Amanda In Wonderland

It took me forever to decide what I wanted to dress up as for the Disneyland 10k and when I finally did decide, I waited WAY to long to get started on it! I figured making a tutu would be no big deal and I'd have plenty of time! Then August FLEW by and before I knew it, I only had three days until I left for California and still no tutu!

I did get extremely lucky though, because Hobby Lobby had their spools of tulle on sale that week and Joann's had a coupon for 60% off one cut of fabric! That 60% off coupon saved my life!! I about died when the lady told me my total!! Sparkly tulle is crazy expensive!!! 

Just in case you've never made a tutu, let me break it down for you! 

First, you have to spend a ridiculous amount of time cutting the tulle into strips! 

I started out thinking these strips needed to be all the same width and length.

But after five or six strips, I realized who the heck cares if they are even or not!! 

Second, you have to tie the tulle to the waistband.

This part really isn't that big of a deal.... just time consuming!! 

Especially when you have a large area to cover! 

The first night I worked on it, I was at my cousins' house....Their kitchen was covered in glitter by the time I left! THANK ladies for letting my make a mess of your house AND for getting me started! 

The second night I sat on the tile, on the cold bathroom floor, because I figured that would be way easier than trying to vacuum it out of my carpet! My thumb hurt from cutting all those dang strips of fabric one by one and my back was aching from sitting on the hard floor for four hours...... and BONUS...

I ran out of blue tulle!! Awesome.....

Day three.....(which also just happens to be the day beforeour plane left).

I worked on the tutu during my lunch break.....and ran out of white tulle.....

{obviously I am NOT good at sewing and have VERY poor judgment on just how much tulle it takes to make a tutu}

So I had to stop at Joann's on my way home from work to get blue tulle and my sister went to Hobby Lobby to get white. THANKS Kaylee for making an HL run for me! 

There was no way I was going to hang out on the tile again, so I sat outside tying my skirt.

This is the part of the story where life got a WHOLE lot easier! 

I have this awesome neighbor..... Kristen is her name! She saw me sitting outside, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of tulle, and came over to find out what was going on. Kristen is a sewing master...... seriously, she sews some pretty awesome stuff. And because of her awesome skills, she came up with a MUCH better and MUCH faster way to cut the tulle!! It saved me SO much time.... and saved my thumb too!

Not only that, but she sat on the grass with me and helped me tie the tulle to the skirt! Yes, she is one awesome friend! THANKS Kristen!! 

I sat outside until it was completely dark. My mom had to come and help me trim my skirt.... all while my other great neighbor, Kristine, came over and trimmed my bangs. And yes... they did this at the same time! 

Fifteen yards of tulle, ten hours, one sore thumb and one humongous mosquito bite later, I was finally ready to be Amanda in Wonderland! 

Oh.... 

And how did this massive skirt GET to California you ask?

I had to shove it in a garbage bag, suck out as much air as possible, and then put in my a carry on bag.... Yes..... it took up almost the ENTIRE bag by itself.....But it made it!! 

By the way....
You'd think that with such a crazy ordeal that there would be lots of pictures of this process....
Nope! 

This is all there is.................