I'm back! (and with a great Martha Stewart skirt!)

I know, I know…this blog is called “Hicks Girls.”  This half of Hicks Girls has been absent from the blogosphere.   I don’t have a good excuse.  I have long been wanting to blog about my projects, but then, as I’m working on something, I forget to take pictures, then I never sit down to write, and before I know it, I’ve long forgotten about my intentions!  But, I want to start anew!  I’ve been on a sewing frenzy lately, so I hope to do better at picture-taking and blog-writing.  I get so much out of the other sewing and crafting blogs, that I want to give back to the community, so to speak.  So, here I go with one I actually wrote earlier this summer…

If you know Kelby or me AT ALL, or read this blog or our Facebook posts, you know we are BIG (HUGE) Martha Stewart fans.  I own three of her large books: Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts, and my latest acquisition, Martha Stewart ‘s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts.

So, for my first Martha Stewart sewing project, I decided to tackle the A-Line Wrap Skirt on pages 176-177 of the Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts.  As far as articles of clothing are concerned, I have only tried my sewing hand at skirts so far.  I tried a wrap skirt from another book last summer, and had some problems due to some errors in the book, so I was ready to try something new and easy.  The instructions for Martha’s wrap skirt take up only one page with 5 illustrated drawings.  My kind of project!   Here is the finished product: (I wanted to have a photo of my actually wearing the skirt, but I kept forgetting to have Hubby take it when I was wearing it!)

I am thrilled with the end result!  It’s cute, light-weight for summer, and only took me a few hours over two days to complete.  I chose a black and white gingham fabric for the panels because, one, I LOVE gingham, but also, I was inspired by the May issue of INStyle magazine, which had a whole article on how to wear gingham this season.  As for the process of making the skirt, a few observations…the Martha Stewart book comes with a CD of project patterns and templates in PDF format.  While this is awesome, when you have something with big pieces, like this skirt, you have to print everything out on 8 ½ x 11 paper and then piece it together.  Whether it was an error with the CD or my printer, I don’t know, but the sheets did not go together very well.  It took some guess work on my part to make everything fit.  That was a little frustrating.  Also, as far as I can tell so far, the book does not include a size chart.  The pattern has markings for sizes small, medium and large, but nothing to tell you what body measurements are attributed to each size.  So, I decided to go with the large; since it’s a wrap skirt, I figured I couldn’t go wrong.

The only other difficulty I had was at the end, sewing the hem.  I knew from the wrap skirt I did last year, that it’s hard to double fold and then stitch a curved edge.  Martha doesn’t give any hints here, so I just made up my own “technique.”  (Let me back up…I had to take FOUR INCHES off of the bottom of the skirt just to bring it up to my knees.  Sigh.  I’m short.)  I clipped the entire hem of the skirt, making ¼” cuts and spacing the clips about every ½”.   (Martha has you do this on the waist edge of the skirt panels, so I thought I would mimic this idea to get the hem to lie flat.)  After clipping, I folded the hem about ½” and pressed the fold.  Then folded another ½” and pressed again.  THEN I edge-stitched the entire hem.  It’s probably not a “real” seamstress-way to do this, but it worked for me.

I’m excited to try more projects from this book!  Let me know if you try it too!

readmore»»

HOOOOOOOOO ARE YOU?

In an effort to be more blog-friendly, I'm going to start participating in Linky Parties. Yeah, I'm not really sure what that means either...but here goes nothing.

Leslie over at Night Owl Crafting does Hooo Are You parties every Tuesday. Smart girl. This is a fun way to get to know other bloggers.

1. What is your least favorite thing to clean in your house? Believe it or not, I loathe doing dishes. Yes, I have a dishwasher...and it doesn't matter. I hate putting dishes in. I hate pulling dishes out. I hate having dishes in my sink. I hate doing dishes.

2. What color of shirts do you wear the most? Black. Or gray. But mainly black.

3. Do you have long or short hair? Long hair. I'm like Rapunzel over here...ok that's a slight exaggeration. But it's definitely the longest it has ever been.

4. What time do you usually eat dinner? I like to not eat after 7pm. So anytime before that.

5. What is your favorite dessert? Hmm, that's a good question. I do love me some ice cream, but I also totally enjoy a nice slice of delicious cheesecake. With strawberry toppings. Amazing.

Ok that was kind of fun :)

readmore»»

what to do this weekend...

I'm not sure if ya'll know this or not, but I am a freelance writer for Metromix Indianapolis. I write the Best Bets section...basically, I highlight the top 4 or 5 things to do in Indy that weekend. It's a fun job and I like knowing what's going on in the 317. Metromix hits newstands every Thursday, so I thought it would be fun to let ya'll know here too what's going on!

Dig-In A Taste of Indiana

We've all heard that there's more than corn in Indiana, right? For proof, head over to White River State Park for Dig-In A Taste of Indiana. Taste some of the finest produce that Indiana has to offer. Ask your favorite local chefs just how they prepare their delicious dishes. Learn how to pair wine and beer with your favorite meals. Find out how to plant a garden--even if you live in the city.

Details: Noon to 6pm on Saturday, August 29. Tickets are $15 in advance at Marsh or $20 the day of. www.digindiana.org

4th Annual ZUP's BBQ for Kids

If you work downtown, bring some extra napkins and take your lunch break on the Circle. Some of the city's best barbeque restaurants will serve you some grub to benefit children's charities. Meet Colts cheerleaders and tour the traveling Colts museum, all while rocking out to some great live music. All proceeds go to the Children's Bureau.

Details: 11am to 1:30pm on Friday, August 28 on Monument Circle. $10/person. www.childrensbureau.org.

Day of Caring

Do you and some friends or co-workers want to get together and do some good? With over 50 volunteer projects to choose from, the United Way's Annual Day of Caring is the perfect way to give back. Day of Caring marches into its 19th year hoping to reach out to more and more people in need.

Details: Times and projects vary. All day Saturday, August 28. For more information, visit www.uwci.org.

Benton House Used Book Sale

It's costly to maintain one of the most architecturally beautiful but atmospherically spooky houses in Irvington. So, as one of its many fundraisers, the Benton House hosts one of the city's best annual book sales. While you're in the neighborhood, check out the new craft shop Homespun or get a sandwich from Roll With It Bakery.

Details: 10am to 5pm on Saturday, August 28 and 1pm to 3pm on Sunday, August 29th. At the Benton House, 312 S. Downey Avenue.

What are you going to do this weekend??

readmore»»

LC turns 4!

As a single girl, nearing the end of her twenties (gasp!), it is most certain that a majority of my friends have little rugrats of their own. I've been to more baby showers than I could possibly imagine and now have a million (actual amount) of kids to buy for at holidays and birthdays! But I love them! I've loved seeing my friends morph from party girls into parents. I've love
d sharing the milestones with them--from first steps to first birthdays to first days of school.

My friend Sarah has two little rugrats--Lily and Connor. Lily (or LC as I call her) turned the big 4 over the weekend! It's crazy that she's already 4 because I remember when she was born--I had literally just moved to Cincinnati and couldn't make it back home to visit LC at the hospital. Wow, four years. Four years ago, I felt like I was embarking on a giant adventure living in the land of chili and Graeter's ice cream--it was the first time (besides college) that I had lived away from my parents. I was in the city that I didn't know, working at a place where I didn't know a soul. All of these things were happening in my life, and Sarah was transitioning into be a mom--caring for a little person who depended on her for everything. Ahh, four years. So much as changed in that time...and yet, so much as remained the same.

Anyway, my little LC and I are pretty close. We have date nights, where we eat chicken nuggets and watch movies (my fav is Princess and the Frog). I love that time with LC--I need to make more of an effort to do that with all of my friends children. Annnnywhooo, Sarah threw LC a Barbie themed bash, so I went over there for a little bit. And as anyone knows, you cannot show up to a little girls birthday party empty-handed!! And while I don't have any pictures of me and the birthday girl, I do have some of what I made for LC.

Every little four year old needs pink, girly clothes! I got the shirt a Meijer, and then took some old t-shirts, cut them up and made flowers out of it. Then I just hot-glued the flowers onto the shirt. I probably should have sewed them...but I didn't. (Sarah--if you're reading this, wash on gentle inside-out and then air dry) :).

I'm not a big baker/cooker/anything in the kitchen (I mean, I can hold my own...but still, it's not my favorite place to be). But I wanted to do something fun for LC, so I made cake in a jar!! So fun, so easy and so delicious!! Watch out friends....I liked doing this so much...it looks like everyone may be getting these for all major holidays!

And lastly, my most favorite gift....cute little Subway Art for LC's room! I got this idea from one of my new favorite blogs to follow Tatertots and Jello. (Here's a Valentines Day example of her Subway Art). This was so cute and SOOOOO fun to do that I've decided to do some for my house too. I'm working on a couple for my dining room, which I should have done soon and I'll post pics!!

Happy birthday LC!!

readmore»»

trust and obey

Good morning blog-world!! Yes, I'm posting at 5:30am...what up? A little insight into my life--I'm a morning person. My alarm goes off every morning at 4:52am (random time, I know). Usually I get up, make my coffee, take the Yankster out and watch the news while I crochet. I am breaking that routine though. This quiet time...before the day starts...needs to be reserved for God. So I started my morning devos back up, by reading a few chapters in Mark this morning. It's refreshing to find God in the wee hours of the morning. It's refreshing reading about His amazing son's ministry and the people Jesus chose to surround himself with. It's the perfect start to my otherwise hectic/stressful/chaotic day. It's just refreshing being a child of the Most High.

I was sort of a rebellious child. Not anything too crazy, but I back-talked and disrespected my parents a lot and I know I caused them many nights of restless sleep. And I know I'm the same way with God. Not that I necessarily back-talk Him, but I'm pretty sure I disrespect Him more times than I like to think. But I made the decision last week that I just need to obey. It's simple. It's what God calls me to do. Obey him. By doing that, I will trust Him and what he has going on in my life. I will fall into his grace more and more. I will become the daughter that I am called to be. And it all starts with obeying Him. So one of my first acts of obediences was yesterday--tithing. As shameful as it is for me to admit this, I am not a big tither. I am, however, a big shopper. That needs to change. So yesterday at church, I wrote out my 10% check, put it in the box (we have giving boxes at my church) and sat down feeling a little closer to God. That's all it takes...just a simple act of obedience.

This takes me back to my Church of Christ roots:
Trust and obey. For there's no other way, to be happy with Jesus than to trust and obey.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

readmore»»

Manolo who???

I am beginning to have a serious obsession with Trashion Fashion. I keep walking around my apartment looking at things I can redo or add some Kelby-flair too. I spotted these lime green shoes underneath my bed and knew that these HAD to be my next project. I slapped some teal paint on them (a few too many coats probably) and then added some of my favorite Martha Stewart glitter mixed with Modge Podge (my FAV) to keep the glitter on the shoe!

Side note--I've decided my life would be oh so boring without Martha Stewart glitter. Thank you Martha for bringing it into my life.

I do not feel like these shoes are quite complete....but I just love them so much and wanted to wear them to work today. I need to finish up a little bit on the trim and just make them look more polished. But you get the general idea.

Live it. Love it. Make it.
Kelby

readmore»»

what's in a bag?

In an effort to kill some time at work, I decided to clean out my purse. And then I decided to take a picture of it. And then the decision was made to blog about it. (I'm not saying these were great decisions...but decisions nonetheless).

So this is what's in my purse...
The latest InStyle magazine. InStyle brings much joy and inspiration to my life. Every time I open my mailbox and see a new issue, it's like Christmas. I just got the August issue this weekend and haven't event cracked it open yet. Looks like this is what I'll be doing on my lunch today.

My planner. Yes, I have an iPhone AND a Blackberry (for work). My iPhone is connected to my hand at all times. But yet, I have to have my planner too. There's just something about writing things down that I thoroughly enjoy. And if you were to open this bad boy, you would see that things are color-coded (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) and that even the littlest, most non-signficiant thing is written down. That's just how I roll...

Hairclip. For those of you who haven't seen me in awhile, I'm like freaking Rapunzel over here. Ok, I may be exaggerating a wee bit, but the hair is obscenely long...and I love it. But it's also 90 degrees everyday here in Nap-town, so homegirl has to put it up. Hence the bedazzled hairclip.

Lip Gloss. This is Mary Kay's Beach Bronze lip gloss and it's my absolute favorite for the summer. Dab a little foundation/cover-up on the lips first and then gloss it up! love it!

Checkbook. Yes. I still write checks (sometimes). I'm not ashamed to admit it. I embrace the fact that it's 2010 and I have a debit card...and I still write checks. What are you gonna do about it?

Coach Wristlet. My sister got me a badass wallet for Christmas (along with this purple purse but more on that later) and it broke over the weekend. So bummed. So now all my stuff is in this little Coach wristlet until I find a wallet I can't live without.

Camera. Life is funny and fast and full of memories. I always carry around my camera just in case something happens at the most inappropriate time and I need to catch it on "film" forever. And if you were to flip through the pictures saved on my camera, you would see that I still have pictures on there from Mardi Gras. 2009. Over a year and a half ago. Oops. I may want to start deleting pictures....

Black and White wristlet. My crazy talented sister made this for me last year and now it moonlights as my makeup holder. In it you will find: teal mascara, 2 tubes of regular mascara, three things of nail polish (including the Navy Baby that I'm currently rocking), coverup, five other things of lip gloss, a brow pencil, eyeliner, a mirror and of course...a Sharpie. I'm random. That's all I can say.

Marc Jacob Sunglasses. I have a fetish with sunglasses. I love them. The bigger, the better. These things take up like half of my face...and I don't even care.

The Purple Purse...aka The Doris. Like I said, my sister got me this purse last year for Christmas. I love purses...well, let's just be honest...I love any type of accessory. I love this purple because it goes with everything (for example, today I'm wearing white linen pants, a baby blue t-shirt with a gray cardigan and the purple still goes with it all!) Burg ordered it from the boutique she works at and it's literally called... The Doris. This is funny for a lot of reasons...most of which I'll just keep to myself.

Anyway...what's in your bag today?

readmore»»