Cazy Love, Crazy Giveaway!

You all know how much I love Jennifer Paganelli and her BEAUTIFUL Sis Boom fabrics, right?  Well right now Sweet Baby Jamie is giving away 2.5 yards of Jennifer's CRAZY LOVE fabrics.

1/2 yard each of these 5 amazing fabrics.  My favorite one is the Victoria in Orange (second one from the top) But they are all awesome.  So stop by Jamie's blog, The Insecure Quilter and see what she's been up to.  Don't forget to follow her and leave a comment on her give away post so you can have a chance to win these gorgeous Sis Boom fabrics and fall in CRAZY LOVE, just like we did.  : )

Widgets and stuff...

You may have noticed the nifty new feature to the RIGHT of my blog post. It is a Run Keeper Widget.  Run Keeper is a nifty little app that I have been using to help me keep track of my running.  I have it downloaded to my Android and linked to my facebook (I'm sure all of my friend's LOVE that!) and NOW, just for you my dear readers I have a widget on my blog as well. 

I just started using Run Keeper (the FREE version) and honestly haven't used another tracking app to compare it too but I LOVE it!  It uses your phones GPS to determine how far you've run and it let's you know every 5 minutes how far you have run and what your average pace per mile is. The run keeper tells you other things (like calories burned) but these are the most important things to me.  I don't have to worry about running the route I already mapped out just because I know exactly how far it is, if I feel like I want to go a little further I can add a few streets in and still have an accurate account of how far I ran.

 It is very important for me to know how far I have run, you see, I am kinda goal oriented.  I need a carrot, something in the distance to focus on.  Right now, what is keeping me on the road is this CRAZY idea I got in my head that I was going to get back into running (which I do love) and run in a half marathon with some of my Disney addicted friends.  Um, yeah.  I said half MARATHON (that means 13.1 miles!!!). *insert shaking head smiley here*  or slap to the forehead smiley.  Not just any half marathon though, the Disney PRINCESS Half Marathon, February 2013.  It comes with some pretty impressive bling (and I get to be all crafty and make a Princess costume...what princess should I be???). If you think I'm crazy, check out some other bloggers getting ready for the race:
Rapunzel Runs
One of Those Running People
Princess Poppins
Donna Runs Amok
Run Date Sleep

 I am very excited to be working toward this goal so I wanted to share it with all of you.  Having the Run Keeper Widget on my side bar means that you can track my progress, see what I've been up to.  Feel free to comment at any time about how AWESOME I'm doing or to tell me I'd better step up my game.  I THRIVE on kudos and atta-girls and occasionally need someone to push me to be my best, to embrace my inner Princess ;)  

I PROMISE my next blog post will be chock full of crafty goodness.  I MAY even have a tutorial for you all.  Until then, I'd love to hear what crazy goals you're working toward and what motivates you to be YOUR best.

Join me on Craftsy!!!

Are you all on Craftsy?   I think I'm a little late to this party (what's new?) but I just set up a Craftsy profile.  If you aren't on Craftsy or have never heard of Craftsy it is an online community for crafters of all sorts.  You can find and buy patterns, take workshops and post pictures of completed projects which other crafters can then admire and comment on.  For all of you boutique owners or Etsy sellers and bloggers, you can add links to your websites and stores so that admirers can find you.  Currently I only have my recent LUCY HALTER  up in my projects but I am looking forward to putting some old projects in and cataloging my new projects there.  So if you are on Craftsy, follow ME and if you are not on Craftsy go set up a profile and then follow ME ;)  I look forward to seeing what you've been up to.
...t.

Something OLD, Something NEW, Something BORROWED, Something BLUE.

No, I'm not preparing to walk down the isle. I did that nearly nine years ago, November 1, 2003. Wow how time flies. Oh, look, there's Mr. t-beri (check his music out HERE )and a shameless opportunity for me to post a stunning wedding picture. ;) But as I said, this blog post is NOT about a wedding day. It is about reviving my long dead blog.

Since my very short lived blogging career ended I have thought often about diving back in but life, as it does, got in the way. Recently, however, I have enrolled in the world's leading holistic nutrition school, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I'm preparing to start a new career as a health coach. One of the ways that I hope to help people find happiness through healthy practices is by sharing on a blog. What better way to get back into the blog-o-sphere than to jump in where I left off? Get my feet wet again. But what to blog about?!?!?! I had a ton of thoughts swirling through my head, which only further put off my return. UNTIL...I got the opportunity to test a new top/dress pattern for SisBoom Fabrics, designed by none other than Carla C., the Scientific Seamstress herself. Instantly I knew that this would be my return. My very first blog post was a give away of Scientific Seamstress patterns and Sis Boom fabrics and while there is no give away this time around I did think that it was a wonderful place to start.

Now that you've read that long and painful intro, and I applaud you if you're still reading, you probably want to know what ANY of this has to do with the title of my post. It's all part of my journey from heaps of fabric to gorgeous new halter dress. This blog is my something OLD.
When I decided to test this pattern for Carla and Jennifer of course I knew I would use SIS BOOM fabric. The Lucy Halter Dress is my something NEW. This dress is so sunny and summery and Florida-Y that I really wanted to reflect that in my fabric choices. Alas my fabric stash had other ideas. Spring? I could do spring. Fall? I could do fall but summer was bits and pieces and largish scraps. What was a girl to do? Facebook about it of course. I updated my status wishing that my stash would cooperate and the next time I looked at it there would be something new and wonderful there. After that I went back to a pile of fabric in my never ending UFO bin looking for some yardage of completely non summery Sis Boom fabric that I thought I would use, if I could find it, and there it was...all BLUE and ocean-like. Reminding me of the warm waters of the Caribbean. My wish had come true, a new option seemed to appear magically. I had found summer and it was BLUE...SOMETHING BLUE!. Still, there wasn't enough to make a dress. I dug through the summer scraps I found earlier and came up with just enough fabric to get the job done. To be truthful there was even a chunk out of part of the bottom of the skirt fabric but it was as short as I could make it as a dress and I was fairly certain I could hide it in the hem, it's a little shorter than I would have liked.
Ah, there it is. A little of that ocean blue peeking out.

After everything was cut out and ready to go I sat down to my machine. About midway through the first section of bodice my machine started acting up. I couldn't fix it so I stopped by my wonderful and talented Mother in law's to pick up a functional machine (BORROWED). Of course it ran out of bobbin at about the same spot on the second side of the bodice and I didn't know how to rethread it. Kids and dogs and husbands and dinners later I thought that I would never have a Lucy Halter to blog for you all but here it is. And it still needs to be ironed.
This dress is just great for summer in any length. It can be a waist skimming halter, tunic length top to go with some light weight Capri pants, a beach cover up or a flowing gown for a night out with your sweetheart. It also has a more modest bodice option where the cups cross. One of my favorite things about this dress is that the bodice can be chosen based on cup size, ranging from AA to DD, so if your cup runneth over or like me you are thicker through the middle you're sure to get a great fit for the girls. Know what else? It is REALLY easy to put together. I LOVE that...but then, I'm lazy.

Once again Jennifer Paganelli and Carla Crim have brought you a gorgeous, well designed and versatile pattern. Just in time for all those summer barbeques. You can find it on Etsy
or Craftsy. I'd love to see what you come up with!!

C25K W1 D1 !!

For those of you who don't speak Diva that is Couch to 5K Week 1 Day 1 and it's OVER! While my intention for this blog is to write about all of my crafty endeavors I felt like this deserved mention, along with a little more about my life. Besides I've been slow on the sewing front lately and this is what I've got LOL.

I have been plotting and planning my running revival for quite some time. Even tried to execute it more than once over the last 5 years. I always feel like I should be right back to that 13:06 2 mile run from basic training. The Army one not the fake girlie gym one. Might I mention here that I was 19 (um, more than 5 years ago LOL) at that time and weighed about 124 pounds, I don't believe it but that's what my military ID said. I have since had 3 babies and gained a little bit of weight successively with each one. I know this. I know I can't do what I did then. Ask me to do any number of things I did then (like close down the dance clubs hit Denny's and get to work just in time for 5 hours of lifeguard duty without passing out) and I would tell you I am TOO old for that stuff. When I hit the pavement, however, I have this drive to run faster and harder than my body is capable of. This generally ends up in a frustrated and sore me vowing my hatred of the sport and swearing it off, at least until the longing to be that runner I once was returns after I read a friend's FB status saying they are running 6 miles in the mountains or just got home from a run on the beach.

The Couch to 5K program was made for ME. The basic gist is that people start running and push themselves too far too fast and then throw in the towel. Yup. That's me. It gives you a running schedule that is designed to move your slow, under exercised rear end from the comfy couch to running a full on 5K in just 9 weeks (3 days a week). The program starts slowly running and walking in 2-3 minute intervals for the first week. There are even podcasts you can download onto your ipod to help you time yourself so you're not watching a stop watch constantly and an iphone app that lets you run to your own music and gives you cues to switch from running to walking.

Today was the first day of my first week as a runner (reborn) it was challenging ,especially w/ some of the inclines in my route, but I feel better. Energized. My podcasts weren't properly downloaded in my ipod so I ended up just listening to my playlist, checking the time of the songs to make sure I wasn't running for a 6 minute song and walking for 2. My intervals were a little longer than the scheduled 2 minutes running 3 minutes walking that is suggested because of this and on more than one long run I felt like quiting even though I knew it was the last verse or even chorus. When I felt like quitting I thought of something I heard Jillian Michaels say on "Losing it with Jillian" ( I really wanted to hate that show but it's acutally pretty moving and motivating) This woman who had asked for help because she was overweight and unhealthy was on the treadmill. Jillian, in true Jillian fashion, was riding her HARD and the woman cried to her "You're killing me!!!" Jillian said "No. YOU'RE killing you" . Those words rang through my head every time I wanted to stop. I have done this to myself and I am the only one who can undo it and I can't run farther, run faster or lose weight if I give up. There's no Jillian, no, drill sargeants, no one to hold my hand or yell in my face. It's just me and my ipod (have I said how much I love my ipod?)

I have to love me enough to push myself to do my best. Not just running but everything. Things have been kind of crazy around here. Stressful. I'm worried about whether or not to move or if it'll even be a choice. I was planning on starting school in January and that has been pushed back. A lot of things just seemed uncertain and unfair. I think my podcasts didn't work on purpose. I had to listen to my playlist and just at the last run I was trying to skip to an upbeat one and I went back to the beginning of my playlist, which turned out to be a good song to run to so I just left it even though it was over 4 minutes. That was the run that I really thought about what Jillian said and realized it wasn't just about KILLING yourself but not LOVING yourself. Something I have always struggled with, being ok with who I am no matter what. Maybe I'll never reach those goals; weight loss, school, new career etc... until I figure that out. As soon as my last run was over and a sigh of relief was breathed I heard, crescendoing slowly from my earphones, "Love, Love, Love" the next song was "All you Need is Love" and as I walked my cool down walk to the house I REALLY listened to the words because they seemed to have been a message for me. I'll post them here so you can read them. Maybe they will help you remember too that sometimes all you need is love.

'All You Need Is Love' The Beattles
(Love, love, love)
(Love, love, love)
(Love, love, love)

There's nothing you can do that can't be done
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy

There's nothing you can make that can't me made
No one you can save that can't be saved
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
It's easy

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

(Love, love, love)
(Love, love, love)
(Love, love, love)

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

There's nothing you can know that isn't known
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
It's easy

All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

All you need is love, all together now
All you need is love, everybody
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

Love is all you need
Love is all you need
Love is all you need
...

A Tutu Drive!

See, I told you you would learn more about me. Here are a few more of my favorite things. Tutus, sewing and charity. All bundled up in one neat little package.

Over at the Samster Mommy blog they are doing a drive for dress up clothes for sick kiddos. She called it a "tutu" drive but they are collecting all types of dress up clothes. Capes, crowns etc... You can read all about the cause and the rules of the drive HERE. There isn't much time left, she wants to have all of the donations collected by the end of July but I thought I would send the word out to all of my crafty peeps. I know how much you all love charity sewing. Especially pretty tutus for tiny princesses. I just know they will bring HUGE smiles. Natasha has some tutorials on her blog and a list of others but I thought I would link you to a few of my favorite dress up tutes too.
Hopefully I can help rally the troops.

Please leave me a comment if you send a tutu in, I'd love to see pictures too!!

How To Make a Pettiskirt
Mafia Tutu (From Tutu Mafia)
JHam's Reversible Super Hero Cape
Fairy Wings ( I HEART Thread Banger!!)
Riding Cloak
Tutu by Flea

Flower Sugar 2 Give Away!

The lovely ladies over at Marie Madeline Studio are giving away a FQ bundle of the complete Flower Sugar 2 line. YUP! 21 fat quarters. That's a LOT of yumminess. Imagine the possibilities. They've given you lots of entry options just hop on over to their blog and enter the contest!

While you're there check out their tutorials. I love the Ruffled Jean Skirt tutorial, so cute!