Stacyverb

Forty-fourward: Stacybeads

As I look ahead with my grand "forty-fourward" (tm) scheme, I'm not sure what I want the future of Stacybeads to be. But one thing I do know: paying off my student loan last week felt AWESOME. I want to keep the ball moving in that direction, so I'm now setting my sights on paying off an insurance bill.

With that goal in mind, I'm focusing on bringing in some extra income and yes, Stacybeads is part of that plan! All of these items are now available in my Etsy shop.

Here's a great opportunity for you to get some lovely new baubles for yourself, or to get a jump on holiday shopping, and to support me in my goal of paying off debt. And guess what--shipping is free in the U.S. and Canada! (For those of you elsewhere, email me.) Sharing my shop link would also be greatly appreciated. FORTY-FOURWARD, folks!

Fundraiser for Aimee

Thank you so much, all of you who have been asking about my friend Aimee and thinking good thoughts for her after she was hit by a car on Thursday.

First, an update on Aimee's condition.  Most importantly, her brain function appears to be fine.  She underwent extensive surgery on Friday to repair her two broken legs.  She also has a broken pelvis and broken bones in her face.  Right now, she is still in intensive care and heavily sedated, but has been able to eat a little bit (with assistance).  She will recover.

Now for the bad news.  Doctors say it will be probably three months until Aimee can stand again, and four months until she can walk.  Her friends all over the world have mobilized to do whatever we can to help our girl pay her household bills and feed her own pets while she faces this long, painful recovery.

 

Aimee and her beloved mutt, Harriet

With all this in mind, between now and Aimee's birthday (July 23) 100% of profits from Stacybeads Jewelry sales will be going toward Aimee's expenses.

Shop at my Etsy shop, or if you're in Atlanta, buy in person from Donna Van Gogh's in Candler Park or Fabu in Decatur.

If you're not in the market for any jewelry right now, but would still like to help Aimee, you can donate directly to a fund that's been set up for her here.

Thank you all for your support, and please continue to think good thoughts for my friend.

Coupon code for Already Pretty readers

Whew, what a response!  Thank you for all your feedback about my guest post at Already Pretty.  I've been overwhelmed with your comments, emails, etc. and have enjoyed reading everyone's perspectives.

According to my Typepad stats, Stacyverb readership has been up 1400% (!) since Friday.  Whoa.  Welcome, new readers!  I hope many of you will stick around. 

To say thanks for your support, I'm offering a coupon code in my Etsy shop.  Visit the Stacybeads Jewelry shop, pick out some goodies, and when you're ready to check out, enter coupon code APGUEST2011 to receive free shipping on your order.  Get a jump start on some holiday shopping, or treat yourself to something special.  This coupon will expire on 10/31/11.

And if you haven't yet "liked" Stacybeads Jewelry on Facebook, you can do so by following the link at the top of the sidebar.

Thanks again, everyone.  You're fabulous.

SSS: Days 28, 29, 30 & Review

Here we go: the last of my Self-Stitched-September photos! 

• Top: Refashioned from self-stitched shirtdress, from this post
• Necklace: Beaded by me

 

I forget what I was laughing about here.  Possibly I was just giddy because it was the penultimate day of SSS!

• Top: Butterick 3344 (OOP) (view A body with view D sleeves)
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

• Skirt: McCall's 4783, one last time!
• Earrrings: Beaded by me

SELF-STITCHED-SEPTEMBER SUMMARY:

I'm glad it's over.  It turned out to be hard, in exactly the way I thought it would: the continued warm weather meant I had to keep wearing my summer clothes, most of which I'd already showed you during Me-Made-June.  So I got pretty bored, and felt dumb taking pictures of something that was boring to me.  (Of course, the weather was drastically cooler on October 1, and I finally wore something different!)

With all these wardrobe challenges, I always learn something, so what was the take-away from this one?  More than anything, I think it's that I need to make more summer clothes.  Or, really, make "not-quite-fall" clothes that might have similar cuts as my summer clothes, but in richer colors and more autumnish prints.  Our warm weather just goes on so long that I get sick of wearing the same things so many times.

I think this might be my last me-made challenge.  They've served their purpose for me, but I guess the thrill is gone.  This isn't a style blog per se.  I don't particularly enjoy posing for photos every day, or writing descriptions of my outfits every day.

This is not to say that there won't be outfit photos on this blog--of course there will!  Whenever I finish making a new garment, I will definitely be excited to share it with you.  But I won't be posting daily photos of myself wearing some random shirt I made ten years ago.  It's time to move on!

Once again, I want to send a grateful shout-out to Zoe for organizing all these me-made challenges and to my sweetie for taking my outfit photos!

SSS: Days 25, 26 & 27

We're in the home stretch of Self-Stitched-September now, kids.  Woo-hoo!

My Steelers shirt again!  This was the outfit I wore to work during the day on Sunday, but I got off in plenty of time to watch the game on TV that night. 

• Top: Vogue 8078, now apparently out of print
• Skirt: The ubiquitous yellow McCall's 3341
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

Speaking of sporting events, here I am at the Braves game.  I didn't have any self-stitched Braves-related clothing to wear.  That's probably why they lost!

• Top: Ever-popular cowgirl print shirt, pattern now forgotten (have I ever mentioned that this shirt is about 10 years old? and still going strong)
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

This is a bad photo of this outfit because a) you can't tell there's brown in the print of my shirt, and b) my pants don't look brown anyay.  I assure you these garments go together better than they appear to.  The wrinkliness of my pants, however, is sadly accurate.  (Ack.)

• Top: McCall's 4922, also apparently out of print
• Necklace: Stacybeads Mimosa design, available in my Etsy shop

SSS: Days 22, 23 & 24

Wow, I really wish the weather would cool off more, because I'm running out of outfit ideas with these clothes.  It's not exactly hot anymore, but still too warm for many of my self-stitched items.  No sweaters yet, no shorter skirts to wear with tights, no hand-knit scarves or hats.  Boo.

• Necklace: Beaded by me
• Top: Simplicity 2614 (again)

 

• Skirt: McCall's 4783 (again) (out of print)
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

• Earrings: Beaded by me
• Skirt: McCall's 4783 (yet again) (still out of print)

SSS: Days 19, 20 & 21

By the time Self-Stitched-September is over, I think I might actually catch up with posting my outfit pictures!

 

• Top: I forget--some old Vogue pattern that's out of print
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

• Sweater: Intoxicating, designed by Kristi Porter
• Skirt: Simplicity 5914 (looks orange-ish here, but really red)
  
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

• Blouse: McCall's 5138, View B
• Skirt: McCall's 3341
• Earrings: Beaded by me

I've made a bunch of skirts from this same pattern, McCall's 3341, but this brown version isn't my favorite.  I think the linen is too drapey or something.  It always looks floppy and sloppy.  Contrast this with my yellow version (worn with the same blouse pattern, in fact), which is a poly/linen blend and has a much better shape.  Interesting!

SSS: Days 16, 17 & 18

Will I ever catch up with my outfit posts?  I doubt it.  But that's okay.  Life will go on, and I'll still be wearing self-stitched stuff!

 

• Top: Simplicity 2501
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

• Top: Ruched Yoke Tee from Interweave Knits Spring 2011 issue
• Skirt: McCall's 5631
• Necklace: Beaded by me from vintage beads

 

I'm doing my "Hurray, tomorrow's my day off" cheer here. :)

• Shirt: McCall's 4922
• Earrings: Beaded by me

SSS: Days 13, 14, & 15

Ugh, I'm way behind on posting my Self-Stitched-September photos, and I have other things I want to post about as well, but not enough hours in the day for blogging and everything else!  Without further ado...

 

• Top: This one, making its post-refashioning debut
• Skirt: McCall's 4783 yet again
• Necklace: Beaded by me

 

• Top: McCall's 5138
• Skirt: McCall's 3341
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

• Necklace: Beaded by me
• Skirt: Yet another version of McCall's 4783

SSS, Days 10, 11 & 12: Tennessee

For Saturday, Day 10, I needed an outfit that would be presentable for work, yet also comfortable enough for a five-hour car trip after work.  My husband and I were heading to Knoxville, Tennessee, to visit his mom for a couple of days.

Maybe it's because I first wore this skirt during my trip to Mexico in 2008 (that fact plus the color gave this garment its nickname, "the guacamole skirt"), but it's one of my go-to items to wear and/or pack for warm weather travel.  Cool, comfy, looks fine with any neutral color on top--easy.

 

• Skirt: Yet another McCall's 4783 (OOP)
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

 

Holy crap!  Look, everybody--it's a 2-headed squirrel!!  Or at least a poorly drawn one.  The reason why I'm next to this sign is a topic for another post.

For now, let's talk about my shirt, worn in honor of the first Sunday of football season.  It's my Steelers shirt, which I love.  Unfortunately, my team got clobbered in their season opener, but let's not talk about that right now...oh look--a two-headed squirrel!

• Top: Vogue 8078 (OOP)
• Earrings: Beaded by me

 

 

On the way back to Atlanta from Knoxville, we paid a visit to Panarama Orchards for some apples.  This place has become one of our favorite stops whenever we have a chance to take the back roads instead of the interstate.  So many delicious varieties of apples are coming into season now, like these Honey Crips I'm clutching here. :)

• Top: Simplicity 2614
• Earrings: Beaded by me

I'm getting behind on my SSS posts--have been too busy living in the clothes and not just posing in them!