Always Spread Love

This is the last chance you got:

2012-01-23T20:34:00.001-05:00

Open wide!
Ok, so those are The Chariot lyrics, but this is my last week in NYC and it is going to be a busy one! I only have Wednesday and Saturday free for the next week and I have to finish preparing for the Fashion Association to come, complete most of the wedding dress so I can fit my client, finish my internship, and cross everything off my to-do list (to which my mom added FOA Schwarz). All while battling an upper respiratory chest infection! With the help of antibiotics, medicine, and the yummy treats my mom packed me, I think I will be most (or at least half) successful! And I'll be sure to update that past few weeks here (although all I did this past weekend was sleep, cough, and blow my nose). Here's to you, last week in NYC!

Recently Made: Cape Tee

2012-01-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

Cape Tees have catapulted into popularity.

Even though this $101 LnA shirt is nice, making something yourself is generally nicer (and in this case, cheaper). Although this LnA graphic cape tee for $30 at Pacsun is tempting..

Lna (clipped to polyvore.com)

Anyway, a cape tee is a great way to utilize every inch (or centimeter!) of a pieced of fabric. Cut a big rectangle for the body, and use the left over rectangle for the sleeves!

That one is for feeling exceptionally skinny that day. Eating out has been making me bust out of my pants! Not to mention I tried to get free gym memberships but you need a local ID. Oh well! Tubster life!

Chunky Scarves Without De-Chunking Your Wallet

2012-01-19T16:12:00.000-05:00

It's pretty chilly here in NYC. Not nearly as chilly (or covered in snow!) as where I will soon be returning, but cold enough that I wish I would have packed more scarves. Or at least brought some yarn and crotchet needles! I especially feel this way after seeing the fruits of my boss, Tara's, knitting labors:

She got those gold knitting needles on etsy! (I tried to find something similar to link to, but I could not)

So I was feeling a little (a lot) under the weather the other, so I booked some tickets and I will be going home this weekend: crotchet needle (and family!) here I come!

In the mean times, I've been swooning over these suave chunky knits for under $40 on Etsy!

This colorful chunkmiser is made by mothrasue. Knitted from vegan variegated acrylic pom pom yarn, this soft seith is sure to match your wardrobe and brighten a weary winter day. All for the cost of $30!. Click here for the Mothra Sue & Co. blog.

LarkinAndLarkin is defining 'chunk' with this acrylic olive green scarf! This scarf and your wallet will stay thick for the low price of $32. Tumble around with Larkin here.

KnitzAndFeltz's classy cable knit scarve with button closure bold color is sure to bring you cheer. For $38, your wallet will be cheerful too! This little baby is a wool blend.

CThandmade's versatile and vivacious scarf is a must-have in this mustard yellow color! Claire has a slew of scarves for under $40, and this particular one is making itself known for $33.

Topping the charts is ozetta's coo-worthy cowl in ~~arch-nemesis~~ wheat colored wool/acrylic. Bring this home for $40 and leave the cold with the weather! Read ozetta's blog here.

Stay warm!

For when you miss your loved ones

2012-01-18T13:12:00.001-05:00

NYC: Day Six

2012-01-08T09:25:00.000-05:00

Today was full of visits! First I went up to the tip top of Manhattan to meet up with a friend I went to high school with. The subway runs above ground up there, I had many steps to walk up and down!

Hilary took me to this awesome place, Indian Road Cafe. There is a huge hispanic population, which having gone to Belize and Chile, Hilary is all about, and I ate some delicious huevos rancheros (eggs, if your espanol isn't in the greatest of shape).

It was really awesome hanging out with Hil. I don't think I have seen her since she graduated in 2006. After we ate, she took me around the Inwood Hill Park. The park borders the Hudson River, so I saw New Jersey!

Later in the evening, I went to Times Square to meet up with a friend from college, Heather. She was in for the weekend with some friends, and we decided to take a late night, safe, tazor and mace ready stroll around Central Park. It was my first time being in the park.

I saw the Strawberry Fields sign.

And we saw a couple get engaged right near the ice rink! Heather took their pictures, as well as some of me and her friends, Kimmy and Katelyn, somewhere in the park...

picture by, i don't know. Katelyn, Heather, and Kimmy, respectively

pictures by Heather, Kimmy, myself, and Katelyn, respectively.

Some guy friend brought along another guy friend, and they were hanging out in the hotel with us... before they got kicked out.

I wound up leaving the hotel around 1:00 am. After being followed by some guy in Times Square who thought I was beautiful and wanted to be my friend (also of whom I completely ignored and walked away from with the utmost haste), I made my way to the subway. I was supposed to get on the Q train, and I neglected to read the sign that said to take the N instead. N came and went before my discovering, and kicked out dude #2 also came onto the same platform I was on. Don't worry, I didn't have to fight him. I got off the train around 23rd St, and figured I would just take the M23 back to where I needed to be. After walking a block in the wrong direction (I really need to memorize the flow of traffic on the avenues), I waited for half an hour before it was too late (3:00 AM) and my feet were too tired. I hailed a cab and called it a night.

NYC: Day Five

2012-01-06T23:52:00.000-05:00

Today at work I spent my time working on the website. Tara bought me delicious coffee and a gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookie from Modca, which is right near the studio.

Sean, who works for the Brooklyn Denim Co., decided to make BoomBoom, the ten year old chihuahua that Tara has been watching, a jean jacket. BoomBoom is so cute and content to sit on my lap and try to rest his little head on my arm. It doesn't work very well as I am using my arm to do things on the computer.

Click the image to see more of Tara's instagrams

BoomBoom is pretty scared of Sean, so he gets called a "certified sissy" quite often. After work I headed to a different part of Brooklyn, Bushwick or something. Code Orange Kids, a Pittsburgh band, were playing at The Acheron.

Most of the bands were composed of twelve year olds, and their sets, as well as the crowd, left something to be desired. However, Code Orange Kids killed it. After the show I took the L back into Manhattan. That thing was wild! There were kids just drinking rum straight up (or maybe they were just pretending, I didn't get a good whiff), talking to everyone on the train, specifically these three German girls, about partying at 420. They were wild, I should ride the L at 11PM more often.

NYC: Day Four

2012-01-05T23:13:00.000-05:00

Today was my first full day of work! I had wanted to leave the apartment earlier, but it did not happen. I got to work about three minutes early.

I met the other interns, all students from FIT. We went out for lunch together at Fabiane's Cafe. I got coffee, of course (it was just ok). Then it was back to work! I did a bunch of work on the shop website. Most of it you can't see yet because it is for the spring line! After work, I headed over to The Meatball Shop on Stanton to eat with my lovely family from Long Island!

I got a little lost on the way, even with my maps app constantly in use. And I saw two mice crawling around the subway for the first time! (I found it exciting). Since I am gluten free, I could not eat any meatballs. I did enjoy a delicious salad, a side of polenta, and some homemade sangria! Thanks Uncle Pat and Aunt Dawn!

Me, Uncle Pat, Chris, and John.

Chris operates his business in the city, and John is who I am staying with. After dinner, Chris, John and I took a cab (thanks Chris!) and John and I retired for the night, not before picking up some packages!

The lace for the wedding dress I am making finally arrived! The wrapping was even prettier than the last time!

NYC: Day Three

2012-01-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day at work. I had to be there at 10:00 a.m., just to talk to Tara a little bit about what I would be doing for Study NY. I had wanted to be over in Brooklyn at 9:00 to get coffee at the acclaimed Blue Bottle Coffee and read some of George Orwell's 1984 (for the first time). Unfortunately, my cousins room can be closely compared to a freezer, and I did not want to remove the covers and expose myself, so I slept in.
It took me about half an hour to walk to the L train, get over to Brooklyn, and walk to the studio. I literally walked in the lobby at 10:00 a.m. Lucky for me, Tara was running a tad bit later than I was.
The studio space is pretty awesome. It is shared with the Brooklyn Denim Co. and the place is filled with sewing machines, cutting tables, racks of clothes, fabric, sketches, skeins of yarn, everything someone could want in a creative workspace!
Tara and I established that I would be doing most of the work on the computer, and hopefully be able to take some runs to the showroom and factory. She also said I could use their machines for the wedding dress I am making and let me try out an industrial machine! It is fiercely fast, I love it.
After our meeting, I checked out the Brooklyn Denim Co.'s store before making my way to Blue Bottle.

I got a cup of ethiopian yirgacheffe, pour over style. I'm pretty sure they only offer pour over coffee or espresso from the mother of espresso machines: La Marzocco. The cup was mad expensive ($3.75) compared to the freshly & locally roasted, freshly ground, auto drip I get from Commonplace back home ($1.50). But dating a barista, I had to try Blue Bottle's stuff. It was amazing, although I don't think I'll spend the money on it again. Next on my checklist of coffee snobbery is Intelligentsia and Stumptown.

After I sat in Blue Bottle for a while and read, I hopped back on the L and made my way to Tu Lu's Gluten Free Bakery. I ate a delicious (post coffee) coffee cake and read some more. I'll definitely make it back there before I leave.

I went home, as Ben was out galavanting with his uncle, but we met up later to eat at the NY Tofu House in the East Village. Ben's Uncle Joe had given us a $25 gift card from Restaurant.com but we had to spend $35 for it to be valid (you can get $25 gift cards for $4, an awesome deal). We ate a ton food, or well Ben did and I took mine home. It was really good though.

Tomorrow is my first full day (10-6) and I get to meet the other interns! I've been trying to play around with the website I will be working with (Portable) beforehand, but I can't do much without Tara's log in!

NYC: Day two

2012-01-03T22:43:00.001-05:00

Let's begin by saying Vic's Bagel Bar was a disappointment: NO GLUTEN FREE BAGELS. BLAH.

But apart from that, today was ok.

It started with a terrible dream during the best sleep I have had in a while. I was one of thirty interns and my boss told me she didn't want to hear my voice! It was just a dream though...

So I got all my things set up, met up with Ben, and walked walked walked everywhere.

Got an awesome lunch at some fancy gluten free joint, Nizzo. Their GF menu was huge, so I went with something I had never had before- socco, an oven baked chick pea pancake. If you follow me on instagram, you already know I thought it was delicious!

Then we went to Soho, looked in a bunch of silly shops with incredible items we could not afford, and popped into a few galleries.

We stumbled upon the Lomography store on 23rd on our way home. I didn't know they had a brick and mortar store. Brandon is all about lomo (and had a disappointing day not receiving his instax film from the post office) and normally I text him cute, "Hi from..." where ever I am. Even though I didn't preface the picture from the inside of the lomo store, he knew exactly where I was.

I happen to be pretty tired and tomorrow is my semi-big day so I'm calling it a night! Till tomorrow...

NYC: Day One

2012-01-02T23:31:00.001-05:00

I'm laying on the comfiest couch in my cousins Midtown East apartment. I think I'll sleep better here than I have in the past couple of weeks on the uncomfortable bed in my parents house or my comfortable bed in my freezing house.
My neighbor (neighb), Ben, and I left our license house at 9:00 a.m. this morning and arrived in the Fashion District via Megabus at 6:30. Megabus was not too terrible, but I think I would find a different way to lug a months worth of luggage next trip.
My internship at Study NY starts on Wednesday, and tomorrow I will be exploring the city with Baby Ben. One stop tomorrow I can't wait to experience is the first: Vic's Bagel Bar (GLUTEN FREE) and Stumptown Coffee. I hate expectations because they often lead to disappointment. I hope tomorrow is different.

wedding bells are ringing

2011-11-29T13:14:00.001-05:00

Don't worry- not my own!

I responded to a craigslist post about making a wedding dress, even though I said I would never do it again after Sarah's....

The potential client said she would be interested in having me reproduce Sarah's dress. Everything's easier the second time around!

recently made: chevron night stand! & w.i.w.

2011-11-27T18:36:00.001-05:00

I got this sweet night stand for $ .50 at a yard sale about a month ago. It was that old faux wood grain with gold pipes. I spray painted everything white and cut a zigzag pattern out of black contact paper using the grid on the back and my quilting ruler.

The wheels are perfect for when i put something on the other side without thinking and realize I need it when I am half asleep!

What I Wore:

And just for fun, I wore this cute little outfit today. It was actually warmer outside than it was in my house!

My good friend Anna gave me her old brown riding boots. I love them! The perks of being small!

Shirt: Calvin Klein, thrifted

Skirt: Vintage, rescued

Boots: c/o Anna

what I wore when there was nothing to wear

2011-11-26T12:43:00.001-05:00

I am heading back to school today after a lovely (and not nearly long enough) Thanksgiving break. I hardly packed enough clothed for my stay, so now that everything is in the washer, I had to get creative.

I had my mom french braid my hair, always a treat.

So this is actually a blouse that used to be my grandmother's. It's not so bad! Over a Haste The Day shirt that was my brothers with the sleeves rolled up for that good old retro feel.

Paired with some high waisted slacks that were thrift store discards (I had to fix the back seam and put a button on). The necklace was $3 at Target!

Top it off with some peace! And some black H&M wedges because I only brought two pairs of shoes... I'll pack better next time.

A cute outfit in a crunch!

Thanksgiving is gone! Christmas is near!

2011-11-25T17:07:00.001-05:00

Well I have been listening to Christmas music for a couple weeks now (specifically Sufjan Stevens' albums and Rosie Thomas). I also have been (dying to tell you!) preparing for my self inflicted 25 Days of Red and Green clothes challenge!
Last year, when Brandon and I visited Mary Nell in Nashville, all I brought to wear were my red and green pants and ugly red and green Christmas sweaters. I varied the colors for two days, and the other two days I rocked solid red or solid green. Well I'm expanding those four days to twenty five!

Brandon and I on some bridge with Nashville behind us
Every day of December up until (and including) Christmas I will wear some variation of red and green. I will even class it up with a little maroon and olive green. (This will be useful while I am at a networking event in NYC the 9&10)
I have been trying to expand my collection without shrinking my wallet. I picked up these lovely high waisted fully lined wool pants at the thrift store for a $1.50 each!

You can also expect to see these green shorts that I got for $1.00 at a yard sale:

Maybe I should make it a big challenge...I'll look into it and let you know!

what I wore: thanksgiving edition

2011-11-24T16:12:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving certainly isn't my most favorite of holidays, mostly because the idea of celebrating taking land from other people, and all the oppression they have faced since then isn't celebration worthy in my book. However, I love excuses to see my family.
This outfit isn't characteristic of Thanksgiving, I would wear it any day and it just happens to be today!

Poncho- Missoni for Target (Kids M)
Shirt- handmade by me
Pants- vintage wide leg sailor pants from discarded thrift store goods
Earrings- Pavement (in Laurenceville, Pgh)

Enjoy your time with friends and family :)

recently made: sweater skirt

2011-11-23T12:26:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I finished sewing the buttons on this sweater skirt I started the previous night. Today I downloaded the blogger application so I can be a little more up to date with this. What have you recently made?

Dear World:

2011-10-19T01:13:00.000-04:00

I just figured out I can put my hair in a pony tail with one hand. I AM SO THRILLED

Style Crush\\ Martina Sorbara

2011-10-11T02:02:00.001-04:00

Sassy. Confident. Cool.

I'm not so down for this Canadian Electro-pop star's music, Dragonette, but she sure knows how to dress!

I have an acid wash skirt just like this one! I think tomorrow I shall wear a black tank and cut all my hair off!

Dunkin Donuts

2011-10-07T17:57:00.001-04:00

A couple weeks ago, the much anticipated opening of Dunkin Donuts happened. While I can't eat donuts, and this one doesn't have a Baskin Robins combo, I got a vanilla bean coolatta just like my mom and I used to get :). This post is mostly pointless except to tell my mom I love her!

Gluten Free Tastykake

2011-10-06T13:01:00.001-04:00

It isn't so tasty...

IUP Day

2011-09-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

Saturday was IUP Day at my college. IUP Day is when all of the student organizations set up tables and give out free stuff in order to recruit people. This year we had a little photo shoot with a view props. Here are just a view pictures of myself, but you can join the IUP Fashion Association on facebook to see more!

President and Vice President!

bffs!

Apple braid bread

2011-09-25T09:37:00.001-04:00

This past week Brandon and I attempted to make apple braid bread. I originally saw this pinned on pinterest, but it comes from EatLiveRun. The troubles began with being gluten free. Do I follow the recipe on the bread box or do I follow the recipe online? I went with online and I had to add about two more cups of flour than it called for so it would stick together. Brandon took care of the apples, except he didn't really read the directions, so there was that.... haha. Anyway, it is mostly eatable. It has some weird sort of taste, like my flour might have been on the fringe, but all of my housemates tried it and have it is in the freezer (I'll eat mostly anything, except four day old kale muffins).

I hope yours turns out better than mine!

Leopard Life

2011-09-20T17:59:00.000-04:00

Outsapop's latest post has me wanting to make leopard pants and buy Jeffrey Campbell shoes! (I also happen to be wearing a leopard cardigan!)

Studspiration

2011-09-18T17:50:00.000-04:00

If you think studs are only for the rebellious mall punks, you're mistaken! According to Outi at Outsapop, "Studs are not going anywhere. They are staying in fashion forever as they are a punk classic, since 1970´s and still going strong." Even designers such as Givenchy, Burberry, and Balmain use studs in their collections. Be inspired to stud up your closet:

Click images for sources

Spiked Out!

2011-09-17T22:00:00.001-04:00

I have been seeing some awesome fashion punk/goth images that have inspired me to punk out a vest. I rummaged through Brandon's closet to find his studs from his mall punk days! Of course now he is saying he wants some of them... oh well!

The Week of Hair

2011-09-16T14:45:00.000-04:00

My lovely friend Natalie over at dear mom posted a couple weeks ago about The Month of Hair at Refinery 29. I was slightly discouraged after reading her post, because it is pretty hard for me to do virtually anything with my hair other than leave it down or use a clip. After complaining to Brandon for a second, and begging him to do cool things to my hair (to which he told me to ask our roommate, Becca) I got inspired. The rest of the week I did new things with my hair, including a curling method Natalie had told me about previously, and an old beehive do that I thought my hair had outgrown. I was very happy!
Day One:

A little twist to my shave spot!
Day Two:

Rediscovering the little beehive. Just so you know, I just tuck all my hair under it, no bump-it here. It helps that I have a BUNCH of hair.
Day Three:

Part one of curling my hair. Wrapped it around a headband and wore it all day and slept on it. Which brings us too:
Day Four:

Wild crazy awesome curly hair!
Day Five:
Still rocking the curls, but my bangs were looking wild!
I think there is much more I could do with that simple little headband, here is just a silly little thing I tried:

These days I wake up too early (and not too much before I have to be somewhere) to do much with my hair, although Brandon did put in it a ponytail when I went to the gym the other day and it looked nice! So here is to hair!

Lovely Leather

2011-09-16T01:22:00.001-04:00

I'm real irregular at this blogging thing, as you could tell, but I just had to share this (rather than pinning it on Pinterest like I normally do). I was trying to find sweet leather bags, after seeing this awesome back from Jenny N.:

Click Image for store
(I know this one isn't going to be mine, it's the last one! and I don't have $232 to drop on it).
So then I started browsing Etsy, and there are some sweet vintage and handmade leather briefcases and backpacks (unlike this well made but wacky avocado bag) but none made me go "oh yeah" more than this beaut':

Handmade in Greece, this lovely little leather backpack is chic and versatile (other backs I looked at looked like everything inside would get soaked). The item listing states that the leather is "This triangle shaped leather backpack bag is made from Genuine Italian Calf Leather known as vitello Pieno Fiore." How cool is that? Too cool for me. Maybe one day I will be able to drop $273 on a sweet backpack (which, I think is absolutely worth it, as would be buying Jenny N.'s awesome bag). C'est la vie!

Shredinator!

2011-07-26T00:33:00.004-04:00

Have I mentioned my new found shredding habit? It's lovely!

Experimenting with printed knits:

Earlier this past weekend, I made this shredded knit shirt (knit tutorial to come!):

It turned out half decent for my first time! Not nearly as rad as these:

(click images for links)
Happy Shredding!

Today I Made: 'Pop(py)-Me into That' Dress

2011-07-24T23:41:00.001-04:00

I was inspired by this fabric. I am not sure if I bought it at a thrift store or if it was given to me (definitely reeked of old people when I ironed it), but I loved the colors and the poppy flowers. This little popper may look simple, but it is completely lined, not a visible seam or edge anywhere. It took me six hours non-stop. I anticipate the next one will be a bit quicker!

The Hem

Pockets

It is pretty rewarding to make something you know is of impeccable quality. It was nice to wear it to the coffee house after it was finished and be able to tell inquireries it was handmade. It was nice watching Gary and Taylor be puzzled at how it all fit together. It was a nice day or sitting and sewing and coffee and reading and friends and giggles!

Today I Made: S'More Bites!

2011-07-23T23:00:00.002-04:00

I re-pined this cute idea on Pinterest (not a member? give me your e-mail and I'll invite you!)

Click Image for link to original site, Coffee, Crafts, and Cupcakes)
Tonight I made them! I didn't follow any directions, I just melted some dark chocolate (three bars to be exact), crushed up come graham crackers (gluten-free and glutenous), and put them in the fridge once they were all made up (it's so hot without any a/c!). They were so yummy! We have had real s'more for the past two nights, this was a nice little twist. And I definitely preferred the smaller, bite-size marshmallow to the gigantic camp fire ones. Here's mine:

Not as pretty, but still delicious! My fingers were covered in chocolate, so it got a little messy.
What did you make today!

Shred!

2011-07-22T23:07:00.002-04:00

I've been on a little bit of a shredding rampage since I saw this little video here

Taken by Trees

2011-07-20T18:35:00.002-04:00

I don't normally post videos, but this Animal Collective cover came on Sirius XMU today, and I think it is just lovely!

Mohawk!

2011-07-19T14:33:00.001-04:00

Someone should help me do this to my hair coughmomcough!

Father's Day

2011-07-17T14:09:00.003-04:00

So, Father's Day was a month ago, but I never posted what I made for my father. Inspired by William Edmonds, found on seablanket.

I tried to tea dye the fabric so it would look shadowed, but I was a little impatient, and rushed the drying process, so it didn't turn out so well.

I also made him two silly buttons with pictures of us. I told him he had to wear them.

I think it is a super cute idea that has so many sayings options!

Fashion Fun Fact!

2011-07-16T21:07:00.002-04:00

did you know:
Americans today buy twice as many articles of clothing as did Americans in 1965, but the total amount we spend is roughly the same (clothes have gotten cheaper)
from the book "Fashion Law"

click images for source.

New Music Thursday: SisterBrother

2011-07-14T22:54:00.002-04:00

The whole reason I started new music Thursdays was for my darling Mother. When I lived at home, our music taste was pretty synonymous- she liked most of the things I made her listen to, and I would often quiz her on band names. Once I left home, she had no one to keep her in the music loop (my brother has her listening to Akon now!) I really think she'll like today's music feature: SisterBrother

My family and I have been attending and volunteering at Purple Door Music and Arts Festival since 2003 (I'm not so sure I'll be able to make it this year, I hope last year wasn't the last though!) They have a New Artist Showcase where various bands can enter to play at Purple Door. SisterBrother won this year. Based in Harrisburg, PA, Nathan Horst and Suzanna Espamer really are brother and sister. They make beautiful Eisley-esque worship music.

They also have some sweet Feist and Fleet Foxes covers! (I wish the crowd would shoosh!)

You can get a better listen to their music on their Facebook or Website, where you can even buy it if you'd like!
I hope you like it, Mom. But don't play it for Dad, he'll probably fall asleep.

Sewing Party!

2011-07-12T20:05:00.004-04:00

A week or so ago, Brandon and I had a little sewing party, well sort of. It started with me sewing and him laying on my bed, taking pictures of himself.

I had made a little toile of Sarah's wedding dress out of a dumpstered lace table cloth, because I had never sewn with lace before and I needed practice! I had tried to dye the whole thing brown, but those lace fibers just didn't take! The dress had french seams that were too bulky for the invisible zipper so I decided to try to salvage the lace and make it into a t-shirt. I used old white t-shirts as well.

It is getting a little bent out of shape, perhaps table cloths are just meant for tables, but I will be doing a tutorial on sewing with lace in a bit that will explain more about the process and my learning process.

Brandon sewed an old Fear Before The March of Flames shirt (it was too tight) to another shirt. He's so cute. He commented "Man, the other shirts I did this to turned out so much better." To which I replied "That's because I did them!" Which is true! Too funny.

My Outfit details:
sweater & purse: thrifted
shirts & skirt: handmade & reconstructed
necklace: c/o Chateau Christine
tights: target
shoes: vintage c/o Anna

New Music Thursday: Austra

2011-06-29T23:58:00.004-04:00

There have been many times that I meant to post one of these little guys with some cool band I found, then I waited too long until I realized they were too popular (that's a half joke). Today's band is Austra

Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Austra is made up of Katie Stelmanis, Maya Postepski, and Dorian Wolf. The sound kind of like a toned-down Ladytron, or an electronic Beach House. The harmonies are enchantingly hunting, and the beats will keep you bobbing your head despite some gothic riffs.

Sarah's Wedding!

2011-06-24T23:34:00.002-04:00

She looked absolutely gorgeous, if I don't say so myself. The first and last wedding dress I will ever make (maybe)!
All photos by Kyna Damewood

Handmade buttons loops and fifty four hand sewn vintage buttons.

Much resizing done- too big, too small, still too small. I eventually just remade the entire bodice. Then it was too big. Darts curtesy of my lovely Mother's advice (two heads are better than one!).

Sarah made her veil.

The groom and groomsmen's hats were all custom made by a friend of the lovely couple.

A few people who knew I made the dress came up and told me it was beautiful, but the biggest compliment I received came during the reception. We were sitting at the table eating and my friend Bobby's girlfriend simply exclaimed, "Her dress is gorgeous." It was a really nice compliment because she didn't even know that I made the dress and I didn't have to awkwardly thank her.
Congratulations Jake and Sarah!

Kyna Damewood

2011-06-15T23:15:00.000-04:00

Kyna Damewood is shooting Sarah's wedding. She is a super amazing photographer. She and Sarah went to school together. I asked her to come and talk to the Fashion Association about fashion photography. She agreed, but of course she is moving to New York! so we have to plan a special trip. Here are some of her amazing photographs, all taken from her website.

Mother Daughter Tea

2011-06-12T23:22:00.000-04:00

My lovely Mother came up to visit me and go to a Mother Daughter Tea.
She came up early Saturday and we were able to walk "uptown" (which is where I live and hardly an uptown at all). There were old cars, vendors, and live music to commemorate Jimmy Stewart somehow... Anyway, we went to the farmer's market and got my favorite- fresh laid brown eggs! So yummy! I was also able to show her where I work. It was a nice time of hanging out and relaxing with my momma. In addition to the tea, we also went to the Milk Shake Factory in the Southside- always a treat! I love my momma, and I can't wait to go home and visit my family!

Wedding Dress!

2011-06-11T22:59:00.004-04:00

Sarah's wedding dress is all finished and the wedding is next week! I am so excited! It feels very strange to not have it in my house and be spending all of my free time cutting, seam ripping, and sewing this thing. Here are some sneak peaks.

The lace is from Tussuti Fabric Shop.

I wiped up this little bag to keep it out of the groom's sight!

death.

2011-06-08T12:38:00.002-04:00

This wedding dress is going to be the death of me.

click here for source

Haha, just kidding, but seriously, I am remaking most of the dress and the wedding is in ten days!

flowers!

2011-05-27T22:20:00.002-04:00

Today I received a lovely little mini rose plant from Sarah as a thank you for making her wedding dress. They are so adorable!!! I hope I am a good mom to my first rose plant.

Back to sewing!!!

What a lovely photo

2011-05-24T11:30:00.002-04:00

I don't know who this little lady is, but she sure is lovely!
I have been busy making things- not so much sewing except for a wedding dress that has been consuming my time, but I made a little loft for my bed and I have been doing lots of baking! Yum! Apart from this wedding dress putting my projects on hold, I have been having terrible joint problems. I wake up in the morning and I cannot hardly close my hand, let lone ride my bike or sit on the ground. I had blood work done yesterday and I will get the results in three to five days.

Look Out!

2011-03-21T12:15:00.002-04:00

I'll be putting some of these cuties up in my Etsy shop soon.

I love them! I want every pillow in my house to be one :)

Animal Hats

2011-03-14T19:52:00.002-04:00

So, one of my friends just posted a wild picture on Facebook of animal heads made out of hair and placed on human heads. I thought this was so cool, that I did some research and was surprised to find other blogs, like Bleubird Vintage, posted about them in 2009! Well they are made by Nagi Noda, a Japanese designer. I also just found that Urban Outfitters had posted about them. I guess I am a little behind! Better late than never though, right?

Flea Market Finds!

2011-02-22T10:12:00.002-05:00

I was so stoked to find this awesome mustard yellow, vintage, made in France outfit for $2.00 and a local flea market!

It is slightly big on me, but I just think it is so rad, I cannot decide whether or not to keep or sell it (a constant battle with my vintage finds).

In other news, my lovely mother at AlwaysSewLove won a free blog make over and it is finally up and looking good!

We got a bunch of snow and classes were cancelled until 11- which is when my first class starts. Oh well!

Feather Skirt

2011-02-05T14:04:00.003-05:00

So I have a fashions show coming up in one week! And I've been working my little booty off to get everything ready in time. My inspiration was the song "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, so everything has an earthy/western feel to it. One of my favorite pieces I made was this sick feather skirt.

I had ordered some cheap boas from some online party site in the beginning of December and made this skirt over winter break. I was so in love with it, I wanted to wear it down the runway, but I'm nice and my friend Kristen is going to wear it.
Having made things all my life, I've always struggled with people copying me and 'stealing' my ideas and methods. I realized this several years ago, which is why I had started making youtube videos about how I did things. Then I digressed, but I am back to being less selfish/prideful about it.
For the fashion show, we had to bring half of our pieces in to show our progress, so naturally, I brought the skirt in. Today, another designer, and a fellow officer asked if she could copy my idea, and said it wouldn't hurt my feelings if I didn't want her to. And honestly, for a second I thought about saying that I didn't want her too. But then I remembered that my best friend, Brandon, told me it is flattery. And I really do feel flattered. Especially in a place where I feel as though I stick out and people think I am weird, I am flattered that she wants to copy my idea. I told her to go for it, but not to do it better than I did (joking, of course). I am interested to see how hers turns out! It wasn't easy hand sewing all those on...

Ice Cleats and a Deal!

2011-01-29T12:25:00.004-05:00

I had been searching Amazon for some really good, lace up, no zip combat/military boots. I didn't have any luck until I searched etsy and found these bad boys by RogueRetro(images taken from RogueRetro's listing)

These boots are sweet. I removed the tassel to make them a little more punk rock looking. However, despite aesthetic appeal, these shoes ain't got no "soul" power.

In snow covered Western, PA, every step I took in these boots was a fine waltz between getting to class and falling on my butt.
After telling my good friend, Anna, about my problem she told me that she got Ice Cleats that go on the bottom of any shoe and she could literally run on ice in them. Again I searched Amazon. It was hard to find ice cleats that came for baby-sized feet and were affordable. But one of the pictures on Amazon was basically just chain wrapped around the boot. I knew that was something I could do, and I thought it would make the boots look even tougher than before. So I went to Lowes and spent $5 on three feet of chain and needle nose pliers.

The chain wasn't big or small enough to effectively fit through the shoe lace hole, so I had to rig something with key rings.

I started with the right foot. After I figured out how to do it, it only took a couple of minutes for me to make the left one.

Let me tell you something: best five dollars I ever spent! I walked to campus last night without a single worry of slipping. I did however, break the right cleat when I ran into some friends and was dancing tell them about it... It's fixable!
So, spending only five dollars was a deal, but another sweet deal was that I paid $45 for the boots from RogueRetro when GrannyVintageShoes was selling THE SAME EXACT BOOTS for $15 more. Oh yeah, I was stoked.

Thrift Store Find!

2011-01-13T10:15:00.002-05:00

I was so stoked when I saw this sweet old warddrobe/dresser at the thrift store.

I fell in love with the old look of the wood and the old key holes on each drawer. It certainly needs a good cleaning, but it will have to wait. The thrift store I shop at most frequently has half off of different color tags and each week the colors change. This guy happened to be half off so I couldn't pass it up and asked my parents to buy it for me for my birthday (which is in July). I figured it would simply be a good piece of furniture to have, and it would look great in my boutique when I open it. I was thinking about sprucing it up with these bad boys:

They are hand made by Moon Raven Designs and can be found here, on Etsy. The only thing holding me back is that they are $20 a piece (which I really don't think is so bad for hand made knobs) and there are only two left. My good friend, Alissa, collects knobs and door handles from Anthropolgie, so I looked there and I found these fun guys:

They are a little cheaper at $12 per knob and can be found here. But honestly, I need eight knobs and I just don't have that kind of money! I'll definitely have to start saving. But for now, my sweet new warddrobe/dresser will have to stay at my parents as I head back to school and it simply will not fit in my two door civic!

A Quick Touch up

2011-01-07T19:26:00.002-05:00

My mother and I just got back from the thrift store. My main goal in going was to get old sweaters to cut up and make things for my fashion show, but while I was perusing, I took a look at the purses. I have been looking for a good long strapped bag. I stumbled upon a brown and black one that were exactly what I was looking for, and an idea popped into my head as soon as I saw the black one- add studs. A while back, I wrote this post about some boots that I spruced up. I had some left over studs, so I decided they would be just the thing to touch up my new-to-me black purse.

The purse as I bought it. I drew a line with a ruler where I wanted to the studs to be.

Then I figured out how I wanted to the studs to go since I had two sizes. I used an x-acto knife with my ruler underneath to cut small slits for the studs, and I use jewelry pliers to bend the prongs.

Simple and slightly edgy! I love it!
If you are looking to do something like this, you can purchase multi-colored and shaped studs on Crush Crush Etsy's shop or on Angry, Young, and Poor.

Dexter

2011-01-04T21:33:00.003-05:00

Well I spent the 23rd and 24th making things for Christmas, and I spent the 25th making this sick thing for my brother's white elephant gift exchange/party (i'm thinking about patenting it, hence why I haven't posted about yet). And everyday after I have spent sewing items for an upcoming fashion show and watching Dexter. I just finished the series today (it can all be watched on tvdex.org). Since I am all out of Dexter to watch, I have been catching up on my blogs and I found these awesome posters on designworklife. If you are at al familiar with the show, you will know just how awesome these posters are.

Easy Christmas Snowmen

2010-12-28T09:59:00.003-05:00

A week before Christmas, Brandon, Kara and I went down to Nashville. Kara met up with her father and Brandon and I met up with Mary Nell, my friend I have known since I was born. We left Nashville on the 22nd and went to Pittsburgh to drop Brandon off. While we were there, I saw his mom had put up these cute decorations:

It looked really easy to make and I figured my mother and grandmother would like one. Here is how mine turned out:

What you will need:
A ceramic pot
Foral foam
A hurricane glass pillar (small enough to fi in your pot)
Paint- white, black, orange, and rose
A light (I used a pumpkin light)
A cotton ball or sponge
Fleece
Hot glue gun

The steps:
1. Paint your pot completely white

2. Use a cotton ball or sponge to dap white paint onto the glass pillar

(this is where the pictures end, I was more concerned with finishing them then blogging about them)
3. Shave the floral foam down to fit your pot (messy! i used a x-acto knife, there might be an easier way)
4. Shove foam into pot.
5. Place light in foam (I hot glued mine into place). You will need to carve out a special spot for the cord so the glass does not hit it. The cord will fall over the side of the pot and be hidden by the fleece. You can paint your face on it at anytime after the white is on, I waited until everything was assembled.
6. Cut fleece for the hat and scarf. I traced the top of the pot for the brim of my hat and traced the top of the glass to see how big the hole needed to be. The scarf is just a rectangle (as is the top portion of the hat) and can vary if you want a large or small scarf.
7. Hot glue the scarf to the top rim of the pot (I also glued mine in place underneath).
8. Hot glue or sew the rectangle for the hat and slip it over the top. Pull brim over top.
9. Paint the face if you haven't already.
9.Add buttons or bells or whatever else to decorate.
Plug it in and enjoy!

All The Way

2010-12-27T10:34:00.003-05:00

For Christmas I tried to hand make all of my gifts. This turned out to be quite the challenge for my twenty-four year old brother who seems to have everything. He had been asking for a specific type of beanie, so I got two sweaters, one at a second hand store and the other at a flea market, and made them into hats. (Here is one, I didn't snag a picture of the other)

I also bought him handmade soap from the I Made It! Market in Pittsburgh that is good for dry skin. I felt like I should do something else for him, but I wasn't quite sure... Then it hit me.

Double rainbow all the way across the sky. For those who are not aware of this viral youtube video, I will post them on the bottom of this post. The funniest thing about this present is that he opened it and said "... What does it mean?" He was being serious, but I started laughing, said that they say that in the video, and we both lost it. That cross-stitch took me almost four hours- longer than anything else I made. It was well worth it, I am entertaining the idea of making more and selling them on etsy.
What was your favorite gift you gave?

And the original:

A proud moment!

2010-12-17T00:07:00.003-05:00

I semi-frequently go to the rummage sale in Pittsburgh. Semi-frequently meaning once a month, or every other weekend, but certainly not two weekend in a row. Well this past weekend was my second consecutive weekend attending. It was the last chance I was going to have before going home for Winter Break.
Anyway, I just love this rummage sale so much, I have been attending it since the summer of 2009, and the little ladies who run it know my face and are always excited to see me. It has everything someone could need (which causes one to wonder why on earth they keep producing so many things). This last trip I spent $15 and I cannot even remember all the items I purchased. But one of the items was a SEVERELY tarnished silver tea pot. So I looked up how to polish it and I stumbled upon an easy home method (it's supposedly eco-friendly, but it wastes quite a bit of water if you want to get technical).

This picture is only a glimpse of the tarnish because I got most of it off half of it and the other half actually had some of the tarnish come off. After three tries, I was amazed.

How did I do it?
The first time, I lined my sink with aluminum foil, silver side up, poured in steaming hot water, and added a substantial amount of baking soda and salt. The pot was not completely covered, which is why there is a distinct line on the first image. I tried adding more hot water and baking soda to the sink, but I supposed the aluminum bond with the chemical in the tarnish and maxed out the chemical equation. So next I lined a pan with aluminum, and did the similar process but on the stove. The heat worked as an amazing catalyst because it did a wonder on the pot, but again, the aluminum maxed out, so I repeated the stove top process. I doubt I will be accumulating any more silver, but now I know what to do with it!

DAG!

2010-12-16T01:37:00.003-05:00

I sure haven't blogged in ages! And Christmas is two weeks away! I am totally not prepared and I have no clue how I am going to finish my gifts between finals and a road trip to Nashville. Oh well! Here is a fun idea: use old newspaper, an old photo effect stamp pad, stamps and twine to create unique packaging! (Well hopefully all your presents are wrapped already though!).

Pittsburgh Gallery Crawl

2010-10-19T21:04:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago (almost three, I am not on top of my blogging game), my friend Becca and I went to the Pittsburgh Gallery Crawl in Downtown. Basically it is a night of free gallery-going, and free alcohol (I didn't drink, I was on sobriety). To my knowledge, it happens about four times a year, but I currently cannot remember where I found that information to be able to back it up.
Anyway, we started at SPACE, where there were tons of legit prints- most of them being politically loaded, some by secondary school-aged students. Here are some pictures from the exhibit titled "Paper Politics" from the website Just Seed and others (just click the image to see where I got it from).

The favorite of my prints was by Nicolas Lamper. I thought it was just so clever!

You can buy it for $20! Cool!
We also went to the Eat Me exhibit at Future Tenant. I snapped a few crappy cell phone pictures:

Would have been cool if I remembered what that was made out of...

This dress has details made from beans and rice.

Fruit roll-ups! Yum!
We also went to the TXT exhibit. I cannot find a better image for this piece other than the silly one I took, so, my apologies.

Anyway, it was just great, I just wish I was closer to the city!

Baltimore Print Studio

2010-10-18T00:25:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I went to the opening of the Baltimore Print Studio with my darling friends, Mary Nell and Rob.

If you are familiar with the area at all, it is on North Avenue, between Cyclops and The Windup Space.
It is a really neat space and the day was full of gorgeous autumn winds and colors. We walked to Red Emma's afterwards, then I headed back to school. It makes me miss Baltimore (a little!). Here are some more pictures and this blog has more to say about the event than I currently do (I am overwhelmed by all of the things I need to do this week).

I did know more than I would have due to my friend Becca (a print artist). I wish she could have been there, and next time we are at the rummage sale we definitely need to snag that crazy printing something or other and figure out how it works. Anyway, if you happen to be in the Baltimore area, check out this event:

[ THE DRIFTER and the GYPSY ]: A Polaroid giveaway

2010-10-13T11:17:00.001-04:00

[ THE DRIFTER and the GYPSY ]: A Polaroid giveaway

There is a sweet giveaway going on at The Drifter and the Gypsy. I hope I win! I sure miss my polaroid camera.

Betty White

2010-10-06T11:09:00.001-04:00

I love this video so much, I almost bought one of her shirts!

Fuzzy Friday

2010-09-24T10:14:00.002-04:00

I am sitting in the laundromat, not doing laundry, but using their internet. So! that is the reason I have not been posting much. But congratulations Jeanette! Please email me your address (jocelynweber@me.com) I have deleted it since the last time!

New Music Thursday: Big Hurry (+Giveaway!)

2010-09-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Brandon, Becca, and I went to a show to support a friend of mine (more on him next week). One of the bands on the bill was this cutesy fun band from Pittsburgh called Big Hurry.

Becca likened them to an american version of Kate Nash (seriously good description), but also sort of Tegan and Sara-y. The band consists of Andy Wilkosz on guitar, Kelly Tobias on synth and vocals, Lenny Flatley on bass, and Dani Buncher on drums and back up vocals. I believe the band has only been around two years, but Dani is a seriously good drummer. According to Speed of the PIttsburgh Sound, Big Hurry's has "syrupy bass lines, drums black as tar and a glittering vein of synth run through their songs with a slow and engulfing fury." Listen for yourself!

Giveaway! So normally I have links to get the music, and you can click the myspace link or watch the above video a bunch if you want, or, you can win Big Hurry's Silver Screens EP. Keep it for yourself, or give this fun CD as a gift to a friend. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. Invite a friend and their post will count as a spot for them and you (tell them to write that you recruited them). Giveaway will be open until midnight eastern time next New Music Thursday.

Good luck!

Cherry On Top Award!

2010-09-10T12:07:00.008-04:00

I have been chosen by Ciara at A Trickle of Meaning for the Cherry on Top Award! How fun!

Here are the rules:
Say three interesting things about yourself.
Pass the award along to 5 other people.
So then! here we go (I think I am pretty interesting):

1. I had a bike accident when I was thirteen. I was riding bikes with my dad on the side, and went to go down the dip of the side walk to cross the road, my right hand yanked the hande bars, and I flipped over the curb. My dad left me to go get the van to pick me up and take me home. I sat on the side walk crying and letting my imagination get the best of me that the guy in the comcast van was going to kidnap me. I didn't ride a bike again until my senior year of high school. My class had a mandatory bike trip, and despite my objections (and tears, some things really freak me out), I had to go. My dad borrowed a tandem bike and went on the bike trip with me (he also did most of the work, thanks dad!). I now ride my bike everyday. I used to fall pretty often, I have a pretty righteous scar on my knee, but I get back on now.

2. I have been making things since I was five. I used to make clothes for my Magic Attic Club doll using double stick tape because I wasn't allowed to use the sewing machine until I was ten.
3. I have two older brothers and therefore was a major 'tom-boy' growing up. I hated dresses. Somewhere in high school I had a switch. My recent dress count was forty-six, I believe, but I have since given many of those away.
Ok, so I am really not that interesting. On to the award! (in no specific order):

1. My First Award goes to my dear friend Eunice at Sibahle Beads. I met Eunice when I was in Africa for five months. We spend tons of time together, and she uses her blog to continue to raise support for the community she lives in and we worked it.

2. My second award goes to Jaimie at C.R.A.F.T.. She has some seriously cute D.I.Y. tutorials and always fun and inspiring posts!

3. My third Award goes to Stacie at Stars for Streetlights. She lives in New York City and has some seriously awesome D.I.Y. project that are always up to date with latest trends.

4. My fourth award goes to Outsapop Trashion( I couldn't find her name anywhere). She makes seriously legit DIY projects, the type people look at and are amazed that someone made, like these sweet scarf dresses(note to self- find big scarves pronto, or hey mom- christmas idea, yeah?). She also has a Cut Out + Keep account, which is way cool in my book, and a flickr account. She is just too legit.

5. My final award goes to Jen at I Believe In Love. Jen has a special place in my heart since she was my leader while I was in Africa. But her blog has really awesome recipes, photography, crafts, and so much more. She is a seriously talented blogger and totally deserves the Cherry on Top award.

That concludes my list!

New Music Thursday: The Dear Hunter

2010-09-09T21:26:00.002-04:00

Sometimes my brother has a good taste in music, like this band he showed me called The Dear Hunter.

According to last.fm, The Dear Hunter is the full-time progressive rock project of Casey Crescenzo, formerly of post-hardcore band The Receiving End of Sirens. The band got its name from the lead character of the story that he wrote to go along with the music. The sound is unlike that of Casey’s former band, with musical roots deep-set in the progressive rock genre and utilizing a wider variety of instrumentation.

I think the music has a real neat, almost Anathallo-y sound to it. The albums are really neat being arranged as Act 1, 2, and three, and consisting of some pretty rad songs. You can listen to some of The Dear Hunter on Myspace.

September Blues Feature

2010-09-07T22:03:00.004-04:00

Today, my latest etsy addition (see/click picture below) was featured in marysgranddaughter's etsy treasury: September Blues

(I really want a pet rat, which inspired a little series, this is the beginning of it.)
Anyway! I am so glad that marysgranddaughter found my little sweater because it enabled me to see the awesome things she makes! Check it out (click image for link!):

This adorable moleskin journal and little case!

This awesome mixed media oil painting!

And she has some super sick embroidery!
Now that I know about her fantastic little shop, I will have to save my money, or maybe have one of her items for a giveaway!

New Music Thursday: Tilly and the Wall

2010-09-02T13:34:00.001-04:00

Having formed in 2004, Tilly and the Wall can hardly be considered 'new music.' However, I was playing Tilly and the Wall in my room and informed my darling mother, who helped me move in to my new apartment, that most of their percussion was done by the members tap dancing. She was shocked so I told her Tilly and the Wall would be my next New Music feature.

According to their website, the band was formed in Omaha, Nebraska, with the help of Conor Oberst. They are a fun poppy sort of band, and I think it is so cool that they were even on Sesame Street.

Check out their music on Myspace or here.

Ms. Fix-it

2010-09-01T13:52:00.002-04:00

I am mostly settled in my new apartment, although I am still adjusting to no Internet, black feet, and upside down light switches. One thing I had no intentions of adjusting to, and therefore changed it, was the fact the refrigerator handles were on the wrong side of the fridge. Despite knowing this fact, I often found myself tugging on the handle of the hinged side of the fridge. So I got my little tool kit out and changed it! It was an easy fix, however, the freezer door was not cooperating- a project for another time!

Vintage

2010-08-28T13:03:00.004-04:00

This yard sale I am at had THE COOLEST vintage stuff!!!!!

All Packed!

2010-08-27T13:30:00.002-04:00

As a crafter, the majority of my belongings are things to make other things, which makes packing very difficult. It didn't help that I was frustrated that my things were shoved everywhere and I just shoved everything in containers to bring. Equally as frustrating is the fact that I wanted to leave three and a half hours ago. Oh well, now that I am packed I think I might take a shower, relax for s second, and enjoy how spacious my room feels.

New Music Thursday: The Do

2010-08-26T01:43:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I am leaving to go back to school. My room is as huge mess that I do not really feel like packing, and I would rather be sewing. But for my last two nights here have been filled with family and friends UNO fun.

Today's new band is real new to me. I just discovered them yesterday as I was looking up stuff for yesterday's post about Renee Yohe. According to Last.fm, "The Dø is a folk/pop band formed in 2007 comprising Dan Levy and Olivia Bouyssou Merilahti from Paris, France and Helsinki, Finland respectively." So they are fairly fresh to the scene (at least I think three years is fresh). "The Dø’s music can be classified as diverse, incorporating many different genres and styles, including avant-garde noise, hip-hop and classical music." This description of their music is so accurate! In fact, my current favorite song of theirs sounds nothing like any of their other songs:

This song reminds me of Eminem and the circus and I think it is just so chaotic and fun!

(Sorry this post isn't very involved, I am tired and slightly stressed by the packing and sewing blah blah blah). If you like what you hear, get it here.

Purple Door 2010 pt.2

2010-08-25T11:39:00.003-04:00

Purply Durply Door, seventh year in a row. I have seen all the bands I could want to see over those past years. It is mostly just noise now, except this year, Renee Yohe, who is the inspiration for To Write Love On Her Arms, sang instead of speaking. Oh it was so darling! This was the best clip I could find from it:

I wanted to tell her we should do a duet! And, of course, Bradley Hathaway was delightful, and Family Force Five always puts on a good show.

This was pretty much my view most of the little two day festival, as I sat in the corner of the merchandise building reading Dancing Skeletons (which is a great book, and I found out is written by my friend's mum!).

Every year, by the art gallery, there is some sort of public, interactive art what what. One year there were records to paint and another year there were post cards to make and send. I cannot remember all of things they have had, but this year there was painters tape art, and at five on Saturday they destroyed all the art to make a big tape ball. I got there around four, so this was my small contribution:

Last year, I made my staff shirt into a vest to wear over my dress. I made that by hand, but this year I wanted to step up my game. Initially I was going to make it into a romper, but before I left I was too frustrated with not being able to find anything in my messy room that I decided to just wing it.
The result was a halter top with a rouged back and bottom. It was very well received. And since I am trying to weed out my corporate fashion and wear only handmade or vintage, this shirt will help! (I think I might paint or appliqué a skull over all the "purple door"s).

It sure was cool hearing people say, "That's awesome, she completely remade it!" Now I just got to figure out what I will do next year to step up my game... I am thinking a romper, cardigan, or overalls... Anyway! I just love Renee Yohe's voice so much!

Off To School Soon!

2010-08-24T15:26:00.003-04:00

And I have four fashion classes this semester! Woohoo! My last Vogue magazine came yesterday ( I cancelled that waste of money and paper), and this is the first thing I did before I hardly even opened it. Well, I opened the plastic, and on the other side of the paper with my address was this big face image that inspired me to make:

This! mmmm fashion vomit.

Boots

2010-08-20T10:18:00.000-04:00

I started this post on 17 May. I saw these boots at Hot Topic, and I thought they were so cute.

But I am trying not to buy unnecessary, slave labored items. I already have a handful of boots, so I decided to revamp an old pair. I spent approximately $8.00 on sealer and spray paint.

I had gotten these brown boots from Payless when Oprah had some half off the entire store special.

I put masking tape on the bottom, and sprayed the sealer first. The sealer was supposed to help the spray paint to keep from cracking. Going from a dark color to a light color was not the best idea. I used the entire can of robins egg spray paint (they didn't have a very teal color). Luckily, my partner and best friend had a can of the robins egg that he let me have to do the finishing touches.

Brandon also gave me all the studs to spruce the straps up a bit. I wore them to work the other day with skinny jeans, a white tee, and white studded belt. I got so many compliments. "Where did you get your boots?" "I made them... kinda." One of my coworkers said I would be a drag queen's dream. I will take that as a compliment. However, they did start to crack, and as much as I would like to think that makes them more punk rock, I am probably going to spray them like crazy with the sealer.

New Music Thursday: Bosque Brown

2010-08-19T16:11:00.003-04:00

I cannot remember exactly when I first started listening to Bosque Brown, a.k.a. Mara Lee Miller, but it was sometime around when I got back into listening to female singer songwriters. I stumbled upon her on myspace, and then I found her vinyl via Burnt Toast Vinyl.

According to Burnt Toast, Mara grew up in Texas and was there discovered by Damien Jurado (who has been on tour with mewithoutYou). The website states that "Mara's mother sings and plays piano, teaching her how to sing while growing up and sharing her love for old movies, which also influence Mara's vocals and style. Her lyrics are simple and straightforward, about friends, family, love, the struggle between good and evil, or her feelings at the moment, not based on fictional storytelling."

If you are in the mood for some good country/folk music, definitely check her out. Her voice is so unique, I do not even know who to compare it to.

Thumbs Down

2010-08-18T22:48:00.002-04:00

The past two days have been very trying. After Purple Door, I had tons of crafty ambitions for Monday that were quickly dismantled. I was going to go to JoAnn Fabrics, the Post Office, the antique store, and David's Natural Market, then come home and craft. I went to JoAnn Fabrics, then while I was at the post office I shut my thumb in my car door. At first I was in a state of shock, I saw the huge amount of blood under my nail, but the pain had not yet reached my brain. Then, as I went inside the post office and began looking for the small flat rate box, the pain began to register, and tears began to well and roll down my cheeks. There were no small flat rate boxes, so I went to stand in line to see if they had any behind the counter. A kind elderly woman let me in front of her after seeing the tears casually strolling down my face. After that kind lady, and the kind lady behind the counter helped me tremendously by filling out the addresses and everything, I quickly got my little booty home, stuck my thumb in ice, and googled what to do.

My parents were not yet home from Purple Door, so home alone, I attempted to sleep the pain away, which generally works for head aches and cramps. However, this time the pain was intensified when I woke up. My mother fixed me up with some, despite my objection, advil, and ice packs. The pain was bad, but the hardest part was the fact that I feel as though I have fought so long to prove that I can do anything with the five fingers I do have, but with only four, I couldn't do a single thing. I couldn't even hold the cup of orange juice and strawberry rum to my mouth to drink it. The rum was an attempt to numb my feelings a bit. I hate needles or anything going into me, and we were going to try to home remedy it (I was reluctant to go to the doctors) by heating a paper clip until it was red hot and letting it melt the nail away. However, all the alcohol really did was aid in my uncontrollable and incessant crying. The home remedy failed, and I had to work at nine the next morning. I had to get my brother to take off my necklace and text message people for me, and my mother had to help me prep for bed. This time the sleep really did make it feel better, but every time I would bump it at work I cringed. I went to Patient First after work, and I wanted the doctor to numb my thumb or knock me out. It literally took him two seconds with some special tool to put two holes in the nail and release the pressure. It is still a little tender and numb, but I am able to function normally, thank G-d.

It was nice to hear my father say "Oh, she is definitely back to normal," after his worried comments the night before.

The large hole in the middle was our attempt, and the two small holes on either side were the doctor's work.

Purple Door 2010

2010-08-14T18:45:00.002-04:00

I am currently walking back down to the festival post dinner, the seventh year in a row. However this year I am without my brother and my best friends, and this year I am hardly pleased with the bands or the major mass consumerism I was once content supporting. Despite these things, I am happy to be with my parents and I have enjoyed sewing my staff shirt, working press, and tape art-ing (more pictures later).

New Music Thursday: LadyHawke

2010-08-12T09:47:00.005-04:00

( I am still catching up on band I wanted to post ages ago).
Today's band is LadyHawke.

LadyHawke is a one-woman show. All the instruments are played by thee Zealand babe, Pip Brown. On her website, she states that she started playing music at age eleven because her mother is a singer and her stepfather is a jazz drummer. I would say that her music has a sort of electro-pop 80's feel, but it has also been filed under new wave and indie rock. It is definitely upbeat, something to blast in the morning to help you wake up.
To get ahold of her music, click here.

(I have this song on my workout mix)
I hope you enjoy!

Happy Happy Day!

2010-08-08T16:24:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my dear friend, Caitlyn, married her high school sweet heart, Denman.

(This is the little card I made for them.) Instead of getting wedding rings, they got anchor tattoos on their ring fingers. The pastor pointed out the symbolism of their marriage and the tattoo. Generally people say, "till death do we part," in their wedding vows embodying the permanence of their love. In the same way a tattoo is a permanent body change, and if one does change their mind about the tattoo, the removal process is painful in the same way if one were to change their mind about there marriage. I'd say wedding tattoos>wedding rings. The bible verse for their wedding was Luke 12:22-29:

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.

They also got matching tattoos on their forearms of ravens and lilies. I think matching is so cool.
Congratulations Caitlyn and Denman!

Polyvore!

2010-08-06T01:12:00.000-04:00

Polyvore is such a super sweet website! In lieu of yesterday's RAGC music post, I stumbled upon this cute RAGC inspired outfit:

PS- Does anyone know where I can get a good anchor necklace?
I used Polyvore to make outfits for one of my fashion classes at school. Only my friend Jenna and I used polyvore. Our presentations were super legit. Here are some of the outfits I put together: (And by 'some,' I mean all, we only had to assemble four outfits that we would wear or recommend or something in a given situation
Thanksgiving at home

Job interview at a boutique

International trade show

Business meeting on a Saturday

What are some of your favorite Polyvore outfits? I also LOVE this one:

It is just so fun!

Also, sorry this isn't a DIYFriday, I am just not that back on top of things!

New Music Thursday: Right Away, Great Captain!

2010-08-05T00:48:00.004-04:00

Hello New Music Thursday! It has been quite a while, but I haven not forgotten the fun bands I want to share with those who may not know of them! So that brings me to today's band- the baby of Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra: Right Away, Great Captain! I, of course, am listening to him as I write this.

Contrary to Manchester's driving guitars and loud melodies, RAGC is super soothing, almost sleepy time, music. If you want to chill out, this music is highly recommended. If you are slightly in a depressed mood, this music not recommended for it might send you down a path flooded with tears.

According to the band's Myspace page, (which, I might add, is pretty well designed) RAGC is "his solo side project in which Hull continues to tell the ongoing saga of a 17th century sailor who catches his wife in an act of betrayal with his very own brother."
If you like what you hear you can get RAGC's first album, The Bitter End, Here and the second album, The Eventually Home, Here. Or you could be way cool and buy it from Amazon or Itunes.

Today I Made:

2010-08-04T13:09:00.004-04:00

Wouldn't it be so cool if I posted something that I made everyday? That is to say that I would be making something everyday! That would be so cool!
Well I made the bulk of this yesterday and today I just finished lacing the elastic. I am so pleased with this little skirt, I made it from the torso of the sweater that I used the arms to make the sweater leggings with.

Did you know?

When using a sewing machine, you are supposed to replace your needle after eight hours of sewing. It might be helpful to keep a little log on a pad of paper or dry erase board!

Finished!

2010-08-02T21:01:00.004-04:00

I started a project covering a bookcase my father had made with strips of 2.25 inch paper going in different directions. I don't remember exactly when I started with the priming but I have a picture from 12 July of the first couple of strips going up.

Well 2378573 strips, two and a half bottles of elmer's glue, and three weeks later (I don't really know how many strips it took, I wish I would have kept count) it is finally finished!

It still reeks (literally, I lacquered it on the porch and the whole house smells awful) but I am just so excited to stack the shelves with my fabric that I brought it in my room. I have the ceiling fan and stand alone fan both blasting on high. I am so pleased with the way it looks I almost want to cover my desk and my bed to match!
I tried to find other fun bookcase renovation ideas, I feel like The Big Ass Book of Home Decor might have some ideas, and here is an idea from on of my favorite crafty sites, Cut Out + Keep:

Summer Days

2010-07-30T22:56:00.004-04:00

Line dried laundry smells so stinking good!(We are not allowed to have an actual clothes line where I live, so I improvise)

This past beginning of the week was very eventful! I drove up to Pittsburgh and Kittanning on Sunday, then Perryopolis, Waynesburg, and Harrisonburg, VA on Monday. In Waynesburg we went to the Cherry Door, a.k.a. "the quarter store" where I got tons of fabric for my upcoming fashion show for so cheap! (Speaking of sewing things, I got this at the beginning of the month-)

So Monday night Brandon, Becca, Emily and I saw The Soil and The Sun, and Brandon and I saw them again on Wednesday.

Anyway, that was all just for fun, but for serious! (and fun too) I am in the process of stocking up my etsy! And I am considering putting some clothes of mine on here for whatever price you want to pay (don't you think that is how most things should be? Also, I am often reminded about how I lived in Africa for five months with about three weeks worth of clothing, very minimally). Any feedback on that proposal would be much appreciated!

NO MORE!

2010-07-21T21:07:00.002-04:00

SUMMER CLASSES!!!!! WOOO!!! I AM ECSTATIC! I feel like my summer is just finally beginning and I can do all of the things I want to, like sew! Especially since I got this bad boy for my birthday:
.
I think I have had it since the twelfth, perhaps, and today is the first day I have been able to you use it! You know what else is super exciting, I already have my sketches for the next fashion show, and I cannot wait to start working on them. The summer hasn't been completely useless as far as crafting goes, I have made a few things:

I covered some shoe boxes in scrapbook paper and used those velcro command strips to hook them to my wall.

I painted and am decoupaging this old bookcase my father had made for my mother's classroom.

I made these new macbook stickers (and Brandon made me one too, I had this idea that it would sick if all my closest friends made an apple for it)

I made this silly little sleep romper.

I made this little number out of a vintage dress (I always forget to take before pictures! fail!) I was going to sell it on etsy but I am just so in love with it, sigh!
So tomorrow I hopefully will be updating my etsy and sewing my little booty off!

I AM

2010-06-29T00:56:00.005-04:00

Sitting cross-legged at my desk, foot falling asleep, putting off paper writing, dipping half moldy carrots that I rinsed off and peeled so that I could be eating five day old homemade hummus (it is only supposed to last three days, and it was pretty funky looking, but it tastes fine)

For the record, summer classes are a bad idea. Here is some of what I have been doing instead of summer classes:

1. Skyping

It normally starts with me saying we are just going to exist, and ends with my computer over heating from hours of skype and my having to restart.
2. Sewing

The skirt was made from a sweet 90's long skirt that I have had since I was probably ten. The shirt is made from an old undershirt and a long sleeve turtle neck that I got for $.97 at old navy and dismantled and reassembled, or reconstructed I supposed, the entire thing, ruched/gathered it, put some elastic through the french seam, blahblahblah, technicalities. It is going to have a barracuda painted on it eventually. I started remaking this old vintage 'every day frock' into a cute strapless dress, but that has been put on hold due to this dang school business.
3. Drawing.

I am not entirely sure what possessed me to do this. I had already had the lines and inches drawn and they were fading, so I suppose that sparked a revamp. I have had this sewing machine for seven years I believe.
4. Cleaning

This is imperative to my sanity. It helps me feel slightly together and organized, or something like that.
5. Biking

Or attempting to rather. I got new pedals for my cruiser, and after I get paid I will be getting mustache handle bars for the road bike. By the way, the wound on my hand is healing, nicely I suppose. It is pretty itchy, grows rather tense, and I put much effort into lotion-ing it frequently. Also, I used a tea tree oil and vegetable oil mixture, as suggested by this herbal first aid zine, and I have been using tea tree soap that my mother bought for me (she thinks it smells rather awful).
6. Running

I ran my first and second 5k recently, in about thirty-two minutes each time. The first time Thomas kept me motivated, and we ran most of it. The second time I was all by myself and pretty much walked the last half mile. The number on the scale has been dropping, and I don't looking nearly as pregnant as I used to after stuffing my face (♥ food).

(Sorry about the picture, mom, but hey, I look like four months pregnant). But I feel like I am also loosing the muscle in my thighs that I had from riding my bike everyday. When Brandon was here and we rode around town, the trip took more out of me than it used too.
Anyway, that is that and now I supposed 'that' will consist of homework!

I believe in:

2010-05-18T01:08:00.004-04:00

goo gone.

It is so amazing! I grew very frustrated with people thinking my fox was kin to the firefox fox.

So much so that I just tore it off! And I was too busy to take care of it.

Until today!

ta-da! woohoo! Looks nice and clean and ready for a new sticker! I wonder what I'll make this time...

i believe in:

2010-05-16T18:47:00.002-04:00

coffee art.

A very good friend of mine recently told me of a silly dispute-like coffee war between the locally owned coffee joints at school. This image is not from a drink recieved at either of those places, but one of them does participate in coffee art while the other place disses it! There are more important things to fight over! Anyway, here are some more coffee art images, courtesy of weheartit.

I was on puppy duty this weekend, and now that my parents are back, and school is over, i'm ready to get crafty!

What's Your Favorite _________?

2010-04-21T11:20:00.004-04:00

I have been catching up on my blog readings, finally, and I saw this post by Freckled Nest, so I though I would play along!

1. Favorite hobby?
right now:

cycling!

2. Favorite tv show?

3. Favorite restaurant food?

Japanese Breakfast Maki!

4. Favorite thing to shop for?

I have a fabric buying problem.

5. Favorite animal?

I love you, Monster!

6. Favorite song?
right now:

I felt free, safe camp sessions acoustic version.

7. Favorite word?
right now:

8. Recent favorite youtube video?

My friends Justin and Bobby made this video for Timbre!

9. Favorite movie?

10. Favorite childhood memory?

Family trips to New York.

What's yours!?
1. Favorite hobby?
2. Favorite tv show?
3. Favorite restaurant food?
4. Favorite thing to shop for?
5. Favorite animal?
6. Favorite song?
7. Favorite word?
8. Recent favorite youtube video?
9. Favorite movie?
10. Favorite childhood memory?

New Music Thursday: The Soil and The Sun

2010-04-15T16:04:00.004-04:00

I didn't post this last week because I was busy busy setting up a basement show for The Soil and The Sun!

It was so good! There were lots of local acts: Chris, from Wreckers, Awake, Matt, Nick, and Bethany, from The Lady and the Lion, Colin, aka, Samson Park, Kevin, Diego and Dave, from Spontaneo, and Jim, from Ursa Major . I think there was sixty people there at the most.

The Soil and The Sun, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was originally just Ben and Alex. Ashley and Michael joined them for the tour. They have an amazing eclectic sounds that speaks to the soul. They have CD's for donation if you have a chance to make it to a show, if not you can listen to them on their myspace!

New Idea!

2010-04-13T17:09:00.003-04:00

I love when I have new ideas! That's what my "Idea Book" is for, but really good ideas I want to see come to fruition right away! Such is what happened when I decided I wanted to make some tank tops. I made the first one out of the backs of two old shirts that I had cut the fronts off for a quilt. I also made a sketch and silk screen based off my grandfather's old camera. This item will be available on my etsy soon!

Love it!

Almost Done!

2010-04-06T17:57:00.002-04:00

Remember this post about the leopard shorts?
They're done! Well almost. But, definitely wearable. All I have to do is add this little tab and button thing.

I think I'll wear them everyday this week!

New Music Thursday: Florence + the Machine

2010-04-01T18:05:00.004-04:00

I'm not going to make excuses, but what I am going to say is that i love salad so much! Sure cookies and sweets are good and all, but there is something so refreshing about that cold crisp leaf crutching your mouth- yum!
A couple weeks ago, when I should have posted this, I was really into Florence and the Machine.

This radio-ready babe from London was discovered while singing drunk in the bathroom at a nightclub. Her vintage sounding voice and catchy lyrics and rhythms will make you want to listen to her newest cd, Lungs, over and over again. She is recommended if you like to listen to Bat for Lashes. Click on images for sources, and some of the information was gathered from here.

To get her new cd, Lungs, click here.

This Is Why

2010-03-23T21:36:00.002-04:00

I haven't been posting:

Soooo much fun in the sun! All images courtesy of Emily Meghan!
Today is soooo gross out, and I've become awfully sick. I rarely get sick. Also, I totally had a tutorial for last week, oops! This friday then!

New Music Thursday: William Fitzsimmons

2010-03-11T12:49:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe it is Thursday already! And by 'already,' I mean 'finally!' I am loving today! I woke up before ten today, went for a bike ride, took a shower, remembered to put deodorant on, watched the previous episode of Project Runway, and now I am doing homework (and eating ice cream)! Crazy!

Today's New Music Thursday feature is William Fitzsimmons!

Image by Erin Brown and found here.
The soft and delicate sound of William's voice, accompanied by a piano, guitar, and a lovely female voice is simply magical. Born and raised on the outskirts of Pittsburgh with two blind parents, the lack of visual stimulation was replaced by sounds. Growing up listening to Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and James Taylor, and forsaking his profession as a therapist for his love of music and craft, this brilliant artist creates a sound similar to Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine. His music is perfect for a laid back kind of day, like today! Plus, look at that beard! It is glorious!
All and additional information can be found here.

To hear his The Sparrow and the Crow album, click here.

I've Decided...

2010-03-10T12:57:00.002-05:00

Structure is a very good thing. For me, at least, without structure I seem to not accomplish a thing! It is spring break, I am home, and instead of being really productive as I had hoped, I am doing, who knows what: shopping with my mother, saw Alice in Wonderland, went to the community college to do school work and wound up hanging out with my friends, went to Target to drop off my film and wound up folding some tables, because secretly I miss it and my favorite executive was working. So here is a mini flea market finds. My dear friend, Alissa, and I

hit up my favorite local thrift store (I will probably be going back today). Of course we were a day late for their half off the entire store sale! Bummer! That means the $5 I spent could have potentially only been $2.50! My $5 was well spent. I have been wearing both things everyday!

First, a good pair of black chucks! Chucks are classic, but these bad boys (in a children's size three, yes I am very tiny) are much less than buying a fresh pair, plus no one wants the fresh chucks look, the worn chuck look is to be desired.

I am always looking for goofy sweaters. This "Will work for beer" sweater just cracked me up so much. I cannot even drink beer, which makes it more comical to me. Two items, $5, totally worth it!
I'll post a crafty update later!

DIYF: Recycled Magazine Frame

2010-03-06T20:07:00.002-05:00

This is late! Sorry!
This is what I made m friends for Christmas! I'll enter real life pictures later.

Real photo time!

Tear out a page, have some glue ready.

Fold the corner!

fold up an itty bit!

Keep folding!

Turn your folding into a rollin'

Add some glue to hold the paper in place.

Hold while the glue dries

glue a picture to the underside of a shoe box

Hot glue some of the paper rolls to the box!

Trim the edges

Continue glueing! Use the different a collors to create a pattern or something.

Emily's favorite colors are obviously yellow and orange!

The finished product! Woohoo!

New Music Thursday: An Horse

2010-03-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

Last.fm has this amazing thing called a "scrobbler" that links to your itunes, takes record of the music you listen to and like, and gives a list of recommendations. I love when it is spot on and I find a fabulous new band to enjoy.
This brings me to the band for this week's New Music Thursday: An Horse.

An horse began as a solo project by Kate Cooper (formerly of Iron On) but she was joined by Damon Cox. This two person indie pop band hails from Brisbane, Australia. They have toured the United States opening for Tegan and Sara and Death Cab for Cutie's Australian tour. Their similarity to Tegan and Sara is intriguing- mostly it is just similar, hardly different at all in fact. But I enjoy Tegan and Sara, and I enjoy An Horse.
All information taken from here
To preview their music click here

Apology!

2010-03-03T22:42:00.001-05:00

So sorry for the lack of posts! The week before spring break is so busy! New Music Thursday and DIYF will still be happening as scheduled!

DIYF: Sweater Leggings

2010-02-26T14:09:00.006-05:00

Thank God It's Do It Yourself Friday!
It is very cold where I live, in fact, it is snowing and they cancelled school- a rare occasion! A couple weeks ago, my good friend Kara showed me a link on how to make sweater leggings. I ~~lost~~ found! the link: Behind the Seams, and I loved the idea! Thrift stores are full of sweaters just begging to be made into cute leggings! So here is my tutorial version. I hope you enjoy and if you make your own, please let me know!

(click the image for a larger view!)

I cut two inches off the bottom of my shorts and used the excess as a casing.

The casing in process.

The finished product!

A complete outfit!
They are so comfy! I love one of a kind clothing items! Stay crafty!