at fred's insistence, if that's even spelled right

i've had a very very long and stressful week. my mother is in the hospital with cancer, i failed my italian class, i lost the FGI scholarship to some (^#$$*#(^*^$%#&$^&$!!!! pleather crap that looked like something i did back when i was 18 (as in like that's what i did for my prom dress as a joke) when i really really needed that money to pay for my senior thesis (which is actually coming along quite well, its the only thing in my life that's going fine right now), and in general have been relatively depressed, mostly due to my own medical issues lingerging from the summer (i might also have cancer). fred pointed out i'm getting fixated on stuff when things get bad. so i'm just going to get really calloused for a bit to focus on thesis and make it through the semester, and then winter break and then i can think about these things again when i am finished with thesis. its going to suck but i have to have some discipline

but i have made some hats as of late. some of the pics are repeats of what i've put up but much better quality now. i'm thinking about making another one of those apple books with the photos.

ok, i'm definitely absorbed by millinery

the end is near.....the end of the semester that is. one month to go! i haven't started sewing any muslins.....i really really really want to go on a ride on the lakefront today but i know that i need to get stuff done. i spent too much time this weekend dickin around.

so i was browsin the columbia website randomly when i woke up this morning and i came upon shopcolumbia which is where i have a few of my hats for sale. i scrolled through the images and found they had a photo of some of the hats i have there. sweet! the middle one is sold, i sold a comission of that one, and i got comissioned for another one as well. most of the millinery work i've been doin is more on the high end boutique level, not so much the columbia store, but i've been gettin together some cycling hats made out of some wool remnants (fred loves the one i made him as a test of the pattern, and i wear mine every time i jump on the bike) to take over there and sell for like $30
so friday i rode up to niles. 30 miles in like 100 minutes. pretty good since i wasn't pushing myself or anything and i was kinda putzin around on the way back. i went up to the north branch trail again, i rode a couple miles in. there were a lot of leaves on the path and i was worried my skinny tires would slip out on them. but it was absolutely breathtaking. like my cameraphone comes no where close to capturing how amazing it was. i want to go on a ride so bad this morning but i have to do sewing. grrrrr.....

well yesterday kaelyn and i drove up to the fold to get some roving for our thesis. omg. i ended up settling on 1.5 lbs of merino and cashmere, and .5lbs of silk and camel. and, because i'm so bad, i got 1 oz of vincuna. its like a little handful of heaven. i'm so mad i've got shit on my drop spindle, i'd spin it right now. i want to make like a lacey berret with it. i can't believe i could buy some. it was only $26 and i can make something little and dainty. awesome. and i bought some Socks that rock silk thread again. i'm going to knit it really loose on the knitting machine (or fred will, he loves that thing) and make it into some dresses to go with these crazy hats i'm going to be making.

well i'm having a photoshoot of my milinery today with crystal and fred, so i'll put those photos up when i get them.

happy friday!

halloween was the last friday of the month, so you know what that means......

Critical Mass!
i haven't gone since may, i've missed it. between getting hit twice, an awful job, and all my medical troubles, i haven't had a chance all summer to go. i had so much fun!

i went with my friend dustin who was st. sebastian. we were both showin some serious skin last night!

i went as joan holloway from mad men. i absolutely adore her character, and i think its freakin awesome that christina hendricks is curvy and has the success that she has had.

also, i'm kinda considering dying my hair this color. i really like it and my hair is starting to go into winter hibernation black mode and i don't feel like looking like a goth this year

so i made the dress out of a wool remnant i had laying around. and i bought a wig at one of the like 5 (i'm dead serious about this) wig shops at the corner of ashland, division, and milwaukee. i styled it into the updo with a can of aquanet and like 30 bobby pins. when we got to a party, i ditched the flats and put on black pumps, but for the pony i had on flats, but they kept falling off when everyone bunched up and i had to walk my bike while i was still in the saddle. i've definitely lost some weight and now all of my shoes fit funny. between critical mass, going to the mca, then the south loop, then back up to lincoln park, then back to wicker park last night, then today walking to lincoln park and back to wicker park and then biking from wicker park to elston and addison (i have no idea what neighborhood that even is), i've gone like 60 miles. i'm going to go pass out and make some more hats tonight.

oooh and i bought a steamer at bed bath and beyond so now i had block hats anytime, not just at school!