Crafty Surprise

Awhile back I won a crafty surprise package from Minnietheminks over at Bubbledust. If you are on BurdaStyle you may know her because of this piece of amazing awsomeness.

(drool all over keyboard)

Anyway, in the middle of moving from New Zealand to Australia she found the time to put together and post this crafty packet for me.

We have, starting at the top and going clockwise, a lace inset that I see at the neck of a black sheath dress, genuine toggles from the costume shop of the film Avatar, flower trim that I believe was originally bought for the above awesomeness and never used, a large vintage button that Minnie thinks would be great as a brooch and I agree, some mother of pearl leaves and butterflies, some cute labels, some very pretty black and white print buttons that I just adore and some blue spangly fabric dots that once belonged to a transvestite. Minnie, do I just iron these on? I have no idea how to use them but I am racking my brain because they are fantastic.

Thanks ever so much to minnietheminks!


PS. I love receiving little bits of fun in the mail. So please feel free to mail me whatever bit of fun strikes your fancy.

Dear Marmee,

I found it!

Me made may

And then there was Me-Made-May. I meant to post about this earlier, like three weeks ago when I was overly crazy stressed out and then didn't. So I am participating in Me-Made-May, the lite and self tailored version. Me-Made-May for me is going to be more about getting my butt in gear and making stuff rather than wearing only what I have as my collection is quite paltry.

add one pair of socks and a few pieces of jewelry to this. subtract the tree dress because it is unwearable (but I have a plan for it) and the black skirt because it needs to be taken in.

This is me on May 1. I thought I would start out on the right foot even though I had done no preparation whatsoever.

I made this necklace in high school. I always get tons on compliments on it and it is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry. I never wear jewelry. I have yet to wear anything else me-made. BUT over the weekend I made myself some beauty supplies.

That counts right? I made some rosemary apple cider vinegar detangler and some brown sugar and honey scrub.

Be sure and check out the Me-Made-May Flickr Group and check out the final list of participants with links to their blogs. And also be sure to check back here for more of me in my me-mades but don't hold your breath on that one. :)

best dressed

I picked up a RedEye, Chicago Tribune's free daily, this morning on my walk with the dog. I have been making a habit of this to stock up on newspaper for our worm bin. I usually glance through it before before adding it to the pile in the closet. Today's has a page on the fashions seen at the Costume Institute Gala. A grand total of 6 pictures. Most of them declared a high fashion crime.


source

Yes, Joshua Jackson is wearing an ascot. No, this does not make him look like a character from Clue. A man wearing an ascot is hot. Hell, a man even knowing what an ascot is, is damn sexy. While this look isn't exactly formal I give him full points for not wearing a boring tux with a boring old black bow tie. He is wearing something that shows personality without being ridiculous. The ribbon flower in his lapel coordinates well and the choice of color was a good one.


source

Fusty, maybe. Outrageous, um...no. I like the shape of this dress. I like the tulle peeking out from the skirt. I like the teal and black color combo (the color in the paper was more muted and less bright than on my computer screen). This dress is very Chloe. My note on this actually reads "Chloe Sevigny looking very Chloe Sevigny". It is extremely refreshing to see a celebrity looks like they dressed themselves with out a stylist and not just once but always.

Why does being "best dressed" more about conforming to staus quo ideals of fashion and style and less about looking like you have a personality and are an actual person? The status quo isn't about style because there is not style without some character.

This is the reason I no longer read fashion magazines and why I could never work in retail.

And when did Claire Danes get married?

Sewing Karma: Weeks 3 & 4 April 19-25, 2010, April 26-May 2, 2010

Sewing Karma: Week 3 April 19-25, 2010
Total points earned this week: 0
Total points spent this week: 0
Total accumulation: 22

I spent my free time last week helping organize a eco weekend retreat during which I lead a session about green cleaning with vinegar and baking soda and co-lead a session about sourcing food locally in Chicago. I got to spend time with some friends as well as meet some new people. Ate a bunch of s'mores at the campfire and frolicked with some goats and chickens.


Sewing Karma: Week 4 April 26-May 2, 2010
Total points earned this week: 13pts
Total points spent this week: 0
Total accumulation: 35pts

Sink laundry. Normally I would not give myself points for this but I did 3 or 4 loads this week of stuff that has been waiting to be washed for almost a year. And I have made a resolution to stay on top of doing my sink laundry because 4 loads in a week is just too many.
+5

More darning. I don't think it is necessary for me to give myself points every week because I will be darning every week until I am not wearing tights to work anymore but... it helps to re-enforce the habit and I need to buy some denim so I can make a pair of jeans before the pair I have left busts. So yea.
A note on the darning. I have been asked by a few people, moms, if the darning irritates my feet. No, it doesn't. I have only worn darned tights and not my socks yet but I haven't had any problems. My toes usually get cranky at the toe seam ( why couldn't kitchener stitch be more popular in mass produced items??) but nothing with the darned patches. So go darn your socks for victory!!
+3

Most evenings this week I spent tailor tacking my fitting shell. I wanted to attempt tailor's tacks and since I choose to use gingham and a dark one using a tracing wheel and tracing paper was not visible at all. After tailor tacking everything, all markings as well as seam lines, I put it through the machine with a basting stitch to re-mark everything so that by the time I sew it all together I will still know what is what. dear lord help me.

+5