Vlog: Unicorn Hook Hand

A person who has a unicorn hook for a hand can't possible be a mean person.

*This video in no way intends to offend those with actual hooks for hands.

Google and their One World Order agenda

I guess I'm one of the lucky bloggers who won't be losing their GFC followers (read more here). I thought with all of the hubbub going on about it that I would lose them too. I'm glad, I guess, but it's still really annoying for those other blogs who are on other platforms. I get that they want people to start using Google+ more but so far my experience with it has been less than thrilling. It's not very intuitive and it's just another social network to have to deal with plus there is a grip of creepers on there too.

If I were a crazy right-winged tea party conservative (which I can pretend to be sometimes because I was raised in a pentecostal church growing up) I would think that Google is the new antichrist and that Google+ is their way of all of us to go to their One World Order way of life and that it's just another way for them to keep tabs on us and control us. How's that for a conspiracy?

(if that doesn't make me lose followers I don't know what will)

One day I would love to move away from Blogger but my lack of skills in the blogging department prohibits me from doing so plus I love my gmail account so Google will probably have a brainless follower for life here. Me.

Bu,t just in case you chose not to follow this less than mediocre blog with GFC you can follower a bunch of other ways which are conveniently located at the upper right hand corner of my blog and in the right hand sidebar. You can subscribe through email or Google Reader or any other RSS feed you prefer.

My feedburner URL is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/brandy-sonZenMasterFlash

With all of that said for those that follow through Facebook I'm going to be more diligent in posting through that and Twitter as well. If I'm persuaded I might even add that Google+ badge to my site but for now I'm going to hold off.

Follow me options:

Bloglovin - this is a great platform for blog reading. Soon I hope to switch to this exclusively as far as my own blog reading goes.

Facebook - strictly blog & shop posts for the most part

Twitter: My handle is @Letting_It_Fly and my full name on there is Brandy Franklin which by no coincidence is my real name in REAL LIFE. Ha! I also use this for personal stuff too, venting, mostly sarcastic comments and other crap that doesn't make much sense. So in other words you get the both of best/worst worlds with me.

If you follow my blog another way than any of the other options I mentioned I would love to hear what it is so I can possibly add to it or just learn more about it. THANKS!!!

From Slacks to Shirt

1. First take an old pair of slacks that you no longer wear (or some from the thrift store, I wouldn't suggest doing this with an $80 pair of Express slacks) and take out the hem down one side of each pant leg. Lay each unhemmed leg down right sides together.

2. Take an old shirt to use as a pattern. Depending on the width of your pant leg will depend on what size of shirt you will be able to do. This probably won't work with a pair of straight leg or skinny pair of slacks unless you're a subscriber to the Angelina Jolie diet plan. Coke. [clear throat]. The legs of my slacks were fairly wide so it worked out pretty well for my wide mid section. Outline the shirt on to the wrong side of your pant legs with about a 1/2 - 1/4 inch for the seam. If you lay the bottom edge of the shirt on the bottom hem of the pant legs then you will already have a nice hem for the bottom of the shirt.

3. Cut out and pin together. Sew up the sides and the shoulders but don't sew the arm holes closed. I may or may not have done this and I may or may not have had to unpick the seam. Take the edge of your arm holes and fold them over towards the wrong side of the fabric, press, and sew all of the way around to make a nice hem. You can do this with the neck line if you choose but I decided to leave mine raw because I'm thug like that.

4. Embelish the front with the leftover buttons from the pants if you choose.


(if you're actually following along you'll notice the numbers in the pic don't actually match what I wrote)

Did you see my boston head print novelty top?

Weekly Confessional {I really like crappy television}

I use to be a die hard fan of Greys Anatomy up until about season four and then I just sort of stopped watching it but recently I decided to catch up on Netflix. I'm so disgusted with myself because I've been staying up ridiculously late watching it on my phone under the covers. I can't turn it off but I hate it. I'm having the same struggle with it like when I started watching the GTL douche bags but am now in love with their tan ignorant personalities. Right now Izzy is sleeping with her ghost ex boyfriend. What?! That's almost as paranormal as a Buffy episode (which is probably why I'm drawn in) but I find myself muttering at my phone screen half asleep about how dumb she is for doing it. I am really behind but that's OK. I have seen maybe one of the new episodes that are currently airing so I really have no idea what is going on with the show. It completes with my Thursday night stories on NBC so I couldn't possibly abandon them for it.

Happy Tuesday! Let it Fly!
(normally I wouldn't be so cheerful but I got a lot of sleep last night so it's like the best Tuesday morning EVER!)

Handmade Boston Head Novelty Print Shirt

When I first saw this dress on Calivtinge back in August is when the idea hit me that I wanted to make something similar of my own. But then I saw THIS posted by the ever so miss with the perfect blog and I almost didn't post mine. Well, after you see hers you'll know what I mean, I mean I'm not jealous or bitter at all I promise. I didn't want it to look like I was a big copy cat since there is no way I could prove I had this planned for awhile now. Oh well. I'm not competitive so I really don't care. (Ok I totally care....no I don't....hmmm)

And this is why blogging is sometimes like high school.

It's no secret that novelty prints are totally in right now. There are like a million cat print dresses and shirts out there and this darling sunglasses dress is to die for. I almost bought a shirt with a dog print on it from Old Navy but it was almost $40 and I was like since when did Mold Navy become Nordstroms? I knew it would go on sale for like $15 in two weeks but I didn't want to wait. Although making shirt took longer because working a full time job and having an online shop leaves little time to dedicate a lot of time on bigger projects. For me this project was big because it involved making the stamp, making the shirt, stamping the shirt and finally shooting said shirt.

[this is getting a bit wordy]

It started with a stamp of a boston terrier head just like my stubborn Frederick's big head. I made some other stamps and posted about it HERE back in August 2010.

I took a vintage white skirt and used it as fabric to make the shirt out of it. Skirts are nice to use for this because you can use the bottom hem as the hem for your shirt. I used an older shirt as a pattern so I could have the correct size.

After I half-assed sewed a shirt I started stamping it. I tested the stamp out on a piece of scrap fabric and washed it to see if it would last at least one wash and it seems like it will last awhile.

 

In The Picture - February

I was feeling a bit discouraged about this project this month because I had planned on doing something "cooler" or rather with a little more effort than what I ended up doing as you can see. I especially love this month's prompt because we're suppose to incorporate words into our self portraits and since I'm dealing with some internal struggles this week I chose the word "mean." If you have a chance go check out the pictures on this month's post on urban muser's blog and if you feel encouraged like I did then join in because we're doing it all year.

{It's more than just bloggers taking photos of themselves}

In My Brain

I hate body suits. I hate rompers. I hate anything that makes taking a piss difficult. I say piss because I'm a classy lady like that.

Charming, I know.

I hate denim jackets with floral dresses. I've mentioned this before. One day I'll scan and post a pic of me from 5th/6th grade in a full floral get up to show exactly why I'm not a big fan of it. 

I hate turbans and not the kind that are worn for actual religious and or cultural reasons. I'm talking about the kind that are worn for fashion and that were trendy last Fall/Winter (and still are, unfortunately).

I use to hate leggings but I wear them almost everyday now.

I use to hate gladiator sandals but I have a pair that resemble that sort of style. BUT they're not exactly gladiator sandals so I get away with wearing them in my brain.

I hate fanny packs, but my lord are they ever so convenient?

I use to hate most things that have any sort of southwestern style print on it. Although I do love the woven bags that you can get from Native American stands at festivals that are brightly colored and tee shirts with wolves howling at the moon. There's something about them that I can relate to when I'm feeling ever so primal.

A bit more complexity of tid bits (some might call issues) about myself:

I bake cookies for the dough alone unless it's sugar cookies then I bake them for the actual cookies, how about that?

I hate miracle whip but love mayo.

I hate NSYNC but like Justin Timberlake - I wouldn't go as far as to say I love him though.

I LOVE The Smiths but don't care for Morrissey.

I like Thom York but don't like Radiohead (there is one song of theirs I like and I bet you can guess which one that is if you were around in the 90's. Something about a creep which actually is very fitting isn't it?)

I have a fondness for Rob Thomas but don't really like Matchbox 20 even though their album back in the day was on repeat in my purple Geo Prizm from time to time.

Yesterday I listened to The Cure all day long and it made me very happy. When I listen to Pandora at work I usually have the alternative 80's station on or if the mood suites me some screamo station. I am a closet screamo fan. 


*Hey I added a Buttons page to The Blog too so if you take one and it doesnt work let me know. Plus if you do share a button let me know and I'll share the love in some way. 

{origination post here}

Willing In Spring

I think if we all ban together and think positive thoughts we can will Spring here sooner! Screw whatever that groundhog did or didn't see we have the power to change it (maybe?). I'm going to start doing little things here and there to make it feel like Spring is here and sooner or later it actually will be. Mind over matter, balls over cheerios? I don't know.

First I painted my nails a chipper color and then I tried flip-flips but that didn't go over being as it snowed recently. Doh!

And did a little desk makeover at work. My planter needed a change and I had to get rid of that bow.

before

after

I even thrifted this vintage bamboo try that is helping me keep the sunny thoughts.

A Hoodie Makeover

So my DIY's have been on the odd side lately it might seem as if I've lost my mind and you may be right. I'm just having fun with them and today's in particular. I have one grandma who I remember wearing sweaters like this one I tried to recreate out of pure nostalgia. I remember going to rodeos and seeing elderly ladies in their decked out embellished sweaters with sparkling conchos and navajo styles all aglow. I really tried finding the perfect picture online to describe what I'm talking about but if you're from American Fork, Lehi, Spanish Fork or even Springville you know exactly what I'm talking about. The best would have been, if I would have planned properly, to hang out at the Harts gas station for a while until I found the perfect model and I know it wouldn't have taken long at all. A nice, short, stout middle aged woman wearing one would have appeared magically with her refill mug headed straight for the fountain Diet Coke.

[example 1] typical
[example 2] may favorite
[example 3] OMG! You guys, this dude in this sweatshirt is seriously giving me a side cramp.
[example 4] this jacket is killer but not typically seen on a local AF lady

These sweaters were popular in the 80's and early 90's and in some women's eyes they never went out of style. Who am I to judge? I thought since the southwestern style is currently trendy and I like comfort so why not try this with a thrifted hoodie?

Here is the before except imagine it teal and not mustard colored (I forgot to take a before pic, okay?).

I used masking tape to guide me in painting on the pink zig zag stripe and light teal stripe. I took the conchos that I purchased at Walmart and threaded strands of yarn and leather through them and hand sewed them directly on to the hoodie. Besides letting the paint dry this didn't take long at all to do. I had fun and it has now been added to Tyrone's growing list of articles of clothing I'm not "allowed" to wear out in public with him. It's super comfortable and perfect for wearing with my baggy period pants and embarrassing the hell out of my husband.

DIY Leather Mustache turned Necklace
Sweater turned Cowl & Mittens
DIY Sunglass Hanger
DIY Phone Case

Weekly Confessional

I'm still sick, so I'm feeling a bit blah. I joked on twitter this morning about how I'm certain someone glued my eyelids shut during the night because I could not open them for the life of me. Cold medicine is bitter sweet isn't it? I love how I sleep on it but it sure makes me drag ass the next day.

Something that has been on my mind lately is that I feel like being a strong woman lately is being misinterpreted for being mean. Believe me, I know what mean women are like (I'm extremely familiar with them and someday I will go into more detail) I'm not mean in general. I'm blunt and I joke pretty aggressively at times here on the blog but in real life I'm not mean. I can be mean, I'm not saying I'm never mean, I just don't like being called mean in general especially by people who don't deal with me on a day to day basis. Strangers on the other hand would probably think I'm mean because I'm not approachable, which doesn't bother most of the time what they think but it's part of my social incompetence which I try to work on when I'm aware of it. It's hard though, when you are filled with an overwhelming bout of anxiety in certain social situations, you never know when it's going to come on and next to crawling into the fetal position in the middle of the floor of a house party I opt for standing in the corner with my arms folded. The martyr side of me feels like other people can be mean at times but they are never called out on it and yet they call me mean and I don't think that's fair at all. I have pretty dry humor which can be taken the wrong way and sometimes I don't see how that can affect others so I try to not always be that way but it's hard to just turn that off sometimes. I think for the most part I'm just trying to work this out in my brain by posting this which always seems to help in the end which is why I do it and the whole reason why I started these weekly confessionals.

Lastly, I didn't do my hair this morning. I went to bed with it in a bun and left the house with it all messed up and half pulled out with snarls and everything. It's very daring and high fashion of me ;)

Peace out Beatrices!

*later today I have a DIY to share - I'm posting this because it will hold me accountable to actually doing it*

there should be a First Ladies day

Been sick, played with some glitter and now we're heading out to see safe house. Back to the bloody grind tomorrow sigh...

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Fridays with Frederick

"Someone" barked empty threats of ripping every pillow in the house to shreds if I didn't post these pictures of him. There was something about a need to get sympathy from others due to the fact that he doesn't get enough of that at home and then I tuned out and forgot to let him back in the house after letting him out to go crap on the other apartment complex's lawn. I think it was the next morning we heard him scratching at the door with a dead duck in his mouth. OK none of that was true, but he did rip his extra toenail right off while running in the park the other day. Let me repeat that, he ripped his toenail off from running in the park. He ran in the park and some how ripped his toenail off. He came running back to us with a grin from ear to ear and blood dripping down his leg. He didn't even notice what happened, thankfully, but it wouldn't stop bleeding for quite awhile. I was nervous because I've heard horror stories about dogs ripping those extra dangling toe things off and bleeding to death. I'm glad it was just the nail but man that nail was all of the way gone. He's got a nice little hole that we have been privileged to nervously watch over like first time parents. That bandage lasted roughly 6 hours till he got sick of it and chewed it off. He's too active to have something like happen. If he would just sit still and look pretty like a nice little pomeranian then I wouldn't have to worry about getting blood all over the house.

hyper dog = blurry pics

if my dad sees this post he' s going to laugh at it
he thinks dogs should all be like rough-and-tough cow dogs

Lumpy Pillows Now In The Shop

I finally got to work and made the pillows I've had planned to make for about a year now. A year. That is how much I procrastinate. I've been collecting these shirt from all over. All are like new but have been used before but are very clean. They made some nice novelty pillows. I think my favorite is Sheldon's face and Batman, naturally. It was hard to post the Fright Night one as well but I need to try and not be so greedy.

Check out the new Lumpy Pillows