to read them order to stay up on what's going on. these are historical romances - totally girl books, but we read more anyways, right?
SUGGESTED READING: almost any book by philippa gregory

5) watership down - this was on the required summer reading list for 10th grade and it was the first book i ever read more than one time - 4 times to be exact (totally got 100 on the test). the story follows rabbits who break away from there warren because 1 of them (fiver) has a vision that danger is coming that will destroy the warren. throughout their journey and attempt to establish a new warren, they are met with obstacles and adventures not usually known to rabbits. i still love this story (i think now i've read it like 10 times)
SUGGESTED READING: the tales of watership down

6) julia grey series by deanna raybourn - there are 4 in the series, and hopefully more. these are historical mysteries that take place in victorian england, following lady julia grey as she solves mysteries, along with her love interest, the dark and mysterious nicholas brisbane. so delicious and i love them!
SUGGESTED READING: the lady emily series by tasha alexander...same kind of books

7) any book by rick riordan - i've read all of the percy jackson books, the red pyramid (first in that series), and the lost hero (first in another series), and although they read like they're definitely young adult books, they're entertaining anyways. especially if you love greek mythology (like i do), you'll find the percy jackson books informative as well as amusing as the reader follows percy on his different quests throughout each book. cannot wait til the next books come out in both of his new series!

forgot about this series and needed to add it...

8) hunger games series by suzanne collins - yup more young adult books, but so so good! there are 3 in the series: hunger games, catching fire, mockingjay. the books take place in the future - there are 12 districts that are controlled by the capitol (district 13 was destroyed when they tried to rebel). as reminder of the downfall of district 13, each district has to send 1 boy and 1 girl to the hungers games each year where they compete by killing each other - the winner is the survivor. katniss takes the place of her sister in the hunger games, and the books follow her ascent to becoming the mockingjay - the symbol of rebellion of all the districts against the capitol. soon to become a movie, they've already cast jennifer lawrence as katniss...ugh...i don't feel she fits (first, she'll need to lose some weight), but whatever.

travel withdrawal

2011-04-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

it's the beginning of april and i think i'm going through travel withdrawal. our last trip was to orlando, to visit my parents (and harry potter), back in january. as of right now, we have no travel plans booked for the near future (before august) and i'm starting to feel a bit antsy.

so far this year, in january, we went to orlando for a few days, and to mammoth for a weekend (which is when we got engaged). we also went to san diego for new year's weekend. but i haven't been out of town since the end of january, and it looks like we won't be going out of town until the first weekend in august when we go to vegas for wedding-related stuff. not off to a good start for travels in 2011!

i look back to last year and i'm amazed at the amount of traveling that we accomplished:

jan 2010: mammoth
feb 2010: seattle, portland, san fran (i met up with alan on his drive back from the olympics
march 2010: i went to orlando to visit my parents
may 2010: aruba
july 2010: new york city (for a wedding) and san francisco
august 2010: vegas
october 2010: ocean city, md (for a wedding)
november 2010: washington, dc and charlottesvilles, va
(for a wedding)

i miss traveling! i need to go somewhere - even if it's just for a day or a weekend! there's no need to get on a plane (that's probably the worst part of traveling)...just need to get out of la. i know that we need to save money for the wedding, but a little road trip never broke the bank. san diego, anaheim, santa barbara...not exactly glamorous or somewhere new, but at least they aren't far away. i'd love to go to solvang sometime soon...like sometime this month. not exactly a trip to europe, but hopefully it'll quench my thirst for travel for a while!

wedding planning: centerpieces

2011-03-29T11:37:00.001-07:00

i am not a big "flower" type of girl...meaning, i love flowers, but i knew i didn't really want them for centerpieces. plus, they tend to cost a lot of money, and i wanted to be more creative. i searched and searched (theknot.com and just the web in general) for inspiration for creative centerpieces for the tables at our reception. i knew that i wanted the names of each table to be cities/places that my fiance and i have traveled to together, since that is one of the aspects that attracted us to each other. i came up with the idea to create black & white maps of each of the places in photoshop and then type the city name in turquoise. this would be framed in a black frame, and then we'd have 2 framed photos of us at that particular location. but what would this stuff be around?

my first idea was a stack of books at each table, with spines/covers that were in shades of blue, surrounded with votive candles and the frames. imagine how much money we'd save, just by using our own books! and then my fiance pointed out how upset i would be if someone spilled a drink or the venue lost any of my lovely books. so that went out the window. and then i had the idea to find hat boxes that i could paint designs on. we found paper mache, plain hat boxes at joann fabrics, etc and used coupons - my mom found some in florida too. we're not sure how many frames, etc we need at the moment, but we have enough stuff for at least 10 tables. once we find out from the venue how many people will fit at each table, we'll decide if we need to get more items.

wedding planning: dress making

2011-03-29T11:25:00.001-07:00

i started working on my wedding dress at the
beginning of march. i'm not going to show the dress in progress, because i'd rather everyone just see the end result. plus, since my fiance isn't allowed to see it, it's kinda hard to take decent photos of myself wearing it. right now, all i've done is the satin part of the dress and the lining. i've cut out the 1st layer of organza (the printed organza i purchased from mood fabrics - see pic to right) and the outer layer of ivory organza. now, i'm taking a break in order to work on the bridesmaid dresses.

last week, i cut out the fabric and lining for a sample bridesmaid dress, using my measurements, so i know if it fits and hangs how i want it to. (see the pattern being cut out on my lovely new cutting table to the left?! i frickin LOVE this table!!). on sunday, i made the dress. it took me about half a day, maybe less, since i kept stopping for breaks and to meet with a client. but i'm glad that i made this sample because i decided that the skirt needs to be a little bit fuller, and the black sash needs to be skinnier (it's like 4 or 5 inches wide!! ridiculous).
this picture only shows the top part of the dress and it looks way better on than it does in this picture. last night, i cut out the fabric for the first actual bridesmaid dress. i'll be able to sew almost all of it, before i'll have her try it on so i can figure out where the zipper should go (most of the time, there's more of a seam allowance where the zipper is - don't want the dress to be too big!)

wedding planning: shoes shoes shoes

2011-03-25T10:20:00.001-07:00

unlike a lot of girls, i hate shopping for shoes, so shopping for heels for my wedding was something i just wanted to get over with...kind of like ripping off a band-aid. even though i hadn't really even started making my dress yet, i decided to start looking for shoes the easy way - online.

i did "try" to shop for a pair in nordstrom...meaning, i tried on 1 pair and they didn't work out. shopping in the stores is very annoying, i find. first, department store shoe sections seem to always be crowded and finding someone to help you is sometimes a pain in the butt. second, i have a small foot...like 5 or 5 1/2 (i've even been able to wear kids size shoes). in most stores, 6 seems to be the smallest size, especially in heels, that they carry. instead of wasting more of my time on what i could foresee as a fruitless endeavor, i turned to the lovely internet and finally discovered a fabulous site called zappos.com.

after specifically looking for "wedding" shoes/heels online and not really liking anything i found, i went on zappos.com and searched through 28 pages of size 5 1/2 womens shoes. i knew what style i was looking for (peep-toe) and i knew i wanted them to be ivory (but i wasn't sold on that). i found 3 pairs of heels that i liked the look of - including a fun pair of turquoise heels from RSVP (our colors are royal blue and turquoise). AND the turquoise pair came in size 5 (i never know if i'm a 5 or 5 1/2). the only way to decide which pair would be best was to try them on - so i ordered all 3 pairs (btw, zappos.com has free shipping, both ways!).

the first heel pictured is Amanda by Menbur. Did not fit at all - waaaay too big. the second is Evelixa by Nina. these fit and looked really cute. and the third is Lovely by RSVP. these fit as well and looked super cute. i walked around in both and read reviews online on both. i finally went with the RSVPs because they were more comfortable, more fun, and got pretty good reviews from other buyers (including other brides!).

even though i finally settled on a pair of heels for my wedding day, i doubt that i'll spend the entire time in them...they're still heels! they'll definitely make it through pictures and the ceremony and part of the ceremony...but i do have a nice pair of ballet flats that will be waiting for me.

wedding planning: trying not to do too much

2011-03-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

so we have about 10 months until our wedding and so far, we have booked the venue, the photographer, the dj, and the florist. i have chosen my flowers for the bouquets. we have decided what our centerpieces will be (more on that in a separate blog) and have started purchasing those supplies. i have started making my wedding dress, and i have purchased all the supplies to make the bridesmaid dresses (and their gifts). the save-the-date has gone out and my fiance has started researching hotels to get deals for our guests. we have also booked our meet-and-greet party venue (in lieu of a rehearsal dinner). i think we've done a lot for only being engaged for about 2 months.

now i'm at the point where i'm trying to slow down...trying not to do it all right now, even though i am ITCHING to design the wedding invitation and start putting them together (totally can wait til this summer). part of me is like, hurry up and get here wedding day! but mainly, i just want the next months to take their time, so i can enjoy the planning & creative process of getting ready for the wedding. some of my friends who are married already told me that the engagement was their favorite part, mainly because of the planning and having something to look forward to. plus, i love planning parties & events, which is one of the reasons i had thought about becoming a wedding coordinator (and then i found out that there is little pay and spending 12-14 hours on my feet sucks). fortunately, 3 of my friends got engaged as well in the past month or so...maybe they'll let me help plan their wedding! :)

wedding planning: bridesmaid dresses

2011-03-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

the colors of our wedding are turquoise and royal blue with white and black as accent colors. i decided that the bridesmaid dresses (and the groomsmen ties) should be royal blue, with black sashes (possibly...depends on how this looks).

since ya'll know how creative i love to be, and how crazy i can be, i decided i wanted to make all 6 of my bridesmaid dresses, plus a dress (black cocktail dress with turquoise sash) for my fiance's sister, since she'll be an usher. i found a pattern similar to the alfred sung dress pictured to the left (but mine will be royal blue, NOT red!). i ordered a LOT of royal blue peau de soie (matte satin). i think the dress will be cute and comfortable - it has pockets too! i didn't want my bridesmaids to be spending a fortune on a dress, esp since they'll be spending on money to travel to the wedding in vegas as it is, so i thought that making the dresses would help them out in regards to cost, and also give me plenty to do while waiting for january to get here! my mom tried several times to talk me out of making them, but i repeatedly reassured her that i won't get stressed out from this - i love sewing and i'm excited to get started soon (once i'm done with my taxes). i think i might make one for myself too!

wedding planning: dress research

2011-03-16T19:07:00.001-07:00

dresses i love!

when researching wedding dresses, i found this watters austin dress that i love...i'm aiming to make my dress similar to it, but with the patterned organza layer, there will be a bit more texture to make it more interesting.

and because i'm somewhat bored in class, i've been looking for inspiration for a dress to make for the meet-and-greet party that we are doing instead of a rehearsal dinner. i found this jim hjelm dress that i love, but i would rather make it into cocktail version (knee length), so it's not so formal. and probably in black taffeta or satin.

and since we're planning on going out after the wedding and i would rather not wear my wedding dress, i'll change into a short dress more suitable for partying. i found this amsale martine dress and if it didn't cost so frickin much, i would consider buying it instead of making something like it...but alas, a replica of the dress costs around $400 so i'm not even sure what the actual dress would cost. have been having trouble finding a pattern that would allow me to do the cross over fabric on the bodice, but i have an idea...we'll see how that works out!

wedding planning: say yes to my dress (part 1)

2011-03-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

so even before i became engaged, i loved watching Say Yes to the Dress...love watching different brides trying on dresses, complaining about their fitting, and arguing with their "entourage." and when i became engaged, the show became a source of inspiration for my wedding dress.

i also pulled out a lot of magazine clippings, but not to bring to a bridal salon like most brides. i had this brilliant idea that i would make my wedding dress! i love to sew and i've been sewing since i was 16. i'm also super productive and get bored pretty easily, so i knew that i would need something to occupy my free time over the year once i'd finished booking a venue, photographer, etc. i need to be creative!!

when i went to visit my parents in orlando, one of the first things my mom and i did (besides buy bridal magazines) was to go online and search wedding dress patterns. i was surprised that there were not very many...at least, none that i loved. i found a couple of wedding dresses in magazines (and on various websites) that i loved and wanted to find a pattern that i could use to replicate different aspects of those dresses (ie, patterned organza overlay, sweetheart neckline, etc). i don't even know how long we looked until i finally found an out-of-print vogue pattern that i liked, except for the straight neckline, which i could easily make into a sweetheart. (and without that stupid wrap). we ordered the pattern (much more than i've ever spent on a pattern before!)

this pattern calls for a satin or similar dress with 2 overlays of organza or chiffon...so my idea was to do 1 layer of plan chiffon and 1 layer of patterned chiffon, and then add a sash to the waist. first, i made the dress out of muslim (cheap cotton fabric) to make sure the pattern size i cut was okay and to make sure i liked the fit/style. then, start purchasing fabric.

when i started shopping for fabric, i easily found some ivory bridal satin that i liked at joann fabrics, and it was very affordable (esp with coupons!). i bought it, to start with, and went home. before i started laying out and cutting, i tried the muslim dress back on, just to make sure i was happy with it...and i wasn't. i realized that it didn't flare out enough for my tastes. fortunately, i came up with a solution pretty easily. i had a simplicity pattern that i had used to make a cocktail dress to wear to a wedding last summer...and it also happened to have a long version, with a slight train. (see the white dress...with the girl holding flowers).
i decided to use the top portion of the vogue and bottom portion of the simplicity. and that is how i am now having to follow 2 different patterns. this process is not as easy as i thought it would be, but i did make it more difficult on myself by doing it this way in order to get what i want. and there's a part of me that is anxious about this...concerned and afraid that i'll have wasted so much money and the dress will come out looking like crap. but mostly, i'm excited to see how it will turn out and that it will fit me how i want it to and it'll be different from all of those other dresses out there.

blog about the fabric and how the process is going to follow soon in part II!

wedding planning: logo & save-the-date

2011-03-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

the great thing about being a creative person is that a lot of this wedding is gonna be DIY...which will hopefully help save a little money in the long run and also make different aspects of my wedding original. i'm currently taking classes in graphic design, so obviously i'm doing all the invitations and stuff myself.

first, i designed a logo. we're going with a "modern classic" feel to our wedding, so i kept the design simple. i used all of our colors and our initials.

then i designed our save-the-date postcard. my fiance had the idea to use the welcome to las vegas sign. so using that, i redesigned it in illustrator and added a dark blue background. this is the front of our postcard:

on the other side of our postcard, it has our save-the-date info and the logo in the background at a lower opacity (it's faded).

i'm currently taking a web design class, so this summer i'll be designing our website...and then the invitation, program, etc.

wedding planning: budget & guest list

2011-03-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

last year, the average wedding cost $35,000. that is not how much we are spending on our wedding. but before i could go to my parents and find out how much they'd be willing to contribute, i had to come up with an estimated budget.

i am not a "budget" type of girl, nor am i great with numbers, so this was my least favorite aspect of wedding planning so far. and talking about money with my parents also goes on that list. it sucks. we went to orlando the weekend after we got engaged (we had planned the trip prior to getting engaged) and we arrived loaded with information...i had already organized a binder with magazine clippings regarding dresses, flowers, wedding tips, etc., a guest list, and research on las vegas venues that we had already done. and at first, it was exciting sharing everything with them. that slowly turned to anxiety and despair and then to just wanting it all to go away. in regards to the budget and figuring out how much they'd be willing to contribute, it was exhausting getting a number from my dad. finally, on the 4th and last day of being there, my parents, my fiance and i had a long conversation.

they first stated that they were disappointed that orlando had not been considered as a possible location...and my response to that (in my head), why would it be? orlando hasn't been my home since i was 17...i'm 32 now. then they expressed their surprise that la was not the wedding city. we sort of did a bad job explaining why we wanted to do the wedding out of town (i made up for that at a later date with a more descriptive email). basically, we want our wedding to feel like a vacation for us as well as our guests. las vegas is close enough that it will be easy for us and our LA guests to drive to, and not too expensive for our out of town guests to fly into in January. also, no one flying in will have to rent a car, and the hotels are pretty much all in the same area (the strip).

after finally getting past the financial discussion, we had more of an idea about what my fiance and i were going to have to contribute. and we both feel it's doable. i know some people say that they would rather put the money towards a house or something instead of a wedding, but i'm a girl and i want my f-ing wedding. although i haven't been dreaming about my wedding since i was a little girl, i have been thinking about it since i was an assistant to a wedding planner a few years ago. you just can't help it.

obviously, the budget (at least for the venue) is pretty much based upon your guest count. when my fiance and i came up with our guest list - it was way too many people. so we made a 2nd draft. it really sucks when you "start seeing dollar signs over people's heads" as my fiance put it. there's a lot of people we would have liked to invite, but it just can't be done and you just have to hope that they'll understand!

wedding planning: vendor research

2011-03-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

after booking the venue, i started researching photographers. since we wanted to hire someone local to las vegas, i mainly had to decide based on a photographer's website - ie, their portfolio, pricing, etc. we contacted several for pricing, and a few got back to us.

now, i'm a big fan of email. i would much rather receive and send email versus calling someone and talking to them on the phone (unless it's a friend who i want to catch up with, but business related...email is the way to go...not only do you not have to play phone tag, but the info is in writing). there were 2 photographers who called me, even after we had emailed back and forth. 1 of them i played phone tag with (ugh) and the other kept me on the phone for 30 minutes (obviously a NO just cause of that!). sarah from the LVCC recommended a photographer named Tyler Freear
http://www.tylerfreear.com/Main/Tyler_Freear_Photography.html
we ended up booking him because of pricing, email communication, and we like his work (esp that he's shot at the country club before!)

we also asked sarah for a dj recommendation. it's sort of hard to shop for a dj online! so we took her recommendation and booked Mathias Skilton. as long as we have a dj who is willing to work with us (and our guests!) and isn't cheesy, we're happy!

i contacted 4 florists regarding flowers - we're only doing flowers for the bride (me!) and bridesmaid bouquets (we're doing something else for the centerpieces...will write about in later blog). only 2 emailed me back, and of those 2, 1 of them emailed me back the following day (winner!). i did email both of them about what type of flowers i was looking to do in the bouquets and i found out their pricing. i ended up booking Flowers of the Field mainly because i got a better vibe from their emails, their pricing was a tiny bit better, and they told me that even though i was petite, it would be ok for me to have peonies in my bouquet!
http://www.flowersofthefieldlv.com/

for the bridesmaid bouquets, i really wanted white anemones with black centers, however they aren't in season in January. so i ended up choosing white gerbera daisies (my favorite flower) hopefully with black centers (if available!) and white hydrangeas. royal blue ribbon around the stem. for my bouquet, i really wanted a few peonies with a mix of other flowers. finally decided upon peonies, ranunculus, garden roses, and freesia (the green stuff in the bouquet pictured below) all in ivory/cream/white with an ivory ribbon around the stem (my dress is ivory...more about that later)

wedding planning - venue search

2011-03-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

have been engaged since the middle of january and we pretty much started doing venue research the day after we got engaged. we decided that we wanted to get married outside of LA...and that's how we chose Las Vegas. but when we started doing research and discovered a lot of venues on the strip were either too expensive ($3,000 JUST for the ceremony at Caesar's Palace!) or wouldn't be able to hold 125-150 guests (our guest list is 150...we don't expect everyone to show). so we were a bit worried and discouraged.

fortunately, i went on theknot.com and found some venues located off the strip, but not too far from it (we assume all or most of our guests will be staying on the strip). we chose 4 to visit on the first saturday of february...even though i was not hopeful about 2 of them (cheesy/cheap looking websites). we started having the "what ifs" - what if we didn't like ANY of the venues in vegas?

so i did more research on venues in San Diego, and found 4 more venues that we set up visits for on the 2nd saturday of february. fortunately, we liked 2 of the 4 venues in vegas, so we canceled the appointments in san diego, and eventually booked the Las Vegas Country Club.

while we would love to have the reception outside on the grand terrace (3rd picture), we're assuming that it'll be rather chilly at night on January 28, 2012. most likely, we'll do the ceremony out on the grand terrace and the reception...and hopefully it won't look so brown!

knitting: hats (beanies)

2010-02-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

I taught a knitting lesson last weekend, and suddenly got back into knitting. Tired of making the usual scarf, I decided to try my hand at knitting a hat. I downloaded a few patterns from people who posted them on ravelry.com and my first hat was something for Alan. He wanted a red beanie, to be able to wear to the Olympics next week.

It took me about a week to do his hat...I've never used circular needles, so that took some getting used to, but I did pretty good, and only messed up a tiny bit. I think he likes it anyways.

I made one for me as well, but used a different pattern and different weight of yarn. I did mine in a day, and it ended up being a bit big. I think I'll do another one, but different color yarn, and do about an inch less before decreasing stitches. My next project will be fingerless gloves...my hands get cold so easily, but I still want to be able to do stuff, like sewing or reading, so these will be perfect. I've made mittens before but never fingerless gloves...and have never done cabling either, so this ought to be interesting!

Sewing projects: 4 dress in 2 weeks

2010-01-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

For the past 2 weeks, I haven't had much sewing work to do for other people. This is bad because then I'm not making more money, but also good because then I get to do my own stuff. I've made 4 dresses, a few that I had cut the pattern & fabric out a year or more ago.

This purple dress, I bought the fabric because all the suiting fabrics were 50% off a Joann Fabrics (a rarity) and I had to take advantage of that. I bought it without even having a pattern chosen for it. Usually, you pick out a pattern, then buy the stuff, but sometimes I see stuff and I love the fabric, but I don't

know what I want to use it for yet. I get it anyways, and just make sure it's enough for a dress or something. Luckily I had a pattern at home that worked for this fabric. I just needed to go back and get some lining and other notions to be able to make the dress.

I cut out the pattern & fabric for this plaid dress in the fall of 2008. So...a while ago. And then I must've gotten distracted or busy with other stuff and never finished. I had even

started sewing it, so it was half done. When Alan bought me my sewing workstation, I sorted through and organized my baskets and boxes. Now I have a square basket (from Ikea!) full of sewing projects...this was one of the projects. I'm trying to get through as many of the projects I have already started in the past, before starting something new...I think I'm doing okay. Of the 4 projects that were already cut and started, I have finished 3. I'm not so

sure I like this dress made in the plaid fabric...I think it would've been better

made in a solid fabric, but I still like the style and will probably wear it at least once or twice before getting bored with it (sad, but most likely true).

The red/black/white dress is from a Hilary Duff pattern (really cute) and the material is a jersey that was given to me by a past sewing student. I think I started working on this dress back in the summer of 2007. Finally finished it this week. I had to resize it

a bit because I've lost weight since I started it. But I was able to that pretty easily. The jersey is a nice light-weight, slinky jersey and it's comfortable to wear.

I cut out the pattern for this green dress...I think 1 or 2 years ago? I can't even remember. I hadn't even started sewing it, but it's rather quick to put together and very easy...I think good for a beginner. The

fabric is just a silky sort of fabric (like rayon), and it'll make a nice sundress to wear in the spring or summer.

travel: research

2010-01-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

I currently subscribe to Budget Travel. I don't make a lot of money, nor do I want to spend a lot of money when I take a trip, so this is a great magazine mainly cause it had "budget" in the title. They provide great tips and info regarding travel to different places, when you don't wanna break the bank. I used to subscribe to Travel & Leisure (um...they feature hotels that cost over $100...but great pics!) and National Geographic Traveler (good...but I'm sure there's a reason I opted not to re-subscribe). I kept these travel magazines, in case I needed to reference any of the articles/tips in the future. However, there were two problems with this idea. One, magazines take up a lot of room. Two, even if I had a fabulous trip to...let's say the French Polynesian Islands, I would have no clue which, if any, of the magazines have info on that location. So I decided to sort through all of the magazines (took waaay too long) and rip out the pages with info/articles that I was interested in. Then I put each in sheet protectors, labeled binder tabs with the country, and organized everything into one binder. Now when I plan that trip to the Caribbean, I know that I have a few articles to read to see if there's anything of interest that I need to check out.

When I go on trips, I like to do a lot of research prior to my travels, so that way I know what I want to do and I don't waste time while there, trying to figure things out. Plus, it's a great way to feed the excitement for the trip! In September 2008, I was going to Europe for 3 weeks. So for the month of August, to help control my excitement, I did a lot of research using Lonely Planet travel guides and the internet. I collected all of the information for the sites that I wanted to see, and then wrote everything down in a composition book with graph paper (thought this looked cooler than plain notebook paper). I also printed info, including some maps, and taped everything into the book, so nothing would fall out. I had all of the info I needed in that book, and the best part was that I didn't really look like a tourist when I pulled it out to look up something. (I do NOT like looking like a tourist when I go places...even though that's what I am. I like to fit in the best I can...this also helps me avoid attracting the attention of thieves or other types of people I don't want to talk to.)

I wrote up info on each city/town that I was traveling to. About museums, monuments, etc. I included all of my flight info, train info, addresses/numbers of contacts, and an itinerary (important to figure out ahead of time, because some places...like Versailles...are closed on days y

ou wouldn't expect them to be). I didn't have enough info to fill up the entire book, so I used the back as a journal, that I wrote in during my trip. And now, it can serve as a reference if anyone ever wants to know of a good hostel to stay at in Brussels or what else is there to do in Paris besides the main attractions.

Art: paintings this week

2010-01-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

I did something rather rare (for me) this week. I actually started and completed 2 paintings. As most of you know, I don't usually paint on canvas, much less do 2 pieces in one week.

Since Alan has moved in, we moved stuff (furniture, artwork, etc) around and found that one of the bedroom walls just seemed so blank and that just putting up a bunch of random things would seem boring/plain/stupid. He suggested that we choose a photo and we take it to Costco to have them blow it up on a large canvas. I, of course, like to make things more challenging, and suggested that I just buy a large canvas and do a painting of a photo that we took while visiting Muir Woods outside of San Francisco in November. Luckily, canvases were on sale at Michael's (yay!) and I bought a 3 foot x 4 foot canvas that fortunately fit in my lovely Civic (just barely). To give the trees a bit more texture (ie, make it a bit more interesting), I used newspaper bits and collaged each tree. Then using acrylic paint, I did the background first and moved on to the rest of the painting. To get the texture of the leaves, I used a sponge to dab on the paint. I think it came out pretty good for someone who usually doesn't like to paint. It's now the centerpiece to one of the bedroom walls, surrounded by shelves, pictures, candles and other artwork.

On Sunday night, as I was falling asleep, an image of a painting came into my mind. Have no idea where it came from, but when I woke up, I sketched it on a piece of paper, intending to do it sometime in the future. But as I was falling asleep that next night, it came to me again. So after I completed the Tree painting, I started this odd painting on a 16"x20" canvas (I have a few different sizes of canvas under my bed). Using acrylic paint (btw, I do not like oil paint...have used it and find I am not a fan), I filled in the color. The next day I went to Michael's to get fake ivy and the fake gerbera daisy. I had wanted to find a brighter pink, but this was as close as I could find. I cut off some of the ivy and hot glued it onto the canvas. Then cut the flower off of the stem and hot glued it on as well. Alan is not a fan of the painting...he says he doesn't get it. I tried explaining that it's abstract, that you don't have to get it (I don't get most of the pieces done in modern art museums)...it's whatever you take from it or interpret from it...he suggested I hang it in the bathroom (ha ha). But actually, that was a good idea to me, so I did and it looks great with my bright yellow towel hanging on the rack beneath it. To me, the blue represents water/calm, white represents land/sand, the ivy represents nature/life, and the flower represents blooming/sun. But I think you could interpret it however you want...do you really think Jackson Pollack had a clear idea of what his throwing paint on a large canvas represented?

Burberry coat...my own project

2010-01-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

When I was online today, I saw one of the top articles was about Emma Watson missing a leg in a Burberry ad. Thought this was funny, so clicked on it, and as you scroll down, the 2nd picture shows her in an adorable lilac trench coat with puffed sleeves (from their upcoming spring/summer line). SO want this coat! But of course, I can't afford Burberry, and even if I could, it probably wouldn't fit how I want it to anyways. So I'm gonna use my sewing skills and make a version of it.

There are no patterns out there like this (or at least close enough to it that I like) - I've looked. So I'm going to take 2 separate patterns - one with the sleeves I want and one with the tench coat I want - and put it together. The sleeves are almost empire-period like (think Jane Austen period/Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma) and I knew exactly what pattern I wanted to use...I used to own it. However, because I'm a moron and tend to get rid of things that I don't use after a few years (I don't like clutter), I don't have it anymore. I couldn't even remember the company that made the pattern, but after 30 minutes of research online, I found out that it's a Butterick pattern that is still in print...so it still may be at Joann Fabrics. If not, I know that I can order it online. Hard part of searching is done!

My next step will be to look for the right fitted trench coat...the collar can't be too big, because then the coat (along with puffy sleeves) would look a bit clownish. If all else fails, I can always make the collar a bit smaller. Once I find this pattern, then on to choosing fabric...thought I might stick with the lilac color, like the Burberry coat, but I'm not sure how that would look on me. But definitely doing a solid color...no need for black for this coat!