My sister-in-law's wedding

 My SIL is getting married in September. I offered to sew ties for the little boys (all 7 of them) and the dresses for the baby girls (2) and possibly the older girls (2).


But I also realized I finally had the perfect reason to sew the short skirt (E) from the new Simplicity 4580 pattern. I've had this pattern for a few years ever since I made the top for a friend's Polynesian dance costume - and I've wanted the perfect excuse to make the skirt but haven't had one... until now!

I bought some dark red duponi silk from JoAnn's with a 50% coupon, so rather than being $20/yard it was only $10/yard! I also bought some extra so that I could pre-wash it in the washing machine and then I wouldn't have to get it dry cleaned every time I wore it! Sweet!

I also decided that since I was turning 30 this year, I should probably own at least one pair of sexy high heels as I enter my magical, mature thirties. And maybe they should be red or brown since I already have so many pairs of black dress shoes.

Last month in one of the Target ads were a pair of Mossimo Black Chili Pearce Round Toe pumps for $22! Unfortunately only the black and nude ones were available in store, so I would need to order the red ones. I ran to Target the last night of the ad and tried on the Mossimo Pearce Round Toe Pumps to get the accurate size for me and then I ordered them at target.com that night to take advantage of the sale price. I still had to pay shipping, but I got my red shoes!

The final piece to the wedding ensemble I want is this short-sleeve wrap blouse from Banana Republic. If only I had found it before it sold out! They had a few XXS on their site for sale last week, but I know that even for Gap and Old Navy I'm not XS anymore. At least not since since I had Tips Jr. and started breastfeeding. I really, really want this shirt! Maybe, just maybe I will find it in the next 3-1/2 months before the wedding. The hunt is on!

My fashion funk

I've been in one for years. Part of the problem is that we spent our first 2 years as poor college students (well, Tips was the one in college, I was the one working to support us) and then we spent the next 3 years budgeting and being tight with our money. I didn't even feel like I had money to buy fabric and patterns for myself to make new clothes for myself, let alone go shopping like so many of my friends and family did!

Plus, the few times I would go shopping I would experience one of the following two scenarios: 1) I have money but most of the clothes in the stores aren't cute enough or the type of style I am looking for; or 2) I don't have any money but still go 'window shopping' and there are TONS of cute clothes I want!

Why oh why can't I find the clothes I want when I actually have money to buy them?!?!?!

Most of the clothes I have received over the years have been hand-me-downs from the following three sources: my younger sister who worked at American Eagle for quite a few years, my sister-in-law who buys lots and lots of clothes and ends up not wearing some of them because she realizes she doesn't love them as much after she brings them home, and my mother-in-law who has given me a couple of pairs of shoes that were too small for her but that fit me.

The result? Most of my wardrobe wasn't something that I actually designed or sought out for myself.

I realized the inconsistency I had in my life a couple of months ago after we moved into our home. I had created a 'dream home' binder with tear out sheets from interior design magazines (dating back to my interior design college days) with features of things I wanted in my future home. Like beadboard paneling in the bathroom and kitchen, crown molding and chair rail molding, wood/laminate floors, even rose bushes outside! But I haven't ever taken the time to create a style portfolio for myself - and that has led to my wardrobe being acted upon by forces outside of myself rather than me creating the wardrobe I truly want!

So this blog is going to become my style portfolio so I can create the look I want first on this blog and then be able to realize it in the physical form!