first stitch sewing class.

although i grew up sewing with my mom, i haven't touched a sewing machine in my adult life. a few years ago, my mother-in-law was going to get me a sewing machine for christmas, but at the time i just wasn't ready to dive into another project that required more tools, supplies and space around the house. however, over the past few years there have been more and more times when i see fabric, pillow covers, table runners or other projects and think "i could totally make that... if i knew how to sew" so i've been warming up to the idea.

well, while we were at this First Friday's Artwalk in Downtown Phoenix i saw 1st Stitch Sewing Lounge and immediately cruised in to inquire. the owner, Tina, explained that you can rent space ($10/hour) to sew your own projects or take a variety of sewing classes. consideirng i was in the midst of my nine-week sabatical, the timing was perfect so i signed up right away for the next beginners class.

the class was three weeks long, two hours each class. $10 for the first class and $20 for the following two classes for a total of $50 for a 6-hour basic sewing class. sounds good to me! me and my three classmates we went from stitching paper to making a full blown apron in just three weeks. we learned basic machine use, stitching, measuring, fabric pressing and how to follow a basic pattern. 

i'm thinking about signing up for the next intermediate class to learn more about pattern making, button holes, muslin useage, etc.

if you're in the Valley and looking to learn to sew (men or women), i totally recommend calling Tina at 1st Stitch Sewing Lounge. she's super sweet, patient, funny, encouraging and you'll walk away with some great basic sewing knowledge. oh, and she teaches kids 8-17 for free! how great is that? learn more about 1st Stitch here.

week one

{i just love this little downtown shop}

{first up: basic stitching exercises. no thread, just using the needle on paper}

{on the first night, we moved from paper to actually stitching patterns on fabric}

week two

{learning about patterns}

{following my apron pattern. learning proper cutting and measuring techniques}

{that's tina, helping me on my machine}

week three

{tina helping everyone with their finishing touches}

{i never realized how important an ironing board is in the sewing process}

{from pinning to sewing the apron}

{me and my classmates showing off our finished aprons!}

arizona boys reunion.

over the president's day holiday weekend, we flew out to ft. lauderdale, florida for a four-day reunion with danny's college buddies. dan & tiffany graciously hosted the whole clan at their home -- me & danny, darren & meg, dan c., scott, jared and of course jason and kim. the 11 of us haven't been together since mine and danny's wedding more than two years ago, so it was great fun to spend a long weekend together in the perfect florida winter weather. we did lots of swimming, eating, drinking, game playing, beach time, catching up, reminiscing and we celebrated dan l.'s (there are so many dans) 30th in-style at his fabulous party along with the lovitz' florida friends & family! 

there are a lot of photos, so i've grouped them by event.. 

first was dinner and drinks at The Office in Del Ray Beach followed by some serious dancing out on the town (oh, and toilet-papering). we spent a lot of in Del Ray Beach which is a super cute coastal town with great shops, restaurants and bars. 

{our wonderful weekend hosts}

{me and the one-and-only scott coffey}

{the hauns! soon to be a family of three}

{dance club del rey}

{VIP booth}

Florida's warm February weather was perfect for enjoying Dan & Tiffany's awesome resort-style backyard. Lots of laying out, swimming and beer pong.

{luna and ruby loved the splash pad}

{blendin' the margs}

{team D}

{little dottie avoiding the pool and laying out with the girls}

{nice form, dan. i mean danielle.}

{the az boys}

{and their wives... and baby on the way!}

{of course the boys had to drum up a little friendly competition on the court}

{aiiiiiiir baaaaaaall}

on saturday night, tiffany hosted a wonderful 30th birthday party for dan at their home. it started with an awesome slideshow of photos... a decade of memories. 

{captivated by the slideshow}

{a wonderful group of men. hard to believe it's been a decade}

{lookin' good lovitz}

{the boys who know me best}

{darren and the doctor. the awesome fred, dan's dad... can't ya tell?}

{did someone say cocktail party?}

{great party}

{such a cute cake! little baby dan is all grown up}

{meg jumped right into the weekend and the group}

{and then, the dance party started...}

{and of course the classy birthday party ended with a night swim for everyone.}

we spent monday's holiday at Del Ray Beach. dan c.'s rented convertible stang was the perfect ride - especially on the way home.

{cover-up twins. meg has great taste. you may recognize that cover-up from this beach trip}

{frenchie sighting}

{cruisin'... top down... tunes blasting}

the trip ended with a legit italian home-cooked meal at dan's dad's house followed by a good old fashioned game night of puns and charades.