call me a fool

i quite like pinterest's celebration of april fool's day:

... i was so confused when i first saw it. i guess that was the point. ha ha!

set sail

lately i've been interested in trying to make bags. 

the problem is that i have so many ideas

 and it is hard for me to focus on just one. 

 but the lil blue boo/ dharma trading design challenge kind of gave

 me the kick start i've been needing.  

i was inspired by her contact paper screenprinting tutorial 

and used some techniques from it

 [i didn't have all of the right supplies so i kind of had to finagle it]  

during the screenprinting process, which became the pocket pieces.

when i went to hobby lobby to buy screenprinting ink, they didn't

have a navy blue. so i bought a royal blue and mixed it

with some black fabric paint to darken it.  the texture still seemed okay,

especially for a bag.  i probably wouldn't have done 

that if i was doing a t-shirt or other clothing item.

i just picked a geometric looking shape and went with it.

 supplies i used:

about a yard of very thick and stiff natural, unbleached cotton.

a bit of medium heavy-weight cotton for the contrast.

screenprinting ink, contact paper, embroidery hoop

zipper

U-rings

i love this fabric for a bag.  i will definitely use it again.  i put 

it through the wash and i love the permanent wrinkles that

add to the rough aesthetic.  the natural cream fiber and feel of the fabric

reminded me of sailcloth.  combined with the color 

scheme, i thought this bag has a nautical feel. [hence the name]

i also was able to re-use a great industrial looking gray zipper i

took off of something else.

the pros:

i quite like the finished product and the embroidered lettering.

it reminds me vaguely of a mark that might be on a vintage sail,

with this year's date stamp.

i am a screenprinting novice for sure, but i also

like that the rough quality and bleeding around

the edges works well with the fabric/overall aesthetic.

also, i added in some U-rings so i could make a shoulder

strap to go on this bag if i want. 

the cons:    

i should've started simpler!  there were a few construction details 

i was unsure of. i was just kind of sewing on a whim.

i think i will start back at square one, and make a

simple zippered cosmetic bag.  and then build from there.

also, i just saw the contest the other day so i made this up 

really quick this weekend.

anyway, it was a fun little project. thanks for the 

contest and the kick start, lil blue boo!

i have so many other projects i've been 

working on that i need to show... 

hopefully i will get used to posting more often!

lolly

507 renfro street

we are moving to dallas in the summer, after we graduate, to start my husband's job in august.  i am excited to start our real adult life.  it is also a little surreal.  but one of the best parts about moving...means a new place to live!  in reality we are looking to rent an apartment downtown for a little while. i am excited about renting an apartment... we are looking at lofts in old converted industrial buildings and factories, the kinds of places with exposed bricks and ductwork, concrete floors, etc. all of this is very exciting to me, and i know that this is the only time of our lives when living downtown in a big city and living in a small apartment will be realistic AND practical.

but.  there's another part of me that wants to skip the downtown experience all together, and get into a house. i understand the practicalities of living downtown, and it makes sense, and i'm happy to. but i can't help but look at the real estate available in our potential price range.  i drive my husband crazy doing this...but i can't help it. every few months (this has gone on for over a year) i find a great little house, the kind that i-want-right-now-and-i-can't-live-without-it-and-it's-perfect-for-a-million-different-reasons. of course, we can't do anything about it right now.  but now that the move is actually in this calendar year, it's tempting.

so anyway, the point of all this yada yada, is that i found a new favorite house this past week.  meet my friend on 507 renfro street. (all pictures from realtor.com)

doesn't it just look like home? 

so picturesque

and i love the trees

the pros:

-half an acre lot

-price is very reasonable, would cost us less than renting

-new siding

-4 bed

-2 1/2 bath

-1856 sq. ft -- fine for a starter home

-features a "workshop" (unsure of what this is but it sounds like a pro)

-original wood floors

-it is not the typical blah house that you see so many of around this part of dallas in our price range

-under 30 min. commute for the mister (based on google map search)

the cons: (this is a good exercise for me since my house love is blind)

-priced low enough that i'm a little worried about the neighborhood. and even if there are nice people there, would there be any families under 65 yr. old?

-there are no interior photos. that leaves me to wonder a lot.  

-no clue if there are any structural/major issues with the house

-i do not think this house has a front door. ha ha, all i can make out from the photos is a little red side door. kinda weird i must admit. [see photo 2]

so.

as you can see,

there are not many cons. i am in loooovveee with this little old place.

i hope that no one notices this little place for the next 5 months....that we automatically are approved for a home loan, that the whole process goes flawlessly, and that we have our first christmas in dallas in this little place.  oh yeah, and somewhere in there, i have to convince my husband of all of this.

i have my work cut out for me.

funny ha ha or funny faux pas?

i'm not usually big on collars.  most collared items in my closet never get worn. they are the ones that get pushed to the back or packed away in boxes (or somehow stay in my dirty laundry basket through multiple laundry days).  sure, i have one gingham button up i wear.  the notched collar on my trench is fine... and there are definitely types of collars that are exceptions, like cowls and huge fold-over collars that i like.

but flat collars?  i thought they were hideous.  just last semester i had to make a baby dress with the requirement of a flat collar.  blah.

but now.... i find images of clothing with flat collars stacking up in my inspiration folder.  we are learning about collars in my patternmaking class and i am excited to try out peter pan styles.  ahhhh! it's so funny how times and styles change. and suddenly i am liking some flat collared styles.  [same thing happened with skinny jeans.  i was very stubborn and wouldn't wear them for quite some time.  now that's all i wear.  and i am always saying that i hope they stick around for a while, long enough for me to put my unborn daughter in them.  little girls are so cute in skinny jeans.]  okay back to collars.

here is a small roundup of my favorite flat collars.

urban outfitters

need supply

possibly my favorite outfit ever

queen's wardrobe

granny...but cute?

three from modcloth

and this sweater from urban outfitters doesn't even have a collar. but it is a little bit reminiscent of one.

so... what do you think? do you like this trend? or am i way off base?

happy valentine's day

peeping

if a peeping tom looked through our window, this might be what he'd see.

i've made a lot of progress in our room during 2010.

hopefully 2011 brings with it another boost of inspiration, strong enough to make me finish the job.

also a personal maid that cleans up after me, does laundry, and windexes the bathroom mirror everyday. 

secrets

i like to watch HGTV.  and i do it a lot.  there are occasionally rooms and ideas that i like....but then a lot that i don't care for.  i still like to watch them but i am always wondering why there isn't a designer with a style that is really inspiring to me.  well i was an avid follower of this season's design star and liked emily from the beginning.  guess what. she WON!!! and i think she may have solved my HGTV conundrum.  i watched her first new show tonight, secrets from a stylist, and was in love with practically everything i saw.  i loved it.  and want to watch the episode at least twice more.  and i am going to try to make my husband watch it with me (ha ha!)

here are some shots from her first show:

photos via 

and some other photos from her portfolio:

love this vintage swiss flag!

photos via

and then two makeovers from a designstar challenge that i really liked: 

glass house challenge

white box challenge

photos via

isn't she great? go to hgtv.com and you can learn more about her and see lots more photos.


ps. while we're on the subject, i also have to add that this season on sarah's house, she renovated an old farmhouse and i saw a lot that i liked there too.  see pictures here.