Moving In

Just to warn you, this is *another* one of those rambling posts :)

After commuting 3 hours everyday for the last 4 months, I'm happy to say we're finally in our new place!  The new commute for me is about 20 minutes each way and 30 for my husband - much more manageable.  Between the hours of work and on the road, I'd been feeling mommy guilt like never before.  While we are far from being completely unpacked and settled, I'm just happy to be here.

At the moment, we're trying to maximize our smaller space by donating excess furniture, clothing (lots!), toys, etc.  I'm thankful for the nearby charities who offer pickup services and also Craigslist for items the charities can't pick up.  We were a little wary about who might pop up via CL, but they've all been such kind-hearted people.  One lady drove 3 hours to pick up a crib for a single mother who fled her abusive husband.  One gentleman spends his weekends fixing up appliances and furniture for the less fortunate at his church.  Two other gentlemen happened to be loading an Ikea wardrobe into their truck when they dropped everything to help another gentleman load a heavy desk into his car.  They just saw he was struggling and wanted to offer some helping hands.

At any rate, I'm hoping to get back to my regular blogging schedule soon - thank you so much for bearing with me during this transition <3

My future sewing corner (so much unpacking to go!)

Black Tie DIY Part 1 & New Sewing Room

Weeks ago, my husband told me we'd be going to a black-tie event the first weekend of November in SF.  At the time, I thought, "Eh, I can whip up a dress AND get everything unpacked."  I underestimated how much stuff we have, or more precisely, overestimated my organizational capabilities.  So I put everything on hold and set to work.  I knew I wanted to make a long gown in a fabric that I already had (to speed up the process) with some kind of interesting detail.  I decided on a one-shoulder top and pondered my options:

L to R: Plain w/ Gathered Shoulder, Ruffled, Gathered Ruffle

I did ultimately make a decision (will be posted later this week), but I'm curious on what you think.  Which option (or perhaps none of the above) would you choose for a black tie event?

And a peek into where all the pondering and sewing happens:

I have most of my fabrics folded up neatly and organized - 3 more boxes (eek) to go!

My sewing station: Janome Serger and Singer Heavy Duty 4423

I decided to merge our office and sewing area together.  In Ohio, my sewing area was the dinette in our kitchen which made set-up and take-down a pain in the butt.  I'm much happier with this new arrangement!

Moving & Blogger Profiles

As you may already know, my family is in process of a semi-cross country move from the midwest to San Francisco.  During the move / unpacking / settling, I'll be scheduling more text-based posts and blogger profiles of some of my favorite ladies.  I love learning more about the personal side of bloggers and am so happy that these ladies obliged :)  In case you are curious, I also filled out a mini-profile below.  If you're looking for the DIY posts, they'll be back soon!

5 random things:

1) I have a huge weakness for babies, but refuse to hold any of them (except my own, of course) for fear they'll start crying.

2) My dream job would be Top Chef judge.  Yes, please pay me to taste delicious food and tell you what I like / don't like about it.  I intend to to do a Top Chef road trip one of these days hitting the restaurants of all of my favorite chef-testants.  Chris Cosentino, I am coming to your restaurant in SF soon!

3) I'm proud to be active in animal rescue.  Volunteering at the shelter, temporarily fostering kitties, and for the last 6 years, taking care of a feral cat colony (feeding, spay / neutering, and building winter shelters).

4) I can't swim.  I understand the theory of it, but I just can't do it.  I can, however, float on my back.  Hopefully long enough to get rescued.

5) My favorite Halloween costumes involve wings - angels, fairies, and the like.  I've always wanted to fly :)

SPG College Years

Style:

• What is currently on your wishlist? Would any items change if you won the lottery?

Hmm, I would really like a red leather shoulder bag that can also be worn cross-body.  Preferably something that will easily fit my long wallet, wristlet, and iPhone easily.  If I won the lottery, I would still get a red leather bag, it would probably just be more expensive.

• What are your top 5 wardrobe staples for fall? 

Red blazer, an ornate necklace, comfortable boots with a heel, bright outerwear, and some classic plaid

• What are your favorite purchases this year?

My red blazers!  A knit one from H&M that is bright, comfortable, and seemingly never wrinkles (great for travel!) as well as a wool version from J. Crew that is classic, structured, and well-made.

• And a random one - what was your style as a teenager? How (if applicable) has it changed today?

I don't know that I had one particular style as it tended to shift from year to year.  I went through a wide-legged jean phase with anime tees.  I also went through a Contempo Casuals phase (i.e. club-esque gear) and thought I was so cool.  My longest phase was probably the Abercrombie & Fitch one.  I got a kick out of buying from the kids' store for a lower price.  My current style tends to fall into the business casual spectrum or "Mommy @ work".  They tend to be conservatively cut with just the tiniest splash of something trendy.  I love the prep aesthetic, but wouldn't classify my style that way.

Thanks for reading my long-winded and off-topic post!  See you all soon!