Navy ball and custom orders

Well, first, we had a lovely time at the ball, very romantic, and great company. I think it was the most enjoyable ball that I have been too. It was also an honor to have Peter Berg as the guest speaker (director of the upcoming film Battleship), and for him to show as a preview of his new film being filmed here in Pearl Harbor. I love getting dressed up and going to the ball with my prince charming. Isn't that every little girls dream. Here are some pictures of the lovely occasion.

                                                     My date, my love and husband of seven years

pretty hair done by my pretty friend

yes, that is the beaches off of Oahu behind us, romantic, isn't it?

                                            My husband, and some of the officers

Peter Berg award winning director

I am also excited about 3 custom orders that I am going to get started on, one is a christmas outfit for a sweet little baby boy, and three custom bibs, one is an christmas dress for a pretty friend, and another is a navy outfit for a sweet baby boy. Busy busy, we are also preparing for a global move to SC from Hawaii coming up soon, so I be taking a vacation from the business during that time.

Starting to list more winter things, and dashing off to the ball tonight!

Here is a link to the new dress/tunic I listed today. I am in Hawaii so it is hard for me to think of clothing for anything, but perfect weather, but if I want to sell to a global market, and I am going to have too. I Am also choosing more colors for the season, reds, oranges, blacks, and more damask prints...I really like this dress and really like it with black leggings and flats. I think I am going to wear it to church tomorrow.

Here is the link  http://www.etsy.com/listing/58542022/belted-black-and-white-damask-dress-with?fref=fb_itemlist

On another note this is one of the nights, that I love being married to someone in the military. Nothing like dressing up like a princess and dashing off to the ball with a man in a uniform. Not to mention that it is at the Hilton Hawaiian village, one of the best hotels in the islands. Stay tuned for pictures of this great occasion. I died my hair this morning, well my husband did it for me. It was supposed to be a dark red auburn, but it looks more of a dark brown, I like it though, what do you think?

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Okay, this is a totally ridiculous picture. I realized these are the only pictures I had of my new hair, so you can't really see it anyways....but that is the dress that  I just listed!

Finished first custom order #1, and the #2 thing I will miss about Hawaii

First Custom order complete, and I am excited to deliver it

Table runner, four place mats, and 4 napkins

Also, #2 thing I am going to miss about Hawaii, First,  I will of course miss our church and bible study, and all of my dear lifetime friends, but they are too numerous to name. Hawaii has been a great place to meet great people. I will miss you all.

The second thing, that I am listing came to me last night as I was driving home at dark with the windows down

#2  Hawaiian nights

Having grown up in a place with extremes of all four seasons, and every other type of weather in between, the Hawaiian nights are amazing. 365 days a year you can count on Hawaii to have perfect evening weather. Not to hot, not too cold, just a gentle soft breeze, usually smelling like honey (from all the flowering trees). Many places also have the nights lighted up with tiki torches and if your on the boundary of any part of the island, you will also here the gentle rhythm of the ocean. I wish I could pick Hawaii up, and move it closer to home. An amazing plave to have the oppourtunity to live for three years.

A day in the Life of Homeschooling

Walking the straight and narrow path that leads to Heaven

                                           Sharing with others along the way

Naomi practicing her piano

                                            Getting ready to start reading with mama

 Examining his toys

 Audrey on piano

 Sticker Chart for learning Proverbs 31, when they all memorize it we go on a trip of their choosing. They have already learned Psalm 1 and 23

Audrey reading her first story

 Benjamin learning with mama on the computer

An Ode to Hawaii...I will miss you so

Hawaii---the land of Aloha--the land flowing with milk and honey---or waterfalls and mango juice. You have showed me  a beauty I have never before witnessed with my eyes. I am so glad I got to experience your majesty. From your rolling green mountains, to your white sand beaches, from your aqua water, to your lush rainforest's, I am convinced you are the most beautiful place in all of creation. Good for you Hawaiians for protecting your lands so fiercely, I pray it continue to be fruitful. May God bless The Land of Aloha. Alas, though, we must depart. I am afraid my home is calling me, and it's cries are only getting louder. I am trading Pulmeria for Magnolia, coconut fields for strawberry. You will always hold a tender dear spot in my heart. Aloha oe fair Hawaii, until we meet again...

I wanted to add a list of the 10 Things I am really going to miss about this most beautiful of states for the next 10 days

1. Plumeria trees, sweet plumeria. As we were coming off the airplane after spending a long cold winter in Connecticut ,your smell greeted me with  delight. There are seven of you trees in my yard, and I thank you for being a beautiful vision around our home. I thank you for dropping your endless flowers for my girls to gather, and I thank you for providing a beautiful picture above my swinging hammock. Your scent will always bring back the fondess memories, wherever the road make take me.

so, how I began to sew...

Well it all started out when I was a wee little girl    26 and just had my second daughter Naomi. I was living in Charleston SC. hmm...I think first I need to say that I have never taken a sewing class, never had anyone teach me how to sew, and I have only been really sewing for about two years.  So, if your wondering what my qualifications are for having a shop I will tell you. In 7th grade I was voted most likely in our class to start a new fashion trend  At that point I knew I was going places...j.k. Fast forward back to 26 in Charleston SC. I was inspired by motherhood, and the beautiful simple living of the south. Also, having two little girls I knew sewing for them would be a lot of fun. My own mother came down and I thought it would be a good bonding time for her to teach me to sew (she made some really sweet bell bottoms for her little sisters in the seventies)...We went to the store and got a pattern and supplies...We got home and pulled out the patterns and were both thoroughly confused...So, instead of making a fabulous outfit we drank a lot of Pepsi, and wondered what in the world was selvage edge, interfacing, and binding...

This was my experience until I found YCMT (you can make this.com)...I purchased one of their pdf downloads that had not only instructions, but pictures, real pictures, lots and lots of pictures. It was beautiful and after a late night cutting about 400 squares with scissors I had something somewhat resembling a patchwork twirl skirt. It was amazing. I was hooked. I sewed and sewed until one day Andrew stated that I could now let Audrey out of the house wearing something I constructed it was a grand day. I was so proud I hung the dress up for decoration in their playroom.

1 year old Audrey wearing my first "acceptable" dress

Somewhere during that time my mother in law felt impressed to give me an amazing sewing machine (which remained in storage mostly for over a year because I was intimidated by it) After we moved to Hawaii, we had a fourth bedroom so I set up a sewing room, and worked  until the wee hours of the morning, only stopping to nurse my newborn Benjamin. I sewed away testing patterns and fabrics. After a little scare with my infant, I decided to pack up the sewing room, and focus on home and children again. I pulled it out here and there but it was defiantly not part of everyday life. Then one day recently I pulled out the sewing machine again to make some cloth diapers, and have not put it away since. My passion for sewing was revived, and my deep ambition to start a boutique finally came to fruition. It is in the early stages, but it is improving daily and so am I....and I am having so much fun in the process

new designs

I have been making a lot of peasant tops for myself and shop, and I was ready to expand. I have been making things from some basic patterns, but I am now altering them more to my style. For example, I have a cute ruffled top, which I lengthened, narrowed, and added a belt to give it more shape. What do you think? I think that the pictures do not do it justice, but there is only so much you can do with a 4 year old taking pictures in the hopes of earning a pixie stick for her labor.

 I also have a sleeveless pattern that I am experimenting with, and having a lot of fun. I have a great retro  pattern  that looks like a lot of fun. It has got  some great reviews from pattern review. com. The only thing that has happened with that pattern presently is it has all been printed taped together and cut. I wanted to start it Sunday night, but got intimidated by the amazing 6 yards of fabric it requires. That is a lot of fabric to cut up, and lay out. For reference, the dress above was made with two yards.

On the Etsy shop, in the last week I had someone buy an item, but the payment did not show up, so I had to cancel it, I also am in talks with someone to make another mushroom fall dress, I have been messing around with my titles and things on Etsy to hopefully get picked up more on google searches. I have had my shop open for almost a month, so I have a lot more to learn, and I am looking forward to it!