A daily reminder.

Mondays are always hard. It begins the work-week and waking up at 5 am. Besides this blog and my stylist/design career, I also have a full time job that keeps me busy during the week. It is constantly challenging me to be positive and reflect on the blessings in my life. Work can often bombard me with stress and negativity, but it's those days that I remember 3 little words; You are Loved.

I made this bracelet for the constant reminder that no matter what happens, I am so loved. Even with the negativity in the world or even in my workplace, I am loved. It's not always easy to remember the positives when you are struggling or in the dark places. But having a reminder on your wrist can help even the strongest 'mommy brain'.

A few weeks back, the sermon at my church was about setting our hearts on things above and not just for earthly things. This hit home and I had to take a step back and realize that what I enjoy (fashion, shopping, material things) are not what should bring me joy. They do and it's ok to enjoy them, but to know my limit. I am challenging myself to direct my focus more on bringing others happiness and showing them style in a different way and by providing truthful compliments.

What do you do to keep your focus positive and in the right direction? Are you trying to bring a negative conversation into a more positive view? Or do you remind yourself that 'this too will pass'? Whatever you do to stay positive, remember, You Are Loved.

It finally happened.

Since February 2016, I've wanted to make a skirt Kelly Ripa had worn on Live with Kelly. I was tired of just thinking about this skirt that was never going to make itself and I was never going to find it in a store, at least not in one I could afford a button on one of the shirts sold. So I ordered some fabric from Etsy (not the same as in this blog post) that was coming from India. I'm always leery to get fabric online if I am not able to feel it or see it first to make sure it works for my design. Reminder: I need to study fabrics more and which ones work for what design. But it turned out great and I'm in love with it, although it took much longer than I thought and even the tracking thought.

This was a new McCall's pattern. The difficulty level of the pattern was low, it is essentially a wrap skirt with just a hook/eye closure. Leave it to me to screw it up. I ended up cutting the pattern out wrong on the fabric, so some panels of the skirt were backwards. Usually, when you cut out a pattern, you need 2 pieces of each side (front/back bodice, front/back leg). Although this one you cut one piece of fabric per pattern piece. Oh well, no biggie. As Tim Gunn would say, I 'made it work.'

I take inspiration from everything around me. My children, the fall colors, my husband. But I take my style inspiration from people like Katie Holmes, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelly Ripa. Since they are not in my life daily (Live with Kelly & Ryan does not count), I look to my friends as well for inspiration and ideas. Who do you draw inspiration from?

          

I can't wait to get started on my next piece. When I was in Joann's Fabrics last time, I walked past this galaxy cotton print that stood out to me. It's so beautiful. It's a mixture of stars, galaxy colors (purple, blue, orange) and some smaller planet looking shapes. Stay tuned for that creation!

XX,
Kari