Sew Geeky: Episode 6- Studio Ghibli style!

So Sew So.  I finally got over my fear and joined a creative non traditional sewing group where monthly themes generate creativeness.  Studio Ghibli inspirations come in all shapes and sizes.  I didn't want to get too crazy since I decided to go back to work even tho i was super happy farting and belching my way through life in holey jammies while hanging out and playing with the twins.  But reality wall palmed us when we decided to buy our own home.  With 7 peeps in this rental house things are ok but we just want to have a place to call our Home.  Where everybody knows your name, right?  So off to Joann Fabric and Crafty McCraft store i went.  Right now we are gearing up for the Holidaaaaaaaaaays so I am working overnight shift which starts at midnight and goes till 8am.  worst schedule ever for a human being but that is when the most work gets done. our store is and effing catastrophe but we are working hard to get it to where it needs to be in order to be efficient.  So onto the project.

 Recently my children are being more open to watching the movies created by Studio Ghibli.  Movies other than "Chihiro, and Howl and KiKi"  so when we finally took a Sunday afternoon and sat down with a monster bowl of popcorn we watched Totoro.  They all fell in love instantly so I knew that i must draw from that love and create a functional sewing project that would be used very regularly.  Enter the Totoro Hooded Towel 

Now I am just letting y'all know that this was just a very simple project.  I didn't have a pattern per say but more of an image in my head as to how it should look.  I started off by serging up a smaller towel for the head and attaching it to the main body towel.  from there i proceeded to skillfully cut felt circles for eyes and and triangle for nose and strips of ribbon for whiskers.  

After I pinned those awesome felt bits, i wanted to make a big smiley mouth.  I drew it free hand and sewed some black ribbon straight onto the white felt.  BAM!  A nice big Totoro mouth full of teeth.

 It started to take shape once i placed the mouth on the top towel.  I was feeling very proud.  At this point i took a long break from sewing and decided to work on other projects and then went and job a jobby job.  That started to take up a lot of time. 

 Here is a random pic of me sewing the mouth on.  I don't do tutorials so I am a total goof when it comes to taking pictures of the process.  I also have a hard time getting the pics off my phone which took a bloody manual for me to figure it out. 

 YAY!

So for the tummy I wanted Totoro's tummy to over lap so when the towel was closed it wouldn't look at stupid but still look like his tummy.  the velcro  served as a guide.

 After I eyeballed the white fleece for the tummy I quickly sewed his tummy front on and then couldn't skip out on his upside down gray hearts so I fabric glued those babies on since i seriously ran out of time.  I skipped making the little ear/antenna things.  I thought about it then said "NAH, ain't nobody got time for dat" and just quickly took a pic of it all done.  Since I work graveyard I didn't have any little angels home to model the towel in time.  SORRY! It velcros nicely and i think i should cut out some armholes or something so it doesn't feel like a straight jacket.  

So i feel like anybody can make this.  It is fun and functional and will be used all the friggin' time.  can't wait for the arguing.  maybe my kids will bathe more and not cry about bath time.....hm......we'll see.  

Thanks for letting me join in the group and I hope to get my act together sooner for the next time. 

Click each picture below to check out the stars of this episode of Sew Geeky!

Oh OK.  School has started and boy do i wish for those lazy days of summer again.  is it just me or do teachers these days demand alot from us parents.  I mean come on.  If i wanted to teach my kids i would home school them.  but when they come home from school not understanding anything in their math book i start to wonder what the HELL they are learning in class.  Also why the eff do we have to do so many projects these days.  and not just real projects but lame a$$ ones that you do in first grade but are making a 6th grader do it.  Decorating a Kleenex box?  WHA??????  i already donated 2 boxes now they want another one all decorated??  give me a freaking break.

But......on the other hand i have more time with just Kitty and Jane and even they started Joy School.  I can do stuff like visit a friend now for 2 hours.  totally amazing.  or just sew something in my cloffice and hang out in there all happy watching Anime or listening to Sleeping with Sirens all loud and not caring how loud it is.  Such a tender mercy.

The thing i am worried about is getting ready for Halloween.  My kids still can't make up their minds and I really don't feel like busting out 5 costumes in a month.  Everyday Kitty is either gonna be a Binja (Ninja) Turtle, or a witch or even Frankie Stein or mad Elsa.  I can't keep up.  Emily wants to be Catty Noir, Jane doesn't even want a costume yet and Sarah is almost old enough to be on her own.  I am considering a Sassy Rick Grimes LMAO  not really but it is hilare.

love that melee weapon too.  but honestly i am leaning towards Lenore from the Raven.  It is gonna be pretty sweet. Wait for pics  wait a long time cuz i am not so good at doing this bloggy blog thingy thing anymore.  but who knows, maybe with all my free time i can stay on top of things more.  MAYBE????  guess we'll see. 

Why I love being a SAHM

First of all i hate the "SAHM" thingy.  it looks annoying.  it sounds stupid too.  anyhoo i don't work outside of the home.  I think at this point in my at home career i am unwanted in the out of home work place.  I don't shower regularly, i fart and burp like a nasty old man, cuz hey, aint nobody around except my kids, and i don't even own clothes or shoes necessary for working or looking nice.  but one of the biggest perks is laying like a fat slug on the couch watching cartoons.  now you might be saying "WHAT??? don't you mean anime?"  well i save that for night time when all the kids are in bed and i can watch my "stories" undisturbed.  but when the twins are up with me i love to watch Adventure Time and Regular Show.  I can just laugh my head off while the kids just stare at the crazy whacked out nonsense that is happening on the boob tube.  I am not a parent that forbids their kids from watching tv.  no sir.  i like me some cartoons and complete nonsense on a daily basis.  but today we have been watching Regular Show and i can't believe some of the stuff that is said or displayed cuz aint no way kids get the humor that is directed to early  20 something males.  and that is prolly where my maturity levels is too.  in fact i know it is hovering somewheres around 12-25yrs old.  hey next time somebody calls that wants to do a survey i'm gonna say i am 20-25 year old male. hahahaha that'll show them.  and then answer all the questions like a dude. and say the word dude a million times.  see how unfit i am to be working outside of the home?  better just stay home with the kids watching cartoons.  life is more fun that way.

Happy Halloween It's almost Thanksgiving!

Adventure Time

Halloween 2013 turned out to be a manic phase for me.  I became so obsessed with that damn Axe Bass that it was all i could think about.  I wanted it to be sooo humongous and ridiculously epic that i spent so much time in the garage and delicate shaping and painting and gluing until the fumes took over.  But this whole process did not happen over night.  Let me tell you.....i had been planning this get up since June.  I carefully researched red boots and found them surprisingly at Target.  Emily has worn the crap out of them and they are pretty much trashes.  Marceline would be proud.  The makeup used was Snazaroo in light grey and it was perfect.  So I actually did research on blogs, youtube etc finding and using all the tips and props that other people had used.  Doesn't she look beautiful??

Now Finn and Fionna were a bit more work with costumes than with props.  I got lucky and found Finn's sword at Spirit Halloween store for about 12 bucks and I snatched that baby up.  Fionna's sword came from the dollar sword and got a nice spray paint job to resemble her crystal gem sword.  I found it easier to actually sew the hats than to buy them.  that also applied to the back packs.  they were just for show and not really functional.  I searched Amazon for the perfect Fionna ensemble miraculously finding the shirt, skirt and socks.  She borrowed my shoes(can't believe my 10 year old could fit into a size 8.5 shoe!!)  Finn's outfit came straight out of the men's section at Target.  I love you Target.  

Now for Princess Bubble Gum there is alot of sewing involved.  I used this pattern and made the queen of hearts dress.  Let me tell you this is the most hideous dress style ever for a woman with a very full, large rack!  not flattering.  and then it is all gathered at the waist making you look about 500 pounds bigger than you really are!  I was able to find the wig at spirit halloween also opting to buy a cheap wig and not spend a ton of money on an amazing cosplay wig only cuz i had spent a fortune on the fabric and the the snazaroo face paint. 

 My Flame Princesses

The twins were the easiest to make.  I just ordered from etsy some of those crocheted tube tops and bought tulle to make these tutus.  and then made them wear an orange pumpkin shirt underneath.  they would let me get any more elaborate than that.  so they aren't the best example of the beautiful Flame Princess but good enough.  Atleast they are learning young about the cheap way to cosplay and the real way to cosplay!  They loved those tutus soo much it was ridiculous!

Now all of the tutorials and ideas I pinned onto my AT board

Our best Halloween Ever- so far..........Just wait for next year!

check check a one two one two.....

So while i have been off the grid for quite awhile i have been busy with my finding myself while being a mommy.  needless to say i wish they never had homework.  why do teachers give homework that requires an adult?  i did my time.  it is there time now.  not mine.  i just make sure they do and it is correct.  boo.  hiss. i never want to do another project but i know there will be many more to come.   and school has only begun this year.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Updates:

1.Jeremy- Just took the Professional Engineer's exam.  i hope he passes.  it would help open the doors to other jobs/companies.  while we have gotten use to life here in almost snobby Glendora, CA  we would move in a heartbeat if it meant being able to buy a home in a nice area so our kids could grow up and stop waiting for the next move.  we would love to move out of the country too and see the world with all of our kids.

2.Sarah-Homegirl is in 5th grade.  how did this happen?  she hates reading, loves recess, stopped going to karate cuz why pay a butt load of cash for something she doesn't practice or love anymore??  She loves Adventure Time and playing Moshi Monsters!

3.Emily-My little 2nd grader is an artist!  This girls loves to draw.  She will spend hours drawing and she is super amazing too!  I am not just playing her up.  I can say when my kid sucks at something.  she sucks at controlling her emotions.  she is super emo!  we are working on that.  and i think she is too smart for 2 grade but i don't want to push her up to the next grade when she isn't ready maturity wise....

4.Jane and Kitty-  little sass mouths.  They literally run the show.  I almost hate going anywhere with them cuz they cause such a stir.  people loose their minds when identical twins show up.  I have had crazy people approach me talking all kinds of nonsense about having twins.  sometimes i scream "Twins??  Where is the third, i'm missing one!"  that really freaks people out.  then i start laughing and tell them i would kill myself if i had triplets.  they hate having strangers touch their hair too.  oh that gorgeous curly red hair.  They have dark eyes and lashes so they are day walkers as far as gingers go.  they won't burn as quickly. still no identifying marks on them so people have a hard time telling them apart!  Jane hates eating anything other than sausage and chocolate.  Kitty is a great eater but won't eat pudding and ice cream.  the consistency scares her.  also i believe that kitty is the evil twin.  she will tell you stop looking at her.  funny twinners!

5.Me-i can barely get up in the morning.  i hate mornings.  i hate making lunches but i love my kids most of the time.  I made some new friends from joanns since i hang out there once a week.  I love the sister missionaries in our ward and think of those days that seem so long ago about serving a mission in Russia.  i love Harajuku fashion and anything Kawaii.  I wish i had more time to sew and i wish i was better at it.  I spend more time outside with the kids walking and talking to neighbors.  Then I sit in the dark in my room at night watching Anime.  Miss Otaku over here!  i went to WonderCon and Anime Expo this year and had a blast running around like i was 20 again!

Of course lots have happened in the time that i have been away.  That is only natural.  But i hope that i can turn this thing around and post some nonsense to keep life light hearted and happy.  thar be days i want to swear like a pirate/sailor ( i am no stranger to those days *wink* but i am trying!)  I am looking forward to the holidays with Halloween to kick us off!  Be back soon!

The Return of SuperMom-{Picture Overload!!!!!

So.....i feel like my hiatus has come to an end.  I want to revamp myself now that my twins are rapidly approaching 2 1/2 years of age.  Sarah is almost 10-thinks she is 21 with her snarky remarks and Emily is 7 with a blankie boy being dragged around the house and neighborhood.  I am constantly busy with all of them and at the same time days seem to drag on with the same routine repeated and very few alterations.  One of the biggest events was preparing for WonderCon 2013.  I had so much fun running around staring at everyone and all the things you could buy to proudly show off your nerd/geekiness.  I did buy  a super cute Chibi Loki print -artist was Val Hochberg(gotta check her stuff out, it was fantastic, also another super  duper amazing blow your mind artist was Jessica Grundy- i bought a small wooden block print of Lainey, then i bought a book called SkyBound by James Morris-an up and coming young author/musician.  His book is amazing and it is part one of a trilogy.  Gotta read it folks!  But I know you are all wanting to see some pics so here you go:

And now all i have to get ready for is Anime Con 2013 in July!  AAAAAHHHHHH!  I am so excited!!  i wanna either cosplay as Princess Bubblegum or Kaname Chidori.  Can't decide!

Running Progress

I started running 4 weeks ago. It has been fun and educational. I didn't think I could continue since I had to mentally prepare myself for the 3xweek run with my sweet Jeremy. It started out at running 2 miles at 30 minutes. We took one of the weeks off to recover so we have actually only been running for 3 weeks. Last week we decided to change it up a bit. Monday we did a fast 10 minute mile. Come on peeps, i know it isn't fast but it is fast for me. I was pulling a 15 mile and shuffling when I started. So i get 3 houses away and I puke all over the street and my legs and my shoes. I wanted that 10 minutes so badly that i pushed myself past the breaking point. Hey go big or go home.(thanks Cort!) Then on Wednesday we decided to do sprints from the end of the Cultasac to the top at the stop sign. Jeremy timed us each time. I did pretty good since it is uphill going and then a jog the way down. On the we did 5 up and 5 back. The last one was suppose to be the best one. Well it was shorter than all the others and followed by an immediate barf-fest. I was kidding about it being the best! I had no idea i was gonna do that either. I don't feel it, I just breathe and out it comes. so gross i know. had to wash the shoes again. Friday we did a nice steady 2 mile run at 25 min 32 sec. wow i took off almost 5 minutes. we were shooting for 25 minutes flat but i didn't want to barf this time so i didn't push it. Our goal is to take off another 5 minutes to run a steady 10 minute without dying and then we will add another mile to the run. Turns out I like the run but not interested in marathon. I just like dating my husband while on a run getting back in shape. I have only lost one pound can you believe that? but my legs are toning and my waist line is getting smaller and my stamina is increasing. My pants are barely starting to fit better. I know it takes time so I just keep reminding myself that I have twins and the weight didn't come over night and it won't go over night. I am hoping to have a great body by Christmas. Attainable and worth it!