Hi Darlings,  Happy Friday! I am on my way out to speak at a conference but wanted to leave you with an awesome look at my $50 shopping haul…I LOVE GAP FACTORY! Lol, I can always come out a winner. I had a $50 budget so my plan was to get 3 items that I could wear alone, with anything in my current wardrobe and of course together! THIS Denim Skirt is EVERYTHING! I can wear it with so many different tops and layered looks. I also got THIS great drape front Cardigan which is incredibly versatile and THIS black tank top. See below how I pulled together three different looks from these three awesome pieces! xoxo PIN IT, SHARE IT, POST IT! REGISTER NOW #BUDGET #GAPFACTORY #SALES

Hi Darlings, Happy Thursday! I am so excited that I am headed to the #WeAllGrowSummit tomorrow to speak alongside Crafty Chica. Today however is a meetings/run around town sorta day so I put on my fabulous #DIY skirt that I made using New Look 6314 (pattern review below) I love this pattern! Until tomorrow… xoxo Pattern Sizing: I cut size 8 but ended up taking off some ease because it was big. Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done? Yes Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, this is a very simple pattern, 2 pieces and the waistband (which I omitted) What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love a full skirt and I had the perfect fabric in my stash for this style. Fabric Used: Black Embroidered Lace (similar HERE, HERE, HERE) Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I simply omitted the waistband and instead used a grosgrain ribbon. The lining is a pattern piece so I just used a lightweight knit I had on hand. Would you sew it again? Yes! Top Forever 21 (HERE) / DIY Skirt / Steve MaddenNude Heels NEW LOOK 6314 4.7WINNER! Ease of Sewing Ease of Pattern Instructions Size and Fitting Ease Finished Fit #Lace #forever21 #newlook #patternreview #offshoulder #skirt #top

Hi Darlings, this video is also a readers request! I get asked about my undergarments all the time and although I did a blog post on it a long time ago I thought I would revisit the topic and do a video (click play button above) I also listed my top 4 options below. #1 HERE / #2 HERE / #3 HERE / #4 HERE #shapewear #spanx

Hi Darlings, I will start by saying that I totally understand if you are currently cussing at me for being in 80 degree weather in LA if you are on the East coast… Now that I got that out of the way here is a pattern review of a go to TNT pattern, McCall 6886. Pattern Description:  Close-fitting, pullover dresses have neckline variations, and stitched hems. Pattern Sizing: I cut size 6 Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done?  Yes Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes this is a super simple pattern and when I am short on time but feel the need to make something I make some variation of this pattern. What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like this style dress and it can be worn all the time with sneakers, heels or sandals. Fabric Used: Navy Rayon Knit found HERE / Lining Fabric HERE Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I wanted to be able to wear the dress without my spanx so I lined it with a swimsuit lining fabric. I simply cut out the front and back out of lining just like the dress minus 1/4″ on the sides so it would snap on to my body and keep things “snug”. Then I sewed both dresses, placed the lining inside the dress and basted the neckline and armseye then attached the neckband to finish. I sewed the  hem of the lining and dress separately. Would you sew it again? I will, lol Would you recommend it to others? Yes McCall 6886 View F 5.0WINNER! Ease of Sewing Ease of Pattern Instructions Finished Fit #sewing #m6886 #navy #DIY #Dress

Hi Darlings, I had such a wonderful time at the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA this weekend. It’s like the mother of all things sewing related…fabric, machines, patterns, gadgets, notions I mean the list goes on and on! Since I was in Washington where my mom lives Norris and I stopped in to visit my mom and take her along to the expo. Everyone loved meeting her! She wore the jacket from her makeover in December which I posted about HERE. I think it’s always so funny when people ask her “oh did Mimi learn to sew from you?” cuz my mom can’t even sew on a button! LOL she does however love taking pics and talking with people. Last week she had her school dance and was so excited about picking out a new dress (aren’t we all) I was just as excited as she was if not more until I looked at her all dressed up and almost busted out into tears at the thought of her growing up…ugh my babies they are just so amazing and beautiful. The time goes by so fast that I sometimes can’t even believe my oldest is 22!!!!!! Wow. Here she is all dolled up… She was proud of her outfit which she picked out all by herself but next time we are making her dress together since we didn’t have time this go round. She has really taken a serious interest in sewing which makes me SEW happy 😉

Hi Darlings, I am back on the road tomorrow morning…. I am off to Puyallup, WA to attend SEWEXPO so if you are gonna be there I will be at the Simplicity Booth on Saturday between 12 and 2pm…come say heeeyyyy! Today’s look is an #OOTD…. I love this ZARA skirt (similar HERE) so much and wore it on the TIEKOANDMIMI.COM BLOG several months ago. The top is from ZARA (similar HERE) and you know I love black and white so much! The shoes are old….so old in fact that the store that use to carry them, Wild Pair, went out of business years ago. My BRACELET and WATCH and RING are from KATE SPADE 😉 I do have a few DIY’s to post soon but this past week was a huge prep week that I didn’t quite make time to sew anything and post. Have a great weekend and I will see you Monday. xoxo #buttonup #leatherskirt #mini

Hi Darlings, I gotta tell you I love my job! Although being a business owner/blogger/mommy can sometimes be overwhelming I get to do the coolest things and then share them with you. One of the things I love most is taking amazing pictures and really telling a story with the content I provide. I get to try so many different products that are AHH-MAZING and then share with you my fav’s. I teamed up with GLOSSYBOX so I could see for myself what all the jazz is about and now I understand! So here is the deal, I have tried and subscribed (still am) to many different beauty box subscriptions but GLOSSYBOX is by far my favorite and here is why… I don’t only get the deluxe and sometimes full size products but the brands in the box are fantastic. I spend a lot of time on the go and it’s nice to be able to enjoy and try out these really great beauty products without having to spend time shopping for them or guessing what works. I simply test out the items in my GLOSSYBOX without going through trial and error until I find something that works for me like this ahh-mazing face mask from this month’s GLOSSYBOX I also instantly fell in love with GLAMGLOW! It’s a daily hydrating cleanser that takes the power of mud and pure green coconut water to create a foaming cleanser. You know when you wash your face and pat dry it can feel “tight” and dry? Well GLAMGLOW took care of that for us. Since I love you all so much I have a treat! The first 100 people to use code MimiG will get 15% off their first box! CLICK HERE Exclusion Points: The code will be live for 30 days.

Hi Darlings! I have been meaning to do a few home item tutorials so when a reader request came in for a  PILLOWCASE TUTORIAL I thought why not start there, lol. This is so fast and easy to do and a great beginner project for the total novice. We do french seams and wide hems to give it a clean finish inside and out. Click the play button above… Hope you enjoy! xoxo PIN IT, SHARE IT, POST IT…

Hi Darlings, I hope you all had a great weekend. Sorry for not posting yesterday but I had such a long day on Sunday I just couldn’t find the energy to post. I am up to my eyeballs in conference stuff (REGISTRATION IS OPEN!) if you missed the post on FRIDAY make sure to check it out and get your ticket. Last weekend I drove up to San Fran on business and a little pleasure and stopped in to see some dear friends. While there I had to eat some yummy food of course and take in some scenery. I wore my Forever 21 Denim Jacket (similar HERE), TopShop Dress (THIS would be cute) and my Leopard Adidas. I added my Marc Jacobs bag for a punch of color. PIN IT, SHARE IT, POST IT!

Hi Darlings, It’s finally time…YAY!!! I am sure you noticed that all week we have been posting all about the conference and sharing exciting tid bits about the new workshops, speakers and more. We also have a dedicated “Mimi G Conference” page  (click above in the tabs) so you can find everything you need to know without searching blog posts over the next few months. Take a look a previous years.. This conference is the most anticipated event of the year and our pre-sale tickets already sold out so make sure you don’t miss out and register fast! This year I also thought it would be great to have Tiffany Aliche, guest speaker and financial guru give you 10 WAYS TO SAVE FOR YOUR FAVORITE CONFERENCE. REGISTRATION: NOTE! EARLY BIRD RATE ENDS APRIL 1ST To register for the early bird rate of $215 (ends April 1st) CLICK HERE. After April 1st the tickets go up to the regular rate of $245 WEEKEND SCHEDULE Friday July 8th: Attendee Fashion Show/Opening Night 3pm-4pm Early Registration 6pm-9pm Fashion Show 9pm-10pm Mingle (continued early registration) Saturday July 9th: Workshops/Classes 8:00am Registration 9:00am-5pm  (detailed itinerary coming soon) Sloper/Block Pattern Workshop Make Any Size Pattern Work For You Finishing Your Garments For workshop details and instructors CLICK HERE Sunday July 10th: Workshop/ Fabric Shopping Tour 9am-11am Starting a Sewing/Fashion Business 11:30am-2pm Fabric shopping Tour The fabric shopping tour is a definite highlight and should not be missed. LA Fashion District has a 13 block radius of fabric, trims, notions and more. We charter buses, take over the fabric/fashion district and have a ball! BOOK YOUR STAY We will be back at our hosting hotel the JW MARRIOTT @ LA LIVE use THIS LINK  to book your room at a special rate. We also have optional rooming suggestions so if you want to share a room with a friend or with another attendee who also may be looking to share put your name in the comment section of THIS POST My favorite thing to do when I travel is to book my lodging with AIRBNB! It saves me so much money and so far has been a really great experience. There is a post HERE on 10 WAYS TO SAVE FOR THE CONFERENCE which should help you too. The event hotel is the amazing JW MARRIOTT @ LA LIVE in Downtown Los Angeles. We have held the conference for the 4th year in a row now at this gorgeous hotel. If you want to book your room there for the special guest rate of $229 you can do so HERE PIN IT, SHARE IT, POST IT

Hi Darlings, I am super excited to announce three additional and amazing speakers this year. I have put a lot of thought and energy into providing you with women who I think are exceptional in their fields. I hope you are just as excited as I am to have Tieko, Tiffany and Deb as our special guest speakers this years. Take a look below to learn more about them. If you missed yesterdays post about the scheduled workshops you can check it out HERE. To date, I have developed quite the team to execute services for AMAZOME (amazing + awesome) SELF_MADE entrepreneurs– Brand Development, Brand Styling {graphic design}, and Business Education are our current tasks at hand.  I only desire to see you DO IT AND LOOK LIKE IT. TiekoNejon.com Simplicity Pattern Company has been my home for over thirty seven years. My tenure with Simplicity has taken me from writing sewing directions in the “primer” department through a wide variety of positions to my current one as Design Development Director. My passion for sewing equals my passion for being involved every day in the creation of our product. I have sewn since I was a child and when I first came to Simplicity I knew had found a home.  In my current position I am involved in every step, from planning the entire line, through to selection and then the finished product. Daily I work with every Patternmaker, Seamstress, Writer, Illustrator, Quality Control editor and the Consumer Service Team. Every day I go to work with the goal of making sure that what we have created as a sewing pattern can be successfully and happily sewn at home. Being part of this process and this team inspires me to sew most of my own clothes and to always be on the hunt for new methods in garment construction and fitting techniques so they can be adapted into a pattern for the home sewer. I travel each year to Consumer Home Sewing shows where I interact with sewists of all backgrounds and skill levels and always love to hear their feedback and requests. Separate from my daily Simplicity life, I am an avid road cyclist and a fifth degree black belt in karate. Since 2008, The Budgetnista has been a brand ambassador and spokesperson for a number of organizations – delivering financial education through seminars, workshops, curricula and trainings. In 2014, Tiffany founded the LIVE RICHER Challenge Movement; a virtual community of thousands of women from 50 states and 60+ countries. Author of two #1 Amazon bestsellers, The One Week Budget and Live Richer Challenge, Tiffany and her financial advice have been featured in The New York Times, Reuters, US News and World Report, the TODAY show, PBS, Fox Business, MSNBC, CBS MoneyWatch, TIME, ESSENCE Magazine, and FORBES. She blogs about personal finance for The Huffington Post and U.S. News and World Report. Tiffany has also been has been a featured speaker at American Express, Princeton University, JetBlue, Wyndham Worldwide, Columbia University, Circle of Sisters, MegaFest, The United Way, Prudential Financial Inc. and many more. The Budgetnista’s client list includes: Prudential, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Dress for Success and the NAACP. PIN IT, SHARE IT, POST IT

Hi Darlings, the excitement around the conference is growing and it is so amazing to see how quickly our pre-sale tickets sold out. General registration opens on FRIDAY 2/19 @ 10AM PST so set an alarm on your phone and get ready. This year is going to be the best one yet! If you missed yesterday’s post you can check it out HERE. Here is a super great photo/video recap of last years conference… and below that is an overview of this years workshops. We are so excited about this years workshops. Having such a large group every year (275-300) we try to keep the workshops manageable and fun. I have added some new really great classes for our new and returning attendees of ANY skill level. Sloper/Block Pattern Workshop: Pattern drafting is essential to any new seamstress. We will be creating a sloper/block pattern custom-fitted to your measurements that can be used to alter the fit of a commercial pattern and from which multiple styles can be created.  You will learn how to take proper body measurements and will work with a partner. The class will be a stepping stone to so many new options you will create for yourself. Class by Mimi G. Level: Any skill level Make Any Size Pattern Work For You? Do you wonder how to sew from a pattern that is not “plus size” Do you struggle trying to figure out where to alter and what to alter? Well now you won’t need to ever worry about that! This class will teach you how to modify commercial patterns to fit your curvy figure. Class by Kelly Horton Level: Any skill level Finishing Your Garments: Learn how to finish your hems, seam allowances, facings and more. Making the inside of your garment look as nice as the outside is key to avoiding the “home-sewn” look. Learn industry tips, techniques and examples on finishing from an incredible expert. Class by Deborah Kreiling of Simplicity Creative Group Level: Any skill level Starting A Sewing Business: If you have learned to sew and see the potential in starting a business then you are in luck because this year we will be teaching on how to start a sewing/fashion business. We will be covering how to set yourself up, how to price yourself, how to find the right client, how to source materials and so much more. On top of all that amazing information I have two special guest speakers… Tieko Nejon will be teaching you how to develop and execute the LOOK of your brand so you can stand apart from the rest. Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche will be teaching you how to budget for your business, how to make smart choices and how to survive that first year! Class by Mimi G, Tieko Nejon and Tiffany Aliche Level: Any skill level After soaking in all that amazing info we will be headed to a fabric shopping tour of the LA Fashion District. There will be block upon blocks of fabrics and trims. We charter a bus and have a blast! There will be games, prizes, giveaways, social media interactions and a whole lot of FUN!! DON’T MISS OUT! XOXO PIN IT, SHARE IT, POST IT