Miss Irene is for the Birds: McCall's 7351

Good evening, kittens! After too many weekends on the road, Sam and I are spending this one firmly ensconced at home. The NBA Finals are on TV, both dogs are napping by the back door, and an impressive line of thunderstorms is moving in. We couldn't ask for a lazier, more peaceful Saturday off. Dog snores and all.

At some point, I have a book to finish writing and this month's Knipmode project to trace out, but we're not going to dwell on that right now. Instead, let's dive into my comfort zone.

Oh look, I made another shirtdress!

 

After the rousing success of my first McCall's 7351 shirtdress, I began work on another variation. The slim style and shirt-tail hem of View A piqued my interest. It's a more casual, modern silhouette than the full skirts overflowing my closet. We could blame personal style for that oversight, but...it's a complicated issue. Slimmer skirts easily verge into sexy secretary territory on me, thanks to the ratios of my curves. The A-line of this skirt had potential, though, and I was willing to experiment.

Even better, I had the perfect fabric in my stash. This navy blue cotton twill from Mood has a good deal of stretch and is covered in realistic bird illustrations. Y'all, I'm trying really hard not to make obvious Portlandia jokes right now. It might be a losing battle. Anyhow, I'm a sucker for novelty prints and stretch cottons. The heft of this twill is a true medium weight, with a super crisp drape, making it ideal for the tailored details of a shirtdress. It washed and pressed like a dream.

 

   

 

Sewing with it was another matter. It turns out the stretch threads in this fabric are delicate, prone to snagging and running. They caught on my scissors, my rotary cutter, and even my sewing table. This cotton needed babying like you wouldn't believe. The birds are worth it, but I was glad to have the project finished without incident. Visions of massive, dress-ruining runs danced in my mind. 

The actual pattern came together without incident. Once again, I sewed almost everything by machine. Top-stitching, how I love you. The yoke and armscye bindings are finished with the same fabric, while every other seam was serged with white thread. Once the seams were finished, I didn't have any further trouble with the fabric. It was only the raw edges that made it so finicky. 

As you might notice, this dress is not pattern matched. The scale on this cotton was large and I didn't have enough fabric to pull it off. Instead, I paid close attention to the layout, while cutting things out. All the birds are situated right side up and there aren't any terrible twining repeats. Let's call that a win, shall we?

My alterations were the standard stuff, only slightly different from my last version. The one inch FBA remained, along with the lengthened darts, but I narrowed the shoulder further and raised the armscye by almost an inch. The bodice fit is exactly where I want it now. Everything is spot on, from the collar size (still awesome!) to the bodice ease. Hooray! That means I need to make six more of these dresses, to revel in the fit a bit more. 

As for the slim skirt, I'm actually torn. I blended from the size 20 bodice to a size 22 at the skirt, to accommodate my hips properly. This gave me enough ease and resulted in a dress identical to that on the pattern envelope. Objectively, I know it looks good. The fit is nice, it's a chic silhouette, and all is as imagined. Only...

I like a fuller skirt. Surprise!

 

This dress looks great, I'm simply not as comfortable in it.  Perhaps with more wear that will change? It doesn't have me reaching for Spanx, but I'm also more conscious of what I'm wearing than I normally would be. This, my dears, is why I never make wiggle dresses anymore. They sit in my closet, admired, but unloved. If this skirt were a true pencil shape, it would be doomed. 

Luckily, the A-line is easy enough to wear. I still like the silhouette quite a bit, as well. It would look sensational made up in a light blue chambray for summer. I will probably tinker with the skirt a little bit, adding more ease, while keeping the simplified shape. We shall see...

In the meantime, I'm digging both the birds and this pattern. You can tell it's a winner, because collars and buttons are all I want to sew right now. Every length of fabric in my stash seems ideal for a shirtdress. I should take advantage of this mojo, before summer comes and my obsession with light, breezy knits returns. Today, I fantasized about a red polka dot Myrtle dress, so that time may be all too soon!

 

 

Note: The fabric for this project was provided by Mood Fabrics, as part of my participation in the Mood Sewing Network. It was chosen by me, however, and all opinions are my own. 

Miss Iris Digs for Victory: McCall's 7351

It's remarkable how quickly things change in the sewing world. Of all the sub-cultures I'm involved with, this industry is by far the most responsive to changing consumer demands. In just the five years I've been blogging, we've seen a remarkable expansion of size ranges for many pattern companies, an increase in youthful, modern design aesthetics, and a greater availability of apparel fabrics from major suppliers and retailers. 

On a more personal note, shirtdresses are also everywhere nowadays. Once upon a time, I couldn't find a single pattern that I liked. Options in my size were severely limited and those available took too many cheats--collars without stands, no separate button bands, and other things that made me want to turn green and start throwing cars. Cut to this year. Last month, I wrote a post for the Curvy Sewing Collective outlining plus size options for shirtdresses. There were so many great patterns that I had to actively cull my list to a top eleven. The mind, it boggles. 

With so many new patterns available, it's time to (temporarily) retire my go-to shirtdress, McCall's 6696. While I still love its classic styling, there are too many new designs calling my name. Why tread over familiar ground, when there's a whole world of shirtdresses waiting to be explored?

First up on my list, we have View D of McCall's 7351. Admittedly, I didn't stray far from the familiar here. Baby steps, kittens. This is every inch a classic, fit-and-flare shirtdress. There are separate button bands, a stand collar, and darted bodice. Unlike M6696, however, this dress has a semi-circle skirt and omits the separate waistband with belt loops. Those are actually major improvements over my TNT pattern in one way: construction time. From cutting to hemming, this dress took me three nights of sewing, or about five hours total. Maybe I'm a slow sewer, but M6696 usually takes me at least eight hours from start to finish. 

Based on ease of sewing alone, this new pattern is a winner!

Of course, some adjustments were made. If you look at the line drawing above, you'll notice that M7351 is a single-dart bodice. Though the pattern comes with different cup sizes (up to a D-cup) that original design was a no-go for me. Based on my high bust, I chose size 20, which would still need a complete Full Bust Adjustment. That FBA meant either creating one gigantic dart or adding a second dart along the waistline. Y'all, I am not a masochist. Preservation of design integrity is all well and good, but I went with the second option. 

Behold, my new bodice!

Why, yes, it is a grotesque and terrifying monster. I'm actually working with a clean version of this bodice now, but I thought you'd like to see all the changes in action. Here's the full line-up of alterations:

1. Full Bust Adjustment -- I added one inch to the bodice pattern, which is two inches of ease total. This added a second dart along the waist seam, pointing directly at my bust apex. 
2. Lengthened Darts -- After an initial muslin, I knew the darts needed quite a bit of added length, because they were pointy and ended on the side of my bust. Egads! This is pretty standard for me in cup-sized patterns, actually. Perhaps my bosoms are just weirdly spaced for their size, but I'm forever lengthening darts. An added two inches of length worked nicely.
3. Narrow Shoulder Adjustment -- I narrowed the shoulder by 1/2 inch and will probably narrow it further on my next version. 
4. Reshaped Armscye -- This was actually done after the version of M7351 that you're seeing today. Initially I thought it was low, but perfectly fine since it didn't expose my bra at all. After wearing it once in public, I've rethought that decision and raised the armscyes by 3/4 inch. 

On the back bodice, my only alterations were to narrow the shoulder and raise the armscye, in conjunction with my front pattern piece. Otherwise, the back bodice fit was on point. 

When it comes to the final fit, I really like this pattern. It's demonstrably looser than my TNT pattern, but that gives it a more relaxed, casual vibe that I dig. I didn't take any pictures sans belt, so you'll have to trust me on this one, but there's a pretty large amount of ease at the waist specifically. This prevents the button band from gaping and seems intentional, judging from the modeled photos. 

Without the belt, this dress almost has a Grainline Alder silhouette, though it's not nearly as loose. With the belt, there's a classic, blousy Romancing the Stone sort of look happening. This does cause some shifting of the loose fabric, but I like the extra ease a lot. When summer rolls around in Texas, a relaxed shirtdress is a godsend. 

Additionally, the collar on this pattern is fabulous. If you had trouble with M6696 being way oversized at the neck, you're going to love M7351. If I put a button at the collar band, it would actually close and fit my neck properly! Admittedly, I didn't put one there, but...nonetheless. 

I swear to God, the top-stitching is even. Weird camera angles FTW?

If you're drooling over this fabric, I have good news for you. This floral cotton sateen is from Mood, comes in three colorways, and is still available. I chose the medium beige color, because I couldn't stop imagining an updated take on the iconic khaki shirtdress. It's archaeology* chic with flowers. Who could resist? 

This entire dress was sewn on a machine, because top-stitching is both a detail and a shortcut. Huzzah for shortcuts! I chose a khaki thread slightly lighter than the khaki of my fabric, so that it would pop against the print. Then, I set my stitch length a little longer than usual (2.8), popped on my edge stitching foot, and sewed everything slowly and carefully. The buttons, a neutral tortoiseshell, are from JoAnn Fabrics. 

*I have been informed by dear archaeologist friends that dig clothes are actually loose, covered in dirt, and imminently practical. Personally, I will continue to imagine The Mummy--khaki, linen, and really awesome boots. 

Y'all, I adore this dress. The full skirt, that perfect collar. It's such a dishy variation on my favorite style. Despite my pledge to sew all the shirtdress patterns, my next project is actually another version of M7351. This one will have the dipped hem and narrower skirt of View A, which looks lovely in the line drawing. After that, I have my eye on Style Arc's Italia dress. 

What are you sewing right now, friends? Is anyone else giving one of these new shirtdress patterns a try, this spring?

Miss Clara Predicts an Early Spring: McCall's 6696

Hello, lovelies! Perhaps you thought that, with the end of 1000 Shirtdresses, I would be finished with McCall's 6696. However, spring looms in Texas. That means the lighter, brighter fabrics in my stash are demanding buttons and collars of their own. While I do have many other things on the docket, I made two shirtdresses in late January, especially for those warmer months: one floral and one plaid. Even better, I finally photographed one of them! 

This pastel cotton lawn has been in my stash for five or six years. With Liberty-like softness and all those pretty purple flowers, it's ideal for a sweet, springy shirtdress. (God, that's a lot of alliteration. Forgive me, friends.) Unfortunately, it was also really, really narrow. With four-and-half yards, I was just able to squeak a sleeveless 6696 out of it. 

After five previous iterations of this pattern, there shouldn't be more to say about it. However, I went for a different finishing route with this one. After all that sitting around in a closet, this particular fabric deserved extra flourish. With such a dainty print, why not throw in a few pretty techniques, as well? 

Instead of my usual shirtdress methodology of Topsitching All The Things, I instead hand-sewed all the details. The button bands, waistband, yoke, and hem were secured in place, using simple slip stitch. Meanwhile, the armholes were finished with self-bias tape and a catch-stitch. It all made for a beautiful, clean finish. Woohoo for unnecessary attention to details! 

One certain detail really makes me swoon over this dress, however. Instead of picking clear buttons, or contrasting ones, I covered eleven half-inch buttons with the same floral lawn. Sure, they blend in in these photos, but they add a lovely, feminine touch, in person. My fingertips hurt for two days afterwards, but it was worth it! Oh, sewing...

There's not much more to say about this dress, dear ones. The only fit change I made was to raise the armholes another half-inch. So interesting, no? In the end, this is a fabulous dress for spring. The colors come off a little washed out, in the winter light of these photos, but they're quite pretty in real life. It's going to be cute with a coordinated cardigan and espadrilles. 

Best of all? Next week, our temperatures hover around 70 degrees. It's always nice to actually wear the dress you've recently spent five hours hand sewing! 

1000 Shirtdresses: Round-up + Winner

Good afternoon, friends! I hope you're having a lovely weekend. My own has been spent perusing the gorgeous entries into the Autumn of 1000 Shirtdresses! Y'all, we ended up having forty-seven shirtdressess made over the last few months. That's a whole lot of buttons! I've gathered up the official entries below, so that we can all properly gawk at these beautiful garments. Shall we?

 POLKA DOTS

Sophie-Lee looks ethereal in her light blue polka dot chambray dress, Lauren drafted (!) her own classic, navy blue dotty shirtdress, and Nicole opted for a chic collarless shirtdress, in this super fun polka dotted rayon. 

Andie is a woman after my own heart in this seasonally-inappropriate nautical shirtdress, with white bands and striped shoulder button tabs, while Beat Girl not only made a shirtdress, but her first ever dress! Even cooler, those dots are actually tiny daisies, when up close.

BOTANICAL

Marije was our very first entrant, with this gorgeous black-and-white version of McCall's 6696, Caroline is a vision in this vintage-inspired red floral, with a beautifully piped collar, and Chrystal has me swooning over her floral striped shirtdress, with a coordinated yellow collar.

 Sophie-Lee went with vintage re-issue Simplicity 1459 for her second fabulous shirtdress, made up in a largescale floral cotton sateen, Bianca is right at home in a garden, wearing her lovely raspberry ditsy floral, Rhiannon's dramatic red botanical print has me on the look out for copycat fabric, and Alicia is so on-trend for 2015 in this glorious wax print floral Hawthorn.

Bec is channeling the divine wardrobe of Betty Draper in her sweet floral lawn 6696, Emily put a twist on the Colette Pastille dress to create her lovely orange half-shirtdress, Rowena made a beautiful Hawthorn, using bamboo-and-bird print cotton and coordinated cream collar/cuffs, and if Izzy didn't live in Saudi Arabia, she'd be in danger of me stealing this shades-of-pink floral shirtdress from her closet!

PLAIDS

 Ruth made a perfectly matched version of the Cami dress, complete with bias-cut sleeve cuffs for a fun bit of visual interest, Marije returned with a beautifully autumnal plaid for her second version of 6696, and Fiona made a cozy, layering version of the Alder dress in blue-and-black buffalo plaid flannel.

Cheryl is super cool in her plaid, sleeveless Alder and fabulous brown boots, Qui made the epitome of a classic shirtdress, in a sweet peach and turquoise plaid, while Debbie made her first ever shirtdress, a fantastic neutral plaid version of McCall's 6600.

STRIPES 

Gina is tailored and chic in her gorgeous candy-striped version of M6696, which I'm already plotting to knock off, Tanya was inspired by the period costumes of Call the Midwife, when she made her lovely navy-and-white striped vintage Simplcity, and Nancy is sweetly classic in her blue-and-white striped M6696, proof that the simplest fabrics can also be the prettiest.

PRINTS

 Honey looks so modern and lovely in her bold, graphically printed shirtdress , Melizza's silk ribbon version of the Alder dress is the perfect winter layering piece, CFA13 is absolutely gorgeous in her retro print shirtdress with coordinated buttons, while Amanda is a picture of summery cuteness in a rayon version of much-loved M6696.

Angelica used a textured cotton floral, gifted from her grandmother, to make a light and beautiful Hawthorn dress, Marilla paired a southwestern print Kaufman chambray with her own Maya dress pattern, for the ultimate day dress, and Bianca is a work of art herself in a blue-and-white printed version of M6696.

 Chrystal captured that casual end-of-summer vibe in her gorgeous nautical print shirtdress , Andie stole all of our hearts with her color-blocked, cat-themed newspaper dress, while Linda put a bird on it, with this modern maroon shirtdress in the cutest flock-print fabric.

Lyric is absolutely stunning in her cream-and-khaki botanical print half-shirtdress and chic belt, Kirsten used a Japanese cotton lawn to create a fresh and summery version of Grainline's Alder dress, and Trisha use French seams and heaps of hand-sewing on her elegant and bold crepe de chine shirtdress.

SOLIDS

 Becky started off a parade of gorgeous blue shirtdresses, with her classic denim fit-and-flare and super cute gold toe shoes, Jo is as pretty as a picture in her dark indigo Frankenpattern shirtdress, and Cheryl altered the Alder pattern, to make this casually cute chambray popover dress.

 Ida Aida turned her soft denim M6696 into a stand-out dress, with an embroidered collar and waistband, Sylvie is timelessly elegant in her royal blue version of Simplicity 1459, in a tone-on-tone print cotton sateen, CFA13 makes the ideal summer dress, in blue linen with variegated cream buttons.

Caroline reminds us that corduroy can be elegant, in a burgundy M6696, with pops of polka dot contrast fabric, Marianne's beautiful black brocade shirtdress is perfect for a night on the town and sipping festive drinks, and Tanya is all summer elegance in her classic blue shirtdress, with white buttons and top-stitiching. 

Holy smokes, ladies! I'm blown away by these dresses. Thanks so much for joining me in this sewing challenge and braving all those buttonholes. Your dresses are, to a one, beautifully made and absolutely lovely. I know I'll be perusing that Flickr group for more inspiration, in the future! Thank you, again, for sharing your creative talents with me and the other participants.

Now, onto the last question of The Autumn of 1000 Shirtdresses.

Who won the prize package? Well, I assigned numbers chronologically, plugged them into a random number generator and...

Our winner is also our very first entrant, Marije of  Make Think Go! Congratulations, Marije! Send me an e-mail with your mailing address to anidlefancy (at) gmail.com and I'll send out your goodies! 

Reminder: 1000 Shirtdresses Deadline!

Hello, friends! I'm sitting here in my office, recovering from a stomach virus and trying to narrow down the prize package for the Autumn of 1000 Shirtdresses winner. Which reminded me to remind you...

If you want to enter a shirtdress, any shirtdress, into the challenge, you still have time! The deadline is tomorrow night, January 22nd, at Midnight (PST). Simply add your photos to the Flickr group and you're entered. There's no need to have a blog post or even a blog. If you've made a shirtdress in the past few months, you're good to go! Our winner will be randomly drawn and announced this weekend. 

Woohoo! 

Miss Clara and the Seasonally Inappropriate Christmas Dress: McCall's 6696

When planning a dress for the holidays, a certain aesthetic comes to mind. This is the season for plaid taffetta and long-sleeved wool sheaths. This is, most assuredly, not the season for lightweight poplin printed with hot pink roses. No Northern Hemisphere woman in her right mind would sew such a thing right now. 

Except, apparently, me.

I couldn't help myself. While musing on Christmas dresses, this Liberty cotton lodged itself in my mind and wouldn't budge. I've hoarded four yards of this poplin, in the pink Carline print, for years. Not only is this my favorite Liberty print, but it's also maddeningly discontinued. I have another two yards in blue, awaiting the perfect blouse pattern, and an Ebay alert set up for the red colorway. Carline is my fabric white whale. 

This particular length was bought with a shirtdress in mind. Of course. Since then, McCall's 6696 has come into my life and my collar-making skills have improved tenfold. Not only would this be an ideal Christmas shirtdress, I decided, but I probably wouldn't ruin it in the process. Score! It was time for Carline to have her day. 

True to form, I couldn't leave well enough alone. Heaven forbid, I take the easy way and make an unaltered, perfect-as-she-is 6696. That would be too easy, too stress-free! Instead, I decided to turn my beloved shirtdress pattern into a half-shirtdress pattern. I would use the bodice of 6696, paired with a straight waistband, full, gathered skirt, and side zip closure. 

Despite my dramatics, this is actually a straight-forward pattern change. There was some basting involved, to get the waistband just right, but otherwise, it's a simple matter of planning. Let's walk through it, shall we? Note: I didn't set out to make this a tutorial, but rather a guideline of my process, so this isn't a fully photographed explanation. Writing it out, the instructions ballooned in size. I explain everything thoroughly, however, and photographed the two weird parts. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section!

1. Cut both skirt pieces on the fold. I decided to use the original skirt pieces from 6696, but gather them like a traditional dirndl skirt. You could, similarly, cut two rectangles for a real dirndl skirt, as in Gertie's tutorial. Either way, since we're moving from a front button closure to a side zip, you're going to cut those skirt pieces on the fold, so that you don't have a seam running down the front.

2. Trace a new button band. For a half-shirtdress, you only want a button band the length of your bodice pieces. So, measure the length of your bodice center fronts, then mark that length on your button band piece. Trace that portion of your band and--voila!--new bands.

3. Measure your waistband. Your impulse for this project will be to add the length of your button band to your original waistband, to create a slightly longer one. This is actually not the way to go. Full shirtdresses have more ease around the waist than a half-shirtdress, to prevent button gaping. How much ease you want at the waist will be up to you (standard is 1'', but I prefer 1/2''), but it's likely that 6696's waistband will work as-is, without lengthening. Put the pattern piece around your natural waist and try it out! Does it feel comfortable, when you sit? Is it secure enough to add definition? Add or subtract length, based on this decision, and remember to factor in a 5/8'' seam allowance on each end.

4. Mark side seams and centers of waistband. Because we're gathering our skirts in, you'll need to mark your center front, center back, and side seams, so that your skirt is even all around. Begin by adding your seam lines to each end at 5/8'', then measure in from one end at 1/4th the length (Center Front), 1/2 the length (Side), and 3/4th the length (Center Back) between those lines.

5. (Optional) Reduce gathers on back bodice. While the blousing in the back of this dress doesn't bother me, you may want to streamline the back in this version. To do so, simply trace the back bodice piece, then remove your desired amount from between the center gathering marks, in a vertical strip from top-to-bottom. I recommend leaving some gathers in, for ease of wearing, but removing one or two inches from the pattern piece will lessen that blousing quite a bit.

6. Leave the left side bodice open, 3.5 inches from top. We're going to insert an invisible zipper on the left side, so construct your bodice normally, but only sew down part of that side seam. There's no exact science to this, but it should be enough that you'll be able to get into your dress comfortably! Remember to back-stitch, at each end. Construct and finish the rest of your bodice, as usual. 

The left side of my bodice, after leaving it open. 

7. Add button bands, then overlap the right bodice onto the left bodice. After sewing your bodice as you would normally, attach your button bands! Once you have them on and top-stitched, put the right bodice over the left bodice, lining up the bands, then baste them into place. Finish both the collar and the sleeves now. Leave the buttons and buttonholes until the end of dress construction, so you can accurately mark placement, with the skirt attached.

8. Sew the waistband to the bodice. Begin pinning with the left side, still leaving that open, and pin your waistband to the bodice. Align the centers of your front and back bodice, with the marks on your waistband, then baste them together. If you're happy after a fit-check, then sew everything in permanently! Note: you may find that you want to take the waistband in further at this step, or even raise it a little. The proportions of a half-shirtdress are just a bit different from a full, so these changes are natural. 

Overlapped bodice bands attached to the waistband. 

9. Sew the right skirt seam. We're still leaving that left side open, so sew and finish the right skirt seam only.

10. Gather and attach the skirt. Sew two rows of gathering stitches, at 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch, around the entirety of the skirt waistline. Once you've sewn, push along these lines and create your gathers. Match the skirt center front, center back, and side seams to those of your waistband, and even out the gathers across the skirt. Stitch into place. 

11. Insert an invisible zipper. Finish the entire left side of your dress, from bodice to skirt, using your preferred finishing method. (I serged everything, for simplicity's sake.) Then, insert the invisible zipper into the left side, with the top zipper stop aligning with your fabric opening. It's just like sewing an invisible zipper in a skirt or a dress, but the top zipper tape is going into an existing seam. Conversely, you can choose to leave the top left side entirely open beforehand, closing it only after your zipper installation. Either way, make sure your waistbands line up, and have at it!

Resulting invisible side zipper and a peek at my light pink bias tape armscye finish!

12. Sew the left skirt seam. Once your invisible zipper is in place, sew the remaining skirt side seam, below the zipper. Secure the bottom zipper tape into this seam, with a few hand stitches.

13. Buttons and hem. Add your buttonholes, buttons, and hem, as usual!

14. Dance a jig, in your new half-shirtdress. 

Of course, you could also just use an existing half-shirtdress pattern. There's the new wrapped half-shirtdress from McCall's, M7081, and the Lisette Traveler Dress from Simplicity. I didn't use either of these, because the McCall's was just published last week and the Traveler doesn't have a traditional collar construction, which drives me crazy. I figured, the 6696 already fits in the bodice, so why not go with the one I already love? A good design alteration is creatively exhilarating, anyhow!

It's okay to just nod at me, as if I've gone mad. You should use an existing pattern, if you've got one stashed away. 

Apart from the construction techniques above, there are a few little extras in this dress. As is my wont, everything is top-stitched, including the button bands, collar, collar stand, and the waistband. Not only does it cut down on the hand-stitching, but it adds a bit of definition to the busy floral pattern. The armscyes are finished with light pink single-fold bias tape, which goes with the palette nicely. I was going to make self-fabric tape, but couldn't bring myself to waste the Carline. I actually have just enough of this fabric leftover to make a sleeveless blouse. Joy!

The buttons on this lovely are jade green plastic, from Hancock's, and match the green of the rose leaves exactly. Honestly, y'all, as much as I love Carline, those buttons might be my favorite part of this dress. They glow like little emeralds against the rose pattern, don't they?

Of course, I'm wearing this dress with my favorite emerald cardigan right now. It's been pretty mild lately, but things are going to turn chillier this week! We're actually headed to New Orleans next weekend, to spend the holiday week (and our first anniversary!) there with my family. It's not a Danielson Family Christmas, unless we're in some far flung location, eating Chinese food and using a coat stand as a tree. What can I say? We're heathens, the lot of us.