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Tomorrow is moving day so my every moment is consumed with packing and painting and patching holes. However I did take a visiting friend to the conservatory of flowers a week ago and saw some magnificent things including giant carnivorous plants. This however was my favorite.

Painting part one

I am moving this weekend to a new apartment. It happened very fast and so there has been a flurry of preparation and packing which I've been trying to tuck into every extra moment I have in order to be ready when my moving helpers arrive. One amazing thing about the new place is that I get to paint it! And after years of dreaming of painting rooms vibrant colors what did I do but choose white. Silly me. I did however go with a very fun color in the walk in closet, more on that later.
However, after years of dreaming of painting, when faced with the reality I realized I had completely forgotten what I was doing. I also had neglected to think about how all the decorative moldings that I loved so much would be a huge pain to paint. Luckily I was willing to do whatever it took to get rid of the yellow the space was before I got my hands on it (a much brighter yellow than these photos can convey, almost glowing).

So I spent two and a half hours cutting in by hand around all the moldings and windows and doors (two doors, some french doors and four windows!) and then went back with a roller to do the middle of each wall which took only a half hour. It's only a first coat but it already looks infinetly better. With the rest of the paint, a touch up on the trim and the carpet rolled up and taken away (hardwood floors underneath) I think it will turn out to be a wonderful space. And I'm looking forward to having a beautiful tree to look at out of the window while I sit at my desk.

Happy birthday

This weekend was spent with one of my favorite people in the world, celebrating her birthday. I of course used this as an excuse to make a crazy cool cake for her. Like my friend, this cake has a whole lot going on; flamingo, hearts, banner, sprinkles. It also has some wonderful surprises inside...

in this case it was a checkerboard cake!

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Long weekend ahead! I myself am looking forward to sunshine, tasty food and adventure with one of my favorite people in the world who is coming into town for a visit. Luckily I just got my new kicks because I have a feeling we will be tromping all over in the next few days. 

Sewing update

Once I made my first dress with the pattern I created from my favorite dress I knew I was a gonner. I immediately worked up some ideas for different variations of bodice designs and combinations of fabric. I was looking at my alarming fabric stash in a whole new way. I've just completed my fourth dress from my very own patter and it's my favorite one yet (it helps that it's such a sunny yellow which is a useful color in the battle to combat the grayness here)

I've got fabric for seven more dresses all washed and ready to go. It's all very exciting. I actively have to remind myself that I need to pack (I am moving to a new apartment next week) and that pulling out my sewing supplies at this current juncture would be unwise and not a good use of my time but I really want to! I'm going to have to make time for a picnic in the park or some patio cocktails. Not much has the power to totally change my mood for the better than a pretty new dress. And pockets don't hurt either!

gravity works for sure

Due to this charming development (which has since gained a few new cracks and lost another piece of glass in the upper right corner) I somehow lost the post that I had written for today and all the photos. I know I should replace it considering it's now been nearly a month of difficult to read texts and only semi-responsive screen, but what can I say, I'm stubborn.
I should however be able to have an update on my (now obsession) with homemade sundresses, sometime tomorrow. I very well might need an intervention. Or an suntervention? I'll keep working on it!

At my desk

This weekend was one of my favorite San Francisco events, the classic Bay to Breakers. I have been very interested in making costumes for years and this is a great event for unleashing a bit of the kookiness. This year a friend and I went as 1950's style bathing beauties and this is one of the floral bathing caps we constructed the night before. The flowers were cut out of felt with seed bead or pom-pom centers. The cap base is just some leftover jersey. They were surprisingly comfortable to wear in the unseasonably hot weather yesterday and as I've always said, it's the accessories that really sell it. Now it's time to start dreaming up what to make for Halloween....

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Let there be light

In the course of spring cleaning my apartment I decided to rearrange my bedroom. The result, while I much better, left me with a lighting problem. There was no space for any sort of nightstand or table on one side of the bed and I am very particular about having lights on both sides. Luckily with the help of my very handy father I came and some vague idea of a wall mounted light, I was able to construct a solution.
There were some old Buddleia branches in my parents back yard which were cut down to size, I was looking for straight stretches with interestingly shaped offshoots for the bulb to hang from. We drilled holes for screws and painted the sockets white to blend in with the cord. I originally used round vanity bulbs but I eventually changed my mind and went with these vintage style ones. I figured as the bulbs were fully exposed their appearance should be considered as part of the fixture.

Pattern pieces

I've finished sewing up another 'perfect dress' and am currently testing it out (ie. wearing it to see how the fit is, and what I might wish to alter in future versions). I've got another one cut out of this exuberant floral print and have several more fabrics which just need to be prewashed and then I can start on those as well. My goal is to have one week worth of these dresses by summer and I think this is a very achievable goal.

A few words concerning my mother

Being that this is a day to celebrate mothers, I find myself thinking about mine. My mother has taught me how to cook and sew and so many other creative and useful things. And while that is wonderful, she also taught me (mostly by example) how to be a good person, how to be kind and thoughtful and (very) patient. She is a constant inspiration, she never ceases to amuse and amaze me and I am eternally grateful that she is my mother. And my friend.

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All of the cherry trees on my street are blooming. I loved the way this one looked against the bright building behind it.

Party favors

I got asked to make another batch of party favors, this time for a bridal shower. It was incredibly simple as there were no set colors or theme for the wedding (it's going to be a simple courthouse ceremony) so I was given free rein to make whatever I felt like. I decided to do a little combo package of a custom wrapped candy bar and a container of confetti and I chose a green, gold and white color scheme. The rest was very straightforward and fun. I think this is a favor idea I will be turning to again in the future as it is very simple but looks fun and personalized. I'm already thinking of other candies I could cover!

At my desk

I've been working on an alternate bodice style for my 'perfect dress' pattern. This one is a bit more 50's house dress  I was considering adding a contrast bright binding to the neckline and arms for a bit of interest. I just happened to have the blue from a previous project  but i think a purple or pink would be pretty as well. Or even the minty green now that I think of it. So many options.....
I've got a big stack of vintage fabrics, mostly floral. It's looking like my dream of a whole fleet of similar dresses is actually going to become a reality!

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I have a pair of antlers hanging over my desk. They were recently joined by this flock of vintage birds (previously seen on my dress form). It's fun to dress them up when the mood strikes.

Why am I so busy?

So I don't have any finished project to humble brag about here today....The only reason I can give is that I have been working on multiple products for other people while simultaneously trying to complete some personal projects as well. It a classic example of everything happening at once and I'm just trying to make good use of every hour of the day. Hopefully soon I will have some finished products to share but for now here is a quick Instagram summary of what I'm up to!