Sunday, November 30, 2008

Meet my niece and nephew

I'm totally ripping off my twin sister's blog, but I thought this was cute. She did these little bios and collages of her two dogs. Without further adieu, I present Cole and Lillie

Meet Lillie:
Tiger Lillie: the independent thinker
Breed: Papillon
Birthdate: 12/11/07
Weight: 8 lbs.
Likes: Balls, biting hair, ice, food, and pigs ears
Dislikes: Snuggling, getting in trouble, baths, and wind
Favorite Trick: Shake (AKA "paw")




Meet Cole:
Cole Bear: the little lover
Breed: Papillon
Birthdate: 12/11/07
Weight: 8 lbs.
Likes: Barking, soft fabric, Nylabones, cats, treats, and cuddling
Dislikes: Baths, yelling, the cold, and being alone
Special Ability: To make anyone love him

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Cute Bows Made out of Recycled Bags


Creature Comforts
came up with this idea which I happen to really like: Make pom-pom bows for your presents out of plastic grocery bags. You can view the original entry here which gives detailed instructions on how to make these eco-friendly treats.

Happy Thanksgiving

Please enjoy these vintage postcards that I found and have a safe and lovely Thanksgiving Day. May your heart be blessed on this day that we pause and take time to remember.



















Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Costumes from Australia

I found these beautiful vintage looking "postcards" from the film, Australia, over at the New York Times. Costume designer, Catherine Martin, explains her inspiration for each outfit. I, of course, love the 1930s and 1940s feel of the costumes and cannot wait to see the film. There is also a related article about the costume design. Below I have posted the pictures and the accompanying summary of each look.



“Sportswear was being developed in the late 19th century, when women started to ride bikes and play tennis,” Ms. Martin said. “But really it was crystallized in the 1930s, when women were divested of their cumbersome undergarments and started to wear simple, beautiful clothes that were ostensibly based on men’s tailoring.” The clean lines of this traveling ensemble owe a debt to the practical, sporty designs of Chanel, Hermès and Claire McCardell. “There is a lovely synthesis of practicality, comfort and style,” Ms. Martin said. “They reveled in the age of speed and automation and the movement of the body.”



“The T-shirt he is wearing is, in fact, a shearer’s shirt, a traditional shirt that has been in that style since the late 19th century,” Ms. Martin said of Mr. Jackman’s cattle driver. “These are very traditional, classic Australian clothes, as is the plaited belt. Most of the stockmen made their own leather goods around the campfire.” The second, so-called hobble belt is used to tie together the legs of horses to keep them from wandering off. “The pants are the equivalent of Australian jeans. They are made from moleskin, and weirdly, in Australia, we wear it with the furry side in.”



“One of the references that Baz directed me to was all those great actresses and sporty women of the 1930s, whether it’s Katharine Hepburn or Carole Lombard or the photographer Lee Miller,” Ms. Martin said. To show that Lady Ashley is similarly independent, Ms. Martin thought it was important for her to wear pants. On the cattle drive, Lady Ashley starts off in a pristine outfit but is soon reduced to tattered jodhpurs and a stained blouse. “Nicole is very athletic, and she did the majority of her own riding, so we really had to think about how practical it was for her to wear pants,” Ms. Martin said.



“When we went on one of the scouts to Darwin, the water was absolutely beautifully blue,” Ms. Martin said. At the time, she had on a Liberty print shirt that inspired a costume Lady Ashley wears when she and Hugh Jackman’s character are having drinks in the city. “Baz wanted those quintessential 1930s colors at sunset — a fat yellowy pink with that very ’30s green — to highlight this quite romantic and poignant scene.” This dress combines an Asian silhouette with a pheasant pattern printed on linen. “There were some lovely cigarette advertisements from the time, where you see the traditional cheongsam being Westernized,” Ms. Martin said. “All those influences came together to make that dress.”



“Baz was very interested in the ethnic mix in Darwin, because Darwin is closer to Asia than it is to Sydney,” Ms. Martin said. “He started talking in a very literal and logical way: If you lost all your clothes on the drove and you had to get something made in 24 hours in Darwin, where would you go?” There were Chinese tailors working there, so she imagined a confluence of a cheongsam with a fashionable chrysanthemum print on organza.



“There was a fashion from the ’30s, certainly in India and China, to use fabrics that weren’t part of the language of traditional clothes,” Ms. Martin said. The gardenias Ms. Kidman is wearing “are a very classic ’30s flower,” Ms. Martin said, “and also part of our tropical north.”

Saturday, November 22, 2008

My New Winter Jacket

Yesterday we had our first official snow, and today I noticed that the lake was freezing over. I think it's time for a new winter coat-- especially as it looks like I'll be in New York City in December, which means I'll be outside A LOT. I was inspired by Fog and Thistle's search for the perfect parka (she did the dirty work and compiled a group or worthy competitors), and coincidentally, ended up selecting the same jacket that she did-- a warm, white one from Eddie Bauer.

It was not that cheap but I found a great coupon code (20% off the order plus free shipping with code FRNDDEAL until November 24th) at the website RetailMeNot.com. If you're shopping online, I recommend you stop there first and see if there are any applicable codes-- I saved $40 this time.

My new jacket, arriving in 7-10 days

Friday, November 21, 2008

Today and Yesterday

Today:

A "dog" nap this afternoon. There are three dogs-- can you find them all?



The first snow of the season-- it dusted the flowers!

A Year Ago Today:


My friend, Holly, and me at an event in a hotel in Dubai, U.A.E.

Passing the Time

I spent almost the entire day sewing-- working on the aforementioned jacket (in older posts), which my mom now says looks like a marching band uniform. I did a lot of hand sewing and as a result, have a blister on my middle finger because I did not deem it necessary to use a thimble. I also managed to cut a nice sized chunk out of my index finger with a pair of scissors. I took a break on that one, but then pressed on. I thought it might be nice to post some pictures of my handiwork, of which I am quite proud. No date yet as to when this project will be finished, but I'll keep plugging along (and showing you my progress).

The lapel (for lack of a better name). All of the black trim was hand-stitched down and each one hides a buttonhole.


The lapel pinned to the rest of the jacket on one side.


The back of the jacket.


My favorite feature: a pleated peplum. Before I was struck with the inspiration to put the pleats in, the back was completely plain.


Prior to making the jacket in the fashion fabric, I made it in muslin to test out the fit and design. This is called a toile (pronounced twall). As you can see, the original back did not have pleats and was shorter.

Lego Fashion Show


JCDC Versus LEGO from Four H on Vimeo.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Do I or Don't I?

I found this dress online and REALLY want it. It's a bit pricey though, and I'm a bit poor. But I LOVE it!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Cute Baby Moccasins


Over at The Purl Bee I found this pattern for these absolutely adorable knitted baby moccasins. I'm really into knitting baby clothes lately-- I have at least three girlfriends who are pregnant right now and there is the added bonus that these pint-sized pieces knit up so quickly.

Monday, November 17, 2008

My New Hobby

I seem to have a lot of free time on my hands these days, and as such, have some new hobbies. One of things that I find myself enjoying is reading other people's blogs. It reminds me of reading the "Life and Leisure" or "Metro" section of the newspaper-- there's a lot of human interest out there.

Usually I make the rounds through all of my blogs, growing excited when the bloggers have posted something new, disappointed when they haven't. It's a rather tedious affair as it's rare for many, or even most to have updated their blogs since the last time I checked.

Enter Google Reader, the free service from Google that keeps all of my blogs organized and lets me know anytime someone has posted a new entry. It's brilliant and causes me to question, "Oh Google Reader, where have you been all of my life?"

This is definitely worth checking out-- I highly recommend this service. And if you know of a blog that I should be reading, let me know, as I'll definitely add it to my reader. I'm always looking for new stuff to read. And while you're add it, add me to yours ;)

My own Google Reader and list of blogs I'm currently reading

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Obsessed with Clothes

I am a little obsessed with clothes. And shoes. You see, I studied fashion design in college where I ate, breathed, and slept clothes for five tedious years. After college, I put design behind and moved to the Big Apple to pursue another dream of mine, a dream which, at the end of the day, still has a lot to do with clothes: Model. So, when I'm not making my own designs, or wearing other people's designs, I'm just a normal gal who does a fair amount of thinking about clothes in her down time.

I really love vintage shopping and have been fortunate enough to find a few really cool stores. This pleated brown dress, which dates from the fifties, was found at an awesome vintage store in Brooklyn, New York and was priced rather reasonably. My mom and I altered it last night-- the waist was just a bit tight, so we let it out a bit. Whew... I can breathe again! I wore it to church today with a little black cardigan, black ribbed tights, and the cutest pair of mary janes from Zappos.
I keep writing about the jacket that I'm working on-- I designed it, made the pattern, and now am sewing the little booger together. It's definitely a labor of love. Yesterday, I decided to take a break from my sartorial endeavors and pulled out my markers and drew a picture of the jacket. Now, illustration was never my strong suit, but it doesn't keep me from still trying. What do you think? My brother-in-law described the jacket as something that would be worn if "Sgt Pepper started recruiting young girls." If you must know, the direct inspiration for my jacket comes from the film, Vanity Fair. Jonathan Rhys Meyers' character in the army and I modeled my jacket on his period uniform.




These are some designs I drew some nine(!) years ago when I was beginning fashion school. I keep digging these things out, and it makes for a nice walk down memory lane.