30 Eylül 2012 Pazar

2009~ It was another year of change!

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I will say I did change a lot when it came to my own personal style this year.  I think that my changes were certainly for the better because, looking back on it now, I dressed very young for my age.  I think I had also quite outgrown the total "prepster" look I'd been sporting for some years now.

Amongst my favorite discoveries of the year are my Hudson Stella Jeans, Big Star Vintage Jeans(the whole line of them!!), Sinful shirts, Affliction shirts, Rebel Spirit shirts, Crash & Burn shirts, and all other cute shirts I find at Buckle, boots and more boots!, Joes Honey Jeans, Rock Revival Jeans, 7 For All Mankind Jeans, True Religion, Smashbox Cosmetics, and much more!  Thank you Buckle and Nordstrom for a great year hehe!!

Here's to an even better 2010~ I don't see a change in personal style coming, but probably an expansion of the wardrobe.

Buckle jeans are addicting!

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...  Well, it's true!!

I thought I could go in that store and get just 1 pair of jeans and that they would not compare to my AE (American Eagle) jeans, which had been my favorites for YEARS.  This was a year ago now, and I must sadly admit, I am hooked.  I must have 25+ pair of Buckle jeans (Big Star mostly, MEK, Miss Me, Rock Revival, Antique Rivet, 7FAM, and some BKE Jeans (Sabrina and Culture) ).   I don't usually even wear my AE jeans anymore.  I do still wear my Aeropostale Bayla Skinnies, but I only have 2 pairs of those.  I am totally hooked on buying my jeans at Buckle (and Nordstrom, too, but mostly Buckle)! 

So I am penning this blog mostly as a direct result of hearing so many girls on my WLS message boards posting that they want to buy a PAIR of jeans from Buckle.  Haha...  That's how it started for me, too, and I hope they realize it probably won't stop at just. 1. pair.   Just sayin'...

I love, love, love my Buckle jeans!

Denim Review: Big Star Maddie Jeans

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I just LOVE Big Star Maddie jeans from Buckle.  It's the only store I've ever found the Maddie jeans at, but they have a wonderful selection of them.  Big Star Maddies were the first pair of jeans I ever bought from Buckle and were the jeans that got me really started on the designer denim.  After I got them, I was admittedly hooked!

Maddie jeans have a little over an 8" rise (mid-rise jeans) making them not so revealing for those of us who don't want to show all our assets in every pair we own.  They are slightly more eased through the hips and thighs for those of us who have curves so you might want to size down from the more slim fit jeans if you are used to those.  I am normally a 28L, 29L, sometimes a 30L in designer denim, but I need a 27L in most of the Maddie jeans.  They are definitely a more relaxed fit, without looking baggy on you.  The price of the Maddie jeans are expensive if you are not used to paying designer prices, but not expensive compared to many designer lines.  They start around $94 and go up to around $112.  You will want to try each pair on as they can all fit different, even though they are the same brand.

I probably have 7 or 8 pairs of Maddie jeans and I wouldn't mind having a few more.  I have recently noticed a black pair I'd love to have.  They have a style and color for everyone, from flares to bootcut to skinnies.  I highly recommend them for all my girls!

Why don't more Designers offer plus size options?

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I'm sure this is a topic that has been covered a lot of times, but it hasn't been covered by me haha.  Therefore, I want to get my 2 cents in on a topic that haunted me for years and now I just ponder it.

Years ago, I had a favorite store called Maurices (I still like this store a lot, but more on that later).  Now, back then, Maurices really only went up to a Juniors size 13 and even those were limited.  Size 11/12 was the norm for the biggest size they had.  In those days, I was a 7 or a 9, and I could shop there without a problem so I didn't think about it too much until I started to gain weight and the 13's got too tight.  Then many years passed before I could shop in Maurices again (post-WLS).  By the time I could shop in Maurices again in the mid-2000's was about the time I noticed they were starting to sell plus sizes in there.  I'm not sure why that infuriated me, but it did.  I guess it was because of all the years I wanted to wear stylish plus size clothes and couldn't, then all the sudden there it was when I didn't need it anymore.  Don't get me wrong...  I'm thrilled to death there are more options out there for the ladies than I had, but still can't help but be a bit jealous.

I don't understand why more designer labels don't carry plus sizes though.  I think it's something many designers could profit from, but I guess so many of them don't want to go "there" with their image.  I have seen a couple of them that have extended sizes, like CJ by Cookie Johnson (that goes up to a 38) and PZI Jeans (that range in sizes 4-18).  Silver Jeans has a seperate plus size line, but the same cute styles.  There are also Not Your Daughter's Jeans and MiracleBody Jeans that are great for the "tummy tuck" effect and have a range of sizes, but so many still only go up to a size 10 or 12.  The average American woman is a size 14 and that statistic is going up with the increasing obesity rates. 

I will be posting more options for my friends who are looking for more options over a size 10/12 in the coming weeks, but if y'all have any feedback, please feel free to comment.  I love feedback!

~ R

Eek! I'm going under the knife again!

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Well, ok, I'm having surgery today, but I don't think I'll actually be "under the knife" seeing as the operation involves my face...

Today at 11AM (CST, where I am), I have to head over for surgery on my deviated septum, plus removal of my tonsils and adenoids.  I have to wear a splint on my nose for around a week afterwards... I'm sure I'll look lovely haha.  I'm nervous about this operation, even more so than the WLS and the hernia repair, because this one involves my face, but I know I'll be ok.

I look forward to sipping liquids for the next week (NOT!)~ and I'm pretty sure I won't be away from my blog!

~ R

29 Eylül 2012 Cumartesi

DIY: All Natural Greener Drano

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 Once upon a time I was a 2nd grade teacher.  There was of coarse a time while teaching the littles when I demonstrated how a volcano erupts with the help of vinegar and baking soda.  Man the combination of vinegar and baking soda is explosive... Literally!!!

When one of the bathroom drains in my house started draining slowly, I decided to do a little science experiment to see if the same dynamite combination of baking soda and vinegar could possibly clean out my drain.  I really didn't want to run to the store with my two little kiddos just for Drano, so I was praying it would work.

I used about 1/4 a cup of baking soda.  I just poured it into the sink.  Then I poured enough vinegar into the sink to make it bubble.  I let it do it's magic for a few minutes and when I turned the warm water on to rinse the sink clean.  It drained liked a dream!  No more slow draining, clogged sinks here!

I have decided to name this natural Drano duo, the mean green cleaning team.  Thank heavens for natural, cheap, green Drano that you can make in your own home!

-Megan

DIY: The Perfect Maternity Shirt

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This DIY Maternity Shirt is simple enough to make and extremely comfortable! This shirt is designed for a size small pregnant woman, but can easily be adjusted for larger or smaller women. Plus it can be made in just a few hours. I did this whole shirt during my little girl's nap time. 
Get your fabric! All you need is 1.5 yards. Pre-wash it. 


Cut 2 pieces of fabric, each measuring 24" x 24"These are the front and back pieces of the shirt, so your total circumference will be 48" around your body, but it will be gathered so it won't actually be 48" around in the end. If you think you need more room than that, add a few inches to the width of each square. The length will be 24", so if you want it longer or shorter, just add or subtract a few inches to the length. Keep in mind you need room for seam allowance at the top and bottom of the shirt, and the sides as well.   




Measure arm hole length 8 inches down and mark with chalk.If you think 8" isn't enough room for your arm, measured from the top of your shoulder to below the pit area, go ahead and add an inch or two if necessary. Be sure to remember how long you decided to make this since you will need to cut a sleeve that will fit this opening. 
Mark 3" from the edge with a piece of chalk. 

Draw a line connecting these two points. 

Cut the triangle off. 
Repeat on other side so you have 2 arm holes. 

Do this to the back piece too. 

Measure sleeves with the fabric folded. (Mark everything with chalk first. I'll tell you when it's safe to cut.) From the folded edge, measure out 5 inches and draw a straight line from the fold to the 5 inch mark.


On the fold, from the line you just drew, measure 8.5 inches down. If you happened to make your arm hole larger, you also need to make this larger so the sleeve fits perfectly on the arm hole. However many inches you made your arm hole on your shirt, just take that number and add .5 inches. My arm hole space on my shirt is 8" so I need 8.5" on my sleeve. Sorry the picture looks like I marked it at 9"... :/

You need to also measure 11 inches down and mark. This is the length of the sleeve. 
If you added length to your arm hole, you also need to add length to your sleeve. For example, if you made you arm hole 9 inches long, you only added 1 inch from the original 8 inch design, so you need to add 1 inch to the sleeve length, making it 12 inches long. 


From the 9" mark to the fold, measure 6" out.  Make a small mark. Make sure it's a 90 degree angle. This will give the sleeve a belled out look. Here is another spot you may need to adjust if you want a size bigger. You can give your arm more room for movement by adding inches to the 6 inch wide mark. Maybe something like 8" wide will feel better. When the sleeve is opened up, the 6 inches become 12 inches; you can take your tape measurer and place it around the arm measuring from the arm pit area around the arm and meeting back at the arm pit area. You may notice that for a size small person, 12" makes a comfortable, flowy sleeve. So whatever measurement you come up with, make sure it doesn't hug your arm, but rather flows around it. 





From the 5 inch line, draw a straight line to the 6 inch wide mark. Sorry you can hardly see my line, but it's there. 

Next, Draw a curved line at the bottom connecting the sleeve length measurement and the arm hole length measurement. In other words, the 6 inch wide mark and the 11" length mark. Try and get a 90 degree angle from the bottom of the 11" mark and gradually curve up to meet the bottom of the 6" mark. If everything looks good at this point, cut it out. Sorry it's so hard to see! 

Cut 2. 

Here's what they look like opened up.

Hem the sleeves just at the curve.It can be a little tricky since it's curved, just do your best. Iron flat.  
Pin sleeve to shirt right sides together.
Remember where you cut those triangles off? That's where you are pinning the sleeves. Pin one side of the sleeve to the front piece of the shirt. Pin the other sleeve on too while you are at it.


Sew it and this is what it should look like.
Pin the other side of the sleeve to the back piece of the shirt just the same as you did to the front shirt piece. Sew the sleeves to the body of the shirt. 

Here is what it looks like right side out once the sleeves have been attached.Notice that the tops of the sleeves become part of the neck. And yes, the neck it really huge at this point. 
Turn it inside out and sew the sides closed and hem the bottom of the shirt. 


Serge the neck.
This just gives it a more finished look on the inside of the shirt. Sadly I couldn't do this step.

Measure how big you want the neck to be. Mine was 24". Cut that much skinny 1/4" elastic. 
I recommend not going smaller than this so you can easily get your head through. Just eyeball it, mark spot with fingers.

Measure under your boobs. Mine was 28". Cut 28" of skinny elastic.
Just make sure it's comfortable. You don't want the elastic to stretch on you and cut off circulation. You want it to just rest on you. It only needs to stretch in order to get the shirt on and off and for when baby grows.

Pin the neck down about an inch and sew a basting stitch through it.

Ruffle up the neck by pulling that loose basting stitch. Make it the same size as the "neck size" elastic.
Pin the "neck size" elastic onto the inside of the ruffled neckline. 
Sew down the middle of the elastic. No need to pull and stretch the elastic while sewing.  Remove the basting stitch when complete.



Try the shirt on and measure from the bottom of the shirt up to the point where you want the "waist band" to go, under the boobs in other words. Mine was 14 inches. 

Pull shirt inside out and mark it with chalk all around the shirt 14" from the bottom. 


Baste stitch around the middle part of the shirt where you marked. Pull the basting stitch to ruffle the mid section of the shirt and then pin the elastic onto the shirt. Pin first on the side seam.
 Pin on other side seam.

Pin at center front. Then pin at center back.

Sew the elastic onto the shirt with a zig zag stitch for extra stretch.
Pull out the basting stitch when the elastic is secure.  

You're Done!!!


Guess what, I didn't put an elastic around the stomach area on this blue and white shirt. I just added a belt!
Stephanie