The Bangles

I have a thing for vintage costume jewelry. I have since high school. I used to go to flea markets and yard sales with my mamaw as a teen, and remember picking up bracelets, necklaces and especially brooches. How I loved a gaudy old brooch back then! I still have one of those brooches that Mamaw bought for me. It has a big ugly lion on it and I thought I was totally rad when I pinned it on my denim jacket with the puffy sleeves and turned up collar.

Mark and I have spent many many hours at flea markets and antique malls(he's definately not an early bird, so we don't usually do yardsales) over the past 24 years. I don't know how much vintage jewelry I picked during that time, only to sell it in a yard sale or send it back to a thrift shop. Stupid, huh?

Not too long ago I was blog hopping when I came across this photo:

Photo Source: http://vixenvintage.blogspot.com/2012/01/bangles-and-bras.html

"GAH!" I thought to myself. "Holy Bakelite Batman! That is one fabulous little collection of bangles! I cannot go on living without my own fabulous little collection of bangles!"

And on a sidenote, if you've never visited Vixen Vintage before...Do It!  I discovered the blog through the bangle photo and became instantly enamored. She posts some of the most beautiful photos and amazing vintage goodies that you are likely to see. It's one of my new favorite blogs!

I immediately went to my jewelry box and started digging. I knew still had at least four bangles because I constantly wear the polka dot, black, gray, and red(not pictured) ones. I managed to dig up several more and WooHoo! I do have a small collection!

Yesterday, Mark and I took off for another round of flea marketing and I picked up a few more pieces to add to my collection. 

None of these was over $2.00! Score! I was so happy to pay .50 each for four of these that I didn't notice the red one was broken until I took the photo this morning. Luckily, I have another red one! This one will be used for a craft project...I'm thinking decoupage.

These were a bit more costly...$3.00 each!! Oh how I love getting stuff for cheap! 

I realize there is not a single piece of vintage Bakelite in the bunch. And a girl can't really have a bangle collection without some Bakelite, can she? For now this girl will...because she is a public school system employee. And she already has a serious spending problem with fabric and sewing/quilting items.  So, sadly,  no Bakelite for me until I win the lottery or stumble upon some pieces for next to nothing. 

I think I probably have mostly 70's/80's pieces here...but I'm cool with both of those decades! I am looking forward to hunting for a wider variety of era's and lots more colors.  I might have hopped on to etsy.com and ordered a few more just this morning. 

using a sock/underwear drawer organizer for storage. A pretty vintage one is on my "to get" list. 

Despite the Bakelite disparity of my collection, the bangles make me happy!  

Cookie Bliss

Sugar Cookies. Mmmmm.  I love them...they are, without a doubt, my favorite form of cookie. I love a good warm chocolate chip cookie and a nice crunchy peanut butter cookie, don't get me wrong. But a simple sugar cookie with icing is what my heart truly desires when it comes to cookie goodness.

I must admit, I am sucker for the thinner, rolled version with glazed icing. A local bakery makes the most fantastic version...I try to stay away from the place, but when a box of Golden Glaze cookies shows up in the teacher's lounge, I cannot resist and admit to eating more than my fair share. 

These cookies are nothing like those glazed cookies , but they are just as delicious! I found the recipe at The University of Cookie--where they do some incredible things sugar cookies and have video tutorials so the rest of us can do incredible things with sugar cookies too! This recipe is not for fancy glazed and decorated cookies, however.

This is a thicker, softer cookie with fluffy icing. And y'all.., It. Is. Heavenly. Think Lofthouse, only better. Much better. They're soft--just enough. The icing is out of this world and the perfect amount of "sweet" to compliment the cakey cookie. I wish I had one right now!

I will warn you against eat them first thing out of the oven, though. Give them plenty of time to cool and let the icing "set" a bit before digging into them. Trust me on this. You won't be sorry...the wait is worthwhile.

I took some to my quilt meeting the other night and some to school to share with my coworkers. Rave reviews. One person even said they were the best sugar cookies she'd eaten in her entire life! 

They did take a bit of time to ice, but compared to cut out cookies, they were a breeze to make! I didn't change a thing from the original recipe, so if you want to make these, head to University of Cookie, grab the recipe and have yourself some cookie bliss.

Excess --OR-- Online Shopping, Thou Art Satan

I was terribly excited to receive the following books this week:

Once they arrived, I spent about an hour leafing through them, reading bits and pieces and perusing the photos.

And then I thought to myself, "Did I really just buy books about how to date fabric?  Fabric Dating? REALLY?" Good Grief.

I don't collect feedsacks or vintage fabrics, I certainly can't afford to collect vintage quilts. Honestly, I don't know what came over me other than a whim to pick these up. I'm working on a 30's repro quilt, but I can buy those prints at my local quilt shop. I've since rationalized that they might come in handy to my husband's antique mall booth---he may pick up some vintage quilts that need dating at some point. And actually, the Making History book is quite a fascinating read and does include several projects, so I don't feel as bad about buying that one. Who knows, perhaps the other two will prove invaluable some day.

As I was putting the books away, I realized that I am completely overrun with quilting, sewing, and craft project books. To the point that it's ridiculous. If I live a hundred years, I'll never complete all those projects. The thought of the money that's gone into those dust collectors is sad.

So I've made a decision.

I will not buy another project book. Not one. Until I finish a minimum of at least five different projects from five different books. And those that I don't use and don't think I ever will use...I'm going to donate to my local library. Goodness knows they don't have an abundance of craft books. I could furnish the entire 646 section!

And then there's fabric. Don't even get me started!! All I'll say right now is that it looks like JoAnn Fabrics threw up in my sewing room. Here's the decision on fabric for now...

 No more QUILTING fabric(unless it is for backings). If I can't use what I have to make a quilt, I just won't make one!

I feel pretty confident I can stick to both of these new rules. I'm gonna try to stay away from Amazon.com, Etsy.com and the like for as long as possible!

Weight Watchers, It Works and Now I've Got to Work It!

I joined Weight Watchers for the umpteenth time back in August. It's the only thing I've ever found that I can do and consistently lose weight.

I'm losing much more slowly this time around, but I've been OK with the slow loss. Slow loss is better than NO loss, right?

The thing is, I haven't worked the plan wholeheartedly.  I do GREAT for a couple weeks, but I have been known to slack off for weeks at a time.  Still, I'm mostly satisfied with my progress.

And even though 15 pounds(which is where I'm hovering right now) doesn't sound like much, when I compare the photo from my last post(which was taken yesterday) to the photo from the week I started WW, I can see a difference.

Now some of it may be the hideousness of the before outfit, or the angle of the camera, but I do see a difference, and I really hadn't until I compared these two photos.

Seeing the difference in myself has given me a boost! I'm resolved to stay on plan and work the plan in a healthier way!  Yes, on WW you really can drink regular cokes and eat the occasional candy bar and still lose weight, BUT, that's not using the plan to it's full advantage! I'm going to pay more attention to my daily points, be smarter about the plan by taking advantage of those 0 point fruits & veggies, and make it a priority to get some regular exercise.

 I've seen that I can be successful and lose weight by going about it halfway, so I'm pretty excited to see what I accomplish when I give it my all!

I fall for Simplicity's "It's SO Easy" lie yet again.

In my last post I talked about how I was determined to make my own clothes this year...at least a few pieces. I was pretty excited about it and very much looking forward to getting started.

In fact...here's my first finished dress! Not bad, eh?

My bangs have a mind of their own...tonight they're saying "I'm going to look ridiculous!"

Now, before y'all get too impressed you should know this is a complete farce of a photo! It's amazing what a strategically placed belt, a giant hair clip(for hiding excess fabric) and my magic cowboy boots* can do! But at least in this photo it appears that I can make a dress!


Here's the reality of it...

What I made was a saggy, baggy, tent of a dress. The picture doesn't really do justice to how giant the skirt part is nor how ill fitting and wonky the top is. But it's bad, y'all. I actually put it on this morning thinking I'd wear it to the grocery. My husband said it looked like I was wearing a bell! So I grabbed my go-to for fixing wonky outfits, a denim jacket. It actually looked worse. Way worse. Especially from the side veiw.

I spent hours on it. HOURS. So much for Simplicity and that "It's SO Easy" bull printed on the pattern pack. I don't know how many times I have fallen for that one, but it's  never been "SO Easy"!  This time was no exception.

Although, as I was going along, I was feeling pretty confident! I got the skirt put together. I totally rocked the bodice. It's putting the two together where things went south.

And I know (now) what I did wrong.

I cut the bodice a size smaller than the skirt.  D'OH!  In my defense, I was using my measurements and following the pattern pack guidelines.  The bodice was supposed to be slightly gathered before sewing to the skirt. Since it was a size smaller, it didn't end up fitting the gargantuan sized skirt (which was cut to what I thought was my size). So I fiddled, un-gathered, and generally messed with the two pieces trying to get them to fit together until I got to that "I'm just going to sew the thing" point.

And then came the super fun job of trying to sew an elastic casing through all those layers and puckers and aforementioned mess.  Followed by even more fun...trying to thread the elastic through casing that way to small in more than one place. Super super fun.


If any of you notice a peculiar cloud floating by, pay no attention, it's probably just the remnants of the cussin' fit that accompanied the whole elastic casing/threading elastic business.

Despite my resulting tent dress, there were some good things that came out of this little adventure:

• It was a good learning experience. I know what size to cut the next time and I will cut the top and bottom the same size. I think that might solve some of the trouble I had with the casing issue as well as the fit problems.  
• It didn't end up in an angry heap forever banished to a ziplock bag in my closet. I finished it! I might even go back and work on it some more. Months from now.
• I  actually made a dress. It was my first try, and even though I can't wear it, it is clearly a dress. I'd call that a success! 

My next sewing adventure will consist only of things I know I can sew successfully, like aprons, bags and quilt blocks. But I'm not ready to give up on making clothes just yet. I'm just not ready to try it again anytime soon!


*my cowboy boots aren't really magic

And She Will Make Clothes in 2012!

Despite the fact that I've already got big plans to do a boat load more quilting and sewing this year, I rediscovered a website this morning that has me chomping at the bits to add more to my to-do list.

The Sew Weekly. I stumbled upon it through pinterest a while ago and pinned a couple of "Make this Look" posts. These posts show an inspiration piece from Modcloth or Anthropologie and a very similiar sewing pattern and fabrics, allowing you to create your own version of the originial. Brilliant!

This morning I spent at least an hour looking through the "Make this Look" section and scouring over gorgeous and fun vintage inspired outfits that users had made. 

Like this dress, which I am currently coveting.

I'm certain there are a ton more goodies on the site.  Which means I'll have to spend even more time there. Oh, bother. 

Still, that hour I spent at looking at the creations of others, has totally inspired me to drag out some sewing patterns and get busy!

I'll mention that sewing clothes is not what I'm most comfortable with. A simple handbag? Doable. An apron. No problem! A skirt? I've made exactly two. This one. and This one. I've got two more wadded into heaps in ziplock bags and thrown into the back of my sewing closet, perhaps never to see the light of day again. I've started two blouses...one is in much the same shape as the two skirts mentioned above and the other was so bad that I just threw it away, pattern, pins, and all.  I've yet to tackle a dress.  Zippers and the mention of piping make me break out in hives.  Pants? Just plain scary.

Still, despite my past experiences with garments, I am inspired to try again! 

Between all the other creative things that I want to do and the fact that I have to go to work on a daily basis, I will somehow make time to myself some clothes. Clothes that (1). I can wear in public and (2). Won't end up in a sad heap confined to a ziplock bag.

The only thing I'm lacking are cute vintage patterns in my size and enough yardage to make clothes. I buy in FQ, Half and One Yard cuts...because that's what works for me w/quilting and the things I normally make. But that's an easy fix! I'm going to start thinking "more" when it comes to yardage!

The vintage patterns are probably going to be above my current level of skills, so I'm content with pulling out some A line skirts and the two simple dress patterns that I own. Once I master those, I'm totally moving up to the vintage inspired stuff and I will be making one of those Modcloth inspired dresses...like this one. 

Now, I'm officially requesting that more hours be added to the day. 

Scrappity Scrap Scraps!

There's something really exciting going on over at Pleasant Home!

For the entire month of Janurary, Pleasant Home is hosting Sew Scraps Along 2012. In addition to giving us tips on organizing our scraps and providing scrappy inspiration, PH is featuring a bevy of ways to use up those scraps that taunt you from sewing closets, bins, or wherever you hide them!

The first featured scrap project is a dreamy picnic quilt from Freda's Hive. I want to make one. Right now.

With an ever growing, getting out of control in a scary kind of way scrap stash, I'm pretty stoked about this month of scrapbusting ideas!

So excited, in fact, that I'm going to go visit my scrap stash right now!

Not Exactly Resolutions

I think of it more as a vision than a list of resolutions.

Looking ahead into 2012, I can see that: 

• I'm enjoying spending more time with my precious family.
• I'm a better wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend.
• I am thankful more often.
• I'm doing something creative every day, even if it only amounts to a doodle on a sticky note.
• I've re-opened The Laughing Otter, am enjoying the creative outlet, and making a profit.
• I'm taking care of myself for those who love me.
• I'm working smarter and with renewed enthusiasm.
• I'm relaxing as much as possible and reading more than ever.
• I'm learning new things.
• I smile and laugh even more than I did in 2011.

Here's hoping you have a wonderful 2012!

Blue On Wednesday

I didn't plan it this way, but I think it's pretty cool that the first quilt I made in 2011 was a mini art quilt...

Fan Art Piece inspired by a local movie production company

... and my final quilt of 2011 was also a mini art quilt!

I'd had kind of a crappy day on Wednesday and after coming home from work, moping around and looking at the walls for a while, I decided that doing something creative was the only thing that would make me feel better.

I started by covering a scrap of white fabric in gesso, then painting this small portrait using watercolors.

Next, I added some thread sketching--my first ever attempt--to the hair. And yes, after it initially dried, I went in and added more paint, changing the look of the face.

thread sketching/painting(?) detail

Finally, I made a small quilt, added some shapes using raw edge applique and then zigzagged the portrait on top of everything...and yes, added more paint, changing her face yet again!

I'm going to do something that is extremely difficult for me and refrain from my usual self depricating, "I'm not an artist/quilter/seamstress/ so look at everything that is wrong with this" hooey and say this instead: I am proud of this little quilt! I'm not proud because I think it is a great work in either the art or quilting realm. I am proud that I had an inkling of an idea that I was able to turn into something real; that I was able to overcome "the blues" in a creative way; that I did it without using someone else's pattern and followed my own nose instead.

Mom's Pinwheel Sampler

So for all the yammering I have done about this quilt since January of 2011, I thought I should show off the finished product.

In case you didn't read the gazillion other posts about this quilt, I followed the Pinwheel Sampler Quilt-Along instructions on P.S. I Quilt. Those instructions were easy to follow and I love how pattern uses just one layer cake and some yardage, but results in a nice size lap quilt!. I sent it to a local gal to have it quilted--she did a wonderful job.  I machine applied the binding even though I said I would never do that again.  My excuse it that it wouldn't have been finished on time otherwise. Even though I don't love the sloppy binding, I'm happy with the way this one turned out!

Mom loved it!

Coming soon...the final version of the I-Spy Quilt that I made for my nephew!