Winter = Craft Nights

School is finally wrapped up, and I'm finally caught up on my sleep. What's next? Apparently the hobby I chose to pick back up during this break is sewing.

I was at Wal-mart on a mission this weekend to track down some elusive Cars toys for the boyfriend's nephew. We did not find a Ramone car, so I wandered off. I find myself in the crafts section looking for patterns hoping for some inspiration for some mommy presents (both mine and his).

I did. And rediscovered the Sew You Built By Wendy patterns by Simplicity.

Two Christmases ago, one of my besties and I gifted each other the exact same present: Sew You by Wendy Mullin (of Built by Wendy). I don't know what she did with her copy, but mine has been sitting in a box between moves, untouched. The patterns were on sale at Wallyworld, so I thought why not brush up on my sewing by making something simple?

Simplicity 3835

And yes, I bought this fabric to make a dress out of.

I guess it isn't super obvious, but I'm a cat lady by nature. This thing is going to look bananas when I am done with it. Most reactions I have been getting to this plan go something along the lines of, "What?!"

Almost done. The last part- adding in the exposed back zip. Yay!

Anyway, it is turning out to be a pretty short project. I decided to line the inside with polyester so I can wear it three seasons instead of two. I ordered some Amy Butler and Kaffe Fassett prints from fabric.com and they should be here tomorrow! I'm glad I have this time off to make some homemade gifts for some very special people.

 The book in question. Buy it here.

LC in the EC

I have yet another confession to make.

I am totally into so many things my 17 year old sister is into. This includes, and is not limited to, the latest pop music, RPattz, celebrity gossip, and of course, The Hills. So who was I to say no when she asked if I wanted to go meet Lauren Conrad at her book signing?

Needless to say, I was excited.

There were so many girls there, it was insane. I felt so horrible for the regular bookseller staff because the store was completely trashed. I had even intended to purchase a few other books since I was at the bookstore, but the aisles were all packed with people and were not navigable. I realized later on, that it would have been pointless anyhow as all of the shelves were in disarray from the crowds.

It was super fun chatting with all of the excited fans while we were all waiting in line. When Lauren showed up, it was chaos - the screaming and flashbulbs were so intense. Being pap'd all the time must be so scary!

Shortly after her arrival, the crowd was organized into a huge line snaking through the entire store. It moved really quickly, but we found out we were not allowed to take photos with her or have her personalize messages. Otherwise I would have creeper photos to back me up when I say she's really cute and tiny and has pretty hair in person.

For some reason I was really starstruck and flabbergasted when it was my turn to walk up to her. My sister cowered behind me and whispered, "She looks so perfect!" It was hilarious. Despite our random bouts of shyness, it was a super fun time. I haven't been in such a girly giggly environment in months!

I'm only slightly disappointed I couldn't ask her to sign, "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!" in my copy.

Buckhead Library

I ventured out the other day to get a library card. Mostly because I wanted to go to the Buckhead library branch - the architecture is amazing. There have been campaigns to keep the building standing since the surrounding area is currently being torn down and rebuilt.

Tricia Guild

I think it's absolutely true that you need to take in inspirational things to be inspired. And honestly, I haven't felt very inspired lately - I'm 1000+ posts behind in my Google Reader, I haven't traveled in over a year, and I haven't visited anything significantly artistic or cultural in a very long time. I have a dozen personal projects I'd been meaning to get a jumpstart on (sewing, painting, decorating, designing) but simply haven't.

Even the blog layout is suffering! Instead of drawing up some yummy patterns and color schemes, I end up playing really pointless games online for hours on my days off. So I decided I needed some kind of creative kick-off. Some help.

Today I leafed through this book and felt refreshed.

Inspiration

Tricia Guild is an amazing interior designer in London. This book is a visual compilation of places, people, and things that inspire her. Flipping through this book is like soaking up a library of inspiration. There are photos of so many beautiful things, from Paris cafes to fancy shoes to sorbets and even Indian culture.

She also has this book:

Pattern

Which looks just as amazing. Hopefully this will get things moving. Maybe you'll see results if the layout changes.

xoxo