Giveaway at Feelin' Feminine - Jewels by Jamie

Feelin' Feminine is hosting a giveaway! Jewels by Jaime (A family run business) is sponsoring the giveaway. Here are some samples of what they sell (sorry. The link to their site isn't working...)

The giveaway ends November 10, so go on over to Feelin' Feminine and enter to win! :)

Old West Photo Shoot

Our dear friend Lacie from A Blessed Life,  has uploaded some of the pictures she took when we went over for the Old West photo shoot :) Below is a link (click the picture) where you can view them! When she is able to send us the rest, I'll post some of them on here. Enjoy!

**ALL PICTURES ARE PROPERTY OF LACIE VERRET PHOTOGRAPHY**

*edited to fix image link on 10-14-10

A Hairstyle...

Sometime last year I was playing around w/ my hair doing some hairstyles. We had been looking on YouTube and this one lady had several videos one some hairstyles. This one I did, I just used some of her ideas to create my own! I think it turned out well for my first time doing this hairstyle!

Side view

These pics were taken w/ my phone, so they aren't the best quality...

Side/back view

Top! 

I will try to remember to take pics on how to do this hairstyle. It's fairly simple & very versatile.

How to do it:

Brush your hair, & put it up in 3 ponytails. One on top, one directly below, & then one at the nape of your neck. You will be leaving the top 2 hair bands in. The bottom is just to hold the hair so it doesn't get in the way.

Take the top ponytail. I twisted it just as if you were going to do a normal bun. Twist slightly off center on  one side of your head into a small bun. Pin in place where needed.

Take the second ponytail. Split in half as if you were going to braid, but only 2 sections.

(You could braid if you want, but I didn't) This section, I did a chain knot.

( http://www.youtube.com/user/torrinpaige#p/u/54/1vW03394oqE is the video that has the chain knot. She does it at the 5 min. mark in the video titled: "Super Fancy Up-Do part 1)

The chain knot, you wrap around the twist bun that you made, but on the opposite side of your head... 

(Does that make sense?) Pin in place where needed.

Finally, the third ponytail. Take the hair band off, & brush this section. Brush the section upwards to cover the second hair band. Wrap around the 2 buns you made wrapping in the direction of the twist bun.

(Mine was on the right.) Don't wrap so tight that it looks like it's pulled. Just loose enough so the hair is evenly placed. Twist it as you get to the top so it will blend, & will be easier to pin in place.

And for a little embellishment in the empty space, I just used a quilt pin (w/ a whit top, but any color will do) & some 1/8" (or any other size) wide satin ribbon. I'm not sure how long i made it, but it was pretty long. 

Tie a knot at one end of the ribbon. Stick the pin through the knot, & just loop the ribbon & sticking the pin in the ribbon to form flower petals! Any sized loop works. I did both large & small loops.

I used (extra hold) hairspray as an added security so the wrapped hair wouldn't fall, but you don't have to use hairspray. This hairstyle works great for special occasions, church, or for re-enactments for the Victorian or Edwardian eras!!

It's Finished!

I'm super happy! I just got my jean skirt FINISHED! (the one I've been "working on" for the last few months! lol!)  We stayed home from church today because we all have a nasty cold, so I had some pleasant free time this afternoon! Below are the pics of the rest of the process:

I sewed the over lapped parts I had pinned together.

I'm ready to sew the fabric panels on!

Front panel pinned on! (It's inside out right now)

I left about 1/2 an inch on the bottom for the hem.

(I forgot to post the pics of the patterns I made. I noted on the panel patterns I made to allow for 1/2 an inch on all sides for seam allowance & hem)

This was tricky to stitch, but not that bad! It's pinned here.

Tada!

Stitching...

The front panel is sewn on!

Front - I'm thinking of taking in the side seams a bit so it's not quite so flared out... We'll see...

Back - I'm glad with the way I stitched the back. It doesn't stick out as some I've seen. :)

I like that it's long! I can wear heels & it'll still be nice & long!

And that's my skirt!! :D Thanks for lookin'!

Lots to catch up on - Super long post, my friends... And Lots of pics!

Hello all followers of "Daddy's Maiden"! Thank you all for being patient for me to write a new blog post. It's been quite a while!

Life here in the Lemay household has been busy.
Our new kitty, (who has been here for about 3 months now)Has received a lovely new name! Instead of Tinkerbell, we named her Trinity! (For her lovely 3 colors!)  She is sooo pretty! She's like THE BEST cat ever! She likes to sleep on my bed at night, and before bed, (most every night) she will go bonkers! She just runs crazy across the back of our couch, & from room to room. Sometimes she even chases the girls or me! lol! (She likes to "hug" by wrapping her paws around your leg as you walk by! lol!)
She also loves to be held! When I pick her up, (oranyone else) she'll wrap her paws around whoever's neck & purrs! So sweet! Here is a picture of her under our Christmas tree:

And w/ me!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving! We invited 2 families from church over, & we stayed up until midnight chatting and laughing around a bonfire in our side pasture. it was lots of fun! It was also my first year to do the turkey! (by myself! lol!) We did it in a countertop roaster. (a nice BIG one!) It turned out great! Tender, juicy, & flavorful! All we did to season it was rub shortening, Thyme, & a little bit of sage on the bird. We roasted it at 350* for about 6 or so hours. It was a 22 pound turkey! I wish I took a pic of it! lol! ;)

We did not go to the Dickens on the Strand... it was pretty cold that day, and Aaron wasn't feeling all that well to go. My costume also wasn't finished. But I worked on it the rest of the week.

I was told my Christmas present early the week before. My dad was going to take me to the Houston Ballet performance of  The Nutcracker! It was ASTOUNDING! I have never been to a live performance of a ballet in my life, and the Houston Ballet sure made my first experience memorable, & making me want to go back time & time again! I wore my Victorian outfit to the ballet that night. I was working on the jacket until a few hours before I had to get ready to go. Talk about cutting it close! ;-)

I did find a hat to make my creation! (sadly I didn't think of taking any before pictures...) but it was an ugly yellow straw hat from the dollar store. We shaped the crown so it wasn't so "farmer" like & then Aaron spray painted it black. After that dried, my mom helped me to decorate it w/ left over lace from my Victorian jacket, & some cranberry red ribbon. I bought some little red flowers (fake) from Wal*Mart, & we had some fake ivy laying around, & we added that to the front of the hat. We also turned up the back & the left side of the hat brim to make it more stylish, & period correct.
It looks really pretty!

The jacket was the hardest to make... I have never sewn a jacket of any sort before, so this was a challenge. And anyone who has made it from the Butterick pattern 4954 knows what I'm talking about w/ the pleats. I ended up altering the pleats some since I couldn't understand the vague directions given...(I also shortened it a little too late in the sewing process, so that didn't help any!) I just did it how it worked, & seemed logical.
But all in all it turned out well for my first jacket!

The skirt I altered some. Instead of making it gathered all around, I made it a gored skirt. (pleated in just the back.) I like the look of it better for the fabric I used. The hem is just a short 1/2" hem since when I wore my boots (purchased on amazon) the skirt didn't really need to be shortened.
Here are some pics:

If you go a few posts back, you can see what my boots look like! :-)

Earlier this week we had our grandparents out for an early Christmas together. I enjoyed having them come down to visit! (Especially since they came down in June for my graduation!) Trinity tolerated their little pooch, Muffy. (She likes to bark & chase cats so Trinity spent most of the time on my bed, or in the kitchen area where the dog couldn't see her for the most part. ) Trinity is glad that Muffy is gone so she can have full reign of the house again and go bonkers at night! lol! 


For Christmas this year, we plan to have a nice quiet time at home as a family. (Unless we're invited to someone's house or have someone over. We'll see! As far as I know it's just us at home, which I'm fine w/! I enjoy that!)


We'll, that's about it! Hope I didn't bore you all! 
Have a very blessed & merry Christmas!
In HIS ever loving & caring arms,
Megan

eBay listings

Last night I listed two doll outfit sets. One is the Blue Regency Gown & Tea Set, and the other is a replica of Felicity's Work Dress. You can view the auctions by clicking on the titles
Both auctions end on October 16.
If you know of anyone who might be interested, Please feel free to pass this post or one of the links along! :)

Below is a preview of both sets.

My Shoes are Made for Walking!

I'm am soo happy with the shoes I bought off of Amazon! They arrived today!
I will be wearing them to the Dickens on the Strand, & occasionally to church, too!
Below are a couple pics of my boots! (please ignore the denim jeans!)

These shoes are actually quite comfortable! A little hot, but that's to be expected w/ tall boots. I reccomend these shoes to anyone who is looking for a pair for a re-enactment of some sort!

Jean Skirt - Step 2 - Pin

I have completed steps one and two for my skirt :) I will have the full directions (w/ pics!) up by the time it's finished!

Step one - Seam rip up the inside of the leg, & part of the inseam (where the pants come together). You can cut the seams, but seam ripping allows more room for errors (if it happens). It's also straighter, and doesn't take all that long to seam rip!

Step two - Pin the pointed shape from where the pants come together. (both front and back)

Front:

I seam ripped up about an inch or so below the zipper, then (make sure the jeans are laying as flat as possible) pinned it after overlapping part of the pointed pieces. Be sure not to pin the front and back together!

Back: 

I seam ripped up to just a few inches (maybe 3 or 4) below the waisband where the belt loops are. For these pants, it's just about where the bottom of the pockets are. This section was tricky to make lay flat, but it worked after a few trys!

The next step is to create a pattern for the fabric peices!

New Skirt in the Making - Step 1 - Seam Rip

I have been wanting some new skirts recently since I enjoy wearing them more now than even last year, so I am taking a pair of jeans that are dubbed too tight and am making a skirt! (Goodbye my favorite pants!)
I got the insperation from our very good friend, Mrs. Frye!
Below is a picture of how I hope it will look once it's done. (the fabric was just placed underneathe the pants.):

Looks nice to me! (*Looks better in person*)

So. I now have to tackle seam ripping the pants before I can cut out the triangle of fabric! :)

(before)

This is the fabric I chose for the fabric panels for my new skirt.

 

 I will post pics w/ an update on the progress of my skirt throughout the week as I work on the skirt. (If I can get some time to work on it this week.)

Dickens on the Strand

This winter we plan on going to the Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, TX!
We are only going on Sat. Dec. 5 since the 6th is a Sunday.
The time period is late 1800's - early 1900's. If you attend in costume, your entrance fee is half price! (pre-ordered tickets not eligible for discount) The Dickens on the Strand is a Christmas festival kind of event!

I'm in the process of making (& planning) my costume for the event! So far I have the petticoats made (one still needs to be shortened. it's gathered netting/toole so it's quite long! This is the "fluff" to make the skirt full.)
I already have the pattern that I will be using. Here is a pic:


I'm hoping to find fabric the same deep plum color.
Instead of having it completely gathered like a prairie skirt, I plan to make a gored skirt. Meaning it will be flat (not gathered) in the front, & pleated in the back. Each pleat is a gore.

Last week I ordered my shoes, which are due to arrive this Wed.! I can't wait for them to arrive! Here is a picture of the shoes:

I got a wonderful deal on these shoes! (Sadly they are not real leather, but if the were, they would be over $100.00!)
I bought them on Amazon for $35 including shipping!
I'll post a review on the shoes along with pictures when they arrive, so check back later this week!

Week In Feminine Dress Day 7

Ok. I know this post is a few days late, but oh well. :-)

Day 7:
Today I wore my long strait (almost floor length) denim skirt from day 2. With this I wore a pale blue tank top. Over this I wore a white Aeropostal short sleeved top w/ very small pale yellow flowers (I think they are flowers! lol!) I don't have a pic because I wasn't feeling well that night. I wore socks, and my hair was in a ponytail :)

Week In Feminine Dress Day 6

Today I am wearing a dusty purple jumper that I got for Christmas from my Memere, and underneath I am wearing a white Aeropostle shirt that has 3 brown birds on the front, & on the back, a big brown oak tree!












You can see one of the birds in the front, and the oak tree in the back!




The jumper is about knee length, and used to me my Memere's when she was my age!

I decided to style my hair today. (skipped the makeup..) I have it curled, and pulled back in a pretty clip! (I think we got it at Wal*mart) I'm not wearing any jewelery today....

Week In Feminine Dress Day 3, 4 & 5

Ok! Sorry I haven't posted these last few days. I haven't had time to get on!

I am posting days 3, 4 & 5. :)

Day 3: (sorry.. no pic..)

Tues. I wore a just above knee length(which now after wearing it, feels much too short.) denim skirt that has a cute snowflake pattern on the back. I got the skirt at a consignment store a few years ago. I wore a peach/pink short sleeved shirt as well. (My hair was in a pony tail, too)

Day 4: (again.. no pic...Sorry!)

Wed. I wore my white skirt that has lovely lace on the bottom (about 12+in. after the solid white. The skirt is just below knee length) that I got at Old Navy a few years ago. I wore a soft magenta top what has a cartoon bumblebee, & above that, it says "Just Bee Yourself!". My hair was up, & I wore socks... :)

Day 5: (YAY! a pic! It's not that great, but oh well..)

Today I am wearing a black skirt w/ a white floral print. The skirt is one of the many blessings from our churches share table! The skirt is knee length & is a tad longer on the sides. I am wearing a peach colored skirt w/ a white tank top underneath. As you can see, my hair is in a pony tail :)

I can't remember where I got the tops...

Hair!

Today we went out & got haircuts!

My hair was all one length, & was pretty "blah"... But it's now CUTE!!!

oops! I forgot to rotate!

I love my new cut! I no longer look 12! ;)