Ah, sweet failure.

Yes you read right. I have had a minor setback with my dress.

Who thought hemming could be so deceptive? I am feeling a little silly because, like an idiot, I didn't double check that the length was right before I cut off the excess and again failed to check before sewing the new hem.

Damn you hem, damn you! Ah I feel like such a rookie! Oh well. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and I have now learnt a very valuable lesson. For the love of God, check your hems before getting scissors involved. And, if not for our holy Lord, then please, think of the children!

Anyway, the dress is now on its way to (hopefully) becoming quite a nice top. I am trying really hard to not stuff it up even more than I already have. Courtney actually gave me the idea, so as soon as I finish it, I'll post a picture of how it turns out. If it survives. Cross your fingers and send up a prayer to the sewing Gods for me!

But, my skirt remains intact and blissfully unaware of how lucky it is that the hem was the right length to begin with.

Behold! My skirt! I love this material! It used to be a curtain. Can you believe that? I am starting to realise the downside of getting all my material at the Red Cross and Salvo's stores. Once you use all the material, it is very unlikely that you will be able to get any more exactly the same. Which, I guess, is what makes everything you make such a one-off piece. It also makes it more devastating when something special you wanted to make or were saving material for doesn't work out.

This is what recycled fashion is all about and sometimes you have to make sacrifices and take risks to gain something great.

In other news, My friend Abby has asked me to make a cake for her son James for his 5th birthday this month.

I am super excited because this will be the first paid job I've ever had for making a cake! I have made heaps for my department's work parties and going away parties etc, but I haven't ever been paid for making them.

It will not only be my first paid cake, but also my first attempt at making a carved cake (this is a cake that is literally carved into the shape of something else). We have chosen to go with a car. All boys like cars, right? And it seems doable for a first go. I even found a car/cake making tutorial on the net. What would we do without the internet? It is so darn useful!

This is the car we have chosen.

If you don't know cars, this little beauty is a 2007 Dodge Challenger. I am not a big fan of cars. I have to get my dad to check my oil and coolant for me, but I know when I see a car whether or not I like it and man, I really like this one. The impression that I get from musclecarspecs.com, is that this car is not really designed for the everyday dropping kids to school and doing the shopping.

This car is made for racing, providing such useful information as quarter mile times, overall top speed and top speed for each gear! Now that is something that every muscle car should be equipped with.

Hopefully James appreciates the beauty of this car in its glorious cake form as much as I do with just a photo.

Stay tuned as I will be posting photos of the finished product when I make it.

Loz
xxx

Just call me Productive!

Good Afternoon!

I have been quite the busy bee this last couple of days!

After almost 2 weeks of no sewing, I have thrown myself back into it by churning out a few fabulous little projects all in one day! Granted it was a very LONG day, but still, I am really happy with what I achieved!

On Friday I had a day off from work and decided to get creative and finally make my first ever piece of clothing. Up until then, I have only ever attempted a few little things like bags (which, by the way, I rock at!)

The first thing I made, just to get me back in 'The Zone', was a red and yellow bag for my little sister Courtney. It has little owls which were hand-sewn by yours truly - it took me like 2 hours! She loves it and has now requested a beach bag. I then decided to suck it up and finally make something wearable.

I have been putting it off for a while now, mostly because I was pretty certain that I would fail horribly and scar myself for life. Possibly even throw my beloved Godfrey (my sewing machine. Given to me by a friend, it is an ancient machine that probably weighs 50kg and was made by Godfrey's - before they started with the vaccuum cleaners) off the balcony.

Anyway, I didn't fail and Godfrey is still with us. When I was in Sydney, I picked up this great book with patterns and step by step instructions with some really cute designs and, thankfully, difficulty ratings ranging from 1 (easy as pie) to 5 (uh, are you sure you want to pick this one?)

I decided to start off with a skirt with a difficulty rating of 1. Safe bet right? never sewn clothing before in my life. Don't really know the 'lingo' and all the sewing terms. Like what the hell is a bias and how do you baste clothes? Isn't that what you do to turkeys?? Well I figured it all out and, let me tell you, it is really not that hard and if you just take it one step at a time (and call your mother whenever your stuck) then it is not as scary as it looks.

All in all, the skirt was really easy. Like, really easy. It was one piece and all I had to do was sew up the side and hem it and add elastic at the waist. It gave me a bit more confidence that maybe I had underestimated my sewing cababilities after all. So I went with a dress next with a difficulty rating of 3.

I must admit, the dress was a little harder, but in a good way. I didn't finish it until 2.30am, but it was worth it! I love it - its super comfortable, although a little big in the arm area and I have to take the bottom up like 20cm (way too long!)

Check back here in the next day or two to see photos. I will post some once I have fixed the hem and the sides of the dress so it fits better.

Loz
xxx

Awesome News!

Yes that's right I have some totally awesome news!

But first, Happy Australia Day everyone! Hopefully the majority of you aren't stuck at work like I am and instead enjoying yourselves on this beautiful sunny day at the beach or by the pool.

Anyway, now that the formalities are out of the way, moving on to way more important things!

My News!!

Ok, so if you have at least glanced at my 'About Me' box, you will know that I have recently joined the Army Reserves! Well.. I finally got my first training dates YAY! And for anyone who knows me, they will know that this is not only extremely exciting, but also quite a relief.
Not that I was worried or anything.
It's just that everything takes so long and you don't really get told anything until the last minute and, for me, that is really annoying because I love being organised and having all the information I need about things like this.

Moving on..

My training dates for First Aid/Navigation have been set for 13th-18th February (That's next month) and, keeping with the 'lack of communication' trend that seems to be so popular (at least where I'm concerned) I have no idea what this involves. I don't know if they are sending me somewhere, or if I just have to show up every day. I don't even know if I have to supply my own stationery.

The one thing I thought was a little odd, though, was that they asked me to confirm my training dates via text message (also the first communication I have had from them since before Christmas). But hey, whatever. At least something is finally happening. I was getting worried that they had forgotten about me.

I am apparently getting sent some information via snail mail, so I am impatiently waiting for its arrival. Should be by the end of this week or beginning of next week.

In the meantime, I am keeping myself VERY entertained with Damn You Auto Correct!

Loz
xxx

Here's to you, Steve!

Hands up if you have an iPhone!
Okay. Wow that many huh?
Lets try another question.
Hands up anyone who has been a victim of the stupid predictive text on iPhones?
Ahaha! I thought so!

My friend Catherine sent me this really funny email today . It is a site that is dedicated to documenting all the hilarious stuff ups that people have come across using predictive text.

I was quite literally crying I was laughing so hard!

Although I don't believe in favouritism, here are a couple of my favourites (there are others, but for some reason predictive text has a dirty mind, so I won't list the worst ones on here to protect the children!)

If you like these, then you will LOVE the website! Check it out HERE.

Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to Mr Steve Jobs for all the stupid little things about iPhones that annoy everyone, though not enough that we want a different phone.

Loz
xxx

The diaries of a spinster

I am starting to get the impression that my family is worried about my love life.

First of all, let me just fill you in on the basics. I live with 2 of my sisters. Vanessa, who is 2 years older than me and Courtney, who is 3 years younger. They are both happily in relationships and I am denifitely not.

I get home today from my holiday and within half an hour, Courtney is trying to set me up with some younger guy and Vanessa calls me from work and says she wants me to meet some of her boyfriends sisters friends.

To top it off, my mum thinks I should 'get out more' and not be such a 'recluse'. I am hardly a recluse. To clarify, I am just not the 'clubbing' type. I am more like the homebody type. I like hanging around at home and watching tv and movies and doing old lady type stuff, which I get paid out for all the time by my family.

I'm not really into blind dates and set ups. They feel, well, set up! I just don't like the pressure of having to try to impress someone you've only just met. Or pretend to be interested in someone when you know that there is no way you'll ever see them again and your probably wasting your time. Or, worse still, they are the ones pretending and you actually like them.

I know I'm being weird. I should stop overthinking things so much. I just needed to kind of vent I guess.

I am glad that my family loves me so much that they are trying to help me in their own little way to make me happy.

And this is why I love you, family.

Loz
xxx

Puppets, ice cream and sunshine

Hello again!
It has actually been a busy couple of days as I finish up my holiday in Sydney and get ready to head on home.

On Thursday, we went On an adventure over to Circular Quay and to The Rocks. I am in love with The Rocks. It has so much history and character in that one little suburb. All the beautiful old buildings and uneven stone pathways leading down little mysterious alleys... It's so mysterious and magical!

And how fitting that it was in this lovely place that we came across the most interesting and charming little shop that I think I've ever been to and think I will ever get the privilege of going to.

I am of course talking about 'Puppet Maker', a tiny little puppet/marionette store run out of a pokey little basement in one of the oldest buildings I've ever seen. To get to this shop, we had to walk down a very dark alley and down some skinny uneven stone steps. As soon as you walk in, you are transported immediately back to a child-like state.

It's like what I imagine walking into Willy Wonka's factory was like for Charlie. It was run by a tiny French woman and her husband. They had been there for 21 years, and they were sadly closing their store for good due to rising rent costs in the area =( luckily, (or unluckily depending on how you look at it) we discovered her caves of wonder (her words not mine. But the whole place was literally little caves joined together) and we were just in time for her closing down sale! I am ashamed to say pretty much all of my holiday spending money was exhausted in this one shop, but I am very happy with my new friends and can't wait to get them home (hopefully in one peice please Qantas baggage handlers!) and hang them up!

I got 2 little old ladies, who I have already named Hazel and Maria, a witch named Zelda, and a sweet little redhead ragdoll dressed in colorful overalls named Abbie. I could have spent way more, but I would have had to leave behind my clothes as a sacrifice in the suitcase!

We have been very lucky with the weather it has been beautiful and warm with a nice breeze every day and we have been rightfully indulgent, with ice creams almost every day.

To anyone who is a lover of the icy dairy treat, I would highly recommend Ben & Jerry's for sure.

Anyway, must be off! I have a shepards pie to cook and some serious packing to do before we leave tomorrow!

Loz
xxx

Everyone has to start somewhere.

Hello friends, family and complete strangers!

This is my first ever attempt at blogging, so please let me apologize in advance if I'm a bit rambly to begin with.

I have been delaying this moment. The moment where I finally write my very own blog. You see, for months now I have been hungrily reading blog after blog on various subjects and thinking that maybe I'd like to give it a go myself.

As Julie Powell once said, 'I can write a blog! I have thoughts!' (of course, from the move 'Julie and Julia')

To be honest, it's kind of exciting to think that maybe someday someone will accidentally happen upon my blog and find what I'm writing interesting. The thought of people I know reading this is a little less exciting and maybe a little more scary. Which is why I have put off this first blog for so long.

But here we are. My very first blog. And so it begins...

At this very moment I am on holiday with my Dad, Step-mum, youngest sister and her friend. We are staying in Manly, Sydney. I love it here it's so beautiful all the time and let me just say the public transport is really fantastic! I am now a huge fan of ferries!

My favourite part of this holiday so far has been Monday, where I spent the whole day by myself exploring a very small part of Sydney. I took the ferry to Circular Quay and from there went to Fort Denison, which is a tiny old military base in the middle of the Harbour. I could have spent all day there soaking up the sunshine and the atmosphere. I don't really know how to describe this place but I can tell you what it meant to me.

I felt safe and so deliriously happy. I know how lame that sounds, believe me. And maybe a little odd to some people. I have been dreaming about being able to join the Army for over a year now and after being accepted at the end of last year finally and then being in this place that was so full of history. I felt like I could have cried I was so happy.

Anyway, back on the ferry I went and decided to go to the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art, where they were showing an exhibition by Annie Leibovitz. Now, if there's anyone in Sydney at the moment or heading to Sydney soon, I would definitely reccomend checking this exhibit out it is worth a look even if your not really into art. I spent 3 hours in there. Seriously. 3 whole hours. I didn't mean to, but there was just so much to look at and take in!
I am not one of those people who can glance at something extraordinary and go, 'Yup okay I've seen that let's move on.'
So I stopped at every single piece and made sure I really LOOKED at it. I gave it my full attention and tool in every detail and only when I was satisfied that I hadn't missed anything, then I would move on to the next one. It was great!

That's one thing I love about going off on your own once in a while. You don't have to worry about anyone else maybe getting bored or wanting to see something else. You can spend exactly how much time you want doing whatever you want and then when your done, you can leave.

I would have loved to share Annie with someone though.

Until next time, thanks so much for stopping by and please, if you have any feedback (good or bad) I would love to hear from you!

Loz
xxx