Atomik Momma

In limbo, in location and in style

2011-12-09T07:13:00.001-08:00

Well folks, for the past 3 weeks round about fantastic four and I have been staying at my parents' house in Oklahoma City waiting for my husband to sign out of the army and join us here so we can find an apartment AND.....TODAY IS THE DAY!!! After 7 years and 11 months he is signing out to begin his terminal leave from the army TODAY and then jumping in his car and heading to Oklahoma City! It's so exciting to be starting over from scratch. He has an interview Monday morning and I have a pretty good feeling about it. I miss his so much and I can't wait for him to join us here.

I was hoping we could just buy a house straight away, but I think we'll be getting a short lease on an apartment until we can secure him a job and get better sense of what our new income is going to look like, as well as pay off some bills and what not to get our credit score up. Buying a home is such a huge investment and after moving every 12 months for the last several years we want to get the best deal possible on a home because at this point we plan on being there forever. lol.

In the moving process I cleaned out my closet and I realized that I have virtually nothing in my wardrobe that isn't ill-fitting, worn out, or just plain not my style. It's quite sad. Right now moving and Christmas are a higher priority than buying things for myself, but I am itching to get some new digs and there is quite a bit out there that I like at the moment at ModCloth.com and HeartbreakerFashion.com.

I'm totally in love with the print and shape of this dress from Heartbreaker. The print is just so fun and retro and the high neckline and a-line shape of the skirt make it super practical for a mom of many like myself.

I actually really do love full circle skirts, but Oklahoma is a pretty windy place and circle skirts tend to catch the wind like nobodies business. There's nothing like having a Marilyn-moment when your hands are already occupied by pushing a stroller or trying to hold on to little ones' hands. However, I have been a bit obsessed with this green Bettie Page skirt at ModCloth.

What I am really on the look out for, however, is a cozy jacket. Once upon a time, my husband and I were out with a whole entire weekend without the kids and were out walking around Bricktown waiting for our dinner reservation and it got quite a bit chillier than we were expecting. The only place around with clothing or jackets of any sort was a Bass Pro store, so we darted in there and I picked up a red fleece jacket. I love that it's warmer than my typical cardigans, but wish it wasn't so.....so.....well, what can I say? It's a bright red fleece jacket! I wish I could find something that was just as warm and comfy, but more stylish. I'm afraid a structured jacket is just not going to have the comfy factor, but that a cardigan won't be as warm. If you all know of anything that you think would fit the bill without breaking the bank, let me know!

Times they are a-changin'

2011-11-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

There's so much going on right now and it's all really overwhelming. Lots of life changes. Hickory was diagnosed failure to thrive and even had to be hospitalized for a few days. It was kind of scary, but it's only been a couple weeks and he is already like a new person. SOOOOO much happier. I was sad about breastfeeding coming to such an abrupt end, especially with him being my last baby, but we felt like it was the best decision for our circumstances. (Just an aside, the hospital staff, from the nurses and peds, to the nutritionist, and everyone in between was completely supportive of me continuing to nurse if that was what I wanted and were bending over backward to help me, but there were other issues that I won't go into that led us to start formula feeing and the lactation consultant was very understanding.) His next weight check is tomorrow morning and hopefully I'll get some information on getting him into physical therapy as well.

We're also moving back to Oklahoma City next weekend. Almost a full month earlier that I expected to be going. My husband will still have to stay here, but the kids and I are going back next weekend and staying at my mom's house while I scout out apartments and such. Any move is stressful, but this isn't just a move. It's leaving the only way of life we've really known as adults. And on top of that, I'm stressed about the baby! Some other things are happening too and it's just so much to try and process all at once. Everything is headed in a positive direction to be sure, but it's a lot of major life changes all at once. Lots of chapters ending and new ones beginning.

outfit today 9/15

2011-09-15T09:54:00.001-07:00

outfit today 9/15 by atomikmomma featuring true religion jeans

Dorothy perkin
£3 - dorothyperkins.com

True religion jeans
$245 - stylebop.com

River island
£10 - riverisland.com

Rupert Sanderson Tobacco and White Saddled O's
$525 - rupertsanderson.com

Makeup and Cosmetics | Shop Eyes Lips Face
$3 - eyeslipsface.com

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara
$8.99 - walgreens.com

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
$22 - asos.com

Amazon.com: Urban Decay Duotone Eyeshadow Intense Shadow, X .05 oz...
$17 - amazon.com

Benefit Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner
$20 - bloomingdales.com

outfit today 9/15

2011-09-15T09:53:00.001-07:00

outfit today 9/15 by atomikmomma featuring leopard print scarves

Dorothy perkin
£3 - dorothyperkins.com

True religion jeans
$245 - stylebop.com

Oasis leopard print scarve
$35 - oasis-stores.com

River island
£10 - riverisland.com

Rupert Sanderson Tobacco and White Saddled O's
$525 - rupertsanderson.com

Makeup and Cosmetics | Shop Eyes Lips Face
$3 - eyeslipsface.com

Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Volupte (Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF...
$38 - yesstyle.com

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara
$8.99 - walgreens.com

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
$22 - asos.com

'Cat Eye' Frames, 1950s
fashion.1stdibs.com

Amazon.com: Urban Decay Duotone Eyeshadow Intense Shadow, X .05 oz...
$17 - amazon.com

Christian Dior Rouge Dior Replenishing Lipcolor Lipstick Red Premiere...
$16 - izzysbeautyshoppe.com

Benefit Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner
$20 - bloomingdales.com

school days

2011-08-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

My two oldest kids started school last week. This is a huge transition for all of us. Last year we home schooled, and while I still think home schooling is great in the general sense I knew that with a new baby it was all going to be too much on just my shoulder. It takes a village, does it not? My six year old, Canon, started first grade and my five year old, Ephraim, is doing kindergarten over again because they assume that just because he is 5 that that is where he needs to be. The first couple days were really rough for Canon. He gets overwhelmed and embarrassed very easily, and the big change from being at home with his mom and brothers all day, to being in the structured environment of school with other kids and other adults was a lot for him. He tends to just shut down when he feels that way, which can come across as being defiant and stubborn. He's like my husband in that way- internalizing when stressed. You can see the nervousness on his face before we left the house the first day.

Ephraim had a much more positive start to school and was quite excited to go off.

It's an adjustment here at home, too. I'm just not sure how to entertain a 3 year old all day. Though yesterday I didn't have to because Doyle AND Hickory took a nap at the same time and it was glorious. lol. I got so much stuff done while they were sleeping. Speaking of which, I need to finish up some chores while Hickory naps and Doyle is distracted by Toy Story.

The Glamorous Housewife, who also recently had a baby, posted a blog yesterday about How to Be a Glamorous Mama and what that means to her and it inspired me to step it up a notch today. I just need to find a way to snap a picture of my outfit and such to post. So, be looking for that hopefully tomorrow.

school, kids, self

2011-08-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Let's have a proper update, shall we?

Well, we aren't homeschooling this year. Not sure if I said that here or not. I had all our curriculum and what not picked out, but when it came right down to it, it's just going to be too much for me to homeschool Canon and Ephraim and making sure they are also getting the social interaction as well as routine and structure they need, and be working on potty training with Doyle AND be taking care of Hickory and still be able to keep up with all the household duties. I will always be the first to admit that I am *not* Super Mom and I need help. It takes a village after all. Tonight is their open house, tomorrow is Canon's first day of 1st grade and kindergarten orientation with Ephraim, and then Ephraim's first day is Friday. Just because of his age they are making him due kindergarten despite the fact that he's already done it at home. He's probably more ready for first grade than Canon is, actually.

Saturday, we're all being blown away in a hurricaine. John says we should be doing some sort of hurricaine preparations, but I have no idea what that entails. I'm an Oklahoma girl. Handling tornados, I know. Hurricaines, not so much.

I've totally fallen off the wagon with Couch to 5k. I liked it at first but once I got to week 4, I had some issues. A.)my knees really started hurting and B.)I started getting really bored with it. It was fun when it was like, run 2 min, walk 2 min, but once the run times started increasing and the walk times decreasing it got boring. I guess I liked doing the intervals more than just run run runing. *shrug* It's also pretty boring on the treadmill, but that's probably just something I need to power through for now.

Hickory is wonderful. He sleeps 8 hours straight at night, then takes two 3 hour naps during the day. He has a rather serious countenance just like Canon did as a baby. He does smile and coo, but he's no where near the social, smiley guy that Ephraim and Doyle were.

It'll be interesting to see how Doyle does during the day without Canon and Ephraim to play with. I'm going to have to start going to playdates again. Ulch. I always feel like I have nothing in common with the other moms other than mom stuff, which is fine, but sometimes I want to talk about anything OTHER than kid related things. Know what I mean? I'll probably sign us up for MOPS again.

I've been getting back into sewing, which is awesome, because I still don't fit into my old clothes (most of which aren't nursing friendly anyway.) I finished some awesome 1930's-esque trousers over the weekend, and have everything cut for a high-waisted pencil skirt, just need to start on it. I'm itching to get back on the path of vintage-inspired style. I STILL haven't gotten my hair cut and it's driving me nuts, especially now that it's in that post-partum shedding stage. The stuff is everywhere!

Only 3 months, 2 weeks and 3 days until we move back to Oklahoma City!!!! (But who's counting, right? lol.)

decisions decisions

2011-07-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

The littlest guy has been part of our family for almost 6 weeks now. He's spending more time awake and has started cooing as well as eeking out the occasional smile, which is great after weeks of him just crying at me during his few waking moments.

What is not great is my hair. It's officially a hot mess that can only be worn in some sort of pony tail, braid, or bun. It's just too long too be practical for me, not to mention the ends are ridiculously damaged. It needs cut and how! No clue what I want to do with it though. I had been planning on getting a middy plus, but I've really been into more 60's hairstyles lately so I'm wondering if maybe I should just go with a bob of some sort. I don't want it too short because I've spent soooo long growing it out, but what's the point in having long hair if it's always pulled into a pony tail?

I'm thinking something in the Laura Petrie style could be cute. What do you think? 60's flip or 40's middy?

60's

or

40's?

The photo of Ava Gardner is actually pretty true to what my hair looks like when I cold set it on sponge rollers as far as tightness of curl and frizz factor goes. However now my hair is too long (and thick and heavy) to take a cold set very well, hence all the pony tails and updo's.

Do a gal a solid and help me decide. Flip or middy?

he's here!!!!

2011-06-11T18:49:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updating. I always get very anti-social and snarky and overly emotional at the end of my pregnancies and this go around it was off the chart, so for the sake of everyone I pretty much decided to follow my dad's advice of "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."

The Birth Story:

In the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, May 29th I had the baby!!! Despite my contractions being so far apart that the hospital staff almost didn't believe I was really in labor, the labor went by really fast- just under 3.5 hours. At my appointment on Tuesday, May 24th I went ahead and let the midwife check me even though I wasn't planning on it. She said I was 2-3cm and that the baby was REALLY low (that part I already knew.) I had been having some contractions so it was nice to know something was happening even if it wasn't a great indicator of when labor would kick in. Saturday the 28th was a really rough day for me. I'd been having contractions for days and they were decently strong- enough that I had to stop and breath and remind myself to relax through them, but they didn't last very long and after a couple hours they seemed to fade away. My husband kept telling me that I probably was in labor, but that I'd done it so many times it just didn't seem like a big deal to my body anymore and that I'd probably wake up one morning with a baby next to me- wondering how he got there. lol. Anyway, by Saturday afternoon I was an uncomfortable, emotional wreck and I huffed and puffed off and on all day having hard but short contractions for a couple hours at a time before they would die out, really dreading labor (which isn't really like me), but at the same time being so sick of being at the miserable feeling end of the pregnancy and wanting to move on. At 11:30pm my hubby and I were laying in bed watching tv and I had a *really* hard contraction and I just lost it. I started crying hysterically and saying, "I don't want to do this!!!" and just panicking in general....all signposts of the start of the transition stage of labor, and I knew this, but I also kept thinking that there was no way I could be at that stage because I didn't feel like I had been in "active" labor yet since my contractions weren't lasting that long and they seemed to come and go. However, after another one or two contractions that again, didn't last very long but were really intense, I went ahead and just said, "I think we should go to the hospital." and he agreed. He woke up the kids and ran them to his friend's house while I labored at home and waited for him to come back and pick me up. I started shaking during my contractions just a bit at this point, but didn't have too hard of a time staying relaxed. Eventually, he made it back and we headed to the hospital.
We arrived at around 12:30am and headed up to L&D. Of course they made me go into triage and hooked me up to the stupid belt monitors and someone who "said" she was a midwife (I think she was a student) checked me and said I wasn't having that hard of contractions (um, hello! do you see me shaking violently over here?) and that they weren't really coming one on top of each other (which that I knew) and that I was at 4cm and she was going to have the head midwife on duty come check me. Less than five minutes go by and before the head midwife comes to check me and says I'm at 7cm and 100% effaced. That kind of caught me off guard cause I kept thinking, "How did I go from 2-3cm to 7cm without being in active labor? That makes no sense!" lol. I went ahead and asked to get fluids started so I could get an epidural. Looking back, I'm a.) surprised they gave me one since I was already so far along and b.) think I only said I wanted one because it was the self-doubt transition stage talking and that if I had had a better midwife or doula with me to reassure me I wouldn't have felt the need for one. (No offense to my husband on that, because he was wonderfully supportive and encouraging, but sometimes nothing a man says to you in labor means as much as it would coming from another female who has been there before herself.) Never the less, they put one in, but epidurals take awhile before they take effect...and right after the anesthesiologist got everything in place, my water broke which always happens right before I start pushing and this time was no different. They didn't even have time to put a catheter in before I was grunting and making small pushes. (Fine by me since I didn't want one anyway.)
I pushed him out laying on my side cause I knew there was no way I'd be able to lay on my back with my joint issues. All the midwives and nurses basically just stood back and let me do my own thing which was awesome. They didn't really coach me or tell me what to do. Afterwards they were saying that they were amazed at how well I did and that I had such great control during pushing and that it was obvious that I knew exactly what my body was doing and where things were at with me and that I just didn't really need any help. :) It felt pretty amazing to hear that kind of praise, but it also made me a little sad cause they obviously don't get to see many natural, non-medicalized births because the female body TOTALLY does know what to do in about 90% of births. It really does go that smoothly when you just leave things alone.

Hickory Rutledge Wing was born at 2:49am on Sunday, May 29, 2011 weighing 8lbs 12 oz and 22 in long with no real interventions, no tears, no nothing. He did have the cord wrapped twice around his neck pretty tightly and they all said he was pretty blue when he first came out, but they quickly slipped the cord up and over his head and he was fine. Nothing on the monitors ever showed him having reduced heart rate or being in distress or anything. (I think people don't always realize that a cord around the neck isn't that uncommon and that it doesn't automatically mean imminent danger. Maybe if he had been in the birth canal a long time it could have gotten that way, I don't know, but never the less- it doesn't automatically mean the worst.)

He's the second smallest baby out of my four sons, and he's precious and wonderful. I'm still adjusting to my life being all about nursing the babe, and true to my track record at 2 weeks post partum I'm feeling quite lumpy and frumpy since I still have 20 pounds to go till my pre-preggers clothes will fit again, but all in all I'm the typical happy but tired new mom.

date night hair

2011-03-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

I'm in a little bit of fragile pregnant emotions mode right now. I had the most stressful day in a long line of stressful days with my three kiddos today. I had texted my husband to say how overwhelmed I was and he responded that he already had a babysitter lined up for the night and we were going out to dinner! Aside from the timing being dead on, my husband has never planned a date out A.)without me telling him to take me out, and B.)done any of the arrangements on his own. He is a really great man and wonderful husband, but planning dates just isn't his forte, so this news on this day was amazing.

I kept the kids busy for a bit before I started to work on my hair and I had literally just finished and was about to lay on a good shellac of hairspray when the phone rang. It was my sweet husband, calling to say that there was a situation at work and we weren't going to be able to go out tonight after all. Despite his reassurances that it's all good to go for tomorrow night instead, I couldn't help but sit on the edge of the tub and cry my little preggo eyes out. Never the less, my hair looks good and I want photographic evidence of it.

front:

back:

Those stinkin' french twists are tougher than they look! I'm sure it doesn't help that I haven't really had hair long enough to do one in YEARS so it's completely foreign to me.

My husband has no clue when he'll be able to get home. I'm going to guess it'll be after the kids go to bed, so I need to get some sort of dinner going now that it's 7pm.

FO: Vogue 1027

2011-03-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

At last!!!! I am finally (mostly) finished with Vogue 1027, the DKNY knit dress. It took me so long just to get started on it because I was so overwhelming intimidated by sewing a knit, and on my run of the mill starter sewing machine at that. However, once I got going I discovered that it wasn't really that difficult at all! In fact it was rather easy and enjoyable! I finished it up just in time to wear for St. Patrick's Day since I didn't have anything else in my currently wearable wardrobe that was green.

(Excuse the blurriness and the odd camera angle. We were having technical difficulties.) The pattern calls for pockets in the side seams as well as the tie to be sewn on with the bow in front, but I prefer the bow in back if I wear the tie at all. I'd rather just get a cinch belt, but didn't have time to find a white one. I used a rayon/spandex knit and it's so light weight and comfortable that I hardly want to take it off because it feels like I'm wearing a night gown. The deep v-neck and stretchy fabric will also accommodate nursing after I give birth. Hooray for nursing friendly dresses!!

I'm at 29 weeks now; just 11 more to go. I have a feeling it will go by rather quickly.

daffodil- belleblossoms.com
glasses- vintageous.com
cami- Express
dress- Vogue 1027
shoes- Clark's

my very first youtube tutorial!

2011-02-17T20:29:00.001-08:00

I've never made a youtube tutorial before, and it honestly isn't something I plan on making a regular thing, but I discovered this quick and easy 40's 'do and was just so impressed with the simplicity and effectiveness of it that I HAD to share it.

What I Wore Today

2011-02-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick snap I took this evening of my outfit for the day. I'm 25 weeks pregnant now, but this outfit could easily translate to someone not eating for two. I wore this all day long to make a quick run to the store and then to tackle the absolute filth that had taken over my bathroom. (I did end up taking off my cardigan while cleaning because it got a little warm.) Over all though, it's a very mom-friendly outfit since everything can be thrown in the washing machine and my hair was out of my face. Further proof that just because it's not the 50's anymore, it doesn't mean that you can get things done and look good doing them!

The leopard print rose was my blossom of the month this month from Belle Blossoms. It's not something I'd normally pick since I tend to choose more natural looking flowers, but it's so fun! Sometimes you just need something that packs a bit more punch, you know? My snood is also from Belle Blossoms. I'm totally stoked that she's carrying snoods now, since around the house I'm constantly bending over to pick things up or change a diaper and having my hair in my face drives me crazy, but I don't want to rock a pony tail all the time either. Today it was quite windy out for North Carolina, but typical of Oklahoma weather and the snood was great for looking cute without my hair flying all over the place. I have a feeling snoods and I are going to become fast friends when we move back to Oklahoma at the end of the year.

snood and leopard rose- Belle Blossoms
glasses- Vintageous
cardigan and maternity jeans- Kohl's
tank top- Target

let's talk coif

2011-01-07T17:10:00.001-08:00

Every week, usually on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night, I wash my hair and set it in sponge rollers. I believe the ones I have are by Conair and came in a pack of 4 different sizes.

It looks something like this. I start with hair that is 97% dry. I like to let it air dry as much as possible, but usually end up hitting the back of my head with the blowdryer on low because I get impatient. My bangs/fringe are rolled on a jumbo roller. In this picture I have them rolled towards my face, but I usually opt to roll them away from my face so I can easily shape them into a victory roll or pomp later in the week if I feel like it. I have a deep side part and the top of the heavier side is rolled on the large size rollers going upwards, everything else is directed down. Once I get the top rolled up, I roll a row on the jumbo rollers, and then the bottom I roll with the large rollers. With each section, I separate the hair that I want to go into the roller, comb through it and then lightly spray it with dilluted Lottabody setting lotion. I don't want it too damp because then it won't dry, but I also don't want it too dry because then there won't be much of a curl. It took a bit of trial and error to figure out what level of dampness worked for me. I usually end up using 8 jumbo rollers and 6 large rollers total. Once it's completely rolled, I tie a bandanna around my head to keep the rollers from slipping out of place while I sleep.

Typically the rollers stay in my hair for around 12 hours give or take a few hours. I take them out in the morning and break up the curls with my fingers before brushing through them and then using some sort of product to help smooth the frizzies. It ends up looking like this:

Voila! Tight, bouncy curls that are playful and fun.

This is what my hair looks like on day 6 of my set. The curls have relaxed and it's much softer looking, but definitely still a stable curl. I've brushed it every day, and only used hairspray on day 2. I also don't wrap my hair under a scarf or anything to sleep on it after the initial set. I just let it do what it wants at night. (Excuse the repeat clothing. I don't have a huge wardrobe normally, but adding pregnancy has taken it down that much more.)

I have to admit that sleeping on the foam rollers is not the most comfortable thing in the world, but I will gladly pay the price to have the luxury of not having to do anything more than brush my hair in the morning for an entire week and still have fab retro hair. Those ladies were onto something back in the day!!

recovering from the Holiday crazies.

2010-12-27T17:34:00.001-08:00

Between gearing up for Christmas and trying to stay on top of the kids schooling, I have had zero time to sew my dress. Supposedly a friend of mine is going to lend me her serger, but maybe I shouldn't hold my breath on that one 'cause she's a busy gal. However, I did manage to break down and buy some ready-to-wear materntiy clothes before we headed to Georgia to spend Christmas at my husband's uncle's home.

I got this sweater (except in black, not pink):

this blouse (black and white AND gingham- doesn't get much more me than that)

and this plaid shirt dress-

All from Motherhood Maternity. I need to get some black tights or....gulp....leggings....to go under the dress while I'm waiting for spring to roll around.

Christmas was great, but I'll do a separate post about all of that. Hope everyone had a happy holiday!

knits- not for the faint of heart

2010-12-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

Well, not for a beginner level sewer such as myself. I managed to get the green version of the dress cut out today and even though I opted to leave off the pockets and the fabric sash, it still took the better part of my day because I was trying to be oh so careful to not screw it up and make sure I did everything just right. Now, I'm 100% positive that I did NOT do everything just right, but isn't that what the beauty of knit fabrics is supposed to be? That you can fudge a little on the fit cause of the stretchy nature of the fabric? And whooo boy, does this fabric stretch! Not only is it a knit, but it's got 5% spandex in there, too.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get the markings all transferred. My husband's work is having some sort of holiday party tomorrow at 5pm and I need to set my hair and what not for that, so I'm not anticipating having too much time to start really sewing until Saturday or Sunday.

Upcoming projects

2010-12-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for my vintage patterns to arrive, but I'd still like to take all this energy to sew and put it into something while I'm waiting. So today I headed to Joann (yes, that one) and picked up Vogue 1027 (awesome that Vogue patterns are on sale for $3.99 right now) and some delicious feeling rayon spandex in dove grey and a beautiful emerald green. I was inspired by Rachel at Boo Dogg and Me who is also preggers and used this pattern to make a comfy yet beautiful dress for herself. This dress will probably be a challenge for me since I don't own a serger and have NEVER sewn a knit in my life, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Any tips for sewing knits on a regular sewing machine?

And just for the heck of it, a shot of the belly. (Excuse the mess.)

second trimester! thank goodness!

2010-11-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

Whew! That first trimester was a doozy! There's certainly many a preggo that has had a worse time, but I'm still extremely grateful for the nausea and exhaustion to have gone by the wayside. I just hit the 14 week point this past Monday and true to my previous pregnancies I have rounded out early and it is getting near painful to squeeze into my pants even with them completely unzipped and with the aid of a bella band, and the majority of my shirts are totally out of the question. I'd looked and looked and looked online at maternity clothes and none of them are "me." Not only are the all quite modern, but they all seem to be quite trendy. I've been hard pressed to even find things I would deem as "classic." However, the other night I scored two vintage maternity patterns from the early 1950's on good ol' ebay.

I've never made a shirt before so I must admit that is quite intimidating, but the skirts look incredibly easy (not to mention comfortable!) I just need to start looking for fabric! Since I'm due at the end of May, it'd be nice if I had something that could take me from winter to spring. Perhaps I'll just make the blouse a solid white...nothing like a crisp, white blouse. So easy to dress up or dress down. Any ideas on fabric for the skirt? I'm torn between some grey suiting and a more casual cotton.

off the style wagon

2010-10-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my, oh my have I fallen off the style wagon in the last month or so, but with a good excuse! I am expecting again!!! Atomik offsping #4 will be making an appearance late spring/early summer of next year and between the hormones, the exhaustion, the morning sickness, expanding waistline and all the regular stuff of being a wife and homemaker and homeschooling mother to three little boys.....keeping the retro of it all has not be very high on my priority list. After all, in between the constant fear of tossing your cookies and my own mother-fears that I will fail at teaching my children to read and thus set them up for a lifetime of failure that I will be personally responsible for (are all homeschooling moms as neurotic as I am, or is this the hormones talking?), I just haven't had it in me to wear much outside of yoga pants and pony tails.

However, now I'm in the place of recognizing the frumpy depths to which I have fallen and am resolving to find SOMETHING that fits my already round belly and get back to setting my hair. Undoubtedly I will have to make some adjustments to the wardrobe I sport, but something that fits no matter what your size are accessories!! My favorite being hair flowers and Belle Blossoms is currently having a giveaway!!!! Included in the booty is everything from flowers to feather, bow to cherries. Get on over there before the 31st and enter!

where HAVE i been??

2010-09-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

I guess at this point I should just go ahead and come out with it-

I am not doing Self-Stitched September after all. I just couldn't manage to get enough things made. Such a bummer because I was so stoked about it, but I just haven't had the time/energy to work on too much.

Man, oh, man. I need to have a specified day to update this blog. Let's see.....the green plaid shirt dress was the last thing I was working on.

It still isn't finished.
Attempting to match up all those stripes was basically killing my will to sew anything ever again. I had to walk away from my machine for a good while. I'll get to it eventually, but this time I'm declaring it a designated house dress and will refuse to care about the matching of stripes any longer.

Right now, I'm working on one last sun dress of the year which shouldn't take too long to finish if I could ever find the time to sit down and do it. Between keeping the house, cooking the meals, and homeschooling the kids I feel like I'm doing good just to still be standing. The dress in progress is New Look 6457 view D.

I've been hoping to get the bodice finished the last couple of days, but just haven't had the time to work on it. Ideally I'd like to get it all finished tomorrow and wear it this weekend. The print of the fabric is pretty summer-y in my opinion, so even if I tossed a cardigan over it, I'm not sure that it would work for fall.

Be on the look-out for more posts!

Love in the Afternoon

2010-07-28T13:15:00.001-07:00

I've always been an Audrey Hepburn fan. Always. In a time filled with blonde bombshells, she exuded glamour and charm and gave all us flat chested brunettes a shining ray of hope. One of my favorite quotes from her is from a 1989 interview with Barbara Walters in which she said,

"My look is attainable. Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by flipping out their hair, buying the large sunglasses, and the sleeveless dresses."

Though she was speaking more of her Breakfast at Tiffany's look, which is certainly iconic and stunning and yet also easy to emulate, I thought today I'd go for one of Hepburn's earlier looks. I've always loved her romantic looking pageboy bob from when she starred in Love in the Afternoon (1957) with Gary Cooper.

I didn't quite get all the bends since I used sponge rollers instead of pin curls, but I'm still pretty pleased with how it turned out.

shirt dress

2010-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

I've slowly but surely been working on McCall's 4769 this past week and a half.

Due to silly me picking a pattern with a horizontal stripe in it, I've decided to make it sleeveless to preserve my current level of sanity. I've never made anything with any sort of stripe in it, so it's already a learning experience without the addition of sleeves. I'm really wanting a blue plaid dress for fall, but I will hunt for a different pattern, probably one with kimono style sleeves. Fewer seams to match = fewer headaches for me. Something like this dress pattern for sale on etsy right now would be perfect. (Bonus that it's in my size! Definitely saving that to my favorites.)

be still my heart

2010-07-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

The other night I was browsing through some sewing blogs and came across a post about a traveling exhibit called, "The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957" that is currently on view at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, TN through September 12. The most beautiful dresses and accessories from designers like Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Chanel as well as the foundation garments used to create the New Look silhouette will be on display for the public's viewing pleasure.

This gem is one of the many cocktail dresses in the exhibit.

Nashville is a tedious 9 hour drive away from where I live, but it's short enough to tackle in a day and because my husband loves me so much we are planning on making the trip as a family over the next long weekend we get, probably Labor Day. The Nashville viewing is the only U.S. stop on the exhibition's five city tour, otherwise you're going to have to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where these pieces of wearable art call home.

Outfits.

2010-07-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Just playing a little catch-up on things I wore this weekend, as well as what I'm wearing today.

Friday:

Just running some errands in my new skirt. My hair was pretty frizzy and wild, but I didn't really want to go out with rollers in my hair, and the errands couldn't wait.

Friday night my husband and I had date night, so I had to kick it up a notch. I was in such a hurry to finish getting ready that I cut my head off and didn't have time to redo the picture. The blouse and jeans I got at Kohl's and the heels from Shoe Carnival. I didn't end up wearing the heels for the night though because they kept slipping off the back of my heel and the last thing you want when wearing 5 inch heels is compromised stability. I'm determined to put whatever little pads and grips I have to on these shoes to make them work though. They are too sassy not to find a way to make them wearable!

Saturday:

A simple cotton dress for running errands and a trip to the park! I gotta say, it's a pain to iron all that skirt and a complicated bodice such as this, but so worth it. I knew the day promised to be hot and humid, so I back combed my hair at the crown and then put it in a pony tail with a leopard print scarf I made from scraps of fabric left over from making my leopard print pencil skirt.

Now, mind you I'm not always dressed to the nine's. So for a little balance of reality, my outfit du jour:

Well, there it is in all it's glory. House dress, slippers, hair in rollers and no make-up. Gotta keep it real.

another F.O. and peach perfection

2010-07-15T16:41:00.001-07:00

Yes, this is the third time I've made this pencil skirt, but I really just love it and I bought the denim to make this months ago and there's no time like the present to get it done since September is quickly approaching. I'm pretty jazzed about this for the simple fact that dark denim pencil skirts go with EVERYTHING! I've owned many in the past, and even during my last pregnancy my denim maternity pencil skirt was one of my items that got the most wear. (I had a knee length one with a secret fit belly from Motherhood Maternity, and I gotta say, that secret fit belly was AWESOME!!!! It's like a bella band attached to the top of the skirt and it truly did fit from my 2nd month through my 9th month and post partum and I'm not even one of those gals that barely looks pregnant at 9 months. I get HUGE and I look like I'm 9 months at 7 months easily.) Moving on from that little rabbit trail....

I also wanted to take the opportunity to show my June Blossom of the Month that I mentioned in an earlier post. Isn't it beautiful?

all for a day's work

2010-07-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I heard a story of a husband and wife who were going through marriage counseling. The husband was saying that on the days that his wife stayed home and didn't go anywhere she was always wearing ratty sweat pants and over-sized t-shirts and had her hair in a messy pony tail, but when she knew she'd be leaving the house to go to a meeting or get together, she'd put on something nice and fix her hair and make-up and that he wished he could come home to the put together woman more often. The wife replied that she didn't see the point in doing it on the days she didn't go anywhere because no one was going to see her.

Who was her husband? Was he "no one"? That story has really stuck in my mind and resonated with me. My husband and I have been together for seven years now and have three children- all boys. He has watched me give birth to all of them, two of them completely drug-free births to 9 pounders. Needless to say we are comfortable with each other and he has seen me at my most unglamorous. I know that I am his standard of beauty, but I still want to be the best that I can be, so every morning I get up and go to the gym. When I get home, I make lunch for the kids and I, and after lunch is over I make a point to clean myself up. For me that usually means rolling my hair, putting on some make-up, and changing into a dress or blouse/skirt combo. Don't get me wrong, I don't always look like I'm on my way to a cocktail party, but I am a big believer that you should never stop dating your spouse, and during the brief time that my husband and I were dating, I made sure I looked good.

This is what I'm wearing today. I made this skirt the day before Easter Sunday and it's probably one of my favorite things in my closet. It's red denim with an awesome cross hatching all over in white. It's flattering, it's comfortable, and can be worn just about anywhere. The apron is there to protect my outfit from the hazards of house cleaning. I saw this fabric online YEARS ago and just had to have something, anything in my wardrobe made out of it. It's boomerang barkcloth for crying out loud! How could I NOT be completely in love with it? Finally a few months back I was browsing through Boojiboo because I wanted another apron in my rotation, and I pounced on this one.

Now, I'm not saying that every wife needs to have on a pencil skirt, heels, and red lipstick when her husband comes home. I'm not saying that at all. What getting "cleaned up" looks like for me, may not be the same for you. Maybe you are more of a laid back, jeans and t-shirt gal. That's fine! Be who you are! This isn't about being something that you aren't, but about making the most with what you've got. This also isn't something that my husband or anyone else has pressured me into doing. No one has ever told me that I need to look a certain way when my husband comes home. This is just something I do because I want to do it. I want to look nice for my husband. Men are visual after all, so why not try to look my best? I don't do it because I want my husband to love me, but because he already loves me, even at my worst. But just because he's seen me at my worst, doesn't mean he needs to see the worst of me every day.

What exactly have I been up to?

2010-07-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Dott, and I am a text-book procrastinator. Ugh. I do it every time, think over and over to myself, "I'm okay on that deadline. I've got plenty of time." Only to realize at the last minute, "Woah! No you don't! You don't have any time at ALL!!! Get your butt in gear!!! Everything has to be done now NOW NOW!!!!" Ahem. So, I didn't really do any sewing at all in the month of June. Yeah, that's right. I pretty much wasted an entire month. There's still the rest of July and August till Self-Stitched September kicks off, though, and I vow to make the most of the next six-ish weeks. Last week I finally sat down and sewed the Vogue dress I last posted about. For some reason I was really intimidated by this pattern. Maybe it was the princess seams? I'm not sure. It ended up going together extremely easily and then, as always happens, I felt silly for making a mountain out of a mole hill.

I really love the way it turned out. I had to take it in a bit in the bust, but I pretty much have to take EVERYTHING in in the bust. Still though, I'm quite pleased with it.

I'm wearing the July Blossom of the Month from Belle Blossoms. Last month the B.O.M. was a rose and I received a beautiful peach colored rose. This month it is all about the orchid, and I could not be happier with it. Both blooms are incredibly realistic looking. They look as if you could bruise the petals. Orchids are some of my favorite flowers (I had green cymbidium orchids as one of the flowers in my bouquet and centerpieces when my husband and I renewed our vows back in May.) and the tropical flower is a great accessory for my Hawaiian inspired dress.

I'm not sure what I'm going to sew next, but I figure that I need to make at least one item a week from here on out to have a decent amount of self-stitched inventory. I'm thinking separates is probably the way to go.

SSS 2010 prep

2010-06-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

In the works in the sewing department is Vogue 8184 view E. (The dress on the bottom right.)

I found some cotton in the clearance bin awhile back that was a pretty Hawaiin looking floral on a blue background and just HAD to have a dress made out of it.

As a stay at home mom, I really love dresses. They make getting ready in the mornings so simple and quick. It's nice to have something that you can just throw on and know that you will look great. It reminds me of that scene in It's a Wonderful Life when upon receiving a compliment from a group of gentlemen, the girl flips her hair and says with a twinkling in her eye, "Oh, this old thing? Why I only wear it when I don't care how I look!" Every woman needs an old-stand by like that that she can throw on when she doesn't feel like putting a ton of effort into getting ready that day. (Or if you are like me, you might need a few of those dresses.)

I haven't gotten much done on it in the last week because my husband had an unexpected four day weekend last week, so we took a spontaneous camping trip to the beach last weekend and now I'm trying to play catch up on the laundry and housework. You know how it is. I've got it all cut out, so hopefully today or tomorrow though I can start plugging away on it.

FO: leopard pencil skirt

2010-06-04T07:04:00.001-07:00

Being the procrastinator that I am, I waited until two days before the show to start any actual sewing of this skirt and then had to rush to get it done that day because I knew that was the only time I had. As is the case in those situations, the skirt is far from perfect. You do NOT want to see the zipper or hem up close, let me assure you. Thanks to the print, though, you don't really notice the imperfections unless you are looking for them.

I'm not sure if I sewed the seam allowances a little bigger than last time, or if I've gained a few pounds (which would not surprise me at all with the way I've been eating lately), but the skirt is pretty snug in the waist. We had a two hour drive to get to the show and I had to unzip a bit just to be comfortable and less concerned about popping a seam! (File that under: You know you're wearing a wiggle skirt when...) My husband said I was setting myself up for failure with a skirt I couldn't really sit in and shoes that hurt my feet (mental note: get ball of the foot pads for these pronto!) but hey- I felt cute and that was all I really cared about. I'm going to have to spend a little more time at the gym before this skirt goes into my regular rotation of clothes, but it's worth it I think.

glasses- Vintageous
camisole- Express
skirt- Vogue 8604
shoes- Lucky Lou

Introduction and Project.

2010-05-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hello world. My name is Dott. I am a wife, a mother, and a fan of all things retro, specifically from the 1940's up through the atomic era. I love the juxtaposition of the glamor along with simplicity. That I can create my own homemade glitz is certainly appealing as a stay at home mom to three spirited little boys under the age of 6. Why, at this very moment I am sitting here typing as I cold set my hair in sponge rollers. This year is the year that (at my husband's urging) I have decided to fully embrace a more classically glamorous, retro lifestyle and here is where I will document it all.

A current project I have decided to jump in on, is Self-Stitched September 2010. I read about this on the Sew Retro blog (and again, at my husband's gentle nudging) have decided to participate! This will be quite the challenge for me since I just recently got back into sewing clothes after many years of doing nothing in the way of creating for my own personal use. However, I had been wanting to sew a new pencil skirt to wear to go see Reverend Horton Heat play on Thursday, so it seems the perfect kick-off to start getting more handmade duds in my wardrobe. I think it will be a lot of fun and also a great learning experience, so, let the September prep-work begin!!!!

Atomik Momma

In limbo, in location and in style

Times they are a-changin'

outfit today 9/15

outfit today 9/15

school days

school, kids, self

decisions decisions

he's here!!!!

date night hair

FO: Vogue 1027

my very first youtube tutorial!

What I Wore Today

let's talk coif

recovering from the Holiday crazies.

knits- not for the faint of heart

Upcoming projects

second trimester! thank goodness!

off the style wagon

where HAVE i been??

Love in the Afternoon

shirt dress

be still my heart

Outfits.

another F.O. and peach perfection

all for a day's work

What exactly *have* I been up to?

SSS 2010 prep

FO: leopard pencil skirt

Introduction and Project.

What exactly have I been up to?