{Link Round-Up} + LA Sewist Meet-up

First and foremost, there's going to be another LA Sewist Meet-Up on February 21, 2015! We're planning on going to the Hollywood Costume Exhibit in LA and then head down to Mood afterwards. I first read about the exhibit on Jet Set Sewing and immediately emailed a couple gals (Erin, Kathy, and Marrie) about it. I figured going to the exhibit would be way more fun with people who appreciate sewing and design. This will be a super laid back meet-up. No need to RSVP, just buy your ticket ahead of time and meet us there at 12pm*. If you only want to join us for fabric shopping, then contact one of us and we'll text, email, or tweet to let you know our ETA at Mood. {*Maybe once the date gets closer we'll put together a group email so we can see who is planning on coming.}

How is it already December? As of Monday December 1st, I'm officially on the Slow-Carb Diet. I hate calling it a diet because it's more like an eating guide. I'm not trying to lose a vast amount of weight, but rather take down my candy/carb-heavy eating ways a notch during the lead up to Christmas. A couple years ago I followed the Slow-Carb Diet for a couple months and I felt amazing, all with just eating differently and hardly any extra exercise. So, whenever I feel a bit pudgy around the mid-section I turn to the slow-carb eating ways to get myself back on track.

I've been a horrible blogger recently, not even keeping up with my weekly link round-ups! I don't even have a good reason. My excuse can mainly be attributed to how much I dislike my laptop. The AC adapter stopped "being recognized" which means I can't charge my battery so now my laptop is not exactly the most portable gadget (the main point of a laptop).

Anyway.....below are some reading tidbits I collected over the past month. This link round-up is probably my most varied post yet. Enjoy!

1. Have you seen the new pattern from Jolie Marie Louise, the Chloe Blazer?!?!? I'm loving it! Curved hem, lined, fitted, two-piece sleeve. Check, check, check. Earlier this year I made a muslin of the Simplicity 2446 Amazing Fit Jacket, but couldn't quite get the fit right and I got tired of tinkering with the pattern. Now I'm tempted to try out the Chloe Blazer. {Jolie Marie Louise // Chloe Blazer}

2. I recently read a post by Brene Brown that had me re-thinking what *really needs* to happen during this time of year. There were a couple gift exchanges and card exchanges I almost signed up for recently and then I came back to reality and realized they were only going to stress me out as I searched for the *perfect* gifts and cards. I love this time of the year, but it seems like every year I'm trying to find a way to not get stressed out. Last year we spent Christmas at my in-laws' and we left a week a before Christmas and stayed till the day after. It seemed like an ok idea when we booked our flights (mainly because those were the cheapest tickets), but in reality it was a stressful few weeks in December. I was frantically trying to get shit wrapped up at work and buy gifts before leaving on vacation and I didn't even get around to sending out Christmas cards till right before the New Year. I just felt like a total mess. Sometimes doing less is the way to go and that's how I plan to spend the rest of 2014. {Brene Brown}

3. Jenna of That Wife recently closed the comments on her blog for good. It made me think of doing the same here. While I genuinely appreciate the comments I receive on my posts, they are so few that I don't think the vast majority of readers would miss it and I'm not always able to respond to comments right away, which I always feel bad about. I don't write the most thought-provoking stuff so it's not like I even anticipate a great back and forth, like what you can find at Charlotte's blog Seam Ripped. Readers can always reach me by email or via Instagram, where it's super easy to comment and respond on my phone, so I think at the start of the New Year I'll close comments on this blog. {That Wife // Breaking Up with the Comments Section}

4. My Money Blog linked to a NY Times article about a resource for state-by-state pregnancy laws. Having kids (or rather, one kid) is progressively more on my mind now that I'm in my 30s. My mom, who was primarily a stay at home mom, always asks me what what my work situation will be like when I have kids (mind you, she's been asking me this for at least as long as I've been married, so over 5 years). I've heard that California has more beneficial leave of absence laws than in other states so it was interesting to compare. {State-by-State Guide to Pregnancy Laws // Baby Gate via NY Times via My Money Blog}

5. If you're looking for some thoughtful, yet easy gifts to give for Christmas, Pinch of Yum highlighted some great photo ideas. {Pinch of Yum // Photo Gift Guide}