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Hi Darlings, I am in full summer swing right now and am having a great time sewing all the spring/summer patterns I have been staring at since early fall. Simplicity has some great patterns for the season, so I pulled out two of my fav’s from the latest collection and made the look below. I reviewed both the pants from Simplicity 1373 and the top Simplicity 1365 below. DIY Pants Pattern HERE / DIY Top Pattern HERE / Steve Madden Heels HERE / Sunnies (old) / Aldo Yellow Clutch HERE Pattern Description: Simplicity 1373 Misses’ sportswear pattern includes slim pants and shorts with front and back darts and invisible side zipper. Simplicity 1365: Vintage 70′ halter tops View D with gathered bodice, sweetheart neckline. Fabric Used: I used a stretch denim in a floral print from my stash for the pants. There are some great options HERE, HERE, HERE or HERE and for the top I used a swiss dot voile found HERE, they also have it in several colors HERE Pattern Sizing: For the pants I cut the size 6 and only had to remove about 1″ total of ease in the crotch. I cut size 6 for the top. Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope ? Yes, I think they both do. Were the instructions easy to follow? I made the pants in 20 minutes. They are so super simple to sew up and look great. These are easy to fit and make for the perfect slim pant for so many looks. The top is fabulous! and the instructions are clear. What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love this style of pant in general because they are flattering and easy to do when I don’t want to spend too much time fussing with fitting pants. What is not to LOVE about these vintage tops. Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None for the pants. The top is fully lined which I love so I bought two bra cups at Joann and tacked them down to the lining so I didn’t have to wear a bra 😉 Would you sew it again? Yes, these will stay in rotation for the summer. Would you recommend it to others? YES, It is a great pant pattern and great for newbies too. The top is #Simplicity #1373 #Vintage #Floral #1365 #pants #stevemadden

Hi Darlings, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Today’s post is a look at the dress I made Saturday night for church on Sunday. I started the dress at around 2pm and finished just after 11pm with a 2 hour break to eat dinner and hang with the family. The dress is by Maggy London for Butterick and I LOVE it! It is such a great dress and I already know I am making it again. I used a great white pique fabric (info below) and the full review of the pattern is below. DIY Dress Pattern HERE / Fabric (below) / Aldo Heels HERE and on sale / Kate Spade Bag (similar) HERE / MK Watch & Bangle / F21 Earrings and Chain Bracelet Pattern Description: Butterick 6053 Lined dress has bias neck and sleeve binding, princess seams, fitted bodice, midriff, side pockets, hem band (cut on crosswise grain), cap sleeves and exposed back zipper. Top stitching. Separate pattern pieces included for A/B, C, D cup sizes. Fabric Used: I used a White Bermuda Pique (no stretch) which is not online yet but will be later today. You’ll be able to find it HERE the item number is #P1049. They also have it in a great Emerald Green. They have a stretch version of the pique HERE in a few colors. It can also be made in Twill, Denim, Linen or any medium weight woven. Pattern Sizing: I cut the size 8 and graded down the entire bodice. I also used the pieces for Cup A/B Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope ?Yes, I think it does. Were the instructions easy to follow? They are easy and clear. There are a lot of pieces to cut (19 total) and it is a bit time consuming but well worth it. What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I loved the shape of the dress and the style. Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I did not make any changes aside from the fitting of the bodice but I did skip the top stitching because my fabric is textured and the top stitching was lost in the texture. If I make it again it will be with a fabric that will highlight the top stitching. Would you sew it again? Yes, I plan to make another. Would you recommend it to others? YES, it is a more intermediate pattern only because of the lining, bias binding, etc. but other than the time it takes, it is very clear. #whitedress #aldo #pinkshoes #butterick #DIY

Hi Darlings, I am so excited that you guys liked the sneak peek of the site! I am so anxious to go live so you can enjoy it. Some questions I got yesterday were very good so here are some of those answers….No, the app won’t be going away, it will still be working just fine and will be adjusted to pull content from the new site so don’t worry. The content currently on this blogger site will still be available on the new site, I am not deleting anything and all the posts will still be there. Okay, today’s look is pretty simple. I am wearing I skirt I made in 2012 using a Vogue pattern (review below) It is one of my favorites, which is why I have kept it this long. The extra long tank I picked up at the GAP not long ago. The shoes are London Trash which I have worn now 4 times on the blog, lol can you tell I love them? DIY Skirt Pattern HERE / Fabric (below) / Heels HERE / Necklace (gifted) / Sunnies by Steve Madden (old) Pattern Description: Fitted, above mid-knee or mid-calf length, mock wrap skirt. Fabric Used: I used a light weight DK. You can use any of THESE, THESE, THESE OR THESE. Pattern Sizing: I cut the size 6 but had to remove in a good 2″ of ease Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope ?Yes, I think it does. Were the instructions easy to follow? They are very easy to follow. The skirt came together pretty quickly. What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the mock wrap and I LOVE the side gathers. I love that it is very figure flattering for so many shapes. Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I only made one change because after reading the instructions I new that the method of construction would add bulk to the skirt. The pattern has you cut 4 of each front and back yokes and then sewing them together (underlining). This is fine if you are using a very lightweight fabric but since I was using a DK I knew that underlining these pieces would create bulk especially on the gathered side. I opted not to underline my yoke pieces and that worked out fine, I just finished my raw edges with my serger. Would you sew it again? Yes, I plan to make the shorter version Would you recommend it to others? YES #tank #gap #tulipskirt #vogue #8711

Hi Darlings, I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. We spent our weekend doing some spring cleaning and rearranging furniture. It seems the more we purge, the more we seem to acquire. The garage was the biggest project, but now that it’s done it’s freeing! I can’t think when there is clutter, and it doesn’t matter if I can see the clutter either, just knowing it is there drives me bananas, lol. Now that everything is clean and in order I can resume my normal activities. I even had a bit of time to make up this adorable jumpsuit using Simplicity Pattern #1355. What did you guys do this weekend? DIY Jumpsuit Pattern HERE / Fabric Options HERE and HERE / Steve Madden Heels HERE / Coach Bag (gifted) Pattern Description: Simplicity 1355 Misses Maxi or Jumpsuit Pattern Sizing: I cut size small Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done with it? Yes Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, Simplicity does a great job with their instructions. It is pretty straight forward and I made it up in just a few hours. What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love Jumpsuits! so when this cutie came out I knew I would be making it with both bodice views. Fabric Used: Print Challis (from my stash) Options HERE and HERE Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I used the bodice from View C and the pants from View A. The only thing I did to the pattern before cutting my fabric was to narrow and shorten the leg. I did not want a wide leg and I wanted a cropped look so I began at the hip line and narrowed my leg on both front and back pieces (shown below) Would you sew it again? Yes, I will be making it again. Would you recommend it to others? Yes, it is a great summer staple and it can be worn with flats in a very casual look or with heeled sandals for a dressier approach. I will also be making this in a knit fabric, which you guys all know I love! #Simplicity #coach #stevemadden #1355 #jumpsuit

Hi Darlings! Well It’s another #TBT of one of my most popular posts in 2012. This skirt is the same exact skirt as my Regal Maxi Skirt Tutorial but I made it in a chiffon fabric and lined it. Sewing both the chiffon and lining together and continuing as instructed int he video. You can get the Regal Maxi Tutorial HERE. The fabric is no longer available but here are some gorgeous options for POLYESTER CHIFFON PRINTS and SILK CHIFFON PRINTS. The top is an OOP (out of print) New look pattern that you could probably find on Ebay or Esty (New Look 6149)

Hi Darlings, TGIF! Okay, so first let me start by apologizing. If you watched my free tutorial yesterday you may have noticed that at the end of it I did not not do my signature “peace” sign…..well….lol it turns out that with over 1.9 million page views and over 900K followers on social media combined only ONE PERSON finally shared with me that the peace sign in the UK is offensive! Oh my! we laughed about it, and she was so great but I did not realize that. I have a large following in the UK so I felt horrible that in essence I was giving them the finger at the end of my videos *insert horrified look on my face here* So, I apologize for my lack of knowledge and thanks for overlooking it for so long, LOL. I love you all! Ok……so,  I am off to run errands and then to pick up my son from school (early day) so I am leaving ya’ll who don’t follow me on IG with a recap. I post a lot more personal pics, family shots and randomness on my IG so here is a bit of all that from the last two weeks (in no specific order) If you have not gone to watch “Chef” yet make it a priority. I loved this movie so much that I am going to go watch it again. It had all the things that I love…humor, love, touching moments, food and Jon Favreau, LOL. Don’t you just love him! We went to Santa Barbara for Mothers Day and had a wonderful time. Dinner was amazing and right on the water. Mothers Day brunch at the Four Seasons was delicious! can you tell? We wandered over to the Santa Barbara Zoo. Had a great time and even had the chance to feed a giraffe! Okay, can we just talk about how long and slimy his tongue was? OMG, I was scared at first but then when he stuck that thing out at me, rolled the lettuce up in his tongue and then sorta smiled at me I was sold. It was fun…a little slobbery…but fun. Last weekend we went to Six Flags and wore those kids OUT! they all fell asleep in the car on the way back home. It was so much fun to watch how fearless my kids are and how big a chicken I am, LOL! can you tell my little man is ham? God has blessed me so much. I am so thankful. What Instagram be without some #selfies? These sunnies are from Charming Charlie but I also saw them at Forever 21. I love my bed. I love sleeping. If you don’t follow on twitter you won’t be able to join the giveaway…I will announce it next week so go follow me @mimigstyle

Hi Darlings, I leave you today with the new DIY tutorial as part of my collaboration with Michael Levine. You can find the step by step sewing tutorial with modifications on the Michael Levine Blog HERE and of course you will find links to the suggested swimwear fabrics, pics and coupon code. Mimi G Style Pink Leopard Two Piece Swimsuit #DIY #FreeTutorial #Swimsuit

by guest blogger Cynthia Hello! Let’s really talk here.  For most of us, the scale is our go to for quick confirmation of our success.  But I have to tell you the scale is NOT your friend.  The scale does not know the difference between muscle, water or fat.  Honestly for me something like that is not my friend.  There is so much emotional baggage between me and my scale – when it goes up I am sad, when it goes down I am happy.  But the truth is the scale doesn’t know me or know if today I didn’t drink enough water, or had too much salt or just needed a bathroom break when I got on the scale. So push that scale aside, or put it someplace where you don’t step on it multiple times per day or even multiple times per week and look at other ways to measure your success. Put the scale in perspective and use the following as better “success” measuring tools for the lifestyle changes that you implement. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS That is know your cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, A1C and your blood pressure.  These numbers are key numbers that you and your physician should be tracking.  If your physician is not talking to you directly about these numbers – ASK.  Ask for a copy of your blood work so that you know where you stand.  QUESTION anything that you don’t understand. You can also put detailed lifestyle change plans in place with your physician if your numbers are borderline or high.  Your physician can act as a great motivator for change due to your accountability to them.  All of these numbers react to nutrition and exercise or lifestyle changes. Keeping your numbers in the low to mid normal range will work in your favor on your quest to be healthy. The information below for KNOW YOUR NUMBERS is found on WebMD Cholesterol – is the fatty substance that naturally occurs in the blood. It is composed of HDL, LDL and triglycerides. Total cholesterol is important as well, however the individual values of HDL, LDL and triglycerides are more important. Total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dL (mg/dL is milligrams per deciliter of blood – the nomenclature for measuring any substance in the blood) is best. HDL – high-density lipoprotein, is the good fat and research says protects the heart – above 50 mg/dL is best. LDL – low-density lipoprotein, is the bad fat , less than 100 mg/dL is best. Triglycerides – is fat in the blood from digested foods and are impacted by eating sugar and white flour. Less than 150 mg/dL is best. Fasting Blood Glucose – measures the amount of glucose in your blood typically after an 8 hour fast. A value of less than 100 mg/DL is acceptable. A1C– this is your body’s average level of blood sugar over a 120 day cycle. Less than 5.7% is best. Blood Pressure – is a measurement of the force applied to the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body.  Above 140/90 taken on 2 separate occasions is considered high. systolic – pressure when the heart beats and the arteries fill with blood (top BP number) diastolic – pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats (bottom BP number) BODY FAT This measurement should be used as a tool to measure your progress of losing body fat. The more body fat you lose the better off you will be especially since body fat can and does accumulate around our organs.  Acceptable body fat percentages are different depending on your gender, fitness and age.   Normal for an average non athletic male is 18 – 25%.   Normal for an average non athletic female is 24 – 31%.   A complete breakdown of acceptable percentages of body fat can be found on WebMD . Working to reduce your body fat, not just your weight, will help in the preservation of your muscle on your quest to be healthy. There are multiple methods of getting your body fat measured.  There is underwater weighing, body fat calipers and bio electrical impedance devices. Some methods are better than others but what really makes sense is that which keeps you focused and on track for success. Underwater weighing (water displacement)– while the most accurate in measuring body fat, this method is the most inconvenient and the most costly. You have to find a facility to do this (and those are limited), schedule an appointment, change into swim wear and oh by the way you cannot be claustrophobic at all (something they failed to tell me until I was in the lab – but I sucked it up and went thru with it – how bad could it be..huh). Measurements and weight are taken on land. You are put in a basket (ok not the technical term), told to blow out all the air in your lungs (impossible) and submersed under water a couple of seconds (which feels like minutes). This is repeated multiple times, some calculation are done and an average body fat percentage is determined. Not a great experience for me but…just me! Body fat Calipers – most convenient however this is a tool and method that you cannot do alone. There are 3 sites where a skin fold needs to be taken and measured using the calipers. The back of the arm, the lower abdomen and the top of the thigh – so you have to partially undress for this method but it can be done at home. The skin fold pinches are measured multiple times and then averaged to give you an overall body fat percentage based on a chart. This again is not 100% accurate as the location of the skin fold pinches will always be slightly different each time. This method should always be repeated by the same person to eliminate any “testing bias” introduced by how this person used the tool. Again this is just a measurement to help you gauge if you are going in the right direction – preferably down in body fat. Bio electrical Impedance – this is the technology behind some of the more sophisticated scales that also provided body fat measurements. Again very convenient but higher level of inaccuracy. This technology is interesting as they send a very low undetectable electrical current from one side of your body to the other. Muscle, fat and water all have different densities and therefore electrical current will travel thru each at a different speed. What the bio electrical impedance device measures is how fast that current returned to the device. Takes that info and does some calculations to provide you with a percentage of body fat. A simple tool to help measure that you are on the right track. CLOTHING ( non stretch clothing which at the moment does not fit) While not scientific at all my 100% cotton Levis keep me honest in my activity and on track with my eating.  This may sound funny to most, but I have had these jeans a long time as part of my wardrobe.  I have replaced them twice with smaller sizes but I have consistently gone with the same brand and the same cut because I like them and I could use them as my measuring tool.  At one time a staple – my originals are well worn now but still serve the purpose of keeping me honest (even if they are loose garden wear).  I wear the new ones enough to know when they feel a bit snug in an area or a little looser in an area.  The goal here is again a gauge – going down and not up. No matter what method you select to gauge your success, stick with it.  Get measured the same way every time. Don’t be concerned about absolute numbers as each has its’ own level of inaccuracy.  Concentrate on moving the numbers down or into a “normal” range. WORKOUT WEDNESDAY BONUS …FUNCTIONAL MOVE  – add this to your routine for an exercise that will condition  you head to toe – my favorite BURPEES.  Do for 60 seconds as many as you can do.  When you can get 25 in 60 seconds, reduce your time and try to do more i.e. do 26 in 55 seconds.  Add this to your routine as often as you like – 60 seconds is all you need. This video is from XHIT Daily and is  performed by Kelsey Lee “How To Do a Burpee” You can always reduce intensity by removing all or some of the jumps and replacing those with step back and step forward. Remember consistency is key, life is going to happen, so plan your work and work your plan! Always in Fitness , Cynthia #Cynthia #Fitness #Health #WorkitWednesday

Hi Darlings, First let me say that Adrienne and I are so thankful for the amount of love you guys show Stitched9. So, last week we added a new item on the site that sold out so fast I didn’t even have time to post it here on the blog! it was the fastest sell out we have had with a less than 10 hour blowout. So even though the dress is not available on Stitched9 at the moment I wanted to share the pics of my test dress (in pink) and the final dress in a floral print. The dress is a combination of dresses I have made for myself and added to S9.  Although I did not plan a tutorial for this one, I have been emailed to death about it! LOL so, it has been added to the list for the summer. The fabric for the floral print is available online HERE for all my DIY’ers. The tutorial will be up in June, but I would suggest buying the fabric now before it is gone. Buy at least 3 yards. This is the floral print  fabric which you can still get HERE This dress is sold out on Stitched9 but will return in other colors soon. My pink fabric is not available online any longer but you can use a similar knit found HERE #Floral #Pink #DIY #Dress #Maxi

Hi Darlings, I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend because I sure did! My babies are so amazing that I can’t help but to do as much as I can for them. They are good students, great siblings to one another, they do their chores, homework, and go to bed like clockwork every night. They are polite, respectful and hilarious! and we try our best to reward good behavior and encourage family time. The most important part of raising my kids is creating memories. When I was a kid I remember the monetary gifts mom gave me; I had new clothes, a nice room, nice furniture etc.. but my mom worked two full time jobs, so we didn’t have a lot of time together. I wish I had more memories and experiences as a child with her. Then when I was a single mom I understood why she worked so hard and why it was difficult to find time to do things together, and I could then appreciate her sacrifice. Now that I am afforded the opportunity to work from home and make my own schedule I thank God that he has blessed me with a talent that I can make a living from because it allows me to create memories with the babies. This weekend we took the kids to Six Flags Magic Mountain and I couldn’t believe how brave my two little ones were! I will say it now; I am a straight chicken, and I only got on a few (very few) rides. The hubby and kids, however, pretty much gave me a heart attack just watching them. If you follow me on IG you probably saw the video of one of the rides. I’ll do a IG recap post this week for those not on Instagram. Okay….now onto the outfit of the day. You guys are going to be upset with me and I know it, because I can’t link to the dress anymore. I bought it two summers ago and it’s not available; It was from Bebe. I am thinking a tutorial may be in order for this one….yes? Mitered Bebe Dress (old) similar options HERE, HERE / Charming Charlie Necklace / Steve Madden Wedges HERE (buy one size larger, they run small) #Chevron #Bebe #stevemadden #Dress #Maxi

Hi Darlings, It’s an all black sorta day here. Sometimes I have zero interest in picking out what I am going to wear and really get in a “I don’t really care” sorta mood. When that happens, I go all black. It’s easy, fail proof (well mostly fail proof) and slimming, LOL You guys have plans for the weekend? Off Shoulder Top (similar) HERE or HERE / Leather Leggings (similar) HERE / Steve Madden Heels HERE / MK Bag #BlackTop #Leather #Leggings #stevemadden

Hi Darlings, While in Santa Barbara this past weekend I stopped in a few small shops along State St. and picked up this cute tie dye maxi dress. It is so comfy, and it looks like this week is a comfy sorta week for me. The bag I am carrying is a Kate Spade which I just love! The shop where I picked up the dress is called Dear Diary. They do not have an online store but maybe you can call and see if they ship 805-892-5600 I also wanted to mention that next week we will have another great “Work It Wednesday” post by my guest blogger Cynthia. I love having her on board to cover some great topics that you all seem to be really interested in. That is all for today darlings! I will see you tomorrow. xoxo Tie Dye Dress (options) HERE, HERE, HERE / Kate Spade Bag (option) HERE / Steve Madden Spike Sandals (old) similar ones HERE #metallic #tiedye #wedges #stevemadden #Maxi