My belated Blogiversary

I suck. I can't keep track of other people's anniversaries (well at least I sent a facebook message to my bestie at 11:55pm on the day of her 13th wedding anniversary), let alone one of mine I should have remembered!!!



Saturday was my Blogiversary!!!! Yep, one whole year of you guys reading up on what's going on in my sweatshop (aka basement sewing room), and what my crazy family has been up to.

I really appreciate all of you who read, stalk, and even leave a comment or two. It's flattering to know that people actually read this crazy blog (although it's not really all that hard - I don't blog as much as I should!)

It's been one year..... 91 followers and about 60 posts (there may be one or two in there that never got posted though - I may have been too embarrassed of the picture, or the content - I am known to get on the computer after a good night with a few drinks in me!)

People usually do something to comemorate special days like these.... I'm just thinking of doing a little giveaway. Ok, keep that under your hat, and keep an eye out for a post from me announcing a giveaway.

It'll be a little after the fact, but, hey, it already is!

Halloween costumes

Halloween has come and gone, and now we are left with a MOUNTAIN of candy, chocolate and chips to deal with (ie: pilfer from the kids' bags while they sleep!)

It was a crazy weekend, filled with parties, events and trick-or-treating.

Sweetie had a Halloween party at a classmate's house Saturday afternoon, and the local "Purple Pumpkin Party" was held on Saturday night. The Purple Pumpkin Party is an event hosted by the churches in our small town. They fill our local hall with game booths, treats and halloween decor, all for a donation to the local foodbank. It is usually held on Halloween night, but since Halloween was on Sunday, they moved it to Saturday night. The classmate's party and the Purple Pumpkin Party meant both kids would be dressed up and busy both nights on Halloween weekend!

Sweetie decided a short time ago that she wanted to be Frankenstein's bride for Halloween. She had never seen any of the movies, so she was not aware of what Frankenstein's bride should look like. She had it in her head that she would be green (like Frankenstein), with wild hair and some sort of formal dress suitable for a monster wedding.

I think we pulled it off quite well.....

Our local Salvation Army store had racks of costume ideas, so it wasn't hard to find what we were looking for! This dress was probably made in the late 70's for a short, plump lady attending a wedding or "classy" New Year's eve party. It was a sparkly gold-ish fabric, with a black chiffon overlay, and black chiffon batwing sleeves. It was the perfect find! The second hand store had it matched with a fake flower bouquet, featuring white and black roses. PERFECT!!! The dress had been enlarged with black panels added at the side seams, and had been taken up at least 5 inches (hence the reason why I feel it was for a short, plump lady!) I pinched the panels and sewed a quick seam back where it had originally been. I was unable to make the dress any narrower because the chiffon batwings were in the old seams. It would have been far too much work to fit it perfectly. Besides, Sweetie had no qualms about it being a bit big. Rather than create a perfect hem at the bottom, I just took my rotary cutter and hacked off the bottom of the dress at the right length we needed. Sweetie was happy with it, because it frayed and made it look more "monster-ish". A few minutes of hairspraying, back-combing and
applying face makeup completed the look. She loved it!

Monkey has an overabundance of superhero play costumes, so I was hoping he would just choose one and make things easy for us. OF COURSE NOT. He decided he wanted to be a mummy. Bring on more sewing for mommy!

I remembered an old white sheet that I had worn as a toga at a Halloween party about 13 years ago. Good thing I'm a "saver" (nice word for "hoarder"), and I still had it. I ripped the whole sheet up into strips, and then went on the hunt for white clothing to attach them to. Do you think I could find a pair of white or off-white pants at the second hand store? Ummmmm, no. So, being the resourceful mom I am, I bought an off-white men's sweatshirt and MADE some pants for him! I bought a white turtleneck (that miraculously had no stains on it - SCORE!), and went to work. I tacked the strips onto the clothing, planning to take the strips off later and use the pants for pyjamas and the turtleneck in his regular clothing rotation. It took no time at all, and only used about 5-6 strips of the sheet! I felt the outfit needed a hat of some sort, so I made up a quick beanie-style hat with extended sides and back, and put a strip of sheet on it as well. It kind of turned out conehead-ish, but he thought it was perfect. Some white paint on his face, and black to outline his eyes (to look super creepy), and he was done, and super comfy.

The next day, we pulled out the outfits for a second wearing, only this time with multiple warm layers of clothing underneath. Fall has taken hold lately, with temperatures in the evening around 5 degrees celcius. Pretty chilly!

They weren't up for as much makeup this time around, so we opted out of the black around their eyes. They still looked spooky and scary, and were wonderful trick-or-treaters!

I went to a Halloween dance Saturday night with some friends (sans the hubby - he was fulfilling firefighter duties for Devil's night). I wanted a costume that was comfortable enough to dance the night away, and not be too hot or bulky. I came across this awesome idea:
Instant Ghost costume by Laura Koniver

I dug out what tulle I had left from our wedding (8 years ago), borrowed some more from my sister-in-law, used up some of the leftover mummy sheet strips, and concocted my own version of Laura Koniver's witch costume. I wore a white flowy skirt and white t-shirt underneath, and had a great time dancing. BUT DO YOU THINK I GOT A PICTURE OF IT? Ha, ha, not a chance (always the picture taker, never in the pics!) The local reporter took a picture of Monkey and I at the Purple Pumpkin Party, I'll have to see if she'll e-mail it to me.

So, that's my round up of what went on in our family over Halloween weekend.

Did you enjoy your spooky Halloween?

Halloween preparations

I've been ripping white bedsheets,

looking for the green face makeup,

and digging out some old tulle from my wedding 8 years ago.


Any guesses what Halloween costumes I'm prepping for?

Hint: There are 3 costumes in the making, one each for Monkey, Sweetie and I (Mac will be fulfilling his firefighter duties on Devil's night and Halloween, so the only costume he gets to wear is his bunker gear.
That's him holding the hose at the local fair demolition derby a month ago. Very cool, eh?

Western wedding attire

My mom was married to a wonderful man 10 days ago, in a laid-back, country themed wedding. The invitation stated "casual western attire encouraged". I don't do western, it just isn't my style. But that doesn't mean my kids won't wear it! Mom said denim was a-ok, but as family of the bride, I still felt the need to dress up a little. Almost a year ago, I won a great book called Absolutely A Line from Sew Mama Sew. It has a pattern for a basic a-line dress, with a million variations on the same basic dress to make it different. I found this great dressy variation in the book, and couldn't wait to try it out. I bought this great lightweight denim with a turquoise dot (have I mentioned turquoise is my favourite colour?). This variation on the main pattern seemed like the best of both worlds: a fancy tuxedo-style bib on a denim dress. This variation includes facings, which worked out quite well. I love the look of no visible stitching around the neck and arms! While finishing this dress, I remembered my hatred for ruffles!!! Really, I don't hate them, I just hate working with them! It takes forever to equally disperse the fabric, pinning all along. But after all the work, I must admit that it worked out, and looks pretty good!
When it came to Monkey's outfit, I knew I had seen a great tutorial to "westernize" a plain shirt. (Cheri from I am Momma, Hear Me Roar has one here) So, off I went, in search of a plain shirt. WalMart had just what I was looking for: can't beat $7! By the time I started to plan his shirt, I had already ordered my dress, and planned out Sweetie's, so I had an idea of what the colour theme should be: turquoise and green. Off I went to the fabric store, and came home with some super fun paisley! I even branched out and brought home some lime green piping to jazz it all up. I had all that I needed, but was a little scared to give it a try. I put it off until 2 days before the wedding (I had a plain old plaid shirt waiting in the sidelines in case I had to fall back on it). I did it my way, a bit different from Cheri's method: I traced out the front and back shoulder sections of the plain shirt, and tried to make a template. The first template was a bit small, but luckily, it was done on scrap fabric. I adjusted it, and began cutting away. I made the embellishment of 2 layers: 1 layer of white twill (leftover from sweetie's dress), and 1 layer of the paisley fabric. (it turns out the twill is too heavy, I wish I had just used white shirting or something lighter) I cut both, then sewed them, right sides together. I trimmed the corners and edges, and turned it right side out. Pinned it all on, with piping behind it. I wish I had a zipper foot because it would have made sewing it all on with the piping much easier, but, all in all, it worked pretty well. Here's a detail of the back of the shirt (please ignore the LOVELY haircut - that's what happens when Daddy takes him for a cut - he comes home with a fauxhawk!)

And this sweet pic gives a bit of a peek at the front of the shirt. This pic was taken during the ceremony. It was in a chicken barn - very laid-back, yet the decorations were so nice, you almost forgot where you were!

...as for Mac's outfit - he doesn't do western either, so it was a nice, neutral gray striped shirt. It was basically down to whatever shirt we could find in the store that fit him correctly (all the "stylish" shirts are cut so close to the body!) Mac nearly ripped a few shirts in the shoulders as he tried them on!

So, there you have it, the story of my feverish, frantic sewing preparations for my mom's wedding. I'm so happy the way it all turned out. More importantly, so happy with how the wedding as a whole turned out! It was a lovely day for a lovely couple, and we couldn't be more happy for them!

I'll leave you with a family photo taken on the lovely day.....

Why not donate?

I am a healthy woman who has never had a debilitating disease, I've only ever had one surgery in my life (for an ectopic pregnancy), and don't have a family history of any diseases or cancers. I am very lucky for the life that I lead in good health.

Because of that, I feel there should be no reason for me not to do what I can for those who don't enjoy perfect health. My body continually makes and maintains a healthy blood supply, so why not capitalize on that?

Canadian Blood Services has mobile blood donor clinics that come even to my small town, so it's convenient and easy to donate. Tonight after dinner, I walked out my back door, out the gate, and to the community hall behind my house. For me, a 1 minute walk. For others, it could be a 10-15 minute drive, but still not all that far. The employees welcomed and thanked me for coming in. The nurses were gentle, professional and very nice! I walked in, and after the questionnaire, the donation, and the refreshment, I was out within one hour. I donated one unit of whole blood, and although it didn't look like a lot in the bag, it's actually enough for a coronary artery bypass operation!

Read below to see what your blood can do for your fellow neighbour....

How do you feel about donating blood and blood products?

This sums up how I feel: Luke 6:31 - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

missbossypants crafts now at UP THE STREET!

I am SO EXCITED! I was a vendor at the Bellies, Babies and Beyond show this past spring, and did some great networking. I met a scrapbooking supplies vendor who ran her own online store called UP THE STREET. Tara's creations are beautiful! She uses the newest, cutting-edge supplies and techniques, and sells them too!

Tara told me in the spring that she would soon be opening an actual bricks and mortar store, and was interested in selling some of my products on consignment. I immediately agreed. Are you kidding me!?! Of course I would LOVE to have my products showcased in an actual store, let alone one full of beautiful things!

Well, that store has been built and is now open. It is GORGEOUS!!! It is located in an historic building at the main crossroads in Strathroy (my hometown!). This building was originally one of the Hotels in town, back when people travelled by stagecoach and steam train. It eventually morphed into The Derby Inn... home of Strathroy's Rock & Roll. It was the bar in town that had live bands, cold beer, dirty old men, equally dirty carpet, and equally old furniture. It was much loved, and finally closed down about 2 years ago. The facade had been horrendously ruined with porthole-style windows with 70's style tinted and textured glass, as well as a brick veneer on the exterior walls. It was not a pretty sight. It was believed that the place was so rundown, it would be next to impossible to renovate and reuse the building. It was bought by a local antique and art dealer/picture framer who had the vision to revitalize this old building.

Here's how Tara's portion of the building looks now:

Its neat, clean lines are beautiful, while the architecture and form of the original building was retained. It seems to have been a successful revitalization project for both the building owner, as well as the Municipality (funds were provided by the Town to aid in the revitalization of this downtown building).

Tara's store is bright and attractive, and has a million things to look at (and purchase!)

Scrapbooking supplies are intermingled with antiques, old-fashioned sweets and products made from vintage supplies. Glassware is soon to be added to the great mix of products!

The most exciting part.... (for me, anyways!)..... I dropped off my wares today, and they will be set out in the store, ready for purchase as early as tomorrow!!! That's right, you can now stroll downtown Strathroy, and purchase some missbossypants goodies! Some items that will be available at UP THE STREET include: Flaxseed Ouchie Bags, Women's scarves, Kid's aprons, Baby Bibs, and Felt Food! Cup Cozies will be added soon, once I can add more to my inventory (i.e. pump out some more in my basement "sweat shop").

UP THE STREET is located at 2 Front St. West, Strathroy, and here online.

Stop by, check out the store, and tell Tara I sent you!

So Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving early-mid October, during the traditional harvest time. (I never understood the American Thanksgiving in late November - by then, it may already be snowing!!!) The farmers are in the field, harvesting the last of the fruits of their labour, and preparing the fields for the next crop, which in our area, is usually winter wheat (or the field is given a little rest until spring).

The apples in nearby orchards are crisp, sweet and ripe and VERY delicious! Within the last 2 weeks we've enjoyed fresh apples, homemade apple sauce, apple crisp, and apple cider. It's a wonderful treat every autumn to eat fresh apples, and enjoy them at their peak of freshness!

I am truly thankful to God for all His blessings. I have a great family, solid marriage, good job, wonderful friends, and a safe country. My family is not in need of anything, and we are all happy and healthy. I could not ask for any more in this life.

We got together with my side of the family today for a huge feast. The day was absolutely gorgeous - higher than normal temperatures allowed us to sit and enjoy the sunshine, wearing only t-shirts and shorts! You never know what weather to expect this time of year.... This year was the first for us to enjoy the day with our soon to be step family as well! My mom found an absolutely wonderful man through ChristianMingle.com, and is getting married next Saturday! I will finally have sisters! I have 2 younger brothers, and as the only daughter in the family, always wondered what it would be like to have a sister. Now I will have two!!! It was a great day. We enjoyed a great meal, finished up the wedding programs for next week, and had some great laughs. Like I said, I couldn't ask for any more in this life!

Wishing you God's greatest blessings today and always. What are you most thankful for?