Woohoo!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited!!! Can you tell?!!!
Why am I so excited? Well, Billy had an interview last Thursday in Fort Worth, TX with the SW JATC and they called him FRIDAY and asked him to move out in a week! Can you believe it?! So come Wednesday we're packing up everything and moving to TEXAS!  He has to do some paperwork on Friday and hopefully then they'll be able to tell us exactly which contractor he'll be working for and where we'll be located. Basically all this means is that Billy has a lineworker's apprenticeship which all linemen have to complete before they're able to start their careers as journeymen. So in case you haven't been keeping up with our story, Billy has been working for a year and a half to get his apprenticeship going with a union, so this is a very big deal! :) It looks like our Gypsy Life is coming to an end!

Life is Good

Life is so good right now :) Spring is FINALLY coming, Billy has two interviews for lineman apprenticeships next week, the dress I'm making is going very well, I think I may have adopted the best cat on Earth and we're planning a trip home at the end of April. So good!!!

Spring is here! It was forty something degrees outside today, I didn't need a sweater and Billy got a sunburn. I think it's safe to say we've successfully adjusted to midwest weather :)
And all the birds outside make me feel like Winter has definitely come to an end.

Just some geese hanging out in the Mejer parking lot. 

So Billy got a letter early last week telling him he has an interview for the SW JATC scheduled for March 28th! (this thursday!) in Dallas! We were so excited! And then, last thursday (as in 2 days ago) someone from the Cal-Nevada JATC called him and told him he had an interview scheduled with them for March 27th in Riverside!!! So we booked him a few plane tickets and are praying for the best! 

On a less exciting/stressful note, I am LOVING the dess I'm making :) This is the muslin:

I didn't have any issues with the fit, but it was really nice to go though a kind of trial run. I started the actual dress a couple days ago and I just adore it. Not only is the pattern so sweet with the cap sleeves, knife pleats at the bottom (which aren't pictured in the muslin) and the romantic neckline, but I'm making it in this gorgeous purple linen which I cannot wait to wear. I have very high hopes for this garment.

The other night we tried making our own Chicago style hot dogs. These were Billy's:

They were steamed, complete with yellow mustard, onions, banana peppers and deliciously greasy fries. I of course had a yummy veggie dog :)

And a few pictures of Olive... the world's spazziest kitten

I have a really lovely ritual of reading the news on my computer while drinking coffee, in bed every morning,  but as soon as I get up for more coffee or to use the bathroom this is what I come back to...

Today as I was folding laundry, Olive decided that laundry baskets actually make better bath tubs.

Day off In Chicago!

Time seems to be flying by lately! I've finished a few more sewing projects (pictures coming soon!) and can't wait to start on a DRESS! I'll be making a mock up first to check the fit so it'll probably take me the better half of next week, but I'm so excited!
Billy also got Thursday off as well as today and tomorrow. So Thursday we decided to head up to Chicago to get hot dogs and check out the Field Museum and we had such a blast!

This place has the #1 hot dog in the nation!

Billy had 3 hot dogs Chicago Style, topped with fries :)

My Vegan Lunch :)

The Field Museum!!! 

And Sue!!! 

And we finished our day with dinner in China Town :)

I think out of all the things we've seen in Chicago, the Art Institute was the most amazing, but the field museum is definitely second on the list. And Billy loved his hot dogs so much he's already requested we make them at home this week! I'll let you know how they stand up :)

TIme's Getting Away From Me

Oh man what a crazy week!
Billy went back to work a week ago after a relaxing week off. And then my amazing friend Rachel came to visit! Needless to say last weekend was filled with lots of shopping and eating :)
Then we moved back to Champaign, IL last Sunday which I was really happy about. I'm not sure why but I really like this town and the park we're staying at.
Tuesday we made it through a crazy snow storm! I made this mistake of driving and it was so scary! There was ice on the roads and people we're sliding and accidents were happening all over the place! Thankfully I made it back safely going super slowly.

As far as sewing goes, I completed a cute little skirt using this tutorial: http://www.madebylex.com/2011/03/denim-skirt-refashion-tutorial.html and I think it's my best garment yet!

(Sorry for the awful photo, I really need to get a hanger or something.)

I also mended one of my dresses that had a ripped dart! That was another first for me :)

Spring's coming!  I can feel it! And my weather app does too:

So excited for the warmer (relatively speaking) weather!!!