Tentative schedule

I've created a little planner in Excel.  I wish I could post it somehow.  I have filled in all my scheduled affairs, like my jobs, taking Valentine to the nursery, picking her up, and going to FEN with her.  And then I filled all the stuff I would like to get done into the blank spaces.  I tried to spread them out as nicely as possible.  I do not have a start and a finish time for most of these tasks to allow for a fudge factor.  And if I finish something early, I can have a few moments to myself.  Although I did not schedule Valentine time, or Chris time I was careful to leave certain times blank.  Like the times when all three of us are together, and times when I'm alone with the mister.  I'll be starting my routine Monday, I'll let you know how it goes.

Sadly, the mister will be gone for ~5 weeks.  This could make meal planning very difficult.  I need to find some recipes with 1.5 servings.  Also, I will have more spare time, so hopefully I can get some sewing done.

Better Organized, More Efficient, New Me

Whoa! I've felt SO overwhelmed lately. And the most frustrating part is that when I put everything down on paper, I really don't have that much to do. I need a better way to manage my time and my home. Meal planning and scheduled household chores are on the agenda as well as sewing time, family time, workout time, and two part-time jobs. Although it sounds challenging to me now, I'm sure things will only get easier and less stressful and hectic.


I will begin by breaking down household chores, and tasks:
Change sheets
Wash sheets and towels
Laundry
Clean bathroom
Clean living room
Clean kitchen
Clean basement
Clean master bedroom
Clean Valentine's room
Wash windows
Meal planning
Groceries
Clean car
Clean truck

Now I will make a list of activities:
Me time
Chris time
Valentine time
Self-maintenance
Sewing
Blogging
Working out
Music

Have I missed anything?

Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly Weekend 2010

So last weekend I attended my first rockabilly event!  My husband and I drove 4.5 hrs to Montreal, QC for the 6th Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly Weekend.  We have been trying to go for several years now, but something always came up.

I'll start with the venue. I love Montreal. It has a very European vibe - very laid back and easy going. I speak French and that was useful, but not necessary. Almost everyone spoke both French and English. Le Lion D'Or was the perfect location. The size was perfect, the decor was perfect, and the service was exceptional. I really hope they have it there next year. You could see the stage very well from anywhere, and it was easy to move around, from the bar, to the table, over to the stage, back to the table. It was a perfect arrangement. Not too crowded, not too big...just so freakin' swell.

Here are the bands we saw the first night....

Tennessee Voodoo Coupe, from Toronto

The Broken Toys from Argentina

The Howlin' Hound Dogs from Montreal

And Deke Dickerson and Jordan Officer from California

These are just the bands from the first night.  The second night we saw The Royal Crowns, Crazy Joe, Little Rachel, and Barrence Whitfield.  Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from the second night because our camera batteries died.  At least I didn't drink as much as the first night so I remember it better, HA!

I didn't know what to expect from the crowd.  I heard so many horror stories of mean pin up girls who think they are the only ones doing it right.  I had this fear that I would be snubbed and made to feel out of place.  Boy was I wrong!  There were greasers, psychobilly and rockabilly folk, vintage lovers, pin ups, cowboys and girls and everyone got on like one big happy family.  It was so cool; completely took me by surprise!

It was such a treat to watch the swing dancing.  I don't know the first thing about swing dancing and I nearly died from envy.  Anyways, I was fortunate enough that someone asked me for a dance.  I let him lead and tried my best to follow along.  It was so wonderful; I thanked him profusely. 

Now I say first and second night but we actually missed two nights.  We missed a burlesque show, a 50's fashion show, car show, tiki cocktail and polynesian buffet, and more live music and dancing.  Hopefully we can make it for the whole thing next year. 

Wet to Set

So, I told you all about my CO washing routine. This is how I set my hair. To begin you'll need : clean, wet hair, a rat tail comb, and some clips.

I like to divide my hair into sections first. It takes a few minutes and it may seem tedious, but I think it makes the rolling easier.
I start by making a center part. Then I section off the hair from the back of the part to just behind my ear. Repeat on the other side, and voila, a nice, even ear to ear part. I separate my bangs by making a straight part in each recession. Now I take all three sections, bangs and both sides, and pin then up nice and tight.

Now for the back of the hair.... I separate that into layers, starting at the crown, and finishing at the nape of the neck. I securely pin each layer as I go. The thickness of layers will depend on the thickness and length of your hair. I can get away with 4 layers but 5 is better.

Now it's time to roll! You'll need your rat tail comb and some curlers. Right now I'm a using foam curlers.

I start at the back, from bottom to top. I try to alternate between even and odd numbers of curlers to create a brick pattern. Once I get near the top, I don't curl all the way to the root.  This is to create a smooth crown. For the bangs I like to do three curlers rolled towards the back. If you want to do rolled bangs, you can roll them forward. For the side, I do one diagonal part and I roll the curlers towards the back. All done!

A hair net is very handy for sets. It supports your curlers and keeps them from bouncing around. A satin slumber cap or scarf, is necessary if you plan on sleeping in your curlers. But wait until you are just getting into bed; your hair will dry faster if it is uncovered.

Happy setting!

Hello beautiful readers, I have missed you!

Hey everyone!  Sorry to be gone for so long.  I hope you all had wonderful summer vacations.  Things have been pretty hectic here lately.  Anyways, just letting you know I'm back. 

I Love CO Washing

Humidity 49%, Temperature 32 C, Hair 0. I was actually going to blog about how I do my hair today. But what's the point....I could blow dry for hours and my hair would never dry. Even if it did get dry the added heat from my blow dryer would make me sweat so much I would have to shower again. Ugh!

Instead I will tell you about how I CO wash my hair. I started CO washing approximately four weeks ago and my frizzy, naturally curly hair LOVES it. I haven't experienced any gross transitional period. My hair isn't grimmy or heavy. This is how I CO wash.

Here is what you will need: a hair clip, a shower comb, and most importantly a conditioner.


Avoid conditioners with -cones because they can cause build up. Avoid conditioners with protein because they can make hair brittle. I like Suave Naturals. But I read VO5 conditioners are quite good also.
To start, get your hair good and wet with hot water. I like to give my whole body a really good rinse too. Next start working the conditioner into your hair. It will take A LOT of conditioner. Massage the conditioner into your scalp, paying extra attention to the hairline. And keep adding conditioner as you work your way down to the ends. When your hair is saturated, tie it up with your clip. At this point I like to shut the water off. I use exfoliating gloves and dove soap for my body and then cetaphil for my face. Basically, once your hair is tied up, just finish up your shower routine as you normally would.

Now comes the really important part - working the conditioner into the hair and rinsing. Take the clip out of your hair and massage your scalp some more. Despite using only conditioner, I get a lather doing this. Now work the conditioner down the length of your hair. I separate my hair down the middle and do one side at a time. Now comb through your hair with the shower comb gently and several times.

Rinse, rinse and rinse! Make sure you keep 'massaging' your hair as it's being rinsed to make sure you get all the conditioner out. The conditioner that lubricated your hair earlier is being rinsed away so be gentle! Once I am convinced that all the conditioner is out I like to do a cold water rinse. Oooooohooobrrrr!

And you're done!

Wet to set in my next post!

Progress with the wing bust halter top

I made it this far.  You can see my first lapped zipper.  And although it turned out fine, it's facing the wrong way!  I'm getting ready to put elastic shirring in the center back panel.  I'm also going to have to find a better way for next time.  A better way to finish all these curved seams, and some really bulky ones.  I'm not sure yet.  I'm thinking flat felling all the vertical seams.  And then when it comes to the wings and shirred bra top, I could sew those to the bodice EXCEPT for the inner lining of the shirred bra top.  And if I cut it a bit longer on the bottom I can trim my seam allowances and hopefully baste the lining over them.....make sense?  I'd really like to pick up a copy of Professional Sewing Techniques for Designers.  I'm sure it would help me tremendously.   

Happy Canada Day everyone!