Bowen Beasties

It was recently my good friend and neighbor Julie's birthday. If you know anything about Julie, you know that she's a gal of impeccable style. I usually show up for playdates wearing ratty tank tops, shorts, and a hat under which to hide my unwashed tresses, while Julie is always manages to look effortlessly put-together. Her hair is tousled, her makeup is understated, and even her cuticles are groomed! So for her birthday, I thought it would be fitting to craft an homage to her flawless momness in the form of a Julie Beastie. And because I didn't want Julie Beastie to be lonely, I also made a Shawn Beastie.
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Shawn Beastie was actually the easier of two Beasties for me to create. For one thing, I knew exactly what he'd be wearing. For another thing, the guy shaves his head, so I wouldn't even need to sew hair! The only tough part was figuring out how to create his trademark sun hat.

It only took about an hour's worth of cursing and sweating to finangle some canvas scraps into this teensy little chapeau. I was quite pleased with the results, especially with the way the brim could be tied up or left untied, depending on the weather and on Shawn Beastie's current disposition.

Deciding on Julie Beastie's ensemble was a tad more difficult. I mean, her namesake has too many cute outfits to choose from! Do I go with a bright sundress? A classy cardigan? A draped-front tank and shorts? In the end, I decided to approximate one of her trademark looks - two jersey-knit shirts layered over a nice pair of jeans. I even used an old pair of Seven jeans to make the tiny jeans that Julie Beastie is wearing.
Sidenote: If you think it's weird that my son appears in all three of the above images, you're not alone. When I was going through my pictures, I was struck by how Benjamin seemed to be attached to her. I mean, I made peace long ago with how I cease to exist when Auntie Julie is around, but the fact that it was impossible for me to find three pictures of Julie sans Boo is kind of ridiculous! I guess I should have created a tiny Benjamin Beastie as a part of Julie Beastie's trademark outfit! But I digress...

The Beasties seemed to go over well - at least I hope they did. I was tickled by the fact that Julie was wearing layered shirts and Shawn his trademark hat when Julie opened her gift. I was also tickled by the sight of a grown man happily clutching a rag doll.
Happy Birthday, Julie!