Ohhh Lulu...

New (to me) sewing machine!

2012-02-12T19:29:00.005-05:00

Ooohhh... Look at my Valentines Day Present! Isn't it pretty? I got this today at an auction sale, along with some other goodies (a lamp and a table). I've been trying to research this well-loved sewing machine all afternoon.

This sewing machine has no obvious identifying marks. I can see where there once was a name plate of some soft, but it has long fallen off... There is a number, "131693" stamped into a metal piece on the front of the machine. I can tell this sewing machine got a lot of use, as the gold detail is worn off where fabric would have passed over it, over & over again. An inlaid mother-of-pearl flower has also "Disappeared."

It seems to be in working order, and came with one wound bobbin, in the shuttle already in the machine. I haven't threaded it yet, but have oiled it up and all of the parts move as they should.

The case it came in is beautiful on it's own - inlaid along the top, and with a beautiful silver handle.

I've scoured the bottom of the machine, underneath the machine, inside the case, everywhere - to see who made this machine so I could try to date it, but nothing! I am told it is a German make, and it does resemble the Frister and Rossmann or Herman Kohler machines. I think it looks to be anywhere from 1880 to 1910. What do you think?

I just love old sewing machines... I can't help but daydream about the woman who had used it before me... what she might have sewed, and for who... what her life was like. I am so excited to get this machine threaded up, and bring it back to life again!

We also picked up this rather unusual lamp... It's only about 5' high and has a long tassel pull on it. I think we are going to paint it white. It has made it's home (for now) next to a lovely old wing-back we got from Dan's Grandma, which she had upholstered in beautiful grey cut velvet damask.

Link Love!

2012-02-07T14:20:00.004-05:00

As you maybe could tell... I am off from work today, which means I am fully back to swing on my other job, Ohhh Lulu! I spent all morning photographing, and editing photos for my Sample Sale (with the help of my pug Oliver)! I still have lots more to do, but an taking a quick break for a little peanut butter on toast and a big glass of water.

Last month I was so excited to be on Craft Corner's Best of the Web, along with some other great bloggers - including Krafty Kat! This blog has a great run down of DIY ideas from around the web. Check it out!

I also received a nice mention on Thin & Curvy, for bras for petite ladies. I spent quite some time browsing this blog, having a 28" band myself (I am quite diminutive!) I know how hard it is to find nice petite yet cuvry clothes!

Sample Sale!

2012-02-07T13:08:00.003-05:00

I am having a crazy, ridiculous, amazing Sample Sale! Prices start at $9.99! I have Ruffle Bloomers for $20 in a variety of sizes, and rompers for $25-$30 (Regularly $50 and up!). I want to clear out everything before I launch a new line of goodies in the spring.

Lots of items are one of a kind items are going up as well, at insanely low prices because I'm in a great mood, and I'm so grateful for every single item I've sold, I'm hoping this will be a nice way to say "THANK YOU!"

I'd love it if you'd help me spread the word - feel free to borrow an image and like to my shop <3

FREE AD Space!

2012-02-07T10:06:00.004-05:00

Once again, the first 5 commenters on this post, with a great handmade shop, or diy/fashion/lifestyle blog will get 1 month of FREE ad space on the right hand side of my blog.

What I need from you is to share MY link on YOUR Blog! And one more thing... Help me Promote my SAMPLE SALE! :)

Winners will need to submit their Ad by February 29th for their ad to start running March 1st.

EDIT: I always forget this part! Please leave me your email address and I will send you an email with all of the details :)

Retire the Ruffle?

2012-02-05T09:59:00.002-05:00

Hurray! I got some actual sewing done this weekend. I finished a custom order that (I hate to say) has been lingering on since November, and started a new piece, out of fabric that I purchased back in December. It felt good to do some real drafting and fitting.

I'm trying to source some wholesale fabric suppliers, but am having a hard time finding vendors with small minimums. I find myself too often going back to the fabric store to pick up a specific piece of fabric... only to find it gone!

The new line I am working on is going to be more simple and streamlined than my ruffle bloomer phase. While I don't plan on retiring the ruffle completely... I am definitely moving it to the side lines. A girl can only sew so many ruffles.

Last night Dan and I went on a date... out for dinner, then to see Underworld in 3D (what a disappointment). Going to the movies is always like culture shock for us. We don't watch TV, or read magazines, or listen to the radio, besides CBC (which is on all the time at our house and has no ads), so when we go to the movies and see the ads for movies like "Honeys 2" and are forced to watch 5 minutes of commercials... it's always quite a shock! My god! Mainstream media sucks!!! I sit there, during the ads with a shocked look on my face, thinking "REALLY? REALLY?!" It's no wonder people have such unrealistic expectations of body image, beauty, wealth & status. Everytime I go to the movies, I leave feeling like an old fuddy-duddy... like I've totally lost touch with "the times."

And, I guess I have kind of lost touch... but I am so much happier this way!

Sewing Machine...

2012-02-03T09:30:00.003-05:00

I sew on an awesome Pfaff that does more stitches than a girl could ever need. Thing is... the sewing machine is actually my Mom's...

So, I've been looking at sewing machines on and off, and just recently saw the Singer 160.

Looking at the specs, it does what I need. A straight stitch, zigzag, and button hole. However, I don't want to spend $500 on a sewing machine that is a glorified toy... But it's SO PRETTY! and So me.

I think I am back to work now...

2012-02-02T08:19:00.003-05:00

Well, like most things, moving and fixing up our house took longer than expected, and I am sad to have completely missed the Valentines Day rush, treasuries, features, etc, etc... another year, I suppose!

However, we do pretty much have the house up and running. We've been living here for a full month now and it's finally starting to feel like home. Everything is moved in, save for a few things stored at my parents house, curtains have been sewn, and I'm already planning paint colours for the exterior of our little barn-house.

Everyday, I walk down the stairs in utter amazement. I'm so proud of Dan and I, and so thankful for all of the work my Mom & Dad, cousins, uncles & aunts have put into our house over the last week. It felt like an old fashioned barn-raising here with all of my family over to help, everyone hurrying around finishing up projects. I am so grateful to have the family I have.

I've got my sewing machines all set up to get back to business this weekend. I am planning on retiring old designs, holding a sample sale, and listing a bunch of new things come spring. In the meantime, I am keeping Ohhh Lulu on vacation until I can get myself better organized. Plus, I'd like to give myself a break. I've done a lot over the last several months, between getting married and buying a house! :)

Though... I say that now, and I'm sure this weekend I'll sew something up that I won't be able to resist listing on Etsy!!!

Getting back to real life soon...

2012-01-12T07:56:00.003-05:00

Life is slowly returning to normal. We still have not unpacked and are having to find our way around tools and saw dust, but lots has happened.

In the Bathroom we re-tiled over the 1970's green tile. We can't afford to replace the Harvest Gold Bathtub or "rose print" tiles quite yet, so we tried to think of a colour scheme that will work. We chose black stick tiles, and a sunny yellow for the walls. We are now on the search for some white, grey and yellow fabric for a shower curtain. This weekend we are going to try removing the rest of the tracking for the shower doors. Last night we replaced the fittings for the tub hot and cold handles and the spout. Dan sprayed water everywhere, a traditional plumbing initiation practice in these parts.

We painted our cupboards and laid laminate floor down over the old tile floor in the kitchen and foyer. First we put up jack posts in the basement to support the staircase which has a serious slope. Everything got painted, cleaned, and we got our appliances. Looks like a very messy, but very fancy kitchen now. I can hardly believe I'm still allowed to live here! We kept some of the quirky things, like the funny railing along the top of the cupboards and the wood panelling on the walls.

My dad and my uncle have rewired part of our basement and much of our main floor. We knew the house had some knob and tube wiring, but we didn't realize how poorly the house was wired... so I feel much safer now.

This lovely, rotted old piece of wood was what was supposed to be supporting our stair case. It's no wonder the stairs were a little slanty... and bouncy!

Our washer and dryer are coming on Saturday, which is great because I am starting to smell bad. We are going to hopefully be picking up a few more pieces of furniture on Sunday at an auction sale, and at that point, we will really be ready to unpack and get back to normal... Which I am very much looking forward to.

House, house, house...

2012-01-03T07:43:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely New Years. We spent ours in our new house. We painted until 10 or 11, then had a champagne toast at midnight and promptly passed out from exhaustion.

We got the keys on Wednesday around noon. My mom and I spent that day cleaning and scrubbing, the house was pretty dirty. Thursday we sanded cupboards, changed light fixtures, and painted trim. Friday the cupboards got painted, and the kitchen walls got their first coat. Saturday we finished the kitchen and started painting the bathroom. Sunday we cut out a hole in the cabinets for the dishwasher, made an end cabinet, and prepped the kitchen and foyer floors for new flooring. Monday we laid new floor, painted the living room & dining room, tiled the bathroom, painted ceilings, removed old knob and tube wiring, and added plumbing for the dishwasher. Today, back to work.

I feel so incredibly lucky to have had many family members volunteer their time to do wiring, flooring, sanding, painting... we wouldn't have been able to do half of the work with out them. Everything looks so awesome in the house. We've made some pretty cool improvements.

Tonight we are off to dinner with the in-laws, and tomorrow our appliances are being delivered. I still have hardly packed a thing, and I have 3 orders to complete still! Time is ticking, and I can't wait to be relaxing in my new house! <3

Brrr!

2011-12-28T07:48:00.003-05:00

We had a green Christmas here, which is pretty unusual for this area, known for its skiing and winter snowstorms. However, last night we made up for the lack of Christmas Snow.

Christmas was wonderful, but busy. We had dinner and gifts with Dan's brother, mom, niece and nephew on Christmas Eve, then headed out to my parents for our Christmas Eve presents (we get pajamas every year on Christmas Eve). On Christmas day we were up early to do gifts at my parents, then headed to Toronto shortly after lunch for Dan's family gathering - which fun but overwhelming, with lots of people I had never met! We didn't get home until after 9 and by then I was exhausted. On boxing day, I sewed 3 tops for myself because I am tired of all of my clothes... Then we headed out to my Aunt's for Boxing Day Lasagna (a new tradition in my family). Yesterday, Dan and I bought all of the paint for our house, new light fixtures, picked out a new tv stand and coffee table, I worked half a day, then we had dinner at my parents again. I am back to work this morning (absolutely exhausted), waiting for a call from our lawyer to come pick up the keys!

In between all of that, I managed to do my nails (my one moment of relaxation!). I got my inspiration from this Pin on Pinterest, but used gold as a base, then painted over with a dark plum. I love this reverse-french look.

I also recently tried that new matte top coat - specifically the one from China glaze. It matte-ifies like magic, but I found after 2 or 3 days, the matte-ness totally wares off. I did a black on black french manicure and after 3 days, my nails just looked worn. It definitely looks pretty cool while it is matte though!

Is it over yet?

2011-12-24T11:44:00.003-05:00

I am officially having a pre-Christmas, pre-move freak out!

I spent most of this morning packing... and just now remembered I have 1 christmas gift to finish sewing and several to wrap. Luckily, the wrapped gifts were all wrapped in haste so I don't need to worry about making them look pretty at this point... Though I am sure I will go back and add bows and ribbons before the day is through.

Why is it that no matter how much stuff I give to Goodwill, I always feel like I have way too much stuff when it comes time to move. I swear, around here we do a Goodwill run once a month, getting rid of old, unused clothes, dishes, pots, pans, etc. I don't feel like I shop enough to warrant giving away so much stuff! And still I'd like to get rid of half of what I own.

Yesterday I made marshmallows and hot chocolate mix to add to a couple of my gifts. I have officially decided that I am crazy.

I used Martha Stewart's recipe for Candy Cane Marshmallows and Vanilla Marshmallows, and a recipe for hot cocoa mix I found here. I used fair trade organic cocoa to make it a little extra special, and added some cinnamon to my mix (because I like it). I've never had home made marshmallows before. They are VERY sweet and very tasty and sooooooo melty, ooey, gooey good in mug of hot chocolate! I found some cute printable tabs from Ellinée Blog and Lovely Design's Blog. I just printed them out, wrote with black fine-tipped marker on them, and tied the tags on with twine. I think they look pretty good (and taste even yummier).

I normally love Christmas, but this year I will be happy when it is over. We have too much crammed in too little time this year. Today we are going to Dan's brothers, then to my parents, then home, then sleep & wake up, then my parents, then drive to Toronto, then drive back home, them pack, then move... I will be happy when I can focus on one thing at a time! :)

Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and gets to spend lots of time with loved ones and good food and all that jazz. I will likely be "out" until our closing date and will be back at that time with lots of pictures of MY Christmas Present - a New (OLD) House!

Getting Ready

2011-12-23T07:17:00.002-05:00

Phew... I moved 2 times in 2010, and I'm pretty sure at the end of it I swore I wouldn't move again any time soon!

But, here I am.

I loved the little apartment Dan and I found, surrounded by parking lot, downtown. It's so cute and charming and cozy. Cozy being the operative word. The small shower, that at first I thought "will do," has become like torture chamber - every relaxing shower ends being pelted with falling body wash bottles and bars of soap, bruised elbows from the confined space, patches of hairy leg that never get shaved quite right because there's not room to move with out getting sprayed directly in the eye with an errant spray of water. The parking lot surrounding, which at first was fun to people watch, is noisy; if I hear one more coffee truck cheerfully tooting its horn at the nearby postal workers, I might just snap. The small patch of grass by the Bank has been peed on one too many times by my little dog. I don't think it can take much more. Our oven only half works, the bathroom has no heat, our closets look like a well-played Tetris game, full of boxes and holiday decorations.

Last night I packed up a few boxes, then we headed out to my aunts for a small birthday celebration. We watched my cousins little boys play in bits of torn up wrapping paper, and point out all the decorations on the tree. It was really fun.

Today, I work half a day, sign papers at the lawyers, then am off for a few days. I can't believe how fast the closing day is coming. I am so, so, so excited!

I Think Sew slipper patterns

2011-12-22T08:53:00.002-05:00

I found http://www.ithinksew.com/ through pinterest and immediately bought about 5 different patterns.

I made up the Kimono Slipper for myself a few weeks ago, and at first was frustrated with the fit. However! With 2 small tweaks, I think I perfected an already adorable, comfortable pattern.

First, I removed 1" from either side of the "heel" and inserted 1 2" piece of stretchy ribbing. Second, I reinforced along the top with a piece of sturdy, 1/4" elastic, pulled taught and zig-zagged on. This created a "Smocked" effect on the back, but allows the slipper to stretch on your foot, while the elastic holds it on tight. I HIGHLY recommend doing this if you make these slippers. I found, when I made them as it, they were either TOO tight, or falling off my foot. I found that this was the best method for making the slipper the most comfortable and wearable.

On the moccasin slipper, I added a cased-elastic along the heel to hold the slipper on snug. I also experimented with just adding a piece of elastic along the back. Both of these methods work, but I found that the method above was the most comfortable.

I appliqued non-skid "hearts" to the soles of all of the slippers. Over all they were very easy to make and cute to wear! I am definitely going to be making more of these.

Getting Excited!

2011-12-18T19:53:00.002-05:00

PHEW! I am exhausted! But I feel accomplished.

More orders will be going out on Monday and I finally am almost done my Christmas Crafting. I made my nieces Dress-Up Tutu's (I kind of want one!) last night out of about 10 yards of tulle each. Aren't they fun? Wouldn't you like to frolic and spin in one of these? I know I would.

Remember all of the hand-embellished linens I got from my mother-in-law? They have found new life as heirloom cushion covers. They are made out of 2 pillow cases with crocheted lace trim, embroidered placemats, handkerchiefs, and handmade doilies. I've combined the handiwork of myself, Dan's Great-Aunt, and his Grandmother. I am really in love with these. I hope the recipients like them as much as I do.

I made them envelope style with bridal buttons up the back. I have about 35 buttons to sew on tonight so I will keep this breif...

Knife Edge, envelope pillows are very simple to make and do not require a pattern - you can find simple tutorials for them online, or just wing-it (my method).

Am I crazy?

2011-12-13T07:03:00.003-05:00

Why did no one tell me there is only 1 Crafting Weekend until Christmas?! I haven't done ANYTHING!

I have actually done plenty of things, just nothing Christmas-related. I finished up the majority of my orders, and bought a house. Between those two things, I have been crazy busy. Never in my life would I have imagined that buying a house would be so involved. I don't know how I thought it would be, but I didn't think it would be as complicated as it was. Now I am just so grateful and in awe of the fact that I have my own house! I don't think we will believe it until we move.

The only thing non-Ohhh Lulu and house related that I have had a chance to do was my nails. I am a nail polish junkie, so I am glad to see that slightly-tacky patterned nails are back in style (in my mind they never went away). I nearly died when I saw Sally Hansen brought out Nail Polish Strips in LUMBERJACK PLAID. This is what I have on my hands and toes at the moment. Prior to the plaid, I had pink and white polka dots.

Polka dots are really easy to do. Paint your nail the base colour and wait to dry. Drip a blob of contrasting polish on to a piece of paper (this is the "dot" colour). Dip the pointy end of an orange stick into the polish. Do a couple of test dots, allowing some extra polish to build up on the tip. They make the perfect size dots. Occasionally, every 6 or so dots, you will want to wipe off the excess polish from the orange stick to keep your dots a uniform size. A layer of top-coat smooths things out.

I am super, super, super excited to try out the new Matte Top coat that everyone on Pinterest is pinning about. Who else is obsessed with pretty manicures? What is your favourite technique? And, has anyone successfully tried marbling?

On pins and needles...

2011-12-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

Well, if all goes well today, it looks like we will be moving at the end of the month!

My Etsy shop will close on December 22 and re-open mid-January (just in time for Valentines Day) after we get set up in the new place.

We hit a major roadblock in the house buying process on Tuesday, but I managed to find a way around it. We have everything in order, we are just waiting for the sellers to sign back the Waiver of Conditions and it's done!

I am in awe of the space we are going to have in this house; the idea of having a place to store all of our stuff - Christmas trees, tools, sewing machines, an extra bedroom for guests, my own bathtub, is a dream come true. 1100 square feet feels like a mansion after sharing a small, one-bedroom apartment with a 6'3" giant, an over-grown pug, and a humongous sewing habit.

What we wore... Edwardian Shirtwaist & Corset Cover

2011-12-04T16:37:00.002-05:00

I think I've graduated from being obsessed with Victorian Clothing to obsessing over Edwardian Clothing... I've moved a century closer!

This is a very usual corset cover. It is made of a starched cotton (beautiful hand), with heavily starched ruffles over the bust (hiding some beautiful pin-tucks). The Edwardian shape always amused me - it is so unnatural with the large bust and thin hips. You can see how this corset cover would help achieve that look, by adding extra volume to the bust with all of those ruffles! If Ohhh Lulu were around 100 years ago, I probably would have designed this:

The shirtwaist is in rough condition. It is a net lace exterior (which is near perfect) over cream silk, which is pintucked down down the front. The silk has seen better days and is beginning to crumble in quite a few places. It has metal snaps down the back and is quite obviously handmade.

What we wore... Antique Clothing Collection.

2011-12-04T16:28:00.002-05:00

As you may have gathered -I love vintage clothing and textiles, but even more than that, I love antique clothing and textiles.

I have finally gotten around to photographing some of the items in my very small collection. The unfortunate thing about pre 1940's clothing is that alot of it is made of silk or fine cotton... which just does not stand the test of time. I want to make sure I keep a record of what I have so I will have a reminder even after the silk is too brittle to touch....

These are both gifts from Dan's grandmother. The black collar is Victorian or Edwardian and is hand stitched. It is not finished, and I wonder if this was to become part of a top or whether it was meant to be just a separate collar. I think the shape is really unusual, and the lace is absolutely beautiful. I love the appliqué down the front.

This bolero came with the collar but I'm not sure that it is as old. It is stunning and in excellent condition. It is very tiny and just fits my small shoulders. This is one of my favourite items...

Handmade Histories...

2011-12-04T15:39:00.004-05:00

Dan's grandmother's house was full of treasures. My mother-in-law packed 3 large bags full of hankies, silk scarves, hand trimmed cotton pillow cases, handmade doilies and some silk babies clothes. I love all of these little handmade and sentimental items.

I sorted through them last week and found some real treasures, and so many silk hankies!

Many of these were embroidered and tatted or crocheted by Dan's great-aunt and Dan's Grandmother. I really love these items... even though I never got to meet these people, having these precious items makes me feel close to them.

Among some of the items were little silk baby dresses and a small silk bonnet and cotton bib that belonged to Dan's mom and Dan's uncle. They are so precious, I love them dearly!

Please, please, pleeeeeeease!

2011-12-03T21:36:00.002-05:00

House hunting has been the biggest roller coaster ride of my life. It seems like there is a constantly a new surprise around ever corner... Today we got to experience our first Home Inspection.

The home inspector was amazing, way more thorough than I had anticipated, and hardly found any serious issues with the house... considering its age I was expecting some major problems. I would 100% recommend to anyone buying a home, to have a home inspection. I actually feel reassured knowing that there aren't many huge problems with the house. I was happy to find out we have a new roof, new shingles, a new furnace, a solid foundation and updated plumbing.

However, we did find one very pressing "issue;" Knob and Tube wiring connected to the "new" electrical panel. As far as we can tell it looks like there is just a small amount of this wiring which will need to be replaced to bring it to code and make it insurable... but we can only see what is visible in the basement. We are now rushing to find an electrician who can do an inspection and give us a quote on a Sunday so that we can get our insurance quite and have the financing finalized. I can't wait until this is over and paint colours and floor plans become my biggest worry... I would love to hear other peoples experience with this type of wiring. I am expecting this to be a very costly repair (expecting the worst and hoping for the best), even with the upgrades that have been done, but feel like it would be worth it for the amount we love the house and the condition the house is in.

So, if all goes as planned and we are able to get the wiring fixed (and hopefully the price of the house adjusted accordingly...), we should be moving at the end of the month. But, we all know from the very important lesson learned from House #1: until you are actually in the house, anything could happen! So I am doing my very, very best to NOT GET EXCITED.

But I'm not doing a very good job... I'm already day dreaming and mentally planning everything out. Fantasying about having places to put all of our stuff... Yearning for a backyard for Oliver to run in (However small it may be...)

The house itself is quite unusual; I passed it by so many times because, well, it looks kind of weird. It has a Gambrel Roof, which you don't see a lot of in this town. It is half brick and half white stucco & board. It has a little bit of everything going on; one Dormer that creates the cutest little window seat in the stairway, oversized wood moulding around doorways and windows, pale wood floors, and the largest bathroom I have ever seen - complete with an avacado green bath tub. But a Bath Tub all the same! Oh.... to have a bath... The more and more time I spend in the house, the more and more I fall in love with it - even the wood panelling.

After looking at 20 homes or so (we have literally looked at every house in our price range in town that does not have a serious structural issue), I feel like we are really making a good choice. I'd even go as far as to say that this might just be my dream house. We put offers on a total of 5 houses:

1. The DIY house - which has sideways light switches installed in the trim around a door, the electrical pannel was behind the kitchen cupboards, and had two bathrooms side by side...

2. The Red Roof House - my second favourite house; it had lost of character but sold for over asking...

3. That 70's House - in hindsight I don't know why we put an offer on this one...

4. The 'Estate Sale' House - the sellers took a week to respond to our offer (6 days beyond our deadline date!!!)... and countered with more than double the deposit and not a dollar lower than asking. Not surprisingly, that house is still for sale, despite another offer being put on it.

So, necessary renovations aside, I am still so happy (and nervous) and looking forward to getting all of this unfun stuff out of the way! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

On that note - if all goes well I will be closing shop around Christmas and re-opening Mid-January :)

Give Away!

2011-11-29T21:27:00.002-05:00

Head on over to LeeLala.net to enter my Giveaway for a pair of Mulberry Knickers!

Good Luck Everyone!

And wish us luck - we put in an offer on house #5!

Sick in Bed...

2011-11-28T13:02:00.003-05:00

I had an incredibly productive weekend... followed by a horrible migraine and upset stomach that kicked in moment I woke up this morning. I did something I haven't done in over a year - I slept in until 11am! I sat in front of my sewing machine for a few minutes before making my way over to the couch where I plan on spending the rest of my day, with Oliver by my side, a cup of hot Chai tea in front of me, some documentaries on the TV, and some knitting in my hand. I love Ohhh Lulu so much I forget that sometimes I need to stop... and rest. So this is a good chance to do so.

I looked at 2 more houses over the weekend (we are up to 20 now). The first was an open house up the street. The house had some serious issues - needed to be jacked up in the basement to fix some sloping floors, had no appliances, a needed a bathroom gut-job, and the garage looked like it might fall down any day now. However, it had some great features and was relatively inexpensive (relatively still being $165,000) - a fireplace that could be converted to gas, a gorgeous 1920's wood banister, beautiful foyer, lots of space, huge bathroom, beautiful wood trim, and a window seat in the staircase. The second house I looked at was about... one hundred thousand dollars more than what we can afford, but we went to the open house anyway "just to see how the other half lived." It was nice, and put every house I've looked at to shame... I left regretting looking at that house.

Anyway... In more exciting news:

I'm giving away a NEW design on Leelala.net tomorrow! Stay tuned for more details tomorrow. Good Luck!

How To: French Tacks

2011-11-27T16:09:00.005-05:00

Do you use French Tacks to secure your lining to your fabric, or to make belt loops. I had never done a french tack before I went to college - but it is a great way to stop a lining from shifting during wear, and a look I really love for belt loops. You can use ribbon, twill tape, or a machine stitch to do french tacks but I like to do them by hand. If you havent' done a french tack before, here's how I do them:

1. Start by double threading a needle, so you have a total of 4 threads (2 going through the eye, doubled). Knot your end, and thread it through your fabric - I'm making a sash loop in this picture.

2. Thread the needle through the fabric again forming a loose loop about 2-3 inches in diameter (big enough for your fingers to fit through plus some!).

3. Put your fingers into the loop, and grab the thread - pull another loop through the original loop, pulling the original loop taught. You're beginning to form your chain.

4. Continue pulling loop through loop until your tack is long enough (usually about 1 inch to tack lining in place - do this on each side seam near the hem for skirts and dresses)

5. Secure your tack by passing your needle through the loop and pulling tight - this will for a knot. You can then join your tack the end point on your fabric or lining. Knot securely.

Victorian Calling Cards...

2011-11-21T08:07:00.004-05:00

I love the idea of calling cards... And I was lucky enough to find a small collection of 3 at the antique store on Saturday!

Accomplished!

2011-11-20T18:41:00.003-05:00

I have gotten so much sewing done over the last week. I have sewn 21 pairs of panties, 6 bras, and 6 camisoles! 33 Garments and I worked 30 hours and I majorly cleaned/decluttered the apartment! I feel like a superwoman, and now I am ready to collapse onto the couch and watch a little X-Files.... I feel on-top again!

It is always so exciting sending garments out to new customers - kind of feels like Christmas!

I sewed a couple pairs of Every Day Panties for a customer, one in black and the other in white eyelet. I had forgotten about how much I love these undies. They are very comfy and super cute. They can be made out of any cotton solid or print you like, with a coordinating lace waist!

I would really like to stock my own shop with some ready made eyelet Every Day Panties, as well as some plain velvet and cotton floral knickers (sans ruffles or bows)...

Dan and I got out and did a little more house hunting... nothing compares to the house we put an offer in a week ago. I am hoping if it sits for a little while the sellers will be a little more willing to negotiate with us... House hunting has really turned out much more difficult that I had imagined it would be. It is especially frustrating because we were ready to move on June, but because of Dan losing his job we had to put everything on hold... Everything went so smoothly with this house, and this time around it seems to be so much more difficult! But, I am trying to stay positive. The One will come along!

Oh my aching back!

2011-11-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

Does marathon sewing sessions kill anyone else's back? I sewed for hours today... and am a few finishing touches away from completing my wholesale order. Just need to sew on labels, snip threads, and finish up two pairs of bloomers.

In between sewing, we put in another offer on a house. The offer went in on Sunday... and just a came back today. We offered about 8% under asking & a quick close.; the house had a wet basement, and horrendously high taxes. We figured it was worth a shot. The counter offer came back at asking price, with more than double deposit. We have walked away from house #4. I feel bad for our Realtor... she has worked so hard for us and things just keep falling through.

FREE Ad Space!

2011-11-17T07:21:00.003-05:00

I'm doing it again, The first five people to comment will receive a month of free ad space (200 wide x 125 high) on the right hand sidebar of my blog. All I ask from you is that you follow my blog, and give me a quick mention on your blog or facebook page, to help spread the handmade love. I'm excited to help promote your fashion/handmade/lifestyle blog or Etsy Shop! Edit: Please leave your email address in the comment!

I also wanted to let my readers know that I have recently added more pages to my blog, including a Press page where I am liking any articles, interviews, or features on Ohhh Lulu, a Reviews page for customer reviews, and a Blog Page, where (when I have time) I will be adding some of my favorite blogs. If you have mentioned Ohhh Lulu in a post, I'll be happy to add your link; or if you have really great blog, send me your banner!

Details on back...

2011-11-16T19:17:00.002-05:00

Super busy week - up to sew at 7am before work each day... Spent all day sewing today and my back is aching... But, I love it.

We are house hunting still. Hope to have news by Friday... For now, X-Files, Pug Snuggles, and cuddles with the Husband...

Night!

Small pleasures...

2011-11-13T19:19:00.003-05:00

Dan's mom & dad got back from Quebec this week bearing gifts from Grandma's house. I got bags full of beautiful linens with crocheted lace trims, embroidery, and other fine finishing. Dan received a beautiful old type writer to ad to his collection. We also received some beautiful milk glass, but my favourite thing is this:

A near mint-conditon hand-crank Singer sewing "toy" machine. Crank or treadle sewing machines like these are nearly indistructable - my grandmother had a treadle sewing machine that she kept outdoors that worked!

I was so excited to thread this beauty. It took a generous oiling and some adjusting, but I got it to stitch.

This machine has no bobbin. It creates a beautiful chain stitch... that will unravel completely if you don't tie off the ends! I found some really interesting information about this sewing machine here... I am pretty certain it is a Singer Model 20.

I also received a two lovely thimbles, one with purple enamel flowers on it. I love these small mementos, and the sewing machine is my prized possession.

Can't wait for the Holidays!

2011-11-09T08:00:00.002-05:00

Ohhh Lulu studios has been very busy lately, with a wholesale order being prepared to head to the Netherlands, a large order heading off to Finland, and House Hunting... I don't know how I find time to go to work!

We looked at 2 more houses this week.

That 70's House. I love That 70's House. The kitchen looked like the kitchen I grew up in. It has a fully finished basement with tons of storage. It has A/C. I've never had A/C. It's only 2 bedrooms, and 1 tiny bathroom, but would be plenty of space for Dan, Oliver & I... and maybe 1 more (we'll see!).
The House Beside the Scrap Yard. The house beside the scrap yard had some issues... namely an adorable 1940's kitchen (with original stove), that did not have room for a full size fridge. The current owner had a mini-fridge. I like to hoard food in case of impending zombie apocalypse. This just would not do. It also smelled like cigarette smoke... really bad. The back of the house was a lovely sunroom... that overlooked a scrap yard.

So, now That 70's House is in the running... Things I don't like about the house are:

Corner lot is not fenced.
Really tiny windows - will likely need replacing to be brought up to code
Needs a wall removed between kitchen & "florida" room
No dish washer &"Vintage" appliances
Blue plush carpeting & 1970's tile throughout

Things I do like about the house are:

Finished basement with seperate laundry room. Dan and I can have my sewing studio + his video gaming area tucked away in the large, fairly bright basement, and leave the upstairs clean & tidy.
beautiful trees on the lot (which is a good size). I have no idea what kind they are, 1 looks almost like a miniature willow, two might be maple.
new garage
cute neighbourhood

I think Dan and I are at the point where we have been over-thinking this process... maybe "good-enough" is ok?

We have 1 more house to look at this weekend, which is just up the street from our apartment, then I think we will make a decision. It would be so nice to be settled for a little while... And set up a real sewing space! The thought of having space to store our stuff camping stuff, rooms to put our furniture in... it just seems like a beautiful dream...

The Handmade Christmas Gift Round-Up!

2011-11-07T11:32:00.009-05:00

Last year I made a lot of my Christmas Gifts- PJ's for Dan, a Portrait of Oliver for Mom & Dad, a brooch for the Mother-in-law, as well as custom made Tags for all of my gifts.

This year I'm hoping to do more, more, more!

Here is what is on this years Christmas "To-Do" List:

Felted "Porcelain" Bowls. I've never felted anything before, but after completing 3 socks, half a sweater, a scarf, half a hat and a dish cloth - I think I can handle this project.

Knitted Dish Clothes in pretty cotton yarns. Incredibly simple pattern that even I can memorize. Cast on 3 stitches, knit next row, knit 1, increase 1 into next stitch knit to end of row, repeat last step to 52 incnes, knit 2 knit 2 together to end. Knitted dish clothes are great scrubbers...

Eco-Friendly, reusable wool dryer balls! If you can wind a ball of wool, you can make these. Follow these simple instructions on GreenEyed.com

Canvas or Wood Block Portraits. I love this tutorial and hope to try it out, maybe with a wedding photo or two! I've seen this done on blocks of wood too... I had the idea to do a 4 sided wood cube, each side with a different photo or perhaps just a solid colour. Do 2 or 3 in different sizes... it would be a unique & modern way to display photos!

Cushion Covers made of vintage scarves from Design Sponge- such a great way to use a vintage piece!

Hand made soap... made easy with melt and pour kits. Here is a great "how to" from 100 Layer Cake. I am excited to come up with some creative ways to decorate the soaps I make..

Home Made Marshmallows & Other Candies (citrus zest lollipops, anyone?. I've been wanting to make marshmallows for so long... I've got an idea of making a hot chocolate mix with some home made marshmallows (Martha Stewart has Candy Cane Marshmallows, Vanilla, Chocolate Covered...)

What is on your Christmas list? I love this time of the year... such a great excuse to be a little extra creative!

The Girl Who Makes her Own Clothes - 1904

2011-11-07T08:20:00.004-05:00

I don't follow the (crafting) rules...

2011-11-07T06:47:00.003-05:00

I have a hard time following instructions...

I started my Christmas Crafting Planning on Saturday, picking up a soap-making kit, and some cotton yarn to knit dish clothes (I am also going to do felted dryer balls). I started my dish cloths on Saturday Night.

The pattern went as follows:

Cast on 3 Stitches

Next Row: Knit

2nd Row: Knit 1, Increase into next Stitch, Knit to end of row

Follow Last Step.

This is how I read the instructions:

Cast on 3 Stitches.

Next Row: Knit

2nd Row: Knit 1, Increase.... yeah yeah, blah blah, I get it...

Obviously, I wound up with a large, scalene triangle. I took out my stitches, laughed, and started all over again.

I rarely follow the crafting rules - I prefer to figure it out by myself and there is a huge bonus to this! When you figure out the steps by yourself, you have a better understanding of how and why, and you develop your own techniques. Sure... you might sometimes end up with a triangular dish cloth or a skirt that's too short, but crafting is way more fun when you abandon the rules - and as the workroom manager at the very fancy custom drapery shop where I used to work taught me, EVERYTHING IS FIXABLE!

I love sewing, it's not work, it's fun, it's a puzzle, it's free-flowing-creativity! And, that's my two cents...

I had an amazingly productive weekend. I cut and assembled 10 pairs of ruffle bloomers, 6 bras, and 1 camisole. Phew... Now it's off to a week of Day-Jobbing, and House Hunting. We have passed up on the chance to put an offer on the old house. It was lovely, but didn't feel like "home."

More Houses...

2011-11-04T08:14:00.006-04:00

Dan and I have been out to see 3 more houses. This week chronicled:

The Cat House. The Cat house smelled like cat. Each bed had a body pillow under the blankets that looked suspiciously like a body. There was also a hot tub in the basement... which caused an awful lot of black mould to grow along the once-white baseboards.
The Fun House. The Fun house had a brand new, beautiful kitchen, sunken living room, gas fire place, 2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, huge lot... but the stairs and upper floor were like a fun house. There was something seriously wrong with the floors, and I can imagine after a glass of wine or two how much vertigo I might get. Good thing I don't drink! Also, The doorways were only about 6' tall. Not so great for my husband, who is taller than that. I foresaw many bruised foreheads in our future.
The Old House. I like the old house. It is big. It has a claw foot bath tub, with painted gold feet and original faucet. It has beautiful molding (that needs to be painted white). It has 3 bedrooms + a sewing room. It has a front porch that needs a rocking chair and a few plants, and a sign on the door that reads "HOME."

The Old House is in the running! Cons to the old house:

~~There is no flooring in the kitchen~~
The kitchen needs to be re-done, but paint, new tile, and a new countertop would get us going for a few years
It is electric heat. We would want to install a new gas furnace (Duct work is there).
It does not have a garage, but has a workshop. There is room for a Garage.
The side porch needs replacing... or removing
The house is on a slight... slant. But we are finding most of the houses have wonky floors, tilty walls, or strange angles.
Nearly everything is painted navy blue... or bright yellow. Trim included.
I don't feel excited about this house. I feel like there is a lot of work to do prior to move in.

Pros to the old House:

Dan and I both have dreamed of owning a lovely older home
we have the opportunity to make it our own! With a little craftiness (and we are crafty) I think we could do it on the cheap.
CLAW FOOT BATH TUB. Yes, I know they are a pain to wash under, but they are so pretty
Pretty molding
Large lot
SEWING ROOM
New steel roof, new insulation, new wiring, new plumbing, new bathroom on main floor
It has a basement
It comes with the most adorable Play House in the backyard. We would have to have a little girl.
Front Porch is perfect for sitting and people watching
1400 square feet.
With some elbow grease, I think it would have good resale value
Dan really likes the house. And I like it when Dan is happy <3

I feel like at this point, we've looked at so many houses - it's like when I was wedding dress shopping. At the end of the day, I had looked at so many I had no idea which one to choose. Each had pros and cons and none seemed better than the others...

What are your words of wisdom when it comes to buying a house?

1950's Knitted Hats & Gloves Patterns

2011-11-03T08:50:00.005-04:00

I am not a very good knitter, but perhaps some of you are? I have these lovely (and quirky) 1950's knitting patterns in my collection. The Lace Cloche and Long Gloves have been on my "To Try" list, but in order of importance, they are pretty far at the bottom. I love the poses, and the page with the floating heads is actually quite creepy! The lady in the first picture looks quite conniving.... I wonder what she's up to...

DIY Victorian Beauty...

2011-11-02T09:18:00.004-04:00

I love Victorian (and earlier) homeopathic remedies and "Toilet" remedies. My 1897 edition of The Cottage Physician has so many of these... Recipes for "Invalid Food," Tinctures to treat Hysteria and Nervous disease. Real fun stuff! Not sure I'd be hoping on the bandwagon to try any of these things. What do you think?

I'm also a little scared at the fact that this book comes with its own prescription sheets!

House hunting & Terrifying Victorian Cosmetic Devices

2011-11-01T07:56:00.005-04:00

Dan and I are hitting the pavement and House Hunting Again. We put in an offer on a lovely home on Sunday night that was outbid last night. I'm learning with each offer we put in, not to get excited or start making furniture plans in my head - even if the offer is accepted there is so much that can go wrong...

So, we are on to find house #3. We will be looking at 2 tonight. I don't really want to do this too much longer. The excitement and anticipation of the offer... just to be rejected, outbid, or in some other way thwarted, is exhausting!

I dreamed last night we went to look at 2 houses... with marble floors and granite counters, an indoor swimming pool... Far from reality. I just want some place clean & tidy to put my stuff. I am currently in my living room/studio. Fabric is everywhere, There is camping stuff piled in front of the closet (there is no longer room in the closet to store it), every wall is lined with furniture. Seven Hundered & Fifty square feet is not enough for work space, office space, and life space...

So far we have seen...

The "Starter" home - the bedrooms were so small, I'm pretty sure only a single bed would fit. I felt a little claustrophobic.
The "Newly Renovated!" Home. The house had been newly renovated, but horribly planned. Bedrooms led directly into other bedrooms with out hallways, the electrical pannel stared out over the dining room table, and the piece de resistance, the upstairs hallway was not high enough for even me to stand upright in.
The "3" Bedroom 4-season cottage/"starter" home. This was quite nice. However the master bedroom was partitioned off with a curtain... no walls. Also was about 700 square feet.
The "90%" BRAND NEW home. Which really was new. And Ugly. And expensive. And small. And backed onto a parking lot that housed Hydro One trucks...
The "waterfront" access home. Flags should have been waving when I read "Price is negotiable." It was for sale by owner. The "tenant" was home, and let me in. He opened the door, cigarette drooping out of the corner of his mouth, cats spilling from the open door. I took a quick look... wood panelling. So much wood panelling. And Shag Carpet. And Sloping Floors. And still $155,000! I think only a bulldozer would get rid of the cat and cigarette smell.
The cute and cozy Starter or Retirement Home! This 2 bedroom home, featured a lovely dining room that was now being used as a bedroom. The actual living space (non-bedroom space) was even smaller than what we have now.

There's slim pickings and I am getting antsy to move. I am very very grateful we can afford any house, but it's frustrating that there is so little to choose from in our price range. (Occupy Wall St!)

Anyway, Oliver had a successful trip to the vet yesterday, and is healthy despite my apparent over-feeding of him (for which I feel terrible, but he just loves to eat!). He got a clean bill of health and we went on our way... Today is his 4th Birthday. Happy Birthday Oliver!

Busy few weeks...

2011-10-31T08:38:00.002-04:00

Check out the new banners on my sidebar! I am going to be running a promotion monthly, where 5 of my readers can get free ad space to promote their Blog, Shop, or Etsy Store (handmade or vintage please!) for 1 month blocks.

Here is how it will work:

I will make a blog post around the middle of each month titled "FREE AD SPACE". The First 5 people to comment with their email address will get the space for the following month
To be eligible, you should be a follower of my blog, and give me a little "shout out" on your blog when the ad goes out.
The Free Ad space will be 200 wide x 125 high.

This weekend was super busy and I am starting my Monday off on the same foot.

My 4 day work weeks at my day job slowly melded into 4 and a half... and now 5 days again. Right in the midst of the Christmas Rush and a Wholesale order. I'm really feeling like I could use an extra pair of hands or an extra few days in the week... or have the ability to not sleep or eat.

Though I do love the rush of being busy! I just wish I had more time to be busy with Ohhh Lulu...

This weekend Dan and I did some much needed clothes shopping for him, and I conned him into buying a cardigan. When we came home my poor pug, Oliver had an accident on the floor. I did my pug-motherly duty and cleaned it up... but noticed a bit of blood in it which was very shocking. So, we are off to the vet today to get things checked out. I am praying that nothing is wrong with my little guy. His 4th birthday is tomorrow, and he is the apple of my eye. I am hoping he is just reacting to the new food I bought him and I am over reacting to the whole thing.

Yesterday morning we decided to seal around all the windows with peel-off silicone... not knowing that it would emit a nausea-inducing, brain-cell-molesting odour. So, we had to be out of the apartment for the entire day.

Before the vet, I am going to try to sneak in to see our landlords - who are also conveniently mortgage brokers - to see about mortgage rates... busy, busy times. I'm already looking forward to Christmas Holidays!!!

Edwardian Fashion

2011-10-30T10:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-28T09:29:00.000-04:00

Elite Styles 1900

2011-10-24T10:39:00.005-04:00

Thomson's Glove Fitting Corset - 1904

New Sleeves Waists, Elite Styles 1900

Wedding Photos are here...! The longest blog post in the history of Ohhh Lulu...

2011-10-23T08:58:00.012-04:00

Dan and I got back from Quebec late last night. I felt very sad for not getting the chance to meet his Grandma, but through hearing so many stories about her, I feel like I knew her and I think she and I would have gotten along so well. I am glad we wrote back and forth to each other a few times...

Bromont, which is East of Montreal and very near Vermont, is a gorgeous little town. Dan's Grandma lived in a rural area on a beautiful lot with a tributary of the St. Lawrence river running through it (I think it was a tributary). It is surrounded by mountains that get lost in the clouds. The fall colours were gorgeous. Being in Quebec has very much inspired me to brush up on my French...

When we got home I was happy to find my wedding photos have arrived... It was perfect timing. Dan's grandmother had kept a diary, and had written at length on the day of our wedding about how excited and happy she was for us. Without further adieu, here they are...

When Dan and I got engaged, I knew I didn't want to have a "fussy" formal wedding. I wanted to have the kind of wedding our parents had; the kind of wedding that was about fun, and good times, and friends & family coming together. We made pretty much everything ourselves, from the programs, to the labels on the honey jars. Dan's Mom did all of the flowers, and she did an amazing job. She filled the mason jars with cedar boughs, and added carnations, and large white "pom pom" flowers along with some foliage. They turned out exactly how I wanted. We had our ceremony outside in a park and let the beautiful scenery be our décor. We held our reception in the local Legion, and had a traditional Roast Beef Buffet Dinner (with vegetarian options too!). The custom made stamp I bought from LovetoCreatStamps on Etsy came in handy for so many projects! It's a great stamp and I highly recommend them.

One of my bridesmaids is an aesthetician so we had pedicures the night before. My something "Blue" was my pedicure, and a blue streak in my hair. The girls all wore different shoes in a nude colour, which worked so nice with the black and white dresses. I bought shoe clips from FinkShop on Etsy to jazz up a pair of inexpensive shoes I had gotten at Spring. The "something old" that I wore was a necklace with a small pearl, owned by my grandmother, and my "something borrowed" was my veil, which my cousin wore in her wedding a few years back.

Our cupcakes were a steal. The Cake, Cupcakes and stand (for 100 people) cost us under $200 at a local bakery (including tax!). I never did end up eating one, but I heard they were delicious.

I bought our Guest Book from Red Otter on Etsy. She customized the ribbon colour and delivered promptly! I set up some jars with coloured pencils, stickers & pens for people to decorate their pages with. We wound up with some great portraits and cute drawings from our guests. We used a vintage white train case Dan's Mother had given me for our card box. My felt moustaches were a huge hit, and strangely enough I've found a few of them scattered across town since the wedding... Oops!

Our ceremony took place in a park right beside where our reception was. It is a busy park, and people were biking by and walking their dogs, snapping photos and wishing us much happiness. I thought I would feel funny having such a private moment in a very public place, but people were so respectful, and it was kind of nice to have strangers truly wish you well.

We had 2 adorable flower girls and a shy Ring Bearer who was bribed with lots of suckers and made our wedding extra memorable. The girls wore little linen dresses that I had made, and our ringbearer had a tie custom made to match the Grooms men. The ringbearer livened up after a few cupcakes, suckers, and who knows what else, and was king of the dance floor! That kid has some amazing moves for a 3 year old.

We took photos after the ceremony (which was a total of 15 minutes long) in the park for about an hour, then we all took half an hour off to rest. It was really important to us that we didn't have a big break between the ceremony and wedding. I know as a guest how boring it can be to be waiting for hours while the bride and groom take photos...

Before the wedding, the photographer met us at my parents house for some pictures with me, my dog, my bridesmaids, my brother and my parents. My parents have a beautiful field full of wild flowers behind their house where we took photos. The photographer was so amazing, she was calm and relaxed and really helped make our day extra special.

I really loved our wedding, I wouldn't change a thing. It was simple and fun an everyone had such a great time. The food was fantastic, the dancing was fun, everyone looked great, Oliver even sat down on command! Wedding planning for me had some frustrating moments... It is hard to plan a wedding like our parents would have had nowadays. But, for the most part, I had a blast (a craftacular blast!). I was happy to learn, after the wedding, that our guests really appreciated the simplicity of it. Everyone really had such a great time, which is what a wedding should be about. <3

Hen Costume for Young Girls... December 1910

2011-10-19T08:06:00.004-04:00

I have these french magazines... La Mode Illustrée. This one is from December 1910, which describes "Hen" costumes for young girls. I thought it was fitting, with Halloween right around the corner. This is perhaps the most elegant "chicken" costume I've ever seen!

Now... if only my French were not so rusty, I might actually be able to read about it!

Styles for October 1900

2011-10-18T08:47:00.001-04:00

I picked up this antique fashion magazine a month or so ago. This was what was en vogue one hundred and eleven years ago.

FREE Ad Space!

2011-10-17T20:07:00.004-04:00

Not too long ago, The Vintage Wife offered free ad space on her blog. I was lucky enough to take advantage of this offer and now I'd like to pay it forward. I loved having a few new visitors stroll through Ohhh Lulu. So... the first 5 people to comment on this post will receive 1 month of free ad space (200x125) on the right hand side of my blog! Please comment with your email address so I cant contact you to discuss the specifics.

Thanks everyone!

Off to Quebec...

2011-10-17T07:16:00.003-04:00

Ohhh Lulu has been very busy lately, and for that I am so grateful. Life has also been very busy. Dan's grandmother passed away over the weekend, so we will be making a trip to Quebec at the end of the week. It is an eight hour drive, so we will be gone for a few days. It's sad to lose another grandmother, but I am glad that she didn't suffer through her old age and was able to live most of her life independently. She lived to the age of 97, and only just over the last few months has been living in a home. That's perseverance!

Day-job gets increasingly tedious by the day. What was supposed to be a PR position slowly melded into a general office position and I'm back to being a Disgruntled Secretary again. Disgruntled Secretaries Unite! All jokes aside, I am grateful for a job that pays me decently, but there are days (like today) where the thought of walking out my front door, down the street, and stepping foot in that office makes me want to break down in tears. I just know, the minute I get there I will find out about some silly mistake I made that will lead to the uncovering of a dozen other silly mistakes I have made. I feel like more often than not, I am making mistakes (or maybe more often that not I am hearing about the mistakes I've made). Does anyone else feel like this about their job?

It is really getting hard to juggle the demands of a growing business with a day job. More so mentally than physically.

Between sewing and life, Dan and I are out house hunting again. Our prospects are much more depressing this time. Yesterday we went to an open house in a very nice house, in an ok neighbourhood. However, the total square footage of the house was the same as our apartment. Though it was technically a 1 bedroom house, the current owner had set up a master bedroom in what would have better been used as a living room. Currently the couches, tv, and dining table all reside in the kitchen. Cramped. Also expensive. If Dan and I had no intention on having kids it would have been a great house.

It is very frustrating because no house seems to compare with the one we nearly had. All of the houses have some kind of glaring flaw, either the ceilings in the upstairs aren't high enough to stand up in (seriously), the property backs onto a lumber yard, is as small as our apartment, or is 30 minutes out of town... It is definitely not a great time to be looking for houses, so I have a feeling we will be holding out until the summer here in our tiny and freezing little apartment downtown. We were really hoping to avoid another winter here with our electric baseboard heat...

Get on Over to Selective Potential and Win some Bloomers!

2011-10-13T07:15:00.002-04:00

The Give Away of a pair of ruffle bloomers is on, head on over to Selective Potential to get your chance to win!

Phew... What a day!

2011-10-11T18:42:00.003-04:00

My productivity impressed myself today.

I woke up at 7. Drank Coffee and read emails until 8. Took Photos until 8:45. Put on mascara and walked to work for 9. Worked my butt off until 12:30. Edited photos for Ohhh Lulu, post Lavender Sugar Bustle Bloomers on Etsy and prepared my Give Away for tomorrow. Drank Soy Milk. Back to work from 1-5. Bought Dog food downtown, got greeted by a parrot, and resisted the temptation to browse make-up at the Pharmacy. Home to post custom listings, and my Sleepy Hollow Inspired Bustle Panties.

Yet to cut and paste sample cards... Am REALLY negotiating my first real wholesale order! All that will happen tomorrow though.

Waiting for Dan to come home so I can cook Dinner... I plan on spending the rest of the night immersed in an X-Files marathon.

I love productive days like this.

Give Away Tomorrow!

2011-10-11T12:46:00.003-04:00

I am giving away a pair of Ruffle Bloomers on Selective Potential Tomorrow! Be sure to check out Tieka's blog tomorrow for details on how to enter.

Good Luck everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T19:18:00.002-04:00

This weekend was Thanksgiving weekend, one of my favourite holidays of the year. Despite my annoying (and at times, painful) cold, we fit a lot into our weekend. I finished this custom order for a customer...

On Saturday evening we went to an outdoor art show, and met up with a few friends we don't get to see very often. We didn't stay long, I was sick and delirious on cold medicine, but it was pretty fun. On Sunday we had dinner at my parents house. It was so nice, we ate outside and enjoyed a bon fire later in the evening (the second bon fire of the weekend!). Today we had Thanksgiving lunch with Dan's family. We had a great time, chatting and eating too much pumpkin pie...

In between family visits, I tried to get some sewing in. I have 2 stores I am trying to get stock prepared for, as well as Christmas stock for Etsy, and finishing up the few orders I have. I am also preparing for a give away very soon, and will post more information on Wednesday!

In the mean time, here is a sneak peak of a few new ruffle bloomers and bustle panties. I also have been trying to come up with ways to use all my bits and pieces of fabric... I contemplated a quilt, but I just don't have the patience for that kind of undertaking, so... I decided to sew together strips of fabric, log-cabin quilt style, and use that to make undies. I think they turned out pretty cute... They remind me of the sensibility of the '30's.

I hate throwing out fabric. What do you do with your left over scraps?

Should be in bed...

2011-10-07T07:22:00.004-04:00

I have a cold and I should be in bed, but instead I got up at 6:30, made a pot of coffee and checked on the Provincial Election results... you might not know this about me, but I am a junkie for politics and news. While my party of choice, the NDP did not win, they did gain 7 seats in the House of Parliament, and we avoided a Conservative government, so I'm pretty satisfied... despite my stuffed up nose.

Dan and I have finished our week of looking after my "nephews" (not technically nephews, as they are my cousins kids, but her and I are kind of like sisters so it's close enough...). The kids were pretty sweet and cooperative and gave me lots of giggles, like when I asked the oldest boy what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he responded, "A Pumpkin," and watching Dan painstakingly try to explain the plot of Star Wars to a 3 year old was priceless. So many, "But why... But Why Uncle Dan?"'s.

It was a busy week, but I was happy to help and get to spend more time with the boys... And I think I have decided that while a house in the country may be pretty and quiet, I am like the convenience of "in town" living. When I say "in town" (which is a term only country people use), I mean Orillia, a town of 30 000 people, most of them over the age of 75.

My wedding photographer is sending me our wedding photos this week. I am so excited to get them! She has been tempting me with photos on her facebook page. I love this shot of the bouquet and Dan's boutonniere. Dan's mom did such an amazing job, with so little help from me... I sent her a few pictures, and basically gave her the instructions that I did not want "matchy matchy," nothing too stuffy, loose and rustic. She did the bouquets absolutely perfectly, mums and sweet peas in burgundy, purple and a little pink...

Experiments with weaving, braids and bows

2011-10-02T17:45:00.004-04:00

I've been braiding fabric, trying to figure out a way to incorporate braids into my clothing... I tried cutting long strips of fabric, braiding them, and applying the braid with a long straight stitch, but I always found the braid to be too bulky for any thing other than a neckline.

So, I took my standard bikini panties pattern, added about 6" down the centre front, and made it into a two-piece pattern, as opposed to a "cut on fold." I staggered slices horizontally down the pattern, following the curve of the leg opening. I then started folding and weaving and pinning on to my dressform until I would up with a large "braid" down the front. I trimmed off the excess, and basted the loose ends. I am in love with how it turned out. When on, it is a very low cut panties that follows the curves of the body. The lose weaving adds additional stretch to the bias cut woven cotton. I am obsessed with this now and am going excited to be trying different slashing techniques.

I used a plain elastic along the waist and legs, because I didnt' want to detract from the weaving detail in the front. I have plans on using this technique along the back of a thong style panty...

Before the wedding I bought a few yards of black and white printed lace that I was going to use to make clutches... that was a passing fancy and now I have tons of the fabric. I started this cropped cami and long-line panties set yesterday. They were so plain and.... "modern" so I added a million bows. I have yet to find anything that a million bows can't make better.

Tonight we are off to my cousins house for nearly a week of house & child sitting. We will be looking after two of the funniest little boys until Thursday, and enjoying my cousins beautiful house. I am very excited to make use of their bath tub, as I only have a coffin-sized stand up shower in my apartment.

In response to my last, frustrated post. I broke the bank and bought a new camera and tripod. The tripod is amazing, and I have no idea how I functioned without it. Hurray!

A case of the Ho-Hums...

2011-09-29T07:48:00.002-04:00

I feel utterly... hopelessly... despondently... uninspired.

I've been taking photos every night this week, since Sunday, trying to get a set that just "works." A set that is clear, crisp, bright and true to colour. I left work early with a headache yesterday, and instead of laying down to ease the pain, I popped pills, charged my camera battery, washed some dishes, made dinner, then took some photos. I took photos last night too, and the night before.

My current photographical state is deplorable. I have a $90 Olympus camera that I bought 2 years ago prior to our trip to San Francisco. This camera is basic, but it has a macro function & timer, two of the only functions I know how to use. I like to take photographs without a flash, as it is best to capture colour and texture. Taking non-flash photos in slightly less than ideal lighting (ie. my bedroom with all 3 windows wide open at 5 pm) equates to a bunch of blurry photos. I cannot possibly hold my hand still enough, no matter how hard I try and hold my breath and tense every muscle in my body. So, I set up a broom to steady myself, lean on the laundry basket, prop up against a book... and surprisingly... I still ended up with crap photos. I am hoping the internet can pick up on my sarcasm.

I'm feeling incredibly frustrated this morning. I could barely open my mouth to say "good morning" to Dan, and the thought of having to go to my day job brings a small tear to my eye. I have a dozen beautiful items that I want to list, but my photos just don't do them justice anymore. My camera lens is scratched, I need some decent lighting (it rains here every day lately...). I am supposed to be running an ad in October, which I must remind myself, is in 2 days. I feel another headache coming on...

I want a tripod with a horizontal arm, or at least, bottom mount. I want a new camera - not a fancy camera, just a half-decent camera. I am frustrated because I feel like I should have had everything listed by now, a new ad designed, preparing for a give away, and sitting back and enjoying my morning coffee. Instead, I'm sorting through a hundred blurry, washed out, grainy photos... The joys of DIY business.

Bride & Groom

2011-09-27T16:53:00.000-04:00

Happiest day of my life... so far! <3

Basics and the return of the Ruffle Bloomer

2011-09-25T20:40:00.004-04:00

What an awesomely productive weekend. I got so many garments cut, and sewed so many samples. One of my goals for my "re-launch" was to have some more basics that could be paired with my over-the-top, frilly bottoms

Today I cut and sewed two camisoles - the Meadow Cami. One is in ivory jersey with nude bias-cut chiffon trim, the other is in black jersey with black mesh trim. They have a draped fit, are silky soft and would be great to wear as an everyday tank top, or as a sleep top. I love clothes that I can roll out of bed in, and still look great.

I also started working on some ruffley bra and panties sets. This is the Raspberry Truffle set - though pieces will be available individually as well.

I paired a creamy floral, in pinks, blues and brows with a chocolate & pink polka dot chiffon. I have to admit... after making the panties I wasn't so happy with the results, but once I added a bow, and paired it with the bra, I was really happy with the completed garments. Once again, it goes to show that bows fix everything.

I've also been working on a few more items in my favourite brushed paid. I've sewn one pair of brushed plaid ruffle bloomers, and am working on some thongs to go with. I'm hoping to take a few more pictures over the next couple of days, and then go on a listing spree!

Dan and I took a drive through the country yesterday to look at a house we've had our eyes on. It was like a fairy-tale... an absolutely dream come true. A little red farm house, surrounded by forest... a beautiful white picket gate leading up the treed driveway. It almost seems to good to be true!

Hearts

2011-09-24T21:27:00.003-04:00

I had to share an image of my new "heart" strap sliders. I am in love with these.

Black & White

2011-09-24T20:43:00.002-04:00

I am SO excited. I finally got to spend some time with my sewing machine and serger. I went to the fabric store on Thursday night and bought some flannel in black and white plaid & polka dots, black stretch mesh, black and white chiffon with little starlings on it, grey/black/red brushed cotton plaid, and some off white eyelet lace. To break up all the black and white, I bought a little floral cotton with a polka dot chiffon coordinate, in chocolate and raspberry. Today I went black and white crazy.

Last winter I made myself some sleep shorts out of my black and red lumberjack plaid... I find them so comfortable, and the husband finds them effortlessly sexy - the perfect piece of lingerie! I pre-washed all of my flannel yesterday, and it has gotten even softer and fuller after the first wash... They are in a french knicker style and could be worn under a fall or winter skirt.

I added a little cut-out lace applique to the polka dot pair, and satin bows to the plaid pair. I'm thinking I will list these individually and as a set.

Last but certainly not least, I made a bias cut camisole out, what I call, the starling chiffon. I picked up a few yards of this amazing stretch mesh which I used to trim the top and the panties. I love wearing bias cut chiffon camisoles, especially under sweaters in the winter... they make my winter uniform feel slightly more pretty.

I am getting so, so, so excited to list these on Etsy. I'm going to try to get a few more photos and a few more items sewn, and re-vamp my shop!

Fabric Addiction...

2011-09-21T20:53:00.003-04:00

My first work-week post-wedding is almost done, tomorrow is my Friday. I'm really looking forward to getting some one-on-one time with my sewing machine, sewing non-wedding related items.

Fabric is one of those things in life that just really makes me excited. In all but my most current jobs, I've worked in the textile industry. I miss line-launches, I miss feeling new goods, I miss the excitement of experiencing a really great linen! I miss being around other people who get ridiculously excited by texture, hand, drape, and weave.

At my last position in Toronto, for a high-end drapery manufacturer, I was lucky enough to go to a few new-line-launches and really get to know top-quality textiles. Some of my favourites remain Designers Guild, and Sanderson. I just love a really great floral.

Sneak Peak!

2011-09-19T07:59:00.003-04:00

I was snooping on my photographers facebook page when I returned from the honeymoon and saw she had posted one of the photos she had taken of me! Oh, I had such a fun day - despite the fact that the rings never quite made it to the ring bearer and our MC had to make a quick run out to our CR-V to fetch them (just in the nick of time!) and Dan missed his barbers appointment, but still looked handsome as always... the little "flubs" made the wedding even more "us" and totally memorable. People were walking by, taking photos, and were so respectful of us holding such a private moment in a public park.

The food was fantastic, though I was so excited and nervous I could hardly eat (you will be happy to know my appetite has come back at full force), our first dance to Aerosmith's "I don't want to miss a thing" was so cheesy I bawled, and my childhood best friend's lady caught the bouquet - I couldn't have been happier. Even my Dad, who hates weddings, had a fabulous time. Dan's mom prepared all of the bouquets, and they turned out more perfect that I could have imagined - pink and purple mums and sweet pea's perfectly arranged, and the boutonnieres were gorgeous! I can't wait to share the pictures...

People really picked up on the handmade touches, which made me so happy. They loved the honey favors and the moustaches were a big hit - totally worth the cramped hand. We held the reception in the legion, because it was inexpensive, large, and right next to the ceremony sight. It was surprisingly nice in there, and once I had the cloths on the tables, my flowers up, and a few bunting-banners, it looked absolutely perfect.

Yesterday I tried to get back into a bit of sewing. I have 1 alteration to do, 1 nightie to sew, then I want to work on Ohhh Lulu's re-launch. I will be hosting a give away in early October on another blog (I am keeping it a secret for the next little while). I really wanted to do a photoshoot at the end of September to prepare for my early October re-launch... but now that September is already half over, I'm not sure how I can do it!

While we were honeymooning I also stopped by a store in North Bay, called The FARM that carries my lingerie. The store was phenomenal - exactly the type of place I have always dreamed of opening. I'm back to work today for 4 days, but I'm really itching to hibernate behind my sewing machine for a week to make up for lost time. I'm planning on bringing back a whole "lumberjack" collection for winter (it's already freezing here, damn Canada!), and more "everyday" items like thongs and jersey panties and bras... along with more ruffles!

Back

2011-09-18T09:16:00.003-04:00

We are back after the most fun wedding and relaxing adventure of a honeymoon. We travelled north to Restoule Provincial Park where we ended up staying for a few days. I used to stay here as a kid, and it was even better than I remember - quiet and serene... we woke up to the sounds of loons every morning and were even greeted by a pair of deer on our campsite one afternoon. We eventually found our way to Killarney - It edges onto boreal forest and is part of the Canadian shield. It looked just like a painting - absolutely beautiful, pink granite and white quartz contrast against the green trees and orange maples...

Over the whole trip we saw countless Deer, raccoons, chipmunks, squirrels, some bears, grouse, beaver... I've never seen so much wilderness on a camping trip. Next year, we are hoping to be brave enough to try some back country camping. It was pretty cold this time, going down to 0 degrees Celcius at night, but it was totally worth it. There is nothing better than hiking around a forest by day and sitting around a campfire by night.

Yesterday I made a point of going to the Oro Worlds Fair... The Worlds Fair is something I used to do as a kid every year - and if you grew up in the country, as I did, I'm sure you understand how exciting a Worlds Fair really is. We used to enter Cosmos from our garden, handmade doll clothes, chocolate chip cookies. We'd go and see which duck & chicken won the red ribbon, and guess the weight of a cow for our chance to win $500! I was happy to see the fair had not changed a bit, aside from the addition of a Canine Agility show. The local elementary schools still submit the same adorable crafts and drawings, and people are still submitting Cosmos from their garden...

After the fair we started "winterizing" the apartment, in attempt to save on our energy bills this year. We bought lined curtains for all of the windows, peel-off-caulking to fill in cracks and drafts, plastic shrink wrap for over breezy windows. Our apartment is about 700 square feet and costs a small fortune to heat during the winter...

I'm pretty heartbroken to be going back to work tomorrow... I had too much fun over the last week. The wedding was so much fun, and I will write more about that a little later. Our photographer was absolutely amazing, and I hope to work with her again in the near future.

Just a few days...

2011-09-05T08:07:00.002-04:00

Our Wedding is on Saturday! Wedding Day advice?

A week and a half!

2011-08-31T07:41:00.003-04:00

Weddings creep up slowly then smack you in the face.

I convinced Dan to let me paint the frames of the chalk board mirrors white (over black with a crackle glaze in between) to match the 4 art pieces I did. They look a million times better and I'm feeling inspired to paint everything in my apartment white.

I am picking up our honey favors on Saturday from a local bee keeper. I am debating over how to decorate them. I'm going to make small sticker to print out and label the pots with our names and wedding date. I had originally imagined picking up three or four different floral cottons and covering the tops, then tying them down with twine. Now I'm thinking plain muslin...

Craziness Begins...

2011-08-24T09:37:00.002-04:00

So, up until this point in the wedding planning, I have been pretty relaxed. I'm starting to feel a little nervous... a little anxious... and a little overwhelmed. I'm sure it's completely normal.

I am heading to Toronto on Saturday for some sort of "Surprise" weekend. I have no idea what it could be, but I'm looking forward to spending time with my favorite ladies... Dan apparently also has something planned, and I hope he makes it back in one piece. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly concerned.

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year already! So much has been packed into the last 12 months...

We got engaged on September the 8th. My Grandma passed and I nearly lost my dad. Dan lost his job, got a new one (so did I), and Ohhh Lulu went crazy with a Heartsy Deal! We bought and lost a house in a matter of days... and lets not forget all of the crafts!

It's been such a crazy past 12 months that I'm not sure what I'll do when life decides to settle down...

Saturday Craftacular

2011-08-20T17:59:00.003-04:00

I spent all day gathering, painting, and crafting finishing touches for the wedding. We are keeping the decorations to a minimum - Dan and I are pretty simple when it comes to our taste. I did want to have something "special" for the head table. I created a bunting to drape across the front, and today, after finding some great frames at the dollar store (which were jazzed up with some crackle medium, white paint, and sand paper), I decided to make "portraits" of Dan and I.

I took a profile picture each of us, turned it black and white, and upped the contrast. I printed it on some heavy cardstock, carefully cut around the lines of our profiles, and used the negative as a stencil. I stencilled on plain old muslin with some black acrylic paint. I'm really happy with how these turned out.

I grabbed a great old tin wash-basin from an antique store to put our wedding programs and bird-seed confetti bags in, as well as some old lace-trimmed linens.

I'm a little worried about what I will craft when this wedding is all over...

Wedding Card Boxes

2011-08-19T08:04:00.003-04:00

I am down to 3 weekends before the wedding weekend! I wanted to add a few more décor items to add to my "vintage" theme, and I noticed The Knot had a whole gallery of vintage themed décor ideas.

I took two ideas - Paper Cut "Cards" Garland and the Vintage Train Case, and mashed them together. Instead of using paper, I glued a piece of cotton to a piece of card stock, printed large Bold Letters on another piece of card stock to use as stencils - traced my stencils (backwards!) on the card stock with the fabric glued to it, and cut out my letters with pinking shears. I draped the garland across the train-case and fixed with with small pieces of tape.

All of our RSVP's are supposed to be back by today - so this weekend we will catch up with the stragglers, and finish off all of our crafts based on the final headcount. I have designated Dan to be "Official Hole Puncher" for our craft-night, since the last time I used a hole punch I managed to somehow get my fingers under the cutter twice and punched pretty painful holes in my fingers. Crafting is a dangerous business, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

We have also made a few plans to our honeymoon. Because of Dan's brief stint of unemployment, and my voluntary cutting back of hours at work (though I did get a raise!), we decided to cancel honeymoon plans and just do a roadtrip based on whatever we can afford at the time. We will head up to the Bruce peninsula, ferry to Manitoulin Island, Camp at Killarny Provincial Park, tour through Sudbury and North Bay, Camp at Restoule, and wind our way back home again.

Rococo

2011-08-16T08:36:00.003-04:00

Who else is obsessed with Rococo Ladies? The frills & Bows & Flourishes & Perfectly Powdered Hair...

I am currently procrastinating before heading out to work. I started a new Tumblr Blog a few months back and finally remembered the log-in for it this morning. Is anyone else on Tumblr?

I did the wedding day count down this morning, and we are down to 25 days. I can't wait until the honeymoon road-trip... we are goign to head as far north & back as we can get in 5 days... which in Ontario won't be very Far. I wanted to get to Sleeping Giant but it is nearly17 hours away. What a country! You can drive 17 hours and still be in the same province...

Vintage-Style Slips

2011-08-15T16:48:00.005-04:00

I love wearing vintage slips. They make me feel so glamorous, like a vixen from a noir film. I have two vintage slips that I love the most, so I knocked off the pattern and made cut 3 slips, each in two sizes. The only thing I don't like about vintage slips is they are usually plain, old white. I wanted to make slips that were fun, and vibrant with a vintage-flair.

Each slip has a stretch lace detail across the bust, and lace trim along the edge. I made one in a large, gold floral print (I made bathing suits out of this too!), one in a chocolate and white lace print jersey, and one in a candy-purple floral burnout with creamy lace trim. I bought a ton of each of these jersey knits last spring... they make very comfy slips, silky-soft, great for wearing under a dress or to sleep!

Last week I re-opened shop for a few days to take a last-minute order. A "Tied with a Bow" bra with the side-ruffled panties. I absolutely love how it turned out and will be adding this as a set to my shop too! This set will be shipped off very, after I complete all of the finishing touches...

I've gotten so much done the last few days. Our camping trip got rained out, which was disappointing, but I managed to check off a bunch of things from my wedding to-do list, including finishing the Flower Girls Dresses (which now need to be taken in an inch), finishing the alterations on the bridesmaids dresses, ordered the flowers, and filled out the application for the marriage license. I can't believe we're down to only 4 weeks!

Little Oliver will be glad when the wedding is over and I have some more time to spend with him. I caught him looking longingly out the window at a brief rain-storm we had this afternoon. I can't wait until we have a house with a backyard where he can play...

Oh My Darling

2011-08-13T12:11:00.002-04:00

Dan and I are supposed to be going on our annual family camping trip tonight, though the weather keeps threatening rain. I love camping, but I hate camping when it rains...

I finished off the flower girls dresses this morning, now all I have to do is hem them. I also finished up this set, which I call "Oh My Darling..." I used a cute vintage-look poly-cotton blend for the body with a red and white cotton accent and some beige lace. The hot pants button-overall style, but are attached along the waist band elastic. They sit about 2" below the belly button, which is a nice height if you are short through the torso, but like the look of high-waisted knickers.

Dan is at work today until 1pm, and then we are heading downtown (which is literally our backyard) to check out the classic car show! It's one of Dan's dreams to build a vintage hot-rod... and make it a hybrid! I like this because it means it will be quiet...

29 Days

2011-08-12T09:19:00.004-04:00

Today is 29 days until the wedding. What do I have to do?

Purchase the bunches of flowers for the table arrangements, which I am doing tonight.
Alter 1 bridesmaids dress
Hem 1 flower girls dress, and complete sewing the other
Order the wine
Confirm the guest count with the caterer
Order the favors
Complete the programs & birdseed bags based on final guest count
Provide the DJ with a song list
Purchase mason jars for the flower arrangements
GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE!

I'm so looking forward to the big day, and I can't wait to see all of my friends and family all together again - I think that's one of the best parts of getting married.

I have no expectations of how this is supposed to go, but I do have some hopes for the big day. I hope it doesn't storm, I hope people stay out of the way of my ceremony, since it is happening in a public park! I hope I don't feel awkward having my picture taken (camera shy!), and I hope I don't trip over my dress.

What have I learned from my DIY wedding? People will tell you the the wedding is "your big day," which is a partial truth and really should come with a caveat. The wedding is all about the Bride & Groom, but only after thorough consultation from everyone involved in the wedding. It is a practice of compromise, consideration, and care, which I guess is a lot like a marriage. The most important key to a happy wedding, is diplomacy.

I've really enjoyed (most of) the process (NOT the Wedding Trade Shows!!!), and can't wait for the big day... and then the day after when we can relax and enjoy our lives as newly weds! Then... have some babies! I've been spending too much time with my best friend's adorable, little ginger-baby. Between that, and reading about Jennie's second pregnancy at Two Skinny, One Fat, and Little Lucy over at The Vintage Wife, I've got the baby-fever bad...

As a reward for my awesome wedding-planning skills, I treated myself to some perfumes from For Strange Women on Etsy a few weeks ago and I got them in the mail two nights ago. I'm positive I ordered from her years ago, but I think she was using a different name, because the scents are so familiar! I absolutely love the way they are packaged, and I feel like a dainty Victorian Lady every time I use them. My favorite is November, which coincidentally is also my favorite dreary month. I'm wearing Astral Projection today, which is a citrus-y scent. I find the scents smell even better when applied and settled into your skin for a few minutes. What surprised me the most, was how long lasting the scents are...

Drafting all day...

2011-08-11T07:47:00.002-04:00

I had yesterday off, and drafted 3 new styles of panties, all based around a high-waisted early '60's style. I have 1 plain that I will silk screen, 1 ruffled, which I call the "pannier bloomers," and one that buttons, overall style. I am always so ambitious on my days off, but never get nearly as much done as I hope...

I did get out to meet with my cousin, whose band is providing the music for my wedding ceremony, to discuss the processional and music. I am so glad we are keeping things simple. I am so not stressed about the wedding I feel like I must be doing something wrong. All I need to do at this point, is order the wine, confirm the food when the RSVP's get in, order the favours, and finish up some crafts...

I've been reading a lot about the riots happening in London over the last few days... I hope my readers in the UK are safe and sound. It's sad to see the destruction, but our economic and social state is in such a wreck, it's no wonder people are resorting to violence. I do not condone it, but I understand it.

It's a scary state of affairs lately, with the US threatening to default on loan payments, riots, countries on the verge of bankruptcy everywhere, people losing jobs, losing benefits... I feel grateful to be in Canada where we have remained somewhat "untouched" as of yet... Everything feels so uncertain.

"Silk Screened" Groomsman's Ties

2011-08-09T07:53:00.003-04:00

I wanted to buy ties off of Etsy that were silk screened with the grooms-people's monograms... unfortunately the seller did not respond to any of my emails requesting pricing and some more specific information... So, I sent the ties to Toronto to be screened, but we could only find people who could do the iron-on-transfers... I decided I'd just have to do it myself.

So I googled "DIY Silk screening" or something along those lines, and found a great tutorial on how to turn a piece of organza, some Mod Podge, and an embroidery hoop into a silk screen. I picked up some fabric ink and voila.

Essentially, all you do is paint around the "negative space" with a thick enough layer of glue to fill in all of the holes. I then scraped a generous layer of the "ink" over the screen (after it had dried), and you have your image. It would have been easier with some emulsion, but this was the next best thing.

I've really enjoyed printing on fabric - like I did with my buntings (just used a paper stencil for those), and I'm going to start experimenting with some more "complicated" screening, using different colours and screens.

It's hard to believe but we're only 30 some odd days until the wedding... Sunday afternoon was my Bridal Shower which was unbelievably amazing. My cousin went above and beyond and set her already beautiful up like a country tea-party, with a variety of iced teas and the most delicious food. I was spoiled beyond belief with gifts, and received the nicest "guest book" signed by all of the generous ladies who attended - so many of them had such nice things to say about me, it brought a tear to my eye when I read it after I got home. Dan's Mom gave me an heirloom dress, made by her aunt - it's beautiful and I'd like to wear it the day after the wedding.

I feel somewhat undeserving of all of this attention, just because I'm getting married, but I am enjoying it! It's nice to be reminded that you're loved.

Life Update...

2011-08-04T07:41:00.004-04:00

So, Dan is employed at the moment, doing a "Trial" period at a shop in town. The hours are almost too good to be true and we actually get weekends off together! The best part is, they are paying him a decent wage. What did I learn from this whole cafuffle? Unemployment is not the end of the world... and that Dan and I are pretty darn thrifty.

I am going down to 4 days a week at my job and will re-assess the situation shortly after the wedding and honeymoon. My immediate plan, aside from sewing wedding stuff and alterations, is to sew a bunch of ready-made few of a kind accessories, panties, rompers, dresses, and camisoles to re-launch Ohhh Lulu in October, just in time for Christmas.

I am getting some new props for Ohhh Lulu photo shoots, including this Dress Form from Vintage Style Mannequins, and plan on doing a fall-harvest photo shoot, conveniently in the beautiful field behind my parents house.

I also want to start doing some small-time advertising. I had a great opportunity to put a banner on The Vintage Wife's Blog. I had her link back to my blog, since Ohhh Lulu is currently "oh vacation." I've had a lot of traffic and success without really trying, so I'm hoping advertising will increase sales. Do you know a highly-travelled blog that offers ad-space?

Tomorrow I have my first dress fitting. I love any chance I get to put on my dress and I can't wait until I have pictures to show everyone, because let's face it, the dress is one of the most exciting parts of the whole thing!

6 weeks 'til W day!

2011-07-31T16:26:00.003-04:00

The count down is officially on. I have 6 weeks until I am a "Mrs."

I finished off my last two Etsy orders and have put Ohhh Lulu on Vacation Mode. I've jumped head first into wedding crafting.

Last night I went a little stencil crazy - hand cutting stencils, words, phrases, laurels, flourishes... I stencilled french lovey-dovey phrases on some rough, natural coloured burlap, and cut them into a bunting banner to drape across the head table. Because I made my own stencil, the bunting cost me less than $10 to make, and I have a ton of burlap left over, enough to likely make 3 more buntings.

Our ceremony is going to be very informal - no seating, just standing room, no ushers... so I wanted to have "help yourself" signs for the programs and birdseed bags, as well as a "Sign the Guest Book" sign for on the guest-book table. I picked up two picture frames from a charity shop for $3 a piece, cut a stencil out of cardstock, and painted on some scrap muslin.

I am getting so excited to see the whole thing come together!

Favourite Blogs...

2011-07-27T07:57:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited. I am snagged a banner spot over at The Vintage Wife, which is one of my favourite blogs! I'm hoping to see my banner go up in August, which will link back to my blog - since my Etsy shop is currently on Vacation until after the wedding.

Amy Winehouse

2011-07-25T09:31:00.008-04:00

I hate to jump on the dead-celebrity bandwagon, but I'm going to anyway.

I really loved Amy Winehouse's music. I loved her voice. I loved putting on Back to Black and singing it around my apartment, by myself, in Toronto. She sang so much of what I felt at that point in my life.

Her death is sad, but not surprising. It's sad that she became famous, more so for being an alcoholic and drug addict.

I've had the misfortune of watch someone I love be changed forever by his experience with addiction. What Amy's family is going through, is every addicts family's worst nightmare - a terrible, but very real nightmare.

The thing that really bothers me about the media attention on people like Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, and Amy Winehouse, is that it makes drug addiction and alcoholism "ok." These highly successful, wealthy, creative individuals are clearly addicts, but they maintain some seeming level of success. Doing drugs, drinking to excess has lost any sort of taboo, and for way too many people has become just your average Friday night. Drug use, and I mean hard drug use has largely become "ok" because everyone is doing it!

TV Shows like Intervention, which I admit, I am very guilty of watching, also glamorize the addicts life. They are showered with attention & love & camera crews, and whisked away to some by-the-sea rehab facility where they are free to play guitar and sing songs about finding Jesus.

This is not the reality of addiction. Dirt, filth, anger, desperation, pain; that is the reality of addiction. Most addicts, and their families - who have likely at this point incurred legal costs, had their possessions stolen, pawned, and bought back - can't afford the Betty Ford Clinic. They are lucky to have a community Methadone clinic, with very little psychological or emotional care.

I guess my hope out of every "drug death" is that people will wake up and realize that drugs and alcohol are dangerous and our view of them, as a society, is horribly skewed. No addict wakes up and makes the choice to be an addict. It can happen to anyone. Drugs and alcohol do not care who they hurt. It can happen to anyone. It happens to the best people, the best families; it tears them apart and hurts everyone around them. It changes everyone involved. Forever.

I feel for Amy, but I feel more for her Family. I know they are suffering, but I bet they feel a twinge of relief. No more worry, no more anger. No more waiting for "that phone call." I hope they can finally get some peace.

Wedding and Ohhh Lulu News!

2011-07-25T07:42:00.008-04:00

The wedding is coming so fast now. For the longest time it felt like I had so much time to plan and decide on things, and now it's a month away!

I got to work on my wedding programs this year. I used blank greeting cards as my "cover". They were on sale at Zellers (soon to be Target, which makes me sad) for $11 for 40. I picked up two and will use the left overs for Thank you Cards for my Shower.

I used a "Marrying Picture" My soon to be nieces drew of Dan and I as the cover page. You can't really see it very well, as the picture got kind of washed out (I need a new camera), but you get the idea.

The middle has all the usual boring "thank you" and who's-who and order of ceremony, by my favorite part is the past page, where I put in a wedding-day word search! I used Puzzle-maker.com to generate a word search and just copy and pasted it into my booklet.

I bound the booklets by punching a hole about 1" down from the top and bottom edge, along the fold. This actually makes quite a nice binding. A word of warning - punches can be very sharp, and if you are punching while sleepy, you run the risk of punching nearly all the way through your finger-tip, like I did. Not pleasant. We stamped on paper bags for the front page title, cut them out roughly and made the corners fancy with a paper punch you can get at any craft star. All in all our programs cost us $45 - would have been less if I had already had a fancy corner punch... that cost about 1/4 of the cost of the invitations.

So, we have our programs, birdseed bags, invitations mailed and are starting to return, ring pillow, 1 of 2 flower girl dresses, place cards, guest book, chalkboards (and easels) for seating arrangements... What else am I forgetting?

I'm looking forward to the big day. I picked up my dress last week and it is so beautiful, looks really cute with the shoes and the shoe clips I bought off of Etsy. I am looking forward to relaxing a little after the wedding...

And here is the BIG news. I am going to be devoting a lot more of my time to Ohhh Lulu in the very near future. I've been doing a lot of thinking and I've decided, after the whole heartbreaking house cafuffle, that I need to do this. We have nothing to lose. I talked to my boss last week about either not renewing my contract, or proceeding with just a couple days a week. This is super scary and exciting for me... as well as a huge relief - my "Day Job" has changed considerably since I started and as much as I've tried I just am not cut out for the lube business. I think anyone who has been following my blog can tell, I've been burning the candle at both ends for too long. I'm so excited to really "live my dream" even if it means it's a huge failure, at least I can say "I tried."

Are you as anxiety ridden as me?

2011-07-22T10:27:00.002-04:00

I have anxiety issues. I psych myself up about the littlest things. Does anyone else do this? I can rationalize and tell myself to just chill the eff out, but its easier said than done!

I submitted a link to my shop and blog to Hello Giggles yesterday... but accidentally added a "k" to Ohhh Lulu in the URL. DOH!

What's the worst typo you've ever made?

I remember a colleague of mine at a previous job, at a textile design studio, was preparing handouts for a new collection of fabric. One of the designs was named "Funky Flowers." Well, I guess she missed the proof-read step and handed them out reading "Fu_ky Flowers." You can fill in the blanks!

I once handed in a resume to a job I really wanted, with my phone number typed wrong. I followed up with them a week after handing it in, they told me they had been trying to reach me but my number had been disconnected! Maybe they felt bad for me, but I ended up getting the job.

I guess sometimes seemingly bad things can lead to unexpectedly good things.

Wedgewood Blue.

2011-07-17T20:44:00.003-04:00

It felt good to finally sew something new this weekend! It's been so long since I've sewn something new!

I went shopping with my mom for her dress for the wedding on Saturday, then spent some time in lovely downtown Orillia, antique shopping. I found some lovely antique doilies, and a vintage book for Dan.

This morning while I was picking up fabric for custom orders, I came across this wedgewood blue, silk-cotton voile. It's so light and airy. I inset the doily into the back, for a little peek a boo, and added satin ties. The crochet elastic ribbon matches the doily perfectly!

Dan and I also made 2 chalk boards for the wedding which I will write and post pictures about some other time.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. The weather is ridiculously hot, and I'm jumping in a cold shower every few hours for relief.

I might have some exciting news at the end of the month. So stay tuned!

Post Camping Bliss

2011-07-12T15:06:00.005-04:00

Dan and I went on an over night camping trip this weekend to Arrowhead Provincial Park, with my aunt, two cousins, and 2 little ones. We had such a nice time, and went on a nice long walk through the bush to the most beautiful water fall on Sunday afternoon. I absolutely love camping.

We've decided that because finances are a little tricky right now due to our work situation, we are going to forego a traditional honeymoon, and instead, just pack up the car and head north and camp in random places for the week, or however long we feel like staying.

I've gotten so much done the last few days. This morning I woke up at 5:30 and worked for 3 hours before heading to my day job... I'm now at work taking a little breather, preparing to go home in a few hours, print my last 6 wedding invitations, and spend some time with my cuddley pug.

I also wanted to thank everyone who commiserated with me on my last few blog posts. It's nice to feel like I've got people "on my side" in tough times, and I really appreciate the comments. I can't wait until the day when I look back on this time of my life and smile at how we got through it...

Just like I smile and think fondly of my life when I was in college - living in that cockroach and bedbug infested apartment in Toronto... the one that I learned, the first night I moved in, that was beside a very noisy and frequently used train. The one with the Rastafarian next door neighbor. I ate nothing but dollar store Sidekicks pasta for nearly 2 years! And I feel like a better person for having done it.

I'd love to know your stories... is there a situation that you persevered through and now look back upon fondly?

My mistakes come in 3's... sometimes exponentially

2011-07-09T06:34:00.004-04:00

Jeez, what a week. I can't believe how much my life has changed in just one, measly week. Sure, there is still a lot of good... but I'm still reeling. Reeling and sleep-deprived.

And to top it off, it appears I've been a terrible seamstress, making a romper too short and a bathing suit in the wrong fabric. I think this time, I can honestly say it, I NEED TO TAKE A VACATION! Our week-long honeymoon can't come soon enough. I can't wait to have some time to clear my head.

Lots of good things and not so good things have happened so far this year. I got engaged and will be married in two months. My dad had a heart attack and my grandmother passed away. Dan lost his job and we lost the house we had almost purchased. I've nurtured a small business into something that is thriving... slightly beyond my control at the moment. I changed jobs, and taught my dog to stand on his hind legs and turn in a circle. I'm pretty proud of that.

People keep telling me that "these things happen for a reason." I can't help but wonder what that reason might be. I can handle the things I can rationalize - a sewing mistake made because I was rushing to fulfil orders. I can fix this - I can remake this - I can refund someone their money. I am good at handling these things!

I can't wrap my mind around the negative things that are going on that seem to be happening without reason or recourse. I'm losing sleep and have completely lost my ability to focus. I want to just throw my hands up and walk away from everything... pitch a tent in the woods and stay there 'till winter. I'm getting worse at handling these things.

I do my best to stay calm and collected and I am go through the motions and smile politely and say "We will get through this bump in the road." But what I really want to do is throw a tantrum and say "I'm sick of bumps in the road" and give the universal force that controls life a big middle finger. Take THAT life! Take THAT all the things you've thrown my way the last 8 years - mental illness, drug addictions, courts and jails, family suffering, hospitals and psych wards, struggle, pawn shops, cheating, lying... Though I know rationally these struggles are no worse or better than anyone else's, that I've been blessed with a wonderful family who survives struggle fiercely and is a force to be reckoned with, a dog who knows just when I need a snuggle and how to make me laugh, and (soon to be) husband who loves me to pieces and would do anything for me.

This just happens to be life, no fault of anyone or any cosmic force. An average struggle of a life, no better or worse than any one else's, that is speckled with simple, beautiful blessings.

Mourning.

2011-07-05T07:52:00.005-04:00

I've Finally gotten on top of all of my Heartsy orders. Something I learned over that whole process is that 50 orders on top of a full time job, plus wedding and life was a little too much. But I did it, and despite a postal strike, most of my orders got out on time and met any necessary deadlines.

Now, that the house is out of the picture and I'll be sitting tight in our apartment in the middle of the parking lot for the rest of the summer, I can focus on new goodies, instead of gardening, and painting... I started photograph my "Design Your Own" collection a week or so ago and am now getting around to editing the photos. Which reminds me, I really need a better camera.

I'm still really sad about the house, even though I know we'll find another just as nice. I'm mostly angry about the position and how Dan was let go without remorse, feeling, or an "I'm sorry, I know it's a bad time." The worst part is that what happened is completely legal. It's hard to fire someone with cause, so in reality, you can be let go with very little notice for no reason whatsoever! I find this particularly funny because you cannot be approved for a mortgage in the probationary period of a job because you can be let go at any time. Well, you can be let go at any time, all you need is a week per full year in notice. That meant for Dan, who was there just under 3 years, only 2 weeks notice. Two weeks when you have hundreds of tens of thousands of dollars hanging over your head is nothing.

My favourite thing about living in a small town, especially living in a small town with a big family who knows everyone, is that I know karmic justice will be served via word of mouth. And that's all I can hope for. I will continue to live a right and just life, and speak only the truth. Dan and I will be sitting pretty on our high horses, and good things will come to us...

They've got to eventually, right?

Advice Needed.

2011-07-04T07:35:00.006-04:00

We had to back out of the house negotiations. Dan was given a termination notice at work on Saturday. We were ready to move in on the 30th.

Here's what gets to me. His employer knew he had been looking for a house, that he was going to put an offer on a house, that we did, in fact put an offer on a house, that we were scheduling the home inspection... and it wasn't until money had transferred hands that the boss-man decided to give him a note that reads:

"Your services are no longer required as of July 16th."

No reason, just the shortest requirements of the law. Two weeks notice. No explanation, no "I'm sorry, I know this is a bad time." This is a prime example of how this company treats its employees. And I would know! I worked there for a year (you may remember the naked lady posters in the lunch room)! I find it particularly surprising that they would want to fire one of their licensed mechanic during the busiest season. Hmm...

It is sad that the most senior employee, only 1 of 2 employees with a license would be treated with such disregard.

Dan was promised raise when he finished his final block of schooling... they said, "When you get back from school, you'll get a raise." He got back from school, then it was "When you write your test, you'll get a raise." Dan wrote his test and passed with flying colours, "When you get the certificate in the mail, you'll get your raise." Got the certificated, put it in a frame on the wall. Next it was, "You broke something in the shop, you won'd get your raise until that is paid off with the money you would have earned from your raise." At this point I knew we should have called the labour board. There was no tabulation that Dan was aware of to calculate the 'paying off" of the debt. We are both pretty sure that raise should have come into effect on Monday.

The best part about the raise? It was only going to bump him up $1.50.

This is just the beginning of the problems the both of us had with this place. I will just brush over the others - fighting to get a half an hour break during 11 hour shifts, overtime in addition to 11 hour shifts, low wages, bullying from management, poor work conditions in the summer - it was too expensive to run the air conditioning, even in days when the temperatures creeped over 30 degrees Celsius.

I am so angry, so very angry about the way people are being treated at this place. Dan will find another job, and it won't be hard to find one that is better than where he is coming from, but the things these guys put up with. And our postal workers were just striking over reduced vacation time, job safety, and maintaining an $19/hr starting rate! Dan and I could only dream of $19/hour working there! Mechanics must have a higher work-place injury rate than Postal Workers. These are the people who need unions.

So, I'm pissed that I had to call the real estate agent and say "guess what, that financing we said we had, we're not going to get it any more!" We will get our initial deposit back, but will probably miss out on the house we fell in love with. It's a slap in the face to Dan as well. He devoted a lot of time and energy to that place... I know it will be for the best in the long run and all of those consoling things, but I really thing this is an unfair way to treat a person, and that the minimums in the Employment Standards Act SUCK. Any advice would be appreciated.

I've been MIA

2011-07-01T07:36:00.003-04:00

I've been missing from the web for the last few weeks because...

We have put in an offer on a house. Buying a house is quite involved! We have been busy getting everything arranged to potentially move in on August 1st!

This means Ohhh Lulu will soon have more space, but also means I'm going to become even slower over the next month or so, between the wedding and moving. But, once it's all done, I can focus!

The house has a beautiful back yard, is right near the lake, a short walk to down town... it is in need of some "updating" but is perfect for the two of us.

Also, today is my birthday! And Canada Day, so I will be enjoying parades, cake, and a bonfire later on today. Happy Canada Day to everyone! Wear a maple leaf for me.

Coming Soon! And the postal strike...

2011-06-19T20:59:00.003-04:00

I have been working like a dog lately, but we made some time to fit in a camping trip this weekend. We stayed up past midnight, talking around the camp fire then snuggled down in our sleeping bags, zipped together. It was so relaxing and wonderful, I wish I could have stayed another night.

There is currently a Postal Strike in the Great White North; while there have been labour disruptions for 2 weeks now, postal workers were locked out of the job last week. So, I have a dozen packages sitting here, waiting to be shipped, and three sitting at the post office, having been dropped off the day before the strike.

I am ALMOST caught up with all of my heartsy orders, and only have 8 more orders left to fill. Pretty soon I'm going to be posting some NEW items, plus a couple Design Your Own ruffle bloomer listings. I am going to offer a choice of 3-4 fabrics for your base, 3-4 fabrics for your ruffles, the option of self bows, ribbon bow, or buttons, and elastic options as well. It will allow you to have completely customized, one-of-a-kind just for your bloomers! I am excited to start working on the listing and spent a good chunk of time today in my local fabric store..

Wedding Update

2011-06-15T08:36:00.003-04:00

My wedding is coming up fast.

I will be "Vacationing" my Etsy shop on August 27th and re-opening on September 17th. Orders placed before the 1st of August will be guaranteed for summer delivery.

Busy Bee Back to the Day Job

2011-06-13T20:46:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure how much I would have to accomplish to make myself feel like I had been productive enough...

I sewed, in three days, 3 rompers, 3 bras, 4 panties, 1 chemise, made 10 handmade thank you cards. And I still wish I had done more!

I met our caterer this morning; he is nice and gave me a lot of helpful pointers. I need all the help I can get! I've only ever been to 3 or 4 weddings in my life; I feel pretty clueless.

Stressed...

2011-06-13T08:23:00.002-04:00

I took last Friday and Today (Monday) off of work to sew and do some wedding planning and general life maintenance that I have been neglecting. I got my first hair cut in over a year on Monday, took the dog to the vet for his heart worm check up, sewed like a mad woman, cleaned then made everything messy again, and am meeting with the caterer today.

Wedding planning has not been horrible for me. I've enjoyed the process... but I'm ready for it to be over. Day job + Ohhh Lulu + Wedding + Life is getting to be too much for me, I hate to admit it. I feel like I'm running out of hands to juggle with!

We were supposed to go to Quebec to visit Dan's Grandmother next weekend but plans fell through. I was looking forward to being away from my computer for a few days...

Today I'm finishing up 5 more orders. I have not had time to start on anything new, unfortunately... I'm looking forward to getting some new items up soon (I hope) and am talking to someone about a wholesale deal for a little boutique in Europe...

I guess I'm getting stressed because the minute I check 5 things off my do to list, I think of 5 more to replace them.

How do you balance life? When do you draw the line and decide you need to cut something out of the mix? I like everything I am doing right now, but I am tired! And in need of a vacation...

Dan and I are planning on spending our honeymoon in this cabin (hopefully) in Algonquin Park. No running water, flush toilets or showers... it's pretty rustic, but it will be nice to get back to nature for a few days. September can't come soon enough! I can't wait to get away...

No camping this weekend...

2011-06-05T20:08:00.004-04:00

Dan and I did not get out to do any camping this weekend... instead I stayed home and filled a bunch of orders and finished a little sewing for the wedding.

I ended up going for headbands, despite the great and thoughtful advice I had gotten on hair clips. It was easiest for me just to do one thing and if the girls find them uncomfrotable, they can take them off during the evening. Two of my three bridesmaids have short-ish hair so the bands should work for everyone... I hope. And if not, you can all say "I told you so!"

I bought a bunch of thin metal headbands off an etsy seller, wrapped them in a strip of dupioni, cut on the bias, stitched the ends down (then plastered it in Fray Check), and then hand sewed the appliqués on. I hope the girls like them.

I also got a start on the flower girl dresses. I didn't want anything too "princess-y", so I picked up some coarse linen, seersucker in black and white stripe, a silk eyelet, and some ivory dupioni, as well as pattern.

The dress only took me a about 2 hours to make and $40 worth of materials. Now I just have to make another one because I have 2 flower girls!

I really like how it turned out and I hope the girls have fun wearing them.

Rainy Weekend

2011-06-04T07:43:00.002-04:00

Saturday already!

The weather has finally gotten somewhat summery here in Central Ontario; the leaves and flowers are out in full force... as are the mosquito's. Dan and I are thinking of a spur of the moment camping trip this evening. That is what summer in Canada is all about! Bonfires, toasted marshmallows, and getting eaten alive by creepy crawly blood sucking insects.

I am procrastinating before setteling down infront of my sewing machine for the day. I am going to make a trip to the Farmers Market, and the fabric store to get some supplies, then it's off to work.

You may have heard that our Postal Workers were going on strike? Well, they ARE on strike, but a rolling strike, every 24 hours, by city. So, really it is not affecting us that much. Which is good for everyone who has orders with me! Things are being processed as fast as my little hands can sew!

I got a Blackberry over the week and it is making leaps and bounds in increasing my organization. I live in creative, functional chaos. I used to use an agenda to write down my to-do's and appointments... now I have a black berry that "dings" to remind me of those appointments! Much better. I also now have my all of my social feeds in one place, which is helpful between emails, texts, tweets, and facebook queries.

How do you stay organized?

PS. There is THREE months until my wedding!

Annoyed with this Town...

2011-06-01T08:14:00.004-04:00

I lived in the biggest city in Canada for years and never had the problems or encounters I am having here - I even lived in on of the the worst parts of town for a few years! Yes, I had the crying lady in the apartment next door in Toronto, but now I have drug dealers doing deals in my parking lot, and gang fights out my window at 3am.

I really, really, really want a house in the country. I have not slept a single, whole night in days because there are creeps outside my apartment, having yelling matches and brawls! Oh yeah, I should mention, my apartment is pretty isolated, and in the parking lot of a Bank. This is where weirdos go to fight.

Last night I finally called the cops when I realized a group of guys were kicking another guy in the face, on the ground. Enough is enough...

So, stay away from my apartment, because I will call the cops on you!!! I just want a nights sleep..

At what point do you decide to take your business full time?

2011-05-29T21:33:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, I hardly sewed a thing... I replaced a zipper in a garment for my cousin and finished a few odds and ends, but mostly I spent my time at a birthday party, walking Oliver through a Side Walk Sale down town, at the movies with Dan, then sleeping 12 hours straight. I have been so exhausted and busy lately!

This morning we met with our officiant for the first time and decided on our vows. Our ceremony will only be about 20 minutes long, which is just perfect. Not too long, not too short.

After wards, we did some running around, and I finished some orders. I have been working on 2 sets for a customer, with two pairs of panties each. I really love the jersey and lace set, I think it is one of my favourites, and has been a pretty popular set. I love it with the matching thong.

I am so happy to have so many orders on the go. I haven't relisted a single thing since I ran my heartsy deal and business is still good.

I keep asking myself, "At what point do you consider your business successful enough to go at it full time?" I would love to hear your input.

Lastly, I finally made the switch to smartphones and will be BlackBerry accessible on Monday... Dan and I have a few road trips scheduled, so now I can be connected wherever I go. I am also itching to move... I love our apartment but Ohhh Lulu needs its own room, desperately.

An Interview with Moi!

2011-05-27T19:14:00.001-04:00

Head on over to Cupcakes and Corsets to read an interview with me!

Just a Quick Hello!

2011-05-25T20:38:00.002-04:00

Hi! I still exist... I am just buried here under a mountain of panties that are in the works.

I made a trip to Toronto over the long weekend and had an outing with my bridesmaids. It was so nice to get them together again; I am so lucky to have 3 wonderful ladies in my life.

Dan and I have a whole two days off this weekend and I think we might try to catch a movie. We haven't had a date in ages!

The wedding is approaching super quickly... we are meeting with the officiant on Sunday to decide on our vows. Short and sweet, no religious stuff... should be easy.

The new job is going great, still trying to figure everything out, getting a grasp of the whole "adult novelties" industry. It is interesting, to say the least, and every day I learn something new, and sometimes things I really didn't want to know!

Help, Creative Geniuses!

2011-05-19T07:55:00.003-04:00

I bought some beautiful beaded applique's off a shop online a few weeks ago with the intention of making them into headbands for my bridesmaids.

I got the applique's and they are absolutely lovely... now. How the heck do I make them into a headband? Can I buy a plain metal headband and stitch them on with thread looks? Should I put them on hair combs? Or on ribbon? I'd like them to be something they can wear again so a more sturdy headband sounds best to me, but I don't know where I can get this. Help?

I'd like to incorporate some of these into a lacy pair of panties or flowy chiffon chemise... Once I get caught up!

Heartsy Day two

2011-05-18T07:43:00.002-04:00

So... I'd like to talk about my experience so far with Heartsy.

I was really, really nervous about doing this. I am torn about these discount programs, because I believe when people make something with their hands it is an art, with unseen value. I was worried about de-valuing what I do, the time it takes, and the care I put into each ruffle and frill. However, I also believe that art should be accessible, and the cost of art has a lot to do with its accessibility. I want everyone to be able to own something that makes them feel feminine and beautiful and utterly romantic.

I really love Ohhh Lulu. It is my dream come true to have any sort of success running my own business, no matter how small. I thought Heartsy might be a good way to share it with a few more people.

The result?

I had just over 2,150 visitors yesterday, which is about what I would get after a front page feature. However, I sold 24 items! When I'm on the front page, I'm lucky to sell 1. I could hardly relist items fast enough for customers to buy.

I am getting so many emails and messages from people thanking me for running the promotion, and that they had been eyeing up my shop for a while. It felt really good, almost like I had done a good deed!

The people at Heartsy have been absolutely amazing. They have live chat on their website, their staff are friendly, I even got a phone call from one of the staff while I was running the promotion to see if I had any questions. That is excellent customer service.

This far into the game, I am seeing my Heartsy deal as a huge, gigantic, wonderful success.

Now... if anyone needs me, I will be at my sewing machine!

Heartsy. It's official!

2011-05-16T08:03:00.004-04:00

You can purchase your Ohhh Lulu Vouchers on Heartsy Tomorrow... Or NOW if you are a VIP member! Have already sold 2, get 'em while you can!

I've been watching too many documentaries

2011-05-15T20:48:00.003-04:00

We are a no-cable household and I hope to stay that way for many reasons... most importanly, there really isn't much worth paying for on tv any more. However, I do miss documentaries...

So, we got Netflix last week and I have been watching the documentaries like crazy as I sew. Today was a series on Medieval Life, possibly my most favourite era... I ate it up like candy.

Watching all of these documentaries reminded me how much I love historic clothing, and particularly the picture of Mme du Pompadour pictured above. The clothing of the 18th century was to die for. Ribbons, bows, frills, lace, gathers, rouching... all those things I love!

Watching documentaries while sewing is the best thing ever, in my opinion, right up there with an ice cream cone on a summer day. What do you like to watch or listen to while you sew?

Today I took a break from filling orders to work on a few new things for my shop. I wanted to get some bridal items listed, and prepare for my Heartsy deal to go live... which I think is happening on Tuesday.

So, I finally got around to making a pair of chiffon bloomers, and to using this blue and white charmeuse that I absolutely adore. It is so soft and airy and reminds me of Wedgewood china.

I also finally picked up a proper ironing board today... Embarrassingly, I've been using a tiny table top board for the last, oh... 7 years. The new board is lovely, and what a difference it makes!

My back is killing me after sewing all day! Does hunching over a sewing machine cripple anyone else? Or am I just getting old?!

Stuff and Things...

2011-05-15T08:26:00.003-04:00

The Give Away Panties are finished and ready to ship out to the lucky winner! I made them out of my favourite cotton, it's got hints of pink, blue and brown all on a lovely creamy base. I added a ruffled layer of lace under a ruffled layer of torn chiffon. The legs and waist are trimmed in satin elastic. I really hope she likes them! I will be offering these up for sale in any size in my Etsy shop soon.

I've been playing around a lot with ruffled, torn chiffon. I really like the effect of the frayed edges. So delicate and antique looking.

Yesterday I placed the order for my wedding cake and cupcakes. Dan had to work so the decision was left up to me. I've been really lucky to have a fiancé who actually likes to be involved with the whole wedding process and has been really helpful, so I was nervous about making the decision alone. We went with cupcakes for the guests, chocolate and vanilla with cream coloured icing. Some will be done with polka dots in black or raspberry, and some will have bows. The cake is just going to be a 6" cake to cut, and will also have a bow around it. I was surprised that Dan actually liked this idea! I was really worried it would be too girlie, but I think it's going to look really nice, and hopefully not too "wedding-y".

My mom and I also picked up some flowers to start thinking about the table arrangements. We got some carnations, a big white flower that looks like a giant aster, and some filler called wax flower. We stuck them in a mason jar, and voila!

I think I might finally have everything sort of under control.

PS. my heartsy deal may be going on sale on Tuesday!

Wedding Rings

2011-05-13T22:05:00.012-04:00

Dan and I picked out our wedding bands today. My engagement ring is

a traditional solitaire diamond ring in white gold. It's minimal and shiny and gorgeous. I love my ring so much, every time I look at it I'm still slightly taken aback by it!

When I got the ring and started thinking about bands, I thought I would get a traditional band with small set in stones. I liked the way they looked, but it didn't wow me. I think they are called

Infinity bands.

Tonight we were all set to buy both of our rings. I had even written down the item number of the Infinity band... as I was trying it on for the last time, the sales person said... "Hang on, why don't you try on this one." And she pulled out this:

And I fell in love. Now I really, really, really can't wait until our wedding day. I can't wait to be Dan's wife, and I can't wait to wear this ring! It fits perfectly with my engagement ring, and is so pretty and different.

Dan chose a tungsten metal ring, very masculine and very Dan. I think he look extra sexy with a wedding band on!

Tomorrow I am going to order the wedding cake and cupcakes. We are hoping to get an assortment of cupcakes, and a single cake for the cutting ceremony.

Exhausted!

2011-05-08T19:44:00.003-04:00

I am exhausted!

This morning we made a family trip to a local greenhouse for mothers day, where we ended up picking up some beautiful dalias for the wedding. Afterwards, Dan and I spent a bit of time hiking local trails with the dog (who is now passed out cold on the couch and has been since about 2:00 this afternoon). Since we got back I've been sewing, sewing sewing... which I also did all day yesterday! Not that I'm complaining.

I finished up a custom order, a romper and panties, a camisole and knickers, and started the top secret give away ruffle bloomers, which you can see a sneak peek of at the top of this post! The set you see here is my peekaboo set, but with a little twist... I added more fullness to the ruffle around the hip and a nicer picot elastic. I made the top a basic bandeau with a clasp at the back and adjustable straps, covered in the chiffon in the front. I finished it of with a couple of fabric covered buttons, and am really happy with how it turned out! I must work with chiffon more. It can be a little tricky to work with, but it is so pretty and feminine.

So it's back to work tomorrow after my first full weekend off. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work... what a difference a good day job can make... I feel like I have so much more energy and such a better attitude towards life! I hope I keep liking this job as much as I have enjoyed it this week... as funny as it is to be doing social media marketing for a company that specializes in adult intimacy products, it is so much fun and really interesting! I feel pretty darn lucky to have stumbled upon this opportunity. It's providing me with a lot of great experience for Ohhh Lulu as well, which I have made a tentative goal of making my full time job in about a years time... finances permitting.

The only single thing I can even think to complain about is that I have had a never ending headache the last few days... To soothe it I've been taking some over the counter sinus medication, which seem to help a bit, but really makes me fuzzy and cloudy. I've been in a cold-medicine induced haze all weekend... I think I will take the rest of the night off and rest!

Ohhh Lulu...

New (to me) sewing machine!

Link Love!

Sample Sale!

FREE AD Space!

Retire the Ruffle?

Sewing Machine...

I think I am back to work now...

Getting back to real life soon...

House, house, house...

Brrr!

Is it over yet?

Getting Ready

*I Think Sew* slipper patterns

Getting Excited!

Am I crazy?

On pins and needles...

What we wore... Edwardian Shirtwaist & Corset Cover

What we wore... Antique Clothing Collection.

Handmade Histories...

Please, please, pleeeeeeease!

Give Away!

Sick in Bed...

How To: French Tacks

Victorian Calling Cards...

Accomplished!

Oh my aching back!

FREE Ad Space!

Details on back...

Small pleasures...

Can't wait for the Holidays!

The Handmade Christmas Gift Round-Up!

The Girl Who Makes her Own Clothes - 1904

I don't follow the (crafting) rules...

More Houses...

1950's Knitted Hats & Gloves Patterns

DIY Victorian Beauty...

House hunting & Terrifying Victorian Cosmetic Devices

Busy few weeks...

Edwardian Fashion

Happy Halloween!

Elite Styles 1900

Wedding Photos are here...! The longest blog post in the history of Ohhh Lulu...

Hen Costume for Young Girls... December 1910

Styles for October 1900

FREE Ad Space!

Off to Quebec...

Get on Over to Selective Potential and Win some Bloomers!

Phew... What a day!

Give Away Tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving

Should be in bed...

Experiments with weaving, braids and bows

A case of the Ho-Hums...

Bride & Groom

Basics and the return of the Ruffle Bloomer

Hearts

Black & White

Fabric Addiction...

Sneak Peak!

Back

Just a few days...

A week and a half!

Craziness Begins...

Saturday Craftacular

Wedding Card Boxes

Rococo

Vintage-Style Slips

Oh My Darling

29 Days

Drafting all day...

"Silk Screened" Groomsman's Ties

Life Update...

6 weeks 'til W day!

Favourite Blogs...

Amy Winehouse

Wedding and Ohhh Lulu News!

Are you as anxiety ridden as me?

Wedgewood Blue.

Post Camping Bliss

I Think Sew slipper patterns