Ever sit around dreaming of clothes you wish you could have if it wasn’t for one tiny little problem… these clothes don’t exist? Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m a weirdo, somewhat vapid, or just a closeted clothing designer, but I can’t stop dreaming of an imaginary wardrobe. Recently I was particularly hung up on a cropped back-wrap style top in a ’60s floral pattern. Of course, I couldn’t find this exact top in stores, so I did something I’ve never done before— I created my own pattern and whipped one up this past week!

I’m so excited to share with you how I created my own pattern and assembled this reversible wrap-top, but I won’t have the post ready for you all until next week. Honestly, it would be much easier if you could just come over for an afternoon and we could work with the sewing machine together, because I know posting tons of step-by-step pictures tends to be intimidating, especially for beginners. But this project was pretty simple— I think it’s worth a little fiddling! And making your own clothes is pretty fulfilling. I haven’t done it since I was pregnant two years ago, thanks to a broken sewing machine. But now my machine is up and running and I’m hooked again! What’s next? I’m thinking a pair of high-waisted shorts. In the meantime, here’s where you can find the rest of what I’m wearing:

O U T F I T   D E T A I L S :

slacks: ASOS / purse: ASOS / shoes: 9 West (similar) / spectacles: Rowley Eyewear
photos by my husband, Phil Johnson 

Thank you to everyone who checked out the Baby Highpants Etsy shop! I used Random.org to generate a winner for the Poppy bag giveaway, and Mallory was the lucky gal who won! If you didn’t win, don’t forget the 20% off code that’s good for one more week at Baby Highpants: midwesthighpants

Lucy and I teamed up with the kind folks of Baby Highpants to bring you a very special handmade giveaway. Whether you need a bag for stashing bottles and diapers, or just a classic shopper or messenger bag, Baby Highpants has a really nice selection of colors and styles for both men and women. I’ve selected this customizable Poppy bag for one reader to win! Check out the details below— Who knows? It could be your lucky day!

Please comment below for a chance to win! The winner of the giveaway will receive their own customized version of the Poppy bag in either the large diaper bag size or medium size (shown here with pockets suitable for a diaper bag). The bag will also come with a changing pad and stroller clip if you’re using yours for a diaper bag. Pretty nifty! I’ve been enjoying using my medium bag for Lucy’s cloth and disposable diapers, plus I can still fit my own things and a little sweater for Lucy. It’s just big enough without feeling like I’m carrying around a baby duffel bag!

Curious about how the bags are made? Check out the process photos on Baby Highpants’s Facebook page here. Peep the bags on Instagram too!

If you don’t win the giveaway but are still interested in snagging a Baby Highpants bag to call your own, they’re offering Making Nice in the Midwest readers a special 20% discount for two weeks! Use the code midwesthighpants during your checkout to apply the discount.

Good luck! I’ll be posting the randomly selected winner this Friday.

Our home is always evolving, and I love to look back on all of the little changes that we’ve done over the past year. Even though it can get annoying to always take process pictures of everything I do in our home, the great thing about documenting home projects for A Beautiful Mess is how easy it is to revisit everything I’ve accomplished. It’s like taking measurements on a weightless journey. You might feel like you’re still unsatisfied with where you’re at, but then you stop and consider how hard you’ve worked and compare photos of before and after, you feel much happier with the way things are. It’s empowering!

One of my most recent home projects is the built-in desk that we installed in our living room. You can read all about the project here, but my favorite part of the post is actually just the before and after photo. It’s inspiring me to get cracking on other home projects I’ve been dreaming of. Another recent project I’m really proud of is this liquor cabinet. Such an easy job that made a huge difference in the functionality and beauty of our home. Storage doesn’t have to be boring, folks!

Check out all of my projects at A Beautiful Mess by clicking here, and check out more photos of our home by clicking here.