Meet my prickly pear covered in cinnamon.

I don't know how to grow it, but I do know how to sauté it.

The best winter coat...

... that I might never finish because oh-my-god-I-had-no-idea-how-hard-linings-are-to-make and I'm-too-scared-to-put-button-holes-in-my-crazy-hard-to-make-lining (so for now I'm sicking with safety pins).

And please ignore the plaid shorts-- it is still August.

The best winter coat...

...I've ever made in August.

That's really a lie. This is so very far away from being done. See the pins stabbing me in the neck? It's basically an unfinished shell. It will probably be done quickly once I figure out how to make a lining. Trying to plan out something that is going to be made backwards and inside out is taxing on my already-taxed-brain.

Mi Brohiem

Cards and Orchid Leaves

Devinne Intervention Welcome

My 120GB external hard drive died last night at approximately 11pm. It had almost 10 years worth of family pictures, art, video, and documents (even old high school essays). That sucker was nearly full.

I wasn't able to log into blogger last night because the file with all of my Keepass passwords is saved on my external-- thankfully I found a copy of my passwords that I had printed out a few months ago in my filing cabinet-- at least I will manage to get bills paid this month!

Attempts to resuscitate said hard drive have all failed. Each time I plug the beast back into my computer it just clicks and whirls over and over again before giving up. I am a short temper tantrum away from tossing it out the window.

Any one with sweet magical-hard-drive-recuperating skills or data recovery service recommendations are gladly welcome.

I am not a happy camper.

Superbad 2.5

I think the white dress is finished. Over the course of two days and two and a half viewings of Superbad, it's to the point where I'm happy. I've added my version of fisheye darts to the front and back middle areas, which have reduced the poofy-ness but added a seam that makes the dress look a bit like a two piece. The straps are done and the bottom has been finished with... "bias" tape... or "hemming" tape? Something that makes it look nice and clean. It still bunches up a bit in the back but it doesn't hang all weird anymore.

Wish me luck-- it's on it way out for it's first field trip to Staples.

Tank Top Part 2

The first tank top attempt was a little blah. I'm not a huge fan of big, billowy tops so I'll never actually wear it. But, extend the pattern a foot and a half, add a tie in the back, and I've got a summer dress. Like everything else, it's only half done. There are some poofy issues in the back (excuse the black bra) that need some googling to figure out. The ties in the back are only pinned on and there is no hem but given one more impatient burst of craftiness, it will be done. Hopefully in time for next summer.

August is the busiest time of year for my hotel. It's like all other 11 months get crammed into this one. My GM likes to say "every day in August is balls-to-the-walls". It's a constant sprint, all day, every day and a mental brain-melt. And for that reason I cannot understand why in the little bit of free time I have this month, I can't stop spending it making little dresses and tank tops and stationary. You'd think I would just sleep.

My first atempt

I've got such a craft-bug lately. Below is my latest spur of the moment attempt.

I roughly followed belle epoque's pattern for this tank top. I wanted to have something I could make in about ten minutes, so I whipped out an old skirt from our give-away pile and got to chopping it up. It's not the prettiest looking skirt, so it makes some sense that it doesn't work out to be the prettiest looking top, but it was quick and easy and a nice trial piece before investing a itsy bit more time in making a top I'll really wear.