A Hobby

I decided I needed a hobby. Something I am good at (or could be good at), something I enjoyed doing, and something that I didn't want to try to make into a career. I landed on sewing. Now, I have had some experience with sewing. I can make a pretty great blanket that folds up into a pillow. But I am by no means an expert. In spite of that, I decided I wanted to try to make an article of clothing. Here's how it went...

Ole trusty

Getting my pin cushion ready

The middle dress is the goal

The fabric

All cut out

The bodice - check out those darts! :)

The skirt - check out those pleats! 

Skirt all put together

The binding...

The binding on the arm holes and neckline

It's starting to look like a dress.

(((I failed to take a picture of the zipper. This was, hands down, the most challenging part of the dress.)))

Ah! It fits!!.....

...Kinda... Needed to take the bodice in a bit. 

The finished product! The belt ties in a bow but it's hard to see in this picture.

I am so very proud of myself! All and all, it took me about 5 days but not working around the clock. It's not perfect, but I think it's pretty cute. Can't wait to wear it out for the first time this weekend! 

Dancing Again

I know there have been some points in my life when I wanted to quit, give up, and never dance again. I take it all back! I have really been missing dance lately. I haven't been craving any particular style, really. I would even be trilled to have my butt handed to me by Delia's ballet class. However, I haven't found a studio that is in my budget.

BUT

I then I found Classic City Swing. It is a weekend long conference-thing that consists of social dances, lessons, and workshops. Now mind you, I haven't Charleston'ed since sophomore year in Karen's vintage jazz class, but I figured I'd give it a go. The class that really struck my interest was the Burlesque class. I worked up enough gumption to go by myself... and I'm glad I did! I really enjoy the class. It was cardio, fun, and sassy!

At the end of class I thanked the instructor, told her I was new in town, and asked about the dance scene in Athens. She told me that Dance FX (the studio we were at) held the very same class weekly that she just taught. She also told me that she dances with the company The Modern Pin-Ups. They already had auditions for the company, but may be looking for interns. So she gave me her email address and told me to let her know if I had any questions. I've already sent her an email and can't wait to hear back!

Hooray for dancing again! :)

Labor Day Weekend

What a great weekend we had! Tailgating, football, shopping, more plants, and plenty of sleep!

• Saturday: 
• Morning: Allen's program, the College of Environmental Design hosts a tailgate in the Founders Garden on campus. I don't know a whole lot about the garden but it was absolutely beautiful and apparently a really big deal in the Landscape Architecture world. The tailgate was mostly alumni, but a few of Allen's classmates were there. There was free food, which included some yummy pulled pork. They also offered free alcohol. After the tailgate, Allen and a few classmates went to the game. I could have gotten a ticket, but would not have been able to get into the student section, so I decided I didn't want to sit by myself in that big ole stadium. Instead, I went to  the Georgia Theatre. I was tipped off by a former Athenian to go. They project the game and play the radio announcers as the audio. Admission is free and the drinks are decently priced. I enjoyed the environment, but I didn't really like being there by myself so I went home at halftime.
• Afternoon: After the game (which the Dawgs won), Allen, his friend Micah, and I went to a bar and grabbed an early dinner. We had a good time!
• Evening: We ended the night by laying low on the couch and watching - you guessed it - more football. I was happy to be in bed by 10!
• Sunday:
• Morning: Allen and I cooked a yummy breakfast together. I made pancakes and he was in charge of the turkey bacon. Yum!
• Afternoon: I was in the mood to go to the mall. I convinced Allen to go with me. Needless to say, we had a very fruitful trip! Everything we bought was on super sale! My most exciting purchase of the day was a 2 for $22 sale at a store called Alumni Hall. Apparently there are stores all around the country but this one is specifically for UGA apparel. Check out the two awesome t-shirt I picked out. Ignore the bad hair - Allen didn't tell me I looked like a mess before he snapped the pics. 

• Later Afternoon: Then we decided to check out a plant nursery Allen's friend Micah told us about. Thyme After Thyme has been in business for the past 25 years. Unfortunately, the husband from the older couple that runs the place has fallen ill so they are closing at the end of the month. Very sad. Luckily for us, that meant all plants were 50% off! We picked out some really cool ones this time. So we now have five more plants in the house.

The two pictures above are kind of one in the same. This is a papyrus plant. The first picture shows it planted normally. What is really exciting is what the second picture depicts. The stalks can bend when the get too heavy. If you break them off and stick them upside down in water, new papyrus plants will grow. We had two stalks that were bent so they are both in the glass vase. I am so excited about these plants! 

This is called a Purple Heart. The only things really exciting about this plant is that it is purple. 

This guy is in the same family as the Purple Heart. He has purple and green leaves. If he is in the sun he will be more purple; if he is in the shade, he will be more green. I'm excited to see what happens with him. 

This is a type of ginger plant. If we wanted to, we could dig up the roots and cook with them. Way cool! What's neat about this plant is that the leaves grow wrapped up and will eventually open up. Note the wrapped leaf in the foreground. 

And this guy was just a bonus. He is a mint plant. He was free with any purchase. He will die off in the winter, but oh man does he smell good now! Can't want to garnish a dish with him! 

• Sunday (continued):
• Evening: So when we got home we replanted them in terracota pots. I cooked an easy dinner and made some delicious brownies which I am currently enjoying.
  
• Monday (anticipated):
• Tomorrow we plan on being productive. Allen needs to do some work for studio and I need to make sure I have my art project in order. My awesome Mommy sent me pipe cleaners, pom poms, and rhinestones. Only four more days left at Rocky Branch Academy. 

We are both looking forward having a short week ahead. September is shaping up to be a pretty great month so far.