New Year's Eve

I'm not sure how it got here so fast. 2014 started fast and ended fast. It has been one of the most transitional and goal reaching years of my entire life.

This year:

I had a book published.

I filmed for a program on PBS.

I got national press for my clothing line.

I got happily laid off from my dread day job, and I am just working doing patterns for hire and my dresses now.

I hopefully graduated physical therapy for the last time.

After 14 years of fighting it, I had my gallbladder out. It's been 9 months since. I was in denial about how much discomfort/pain I was in for years, and still expect to feel it ever now and then being angry. Fear is a powerful thing.

I dealt with anxiety about surgery, flying, life, and poor sleeping.

I started doing Zumba, this month. It's kind of amazing, and I really hope it transforms my life into actually not despise working outs. I made it through classes and didn't die, and actually look forward to going. (no I am not drinking before)

I learned that some of my greatest joys and rewarding work is done through volunteering. I am the most proud of the work I do with this. Both with the Newberg Animal Shelter, and with the Clothing Closet at my High School in Newberg. It makes me so very happy to be able to help.

I went swimming almost once a week all summer. I'd like to say this is the key to all success.


2015, I have no idea what you have in store for me. Other than I'm open wide. Instead of not knowing what I am going to be doing in 2 years, I don't know what I will be doing in 2 months.

I'm excited.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Advertising fails

So in the past year I have become completely dependant and obssesd with two things:

1. Midol.

2. BB cream.

I say adverting fails, because I know what each of these products were independently, but had never understood why I needed their magical powers in my life.

1. Midol, what the hell is this? It's the thing that the young man at he grocery store gets red in the face helping you locate (from fear? of PMS fueled rage maybe? ) And is embarrassed to ask you if it's for "lady problems", yes this actually happened. (It also doesn't help his fear if you are white knuckle cluthing a Dr. Pepper and a bag of M&M chocolate covered pretzels in the ask)  I am forever indebted to Rita for almost forcing this magic drug down my throat one day. 20 minutes later I was all WHAT IS THIS MAGICAL SUBSTANCE THAT HAS MADE ME NO LONGER FEEL AS THOUGH I AM DYING?!?!?! 
    It was so magical that I actually wrote to Midol and told them their advertising was shitty and they lad lost 15 years of loyal patronage by not reaching me with it. Magical, I swear. They just sent me some coupons in return.


2.  BB cream. I am not actually sure what is in this, guessing not ground up Midol, but maybe could be? I had it lathered on my face at different make up counters over the past few years. I couldn't tell the difference because of the sheer amount of spackle they had put on me, in attempt to sell 10 face products that I can't even recall what they were. I had to recently be filmed, and my lovely hair/make up lady, Heidi Cuthbert gave me the low down on how to look fabulous on film. Well mainly this BB cream. It's light, has SPF, doesn't get gross evens out your skin tone. Just put it on. MAGICAL.

If I become a hoarder and someone has to estate sale my house, you can bet I'll have a back stock of both of these.

Holidaze

The last 22 days of this month have not gone how I thought they would in my imagination. That's ok I guess, since nothing ever does. I hope to come up for some air in the New Year, it's all good, just new uncharted territory.  I am so very lucky to do something that I love as a job, and now I am doing that as my own boss.

More updates as I get time, but here is Santa with Santa Max.

Big Day in Oregon!

Glad I got to see this in my lifetime. Not that I am a huge pot head, but hemp is one of the strongest fibers to make rope, textiles, and paper from. And it is great to eat as well. Yay for legalizing!!!

Happy Halloween!

I live for this holiday. This year it kind of crept up, as summer went so long. (no complaints here). I dressed as my spirit animal, Grumpy Cat.

Pug Bundy and I.

 Outside our door. Guess which one is out year round?

 Max! In his Ghost costume.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I'm in USA Today Modern Woman Magazine Fall/Winter 2014!!

I'm so stoked to be included in the Fall/Winter 2014 USA Today Modern Woman Magazine! It hit newsstands this week, so pick up a copy if you see it out and about.

I'm on page 34, along with Max, Bambi, Cheryl, and Coco. Of course usual suspect Sarah Giffrow of Upswept Creative on camera.

 

 

SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!

Oh and here's me reading it to Max.

 

 

cry-laughing

This post has nothing to do with anything, except this photo made me half cry off my eyeliner I was laughing so hard.

It's from a facebook group where you can post your MCM photos in color. This one was a WTF from the 70's.

I have a terrible/wonderful sense of humor.
 

I have the POWER.....erhm I mean Optitex key.

This may be the all time high so far in my career as an apparel nerd. I just bought my own Optitex key.

OMGHDTVBBQLOL

This is no small thing.

I'm also getting laid off from my day job at the end of November, due to the office closing. December 1 - I'm trusting in myself to be my own boss. I will always make the dresses, but sadly that is not self sustaining. If I stay in a structured job, the next step is management. Working at a company where factories are overseas, I have struggled with not being around the actual make of something. If I were to step up in job, I'd be even more far removed, which makes me sad. It's been 5 years since I worked IN a factory, and I've had a hard time with a lot of those. (I've also enjoyed no tiny sewing manager pinching me with her razor sharp nails every time I cuss when taking patterns down to the sew floor) I'm pretty sure a being a maker is in my blood, which is why I want to be more connect to the products that I help create.

So anyway, once it arrives I'm going to be all:

Holiday/Winter 2014

Photography: Upswept Creative
H&MU: Heidi Cuthbert
Models: Coco, Tanesha, Heidi, Theo the rescue St. Bernard and senior rescue Max!

Babes!!

Summer 2014 - still GAME ON!

I thought last weekend was the last (tear!) swimming weekend. I just took a look at the weather forecast and it says 90 again this Sunday.

It's really weird going to the river when the leaves are turning, and you are driving the by the pumpkin patch with almost ready pumpkins! I'll take it as long as I can. I think I sort of have a tan, from under my SPF 85 sunblock, for the first time in 20 years.

This spring, I had the worst nightmare ever. In the dream it was August and I hadn't been swimming yet. If you didn't know, I'm kind of a total freakazoid about swimming. As soon as it's warm enough, I have emergency swimming supplies in my car at all times. Suit, town, sunblock, floaty, sunbrella and chair! It was a crazy fun summer, and the only casualty was when Swan popped her head.

Oh wait, this is not from this summer, it's my dream home.

Holiday/Winter Teaser

I'm still a tad behind from doing the book! Plus I've been kind of swimming all summer, for a much needed mental health time.

Anyway, here's a sneak peek of one of the looks we shot the other weekend. Isn't Tanesha a total babe????

 Also, this is a low res screen shot, but my BRAIN JUST EXPLODED!!! Max is the cutest. That face!

Can't wait to show the rest.

Last weekend of Summer

This summer has been a good one for me. Not only has it been an abnormally warm, sunny, and warm watered summer. I have made myself enjoy it, and let some things go so I can. 

I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK (well here that is!)

A while back I switched all of my bloging over to my Clair Vintage Inspired website. I was stoked to get it all snazzy and integrated.

Except one thing - Wordpress confuses the shit out of me. Maybe I'm just a creature of habit, but I find Blogger easier to use. I've also done a lot of different things this year, and my line is not my only thing going on. So I like to keep a little story, if not only for myself, as to what all I have going on.

This happened:


So I'm back here, this blog is what I'm up to, with all of the things I do.

In the most exciting news, I will be embarking out of a corporate "day job" into a freelance Patternmaker. December 1 is my first day as my own agent. I'll still be doing my line, and other things I do, but I'm excited (also see a wee bit scared!) to be my own gal. I think I'll be happier in general, and get to work on a lot more things in a capacity that I love.