{Works With Her Hands} Dress For A Schoolmarm

So, I know I've been pretty bad about keeping up on the blog posts, but now that things are settling back into a routine, I'm trying to get back into it as well. It's been so busy recently that I haven't had much time to work on projects, but my one main project over the last week was a regency dress to use while working in the schoolhouse at the museum.

I used Past Pattern's Front Closing Gown (031), which I had just recently used to make a dress for someone else. I'm really very impressed with this pattern. There are only two challenges involved in it. #1, the instructions are all for hand-sewing, which means that if you want to machine-sew, you have to play around and "interpret" them differently. #2, The sleeves get sewn in with some really awkward angles. Once you can get past those things, it is a great dress that fits well and wears well.

Anyways, enough of my ramblings. Here are some pictures. Thanks to My Wonderful Man for taking these for me, and dealing with the poor lighting in the school house!

{Helpmeet In Training} When I Grow Up

Yesterday was my parent's 25th Anniversary party. It was a simple picnic in the park with a small group of friends, and that entirely suits them. But, even though it wasn't a huge affair, it still was a really big deal. I was so thankful and blessed to be able to celebrate the fact that my parents are still happily married 25 years later.

Now that I'm entering adulthood, I'm really seeing what great examples my parents are of a God-fearing couple. Yes, my parents have faults; yes, they argued sometimes; yes, they  made a few mistakes when raising us. But they served God as best as they know how. My mom submits to and is a helpmeet to my dad, she got us three kids through all 12 years of homeschooling, and she runs the household smoothly and efficiently. My dad gets up and goes to work everyday, disciplined us when we were being rotten children, and leads the family with confidence and safety through many ups and downs. And that's just to mention a few of the things they did and still do.

Besides all this, I think what I treasure most about my parents is the fact that they laugh and smile and have fun. My dad has always been full of jokes and laughter, and my mom is always ready with some sarcastic wit all in good fun. I never remember having a gloomy or miserable household. Dinner time was always looked forward to because of the crazy conversations we got into. And even now, 25 years later, my parents still joke with each other; they laugh, and have a great time being together. They don't just tolerate being married, they treasure it. And that's a great thing to see.

My parents are really amazing. And when I grow up, I want to be like them.

{Helpmeet In Training} Glorious Internet

If you couldn't tell by the title of this post, I really love internet. Especially after going two weeks without having it easily accessible. But finally, this morning, that was fixed!!!

Anyways, here I am in my new apartment, and loving it. The move itself went great, and since then it's been a fun time of learning and adventure (gosh, I sound like a kid's TV show). Things like grocery shopping, laundromats, and cooking with a gas stove have all been a part of this newness.

But, I'm learning. I didn't forget anything this week when I went grocery shopping! Maybe, I may actually start remembering to pull the meat for dinner out of the freezer in the morning, so I don't have to go through the thaw-in-the-microwave routine every night.

I've found that a laundromat really isn't so scary, though it is a rather boring and somewhat dirty, and I've already lost one sock to it's $2.25-per-load washing machines.

All my herbs are growing happily from their places on the deep windowsills, and furniture is slowing trickling into fill the apartment. Curtains will be hung by the end of the week, and with internet now working, I'd say this apartment is well under-way to becoming home.

All in all, I'm really enjoying this new phase of life, even though there is tons of change in it!

{One Step At A Time} Early Morning

This week has really been another blah jogging week. I had such a busy weekend that by Monday I felt barely alive. Also, since this cold just won't leave, I took a break from jogging both Monday and Tuesday. The past three days, I've only been able to get to .9 miles, but I think I may also be increasing my speed. Either way, it's been slightly discouraging.

But there was one really great moment this week. On Friday morning I was walking through the second neighborhood on my route, the sun was shining, the air was warm, and I was passing many other people out for walks and with their dogs; I almost forgot that it was only 7:45 in the morning!

See, I used to abhor having to get up any time earlier than 8 or 9 am. I guess I kind of assumed that the only people who would willing get up early are those you have work or school, and they always seem cranky about having to get up early. But apparently, it seems there are plenty of people who even enjoy getting up early!

Now granted, I admit that I still do enjoy getting to sleep in every now and again, and I'm pretty cranky when I first wake up in the morning. But I truly think I would miss those lovely morning hours if I were to start sleeping in till 8 or 9 every day.

Total mileage this week: 3 miles
Longest distance non-stop: 1.6 miles
Total mileage since 4/13/13: 14.6 miles

{Works With Her Hands} Moving Prep

Only one more day till Moving Day! All my projects this week have been related to moving, and here are pictures of two:

My dresser is now bright blue! So much better than the dingy white it was before.

 I'm thinking that at some point, I'd really like to do some stenciling on it like this, but this week I just haven't had the time.

I also was able to sew together four more collapsible cubes, plus get all the fabric and cardboard cut out for the last three! It looks so cool, and I'm able to store more in the cubes than I was able to store directly on the shelves. Bonus all the way around.