Staycation, all I ever wanted

A few weeks ago I got a letter from Allie in Human Resources telling me I had accumulated way over the legally allowed amount of vacation days and that I needed to start using some of them pronto. I never thought I’d be one of those people. In fact, until I got that message, I was certain that I was actually scraping the bottom of my vacation-day-barrel and needed to conserve. I guess that’s partly how I got into that situation.

So in an effort to burn some days, I have taken off  the entire week of 4th of July. I’m not going anywhere. This will be a staycation. And I’ve already filled up my dance card with way too many things I want to do this week. Initially, I planned to spend the entirety of it sewing. All glorious sewing. But then I remembered all the house projects I’ve been putting off, so I added them to the list. And surely I want to fit a little bit of sleeping-in and watching movies in there. But surely I won’t be able to do all of it, so I’m going to make a list and try to be methodical about this.

  1. Sewing projects galore. Described in more detail below.
  2. Paint the bedroom
  3. Refinish the bed frame
  4. Clean the house. For reals.
  5. Make curtains for Mr. Moe’s office
  6. Make a cornhole platform and bean-bags for work
    (don’t ask me to explain this because I can’t)
  7. Be a lazy bum. At least a little.
  8. Play my lonely, neglected ukuleles. At least one of them.
  9. Mow the lawn in preparation for having people over on the 4th. DONE.
  10. Go swimming at either Lake Anza, an fantastic old timey swimming lake near my house, or at The Richmond Natatorium, an even more awesome indoor swimming pool from 1926 that was recently restored. I swam there when I was a little kid and it looks like they have done a great job restoring it. Today it is too cold to brave any waters, especially a lake, but I’m hoping it will warm up this week.
  11. Watch the following movies that I have had sitting around courtesy of Netflix for way too long: Spinout, and

So if I can manage to do any of these, I’ll be happy. And if I can manage more than one of these sewing projects below, I will be ecstatic.

I bought this skirt a while back and haven’t gotten around to it, but after seeing Tasha’s lovely skirt of a similar style, it’s back on the top of my to-sew list.

It’s good to have casual separates, after all, right? I have been known to wear dresses with such frequency that someone once thought I was a Mennonite or something similar. True story. Actually, the word they used was “Mormon,” but I think they may have been an idiot and didn’t know their Mennonites from their Mormons. And really, even for a Mennonite I think I might be considered a bit too showy. Exposing my knees like a tramp. I’m kind of kidding. I don’t actually know enough about Mennonites to make a joke that isn’t rife with ignorance, so my apologies. But I do love any excuse to make a joke at my expense.

A few weeks ago I went to make a dress out of one of my favorite patterns, Simplicity 2886, and found it missing half its pieces. I had a small meltdown and then scoured eBay and Etsy for replacements. I didn’t find one in my size, but I found one in a size too big. I also found one in a size too small, but going smaller from bigger seemed easier than the other way around.

I’m planning to make it out of this fabric I found at Joann’s a few weeks ago. I am such a sucker for navy blue with bright yellow, green and red. It’s like it fires all the gears in my head at once and makes me giddy.

Are there any color combinations that just fill you with total delight? Or total revulsion? Mr. Moe feels nauseous and anxious when light blue and brown are paired together. It was rough for him a few years ago when that was all the rage.

Moving on… while searching for a replacement Simplicity 2886, I also bough these two dresses, Simplicity 1466 and Simplicity 1427. I’m clearly in my Simplicity period. Two years ago I was all about those wonderful Mail-order patterns, but I seem to have moved on.

I also have these recent additions to my fabric pile which are totally nagging me into making something from them.

Really awesome red and black western plaid with silver threads shot-through. It’s so classic, I frantically bought 4 yards of it the second I saw it. Of course, now I wish I bought 10 yards as they are out of it now.

More navy and yellow, this one with brown and light blue as well (oh no, blue and brown!). I bought this from Stonemountain & Daughter a few months ago. That place is amazing. No seriously, I kind of lost my marbles when I went in there. I walked out with this stuff but I could have bought a million other things. This photo doesn’t do the fabric justice, unfortunately.

I also picked up the feedsack-style print from Joann’s when I got the navy floral previously mentioned. It’s a bit lighter in color than I have been wearing lately, so I’m a little weary of it, but I just love the colors and details so much, I’m gonna give it a shot.

Well, that’s my plans for Staycation. Totally unrealistic an unattainable to do them all, so we’ll see what I manage. Wish me luck!

 

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