Just Some Random Stuff

So, weekends are always my favorite because I usually get to fit something fun in, and actually have some semblance of a life. I sewed a little this weekend on the shirt I'm working on in between studying, so I will post pics when it comes a little further along, preferably when they aren't just pattern pieces in a stack. I did post some pics on the tank top I made a while back below. I did another version with ruffles, but it is currently pinned up the wazoo to help me with altering the pattern, so the full pic won't come until later. I really like how the shape is, and it was super fast. The only part that is tricky was the hand sewing (which I actually love doing), the top stitching (making sure it is all even), and the self-made bias tape around the arm hole.

Me and Megan also worked on our ATCs for a swap we are doing with the lovely Heather. (Don't peek if you are reading this!) Megan's is the first, and mine is the one with the shoes. The great thing about ATCs are that they are small enough that you don't have to worry about filling it up, and really easy and fun to make.

.For the next little while, I'm going to be concentrating on my upcoming test and getting my Halloween costume ready. After going back and forth, I think I have decided on being a 40s girl. I have some vintage dresses I might try out.

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Have fun with all of your Halloween preparations! It will be here before you know it!

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Thanks for all the comments ladies! It really does make my day!

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{xoxo melissa}

Vogue Beauties

Okay...I absolutely adore these photos. They are so cute, and the colors that I am lovin' right now, especially the mustard yellow. The accessories are fabulous and go perfectly with each outfit. I love the head pieces, I want to make something like that. Vogue, you outdid yourself. Now, if you could just send me everything, I would be a happy girl.

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Just wanted to stop by, I'll be posting later about my Sunday afternoon.

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Only a few more days until Halloween! Now is the time to get your costumes ready.

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Happy Monday!

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{{xoxo melissa}}

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(photos via British Vogue, via {this is glamorous})

Clothes Heaven

Morning thus far: had a stomach filling breakfast of blueberry waffles (with plenty of syrup), got ready for class (not so fun), and am waiting to see how the rest of the day will pan out. Class was okay, nothing too exciting to report, but a lot of homework for the weekend. Lately I have been so busy with life, but I hope to have some down time for this weekend. Speaking of weekends, I did work on my sewing project last week, and am looking forward to more sewing time. I will show some pics this weekend of what I've been up to.

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So, on Wednesday, I had the best shopping spree. There was a huge J.Crew and Crewcuts sale at the Thanksgiving Point Barn (near my house), and everything was super cheap. We're talking $5 leather belts, $7 shirts, $15 sweaters, and $25 for coats. They had all kinds of clothes, mostly from stuff they sold this year in their stores. I got some major steals. Lots of sweaters, a few jackets, belts, and the cutest coat. I am in clothes heaven. Below is a picture of what the Barn looked like inside, courtesy of this blog. Just look at the boxes and boxes of stuff:

Here are some of my pictures of my clothes. Really cute stuff.

In front is the coat. I need to iron it, but I will show the full length later. You can see the sleeve detail below.

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I finally found a skinny belt that I love (leather too!) and bought me some more argyle. I just want to start wearing all of it, now that the weather is getting to the cold stages.

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The weekend is coming up, and the weather is supposed to be pretty nice, one of the last ones of the fall season, so I am headed out to enjoy the sunshine.

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Sending you a fall sunshine day...

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{{xoxo melissa}}

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(photos via yourheartout and yours truly!)

Just the Right Amount of Spooky

I love Halloween, and recently found some fun finds on Etsy to celebrate the season:

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This print by Irena Sophia. I love the orange and the little witch. Find it here.

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These really cute shadow puppets. Makes me want to grab these and a flashlight quick. Courtesy of sisters Meredith and Robin of orangemoontoys.

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This really adorable paper doll. Nothing can beat the benefits of a black mask. Especially for those moments of intrigue and mystery :)

And this guy. Isn't he the cutest? Really love him. Want to take him home. The crafty lady behind opticwaste uses vintage and antique cameras, and has some really cool photo prints and silhouette series too. Check it out here.

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Hope you're inspired for some spookiness of your own.

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Be back to post more craftiness later!

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{{xoxo melissa}}

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(photos via danita shop, Irena Sophia, orangemoontoys, and opticwaste)

A Little Lovlies...

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I've been pretty busy lately with life. I was sick for a couple of days, and the ever present school consumes most of my free time, so I just wanted to pop in and make a short post before Monday. This apartment by Rita Konig is such a big inspiration. I loooove the colors, the whole feel. I would die if I could have a place like this. I especially love the framed LOVE poster and the pink pillows on the couch. So cute! These pics come from the October issue of Domino, one of my favorite interior mags. Check out Rita's blog here for more lovelies.

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Happy Monday tomorrow, I'll post more about my weekend later now that I feel (somewhat) back on track.

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{{xoxo melissa}}

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(pics via domino)

Do you ever dream in black and white?

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I just want to say up front that I hate writing papers, in that they always seem to take up half of the night. Especially tonight. Now that I have that off of my chest...
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This past weekend was pretty fun, I didn't have too much homework, so I actually got to go do something. On Friday, my sisters and I stayed in for a girls weekend and watched Ironman with homemade smores. Very tasty--the smores, not the movie...okay, the movie too ;)

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Saturday, me and Megan went to a storytelling performance of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the outdoor amphitheater at the local park. So fun, and totally worth it. The weather was cold, but I layered like there was no tomorrow. No frozen ligaments to report. The performance was played out with songs and drama as the narrator read the actual short story written by Washington Irving. The actor playing Ichabod Crane was hilarious-- I laughed so hard, the neighboring audience members probably gave me the evil eye.

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As a plus, before the show they sold food that was appropriate to the time period, and I tasted the most delicious Dutch Apple Pie. Ever. I have always had a thing for apple pie, so I was in heaven. It was too dark, or else I would have taken a picture. (Also, I ate it before I could would have had the chance.)

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In other creative doings, I have been scheming up a new sewing project that involves altering a pattern...I am really excited about it, and am planning on working on it this weekend. Let's rephrase this... I will work on it this weekend. Below, I thought I would post a peek of something I made a while ago. I altered a tanktop pattern to include a ruffle on the top. I really like how it turned out, and when I get some better pictures, I will show you what it actually looks like.

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Nothing else too exciting-- I posted some black and white pics I have been playing around with. It's fun to think in black and white for a change. Plus, stuff like this gets me in a Halloween mood. Anyhoo...I am dragging myself off now to go finish my paper.

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Sending you creative wishes!

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{{xoxo melissa}}

Something fun...

I saw this idea on another blog, and wanted to try it out for myself. So, this mosaic is me, in a small nutshell. Here are the questions, and my attempt at an answer.

1. What is your name? Melissa
2. What is your favorite food? Anything Italian
3. What high school did you attend? Lehi
4. What is your favorite color? (of the moment...) mustard yellow
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Cary Grant
6. Favorite drink? Lemonade
7. Dream vacation? England
8. Favorite dessert? Oatmeal Creme Pies
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Creative
10. What do you love most in life? Laughter
11. One word to describe you? Unpredictable
12. Your flickr name? (for me, my blog name) Funny girls

This was pretty fun, so you can play along if you want to! All you have to do is type your answer to each of these questions into the flickr search and pick an image from the first page that comes up. Copy the URLs into Mosaic Maker, and presto, you have a picture.

hope your weekend has been fun...will post tomorrow about the weekend activities!

{{xoxo melissa}}

1. melissa kaye, 2. { For the love of italian food ,,, 3. lehi foothills, 4. vintage brown & mustard yellow fabric, 5. Cary Grant 1934, 6. Lemonade! (Day 139), 7. England's Green and Pleasant Land..., 8. Chocolate Oatmeal Creme Pies, 9. Day 8/366 • At least I look creative..., 10. incurable laughter, 11. The Predictability of the Unpredictable Mind …., 12. Barbra Streisand - Funny Girl

Wish List

I am a definite coat lover. Always have been, always will. I am dreaming of the day when I can call this one mine.

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Find it here.

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looking forward to weekend fun...

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{{xoxo melissa}}

All About Amy

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So, Amy Butler's designs have always been an inspiration. Her fabric has such great colors and designs, and I have always wanted to use it somewhere in my room. Now I have an excuse. Her new fabric line, called Daisy Chain has some great colors in it. I am usually not drawn to blues and greens as much, but I closed in on these patterns fast. I love the pairing of the navy, greens, and grays. So chic. I have been searching for some fabric to decorate my new bed, and so now I am ready to whip up some pillows, and anything else that suits my fancy. Here are the color ways that I like the best (they are even better in person):

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Also, if you want to read a great interview of Amy, check out this girl's blog. It gives you a peek into her creative space (see pics at the top) and she talks about some of her current favs.

For more interior inspiration, these pictures from Domino's The Book of Decorating reminded me of the feel I want in my room, and the color totally goes with the Daisy Chain line:

So, here are the looks of the day. I am itching to get my hands on anything fabric and get to work behind the sewing machine. At least I can watch someone else do it while I watch Project Runway tonight.

Enjoy Wednesday while it lasts!

{{xoxo melissa}}

(photos via sfgirlbybay, Amy Butler, and DesignSponge)

Mid-Week Fancies

Here are some pretties to drool over courtesy of James Merrell...


I love the picture arrangements. I totally want to steal this decorating idea.

This couch is so my style. That color is the perfect touch.

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The pink is so chic. It adds a hint of softness and grace to the room.

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I found James Merrell's work a while ago, but just haven't posted about it until now. What amazing photography! I only wish I could capture something as beautiful as some of his stuff. Plus, he has some great photos from places like Venice and India, so check out his website here. I had a hard time deciding which picture I like best... there are too many, so you definitely need to check out his other work.

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Lately this stack of fabric is calling my name. I haven't gotten to it yet, but my goal is to work on something over the weekend. I want to use the plaid before fall escapes me. I'm working on altering a pattern that I have already made something from, so we'll see how it goes. So many projects, so little time.

Nothing else exciting to report... by the way, the camera I used in my pictures is a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a SLR (Single Lens Reflex). [Confession: it isn't actually mine, I steal it from my sister. She doesn't really use it much, so I basically get to call it my own (most days)]. I really like the way it handles, and the camera is easy to use and understand...if that makes sense. (hope this helps melissa!) If anyone else has more questions, feel free to shoot them my way.

Thanks for all the comments and visits! It really makes my day!

Happy mid-week...enjoy the simple things around you!

{{xoxo melissa}}

(photos via James Merrell and myself)