Sew Thus is Life...

I've worked in retail since I was 17. It started off as an easy summer gig. Fast forward to last January. I had been applying to various design jobs following my graduation in December. One by one each opening was filled, and I wasn't the one filling it. Not wanting to be a freeloader to my parents, and wanting to prove myself not lazy to my boyfriend, I relented and picked up two retail jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the majority of new jobs created come the retail industry. In August alone 44,000 of the 169,000 jobs created were in retail. That's 26%! Unfortunately, most people lose their humanity when they come to shop. In my experience, department stores have it the worse. I work both at a department store and a mid range boutique chain and I leave the department store hating life every night I work there. Customers often take advantage of the cliche "the customer is always right", then wonder why the cashier is rude. So to save us fro...

As you may or may not know, I got married a month ago to my unlikely bff and true love. (unlikely if you knew either of us in high school) Its been equal parts of magical and maddening.  He is my bug- killing knight in loungewear glory, he adores my cooking and finds me to be a distraction. In truth (and this is in NO WAY negative) I find marriage and cohabitation to be my distraction. What I have found is over the last 9 months, I've spent more time cooking and decorating than sewing. I miss it. I finally got all my sewing things moved over to the new house, but my basement studio is currently being overrun by scary basement creatures like various kinds of crickets and long legged centipede things (the latter give me nightmares), and so I'm somewhat refusing to be downstairs alone. My new haven is my wonderfully small, bright orange kitchen. Even though this is not a food blog, I do keep a recipes tab so I'll try to get some of my latest creations up. I've almost mas...

I kinda imagined my wedding entrance like this. It wasn't. But it wasn't any less magical or special. And I kinda just love that song. Two weeks (and a few days ago) I married the love of my life in an intimate "surprise" wedding at our new home. It was a total blast cramming 90.5 people in our tiny 3- bedroom townhome but we made it work. As I described it to my girlfriends, marriage has been a "perpetual sleepover". Here's a few snapshots of our special day: packed in like sardines! the boys daddys girl WE'S MARRIED! with my pastor my parents. owe them everything food! that hubby got none of because he procrastinated around Black folk. partygoers on the deck If I could do it all over I honestly can say I wouldn't change a flipping thing. It was perfect, a little off color (just like us) and just makes for a great story down the road. Now the goal is to finish moving the stragg...

...has happened in the last, idk how many months that I don't feel like re-capping nor do I think you care. Because something called life gets in the way. However its been on my spirit to write again so here I am. I've been feeling pretty beat up over the last couple of weeks dealing with the fiance's and I's new house. Which was deemed "move-in ready" but I think that term is cliche and shot to hell. We've been here over a month and aesthetically there still so much I dislike and still need to fix (want to fix...) I've also been struggling daily with my sweethearts manly inability to keep a house decently neat (to which all of you married women are nodding your head in sympathy then say "pick your battles honey") On top of that I've been dealing with the never ending job search that started back in January. I've gotten no reply from the 10 or so design companies and after rounds of interview ultimately ended up with nothing from ev...

Dear God it's been so long! This was purely unintentional, and so much has happened since that last post I wont even bother to recap it all. I'll give you a quick and dirty list of the last 2 months: Moved home 12/13/12. Graduated 12/14/12. Celebrated 5 years with the boyfriend 12/29/12. Brought in the new year 1/1/13. Witnessed the inauguration of President Obama (again) on 1/21/13. Experienced the most devastating loss of my life on 1/22/13 in losing my dearest and favorite aunt, Zoelin, after a hard 5 year battle with metastatic breast cancer, later becoming spinal-cranial cancer and liver failure. I somewhat lost myself for 2 weeks. I was forced back to life when I started 2 new jobs. Retail, but jobs nevertheless. Received my diploma on 2/13/13 Became engaged to the boyfriend on Valentines Day (or 2/14/13 for those who aren't sure. Rediscovered my blog, today. WHEW! Ok. My goal on Wednesday is to post some tutorials of the very limited projects I've...

I won't waste too much time explaining my collection, as you can read all the background here . But for recap's sake this is the final incarnation of my final senior collection/ capstone project at PhilaU. It's titled "Grandstand Diva" and is supposed to invoke the feeling of a day at the races, namely the Triple Crown. All the constructed dresses were named after one of the tracks, and the accessories created in my elective course reflect the horse than won a race there. I now present "Grandstand Diva" The Collection Pimlico- Pimlico (named for the Preakness Stakes) is a 3/4 sleeve peplum cocktail dress featuring a low scoop back, ruched side skirt and an exposed zipper back. Dress front with belt Side; with skirt ruching detail Dress Back with back ruching and zipper Exposed zipper detail Churchill Downs-  Churchill Downs, home to the famous Kentucky Derby, served at the inspiration for this fitted sweetheart neckline sheath...

 This post is very seriously delayed. I am proud to announce that after 4 and a half years (9 semesters, countless months, probably over a $100K in tuition and another $50K due in loan interest...) I am a graduate of Philadelphia University (formerly the College of Science and Textiles). This post is late because I have spent every day since last Friday making up for all the lost sleep. Now that I'm refreshed, I can finally update all on my life. This post will also be split. (I've decided to allow my fashion-y things have its own spotlight.) Looking back, this semester was TOUGH. Tough financially (for my dad). Tough socially (the first semester without half my friends on campus, and most of my core girls gone). Tough on my boyfriend (he had a hard time as to why he couldn't visit... one day he'll understand and appreciate.) Tough academically (balancing a 3 day/ 24 hour a week internship and 3 classes.) But by the grace of God I finished on top. My cumulat...