HI DARLINGS! Happy Thursday. Last Friday I posted a DIY on my YOUTUBE CHANNEL making a super easy top or dress, you can check it out HERE. The dress below is the same pattern we drafted in that video with a slight modification. I added a ruffle to the bottom by measuring the sweep (width of the hem) multiplying that by two and cutting two rectangles width x length (I think my ruffle is 13″ long) then I gather and sew. Super easy modification and the fabric you use changes the flow of the dress which makes this a fun easy pattern to play with. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! Okay today’s #OOTD is from FREE PEOPLE. I love that store and always find really cool stuff but what I love most are their jeans. They always have a great amount of stretch and the flares they carry are always the best! I think I own three or four pairs that I have gotten over the years and they still look like new. I don’t, however, dry my denim in the dryer, I hang them to dry to that they don’t lose their elasticity. My top is from H&M from several months ago. My shades are also from FREE PEOPLE I love these jeans so much that I am going to try to modify the leg using my SIMPLICITY JEANS PATTERN, I will let you know how it goes. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! Ok, so I guess I am a little bias but this jumpsuit is amazing, lol. I knew after I designed it that it would release in the summer, although it is a pre-fall pattern, so I knew I would be making a cropped version of my jumpsuit for the summer months. I also plan to make this again in a solid black and maybe even in a Tencel denim. If you haven’t already gotten your hands on you can order online HERE the pattern also comes in plus sizes 2oW-28W. I used this great rayon fabric from Michael Levine and I think the designer is Joel Dewberry (not 100% sure) SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! Many of you have been with me a long time and have seen me try all sorts of things when it comes to my health, some I liked and some I just couldn’t keep up with. Over the last 6 months, I have been doing pretty good on the Paleo diet and in some areas it worked for me but I couldn’t tell what it was doing to me on the inside. I still felt in a sense “heavy” weighted down. Then about 8 days ago a friend posted about a documentary he had watched and since I am a docu junkie I had to see it. The documentary is “What The Health” and minutes after watching it 8 days ago I cleared my kitchen of all meat and dairy and have been eating a plant-based diet since then. I won’t go as far as saying that I am now a vegan because that carries a lot of weight and there is so much more involved that I couldn’t even begin to pretend to I understand it all. I immediately thought to myself “what the f*** are we gonna eat now” LOL! so I opened my Pinterest account and started searching for plant based recipes. I am not going to go into why the documentary changed me because everyone has the right to think what they want and feel how they want so I just leave it up to you to watch it if you wish and to make whatever changes work for YOU. The docu can be found on Netflix. So as soon as I posted I got SO MANY messages about what I planned to eat and what my meals would look like so I promised I would share. I am an organization master and in order to succeed I know, I needed to plan out every meal. I did not take pics of everything because it was my first week and I we were all adjusting but I am hoping going forward that on Mondays I can share a recipe or something we really loved to help you guys along. Here is the meal plan we had last week, It fed 4 and my total grocery bill was $101.97!! next Monday I will share this weeks plan… (for recipes click the linked text below) SUNDAY Breakfast, Avocado Toast: I just smashed an avocado, add olive oil, lemon juice and some red pepper flakes, a bit of salt and pepper and spread it on a dairy free bread I found at Trader Joes. Lunch/Dinner, Pot Pie: I had made this pot pie when I was on the Paleo diet and since I am still trying to limit my grains and gluten I made it again but without the chicken. The recipe is HERE (just don’t add chicken, add more veggies and make double the crust, the recipe as is is never enough, also FREEZE the dough for about an hour otherwise it’s nearly impossible to work with) MONDAY Breakfast, Cinnamon Banana Pancakes ( the recipe I used in the book I got “Vegan Cookbook for Beginners” was not very good, they were dense and tasteless. I am currently trying other recipes. Breakfast, PB  w/ Banana Toast: Easy and quick and so good since I love Peanut Butter. Lunch, Cilantro Garlic Potatos w/ Salad: THESE are SO GOOD and we just had it with a salad and that dressing above which is addictive and I wanna pour it on everything. Dinner, Veggie Burger: We tried a “fast food” place called Veggie Grill and it was delicious. It sorta gave me a fix and a break from cooking. WEDNESDAY Breakfast, Avocado Toast (same as above) Lunch,  Penne w/ Mushroom Artichoke: This was amazing!!! I bought BROWN RICE PASTA at Trader Joe’s and I couldn’t tell the difference from regular pasta. The recipe, however, is in the book I mentioned above. I will make and share it again next week if I get permission to post it on the blog. Dinner, Roasted Veggies/ Mustard Dressing w/ Salad: I used THIS recipe minus the bacon. THURSDAY Breakfast, Smoothie: Fruit, green tea, and some mint leaves. Lunch, Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad: I cut eat THIS all day it’s so good. Dinner, Mexican Rice Casserole: I used THIS recipe minus the cheese and only 6oz of enchilada sauce. FRIDAY Breakfast, Fruit Bowl: Whatever I had in my fridge Lunch, Roasted Veggies/ Salad: Same as above Dinner, Chickpea Stew w/ Brown Rice: THIS was so tasty and will be on the menu again soon. SATURDAY Breakfast: We tried a vegan restaurant called Cafe Gratitude and it was so good!!! We had Chilaquiles and French Toast Dinner: We just had leftovers Here is my grocery list minus the items I had in my fridge and cupboards already. I hope this helps you if you are looking to start and just need a little help. Whole Wheat Flower Egg Replacement Unsweet Almond Milk Unsweet Apple Sauce Pecans Red Wine Vinegar Dried Rosemary Black Beans Corn Tortillas Can of Artichoke Penne Pasta (whole wheat) White Wine Brown Rice Peas Chili Garlic Sauce Sesame Oil Hominy Beans Can Green Chilies Enchilada Sauce Bananas Avocados Cucumbers Red/orange Peppers Corn Green Onions Red Onion Parsley Jalapeno Zucchini Apples Dried Cranberries Cauliflower Button Mushrooms Ginger Mint Carrots Frozen Strawberries Frozen Mango Orange Juice SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! Happy Friday. This easy DIY top pattern is in the current issue of SEW SEW DEF MAGAZINE. Aside from the freebie patterns you get in each issue we always have easy DIY projects and this is one of them. I thought I would share it here for you. The instructions for drafting the pattern are for the top but in the video below I use that same pattern and extend it to make a dress and then do a step-by-step sew along for you. If you want to make the top simply don’t extend it and sew along with me. You can get the instructions to draft the top pattern below. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN DRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! This #DIY is a winner. I made this top like a month ago and I had yet to find time to make the skirt and since I wanted to post them together I waited.  The patterns I used are NEW LOOK 6507 and SIMPLICITY 8388 and a gingham check I found in my stash but HERE is something similar. The top pattern is super easy and such a fast sew. I decided not to do the one shoulder strap but if I make it again I might add it. It sits comfortably so I didnt find a need for it. I had to cut my a bit shorter but aside from that it is  perfect as is. The skirt pattern was also a quick sew, you wouldnt think so because of the layers but the way its constructed makes it easy and fuss free. STYLED IT: STEVE MADDEN FRINGE HEELS (OLD), KATE SPADE SUNNIES, FOREVER 21 EARRINGS (OLD) SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! This #OOTD is a recent purchase from FREE PEOPLE. I loved it so much and figured I could buy it and rub it off so I could make it in a solid later, lol. It’s really comfy and since it has been so hot here lately the less I have on the better. STYLED IT: JESSICA SIMPSON SHOES, FOREVER 21 SUNNIES, VINTAGE RING SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! So today I am wearing the little brown dress I made using McCall 7591  this pattern is super fast and super easy to make. This was intended to be a muslin but then I put it on and figured I could totally wear it, lol. It is a little boobie-tastic but you can always wear a lacy sports bra like Erica Bunker did HERE. Now I wore it like this and photographed it but if I were wearing it out I would totally out on a lacy something underneath since I couldn’t really move without having a wardrobe malfunction, LOL! The pattern is pretty straight forward which it made it a fun project to make that didn’t require a whole lot. I want to make this again in a thinner knit. STYLED IT: STEVE MADDEN SHOES, FOREVER 21 BEADS SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! Today’s #DIY is definitely going on my favorites list. I made these floral overalls a while ago but as usual, I hadn’t had time to wear them let alone photograph in them. Like my shirt says I am always “too busy” lol. The fabric is a twill from MICHAEL LEVINE and the pattern is MCCALLS 7547 I love this pattern, it sews up pretty quickly and fits great. I hardly made any adjustments. I decided to do the slim leg and cropped them just a bit more. STYLED IT: The floral overalls are a DIY, the shirt, however, is from FOREVER 21 but I bought it a really long time ago. The shoes are Christian Louboutin. I love that I can easily wear this with heels or sneakers. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! Today is an #OOTD day. I bought this boho inspired jumpsuit last week at FREEPEOPLE and I love it so much. On Saturday I wore it to see SHEILA E. in concert and had a wonderful time. It’s comfy, light, and I love a great boho look! I’m trying to “me make” more of my wardrobe like I use to so now when I buy I usually plan to copy it and make more for myself, lol. This jumpsuit is definitely one of those items I plan to copy 😉 We all love a good jumpsuit. STYLE IT: Wore this jumpsuit with my favorite H&M earrings and some heeled sandals I got several years ago at ALDO (similar ones HERE) I really liked that the jumpsuit was not super long so I could wear it with flats or even my Converse if I wanted to. SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave #romper #freepeople #flaredjumpsuit #jumper #boho #ootd #DIY #bohoinspired #jumpsuit

HI DARLINGS! This dress has been made and hanging in my studio for over a month waiting for me to photograph in it, lol. I finally got around to wearing it and now I can’t wait to make another one. I love this dress! The pattern is SIMPLICITY 8380 by Cynthia Rowley and although the pattern is drafted for knits I wanted to use this floral pique fabric I picked up months ago at Michael Levine (fabric no longer available) So I cut one size larger in the bodice and waist just to make sure I would be making room for my non-stretch fabric. I also decided to add a navy bias binding to the neckline, arm, and hem, I love the contrast and it was a lot of fun. I am surprised I don’t use more bias binding as a decorative detail because I really enjoy it. The fabric has a great hot pink in it so I pulled out my hot pick HEELS and hot pink lipstick, lol. I think I am going to make this dress again in a really great heather gray PONTE I have. The pattern is relatively easy and came together quickly even with the binding at the hem. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

HI DARLINGS! This is the third look from SEW SEW DEF MAGAZINE using the FREEBIE pattern that comes with the current issue. The slip dress and eyelet tie up dress can be worn together, separate or as shown with just the eyelets. You can preview the current issue HERE  Oh! and my shoes are from Steve Madden and are super comfy! SaveSave