Boom! Done.

We took liberties with the pattern (and I mean LIBERTIES). But I like this more than the original pattern. All in all I'm in love with it.

A special thanks goes out to Mama Eaton who made this skirt possible.

Since my parents have been doing the whole "empty nester" thing since 2008, my Mom turned an empty bedroom into her "sewing room." There's still a bed in there. So I told my Mom to stretch out on the bed while I sat at her sewing machine. And I set up season 1 of Downton Abbey on my laptop on the ironing board. She would then direct me from her post and I (to quote Ms. O'Brien from Downton Abbey) "sewed like a cursed princess in a fairytale." We finished this baby in about 4 hours total, spread out over 3 days.

Today I finished up the last few things on my own now that we're back in Palo Alto. I made sure something British ("Emma") was playing though while I finished it up. This is partially because I got a migraine last night. I've been getting migraines since kindergarten, and missed school (on average) about once a month because of it. In high school the nurse's office basically had my emergency contact card memorized. While I waited out my migraines at home, my usual routine was to have Gwenyth Paltrow's "Emma" playing in the background (on VHS! Doesn't that sound weird?) while I curled up on the couch with my eyes squeezed shut, munching an occasional saltine cracker to tame the nausea until the pain slowly petered away hours later.

Well, last night during scripture study, just before lights out, my vision blurred in a distinct way-- the tip off that a migraine is coming. When this happens, alarms go off in my brain and it's almost like I can hear someone shouting "ABORT! ABORT!" I immediately said, "Harry! Migraine! I need Aleve and water STAT!" I may not have said that verbatim but I may as well have. He jumped out of bed lightning fast. He knows the migraine drill pretty well. I downed the pill (normally I take 2 Excedrine but I knew I wouldn't sleep at all if I took that at night), we turned off the light, and I feverishly prayed that I'd fall asleep for the migraine got too terrible to ignore.

Thank Heavens (no, seriously though-- I feel like this was an early Christmas present from Heaven) this morning I woke up, having slept right through the migraine.

Sorry, Universe. You lose.

I guess since I still HAD a migraine last night I felt compelled to watch "Emma" today while I hemmed my skirt and attached the hook and eye to the back. It somehow felt right.

Coming up next: our end of the summer trips to Duck Creek and Monterey Bay. Here's a preview:

Sushi and French Raw Silk

My parents have been serving in the local Single's Ward for a little while now. Recently my Dad organized a Sushi Night. A member of the ward is a world renowned Master Sushi Chef, and he agreed to teach a little class on Sushi Basics.

We set about chopping cucumbers and avocados, using our bare hands to work with the rice and seaweed, and using bamboo rollers to shape the final rolls unto squares and rectangles. The chef and my Dad spent hours preparing spicy tuna and crab filling, as well as perfect tangy sweet sushi rice. I felt like I belonged on Food Network.






When the Master Sushi Chef walked by and I asked how I did, he paused, shrugged, and said, "Yeah, it's okay."

He told me and Harry about a restaurant he's opened in San Francisco. That's at the top of our priority list for when we get back.

In other news, my Mom and I finally got up the guts and courage to do something we've been talking about for ages. We spent a Saturday morning in the LA Fabric District this past weekend.

I've read on lots of blogs about the incredible amount of fabric available for wholesale prices in Los Angeles. I did some research the night before on the must-see places (namely, Tex Carmel, Michael Levine, and the Michael Levine Loft) and on where to park. I checked traffic projections and determined the best way to get there, and the best way to get home (two different routes. LA traffic is a cruel and unpredictable beast).

On Saturday morning at 8:00 am, we gritted our teeth and set off for the district. My Mom is a very accomplished seamstress, and I think this trip for her was a bit like taking a person who is obsessed with fish to the biggest aquarium on earth. I think the wheels in her brain began turning so fast they may have left skid marks on her cerebellum.




I did find exactly what I wanted- a dark orangey-copper-ish french raw silk. I love this material. Both my sisters had wedding dresses made of raw silk-- and so did Princess Diana. It's delicate but stiff, and rough to the touch, and looks as though it's got a lot of runs going through it, but in the light, it has a beautiful glow. I did some haggling, and got it for $10/yard. This fabric usually runs somewhere around $45/yard. In a store nearby I found a perfect crocheted lacy trim.



We ran up the street to the Michael Levine Loft. I'd read about this place-- it's a sweltering room that looks like an old attic that's full of boxes of discarded knits. Everything in the room is $2.50 per POUND. So you can load up on endless amounts of fabric and if it's lightweight, you can walk away with tons of it. We got about 10 yards of different colored knit fabrics and it cost under $10. Sha-blam!



The last stop was Michael Levine. I read it's a good place to go to last, because while they have incredible deals, they do run a tiny bit more expensive. Their selection is mind-boggling.



There was another skirt I wanted to make that is comprised of rows and rows of lace.



I found beautiful lace in both black and white and $1.00/yard. I pounced and bought 7 yards of each, and spent about $5 more on white poly-cotton for lining.




All together, I think I spent about $35. For what will become a raw silk skirt, 2 lace skirts, and a cardigan. Assuming I don't mess them all up!

(no subject)

Why do I feel anxiety when I think about updating this thing? This is not how it was supposed to be! I was supposed to just regurgitate thoughts and the occasional picture when I felt like it. Now it's become a sort of travelogue, which is fine, but it makes me feel an immense sense of inadequacy if I don't consistently have something to say. Which is pretty silly. So here are some things I've been thinking about that need to be said/typed/posted, without regard to chronological order or... any kind of order.

- I can't stop watching these "I'm A Mormon" videos. Especially Brian Kershisnik's video. I remember the first time I saw his paintings was with Harry our favorite restaurant in Provo (Pizzeria 712). They had a few of his paintings on the walls and we used to talk about owning one someday. And by talk I mean dream.



- I'm guilty of watching this season of "Bachelor Pad." I'm currently halfway through this past week's episode. I don't know if I can get through it. And as much as I'd like to think it's because I'm such a righteous person… it's really because I feel like there are germs crawling all over me after every episode. Everyone in that mansion is perpetually wet and in a swim suit. And then they're either crying or throwing paint at each other or making out and… I feel like I need a piping hot shower just thinking about it. Put some dry clothes on, people, and read a good book and just calm the heck down for a minute.

- My sister E was randomly in town! And by "in town" I mean "in Vegas," which is where we were up until yesterday. She brought little baby I in town for a quick little doctor's visit, even though she and her cute fam moved to Utah a few months ago. As luck would have it, we realized our paths would cross in Vegas and she stayed here with us and I got to spend hours and hours catching up with her and laughing. It was really hard for me when she moved out of Vegas-- not getting to see her whenever we're in town is pretty sad. So we made the most of our time together and it's heavenly.



- I love when Harry gets really into a good book. He usually starts fiddling with his hair while he reads, twirling it, patting it, all while he can't look away and is deaf to everything else in the room. Someday his ability to tune everything out may bug me, but for now, I really love it, and wish I wasn't so easily distracted while I read.



- I'm itching to sew again. I happened upon a little sewing blog that I really like! There are a few projects I'm really interested in, the main one being this one:



Since my most glorious cousin Rebecca is getting herself hitched next month, there's no better time to create a good skirt to wear in the exact color and trim that I want!

- I'm getting homesick for Palo Alto. This is bad. Very bad. Because it will only be home for one more year. I know it's a dumb thing to grieve way in advance, but I can't help it. My heart already hurts.

- Fall is coming. Cameron is going back to school. Pencils and spiral notebooks are on sale. I know when we get back to Palo Alto the marching band will be practicing near our house (this is a major blessing/curse) and I'll start concocting a plan for the best Halloween costumes possible. Especially one that can stand up to the glorious ones of the past:

2007: Christmas Elf and Eminem



2008: Road Kill and Camoflauge Man



2010: Reynolds Wrap




Suggestions are most welcome.

- Series 2 Premiere is September 18 (according to Wikipedia). Set your DVRs, ladies. It's going to be epic.

Harry in his birthday suit

First of all, shame on you for reading this far past the title. You clearly think you're going to see pictures of my husband in the buff. Sicko.

He did, in fact, get a suit for his birthday. And I love him in it. I feel like he's Cary Grant from "North by Northwest" in this suit. I can just see him hanging on for dear life off of Mount Rushmore while well-to-do gangsters shoot at him because he's uncovered their evil plots.



The pose/picture above screams "70's" to me. We plan to edit it accordingly.







It's so versatile! It even allows him to do battle with our perpetually-breaking screen door.

I love me a good birthday suit.

Weekend of love

This last weekend, Hal's brother Dan got hitched!



Dan and Aja (Danja, for those of you who are prone to abbreviation) had one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies I've ever attended. I wanted to take video of the whole weekend and edit it together later. But then I remembered that when you're hanging out with family and catching up with people you rarely get to see, taking video falls by the wayside.

The wedding was beautiful. Aja is an incredible woman. I love it when you meet a couple and know that they were made for each other. My amazing SIL snapped some shots of the beautiful couple. She snaps a lot of amazing photos. For a few shots of the beautiful wedding day, go here. To see more of her amazing photos, mosey on over here.

Mazel tov to the happy couple!

I even made myself a skirt for the occasion! With the help of my Mom, I put together this little diddy two days before. It was a quick and simple design, and was done without a pattern! Here's a photo booth shot of my outfit- sent to my mom for her omnicient-seamstress-approval.



Not nearly the most amazing skirt I've ever worn, but I really enjoyed it! I'm getting the itch all over again to sew more clothing.

Lastly, the day after the wedding I snuck away to my sister E's house to see her newest addition to the family. Baby I is so adorable! He's sweet and quiet and little, and let me hold him from the minute I walked in the door.



All in all, I recommend a weekend like this.

Creative juices

The creative juices. They've been flowing lately.

Just LOOK at what my SIL made for me! Isn’t it just dreamy? She makes all kinds of fantastic thingamabobs. I can not only recommend her talent/brain because she’s an artsy genius, but because I like her, too.



You can find more of her dazzling creations here.

I mean, wasn't it Gwenyth Paltrow who declared "Headbands are the new bangs?"

I recently had a hankering for a sewing project. Maybe it was being turned down from graduate school. Maybe it was the fact that the beautiful sewing machine Harry received over a year ago for his birthday had been sitting below our entry way table for 8 months. Maybe it’s also the fact that my brother’s homecoming lead to another Eaton family picture and I wanted something exactly fit to my specifications. Whatever it was, I made



A dress! It was a good warm-up project for me, considering I hadn’t sewn anything in a year. There was no zipper/pleating/waist seam/sleeves; it’s basically a glorified tunic with a belt. And I loved making it. It was the thing I was obsessed with over Memorial Day weekend. Harry sat next to me the entire time, buried in law books for finals while I stitched away, and occasionally helped me pin and tailor it. The fabric and pattern were ridiculously marked down, and they were exactly what I wanted. The dress even has pockets! I need pockets in my life. Pockets are what enable me to sneak treats and candies into movie theaters, and these ones are big enough for a phone and camera and keys.

Pockets are the new purse.

When I brought the fabric home, Harry said, “Oh… you’re making a black dress?”

I said, “Yeah. Why?” He just smiled and said, “Nothing.”

I wondered about that for a day or two. It occurred to me the other day why he thought it was so interesting. I’m fairly certain I have a subconscious fetish for black dresses. I counted in my head that I now have in my possession (note: these are a mish mash of hand-me-downs, clothing swap finds, dresses sewn by my mom, and the occasional purchase) eight black dresses. Yes. EIGHT. All different cuts and styles and materials.

Oh, come on. Black is the new black.

A poor woman's version of plastic surgery

A hair cut and new glasses.



Oooh, I feel just like Heidi Montag!

[And yes, that is Harry in the background putting away groceries. Because he's wonderful.]

Happy Friday!

Headbands, remnants of Valentine, & slow dancing

A night or two ago I walked in the door and saw a package from one of my all time favorite people.

I met this girl through her sister (who I also adore with reckless abandon) and have come to think she is the summation of all things darling. And luckily, she married a friend of mine from Irvine, so now she is sealed permanently into my hometown circle with glue of the most super variety.

And the good things don't stop there.

She is an artist (pronounced ar-teeest)! Take a gander at what she made for/sent to me:

Having such a fun and fancy free thing to wear abroad my cranium makes life feel a bit like

You want one on your cranium too? You can get it here.

Were I nominated for an Oscar, I would wear this headband with a fluttery and whimsical gown made of a creamy silk chiffon, and when Ryan Seacrest grabbed me by the arm on the red carpet and said, "Sarah! My you look lovely tonight. Who are you wearing?" I would say, "Oh Ryan, I'm wearing the Sydney Signature Collection. This was designed specifically for me!" To which Ryan would say, "It's so-- it's so stunningly-- beautiful that I... I... I'm speechless." And that would be the last thing he said all night. You're welcome, Oscar viewers.

And then I'd take pictures with this pose all night long.

In other snips of non-related news, Harry left me little one sentence love notes all over the apartment on Valentine's Day ("I love you like a _____ loves _____."). I'm still finding them. In my book, scriptures, the box of dryer sheets, my shoes, everywhere. Today I filled up my mug with an "S" emblazoned on it all the way with scalding hot water before I saw a slip of paper feebly floating inside it bearing the words, "I love you like peanut butter loves jelly" on it. Oh I love that man to bite sized bits.

Merz sent me this today-- a picture from her day of nuptials...

... doing our very best to look like we are serious about slow dancing. Really though. We mean business.

And on an even more unrelated/less related note, it's Sunday night, which means pizza, so...

Peace.