A Birthday Shirt For My Sister

I promised my sister that I would make a shirt for her for her birthday and this is what I came up with. After a few false starts with some frankenpaterns, I decided to self draft it and that worked out MUCH better. It is made out of a thick t-shirt type cotton and is very comfy!

The Purple Swing Dress

Another dress I whipped up, this time to wear to a friend’s garden wedding reception. I started with one pattern, frankencut it with another and then finished out with my own self-drafted pieces.

Check out my original sketch below, drawn on my iPad.

And the in progress shot…

The Red Dress

My latest sewing conquest has been “The Red Dress.” I greatly deviated from the original pattern, changing the neckline, adding the collar and modifying the pleats on the bottom half to only be darts. I wore my creation to our dear friend’s wedding on Saturday!

My First Dress

So the sewing is coming along nicely. This is the first dress that I have attempted to sew and it actually fits!! I have already almost finished a second and much more challenging one… Details to come!

Princess Kitty in the Sun

While preparing for a photo shoot, my kitty, Eskimo followed me around until I gave her some attention. The sun made her eyes look so odd, I had to take the shot. Check out that wet nose!

Learning to Sew

I have always wanted to learn how to sew… granted I played around on my mother’s sewing machine as a teen but never actually learned how to follow a pattern and make something from scratch. Once I get a hold of that, I plan to learn how to create my own patterns so I can make some of my own clothes. Wish me luck!!!

This is was the product of my first project (a pin cushion) as I learned how to use the new sewing machine my husband bought to kick start this adventure. He is even interested in trying his hand at it, in pursuit of making his own costumes for Halloween and Comic Con.

I am now attempting to make some flannel PJ bottoms for him and myself, I’ll post when those are done!

Silicon Workshop at The Tech

While visiting some family members in the Bay Area, we went to The Tech Museum in San Jose. To my surprise, they still had a group of interactive exhibits/games that I helped design!! I had not realized that they were part of the permanent display. It was really rewarding to see groups of school children playing with and learning from something you put a lot of love into.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do…

Yes, we have reverted to being five years old and our parents will not give us a sip of soda even though they are chugging from the can.

My moment came yesterday in the midst of packing for a trip, trying to finish work so that I could have some semblance of a break (not happening) and thinking that I hadn’t backed up my files in awhile and must do it before traveling. When I am the good, responsible computer owner and business person, it gets done weekly – when I am not, well its too embarrassing to call. I can’t tell you how many times I have pleaded and commanded my friends, colleagues and clients to regularly backup their files up just in case something should happen, do I listen to my own tome? Nope.

I must preface this story with the fact that it does have a happy ending and that no files were destroyed in its making.

To begin, I realized my power supply no longer plugged into the laptop. First opportunity to save the day and back up my files, not taken. I proceed to open up the whole computer and then put it back together – to see if I could get what’s wedged in the socket out but couldn’t. I put the whole thing back together, try to turn it on, to of course now back up my files and it will not turn on. No power, no battery, nothing. Heart in my throat, stomach on the floor, my life is over without this computer.

In a panic I call my new friends over at Unitek, who by the way were closing in less than an hour. They were brave enough to have me try to beat the clock and make it out to them in rush hour traffic before they close. I made it with 20 minutes to spare, they popped it open and within five minutes had the laptop booting up. You can imagine my elation, yes, the happy dance was done. I promptly ran home, backed up my files and transferred them all to my husband’s laptop for our trip.

In the end, this was a 5 hour detour that I was just not prepared to take on many levels. We did make it to the airport on time in the morning but with only a few hours of sleep, combined. Universe, I have learned my lesson! Plus it’s time for a new laptop anyway.

Moral of the story is: Backup your computer files!

Bob Hope is Loud

Underneath the flight path of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California that is.

Awww Twitter

I think the upside down dead bird is one of the funniest things I have seen in awhile!