DIY Baby Wrap

With the weather forecast reaching almost 90 degrees in the Portland metro area tomorrow, we plan to head over to the coast for a day at the beach!  I knew that I wanted to get a baby wrap before we went so that we could easily "wear" Emily as we walked around (instead of having to deal with a stroller or something down on the sand).

In the months leading up to Emily's arrival I found a couple of DIY Moby-like baby wrap tutorials: here and here--so, today I set out for the fabric store and purchased 5 yards of jersey knit* and set to work.  Easiest "craft" project I've ever done, and we are definitely "beach-ready"!

Here's Jacob and Emily modeling my final product (he is now wearing her as he plays on his computer. lol):

*Fabric is EXPENSIVE these days!  I ended up spending just as much on fabric as I would have for the Moby itself at Target.... but, because I got a 60" width, I was able to cut the fabric in half (width wise, for two 30" widths) and have enough fabric for TWO wraps... either to give one as a gift, or have it at the ready for when the first one is (inevitably) in the wash.

$10 Wedding Dress, Anyone?

I've been struggling with trying to figure out what to do with my wedding dress.  I tried selling it on Craigslist, but I haven't had much luck.  I thought about donating it to some organization like Brides Against Breast Cancer, but I also don't like the idea of not having some idea of who my donation is helping/going to (I'm a people person... I like to hear/see the stories).  Finally, I'm not really feeling the idea of boxing up my dress and saving it for a daughter that 1) I may or may not even have, 2) may or may not get married, and 3) may or may not even WANT my dress.  I am actually pretty thankful that there wasn't a "family dress" set aside for me to wear on my wedding day.  Styles change so much over the years, but also I'm glad that I had the opportunity to shop around and find MY dress.  I don't want to take this away from a future daughter.

So, what is a girl with a wedding dress to do?

I was sitting around the house this morning, and suddenly had an epiphany.  Have any of you heard of a house giveaway like this one?  Well, if they can do it for a house, why can't I do one for wedding dresses??  So, that is what I'm going to do!  As I know that many of my readers are already married, I'm asking that you PLEASE pass this post along to your friends, family, blog readers, whatever.  I really want to be able to make this work but need everyone's help to do it!  I figure this is a good time to do this, as Valentine's Day is sure to be the maker of new bride-to-bes!

Here's how it's going to work:

1. Write a short essay (500 words or less) telling me 1) a little bit about yourself, your significant other, and the wedding that you are planning, and 2) Why we should pick you to win the dress.  Send the essay in the body of an e-mail to me, including your name, contact info (e-mail and/or phone number), state you reside in, and your wedding date. 
2. Send your $10 entry fee via Paypal to the same e-mail address listed above.  This entry fee will be returned to you if I do not get at least 20 entries by the submission deadline).  
3. Complete these steps by 11:59 PM on March 31st.
4. After the submission deadline I will read through the entries and pick my top five submissions.  These will then be posted on this blog with a poll for my readers to chose the ultimate winner.  I hope to have the winner chosen/announced by mid- to late April.
5. The winner will then be contacted for a shipping address.  Your entry fee will also cover $50 toward the cost of shipping.  The winner will be responsible for any charges over the $50 limit.  (FYI, the dress is coming from Portland, Oregon and weighs approximately 5 lbs... in case you want to guestimate what your shipping charge would be).

Now about the dress:

1. Ella Bridal, size 14, off-white/diamond white.
2. Has been taken in slightly at the waist, but has not been altered in any other way.
3. Has a lace-up back making it easily adjustable to various body shapes and sizes.
4. Lots of delicate floral bead work along the bodice... pretty gorgeous!
5. Pictures available here, here, here and here.  You can also see many more in my wedding blog archives.
6. If you have any questions, please ask them as a comment to this post (so that others can see the question and answer to it!).

That's it!  As I said before, PLEASE help me by passing this post along throughout cyberland.  I think it would be awesome if I was able to make this happen for a lucky bride out there!

Day Seven: Not Worth it if it's Not Comfortable!

30-Day Blog Challenge 

Describe the Style you had 10 Years Ago

  

Hmm... I think this would have been a much more interesting post had the question been 15 or 20 years ago (elementary/middle school era was a lot more humiliating than high school for me in terms of my fashion sense).  

Ten years ago I was 18, a senior in high school.  My style could best be described as "comfortable".  I pretty much lived in jeans (I still do... when I got my current job and was told that I needed to dress business-y I had to run out and buy several new pairs of pants).  I was no longer in the screen print t-shirt stage (I gave that up when I entered high school), so it was pretty much just any comfortable, non-t-shirty top that I could find and a pair of blue jeans, with a zipper hoodie on cold days.  Occasionally I would want to get girly and I'd wear a skirt or something, but that didn't happen very often.   Here are some photos that I gathered from my late high school/early college days... like I said... nothing too embarrassing. =)

I'm the blonde on the right... we all stuck together back then. lol

Junior Prom.  I had a white boa too... I loved it! =)  Interesting side note, the necklace I'm wearing here is the same one I ended up wearing for the wedding... I just noticed that...

Blonde on the left this time. =)

See?  Not very interesting.  In all actuality, my style hasn't really changed that much.  I"m buying clothes that fit a little better, and stealing accessory/fashion ideas from people I see on the streets (who aren't TOO over the top.. think scarf as accessory and boots over skinny jeans... OMG, right? lol), but my daily wardrobe still consists of comfortable clothing that occasionally makes me feel girly. =)

Have your styles changed dramatically over the last 10 years?

P.S.  I need a new 'do and I'm thinking about cutting my bangs back (again... I've thought about this frequently)... what do you all think? =)