Sunday: Mother's Day Part Deux

My mother and I have had a very close relationship since I was a little girl. She's so open and caring, and definitely doesn't take anything too seriously. I'd been so busy with work the weekend of Mother's day, and busy with finals the week after, that I'd only had a chance to see her for a few minutes! So I packed up a picnic full of delicious food, picked her up and we drove down to my favorite park in town. We set up our blankets near my favorite little corner that's always quiet and talked, enjoyed our gluten-free lunch (she's allergic, so we had smoked gouda, brie, apples, grapes, melon, all sorts of berries, crackers, nuts, olive tapenade, sparkling lemonade, iced mint tea...it was delicious!) and laid in the sun!

It was so sunny, in fact, that moms said it was too bright for a picture! So I tried to help her out...

...which just cracked her up

I was dressed perfectly for the weather...

...and even managed to climb a tree in the outfit...

...while at least attempting to be lady-like.

I hope to have at least a few more photos from the day...but from my 35mm Mamiya/Sekor! I've been taking photos since about 2006, starting with a vast collection of polaroid cameras (10 or so?) then moving to a new 35mm Canon and at last to my 1968 Mamiya (which I purchased at a yard sale from an elderly man who once used the camera when he was a young architect in San Francisco - awesome, right?) I've been on a photography hiatus for too long, with only a few rolls of film and one digital engagement-like session I shot with my boyfriend (who is a photographer, among many other things) over the past year or so. I'll post some of my photos to this blog, this week, hopefully along with my newest to add to the collection.

Secondhand

Since I was a little girl, used items have been staples in the home. Antique sales, hand-me-downs, thrift stores and yard sales have always been a source of new-to-us items for my family. So, it's not surprising that when I started buying my own clothes after getting my first job, I continued to go to yard sales and thrift stores on my own.

Over time, I've done even more of my shopping here, and I can think of so many reasons I love to do so:

• Classics should be a part of every stylish girl's wardrobe
• Rich people get rid of damn good and current clothes, like, all the time!
• It's waaay eco-chic
• The thrill of the hunt!
• A new, poorly-made and not that cheap item, or a well made and inexpensive item...well, need I say more?
• I usually get my money's worth in just one wear!
• Bad people throw things in landfills, and good people donate to thrift stores. Therefore, the items have already been given a ton o' love!

Having said that, here are the shoes I picked up from Kelly's Etsy, Vintage Strings!

A few hours + $50

This was a fun little project that added some serious spring our bedroom. It was super easy, and only took a couple of hours. I'd seen a few posts here and there about diy upholstered headboards, and after seeing a full tutorial by the amazing diy-ers @ young house love (check our their house tour w/ full before and afters - it blew me away!) I had to make my own.

Their tutorial is great, but I made a few changes w/ each step:

1. After measuring the size of our future headboard, I was off to pick up fabric and batting. When I got there, I was discouraged by prices and selection, but was relieved to find a damask pattern I liked in a color scheme I really love - and it was on major sale. I wouldn't recommend leaving the home fabrics area, the fabrics are thicker and more durable so this price difference is worth it. The batting I chose was a high loft synthetic.

2. Next, Jared and I were off to Lowe's. We considered getting a piece of plywood, but didn't like the flimsiness or prices of what we saw. So we went with a very inexpensive particleboard, and had it cut down to the proper size - which was free with the purchase of the board. After Jared somehow got both pieces (I'd like to make something else with the other piece, since I did buy it!) to wedge into my teeny car, we headed home.

3. To save on batting/fabric/sanity, I chose to make the width of the headboard shorter than the bed. Since you can't see the bottom, both the pretty fabric and the batting end just under the top of the mattress. I used an adhesive to keep the batting in place, then stapled the back edges. (the fabric at the bottom, which is the left in this picture, is a muslin that I already had, just so the particleboard is covered.)

4. I had a little dilemma with my fabric selection. I didn't realize that the fabric was actually not wide enough when the pattern was facing the right direction. Rather than try to sew borders in the same fabric, I paired it with this circular white fabric for more contrast. After sewing them together, I turned the sewn piece over and ironed them flat in the same direction - behind the patterned piece, not the white. Then I flipped to the front and ironed some more to make the seam nice and flat.

5. Next, I draped the finished piece over the board nice and centered, and stapled the corners and edges. Oh, and to keep it lookin' good, I made sure to spray a fabric protector.

6. After getting it in place, viola! Completed upholstered headboard!

That bedding doesn't quite complement the headboard, so swapping that out is in the works. I'll have to post a picture of the improved version. It was a lot of fun, and Jared was quite impressed. (Thanks for the help and encouragement, Jared!)

With finals almost over...

...I'm so very much looking forward to summer. It doesn't mean that I want the semester to end - I'm truly going to miss playing badminton twice a week, my American Indians in Contemporary Society gave me so much knowledge that is worth far more than the tuition for the class, as goes with my American Civil Rights Movement class - but with one last final to go, I realize how much I hope to immerse myself with the things that I love.

1. frozen bananas

2. great thrift store finds

3. quality time with Jared

4, 5, and 6. beach time, out of town time, and besties time

I got a road bike a few weeks ago that I love riding around the neighborhood. In fact, I just got back from Kelly's where I picked up shoes from her etsy! I'll be sure to post about those soon. Until then, I have a final to finish before it gets too late in the day.

lovin'

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Blah blah blog...

(weheartit)

My, my...I've really been ignoring this blog thing for, well, pretty soon after I started it. It's not that I don't enjoy blogging. I really do. I love reading other blogs, too. I guess it's that I have such a hard time putting my life out here for other people to see. The semester is almost over, and I'm so very much looking forward to having some time to only do (insofar as my budget and work schedule will allow) exactly what I want to do!

But what have I been up to? Other than feeling real down about myself for reasons I'd like to label inexplicable, I suppose I've been on a mini-roller-coaster of school, work, boredom, exhaustion, and apathy. Not to worry, I've pulled myself out of it just in time for this update. One or two notable changes since January are:

1. After nearly three years of working at the same Starbucks in the same neighborhood with the same customers, I now work at the Starbucks just down the street from my house! I'm really missing so many of my friends I left behind. Everyone at my new store is really great and I love them all already. (I miss you Katie!)

2. Stephanie turned 23! I declared that I would spend the remainder of my 22nd year of life cherishing every moment of being in my early 20s, but I really am liking the adults that I see my friends and I all becoming.

3. I attending my very first bachelorette party! With Gaga inspired games, obviously!

4. Emily got married!!!!!!!!! It was so beautiful, I could cry just looking back at it. Yes, Emily get married, but it was more than that. To me, at least, it was such a bonding moment. Helping each other get ready, zipping up Emily's wedding dress, looking for my mom's face while I walked down the aisle, and standing between one of my best friend's two sisters-in-law....as though I didn't have an obsession with weddings before - but I'll have to get into that later.

5. This was just the icing on the wedding cake - or, the strawberry on the wedding tarts, rather. To the left, that's Stephanie's mother, and that's my mother to the right. Don't they look so pretty? Of course those two leos hit it off! With how well their daughters get along, we knew they would.

Now, I have been up to some projects, too. I promise to share about those later this week.

A New Year!

2010 has really been off to a good start! Jared and I had some delish Taco Bell for NYE dinner, then we went off to the New Year's Red Road Powwow at the Convention Center downtown. That's us just after midnight. :)


This is the frame I picked up from a thrift store, and I painted it an off-white color. All we have to do is get a mat for the print - for now it's framed and hanging out in the living room.

I also made a laptop case for myself! I made one for Stephanie for Christmas, am going to make another for Emily (I'm not sure how big her laptop is, so that's on hold for now) and I couldn't wait any longer to make mine. I used iron-on adhesive this time to stiffen the bag and help hold the shape, and it turned out nearly perfect.



This photo's at a weird angle, and you can't see the colors on the flap very well - baby blue & khaki -but you get the gist. I'd sewn on the flap before sewing the front and back sides together, and I apparently made it very off-center. I'd like to think it adds that, er, homemade touch. Sure, sounds good. I love pockets, so here's a shot of this cute one.

Okay, last two shots:


I woke up early this morning (Jared was running a big late for work and I woke up in the fury that ensued,) so I decided I could use some nice wintry gloves. Goodbye over-sized ugly sweater, hello warm paws...