It's been a good week.

Aside from the fact that everyone is freaking out about snow storms.... I don't think we're going to get much down here, but that's the topic of every conversation these days. North of us, definitely yes.

Matt's been back for a little over a week now and he adjusted just fine. He loves eating at the cafeteria and it's nice meeting up with him for lunch. Tonight is our first Family Style Dinner (it has been cancelled several times because of a broken conveyor belt)... meatloaf. Ugh. He got straight to work, filling up our bookcases with tons and tons of books. He's even started writing his first chapter!! I had a long weekend (no class Sat + Mon) so it was nice to hang out, go out to eat, and host a Superbowl party. We've also been planning our spring break trip to Cancun: what to see, what to do, and where to stay. It's a lot of work since we won't be staying in one place, but it'll be worth it. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for 40 spf sunscreen on sale....

Over weekend, I also volunteered to drive kids to and from the airport (in a bus) for a little extra cash. That was fun and terrifying. Matt was so kind to come with me (since I always get lots) and it's a good thing since I missed the exit leaving the airport and ended up downtown one of the more ghetto cities... Matt faithfully lead me back to the turnpike... sheesh!

Meanwhile, I finished two more dresses--for spring break of course! The red one was from a pattern that gave me a lot of trouble (the back side is still not fixed). The bodice was way too small, so I had to add a horizontal piece to connect it to the skirt (since I didn't was a mini skirt). It's obvious in the picture, but I'm so over it. (FYI: this one took me 2 full weekends) And yes, I know: I have to iron out the center pleat...

After this project, I decided to create my own pattern from a tank top I like and a skirt I like. I used an old boxy tee-shirt as my pattern--brilliant, I know. That way, I could "try on" the pattern. "Trying on" paper pattern pieces doesn't quite work. This one also gave me trouble (the skirt was a huge balloon, so I had to take it in multiple times). (FYI: this one took me 3 full weekends)

And there you have it. A couple more dresses for the spring and summer. I'm not getting any faster at this, but I'm getting smarter with how stuff works. With the red dress, I finally understood what interfacing was and why it was important--which helped me figure out how to "design" the next dress' bodice. I'd like to do another one: this time with a draw string at an empire waist, but I'd have to find a more flowy, drapey cotton-blend.