Athens Corn Maze

Last weekend we went for a fun afternoon to the Athens Corn Maze. We rounded up a few other families and headed off for some good fall fun. They had a small petting zoo, hay ride, corn box and corn maze. The biggest hit by far was the corn box. Henry cried when we pulled him out. Who thought a huge box of corn, some shovels and some kids to throw corn on would be such a success? Henry couldn't sit still long enough to be buried but he enjoyed helping bury everyone else. I found at least a handful of corn in his diaper and some in the washing machine today. The maze was pretty simple but good enough for a small kid and it was stroller friendly too.

I love fall! Next up, pumpkin patch.

Life Goal 86: Run a 5K or 10K

Recently I blogged about being talked into doing a 10K. After a couple months of training and two weeks off for being sick, I was about to run the whole way. I actually did it. On Saturday I ran 6.44 miles in 1:16-the route was a little longer than a true 10K-my 10K time was 1:13. That is the longest I have ever run in my life. I never did sports in high school so I never had to run for workouts, I'm more of an aerobics girl but I can say that I actually kind of like running now. A slow and steady pace was enough for me, my goal was to finish the whole thing without walking. A since this was my first pace, I set a new personal best.

The race was in Madison and was a relatively flat trek through the historic district and then into a beautiful countryside. Since I have been training on hills, the flatness was most welcome. And a big thanks to Chelsea for being a great training buddy, pace setter and entertainment during the race.

One of the things that I really liked about this whole experience was seeing how capable I really can be. Physicality has never been my strength or interest but I was astounded as each time I would go for a run I was able to run just a little further than the day before. The first time I went out I could barely run 1/2 a mile without stopping to walk. On one of my last runs before the race, I blew past my first stopping point by 4 miles without stopping. Its crazy how your body can adapt as you push yourself.

 At the finish line: Stacey who won the whole thing for girls and did it in 48 minutes! Andrea, me, Lena, Lindsey, Robyn and Chelsea.

After the race there was talk of a Christmas 8K and maybe even another 10K. I am totally game.

geo modern floral for fall

The Geo Modern Floral fabric line is now available in colors for fall. Cream instead of white, richer tones. I am loving it. Find all Geo Modern designs here.

Goal: be bold, shoes

 So in continuing my effort to be a little more bold, I wanted to try ankle boots. I have to admit that I hated ankle boots a couple of years ago when they first made their appearance on the street. But now I love them and think they are pretty cool. I also hated skinny jeans but now have several pairs. I was nervous about wearing the blacks ones because even though they look good from the side, I felt like they looked odd from above. When I looked at my foot it looked kind of like a club, you know what I mean?

I saw some that I loved from Toms but then I found these tan ones at Target for half the price. You can find them here. They are super comfy and I have even spent an entire day walking around the Mall of Georgia in them and I wasn't uncomfortable once. I might get them in black too because I like them that much. Both pairs look great with jeans too.

I have noticed with this daring move I get a lot of looks from other women. They seem to be inquisitive looks. With red lips, its more subtle. I can tell people notice but its really not a big deal to be wearing lipstick-although to me it was a huge step. With these ankle boots I just strange looks but I also get lots of compliments. I don't really care because I like them but its just an observation. Case in point, Steve hates both pairs but I still wear them.

And in case you were wondering, I did wear that yellow belt with an 80's magenta dress last week.  

Living with an Etsy Shop

 Sometimes it boggles my mind to think that we live with anywhere from 200-300 pillow covers at one time. Being organized is the only way to make it work in our two bedroom apartment. So I thought I would show you my "studio" of sorts. First I have my office/mini desk area. When we got the new computer (isn't it beautiful?) we had to install some shelves to hold the printer. I used two black shelves from an old bookcase we had and I bought and installed 4 brackets on the wall. The shelves now hold the printer plus supplies for shipping.

 My etsy closet is Henry's closet. Luckily he has few clothes that need to be hung. When we switched rooms back in May we locked this door and made this my area of the house plus storage too. The door leads into Henry's room and connects it with the bathroom. We locked it so no one uses this door anymore. I used a shower curtain tension rod to hang Henry's clothes. In the hallway I have a box of bubble mailers on top of a box of Henry's christmas presents (shhh, don't tell him). On top of the boxes are all my christmas inventory plus any pillows awaiting their photoshoots. I try to keep unlisted inventory separate from the rest so I don't forget to list items.

 Inside the closet, I have all my pillow covers. My friend Emily suggested storing them on cardboard sleeves like records so that is exactly what I do. It is a great way to keep them all wrinkle free and also its great for craft shows. The top shelf has unfinished projects and then the rest are organized by size. Sale items are in the box.

We also use the closet to keep all our games and misc storage stuff. Plus all my art supplies, fabric scraps, cut felt appliques and craft show stuff.

So there you have it. My crazy etsy stuff. Oh and I forgot to mention that I sew on the kitchen table and clean it all up once or twice a week so it doesn't take over the whole house. I dream of one day having my own craft room with shelves for everything, big work tables and thread bits all over the floor. Sigh. One day.

Steve is so hot

We bought a new computer yesterday so I am cleaning up the old one and preparing for the switch. While tidying up some files I stumbled across this beauty. I was learning to use photoshop at the time and was experimenting with some awesome effects. I personally like the floating eyes that kind of fade into the background. I guess I was going for that 80's sentimental ballad music video look.

Square Top X 3

 So when the seasons change I get ready to overhaul my closet. This fall will have me wearing lots of skinny jeans so I wanted a few looser tops to wear with them. I had seen this tutorial on Cotton and Curls a long time ago but finally got around to making one. And then another... and then another...

 Its called the Square Top and it is literally two squares of fabric nipped in at the chest so you don't look like you're wearing a sack. Easy as pie. I would recommend the tutorial. She does assume you know a little bit about sewing but I found it easy to follow. Its also an easy top to adjust to make them look different. The grey one at the top I added lace to and this lacy knit I made the back hem longer than the front.

 Lacy detail print...

 Lacy detail applique...this actually was saved from one of my favorite white shirts. It was one of my first H&M purchases. Well the shirt was no longer white so I picked off this lace and found a lovely soft grey to put it on. Refashion Success!

 This black one was my first one and I did the measurements wrong so the sleeves were too short. So I added little cuffed sleeves which actually made it look better and gave it a special touch.

So when measuring, measure from the center of your chest to the end of your shoulder and then add 4-5 inches for the sleeve part, double this number for your square. Also measure at the widest part of your hips to make sure your starting measurement is enough. The girl who does the tutorial has no hips so if you do (as I do) make sure to account for those too or your shirt won't fit.

The great thing about these is that not only can you make them in any fabric (knit, rayon, cotton) but they are simple enough to layer necklaces over and will be great for wearing with cardigans and tucking into skirts too. Hooray for versatility.

 Someone else wanted to be involved in the photoshoot. Cheese!

I'm up to no good...