Starting a Line (And the journey that is fashion.)

This photo was taken by a local fashion blogger/photographer, Cameron Adams, known for the blog Atlanta Street Fashion.

These are taken by myself.

All of the hats are made from felt bases, hand sewn into shape and covered with fabric and embellished. And all of the fabrics I use are recycled scraps, and many of them match our garments in the store! I love that...

I would normally start a success story with "When I started out...", but that is the thing, I'm writing as I am starting out. Having the chance to show the world what I  can sew through a busy display window is awesome!
It doesn't end here, I'm moving. Moving up and on with my life but also literally moving to a new apartment a few streets down. There I will resume sewing. And creating. And writing about it.

Vintage Fashion Photos

I am expanding my vintage collection...

 I found these scarves at goodwill! Only like two dollars I think... awesome!
The gloves below were also a goodwill find.

This hat is a real vintage "doeskin" hat, I bought for 20 bucks in Illinois at a store in my hometown that I discovered was full of vintage hats and clothing. What's weird is that when I was at goodwill leaving I saw a hat that was nearly exactly like mine but white. Faded from time but still fabulous.
I'm working on posting some hair clips I made out of vintage bow ties on my etsy, so check those out and show your friends!

Garden Spider

 We have three small tomato plants in a large pot on our doorstep and there aren't any more tomatoes growing on the plant right now but we did find a new addition to our garden today.

Eat those bugs, Spidey! This same kind of spider makes an appearance around our door every year, but the first year one was in our door frame! Too close for comfort--so we moved it with a stick. Then there was a large web the next year under some decking. But I feel honored to have grown a plant worthy of hosting a small growing spider.  I hope it sticks around and eats lots of mosquitoes! And I was wondering if what appears to be a ball at the base of the spider (which is actually at the top in the pic cause its hanging upside-down), is an egg sack... If so, will it get bigger? Will I be able to see babies?
Questions without answers.

Fourth of July "Post Rain"

We celebrated the Fourth, by taking some awesome pictures of our surroundings which happen to be Freedom Park (no joke!)... some wildlife, some domestic. All very summery! There weren't too many fireworks, because it was raining very hard. But we still had a lot of fun, and here's what we saw...

look a Lil guy!

I call this "Tree-foot with rain puddle"

    YAWWWNN!!!! Oh, so tired! Enough red-white-and-blue beer, time for bed!!

Vintage Inspired Hats Anyone?

I will now be sewing hats featured at my work in Little Five Points, Atlanta.  The store is called Rene Rene because Rene owns it, and designs all the clothes! She has prompted me to make hats, which is good for the both  of us. Recently with the royal wedding and derby, women have been out shopping for cool hats. And since our shop features vintage styled clothes, and fashions. I figured I'll put that vintage look into these hats and they're sure to match the store. Besides, I'm already making more!

Here is the first picture of my hats being featured in the store. They're at the front counter. My two are up on hat stands. Don't worry, more to come.

Back from a Birthday Break!

I am now 22, thank you, thank you. It wasn't easy but I've accepted the fact that I'm not 21 anymore. And I've decided to mark the change with a cute hair cut make-over and new outfit! Partly because I have a sweet new job that I cannot resist getting a piece of the designs from, and partly because I was specifically given money to get something to wear to work and to one of my best friend's up-coming wedding! Here's a sample of what I've done to celebrate my 22nd year of life!

this dress is beautiful for an outdoor wedding!

At Paris room At Paris on Ponce

Real mermaid figurehead from a ship over 200 yrs old, @ fernbank museum

The Dragon and I at Fernbank

Real c. 1600's tome of natural history depicting unicorns.

My boyfriend's parents visited us for a weekend and we went to a museum to see mythical creatures from man's imagination throughout history! And we went to an antique shop with a moulin rouge wing you could rent for parties! It was gorgeous! I saw a half hat there I want to go back and buy! Then it was shopping and shopping! Sewing and shopping and Olive Garden yay!





I was going to post more pictures of the things described above.. but my computers being so slow, and bad at wi-fi that I'm just going to skip it and tell you how excited I am because I got asked at work to sell my own hat designs in the retail shop! This is such a good opportunity to show what I can do to the world!!!

A Green Spring Indeed!

Can  You Spot the Gecko?

He is in the bottom left corner.

We were walking to a local shopping center and as I walked up some outdoor stairs, placing my hand on the black painted metal railing, something green flew from in front of my hand and darted into the bushes. That's when I took a pic on my phone. Just like when we were in the same shopping center and a praying mantis jumped on my boyfriend's hand and we got a cool picture.




So now the actual reason I wanted to write a blog, I got a job! I've been busy with sewing and I am making a little 50's inspired hat. That's sorta the theme of my work's designer collection. I work with the designer and she's a creative soul, so we connect easily. And I am so happy to be there, I am glad that I have found a job that makes me smile when I walk home. Plus it makes me want to dress up and look nice, and walk with confidence. Soon I'll have the employee discount and I'll be wearing more dresses than any time in my life since I was a tot. I went into work on Easter Sunday and the designer asked me to sew on a rose to one dress and a button back onto another. I was beaming! I can put the skills on my resume to work.
Plus, she has encouraged my designing at home and her assistant said I might be able to get my hands on scraps they throw out. Then the designer asked me if I could make these glamorous vintage hats, and since I'm pretty sure I could, that's what I've been working on. I'll post a pic when it's done and I wear it to work.
Besides that, I've applied to college, and have a week to wait for a letter. I was so excited I bought some notebooks, folders and a water bottle. We visited campus and the historic Sweet Auburn Market a few blocks from GSU, and we got good food, but it's April and classes start in August, so I knew a water bottle would be an everyday essential! Things in my garden are growing well, and so are the things I am putting my mind to throughout my life. I'm so lucky to have a supportive and loving family, with a few good friends and an amazing soul mate. And I love having Kitty too!

A Quick Smile

I am sorry if you've missed my posts, but I've been very busy lately! A good spring filled with energy and projects! Also, I'm trying to get a job. I found this little one when I was gardening this morning!

Well, back to life, I have to get some things sewn for a deadline! Hope I get an interview for that job!

For my Mom, and all mothers in my family.

The irises bloomed doubles and there's one going to bloom soon!

I know it's cold up there and I wish I could send you the weather here.  I hope these pictures are bright enough to brighten your day still.

Revival of Life

The story of this garden began over two years ago... when the yard was a waste land of abandoned projects and scrap materials. One day we- my roommate and I- gathered our enthusiasm and wanted to start our own garden. We wanted herbs and flowers and food, but despite our yard's square footage, there really wasn't a good place to start tilling a garden. Until we discovered in the back corner, three concrete steps leading us down to a cracked and crumbling Koi pond. We felt like anthropologists discovering the luxurious layout of some ancient culture's backyard, even if it was only abandoned ten or so years ago. As we shifted leaves and weeds we found raised garden beds held up by rock walls, but unfortunately they were buried beneath about thirty or more 12 foot long pieces of white plastic '2x4' decking. We rallied my boyfriend into helping us move the heaping pile of plastic to the other back corner of the yard... and when we picked up the first board we discovered the ants. Yes, the plastic decking was making a five foot tall, twelve foot long ant colony.

Well, we didn't want to give up on the idea of having a garden and decided we could deal with ants crawling up our arms to get it. We moved as fast as we could, having two people carry white planks around a Koi pond and through brush and bamboo, achieving a dirty sweaty creepy-crawly feeling. Once we moved the bottom pieces, we uncovered something so strange, none of us had seen the likes of it before. Beneath this decking, with almost zero sunlight, were white-yellow, waxy, sweaty, limp, dying piles of leaves. We weren't even sure if they were alive at first. Then when we touched them, it was obvious they were alive--but barely. We wanted to revive them and give them the best chance possible but we feared the sun at this point might bake their tender leaves and we didn't expect much to happen with them.

They actually perked up and seemed like good greenery to keep in the garden as perennials. We worked the garden for a year (my boyfriend and I) growing tomatoes and peppers and some other things, but we noticed there isn't enough sun to grow food since the trees fill in mid-spring, partially shading the whole garden. Fall and winter passed and when spring sprang and back again, strong as ever, came the green leaves.

Though what happened next was totally unexpected by all, it was indeed very welcomed. It turns out the plants we were reviving are now flowering. I'm so proud of our raised garden bed I decided to show you some of this year's progress. I don't feel I need to label all the pictures, they speak for themselves and their message has grown alone with their vegetation. They are screaming "we're alive", and "thank you".

Our garden this spring before weeding. and after...