Shopping Day

Caution: Extreme Photo Heaviness Ahead!

Today was errand and shopping day. First stop, the post office to drop off my sister's package. (From all the nice comments yesterday, I think I need to start taking orders for more of those blinged blue shirts! Uh, NOT!) Then it was on to the Marts — Steinmart and Walmart …

First up, Steinmart. I went in to look for a new pair of white flip-flops. Did I find any? Nope, but the trip was not a loss as I hauled a lot of other pretty stuff out with me instead.

On my way back to the shoe department, I spotted this shell, which I didn't buy but instead snagged with some cell phone pics so I can copy it later, or just dream I will.

All of the embellishment is 1/2" strips of bias, either ruffled or stitched on flat. The neck is trimmed in grosgrain as a visible facing.

Onward to the shoe department, where I tried on and liked lots (no white ones though), and narrowed it down to three pairs. These are black and the straps are stretchy and criss-crossed through a ring at the front.

Next, pewter metallic. I had been eyeing these in white on Zappos and I may end up getting them since this pair fits well. These were on sale and half the price as on Zappos.

Last and favorite. Too bad I just gave my sister that top because these would look great with it.

On to accessories and jewelry …

Another chain belt similar to my gold one I showed a few posts back, but his one is bronze-y.

And a necklace for $7 and 3 pairs of earrings for not much more. I had been thinking I need some bigger (but not crazy) earrings. These will work well for me.

And finally, back through the clothes racks where I picked up two tops to study and return. My mom and sister call me the Queen of Return because I do that a lot. Buy things to look at for a while and then return them. But no harm, no foul, right? It's not like I wear them with tags hidden and then return them.

Except I think I will go ahead and keep this one. It fits (regular size, not plus - wooohoooo!), will look great with my orange sandals and white skirt, and it was only $15.

The reason I bought the top above and the white one below is because they are essentially the illustration views from this pattern, which is the pattern I used for the plain white shell I started before my trip (and which is still unfinished).

Except the print has a little cap sleeve attached, which I liked. First, because the extra coverage is nice, but mostly because it means you can avoid the lameness of turning a narrow hem and stitching to finish the armhole. I think this is much cleaner and attractive.

This is the plain white one. It's too tight (obviously!) and too sheer.

Here it is next to the unfinished McCall's version on the right. Almost identical, but the McCall's has more drape to the cowl. I'm not sure if I really need an FBA because those horizontal stretch folds between the girls happen even if I pull the top up so the wider hip area is across the bust. I'm thinking it may just be what you get with a cowl plus boobs. I'll need to do more research on that and force myself to not be lazy if I decide I really should do an FBA. I do like having the RTW to compare and to see what they did for finishes but it will definitely be going back.

Next, on to Walmart where I picked up two more cheap knit tops to study (and probably keep).

I love this one. It's a raglan cowl with a black underlayer on the front only so you can see the black behind the cowl. I would prefer if the underlayer was white though, so I may just take this apart to make a pattern and re-do it with white. If I don't take it apart, I'm still going to make a pattern or morph an existing pattern. The two views are to show how long it is now and approximately where I'd hem it to.

The yellow lines show the raglan seams, which the black underlayer is sewn into.

And if I thought the top above was long, hoolie doolie - this one is nearly a dress. Maybe it's meant to wear with leggings? Yeah, well not on this girl!

This one will be very simple to copy. It's a gathered neckline (below the band) with a cut-on neckband. On the neckband is an overlay (really just a loop) of gathered print. I can see my TNT Ottobre tee turned into more of these quite easily, don't you agree Belinda? ;-)

The sleevecap is gathered and it's a flutter style, but not too much flutter which I like.

And the modeling session is over. Back into my own clothes.

Parting Shot: Between Steinmart and the UPS store, our daily summer afternoon deluge happened. I sat in the car for 15 minutes waiting for it to pass. I finally gave up and ran barefoot into UPS to drop off my box. I got hosed, but I didn't ruin my shoes since I left them in the car. While I was waiting in the car, I took some cell phone pics to share the joy. Can you tell how deep that car is? That happens in about 5 minutes here, and then 30 minutes later, it's gone and the streets are dry again. Welcome to the tropics. Time to put my umbrella back in reach again, instead of just tossed into the back where I couldn't reach it without getting out and soaked anyway.

Sunshine for My Sister

Mission accomplished and I can get my sister's birthday gift in the mail on her actual birthday, even if it won't arrive until Wednesday. What can I say? I'm always late with birthdays. After FORTY-ONE years, she should be used to it. ;-)

Here's a try-on, on a human model — ME! Hey, it's only natural to borrow clothes between sisters, right? This one has just enough extra ease and length added from my versions that it should fit her perfectly. (Yes, I'm still living in my white skirt, which you can see by the wrinkles. It's unusual to see me in all solids, isn't it? So not me.)

And, of course, more bling. Arranging and then touching each crystal with the hot-fix wand took longer than making the top itself. I counted 138 crystals. I wish the camera captured how much this thing sparkles — she will light up a completely dark room. ;-)

I continued them around the back of the neckband too.

I didn't get to put the finishing touches on my dress, but it was a productive weekend in the sewing room so I'm happy.

Oops … I Did It Again

Yep. More fabric. Curse you Fabric.com. I was just browsing (I swear!) on Fabric.com and noticed new ITY knits since the last time I looked. I am powerless over a good knit print and before I knew it, I had $169+ worth of fabric sitting in my cart. But instead of pulling the trigger, I took a breath and walked away. And wouldn't you know, Fabric.com also noticed I had abandoned my cart and quickly emailed me a 15% off discount code to tempt me back. It worked.

I really love ITY knits lately. First, they are a dependable order. What I mean by that is that I always know what I'm getting with them, unlike, say, rayon knits which can be hit or miss — and are usually miss. Second, the best prints seem to be ITY and you all know I love me a crazy print. But the strongest reason I'm loving on the ITYs is because they are very easy to sew/fit and are actually quite comfortable for me to wear. I know, polyester right? But I wore an ITY something (either dress or top) every day while I was away and most days I was outside a good deal of time. I sweated, yes, but not because of the polyester. It was HOT. You would be sweating buck nekked. ;-) But what I didn't do was stay wet and soggy. The ITY knits do breathe and they stay dry since moisture (a pretty word for sweat) quickly evaporates.

In other sewing room news, I'm making progress on my planned weekend projects. The embroidering of the RTW shirts is done. Here's the tees and polos for my BIL:

And the "special edition" for my sister …

… which has been properly blinged. Hey, if Elizabeth can make up verbs, so can I, right? ;-) I added some hot-fix crystals to the wheels of the truck and car and a line underneath it all, plus one yellow crystal for the truck's flashing light. Cute, yes? Lisa will love it. I think she got the sparklie thing from me in my younger days, when as my kid sister she used to adore and worship me. Ahem. ;-) But really, I used to wear a lot of flash. Now I'm old and boring. I think I should change that. Well, the boring part anyway. Can't do much about the old.

Speaking of embroidery, why is it that as soon as you walk away for just a minute, the thread jams? I diligently sat in front of the machine the entire time during the first four stitch-outs and they all were smooth sailing without a hiccup. Then I started the fifth and last and decided I wanted a drink so I left the machine stitching and went downstairs to the kitchen to grab some water. Yep, you guessed it. When I got back upstairs, the thread had jammed, the stitching had stopped, and I had part of a "G" to clean up and stitch again. Arghh.

After the embroidery was done, I cut out Lisa's birthday top and it's ready to sew this morning as soon as I switch serger and coverstitch threads. I decided on the Hot Patterns Sunshine Top, with a few minor alterations that I made while cutting. The "hand-me-down" tops I brought her were both sleeveless, but I know she has bigger arms than I do so I widened the sleeve and armhole a little bit. I also made it longer for her long torso and I added a little more tummy and booty room since hers are bigger than mine. Good thing she doesn't read this or she'd KILL me for saying that.

Miscellaneous Saturday Musings

I'm slowing getting back into the home groove after being away. My laundry is done. My suitcase and cosmetic bag are back in the attic, and I'm ready to pass the weekend in the sewing room.

My sister's birthday is on Monday, so I won't actually hit the date but I'm going to make her a top this weekend and she'll get it mid-week. Even though I'll be late, I think it's still nice to get a birthday gift after the actual date to keep the celebration going a little longer. At least that's what I'm telling myself. ;-) I haven't decided on the pattern yet, but I'll be using this turquoise ITY knit (which looks more blue than turq in this pic but it's not).

I'm thinking either a Sunshine Top or a Jalie waterfall top. Both of these are TNT for me, and I should be able to use either for my sister with minimal adjustment. I always thought she was wider in the shoulders than me, but I brought up two of my "cast-offs" for her and the one I saw her wearing fit perfectly in the shoulders so I won't make any adjustments there. I will need to add tummy room and keep the length longer than my own preference since she's 6 feet tall and all torso.

These are the tops I brought to her. First up, the Petite Plus Shapely Shirt that I made sleeveless a couple of years ago. As I was packing for my trip, I was also clearing out the closet and when I tried this on, it was HUGE, just completely swimming on me. I gave it to my sister last Saturday morning before we headed out for our day on the boat and she immediately put it on and wore it. It fits her perfectly and I think she'll wear it a lot this summer as it has her favorite color (turquoise) in it. Plus, she loved the matching buttons.

The other top I gave her was this new Sorbetto. I put it through the laundry and it did not shrink a bit. I decided it was just too loose for me to be comfortable and it would gather dust. I'm not sure if this one fits my sister — it might be too small on her, but at least it's out of my closet. I wish I had more of the fabric since it's so nice, but I don't. Can't cry over "spilt fabric."

This is what my sewing table looks like right now. At the left side are (RTW) 2 navy tees, 2 navy polos, and 1 turquoise tee. The purple is a rayon knit I was using to test an embroidery I put together yesterday. Embroidering the RTW shirts is my project for this morning.

My BIL bought a flat-bed tow truck last year and has been running a side business with it. My sister had set up a crappy DIY website and had begged me to re-do it, but I was always too busy. Then when I lost my job in April, I had some free time. I asked her for the login info and spent a couple of days redesigning it and updating the search elements. Since then, they have been getting LOTS of calls. So … I thought I'd thank my BIL for his help with Tyler's car by sending him a few shirts he can wear out on the tow jobs. I'm doing one in turquoise for my sister too, and will add some sparklie bling to it so it's more her style. This is the quickie "logo" I'm going to use. I think I'll design something nicer down the road and reacquaint myself with my digitizing software but I know they'll appreciate the quickies for now.

Then, if I get through my sister's new top and the embroidery and still have time left over, I will deal with this dress. I ended up not taking it on my trip because I didn't finish the sideseams or the hem and I'm still trying to decide if I want it short or long.

I didn't miss it though. I lived in the dresses I did bring, plus my refashioned white denim skirt. I actually got 3 wearings out of that before it hit the laundry. Pretty good for a white skirt, and for me not messing it up. I can see that it's going to get worn to death this summer. I already love that thing. I think I'll even shop for another pair of cheapie white Walmart capris to make a replacement skirt in a smaller size when this one gets too big. I brought 2 pairs of capris with me for the trip but didn't wear pants at all. Like I said last post, it was SO HOT and dresses and skirts were the way to go. Just as a point of reference, it was 96-98 degrees at my sister's. It pretty much never gets above 93-94 here in the summer and is usually closer to 91-92. Those few degrees seem to make a big difference in my comfort factor.

Parting Shot: A better shot of Tyler's "new" car, in its current home. He can't wait to lose that front license plate once his Florida plate arrives and he can ditch the Virginia temporaries. I'm sure you can see why this car appeals to him much more than a "boring" new Hyundai.

I'm Back, With Photos

I got back yesterday afternoon, after a long, long, LONG drive. I had a GREAT time and my dorky pics below do not do any justice to the fun we had. I'm just glad I remembered to take out the camera every once in a while.

So, let's start our review of "How Debbie Spent Her Summer Vacation," shall we? ;-)

I left last Thursday about 6:00 AM and drove straight through to Cherry Point, NC. My new GPS I bought last month sent me off on a slightly different route than my son's GPS I had been using previously — and it saved me a LOT of time. This time, the trip took just over 11 hours, including a couple of stops for gas and potty breaks. Last time, the trip was about 13 hours including stops.

I pulled into the base about 5:30 PM and waited for Tyler to meet me at the gate so I could get my entry pass. Since he wasn't expecting me for a couple more hours, he had made plans to help two friends change the oil in their cars so we drove to the "Hobby Shop" where I watched the car maintenance. It's a great facility for these guys — a complete auto repair shop with lifts and tools and helpers, all for $2 an hour. There are about 12 bays total. This pic shows only 3 of them:

Here are the guys under one of the cars they worked on. Can you see how clean the floor is? After each use, the Marines have to sweep and mop before they can check out.

After the car shop, we drove to Tyler's barracks so he could clean up and change. Then we had some dinner and checked into my hotel. Tyler spent the night with me in the hotel and left early for work the next morning. This aviation display was at the tourist center behind my hotel and I snapped this pic as I was heading back to base the next morning.

Friday was a work day for Tyler, but his CO let them all leave around noon. He got permission to take me on a little tour of his "shop" and the flight line. This is Tyler in the hangar with his hand on what he does — ordnance, i.e., BOMBS.

I probably wasn't allowed to take pics so I won't say here exactly why this Harrier jet was completely dismantled, but it was. And it was cool to see it in pieces.

After our little tour, Tyler got his hair cut so he wouldn't have to worry about it upon return. Male Marines have to get their hair cut at least once per pay period. (I got some sideways glances as I sat in the barber shop with him, since not too many females go into the place. I said I was there for a "high and tight" too. lol) After the barber shop, we walked back to his barracks, packed up his clothes and then we left for Richmond VA around 4 PM.

We got to my sister's house a little before 8 PM, had a late dinner, and then we all headed out to a redneck bar up the street. Tyler was recognized as a Marine without having said a word and scored a couple of free drinks for his service. This is Tyler and my sister Lisa shaking booties on the dance floor.

We drank and danced some more and played some darts. Lisa lost. LOSER! ;-) My BIL Marty won.

The next morning, Tyler found Marty's silly cap and we all had a giggle and wondered what the reaction would be if he showed up on base with it.

Saturday was spent out on the water (the York River), near my mom's house where Lisa and Marty dock their boats. My mom lives about an hour from my sister so it's a great deal for both - no Marina fees for my sister and my mom gets regular visits. We took the "party boat" out for some fishing and touring. The weather was gorgeous, but very hot. It's hotter there in summer than here in Florida, but no one ever believes me. We slathered sunscreen on but I still managed to come home with a red face, which is starting to peel today. Lovely.

Mom and son:

Tyler and Marty (with a fish):

The requisite "King of the World" pose on a boat:

Later, back at Lisa's, getting ready to cook the crabs we caught:

Sunday morning, Tyler and I took off alone to do some car shopping, which was one of the goals of our trip. Car shopping around his base is awful. Mostly trucks, and very small inventories of everything. A few weeks ago I suggested we shop around Richmond since there are tons of car dealers and a much bigger population so many more choices. We started at a Hyundai dealer. Tyler tried out a new Elantra, which was nice in a very sedate, "mom" sort of way. In other words, not really anything a 22-year old Marine gets excited about. But he had pretty much resolved to go with boring since his loan approval wasn't enough for exciting and cool. Hah!

Background note: Tyler has his Jeep on base now, but it's old and the AC doesn't work and is too expensive to fix, and it's just not a comfortable ride for weekend getaways. It's fine for short trips around town, and hauling stuff. But he really wanted something else too. Plus he's Tyler, which if you knew him you'd know that means he always has to have more than one vehicle at his disposal. He's been like this since he could walk — first with trikes and Power Wheels, then ATVs and dirt bikes, then real cars.

So, we got back from our test drive and he says, "Hey, I think I see an Impreza over there" … at the very far, far end of the used lot. And figures, he was right. The dealership had just taken in a Subaru Impreza WRX the previous night as a trade and it wasn't really on the lot yet, it was on the dirt road behind the lot. It hadn't been inspected yet and wouldn't be until Tuesday when the mechanics were back after the holiday. That meant he could only "test" it in the parking lot. Which he did. And he was in love. You see, the Impreza WRX is EXACTLY the car he really wanted and had been talking about for the last few months. But the new ones are too expensive and the older models are impossible to find.

The salesman told us that the manual transmission didn't go into 3rd gear, but my BIL Marty is a certified mechanic at a Honda dealership in Richmond, so if that's all that was wrong with the car, he could fix it. So we left a deposit on it, said we'd return the next day with my BIL to look it over, and we then headed back to my sister's for the evening festivities, which was …

Marty's race at the local track. That's him in the 28.

It was an exciting race, to say the least. Marty didn't win. But there was LOT of contact between him and this blue car (his arch nemesis!) and it made for exciting spectating, although my sister wasn't exactly thrilled to see her husband spun around numerous times. lol

Here's Tyler sitting in the race car later that night after it was back home at my sister's. You can see some of the damage on this side. The other side is much worse. Marty races again in 2 weeks, so he's got some repairs to do.

Sitting in the stands at the track was like sitting in an oven and it brought back memories of sitting in stands for high school football games. We all got more sun and sweated out about 5 pounds. Lisa and Tyler hit the pool as soon as we got back.

Monday morning, we all headed back to the car dealer so Marty could look over the Impreza. Except for the transmission, he deemed it to be in great condition mechanically. Cosmetically, the interior is perfect and the exterior has only a few small dings. We told the salesman we'd be back in the morning to road test it after the inspection and that Tyler would be buying it unless it blew up on the road test or something.

We lazed around back home for a couple of hours. Well, "we" did — Marty spent the afternoon building a little stairway/deck up to their pool. Tyler helped a little, but Marty had it well in control and was done in just a couple of hours.

Around 5 PM we headed out to Marty's family's gathering for some 4th of July cookout food and a couple of games of "Cornhole," bean bags thrown at opposing targets with a cut-out hole. Something I had never heard of until my first trip to see Tyler at Cherry Point. Apparently, it's a very popular game in the South. Who knew!

The weather wasn't too great the night of the 4th, but we did finally manage to light off our fireworks arsenal back at Lisa's around 10 PM, and then soon after called it a night since Lisa and Marty had to get up for the work the next morning and Tyler and I had to go buy a car and then return to base.

The Impreza did pass inspection, and Tyler bought it at a great price (far below market even including a trannie replacement) and will be able to pay off the loan a lot faster than if he bought a new car, which will be much better for his checkbook. He'll return to Richmond with it in a few weeks when he and Marty will put in the new transmission to be ordered. Until then, he'll just drive without 3rd gear, which isn't really a big problem. 1st or 4th would have been much worse. Here it is driving in front of me as we headed back to NC.

And a silly shot out the back window when I was in front. I'm surprised it came out at all, since I was driving and had just held the camera up and quickly clicked. Excuse the bird poop on my window.

All in all a very busy week, but lots of fun. Tyler hasn't had this many days off in a row since he graduated boot camp so he was enjoying his "lazy civilian time" as he called it. I had a great time but I'm also happy to be back home with my pups, who I missed a lot. Oh, and Alex too. hahahaha

Parting Shot: A sign seen on the drive back. What exactly is Jesus Couture??