we suck at bowling but we rule at life!

Wednesday was me and my partners 5th anniversary. wow how time flies! we didn't get to celebrate that night so today we dropped hunter off at the sitters and headed off on our date! on our way out we were pleasantly surprised my our anniversary gift in the mail, awesome transient bag hip pouches! check em out at http://www.transientbags.com/ of course we wore them right away! we biked over to new seasons for some yummy snacks and then on a whim decided to go bowling. yes , i know we act like old people but we love it. after that we headed off to overlook park for a picnic and to watch the trains. after that i was pretty inspired and full of yum so i went into my sewing room and make some lovely things. i managed to sew a lace dress and 4 pairs of earrings in about an hour and half. I'm really a last minute kind of person. i make all my best stuff right before i need it done.
on a whole other note Rosie O'Donnell purchased an art card from my store and i was featured in 3 treasuries on etsy this week. what a great week for me!
here are some pictures of our co-ops pizza night, hunter with a mustache and us bowling our worst game ever.
if you want to be inspired Google skin graft designs. you will be amazed.

my invisible mannequin

I've been trying to force myself to stay in my sewing room so i can get all my work done before the 8Th. i made 2 dresses today and i have no idea how. it is incredibly hard to drape when you don't have a dress form. i have to- try it on, pin, take it off, sew - over and over. i would probably do just about anything for a mannequin right now. or at least a human wiling to stand in my sewing room for a few hours. but id probably have to pay them and well. . .
so the dresses i made today are created from a tan duvet cover, and old tutu and 2 free boxed tanks and a ton of scrap lace. i was really inspired by coral and seaweed and sea creatures. i know the color is not reminiscent of that but the shapes are. i hope it looks good during the photo shoot. I'm really nervous about it. i personally am thrilled about my dresses. the only thing that I'm not satisfied with is that i only have black thread and right now i cant even afford to go buy thread. it looks a little off but I'm hoping i can add some decorative stitching and make it look like i used black on purpose. ahh to be poor, it forces you to be creative. so for all you crafters out there try this: leave all your money behind and go digging around for materials, you may just be surprised at what you can create.

good things come to those who wait.

I couldn't believe it. this morning when i checked my papal there was $110.00 in it. two very generous people made donations to me for my "get into college fund"! what a great way to start the weekend. it feels so wonderful to know that someone out there believes in be. someone out there thinks i have talent. thanks to those donations i can cross off #'s one and two off my list. I'm sending out the paperwork for my birth certificate today and in about 3-6 weeks i will be able to go get my I.d, SS card and tribal card. i have been waiting for this for so long. good things truly do come to those who wait. here is a picture of me taken with the web-cam. i know its hard to tell but that is my paperwork in my hand stamped and ready to go! Ive also included, for your amusement, a picture of hunter wrestling with her friend Anita.
in other news, my photo shoot is coming up so soon. Ive been working really hard on 3 main dresses I'm going to have in the photos. its been a little difficult getting the time to sew since Hunter is teething and has started a tantrum phase. but a couple hours here and goes a long way. plus, i like to think that those interruptions give me the chance to reflect on the garment and come up with new and better ideas. it usually works out for the best. OK everyone, I'm off to take the bean to a puppet show. enjoy your day, seize all moments and live.

i've either got good karma or i'm damn lucky

everything seems to be coming into place for my portfolio photo shoot. found an amazing photographer who doesn't mind my little rug rat running through the shoot in fact, he will be bringing his along as well. i got three beautiful models i found off of model mayhem who are all as excited about my designs as i am. i even found a hairstylist who is also a makeup artist willing to do the shoot for trade. it feels so good to have people be excited about being a port of my designs. it makes me feel like i am not just another seamstress , another person who makes accessories, another stay at home mom with a dream. it makes me feel like i have something special. it makes me feel like i really have a chance at making something of myself.
as with the shoot everything else in my life is going really well. my partner was injured on the job a couple years ago and was not able to go back to work and because he was in independent contractor he ws not eligible for unemployment. recently it has been vary hard to find work. Portland is suffering and a lot of people are unemployed. luckily we have finally been able to get unemployment after months of talking to machine after machine on the phone. its only $106/wk but it will help. i also got in contact with a really rad mama on craigslist who needs a nanny. she is on government assistance which only pays $2.60/ hr for childcare. i agreed to help her out since i know how it is to be a poor mama. how does the government expect working class mamas to get back on their feet and get back to work after having a baby if they are only willing to pay childcare $2.60/hr not to mention they put you on a deadline and cut off your assistance if you haven't found childcare by then and your not allowed to re-apply for 6 months. i think the system really needs to change its ways when it comes to assistance to families and especially mothers with babies. Back to the subject, so i found this mama and I'm going to nanny for her which should help us out and give me the extra money i need to accomplish my GOALS FOR 2009. i feel really confident that everything is coming into place. every day is filled with possibility so get out there and find it.

ive included a picture of hunter from last night, now try and tell me THAT is not worth fighting for.