After Olivia finished with her fashion show the two friends went outside But the whole time they were playing trampoline circus Finley couldn’t focus Finley cheered for Olivia as she did a split jump and spun around in the air but her mind was still stuck on something smooth and shiny She remembered the previous summer when her older brother Zack had been acting extra strange Mom had said he had a crush on a girl and couldn’t stop thinking about her Great she thought as she watched Olivia bounce I have a crush on Olivia’s bracelet When Finley got home Dad was working on the computer and Evie Finley’s little sister was watching TV Evie wasn’t choosy about what she watched cartoons game shows commercials Sometimes Finley thought she might not be able to tell the difference Today Evie was watching Design Time On this episode fashion designers raced against the clock to come up with fall-themed outfits A man and woman were frantically cutting pinning and sewing A model stood beside them draped in fabric and looking bored Sew faster Evie coached No no not a pink bow She shook her head They’re never going to get done in time The camera zoomed out to show the rest of the studio A long banner that read Make a Fashion Statement hung from the ceiling Across the room another team of designers was outfitting a different model with thigh-high boots and a neon vest Wow Finley sat down next to Evie and took a swig of apple juice Nothing says fall like a reflective orange vest She looks like a crossing guard
Evie got her thinking-hard face Have you ever noticed that none of the designers dress in fancy clothes They all just wear old T-shirts and ripped jeans Finley shrugged If the other choice was that orange vest I’d pick a plain old T shirt any day I guess it’s kind of like they have a free fashion pass Evie said picking the chocolate chips out of a bag of trail mix They’re stylish no matter what Finley nodded Fashion designers don’t have to worry about being in style they make style She watched the designers flitting around the studio Suddenly she felt a Fin-tastic idea seed sprouting in her mind Maybe I could be a fashion designer Finley thought Then I could make style too After all fashion is art and I love art She ran upstairs and got out her sketchbook It was design time
Chapter 2 SOMETHING FAD-ULOUS Finley spent the rest of the afternoon scribbling in her notebook She sketched a pair of pants with nineteen pockets perfect for carrying her art supplies then moved on to a jacket studded with jeweled constellations that reminded her of the night sky and a flouncy skirt made of fluttery fabric leaves When that was finished she got down to brainstorming names for her new fashion brand Finally she settled on Fin-tastic Fashions She liked the way it sounded And the double F’s made for a Fin-teresting logo Now all I have to do is decide on my first Fin-tastic fashion product she thought flipping through her sketches Something so noticeably new so incredibly irresistible that everyone will want one Suddenly a picture of Olivia’s bracelet popped into Finley’s mind Maybe I can make my own bracelet she thought I’ll use Olivia’s for Fin-spiration Finley turned to a clean page in her sketchbook As she drew she focused on what she liked about Olivia’s bracelet It was smooth Shiny Simple Silver Finley drew and drew Her pencil scratched across her page leaving a trail of swooping swirly curves Before she knew it she’d filled five pages of her sketchbook with bracelets She paused and looked them over Too thick Too thin Too plain Too fancy Too curvy Too straight She turned to the last page What about that one
