Santa Baby

~And I'm back from my Christmas festivities loaded down with great new experiences, including but not limited to taking pictures in front of random salons, and, of course, pictures!

~We went downtown for carriage rides and lights~

And we decorated our house for the season... But before I tell you about these things, let me introduce you to someone rather special.

His name is quite easy to deduce, look at his hat!

He's a little saint Nick!

Our very own, darling, Santa Baby.

S.A.N.T.A  B.A.B.Y

Santa baby is so small and wiggly, not to mention plump, that he needs extra help wriggling into his little red suit.

Did you know that Santa likes to lick his boots? It must be all that shiny black leather and new shoe smell.

We're almost done!

The only thing wrong with this picture is that Santa's elves are, well, somewhat larger than Santa. Its a camera thing I think. In the north pole we appear our proper sizes; about two feet tall. The nice thing about Santa baby's size is that he can fit down chimneys so nicely.

All dressed and looking good!

Here we are under the tree. Ah, a good nights work done.

Few people realize that Santa is just as infatuated with the ornaments as cookies. I think he deserves a little refreshment after all his hard work, don't you?

~I'll try to post some more soon!~

~Mod~Modesty~Monday~Suspended for the Holidays~

~Due to the business of the season, this week, and next week, the Monday posts are going to be suspended! Have yourself a very merry Christmas!~

~Mod~Modesty~Monday~Young Victoria~

~~ Today we will be featuring;

 ~Who among us isn't thrilled about the upcoming new release "Young Victoria"? Here's my take on how to transform the victorian eras confectionery regalia, replete with lace, blue satin, and gold trim, into something a girl could wear everyday with ease; yet still feel like a princess. (And make more modest!!)~

Young Victoria by Least 
~Do be sure to follow the link and check out the items in detail at Polyvore! I tried to find mostly lower priced items, but, its not always possible. I like to think of it as inspiration for thrift store "outings", its amazing the things one can find at local second hand/thrift stores! Be sure to check out the ones near you before rushing to the mall.~

~Note; though excited about this upcoming film I have not read any reviews as to content yet and so, cannot blindly recommend it! Do be sure to check it out for yourself before going. Also, as this is Mod ModestyMonday, I just wanted to point out that personally I find some of the dresses on "Young Victoria" too low, which is why, in my polyvore set, the dress I chose to create the look has a much higher neckline than the one in the picture of Victoria.~

~I can't resist putting some of these lovely pictures on my blog for you to see - regardless of whether or not the movie will be historically accurate, the costumes are to die for!~

 

 

~I love the red and gold combination on her dress, wouldn't it be nice if our hair remained neat as a pin throughout the whole dance?~

~I wish I lived in a museum.~

~All that lace! And Prince Alberts uniform....~


~Until next Monday then!~

~Dockers Men Wear the Pants~

No, this is not a vintage advertisement for Dockers menswear, this is an advertisement on Dockers website today. I was literally blown away. Way to go Dockers!

~Bluebonnet Ornament Giveaway~

Well folks - here's a contest you don't want to miss! Some lovely Texan ladies are giving away one of their completely one of a kind bluebonnet ornaments. What could be lovelier on your Christmas tree?

Follow the link to the Daughters of Texas Blog and leave a comment if you want to be entered into the giveaway!

~Mod~Modesty~Monday ~ How to make your own Skinny Jeans~

~And so, without delay, here is the skinny jean tutorial! I tried to take good step by step photos, but is you have any questions be sure to comment!~

Start with a pair of jeans you like. It is best if the jeans have some spandex in them, the ones I used have 2%. The stretch factor comes in handy if you want to be comfortable in skinny jeans! (You do not have to have stretch jeans for this project, I have done several pairs of normal jeans for my brother with success. But it is advisable to use stretch jeans unless you are planning on ripping out the knees or walking like chopsticks.) My jeans are regular straight leg jeans, I suppose you could wing it with a pair of bootleg or bell bottoms - if I ever try it I'll post pictures!

Carefully lay out the jeans checking that the sides line up. You want the seams to be as flat as possible. (Sometimes there is a slight bulge on the bottom where it will not lie perfectly straight, but as you will be sewing past that point it does not matter!) Measure up the inside of the leg. It is good to have already tried the jeans on and sized them with your fingers and eyes. I wanted a looser fit and only planned on taking the alteration up to the thigh, leaving the upper jean intact. 16 " was my end point, for you it may be less or more, but the concept is the same. Put a pin where you want to stop and pin up the leg to keep it flat.

I have altered several pairs of really baggy boys jeans where I took it all the way up and around without stopping. Essentially it made a really skinny jean. This one is less drastic.

 

I decided to take off 2" on the bottom of my jeans. Using a black ball point pen and your sewing tape mark 2' from the inner seam. Pin it well - you don't want to have a crooked hem! Make sure both layers of jean line up.

As you can see in the picture, your line will gradually come closer and closer to the original manufacturers seam. This is the 16" pin I have marking my "finish line". I used my eyeballs to decrease the width, if you want to figure out a mathematical formula be my guest! Post your results in the comments for everyone to benefit by...

Here is the finished line. Keep in mind that this is your "rough draft". It is easy to overestimate how skinny we want the jeans to be. Its always better to underestimate and sew a wider seam over the other one in the end, than to rip out seams and start over! (Voice of experience speaking here!)

 

Take it to the machine and sew down your marked line. Be careful to follow the pattern! Jeans are thick, especially on the hem line. Go very slowly and stop at the first sign of trouble. Choose the appropriate needle for thicker material before starting, otherwise you'll end up like me with a broken needle! ( Again, it was my brothers thicker less give jeans - I had NO problems with stretch jeans!)

 

VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Try on your jeans to determine fit BEFORE cutting off the excess fabric! I think this is pretty obvious, but, you never know.Its easy to get excited and forget. After trying on your jeans and determining if they are too loose, too tight, or just right, cut off near the new seam leaving a little room for unraveling. You can serge or otherwise finish off the edge if you want, but I don't bother. I haven't found that jeans unravel too much. (If your jeans are too tight in the try on; get out the seam ripper and start over.Too loose? Simply make another seam a little closer to the leg area, using your previous seam as a guide.)

 

The finished results... A jean that is skinny at the bottom and loose on the top. Yours will look different from mine depending on how loose/tight you make them.

 

I'm enjoying my new pair of jeans and I hope you enjoyed seeing the process!

~Christmas for my Desk~

~Christmas time has come ~ And so, I decided to spread the cheer in my little corner of the world.~

~I added pine cones and holly and ribbons and a rusty old nail.~

~It just had so much charm, the nail that is. And I like to remember the reason Christ was born during this season.~ The adorable little girl? She's my mother, I keep an old photograph of her on my desk.~

~You may not be able to tell from this picture, but, I have a weakness for old books!~

~Did you know we have an army of nutcrackers? I didn't, at least, not until I found them all on my desk this afternoon. Apparently the dear little younglings of the family had a Christmas party while my desk was vacant, and forgot to take the poor things home. They have such reproachful gazes, don't you think?

~I am about to introduce you to a very special nutracker - so hold on to your hats! He's my own little gallant, the stuff holiday dreams and sugar plum princesses fall in love with.~

~Yes, this is him. Not very traditional you say? No, he's not. But he's mine. I chose him from among two dozen; the most special and unique of the lot. If you look closely you can see that he is preparing to go on safari, equipped with net and bag. I wonder if he will bring back a sapphire blue butterfly to haunt my dreams tonight.~

~This is our very own Clara, holding her very pink nutracker. She sits on the table next to me beside my growing pile of altered books.~

~Have a very merry week, and be on the lookout for my Mod Modesty Monday skinny jeans tutorial tomorrow!~