1. 22. 2014 - Phoenix Rising From the Ashes

• Cut and pasted together two free PDF patterns, the Crepe Suzette clutch and the Yellowtail Camisole from Disparate Disciplines, now Seamster Patterns.
• Cut out and stitched together a Colette Clover muslin in a mystery cream fabric with maybe 5% Lycra. I only cut the pant legs pattern halfway down the thigh to conserve fabric.
• Worked on new pattern alterations for the Grainline Moss skirt. I have now cut out the fabric for a new muslin!

Ok, here goes: I have bought a few items and I feel EXTREMELY guilty about it. You see while I do have some money to live off I still have not found a new job and should be saving right? Well, here is my explanation and perhaps my justification for the purchases.

Coming home three months ago did a whammy on my self esteem, but in a way I wasn't expecting. I felt good about my self professionally and I will get another job. However, emotionally and physically, I felt like crap. I let my hair grow out and the mixture of new gray growth and my faded dyed hair made me look mousy and washed out. Even when wearing makeup, I felt horrible.


Legacy Lane 21 - America's Best

Eyewear: Because of lack of funds, I have been wearing old glasses (w/ a very old prescription) for more than a year and my eyesight has been compromised, I gave up on driving at night or god forbid, at night in the rain. Why I didn't fix this earlier can only be blamed on the depressive state I was in while in Richmond. No wonder I felt unsure of myself since I couldn't even trust my vision when out and about.

Legacy Lane 27 in Brown

My style had also changed quite a lot since I first purchased those glasses and I felt I looked older and conservative with them on, which of course, didn't help my self-image much. In order to feel better when interviewing for jobs I knew this had to be fixed. My eldest sister came to the rescue by offering to pay for the eye exam and a 2 for $69.95 deal through America's Best eyewear. I now have two pairs, one in no-nonsense black and another pair in a brown that matches my skin and that are also "baby's first bifocals".

Makeup Shockingly, perhaps the biggest change was the wrangling of my eyebrows. Over time, they have become sparse and seemed to disappear at a distance and in photos. You know how a great eyebrow (think A. Hepburn, Ava Gardner, ) can frame a face? Well, I needed that especially with new glasses bringing them into focus. I decided to check out Ulta (similar to Sephora). Having already purchased NYX Cosmetics products before I looked at their extensive range of eyebrow grooming products, in particular, their auto eyebrow pencil w/ attached brush for only $5! Penciling in the empty spaces and creating a more commanding shape did the job. Even my father remarked on my eyebrows at breakfast! Now, that's saying something! For just a dollar more, I also bought some of their matte lipstick in Alabama as all my lipsticks now have to be dug out of their tubes.

  

Rockstar Tuxedo Stripe Skinny Jean

Jeans: I have full or wide-legged pants in wool and tweeds for fall and winter and have slim casual pants for spring and summer. However, I wanted something cuter and figure flattering for winter too. I went to Old Navy seeking corduroys on sale but no go. These flattering "skinny jeans" with their subtle tuxedo stripe were on the clearance rack for $16 and then further reduced down to $9.99! How could I possibly pass those by? They make me feel great and amazingly make everything I put on seem younger. They are also a cheap alternative to the similar Madewell Tuxedo stripe skinny jeans seen here for $135.00.

New All-purpose Shoes: My most worn shoes of the last two years were some quasi-riding boots that developed a hole in the sole and a pair of Clarks Mary-janes that unfortunately, I wore the entire time I was moving and cleaning out my apartment. Therefore, they are not in the best of shape. I do have a pair of practical black fabric pumps (10+ years old) but they are worn only for interviews. I needed to find a pair of shoes I could wear with pants and the kind of top and skirt combinations that I practically live in.

Earth Origins McLean

These Earth Origins "booties" from Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse fit the bill quite well and luckily could be paid for with a Christmas gift of money. Practical but cute.

Ok, so that was my confession, there is no more! I hope I will soon tell you about a new job, won with the help of these items and this new boost of confidence. Wish me luck!