June 20, 2009

This is probably one of my favorite journal entries! June 20, 2009 is the day Andrew and I decided to date each other exclusively...

Well, it's kind of official now. Andrew and I are actually dating. We held hands for the first time last night and we had a "DTR" (Determine the Relationship) tonight after our date. Here's how the hand-hold went...

We were watching "Goonies," and I totally had my hand out and ready for him, and I knew that he would be okay with holding it, because we had talked on Thursday night and I knew that he liked me. Anyway, so he made NO moves for the longest time! At one point of the movie, I observed out loud, jokingly,
    "Oh! He's holding her hand!" Andrew replied,
    "No he's not," sarcastically. Then he said, "Wait, are you implying something?"
    "No." I responded automatically. So that happened, then finally, towards the end, I said something like, "Can we be friends, Andrew?" I tickled the underside of his arm, just below his hand a little, and he grabbed mine and said,
    "No."
    "But we're friends on facebook."
    "That's as far as it can go," and that was it. Kind of a funny way to have a first hand hold, but this whole relationship has been kind of funny. When he walked me home, he held my hand again as well, but I had to ask him to. What a dork! ;)

For our date, he came and "picked me up" at 5:45. We went to his apt. and had Papa Murphey's. Shaun and Andrea were our double. After we ate dinner, we played Wii since we still had an hour until we would go to "Guitar's Unplugged." After Guitar's Unplugged, Andrea left Shaun to go dance with her roommates and Shaun, Andrew, and I walked back to their apartment.
    So after we got back to the apt., Andrew and I went to get Ice Cream at BRC's, which was delicious! Then we started just driving around a bit. As we were driving, I decided to start the "DTR,"  because I was super confused. I started out by just saying that I was super confused about things and I just was wondering what his thought process exactly was. I tried to explain my question better without being completely and open (trying to protect myself from pain and embarassment if I was wrong), but I still couldn't explain it well enough. He then said something like,
    "I know what your trying to ask, but I'm letting you work it out in your mind." Now, I didn't realize this at the time, but now that I think about it, I think that he meant that he wanted to give me time to really think about my question and decide if I really wanted to ask him it. Anyway, so I finally just said it. I think I said,
    "Alright, then. Do you want a relationship with me?" I was so confused about what he wanted. So that's how the conversation started. We continued to talk and he told me that he was thinking about how I was going to BYU next winter and stuff and that he wasn't the type of guy to "sit here, and try to talk you out of going to BYU, because I believe that that's your choice, and you need to pray about it and decide if it's right for you." He just has this side of him that pops up every now-and-again that I love! I told him that I was so confused because sometimes I felt like he liked me, and other times, not, so I was wondering what it was about me that he liked. He told me that he liked my smile, that it was the first thing that he noticed, and the first thing that Shaun noticed (he just threw that one in there).

*Oi...

He also said that he liked that I was always so positive, happy, and was always doing something. I wasn't always just sitting at home doing nothing. Along with those things, he said that he liked that I had a testimony and could express it. Oh! And he said that he thought that I was talented and liked that.

    I also asked him about things that we could do in public, like if he was okay with holding hands and stuff. He said that he definitely didn't like PDA, but he was okay with holding hands and having his arm around me and stuff, but just not kissing and stuff like that, which I totally agree about. He also said that he hasn't really been holding my hand because he hasn't really gotten into the habit of it, but that he was okay with it. Also, I asked him if he wanted a relationship (in general, this was before I asked if he wanted one with me) and he said that he had been home from his mission for two years now and had only dated one girl, and he wants a family and everything, but if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. So that made me feel much better.
    I think that the reason why I'm always so surprised by him is that he's so manly, but he has a sensitive side to him that I'm never expecting. He seriously intrigues me. That's probably why I've liked him for as long as I have, since I normally don't do that. I lose interest so fast. The thing with this relationship now, is that I need to just calm down and relax. I need to stop thinking so much and just go with the flow. Everything is just so much better when I stop worrying so much.
    So, anyway, we finally got out of the car and walked to the apt., holding hands (he grabbed mine). We sat on the couch and he showed me pictures of his mission and it was so much fun. I really had a good time hearing about his mission, all the people, and the things that he did. I absolutely just loved it.
    When he walked me home, we held hands again, and we said goodnight and he left, no kisses or anything. I, of course, told my roommates when I got home that I was now in a relationship, but I decided to text Andrew really quick anyway and just make sure it was okay. I said,
    "So am I allowed to tell my roommates that I have a boyfriend, then?" He replied,
    "Haha! Of course!" I was so happy! I can hardly believe it! I'm finally in a REAL relationship. It's so different than any other I've had, and I'm okay with that. It's worth it to me. I've realized something today... I realized that, even though sometimes I'm unsure of things that Andrew does and I don't know how well everything's going to happen, 1.) I'm willing to try, and he is, too and thinks that even though it may not last long, we want to try anyway, and 2.) relationships take work. There might be hard times between the two of us, but the hard times are what make a relationship all the stronger. I'm not saying get into intentional hard times, of course, but if they happen to arise, just remember that there's a way to get through those hard times, and I look forward to (I know this sounds corny, but whatever!) the times that we'll share together.

*Yes, old Sue, yes. It is corny!

4

Snow White tutorial

Every time I make pie, I think of Snow White when she makes pie for Grumpy. So while I made my pie the other day, I thought, "I'm going to make this pie as if I was Snow White."

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening
4-5 Tbs. cold water
Pudding mix
2 c. milk (or whatever pudding mix calls for)

Before Snow White began her baking, she always made sure she had a clean workspace to begin with. Now Snow White was lucky because she would just sing a song and all of her little animal friends would come by and do the hard work (here, you do the dishes with your teeny hands while I sweep the floor and sing a song), but you're on your own!

1. Blend 1 1/2 c. flour, 1/1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 c. shortening. I like to cut my shortening into my flour and salt because I think it makes the end product less flake-y.

2. Gradually add water, one tablespoon at a time. I ended up using only 4 Tbs. Don't forget to "whistle while you work!"

3. Now I'm going to teach you a cool trick that even Snow White didn't know... Get some plastic wrap and lay it on your clean counter (if it slides around, just put some water underneath it). Next, sprinkle a little flour and roll your dough out on top of the plastic wrap (rolling from the center of the dough out to the edges). Now you can easily lift the dough and place it in your pie pan! Neat, huh? This is also a good way to store more pie crust (just put another strip of plastic wrap on top)!

4. When your pie crust is in the pan, cut off around the edges (seriously, this really is something I learned from Snow White). Fill in any spots that might be lacking dough and make it pretty. Now get your "bird feet" and circle the pie crust. Also put holes in the pie crust so your pie doesn't blow up in the oven (I promise I tried NOT to do a geometric shape, but I never can help myself).

5. Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Now wash the dishes while you wait. C'mon! Snow White would have done it if she hadn't had all of her little forest friends... And if she hadn't been poisoned shortly afterward...

6. When you've finished cleaning up a bit, prepare the pudding (Pistachio. YUM)! Once the pie is done, let it cool for 5 minutes and then pour in your pudding.

Whoops! Oh, uh, just showing you what Snow White would NOT do, that is, licking the spoon... Hey, we're not all perfect, alright!

7. Let it cool completely in the refrigerator then share with Grumpy and the dwarf/ves. Mine sure liked it!

*Beware apples

I sang a medley of Lion King songs while I worked. What song do you like to sing while you work?

4

7 Questions and the winner is...

Hey everyone! Remember that post about my high-waisted pants and I said the best comment might get a gift? Well, I couldn't pick the best comment because they were all so good, so I had a random thing picker choose, and the winner is... Little Miss Sunshine! Congratulations! You are the winner of this giveaway. Want to know what she gets?
It's only fitting that the lady who suggests lace gets a new lace headband! So send me an e-mail with your address and you will be getting your gift in the mail in no time! Congratulations! Keep checking in for more giveaways in the future!

Now on to the 7 questions of the week! You'll see my answers to last time's 7 questions here.

Sundays the fun way!

Don't be freaked out! I am NOT wearing mom jeans so just relax... This is a pic of me and one of my roommates at college when we played a game called "Sundays the Fun Way." Basically people stand on something above your head while you lie down and they drop Sunday contents on your face, aiming for your mouth, like ice cream, chocolate syrup, bananas, m&ms, etc. I wonder if EnglishMuffins would be good in a Sunday... Just kidding, but you should go check this guest post out. It's pretty sweet! Actually, I wouldn't be too surprised if they tasted good with ice cream! Seriously, these are gooooood!

1. Describe your perfect day:
"Hmmm. That's a tough one. I would have to say April 25. Because it's not too hot, and not too cold. All you need is a light jacket!"
It starts out waking up after a great night's sleep with my husband in bed with me and my daughter close by. The weather is perfect, it's springtime, we're in a house on a beach, and we spend the day as a family playing on the beach and in the water, eating In 'N Out and Red Vines, exploring our surroundings (there's gotta be a little town nearby with vendors), and never having a dull moment!

2. What was something you were afraid of as a child?
In the middle of the night when I had to get out of bed, I was afraid that there were snakes all over the ground in my room!

3. What's something you're afraid of today?
Gollum. I hate that guy. Or worse... My sewing machine breaks and all the fabric stores in my area go out of business! NOOOOOOOOOOO!

4. Would you rather be obsessed with yourself or someone else?
Someone else. I already obsess over my daughter and I think I would get depressed if I obsessed about myself.

5. What is a restaurant you could visit over and over and never get sick of?
Anywhere... As long as I'm camping all day every day and only have some cornmeal, flour, raisins, brown sugar, a potato, onion, bouillon cube, pineapples and water to live off. By-the-way, I did that once, and let me tell you, breakfast the next morning was AMAZING!

6. What is a food you used to hate but now enjoy?
I used to hate avocados! I have no idea why...

7. Fill in the blank: Star ________ .
STAR POWER! I don't know if this was from a show or what, but my cousins and I would find a screw anytime we crossed railroad tracks, cross our fingers, press our thumbs on the screw, and once we crossed the tracks, we'd put our thumbs together and yell, "STAR POWER!"

0

Mom: Rock Star, Spy, Princess

Happy Hump day! We're at the hump of the week and it's all downhill from here! What better way to celebrate than to make some delicious English Muffins, and lucky for you, I have a delicious recipe right here on my blog (what a coincidence! *wink wink*) If you haven't tried it out yet, I would definitely go do it... right now and visit Life of Lovely while you're at it to say hi and thanks for the recipe!
While you eat your English Muffin daintily (is there any other way to eat an English Muffin?), enjoy my latest poem. I think you'll really like this one!

Last night when I got
Home from Joanns
I looked at my baby.
My biggest fan!

She's like my best groupie
And goes where I go
She's here when I eat,
She's here when I sew.

I realized with her
I'm more than mom.
I'm also Ethan Hunt!
You know, Tom!

As she sleeps in her car seat
After our trip.
Across her I reach
And bite my lip.

With severe concentration
I grab my bag
And slowly lift
The keys, they sag.

With just enough height
'Til my hand hits the roof,
I pull the bag towards me
And pray I don't goof!

And then I have it!
My precious purse!
And she's still asleep!
That could have gone worse!

I'm even a princess
As I gingerly sing
While washing the dishes
And cleaning more things.

Like Sleeping Beauty,
Ariel, or Snow White
I sing and dance.
I love my life!

In addition to rock stars
Princesses, and spies,
I'm a a janitor, a teacher,
And chauffeur in her eyes.

What woman isn't?
If you have any kids,
You're likely to find out,
The same as I did,

That all of these jobs
Make it possible to be
A mom to your children,
Just what they need.

So if anyone says,
"It's not cool to be Mom!"
Just remind them of rock stars
And say, "I'm da-bomb!"

What do you think? What other jobs does a mom have? What did I forget? Leave a comment and tell me what you think, I'm not a mind reader!

2

First guest post - English Muffins

Hello my bloggity friends! I am really excited about today's post because, although I have a very large repertoire of baking/cooking (that was said with some sarcasm), I always love new recipes and ideas! One of my "go to" places is a blog with tutorials for delectable foods along with other thoughts on beauty and even college living/preparedness! It is a very versatile blog! Miss Elizabeth from this blog, Life of Lovely, (which, by-the-way, is co-authored by her sister!) has agreed to expand that repertoire by sharing with me and you her recipe for some delightful English Muffins! Wicked (said with an attempted English accent)! I also just wrote a post for her about a "Sew 50's" outfit I made/wore a couple weeks ago. Head on over to her blog to see!

Life of Lovely

Hi, I'm Elizabeth, one of the sisters who run the blog Life of Lovely.  I'd like to share a recipe for one of my favorite breakfast food today - English muffins.

If you're making this for breakfast, start early or it'll end up being more of a brunch.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
1 cup warm water
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
5 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vegetable oil

Recipe:
1. Heat milk in a saucepan.  When warm, stir in sugar, salt, and butter.  Set aside to cool slightly.

2.  Mix yeast into warm water in a large bowl, and stir until dissolved.  Then, add in the milk mixture.

3.  Add three cups of flour, stirring until smooth.  Then, add the rest of the flour to make a soft dough.  Place dough on a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 8 or so minutes.

4.  Place the dough in a bowl with the vegetable oil on the bottom.  Turn the dough so that the oil coats all of it.  Cover with a cloth before setting it in a warm place to double in size, about an hour.

5.  Punch down the dough, and divide in half.  On a flour covered surface, roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut into circles with a three inch diameter (I used a plastic cup.)  Let these rest covered with a cloth for 30 minutes.

6.  Place circles on a lightly greased medium hot griddle.  Bake until bottom is browned, about 15 minutes.  Turn and bake on other side for 15 minutes.

Options:  If you like, you can use cornmeal rather than flour to coat the surface when you cut out the circles.

These are perfect for pairing with some delicious jelly.  My personal favorite way to eat English muffins is to cut them in half, then fill them with a little nutella and some banana slices.

Thanks to Sue for letting me share with you today!

Hope you have a lovely week!

- Elizabeth

Thanks Elizabeth! They look deeeeeeelicious! And while you're making these Magnificent Muffins (did you catch my clever alliteration? huh? huh?), here's my Tune in Tuesday pick!

0

Starfish headband

I found this picture on pinterest and thought, "I can make that!" So I did...

Buy some starfish from Michaels, get a glue gun, bust out an elastic headband and off we go! What do you think?
By the way, it was SUPER windy...

YOW-za!

2

June 5, 2009

This family timeline post is about my first real date with Andrew.

So I don't actually have a real journal entry for this day, but I'll tell you what I remember from memory... *insert awesome 90s fade out/fade in camera trick

Susan: Wow it sure is raining a lot!
Roommate: Yeah. Look at the parking lot! It's turned into a pool!
Susan: No kidding! I'm going to go dance in it.

Pause. Don't judge. I was barely 19 years old, okay? And you know what, I still would go dance in the rain so ha!
Resume.

Susan: Wow I can't believe it's raining so much! I'm going to go over to Alpine (boys apartment complex) and see if Jared wants to come out in the rain with me.
*ring ring*
Susan: Hello?
Deep sexy voice: Hi is this Susan?
Susan: Yes! Who is this?
DSV: Oh, uh, this is Bob.
Susan: Oh hi Bob. How are you?
Bob: Good. Haha! Just kidding. This is Andrew.
Susan: Hey Andrew! What's up?
Andrew: Nothing. I just wanted to ask you a question.
Susan: Oh, well I'm on my way over to your apartment complex anyway, do you want to just talk to me when I get there?
Andrew: Uhhh... Okay.
Susan: Great! See you soon!

Pause: Totally didn't occur to me that he was going to ask me on a date, otherwise I would not have just come over.
Resume.

*Susan shows up on doorstep SOPPING wet
*Knock knock knock*
Andrew: Hey Susan. You wanna come in?
Susan: No. I'll just stay out here. I don't want to get your house wet.
Andrew: Okay. Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a date tonight to go see a movie.
Susan: Oh. Uh. Yes. *awkwardness of entire situation dawning on Susan* Can I go home and take a shower first?
Andrew: Yeah. The movie doesn't start until later so you've got time.
Susan: Okay. Great. I'll go home and get ready then.
So I went home like it was Christmas and got ready in record time!
We saw the movie "Up" and afterwards stopped at the grocery store because Andrew's roommate (the same one I had gone on a date with before-ironic) needed something. At that point, Andrew bought me a chocolate bar and afterwards took me home. I texted him later and thanked him for the fantastic date and said that I had a great time. He replied and said that I had forgotten my chocolate bar.
Andrew: I guess that will just give you more motivation to come to my soccer game tomorrow morning. :)
I went to his game and I can't remember if he won or not, but I remember that I liked the way he ran and the way his body moved to get to the ball, the same way he moved smoothly into my heart.

Cheese cheese!

0

Fun-tastic weekend!

Hello one and all! Sorry that I've been a little absent today! It's been a busy weekend, for sure, but let me share with you the recipe for a fun-tastic time!
There are many recipes for the fun-tastic weekend. I decided to go with this one because it was productive and fun at the same time!

You will need:
AWESOME family
Happy Attitude
Baking supplies
Beautiful little daughter
Wonderful husband
Movie

1. The first thing you do on Friday is to wake up and feed your beautiful baby girl, and send your wonderful husband off to work with a kiss!

2. Next, you make yourself a delicious breakfast of Chex cereal!
3. Get yourself ready and head on over to the Verizon store.
4. Say goodbye to old phone (that only works when you use speaker phone) and say hello to new phone! Woot woot! Throw in a great iPhone case and you get one more fun-tastic point!

5. Play with your beautiful little daughter.

6. Make some delicious brownies!

6. Give Mom, Dad, and Uncle Chad a ride to the airport so that they can enjoy a 14+ hour flight to Australia to visit sister, all the while listening to Dad's advice about how to drive the car that you first learned on (thanks dad).
7. Go to the temple with a few fun-tastic young women.
8. Wake up on Saturday morning and have another delicious breakfast (this time you can choose).
9. Invite sister and her family over and spend some quality time together while the husbands work on installing an interior door!
10. Play at the park with said sister and family including your beautiful little girl.

11. Come home to finished interior door and give big hugs to family.
12. Give wonderful, hard-working husband a kiss.
13. Give beautiful little daughter a kiss!
14. Watch "Raising Arizona" with wonderful husband. If you haven't seen this movie, get on netflix right now and watch it. Seriously... right now.

15. End the night with smiles and at least one more kiss for both husband and daughter.

What's your recipe for a fun-tastic weekend? Share at least one ingredient and direction.

0

Brownies!

I was flipping through a cookbook and happened upon this recipe! It is pre-tty good! Here's how I made it.

You will need: for the brownie
1/2 c. Margarine
2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Cocoa
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. Flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. Nuts chopped
Dash of salt

You will need: for the frosting
1/2 c. Melted butter
1/4 c. Cocoa
1 1/2 c. Powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. Milk
*I halved this recipe

Brownie:
1. Melt Margarine and mix it with sugar and cocoa.

2. Add eggs to mix one at a time, then vanilla and lastly the flour and salt.

3. Pour into pan (9x13 inches for full recipe, 8x8 for half). Add nuts on top then bake at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 25 minutes.

Frosting:
1. Beat the butter with the cocoa, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Add the milk and beat until smooth.

2. Frost the brownies when they are completely cooled off.

The recipe tells you to sprinkle the nuts before you bake the brownies, but I decided to sprinkle mine on top after I spread the frosting. I guess either way is good! So try it out and let me know what you think!

3

Thrifty Thursday!

So here's what I've been working on all day. A friend gave me this hanging shelf because she was just going to give it to the DI. So, I took it home and decided to try my hand at a little home decor that doesn't involve sewing.

First, I cleaned it up with a wet rag.

Second, I painted. I know that it's not exactly the best idea to paint straight over something like this, that you should sand it first, but because it is something that I'm not exactly attached to and because I wanted it to have an aged look anyway, I decided to skip the sanding and go straight to paint. Basically the only thing I know about painting is that you go with the grain of the wood.

Third, I went to the home depot to get some coat/hat hooks, but when I was looking at them, I realized that none of them would fit in that small space at the bottom of the shelf. I thought that maybe I could make it work anyway, but then I ran into the friendliest worker in the entire Home Depot industry! His name was Stephen and he was so helpful. He suggested getting a board and attaching it to the bottom, like this:

Not only did he provide the perfect solution to my problem, he did it for me... for free! What an awesome guy! All I had to pay for were the screws, sandpaper, and coat/hat hooks. What a guy!

Fourth, I painted the new addition of board.

Fifth, I attached the coat/hat hooks, and that was it! So all in all, this project cost me $13.00. Thank you thrifting!

0

This week's 7 Questions

I thought this was a fun idea! At least, I liked reading the answers on other people's blogs!

This is the BIGGEST pizza I have ever consumed. Just an FYI, this picture was taken the day after Andrew and I got engaged... And he still married me.

1. Do you ever have reoccurring dreams?

When I was a kid, I watched a TV show called Beetle Borg in addition to Power Rangers (does anyone remember Big Bad Beetle Borg?). I had a reoccurring dream that I was the pink power ranger and I teamed up with the Beetle Borg. There wasn't much to it, but I distinctly remember that I made all of the power ranger moves while I talked and that the red Beetle Borg girl was drugged and turned into Jerry Louis.

2. It's the first day of fall (or spring for your southern hemispherers) in a few days, what are you looking forward to most?

Definitely wearing pants and boots! I don't wear shorts very often and I only have one pair of capris (you BYU-I students understand), so it gets pretty warm here in Utah wearing pants all the time.

3. Because of lack of coordination, would you rather not be able to tie your shoes or cut your own food?

I would rather have the inability to tie my shoes because I have a DIY personality and I know I would try to cut my own food anyway. If I tried tying my shoes and I couldn't, no harm done. Just a little frustration. If I tried to cut my food, however... Danger Will Robinson!

4. Would you rather live in a house entirely made of glass, or a house with no windows?

I'm scared of the dark and Gollum. He lived somewhere with no windows and look what happened to him...

5. Would you rather walk on your toes or heels forever?

Toes. Definitely. When you walk on your heels, you butt tends to stick out. Besides, they don't make High Toes... Yet (don't put it past Lady Gaga).

6. What's your favorite sense (you have 5 btw)?

Sight. Speaking of sight and dreams, I wonder what dreams are like for those who are blind... Do they have dreams?

7. What's your favorite movie quote of all time?

Can't pick. Here are a few.
     "Will you stop that? No."
     "Aaaaaas yooooooou wiiiiiiiish!"
     "GET OUT OF THE CAR!/Is this some radical new therapy?/Is this corn hand shucked?/ DON'T TOUCH MY SISTER!"
     "For-ev-errrr"
     "You look... fit for battle."
     "That's what I said!"
Can you tell I enjoy watching movies?
Cyber high five to anyone who can identify where they all come from.

Now your turn! Pick a question (or a couple of questions) and answer them! Comment below!

6

"These are a few of my least favorite things!"

My Least Favorite Things
Sung to the tune of: "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music"

Big bumps and stretch marks we try to keep hidden.
Plump-faced and swollen feet, so we are sittin'.
Pink or blue presents? They're tied up in strings.
These are not some of my favorite things.

Ice to chew while we try to go all natural.
Hospital gowns we wear for epidurals.
Once the juice comes we feel like we could sing!
These are not some of my favorite things.

Girls in pink dresses with accents of milk stain.
Boys without diapers and breezes make rain.
They're born in winter, we wish it was spring!
These are not some of my favorite things!

When the babe poops!
When the scratch stings!
When they're feeling sad,
I simply remember my least fav'rite things
And then I don't feel so bad!

Have you ever noticed that when it comes to children/babies, some of your least favorite things can also be your favorite things? Those huge spit-ups, staying up with them late at night, and losing TONS of hair (okay, so that last one really ISN'T my favorite thing at all. Seriously, I shed worse than a dog!) are all totally worth it just to see our little one's smile or hear their laugh. The bond between a mother and her child (or a father and his child, for that matter) is truly a special thing.

 What are some of your favorite and least favorite things? What did I miss? Leave a comment and share if you're about to become pregnant, pregnant, already have a baby, or if your children are a bit older.

8

Tune in Tuesday!

Hey all! Today I felt like sharing a song that I really enjoy. I've gone through a lot of phases of music tastes in my life. Country, rock, R&B, hip-hop, classic rock, etc. Once I married Andrew, my taste changed again. This is one of the songs he introduced me to, and this is how I feel about him, best bud!

0

70s style(ish)

Remember my post about what I didn't know when it came to sewing with corduroy? Well, I was afraid that I had ruined all chances of making my pants, and I did in a way... But being the creative mind that I am, I fixed my problem! You wanna know my secret? I just sewed my pants with the inside showing instead! Check it out!

Not too shabby, huh? Ready for the tutorial?

You will need:
Around 3 yards of fabric
Matching heavy duty thread
Good needle (one for sewing jeans is good)
Zipper foot
8 inch zipper (at least 8 inches)
Blind stitch foot
Scissors, measuring tape, etc.

I'm a size 5/6 (leaning more to the 5) so the measurements I give are according to me. Make sure you measure to you.

1. First you have to cut out your material. Get a pair of pants that you LOVE and use them for a pattern. Don't worry, you won't be cutting them up!
Fold your pants together at the crotch and lay them on your fabric, the outside seam of your pants on the fold. If you want the high waist, put your favorite pair of pants on, and measure from the top of your pants to where you want the waist to be, then add 1 inch. I left 5 inches.
Now measure around your waist using a measuring tape however high you want the pants to rise. I was 29 inches (plus 1 for seam allowance). Divide that by 4, and that's how far in you need to go from the fold (because when you're cutting, you're only seeing 1/4 of the pants). So I went in 8 inches (better more material than less!).

2. Trace around your pants 1 inch away (for seam allowance). When you get to the knee, (if you're going for the straight leg look) use some sort of straight edge to make sure you're cutting the fabric parallel with the fold. If you want your pant legs long, add a few inches. I added 4 extra inches.
Something to keep in mind is your bum. When you're tracing, you're tracing the front of your pants and not the bum because of the way you folded your pattern. If you're using stretchy-ish material, this shouldn't be a problem because it will stretch to fit around your bum. If you don't want it to be too tight, however, consider cutting your fabric further in than 8 inches and then sewing it to fit later.
Check that everything looks right annnnd... cut. Transfer this first piece of material down to the next un-cut portion of your bought fabric and cut again so you have two identical pieces.

Folded out, your fabric pieces will look like this.

 3. Put your two pieces right sides together and pin up the sides where the bum and front are. Sew one side (the bum side) from the top of the pants to where the legs start at 1/2". Sew on the other side from the crotch up just a couple of inches (that's where your zipper will end when it's opened). Make sure you zig-zag stitch as well so that your fabric won't fray.
 Next, pull your pants open so they look like normal pants. Pin the pant legs to themselves. You are now going to sew the inside seam of the pant legs. When they are pinned, sew from one pant cuff all the way around the U shape of the pants to the other pant cuff. Now you just have to add the zipper, hem the bottom of the pants, and then the top!

4. For the Pant cuffs, you can do a regular hem with just a straight stitch, or you can do a blind hem stitch. Here's my example:

First: Do a regular hem (fold over 1/2" and stitch at 1/4").
Second: Fold up material from pant leg.
Third: Pin when the fold is 1/4" away from edge.
Fourth: Attach Blind hem foot to machine, situate the needle all the way to the side, align the foot divider with the fold from the pant leg, and stitch with the blind hem stitch.
Fifth: This is what it looks like from the inside.
Sixth this is what it looks like from the outside. If you do a REALLY good job, you can't even see the tiny bit of thread that caught the material from the pant leg. The video that I linked to will probably help, too.

5. The zipper is a little tricky, but you can do it! Pin your zipper to your pants while looking at your pants from the outside. Remember that the tabs (the part of the zipper that doesn't have a "zip" on it) are going to be folded down when you hem the waist, so pin it where when you fold your waist down it will end up being where you want the waist to be!
Fold the open part of your material under, attach your zipper foot, move your needle all the way to the side (the one closer to the zipper), and then stitch on the outside and go down all the way until you reach the last sewn part of your crotch. Do the same thing on the other side of the zipper.

6. For the waist, you can either do a regular hem (zig-zag stitching, then folding over, or folding over twice), or you can do another blind hem stitch. Whichever you like best (I just did a regular hem).

7. Try the pants on and make any size adjustments you need. If they're a little too big, just take them in by sewing a 1/4" (or whatever) in on the legs, waist, etc.

And there you have it! Your very own high-waisted, straight legged pants! I learned a lot from making these pants, especially about sewing zippers and blind hems, but it was SEW worth it! Maybe next time I'll make a 70s-ish shirt to go with it!

 

 

Now I want your opinion... High-waisted pants. Hot or Not? What do you think? Leave a comment and share. Whichever comment I like best will receive a cyber high-five and if it's especially good, maybe a little gift as well... You just never know...

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