Note to self: Photography

35mm, various Polaroid formats, medium format tlr. I've promised myself to take more photographs again. It's one of my many goals for summer. If you'd like to check out my photos, many of them are up on my flickr.

Hooray Tuesday!

I am a student as well as part time Starbucks barista. I'm not a big girl with a grown up job and definitely not a grown up schedule! This means that I usually get my days off in the middle of the week and end up spending the day almost always alone, maybe seeing friends just for a little while here and there. So while Tuesday may as well be any other weekday for most, it's my Saturday this week!

(uo utility jacket, thrifted braided belt)

(bdg skinnies, f21 gladiator wegdes, unknown bag)

Our weather here in Fresno has been strangely cool this year, and the cloudy breezy and sometimes rainy days just keep on coming! So I was so excited that I had a chance to break out the utility jacket!

I was in a shopping mood, so I headed over to the big mall (I never go out there anymore, but I was lucky enough to remember that I had gift cards!! Woohoo!!) Here's what I picked up:

According Sephora's website, the frangrance is "sparkling, fruity floral...rich, earthy scents. Addictive top notes of sophisticated citruses...mandarin and yuzu...white floral and fresh mountain strawberries...delicate woods and musk, giving the fragrance an invigorating and velvety finish." In other words, YUM!

This adorable little eco-friendly and safe solid perfume is equally as delicious. Sephora describes the scent as "meditative...intoxicating blend that evokes the inspiring ambiance of a garden full of citrus trees, fresh herbs, and rare plants from all over the world."

I also picked up a pair of "jeggings" from Forever 21! I came across them @ calivintage and at Kelly's Chictopia! I'd heard of them before but was soooo weary. I'd seen some really horrible denim calf-length leggings without pockets or anything, but these new jeggings are serious! They're just like real jeans - gold stitching, belt loops, button & zipper, plus all five four pockets. Swoon, I'm in love!

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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