DIY Bridesmaid Shirts

These were easy and fun to make and my bridesmaids loved them! The girls wore their shirts while we all got ready for the wedding together, which made for fun photos. I bought white, cotton, v-neck t-shirts at Old Navy and found all the below shown supplies at a craft store. 

1.) Wash and dry the t-shirts before sewing to ensure the fabric won't pull weird around the stitching later on. 

2.) Cut a piece of jersey knit fabric and place behind the area you're going to stitch. Place the knitting circle over the area, ensuring the fabric is taunt. 

3.) Use a pencil to lightly stencil on the letter or design you want to stitch on to the shirt.

4.) Thread needle, tie a knot at the end of the thread.

5.) Start stitching from the inside of the shirt. Keep even stitch lengths. I recommend using a stitch that loops back on the inside of the shirt instead of just going in and out. This gives more support to the fabric and prevents any weird pulling on the fabric. If that doesn't make sense think about it like this - You know you're doing it right when you can see the full letter from the inside of the fabric just like on the front. 

6.) Tie off the end of the thread on the inside of the shirt and remove the hoop. 

Jamaican me Crazy!

As it turns out that saying is quite true - Jamaican me Crazy - That country did drive me crazy! Crazy happy with rum and booty shakin music, and crazy frustrated with the overwhelmingly tourist-centric culture. 

Our bunch had some very bizarre encounters and experiences during our week in Negril, but looking back on the trip all I can think about is how incredibly gorgeous my dear friend was on her big day, and how blessed she is to have a wonderful man beside her for the rest of her life. They were wed just before sunset on Seven Mile Beach. While our wedding party took photos after the ceremony, guests enjoyed a cocktail hour complete with steel drum band. And who caught the bouquet at the reception? Oh you know it! 

 

 

  

Summer to-do List

I'm a big fan of lists. All kinds of lists. I make lists of things I can't forget to do each day. I make lists of things I need to buy and errands I need to run. My favorite sort of list are goal lists, like the bucket list I've been keeping since high school and reoccurring to-do lists for by year or season.

Here's the list I've already been getting a jump start on for this summer!

1- Bling out my old bikinis instead of buying new ones

2- Finally work up the courage to scuba dive during my Jamaica vacation

3- Fit back into my college jeans!

4- Sail on the Bay. Already bought a Living Social deal for it, just need to book a date.

5- Hit up every bottomless bunch on 7x7's list

6- Donate my collection of bridesmaid dresses. They depress me.

7- Go camping. I haven't been in three years and that's just silly.

8- Do a wine country day tour. The tourist kind, not the locals only kind.

9- Horseback riding. I probably haven't been since grade school!

10- Go white water rafting. Can you believe this will be a first for me?

Well hello there 2012

Last year I had an unofficial resolution to get myself to a better place, one where I wasn't feeling so bogged down by the people around me or the living situation I was in. As controversial as my choices seemed to some along the way, they proved to be the right ones. I managed to cut out all the drama and negativity from my life and landed a dream job in my favorite city. I live alone, which for me is ideal, and maintain a small pool of friends and family who I trust and respect. That last bit might sound simple enough, but I have learned the hard way that good people are hard to come by, and all too often the ones who should be a sure thing are the ones who hurt you the most.

I hadn't planned on making any clearly outlined resolutions for 2012, I never really do list them out. My resolutions tend to be ever evolving. This year I do have a list, and here's why. 

A childhood friend, who got engaged over the holidays, asked me to be a bridesmaid in her destination wedding this August... Of course my first thought was OMG OMG OMG or something ridiculous like that, because I'm absolutely elated that these two have finally decided to get hitched and thrilled that they want me to be a part of it. However, sheer terror followed as the realization hit me that I'm going to be in Jamaica wanting to run around in a bikini but will feel too pale and chubby to do it! Well, unless there's a considerable amount of rum involved, and surely there will be, but let's try not to hate myself when I see the photographic evidence later on, eh? I'm honestly not that far away from my college weight and it's entirely reasonable to run it off in the next few months without having to take any extreme measures.