A regular Ol' Betsy Ross

So because I am moving I have been pinning like a maniac. And because I have been pinning like a maniac, I have found tons of other things to take up my time other than moving. Such as clothing!

Recently, about a month ago, I realized that all but two pairs of my jeans had holes in them. Most of these holes being in inappropriate places, and were deemed un-wearable (which I am now using for another new project I will update with on here later when I am finished) but some salvageable. In the end I got 5 new pairs of jean shorts. While a southern girl like me loves her jean shorts, I decided this was somewhat of an excess, and chose to have some fun with them!

First I went and got some lace and just simply hand-stitched the lace onto the sides on the shorts where they had started splitting. This was so easy, took 5 minutes, and completely changes the look.

Then I decided I wanted some America shorts. I had seen many online and in stores, but all seemed very expensive to me. I went to three different fabric stores trying unsuccessfully to find fabric with the American flag printed on it. In the end, I just got an American flag. I felt like the worse American ever cutting up the American flag- but it is all in the name of fashion! And I am hell bent to use every part of it for something useful.

So I started just by simply cutting the pieces out, leaving about an inch around the perimeter to have a finished edge. I then folded back the edge and began hand-stitching it. For the most part I used the natural edge of the shorts and just followed it. I chose to hand stitch it, which I would recommend for most people useless you are extremely thrifty with a machine, due to the tight spaces, especially on the inseam. I also used white thread, because I liked how it looked with the exposed stitching, but that is personal preference.

A mistake I made was not closing the fly when sewing it, which I realized later made the fabric pull so the zipper was exposed. Thankfully because I had tucked under about an inch I had some room and it was easily fixable. I would definitely recommend leaving some space, so the fabric almost bunches a little bit in the middle because when you put them on it definitely flattens out.

But here is the finished product! I am in love! Happy 4^th ya’ll!

Love always,

Elle

Flight risk, with a fear of falling

Some things have changed since I last updated. I must confess I have been hiding something from all my readers. I am currently monogamously dating someone new. It has been going on for about a month and a half so far, but I did not want to put anything on here at first because I was still so unsure about everything. Part of me still is. It is slightly terrifying. I do not want to get too excited about anything, or start expecting things from someone. I don’t want to let myself fall.

…But sometimes I just can’t help it. I am destined to be a hopeless romantic forever, no matter how many times I learn love isn’t real. Or at least not lasting. Be as it may, at least for now, I will not have any crazy and exciting single-girl-in-a-big-city stories. But based on my short experience as one- it really wasn’t that much fun. At least not for me. I have always leaned on the side of relationships. I never know how it happens, but it always does to me. Even when I do not want one. I am still trying to figure out if that is a good or a bad thing.

So for now, I am determined to not get excited, not plan, not expect. Go day by day and not take it for granted that he will still like me tomorrow. Just see what happens, and try not to analyze myself into a hole like I love to do so much. I think maybe my view of how a relationship should be up to this point has been completely skewed and irrational. Maybe this new approach is how normal people act in a relationship? Is that how they don’t get hurt? Or does everyone else just suffer silently? Either way, there has got to be something more in this department of life than what I have experienced so far. But the only thing I can change is my way of thinking, so that’s what I am going to do. I’ll let you know how that works out for me… haha.

In other news, I got an intern! My boss is actually entrusting me to have an intern of my very own for 8 weeks. I couldn’t believe it when I was told. But it is such an honor to be chosen as the mentor, being that I am the last hired in the store! So far he has been working with me for about 2 weeks. I must admit sometimes it is fun having a shadow. For a job where I am incessantly around tons of people 9 hours straight, I never realized how lonely it actually is. I just hope that I can give him everything he needs.

I feel like I have been non-stop traveling lately. The Charlotte trip was so much fun! One of the best things I have done since I moved up here by far. My favorite part was doing the stand-up paddle boards. We paddled out down this river and just laid in the sun on the boards for over an hour. It was beautiful and perfect. Something I will always remember.

Last weekend I went down to Fayetteville, North Carolina, which was definitely an experience. And then in a few days I will be going up to Maryland to visit the young man mentioned above. And in a few weeks I get to go back to the beautiful Florida beaches! Even though this is my first summer not having the entire summer off as a student, it is still turning out to be pretty decent.

The dictionary defines love as this:

Love noun, verb, loved, lov·ing. noun

1.       a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

There is nothing defining love as faithful, trusting or everlasting. Maybe I really have had it wrong this whole time…

Love always,

Elle