Surviving the Duldrums: Post-Holiday Projects!

I hate to start out this post all gushy-like, but I have the best boyfriend ever. He got me a beautiful sewing machine for Christmas that I can't wait to start making fun stuff with!

Exhibit A: Dope-ass sewing machine

Now that I can get all crafty, I'm thinking of all the ways I can put this thing to use. I always tend to associate the months before spring/summer with the most BORING time of the year: it's friggin' cold, there are no work holidays, no birthdays. It's just that irritatingly long stretch before the real fun begins. Since I don't want three months of the year being wasted on yearning for summer, I'm going to get cracking on some cool DIY sewing projects!

My first endeavor is going to make myself a surfboard bag. I'm sick of trying to coordinate my towels to stay on my seats so that I don't end up with waxy bits on my headrests. I figure I can make a surfboard bag pretty easily out of some stretch terry cloth and a shoe lace for a cinched closure.

I found a bunch of DIY's on Pinterest so I hope once I get all my sewing accessories sorted out, I can get started!

I also want to start making my own swimsuits; just a few simple designs to start with and maybe try and make a cool monokini or fringe top. Because of my gigantic butt, I have a problem finding bottoms that don't dig in or give me enough coverage ( tired of flashing my coinslot), so creating my very own swimwear might be a way to circumvent all of my big-butt problems. 

Love this project from Goldfish Kiss

There are sooooo many fun projects that are just a sewing machine away from filling up a bunch of cold, rainy days. I can't wait to get going and have already been scouring the internet for cool fabrics. Hope you all had a nice Christmas/time off work because of Christmas. Whatever you did over the past week, I hope it was enjoyable. Until next time, adios amigos!

Fall Goals!

Fall Goals by elbonner featuring rms beauty

Even though it absolutely destroys my soul that summer is almost over, I am still finding ways to cope with another loss of my favorite season. All the college kids are back and they're ALL at the gym and they're ALL hogging the squat racks (had to get that out of the way) and since I'm going to have to work out before work, I'm going to need to find ways to fill my evenings. I have come up with a small, but reasonable list of goals I want to accomplish/work towards this fall so I don't get SAD and kill myself:

1. Surf More! Cooler weather is no reason to stay out of the water! I have my wetsuit (even though it's 10 years old) and I've washed the spider babies out of it from lack of summer wear and it's ready to go! If I'm really lucky, someone will take pitty on me and bestow upon me a Matuse (pretty please!) or a Nineplus wetsuit to make my fall/winter surfing bearable!

2. Work It Out: Well, I'm trying to, but the bros at the gym are all up in my shit! Oh well, this just means I need to get more creative with my workouts and try some new things. Getting in the pool will help with my surfing for sure and give me some water time when it's a little cold for the beach. Some cute new workout stuff might motivate me to have a bikini body all year-round and help shave off some of the "ThanksChristmas" pounds I always put on!

 

 3. Get Organized!: I have so much shit strewn all over the house it blows my mind. I really do try and go through this stuff as much as I can, but I am a very sentimental person when it comes to my stuff. I get attached to everything. I have decided that if I want to keep things, they need to have a place that is out of sight, or cleverly hidden. Being organized just makes everything flow easier and who doesn't like being able to find things on the regular! So baskets will be purchased and space bags will be used. I'm finally going to get organized!

Photo: Apartment Therapy

4. Get A Hobby!: Nothing makes the hellish winter more standable than an all-engrossing indoor activity that you actually like. I am DYING to learn how to sew and since I'll have cold, rainy, Saturdays with my mom I can get her to show me the ropes! I really want to try my hand at designing my own bathing suits once I get started. I also want to be more crafty when it comes to decorating my apartment. I don't need someone elses art when I can make my own! I've scoured Pinterest and have found so many cool things to do; even paint-dipped sticks seem like a cool idea! I'm willing to try anything to kill the boredom! I've also been formulating and contemplating making my own skincare products with the end result of maybe selling them on Etsy. Once I get my formulas perfect and some more raw materials, I plan on expanding to make all sorts of fun, beachy stuff to sell to the masses! There's so much I want to do and Fall seems like a good time to start!

If you're mega-bummed about the impending death of the years greatest season, don't wallow in your own sadness, get to work on something fun! If you want to be hot by next summer, get to stepping now. Want to perfect your after-sun cream before next years first sun burn? Start experimenting! Want to enter a race in the spring? Run dammit! Happy back to school/relentless cycle of work, everyone!

Sew The Seeds

Holy Blog Neglect, Batman! I feel like I have done so little of substance on here lately. After confirming two actual human beings read this blog other than my boyfriend (whom I force to and quiz him on it) so I feel as if I need to step up my game. Unfortunately, this post doesn't necessarily do that, but it has a good set-up! After a macho Super Bowl Sunday consisting of eating salmon, doing my taxes, and watching Downton Abbey I realized that I need a hobby. Sitting on the computer and watching tv are great and all, but only in short spurts and I feel incredibly lazy for having nothing to show for my free time. I have no garden to tend to, I have no dog to talk, and if I keep baking things I'm going to be forced onto The Biggest Loser by my family.

So that being said, I have decided that for my hobby I want to learn to sew. There have been a million and a half times where I have moaned and groaned over not being able to find the perfect dress, swimsuit, or whatever else and have been overcome with a desire to just make that kind of stuff myself. It's a very useful hobby to have. My mom made my formal dresses for me my entire high school career. We would go to the local formal wear shop, look at the dresses I liked, and recreate them for under $100. It was incredibly satisfying wearing something gorgeous that was handmade for me at a fifth of the price of the original. I want to be able to do that for myself. Once mama gets her tax return back, I'm going to buy my little sewing machine, takes a class at a local craft shop and get to sewing! I'm pretty excited about it and hope to share some of my projects on here! Until next time, make something!