Simply Stitched...

So the first two weeks of school has really been hard to keep up with blogging! I figured better late than never for today... I just finished my fashion drawing project on flats. (see below) I have been able to complete it before midnight, which is so awesome seeing as how I started over like 3 different times. Our first project was on denim... and you probably are wondering what exactly can you do with denim, well that's just it, there isn't much you can do with it! I have enjoyed learning how to draw little itty-bitty stitch lines and re-learning how to draw symmetrically with a ruler. A flat is exactly what it sounds like, flat. This kind of sketch is to tell pattern makers how to create a pattern, and in order to do that you have to imagine a piece of clothing lying flat on the table stretched out and everything. After this project, I don't think I ever want to work with denim in my designs.... my next project though is on fashion faces with watercolors! (hopefully I'll update you more as the project progesses instead of the very end like this one)

Besides drawing clothes, I've been working on cutting out wool for my advanced sewing class and let me just say that the steps you have to take to prepare wool is long and then not being able to fold it afterwards is hard as well. I've adopted a "coatbox" for the semester....aka a storage pin to carry my fabric back and forth, on top of the other things I have to carry!

Although it's going to be hard to stay motivated on my days off, I have been really encouraged these last 2 weeks with the conversations I have been having. I've already seen a change in my own attitude after prayerfully asking God to help me love those who I see as "hard to love" although he see's and knows differently. I have been learning a lot about what it looks like to be needed even though I feel as though I am not needed. Probably for a little over a semester I've been struggling with understanding this thought of not being needed in friendships or teams and even being a member of a church. However now I see and can take comfort in the idea that everyone has a specific thing they are good at and that we are all simply stitched together to honor Christ in our own ways.... see what I did there ;) I think I'm gonna save the rest of what I've been learning for a post this weekend with how I've applied to become a member of the Village Church here in Denton!

What happened to winter break?

Seriously the concept of distance has really become baffling to me that at the end of one day we can literally be hundreds of miles away from where we woke up that morning! I have no idea how winter break slipped through my fingers! I am so thankful for the time I got to spend at home though, it was very relaxing and enjoyable. On my way back to Texas on Sunday I took a picture of the naval base I live on from the plane....

Seeing that from the plane just puts me an awe of God. How we can go 10,000 feet into the air and our world looks so small? Seriously, when you take a step back how can there not be more to what we see every single day! 

Well yesterday was the first day of the semester, which is kinda scary because at the end of this semester I will be half way through college! For some reason, I don't remember high school going by so quickly! This semester I will have class Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 am until 3 pm, thankfully I'll have a one hour break but not  because I planned it that way it's really just so that our teachers have the chance to eat lunch! I am really really excited for this semester because I get to take a Fashion Drawing Class and I'll get to learn how to draw my own designs which is something I've always wanted to know how to do! However, with 3 really intense fashion classes and 2 online classes the work load is beginning to scare me, especially as I balance sorority life and leading with Young Life! I'm sure this will be a big season for me to learn to trust God and rely on him for strength and energy to get me through my classes and homework!!

One project (or should I say a few projects) I've been working on or hoping to work on within the next couple of days is organizing my room and finding a place for my growing collection of fabric and sewing stuff. It's hard trying to find a place for everything in these small rooms!! I'm also a little bit of a pack rat I think...because I've come to discover it's hard for me to get rid of things!

My next project has been getting groceries and getting back into cooking for myself again...wouldn't be great if we could just eat out all the time? Today, I cut up all my vegetables and salad toppings so that they would be ready for my lunch tomorrow:) 

Lastly, I've been saving this post until now because I wanted to post a picture of my winter assignment. I was able to complete my finished winter assignment and take a picture of it on the dress form yesterday! I was grinning from ear to ear when my teacher began to critique it but mainly because I was smiling at the fact that I knew exactly what she would call me out on (which she did in fact due).... and the other half was because I was proud of it! We finally learned how to make skirts last semester and I wish that I had taken advantage of playing around with the half scale pattern over winter break!

Here are a few pictures of the process...it took almost an entire roll of butcher paper...but mainly because I kept messing up on the pattern for the flounces on the bottom of the skirt!

The last picture isn't great quality but my iPad was dying and I didn't have my new camera with me, but in the future I am going to try and post better quality pictures :) 

Date Night

So this year for Christmas Justin and I decided that we wanted to each plan a 'date night'! The heart behind it was to save money and when you're in a long distance relationship sometimes it's a better gift when you just get to spend time doing it together! Well all was well until....

1. the groupon I bought isn't actually useful until the weekend so we couldn't go 3-D mini-golfing at the ocean front! you might ask why not go this weekend...well Justin's going camping and I leave sunday so there's that....
2. the frozen temperatures hit all of the United States on wednesday, meaning Justin's plans for us weren't going to work due to freezing temperatures
3. after my groupon fail, I chose the Melting pot to eat, which if you really knew me you'd know that I've gone there at least 3 times for my birthday in the last 5 years. 
4. which leads me to our next struggle, Justin was going to take me to the Melting Pot on his date because he knows I love it! 

Here's what we did instead:

I took Justin to a very yummy dinner at the Melting Pot! After we just vegitated because what else can you do after eating a 4-course meal of fondue!

Yesterday, Justin took me go kart racing! We raced around the track even though we all know Justin won as he proceeded to lap me every couple of laps. He got into the top 12 scores for the week ! After we went to P.F. Changs and once again decided on a 4 course meal but about half way through the entree we had to stop because we both couldn't eat anymore! Then we went back to his mom's house where we eventually ate the rest of our leftovers and attempted to watch the Conjuring for the 2nd time after seeing it this summer...needless to say we failed and stopped because it was freaking me out and then we ate our Salted Caramel cake and watched Forrest Gump on TV :)

Even though nothing went according to the plans we had originally, we both had a fun time together before I head back to school this weekend and he heads off Camping with friends! 

Comment below if you have any fun date night ideas we can try next time Justin and I see each other!  

Ringing in the New Year with a New Blog

"Do not fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let Petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." -Phil. 4:6-7 

In an effort to follow in my sister's footsteps once again (lol) I have also decided to start a new blog. She has inspired me to blog and to learn and research new things because she literally researches everything....and I mean everything!  Her blog is www.lifewithsky.wordpress.com. I'll start with a few things about my self and add to it as time goes on....you know to keep you guessing :)

If you really knew me you'd know that I am a Fashion Design student at the University of North Texas. You'd also know that I'm a Young Life College Leader at UNT. And If you really knew me you'd know I have lived in 5 different states and that I was born in Mobile, Alabama...which I'm sure a lot of my friends didn't actually know (lol)

I have tried to blog before but I think seeing my sister Jessica post will encourage me to post on this blog and my fashion blog (which is really a small business). Here's to new blogs and keeping up with them this year! 

My goals for this blog and this new year:

• to post three times a week (just like my sister) about my school life, sorority life, relationships, fitness attempts (like a squat challenge that my roommate and I are going to do when I get back to TX), cooking attempts, and most importantly my walk with Christ
• this year I am going to try and just be here. something I suck at is trying to be everywhere and wishing I could be in two places at once. Where ever I am at I am going to be all there, all in. I dont want to be wishing for the next thing, just wishing now could be longer! God has called me to be here so I might as well embrace it
• along with the previous one, I want...no definitely need to be more intentional with friends from home and friends at school too! I want to ask harder questions and take a leap of faith and be a child of God in terms of my faith. 
• to take more pictures, my dad gave me his old DSLR, and I am beyond excited to play around with it and take pictures...now if only I had photoshop my life would be complete....and I would never accomplish anything (lol) 
• to read and pray more... somehow my first semester of college I read both Redeeming Love and Love Does and I have yet to read another book since... but on top of reading more books I'd love to spend more time in the word daily, and praying often for friends and family
• to be healthier, and not lazier! I want to be in shape and eat healthy, so that I don't get winded running up the stairs at my house (because lets me honest no one walks up the stairs anymore). 

I have lots of ideas in store for this semester, things that I wish I had more time for because I miss doing them! Like painting or drawing...although I have taking a fashion drawing class this semester so that should be interesting! To think I am almost half way through my college career is scary.... it seems like I graduated from High schoool only yesterday!