A day at a time, the log jam is loosening and the ideas are flowing. The sun is coming back, energy is returning, and I am pulling myself blinking from the retreat of hibernation. For my own mental and emotional health, this year needs to be less about driving myself and more about reducing commitments, taking care of myself, and finding my passion again. It needs to be about healing.

One cold winter's night in 2013, I was sewing myself a summer dress (because that is completely logical, right?), and for the first time ever, I used the couture technique of setting my zipper in by hand.

And as I sat and hand-stitched my zipper, I wondered what might inspire someone to self-teach themselves to be a top-level designer.

How long would that take? And why would they do it?

Thus, the spark of an idea for The Friday Night Date Dress was born.

I made my first diaper bag, which was my first bag ever. I love it!

A scrapbook layout about my unorthodox fashion sense, plus photos of a couple dresses I’ve made.