Learning How To Sew

For Valentine's Day I received a sewing machine (it was exactly what I asked for) and was thrilled to start using it.

I have never known how to sew anything besides a pin cushion I made in grade school. I can also hand stitch buttons on and small holes that happen in clothing. Actually sewing with a machine is something that I've wanted to learn for a long time because I have dreams of making more fabric Christmas ornaments with it and making myself some cute skirts that I see tons of people making online and wearing.

My thought was if these women can do then I can do it too!

Cue three months later and I still haven't made one finished thing. It's hard! I've learned that much. First of all, reading a pattern is like learning another language. Thank goodness my mom has been sewing since she was a kid because if not I'd have no clue how to read those sucks (and frankly I still don't really know). So once I picked out  pattern with the help of my mother, I then set out to pick out my fabric for my first skirt. That part was the easiest. Then I learned out to cut the pattern out to my size and pin it to the fabric. Ok that only took me a week (again with the help of my mother on Skype). Now I've successfully cut out the fabric on the pattern.

The other day I started practicing sewing in a straight line with some scraps and learning how to back stitch to start and close the lines. Later this week I'm going to finally bite the bullet and sit down with my cut out pattern and start sewing it together. I don't know why but it just terrifies me. I guess I just don't want to mess up the fabric and I understand I could always go buy more but I don't want to! I want to do it right the first time and have this great skirt to wear around. I'm sure my mom could have already made this skirt in an hour but it's hard to learn via Skype and youtube videos people. Speaking of which Youtube is a good thing! Haha!

 

I was also very happy to actually sew two pieces of my scrapes together and not cause a huge thread knot and to not get it stuck in the machine! Baby steps! Maybe I might actually get this skirt done to still wear in the summer.

Have you ever tried sewing? Any tips for me?

Weekend Update

This past weekend I did a little shopping...

It's the Mint Leaf Bodycon dress from Bebe. I had seen this dress on instagram and loved it. I mean literally loved it. I couldn't stop thinking about it and when I was at the mall this weekend, I knew I just had to walk in there and see if they had it. Well they did so I tried it on and it fit like a glove. I couldn't pass it up. I have visions of wearing it on vacation.

Speaking of being at the mall. I went to the mall with Beezy because he's been obsessed and on the hunt for this things called Funko Pop. They are these little tiny toys/figurines and their made by a company called Funko Pop. They make them for all different kinds of movies and television shows. The ones he's been looking for is the show Game of Thrones. There is 22 individual miniatures. Then they have these ones called variants.

Lord help me.

He's at least accumulated the first 22. We've been to like 6 stores already and online shopped. I've never been inside so many Barnes and Noble stores in such a short period of time in my life.

Yep. That's what 22 of those look like. And I don't even watch Game of Thrones. Apparently I'm going to start season 1 soon.

I spent some time this weekend to get my St. Patrick's Day stuff out. Since Valentines Day is officially over I knew that I wanted to change out the display on my foyer table. That meant I needed a new yarn wreath! I've been making one for each holiday...

I also completed another thing on my 30 before 30 list (post coming later this week) but it involves this...

I attended an engagement party for one of my best friends who happens to also live in Sacramento. They had their special night at the top of Elks Tower in downtown Sac and the view was amazing. Congrats to the happy couple! I can't wait for the wedding.

 

Hope you had a great weekend!

Weekend Update

On Friday, I watched the movie Fruitvale Station.

I had never heard of the movie until someone told me about it. I vaguely remember hearing about the real life incident that sparked the making of this movie. In 2009, a man was shot and killed at the Fruitvale Bart Station in Oakland, California. The officer who shot and killed him claimed that he meant to tazer him but accidently pulled out his gun. The officer was taken to trial and found guilty of manslaughter. The incident went nationwide and sparked riots in Oakland. I thought the movie was incredibly depressing but I knew before watching it that it wasn't going to have a happy ending.

Since I got a foyer table, I've decided to make a wreath for every holiday to go on it. I made one for Valentines Day and I've bought the stuff to make one for St. Patricks Day. However, this weekend, I finished the one for Easter.

Then on Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a Birthday party. Where I showed off my favorite new sweater. I got this sweater in December and I love it. It's big, it's warm and I think it's cute.

 

For the Super Bowl, I hung out with some people and ate some good food. I thought the halftime show was better than my expectations for it. I thought the commercials weren't that funny at all though! They were so sad and a ton of car commercials. BOO!

Weekend Review

I've really been working on what I've been eating. I knew going into this year that I really wanted to focus on my eating habits and working out. I'm happy to report the past two weeks, I've been eating better. I've consumed more fruit and vegetables and got my fill of protein. I've even working out on my treadmill a few times now. Am I still eating other food that I probably shouldn't? Yep. BUT I'm eating it in less quantities and I'm aware of that.

This was a nice snack...

I've tried four different flavors of Quest Bars and this has been my favorite one so far. The Double Chocolate Chunk. It's only 160 calories, has less than 1 gram of sugar and 20 grams of protein. Now that's a protein bar people. I've also become obsessed with the song...

It seriously kept me going on the treadmill the other day. I had originally heard it at the Kings game but never knew what song it was until last week when I was in the car it came on. I love it! I always have the beat stuck in my head.

 

I'm still trying to make friends with this cat. His name is Tesco. I've learned if I brush him he'll at least sit there and pretend to like me.

 

I bought two more owls at the craft store. Beezy and I turned them into Elvis and his number one fan. Beezy did the Elvis one and I was very impressed. He portrayed him in the famous Rainfall jumpsuit.

 

Speaking of the Kings. I went to the Kings game on Friday night. They played the Indiana Pacers. The Kings have been on a good playing streak and they played a great game. They lost it by only a few points in overtime.

Now it's Monday and I'm already ready for the weekend! Can someone I know win the lottery and give me a million. I think I could make that last long enough!

Weekend Review

This weekend, I finally went and saw American Hustle.

It was a really good movie and I can see why it's been nominated for so many awards. Jennifer Lawrence as always was great. Bradley Cooper with his perm was hilarious. I don't know what it is about Christian Bale but I can't stand him in anything he works on.

I was able to finish a Valentines Day wreath that I had been working on.

 

I ate at the Cheesecake Factory. I hadn't been to one in years since I was in Washington D.C.

I know I'm going to go against the grain on this one but I'm always unimpressed by their food. Granted I don't eat Cheesecake so I've never had theirs but the food itself... eh, I feel like I could get the same from another chain restaurant.

 

I also booked another vacation was booked. I'll be going to San Juan, Puerto Rico in March! If you've ever been there please give me your suggestions.

 

I can't wait! It's been awhile since I've been out of the country so it's going to be a fun time. I also plan on getting on the beach! Now I need to work out everyday until then. It's less than 60 days away. That's a happy Monday!

 



Five on Friday

1. I tried to make a new friend this week...

His name is Tesco and he's a cat. I'm more of a small dog person but I'm branching out.

2. I crafted. Valentine's Day is right around the corner and when I saw these little guys I knew I had to get them. They come plain white and you can color them any way you want. All that's pre-determined on them is the outline of their bodies and the heart on their chest.

I can't take credit for the tux one, Beezy did that one. If you want to get your own, you can find them at the arts and crafts store, Michaels.

 



3. Speaking of Valentines Day, I was at Ikea last week and found these adorable heart frames...

I bought two for my foyer table and their so festive. I love them. I kind of want to go buy two more.

4. I confess... I still have a Christmas tree up. Yep. I'm decorating for Valentines Day with a tree still up. In my defense it is a beach theme tree and I do live in the warm state of California. Is that acceptable?

Does anyone else still have a tree up? Or am I the only hold out left?

5. I watched True Lies yesterday and remembered how much I love this movie.

Tom Arnold, Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold are hilarious in it. Since Arnold is making all these re-make movies, I wish he'd do a sequel to True Lies. I know Tom Arnold is on board because I Nancy Drew'd it up all over the internet to find an article talking about how he'd be willing to do a second one as long as Arnold was on board. Get it Arnold. Get it!

Weekend Review

I stared out last week with Jury Duty.

I had to report to the courthouse my first day and I was actually kind of excited. I was hoping for a long trial that would get me out of my daily grind. I ended up on a criminal trial but at the end of the second day, I got excused (probably because of my job haha). I did get to witness this guy protesting his right of being innocent (not the best way to stay out of jail dude)...

I did a lot of crafting over my weekend. I had seen this really cute sign and knew that I wanted to create something similar but for the holidays (cause we all know that's my favorite time of the year). Here's how mine turned out...

I was really pleased with how it turned out! It took some time to make but I can use it year after year since the circle is made of black chalk paint. I also made a craft for my friend's baby shower that I'm co-hosting. Her only request for the entire shower is that it be Pink/White themed since it's a girl. Here's how it turned out...



I also got my first two Alex and Ani bracelets over the weekend...

I got the San Francisco and Frasier Fir charms. Growing up and even to this day my family has always had a Frasier Fir tree at Christmas. I hope to keep the tradition going as long as I can. Do you have any Alex and Ani bracelets?

Just Call Me Martha

When I moved to California in August, I quickly started filling my days with making crafts. It gave me something to do once all of the unpacking was over. It kept me busy and my mind off of missing people and things from back home. Crafts was a good idea. Over time, I scaled back on the crafts but one remained left unfinished. I finally finished it! 

This is the pin that I saw on Pinterest that inspired the whole project....

This is how mine turned out. 

I think it turned out really great. Would I make another one? NO! It was a ton of work. Each one of those rocks had to be placed and glued down. You had to figure out which rocks would lay certain ways, etc. Needless to say it was a big craft. 

If you decide to do this craft here's what you'll need: 

Glue. I used E600.

Rubber Mat. I used a shelf liner.

Rocks. I got mine from the Dollar Store.

Sissors.

I think I used probably around seven or eight bags of rocks. It's about two and a half feet long and a little over one foot wide. It also took two tubes of glue. All in all, I think I have about 15 dollars into this craft. It looks really cute by the door to set your shoes on. So all in all I think it was worth the $15.00 and my time. 

Just Call Me Martha

The crafting bug has struck again! Incase you missed any of my previous additions of Just Call Me Martha, you can find them here .

Since Christmas is just around the corner I decided to get a head start on my decorations and try something that I saw on Pinterest...

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and with just buying a new home, I've got more wall space to fill. This sign is made out of wooden letters and I figured it wouldn't be too hard to create.

Supplies you'll need:

Wood Letters

Red Craft Paint

Black Craft Paint

Brushes

Glue

The finished product:

For some reason the red paint looks a lot brighter on mine but that's just the photo. In person it turned out really good. I think it looks almost like the one from Pinterest! The whole thing only took about two hours to make. The hardest part was waiting for the glue to dry so I could see how it was going to hang on the wall. 

Like this craft but don't have time to make it yourself? I can do it for you! For a small nominal fee of course. Prices always include shipping so E-mail me at: jmomiller@gmail.com or tweet me @jmomiller 

Just Call Me Martha 2

Halloween is fast approaching and with my off days filled with crafting, I've been able to create some fun things to display and use in the house! If you missed my first crafts that I worked on, check them out here . This time I decided to make some Halloween table displays. 

Here's what you need for the craft: 

Cake Plate

Bowl

Candlesticks

Spray Paint

Super Glue

I used three different type of spray paints. I used the Valspar brand in Golden Yellow and Glossy Black. The orange paint is called Pumpkin and came from Michaels. Maybe it's because everyone is crafting right now but the orange section of Valspar was SOLD OUT! I had to go to a few different stores to find the candlesticks, bowl and cake plate but I found them. They were all clear glass and I had to paint them 3-4 times before the paint looked thick enough on both sides. 

The hardest part about this craft was having to wait for the paint to dry to do the other sides and second/third coats. I was pleased with how they turned out! 

If you like these and would like to have them as well, let me know and I'd be more than happy to make them for you! Shoot me an email: Jmomiller@gmail.com and I'll give you a price quote with shipping! 

Just Call Me Martha

Want to know one good thing about moving to a new town and having no friends? It'll give you tons of free time to do all of the crafts you've been wanting to make! Since moving to Sacramento, I have finished five craft projects and I'm currently working on the sixth. In the months before the move, I had no time to work on craft projects so I'd see stuff on Pinterest, pin it and then forget about it. Now I'm finally working on those pins. And of course, I'm going to share them with you....

The first craft I decided to tackle was the easiest. I had seen this clothes pin wreath...

I really liked the idea of clothing pins as a way to hold up Christmas cards but I didn't want another wreath to just hang in one spot on the wall. So I decided I would come up with a Christmas card line. All I have to do this Christmas is hang a string up on two sides of the wall, attach the pins and wait for the cards to roll in. 

Here's what you need for the craft: 

Clothing Pins

Craft Paint

Foam Brush

Wire

You can get clothing pins and craft paint almost anywhere. I got my clothing pins at Hobby Lobby and I got 36 pins in a package which was more than enough.  I also bought a brush there. I got my craft paint at Hobby Lobby. I chose to do two colors, the obvious Red and Green.  As for the wire, I had bought a set of nails and screws for hanging photographs and it came with wire. You could use anything for your line including yarn, string, wire etc. 

Here's how my clothing pins turned out! I can't wait to hang them with cards this Christmas season! 

So then after I got done making these, I thought why not make some for Halloween? So I ended up making some and hanging up Halloween cards that I had got from Barnes and Noble. Check them out!

Obviously, I painted them black and orange. Instead of using a wire for these, I used a piece of orange yarn and it blended in really well with the cards. 

Do you like these pins? Well I have a ton of time on my hands so if you want a set and just don't have time to make them yourself then contact me! I'm making sets of 12 in any color combos for $10.00 including shipping in the USA. 

Lately (photo heavy)

When I got to Sacramento, I hit the ground running. I'm just now starting to slow down some and here's a few things that have been going on... I should mention I do a lot of crafting now. Anyways, here's a little bit of what I've been doing to fill the time. 

Putting a few pieces of furniture together.

Mowing grass. This made me appreciate Josh a little bit more since he's been mowing the grass all summer long. I can't wait till he's out here and be in charge of the lawn again. 

Making tons of yummy food! Top Right: Grilled/smoked hot dogs, maple bacon & eggs. Prepping cheese, baked macaroni and cheese. 

 

 Crafting! This one was obviously still in progress. Ceramic tiles and making them into coasters. 

Halloween tree! All of the decorations came from Michaels Arts and Crafts.

Trying to pick out a paint color for my tropical theme master bathroom. I'm leaning towards the shade Oasis. What do you think? 

A lot right? So that is what I have been up to lately. I still have a lot to do but as my mom likes to remind me, "Rome wasn't built in a day."