Vlog (aka Movie Time)

I finally got the video I made for my Writing for New Media class (also the class I started this blog for) to upload onto my blog! Enjoy! :)

xoxo
C.R.M.

Refashion: Skinny Jeans

I have been trying to figure out what to blog about next and I have had lots of ideas, but no time to actually make them fruitful. But now with school being out and no job in sight, I have a lot of empty time on my hands. Instead of continuing to waste it away, I have decided to try my hand at some tutorials of the projects I have been doing lately. I've never tried this before, so let me know if anything is unclear or you have any questions. Well, here it goes!...

My little sister has always had the problem of finding skinny jeans that fit her. She is a very tall girl, so they are usually too short. So why not take old flare jeans and fix them up? 

{I ended up doing a couple of pairs of jeans for my sister, so the pictures are from multiple fixes--hence the different shades of jean.}

Step One: Put on your jeans inside out and pinch the sides to your leg to how skinny you want them. Only do this to one leg of your jeans for now. Just make sure it feels comfortable! 

One thing you might want to consider is whether or not your jeans have a decorative or thicker seam on the outside or inside edge. If this is so, only take in the side that does not have the decorative edge. If you take in the decorative edge side, you will be able to see where your stitching ends and the original seam starts and you won't have as clean of a finish. 

{*Note: The pinning is a whole lot easier to do with someone else's help! I have also seen this part done by laying a pair of skinny jeans on top of the ones you want to fix and pinning along the edges, but I found this method to be unreliable and harder to get a perfect fit.}

Once one leg is pinned, carefully take off your jeans, no one likes to get poked!

Step Two: Before you start sewing your jeans, make sure to get a jean or heavy duty needle for your sewing machine. A regular needle might still work, but it will be harder to sew through the thicker parts of the fabric and you might get your machine jammed or break a needle. 

Once you have your new needle, starts sewing the sides of your jeans where you pinned them. Make sure you pull the fabric tight against the original seam and that the fabric lays flat. 

Your finished stitching should look something like the above pictures depending on how tapered you want the leg to be. Turn your pants inside out and try them on to make sure you like the fit of the pant leg. If you need to make any adjustments, do so now because your first leg will become the templete for the other leg. 

Step Three: Once you have one leg sewed up to your liking, line it up with the other pant leg with the outside seam. Make sure it lies flat and that the bottom of the pant leg matches up. 

{*Note: This works best if you work one side of the pant leg at a time because there will be some bulk in the middle that will not lie flat if you line up both sides at the same time.}

Step Four: Once you have the pant legs lined up, pull back the stitched side to reveal the unaltered side and pin it to match up with the other leg. Do this up and down each side of the pant leg. Now you are ready to stitch up the other pant leg like you did the first. 

Once both legs are stitched up, try on your pants right side out and determine if both legs feel the same in tightness. If not, fix any problem areas and try them on again. 

Step Five: When you are satisfied with the fit of both pant legs, finish off your seams with a zig zag stitch and cut off the excess fabric or serge the edge to keep the fabric from fraying too much in the wash. 

Step Six: Enjoy your new pair of custom fitted skinny jeans! This tested method has worked wonders for three pairs of my sisters pants and one pair of thrifted colored jeans I found at Savers that needed some love as well. {Sorry I don't have a before picture. I'll be better next time!}

Well, I hope this tutorial was helpful and that you have lots of success in your skinny jean making endeavors! Hopefully this will be the first of many tutorials and DIY projects from the meanderings of my bored to death mind! :)

xoxo

C.R.M.

The History of Contemporary Fashion

http://youtu.be/Kd7m8rsE1zA

{I couldn't get the video to load, so here his a link to it!}

A lot of people commented saying they wished I had included pictures of the way fashion has changed through history...so here you go! The History of Contemporary Fashion (or in other words from 1900-2012)!

xoxo
C.R.M.

Why Fashion?

Fashion is ever changing and morphing into something new and exciting. It never stays the same for long, and like a water fountain, it recycles the old and makes it new again. The only way to truly stay up to date on what other people are saying about fashion and keep with the trends is by being observant and doing your homework. There are a myriad of ways to do this, but my personal favorites are reading magazines and blogs, going shopping and even just people watching. But why do people even care about what the new hip trend is you may ask? Why do people spend their entire lives studying something that is always changing and to some, has no value whatsoever? People love fashion because it gives them a lift from the mundane of everyday life, it is a fun past-time or hobby, and it gives people a way to track history as it is being made.

I have always felt bad for people who are blind because of all the color they miss out on in life. The world we live in is full of such exciting textures, hues, depths and colors. How boring would it be if we all ran around in gray jumpsuits or the same jeans and black t-shirts? The way we dress can define us in ways we don’t even realize. It may seem like an unconscious choice you make in the morning to choose the yellow shirt or the red shirt, but you are choosing an aspect of the way that people view you and you are choosing how you are going to impact the world of color. Stephanie Maddux said, “In today's world, fashion defines a culture, the status in which society sees you, it defines the type of people that you hang out with, the type of attitude that you may have…Clothing defines your personality and your way of life. Apparently, living by the way of fashion has become a standard in life.”^[i]

Choosing what you wear and being excited about that choice can give you a lift on a bad day, make you feel empowered, and take away some of the gray that so often fills our lives. This is especially apparent around springtime. Glenda Bailey, editor of Bazaar magazine said, “A new fashion season always gives us a lift, and although the word may be overused, the spring collections felt decidedly fresh.”^[ii] So make a statement, embrace something new and give the world some color and something to talk about.

Some people don’t consider clothes to by anything more than a way to cover themselves so they don’t have to join a nudist colony. For others, it is a job that fills their entire lives. They track fashion shows and follow the trends like some people follow the stock market. These people track the trends and then tell us commoners what they find: “The New York shows were full of paisley…with trippy Beatles-take-a-jaunt-to-India swirls and brocades and ’20-era flappers. Right on New York’s heels, London was chockablock with the tech-no eye candy of digital prints.”^[iii] For many, like myself, fashion is just a fun hobby that brings them joy and satisfaction. This group may see fashion as a challenge like Rajni Lucienne Jacques: “Every spring I go on a journey to find a not-too-high sandal that satisfies me as much as my usual heels. [I want] cutesy and chic all at once.”^[iv] Or maybe all it will entail is a trip to the mall every now and again to buy a few new pieces and get rid of some of the old.

One of the biggest reasons people are interested in studying fashion is because of its historical value. How often do you remember a date or a certain time period in history without having a picture of what the clothes looked like in that era pop up in your mind? So it shall also be with our generation. Suzy Menkes said, “There is a sea change in fashion for spring 2012—and not just by way of the underwater themes that were captured I the pearls at Chanel, sharks’ teeth at Givenchy, and crustaceous corals at Alexander McQueen. A generational change and the techno revolution have brought a shift in attitude that may turn out to be the defining spirit of the 21^st century’s second decade.”^[v] What will be our overarching defining characteristics that our children will make fun of us for in the future? Will it be the peplum which Bazzar magazine says is “the season’s most modern look—and for that matter, one of it’s most flattering,” or “straight-cut trousers [that] impart instantly cool polish”?^[vi] Whatever they may be, it is only through having an interest and study of fashion that any of this will matter in years to come.

 No matter what you might throw on in the morning, someone somewhere made important decisions to have those clothes land in your closet. No one can go through life without fashion or clothing impacting him or her in some way and this is why study of the subject is so important and useful. People love fashion because of the way it defines and gives color to our lives, because it gives people a fun hobby to enjoy and because it defines history in a way nothing else can. So the next time you slide open a drawer or push open a closet door to choose what to wear in the morning, know that your decision could change the world.

---

[i] Stephanie Maddux, “Fashion: Does Fashion Define Who You Are?,” last modified July 17, 2009, http://voices.yahoo.com/fashion-does-fashion-define-3797678.html.

[ii] Glenda Bailey, “Editor’s Letter,” Bazaar, Spring 2012, 156.

[iii] Lisa Armstrong, “The Shape of the Season,” Bazaar, Spring 2012, 235.

[iv] Rajni Lucienne Jacques, “Hottest Style News This Minute,” Glamour, March 2012, 160.

[v] Suzy Menkes, “The New Season,” Bazaar, Spring 2012, 380.

[vi] “The Style: Where Fashion Gets Personal,” Bazaar, Spring 2012, 199.

Wasting Time

My roommate has done me the diservice of getting me addicted to this show...

Gilmore Girls.

Why is this a diservice you might ask? Well, with finals right around the corner, I should be studying about how to keep my non-existant relationships stable for my Strengthening Families class or be putting together the case study for my Nutrition and Women's Health class instead of being riveted to the next twist or turn in the lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.

I think my favorite part about starting season one so long after its air date is the decade of changes in fashion, music and the world that have taken place between then and now. Gotta love the 2000's short shirts, bandanas and the social references or quips I would have to look up to understand!

My other favorite part about starting to watch this show? My little brother and I use to turn it on when we were at hotels or doctors offices when we had nothing to do, turn off the sound and make up our own dialoge. I can't wait until I get to the episode I distinctly remember us dubbing over. I believe there was mention of Lorelai's boyfriend actually being interested in her daughter or something overly dramatic like that in our version of the script. ;) Guess I'll just have to keep watching and see!

Pass the chocolate covered cinnamon bears!

CRM
xoxo

Granny Time

It has been said that I make a fabulous old lady...

And to be honest, I'd have to agree. I always tell people that my alter ego would have to be a crazy cat lady. :) The funniest part of it is, our apartment really could be owned by four little old ladies, especially with our newest addition. We would like to welcome Diego, Ethel Marge, and Eggburton Francis III to our humble abode. Hence picture Number One:

1: This lovely beauty was won at FHE (Family Home Evening) by one of my roommates and it is now proudly hanging above our kitchen table. They are our new pets (since some of us don't want a real one).

2: I love to cross stitch...while watching Hallmark movies on the couch of course.

3: Our couch has a lovely old lady print, and it's comfy too!

4: The four of us all love to do stuff with yarn: knit, crochet, make loom hats, tie down furniture, etc.

5: We don't have a real cat, but this little guy keeps us company. Now he'll have to make friends with the geese. ;)

Granny time is all the time in apartment #16A and I wouldn't want it any other way!

xoxo
CRM

Resurrection Day

Easter has become less and less about a person in a creepy bunny suit and more and more about my Savior as I have gotten older. This weekend has been rather hectic, but I was so grateful for the chance I had to sing with the Institute Singers (a choir group I am in at the LDS Institute) at our family concert Friday night. All of the music had some sort of tie to Easter and what the Savior has done for us. I have never felt the Spirit as strongly in a choir concert as I did that night. I am not one to cry very often, but I had goosebumps and chills up and down my spine the entire night.

The two songs we sang arrangements of that have been on my mind ever since that night are How Firm a Foundation and Come Unto Jesus. 

How Firm a Foundation has always been one of my favorite hymns, but lately as I have been trying to be strong and face the world with different eyes, the lyrics have really stood out to me:

1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
2. In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—
As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.
3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
4. When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
5. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
6. E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still, like lambs shall they still,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.
7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!

I know that is really long, and you probably just scrolled down and didn't read them all, but I hate that we never sing all of the verses in church. They are so powerful, especially the last line of the last verse: "I'll never, no never, no never forsake!" 

Come Unto Jesus has been playing through my head all day today as I have reflected on Easter and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What more can we do to show our appreciation for His sacrifice then to come unto Him and give Him our whole hearts?

1. Come unto Jesus, ye heavy laden,
Careworn and fainting, by sin oppressed.
He’ll safely guide you unto that haven
Where all who trust him may rest.
2. Come unto Jesus; He’ll ever heed you,
Though in the darkness you’ve gone astray.
His love will find you and gently lead you
From darkest night into day.
3. Come unto Jesus; He’ll surely hear you,
If you in meekness plead for his love.
Oh, know you not that angels are near you
From brightest mansions above?
4. Come unto Jesus from ev’ry nation,
From ev’ry land and isle of the sea.
Unto the high and lowly in station,
Ever he calls, “Come to me.”

As we celebrate his life, Atonement, death and Resurrection this Easter, I want to add my testimony to others that have been shared:

I know that He lives and that He died for me and for you. I know that he is calling to us to come to Him and take part in the gift of the Atonement. It is free for us to choose to use or not to use. I know He will come again and that if we prepare and try our hardest to become the best that we can be, we will be able to live with Him again. I am so thankful for His sacrifice for me, I don't know where I would be without the knowledge that I have of Him and His plan for me. There is so much to be thankful for and so much hope to hold onto. When you are feeling alone, lost or afraid, have the strength and the courage to call upon him and he will carry your burdens and make you whole. It may take time, and sometimes the road may seem long, but He knows the way and He will guide you through with His timing in mind. I know the Savior loves me and that because of Him, I will be able to be with my family forever and continue to live in peace and joy. 

Happy Easter!

xoxo
CRM