Just a Hem

Well, first let me say, I hemmed and hawed over this dress before buying it.

 I crack me up. I had to. Now that the horrible pun is out of the way, I really did debate a little before buying this dress. I was at Salvation Army with my mom, looking at the dresses, when I found this one, that someone had obviously made. I really loved the fall colors and it is a really well-made dress. The only issue I had is that it was $4.49! Salvation Army has really jacked its prices up around here.

Thanks a lot, Macklemore. :) Just kidding, Thrift Shop is my jam. But it really does kill me that Salvation Army's dresses are priced so high. Some were even almost $8, and the ones I were looking at were nothing special. They would have to be refashioned in a big way for them to be stylish again. I just can't do it.

...But I bought this dress. I have been actively trying to change the way I think about clothes and fashion, and where my clothes come from. This was clearly made by someone else, most likely right here in my local area.

I did not have to do a lot to this dress. I am pretty happy with the shape of it, but the length left something to be... undesired. All I had to do was hem it, which I did while watching Fringe on Netflix.

Here is the dress before... Just a little too long. You can't tell how long it actually is, because of my silly pose, but take my word for it. It hit my lower calf. UNFLATTERING!

So all I did was cut off a few inches, turn it over twice, and sew!

Impromptu sushi-date ready!

Just a quick refashion for you on this (rainy) Georgia Thursday!

The Good of Giving Back

Although this is the time of year that makes a person more aware of the plight of others, volunteering your time to a good cause is something you can, and should, do year-round. I do not go into politics or religion on my blog, but I have an incredibly strong belief in practicing what you preach and in changing the things you can to make your world a better place. I have noticed what seems to me to be an increase in people I have contact with via social media, friends or otherwise, complaining about the state of things: politics, the community, etc.

My answer to them? It starts with you. I firmly believe that a person should not complain about the state of things if they are doing nothing to contribute to the betterment of their community. It starts at the bottom: your town, your block, your community.

Now, there are sooo many other reasons to volunteer. You can volunteer to help someone in need (two-legged or four-legged!), to contribute to your community, to accomplish a goal, or even to improve your perspective. I volunteer for all of those reasons. It is something that can be done alone or with a group of people. M and I do not have kids yet, but when we do, volunteering our time to help others and improve our community is something we will do as a family. I think it is very important to show children that there are others who are less fortunate than they are, and they can do something to help make another person's situation better.

I currently volunteer as a victim advocate for Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services. It is a tough job, but I love doing it. It is a very rewarding and humbling job. I go to the hospital and stay with a victim after experiencing a sexual assault. I inform them of the resources available to them and I provide comfort, company, an ear to listen, whatever they may need. My on-call time includes manning a crisis line and taking calls for victims or families of victims who need someone to talk to about the incident. I love it. If you happen to be in the Augusta, GA area and want to volunteer with Rape Crisis, you can contact Leah Klein, the volunteer coordinator: LeahKlein@uh.org. The next volunteer training is November 21-25.

There are so many different organizations that need help! You can volunteer at a food bank, a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, a women and children's shelter, pretty much anything! If you want to find out what opportunities are near you, you can go to VolunteerMatch.

I love the thought of the world being a better place thanks to everyone's contribution to their community!

Do you volunteer? I would love to hear about what you do to give back.

Frightfully Frumpy to Fall Fabulous!

I found this super frumpy dress at a local thrift store, where I stuffed an entire grocery bag (and I mean STUFFED!) for $4! This dress cost me under a dollar, I am sure. I hated the puffy sleeves, and the super-frumpy length, but I love the print and the buttons on the front. The silhouette was super cute too, AFTER I shortened it. :)

Here is the before picture... kinda Amish-looking, right?
 

But like I said, I love the print.

I used a seam ripper to take the puffy sleeves off, and then I folded the unfinished fabric over twice. I cut triangles in the fabric (which was a tip I learned from the ReFashionista) to make it easier to fold over. I will say, though, this fabric is entirely rayon, and is absolutely terrible to work with. I had a really hard time. It literally took me two weeks to finish this dress that should have taken 2-3 hours, max. I just had to keep stopping due to frustration! I finally got it, after having to take the stitches out twice! It still did not turn out perfectly, but I doubt anyone will notice. :)

 Then, I cut and shortened the hem. I turned it under twice, because this fabric frays very easily.

All finished!

Do you have a favorite fall refashion? I would love to hear about it! :)