Friday night meandering thoughts.

It's 10:45 on a Friday night and I'm waiting for DD#1 to arrive home. So, I'm thinking about sewing things and will finish up the christening outfit tomorrow night. It just needs the buttons and buttonholes. I was going to do it tonight but cleaned a bit and had to get stuff ready for DD#2's softball tournament and DS#2's very first baseball tournament on a 10U team. What I don't like about this is I'll have to use all manual settings. The 1/4" buttons are too small for my buttonhole foot!

Also, I plan on adding a number of blogs to my blogroll and subscription feeds in Bloglines. That's one of the reasons I love my Sitemeter widget. Sometimes I check out my referrals and find some great blogs that way. It's kind of like if someone is interested in my work, I'll most likely be interested in theirs as well. And, of course, I find some great ones via comments. There's some mighty fine work going on the sewing blogsphere!

Which brings me to Bloglines--I dread looking at the feeds! I've been so busy and haven't had a chance to read any blogs the past two weeks. It will probably be three since I have to get ready to go to Virginia on Wednesday. And do you know who I'm going to see in Virginia??? JEF from Patternreview!!! I'll be there for the ASA Softball Nationals and we're going to meet up hopefully for both coffee/lunch and at G-Street Fabrics. This is really exciting! Although, I must admit, DD#2 is not all that thrilled about it. She'll survive though. I'll buy a new camera battery and be ready to go.

So maybe in another 10 days I'll be back to somewhat of a normal routine and can catch up on an immense amount of blog reading. Or maybe I'll start right after finishing this post :) !

I Love to Sweat!

We just recovered from record-setting heat, and in the interim I'm making a "Comfort" basket for the Basket Auction at my daughter's school softball fundraiser dance. While it was hot as heck outside, I'm inside making cold-weather gear. And it's just as hot inside until I turn on the air conditioners. I'm SO not ready for warm weather.

Of course, I wasn't supposed to sweat for a week as per the doctor's orders regarding my incision. And, *of course*, I had to pick probably the only week in spring where my area sets some heat records. And I'm working with fleece! It is VERY hard not to sweat under these circumstances. So today I was mighty happy to have reached Day 8. Today I could sweat! And the temps have dropped down to a high of about 62 degrees...

I've been in serious doldrums about going to the gym, but today I was happy about it. I loved to sweat. Starting to get back into a normal routine, and I was even able to throw some baseballs overhand. The only drawback is I still have the clear patch covering my incision. My ultra sensitive skin that is prone to "band-aid rash" is now itchy from the clear patch. The edges are coming off little by little, but I'm hoping that sweating will encourage more to come off.

Enough about sweating, even though I'm enjoying it.

Here are the projects I'm working on for the Softball Fundraiser Basket. They're all cut out and in the process of being embroidered. My embroidery machine is humming away as I type this post.





















What's going in the basket? Here's the list:

1. 2 scarves (one for Mom, one for Dad)

2. 2 hats (again, one for Mom, one for Dad)

3. 2 softball headbands for cold outdoor practices

4. 1 seat cushion

They have to be done by Saturday so I'm busy, busy, busy! I haven't touched the semi-formal dress for pattern alterations but probably will do so tomorrow as I finish the embroidery. I had to redesign the headband because I just didn't like the design in my Great Copy Patterns book. I've made the headband many times before and decided to change it so it looks more like some of the RTW styles I've seen on the girls.

Also, please say a prayer for my MIL. She undergoes surgery tomorrow. She was in a serious car accident and came out virtually unscathed except for a fractured vertebrae in her neck. It should be a short operation to insert a pin in it. This is the woman that defies all traditional notions of aging. She's going to be 90 in December and looks, acts, and dresses like she's 55 or 60. I'm not kidding. She sharp as a tack and nothing gets by her. She still lives on her own, in her own house, is frequently in the paper and on the regional news for her volunteer work. She helps out a lot of "old" people (she is not one of them though ;) ) as well as young ones. Two months ago she was on the news being interviewed on how she helps out individuals and families with the community tax program. Still, there are surgical risks for a person her age. So if you can, say some prayers for her tonight please.

On a side note, if you a regular reader of my blog, you might remember my post on the 7 Things I Hate About Spring. Well there are about 5 or 6 things I hate about the habits of gym members. The little things that really irritate me. In order to get these things of my chest (or my case--my itchy back), I'll let the world know what they are:

1. Don't laugh or sing when you're on the cardio machines. I can time your laughter virtually every 20 seconds. And if your laugh is the most irritating laugh on the planet, it drives EVERYONE up the wall. Please, keep your singing in the shower unless you're an American Idol contestant and actually very good. And DON'T, I repeat DON'T sing along with your Ipod. I can hear you and you DON'T sound anything like Beyonce. Trust me on that.

2. Don't talk to yourself. It's distracting. And don't talk to me either. I'm trying to keep my focus. This is my workout time, not a socializing activity for me. Get in and get out. Me time. Not you and me time.

3. Wash your hands. Probably my biggest peeve of all. This one lady uses the toilet, then walks right out to use the machines. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! Your personal hygiene habits make me cringe. And the last time this lady held the door open for me, it was an "Eww...gross" kind of moment. My daughters are aware of who this person is too. Sadly, she is not the only offender.

4. Don't hog the machines. You sit there. I wait. You sit there. I do cardio. You sit there. I do more machines. Why do you even go to the gym? You want to sit? Stay home.

5. Cover tattoos in *those* places. This is specifically for the lady with the tatoo above her butt crack. From a distance, it looks like an extension of her butt crack. It is not flattering.

That's pretty much it. Thanks for letting me vent. That embroidery humming is making me sleepy. 1 more minute and it's finished!

Can't Help Myself!

No, I can't. I have to post this. I had to go in for that minor surgical procedure at the plastic surgeon's office today from my initial visit last month. Nothing glamorous I tell ya, but putting off the surgery for two to three more years would have meant a bigger incision. No thanks! He did a kinder cut (which means hopefully a less noticeable scar) than my regular doc though. My shoulder area is mildly sore but that's the way it goes.

Anyway, I can't help myself and had to post my BP! As corny as it sounds, it hasn't been this low in 10 years! I remember being in labor with child #4 and my BP on the monitors were around 105/65 to 110/65. Some of you know I'm been working hard to keep the numbers down since they were upped in recent years.

So right before the procedure today, the nurse takes my BP and it is...

...104/62!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yahoo! I can't remember when it was that low. It has been a LONG time since seeing anything less than 105 on the upper number and lower than 65 on the lower number.

I probably wasn't nervous at all because I didn't realize they had to take my BP. I wasn't even thinking about it at all.

Just good news to share. Higher-than-normal BP readings have stressed me out the past few years, although I've been able to keep them mostly under 120/80 most of the time with hard work.

Public Service Announcement

Do you suffer from migraines? They're awful! They're the mother of all headaches. And I don't even get them like some people do where they get nauseous, numb, and are out for days. Mine only knock me out for a good 5-6 hour chunk of time. Luckily, I only get them occasionally, maybe once every 6 mos.-2 years. And I'm due for one unfortunately.

Luckily I discovered that OTC vitamins (of all things!) are a migraine trigger for me. When I start taking them, I'll get something like 3 migraines/week. I found this out through careful analysis at one point.

A small percentage of migraine sufferers have visual auras like me. They are the prelude to a headache. Mine last for about a 1/2 hour followed by the whammy of a migraine headache. Guess I should feel fortunate. It's a warning--find a place to relax and get some Tylenol, Motrin, and caffeine in my system fast. Caffeine restricts the blood vessels I think? It's in the OTC med for migraine headaches.

Problem is, most people don't understand the visual aura. I told my husband about it, and he thought it was simply halos around lights. It's not. About a year ago I found an excellent link as to what a migraine aura looks like to us migraine sufferers. It is highly enlightening to those who don't get migraines and understand the aura. My husband was quite surprised. It's bothersome, annoying, disorienting, and restricts your field of vision. It's why I need to lay down and close my eyes (if possible) when it happens. Even after closing my eyes though, I can still see the aura.

So for the general population that doesn't understand what an aura is or what it looks like, check out this link:

Migraine Aura Simulation

Click on the button next to the car. This outstanding simulation will let you "see" what we see during a visual aura. You might want to share the viewing experience with others that may not comprehend what happens during an aura.

Why is this not a sewing post this morning and rather a public service announcement? Because my camera battery died! Don't you hate when that happens?!?! But I do think the info above might be useful for someone.

Promises, promises!

I promise! I'll blog more about sewing very soon, but I've been terribly busy. Lots to talk about on the sewing front.

However, there's nothing like feeling good about yourself. Kim asked about the adult acne thing. I got my Finacea in the mail (for mild rosacea and adult acne). I'm feeling much better because my skin is looking better. AND...I'll be receiving my new tube of TretinX in the mail very soon (Retin A). The mail order co. I have to use needed more info from the dermatologist before filling the new script. That will also help with the adult acne as well. I hate zits! I hate cystic acne. For some reason my hormones are flaring and really jumping around. Is that pre-menopausal???

All I want for Spring is clear skin. It IS better. The TretinX should really do a double whammy when I get it and give me back my skin as it was meant to be.

What is/are your figure flaws...um, variations?

I was again inspired by Lovely's/That's So Live blogspot with her slideshow yesterday that I decided to create one today. Of course, I ran into code trouble and couldn't find the code to insert the slide show the way I wanted it to be but...that's another story. Anyway, I'm going through my pictures to add to the slideshow and came across one that I dread. You know the ones that show your true figure flaw(s)? (I couldn't bring myself to add that one to my slideshow LOL!)

But I got to thinking. I would share my figure flaw because it illustrates what I can't wear--too short tops. I am very shortwaisted with very long legs. It is easy to disguise this flaw most of the time, but occasionally if I make a top too short, it just looks--Blech! It makes me cringe when I look in the mirror because it looks like my boobs are sitting right on top of my waist. Here goes this blasted photo:



The pic doesn't look as bad as the top does now because it has suffered progressive shrinkage through subsequent wash and dry's, but it got me thinking. What are everyone else's figure flaws and how do they compensate for them. And what are your figure assets? So if anyone reads my boring blog, please share what you think are your figure flaws, what shouldn't you wear so they are not noticeable, and what do you wear to create the illusion of a more perfect figure.

For me, duro tops are perfect. Low-rise jeans are great--the illusion of a longer torso. V-waists are especially flattering. Empire waist dresses and sheath dresses are flattering too. What is DEFINTELY NOT flattering are normal waist jeans with shirts tucked in. I NEVER tuck my shirts in with jeans like this. And I don't like normal waist jeans because they scream Mom jeans, not sexy jeans, on my figure. Shirts must be closer to my hipline than to my waist. If I go above a certain point, it shouts, "Look at my short waist!"

So now that you know my figure flaw that nobody is *supposed* to know, I will share with you my figure assets which I try to emphasize. Long, shapely legs, nice shoulders and arms, and a full bust. I swear by Wonderbras for many of my sewing projects and highly recommend them for the 40 and over group like me :) . Husbands like them too LOL!

Looking Your Best

The past few days I've been reading blogs on looking your best. And, of course, being treated accordingly when one looks their best. Really, the two go hand in hand, don't they! Sometimes I think it's a really hard thing to do. Some of work, some of us have kids, and many have the really hard part of doing both in addition to trying maintain the homefront.


I think dressing nice comes and goes in spurts. There are stages of life that affect this, and even genetics takes over at some point in time and makes things even harder. I remember back in my early-mid 20's at my first *real* job as a high school teacher. Beautiful wools suits, classy dresses--yeah, it was my style. Then at 25, baby no. 1 came along. I learned very quickly to cover up my dress clothes before heading out the door to daycare. Spit up is not very kind to dress clothes. Same with using a big absorbent towel on my lap so the suddenly very weight diaper "spot" wouldn't appear on the lower half of my work clothes. When I was home, my clothes were lackluster to say the least. Drab and dumpy to be exact.


It only got worse when I turned 30 and decided to resign to raise my growing family as a SAHM. Big oversized men's t-shirts and turtlenecks and bland jeans were my uniform. It's what I felt I had to wear. Little kids have a tendency to wipe their noses along with their big hugs on mom's shirts. Dirty hands sometimes turn my boring solid colors into prints. And the darn thing is, having a full bust and a smaller waist, I didn't always look past my boobs when going out. There were definitely several occasions where I walked out door with "booger spots" and "paw prints" on my lower half!


So, it's really hard to dress nice with little kids. Not impossible, but I just didn't feel up to the challenge with havng four kids somewhat close together. Once they all got out of toddlerhood, I wanted to look better and dress nicer. Take my life back so to speak. And this is really the hardest part of all for most women. By this time, their bodies have dramatically changed. In my case, I've been somewhat blessed by "thinner" genes, but still have to work hard to keep off 20 lbs. that would love to sit on my body. But so many have it hard, and I think the fashion industry for the middle class isn't exactly kind. As a SAHM, our family lives on one income. That doesn't leave much extra money for the finer stores. Walmart, Kmart, JCPenney, and Sears are my usual hits for shopping. That is, when I go because I hate clothes shopping and would much rather stay home and make my own. But the average Jane isn't so lucky. The spandex-y styles can be rather shapeless, and so many woman are looking for comfort. The generic department stores cater to the masses and this doesn't exactly include the cute Anthropology or runway knockoff styles I see on websites. Stretch knits with less shape are what I'm seeing in the stores and on the streets to accommodate the ever increasing American girth.


So overall, what I'm trying to say is, dressing better is do-able, but there are so many things that work against us as women. Instead of concentrating on an entire wardrobe or looking great everyday (which is sometimes a daunting task), it's nice to have a few outfits set aside for when we go out. Whether it be to school for parent pickup, sitting at a sports event, going to a parent/teacher conference, etc. I think taking baby steps can make a big difference. Heck, I even dress up now to go to the batting cages with my kids!


So fellow ladies like me, go easy on yourself. Start with a couple of nice pieces, and build from there. Maybe a nice wool coat, a jacket or two, a pair or two of nice shoes, a pair of sexy "non-Mom" jeans and build from there. We CAN get our fashion forward lives back, one piece at a time :) !