Get Happy!

I feel like I need to start every post with photos of myself in it with how much I hate having my photo taken. But . . . I'll spare you and frankly it always sounds like I'm fishing for compliments - which I'm totally not!

So here are a few things that make me happy. First up - my new car! I love it! Behind my new (it's really 5 years old!) Sebring Convertible is my 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was completely rebuilt from the ground up less than 30,000 miles ago - so basically, while it's 10 years old, it's brand spanking new. I use it to cart dogs around - to parades, the vet, the doggie store, and the dog park.

The car was a screaming deal! It only has 13,000 miles, has been garaged it's entire life and is in pristine condition. While I didn't get to pick the color or anything else about it - it is a body style that I love and driving it makes me happy. Next up is photos of the Purple graphic dress. Quite frankly I didn't feel fat wearing it. Although that first picture looks that way. I felt happy! This is a fun dress. The print is fun. The dress just swirls when you move. And the fabric felt slinky and not hot like poly. Thankfully the Seattle weather cooperated and I was able to wear this dress on the 16th of April with black tights and black shoes and not look like I was dressed for the dead of winter, but very appropriately for the weather we have been having.

One of the attorney's in my office commented that the girls in his old office never dressed up and it was nice to see someone who did.

The dress itself - what did I do differently or the same as the pattern? I cut the fabric on the cross-grain per Sandra Betzina to stop the seams from puckering and it worked. I did not worry about trying to match the pattern - I think it's busy enough that nobody will notice if it's matched or not. I sewed most of the seams with a microtex needle and a stitch length of 2.0 I added clear elastic to the serged seam allowances in the cross-over portion of the fronts. The pattern shows the ties tied into a great big bow on the front. I'm not fond of the bow and JB thought the ties looked funny just tied in the front - they are longer than the skirt when you do that. So I wrapped them around to the back and tied them there.

I felt good wearing this dress all day yesterday. And the super good news - The Princess has already asked to borrow it - I think that means its a winner!