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.

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.”

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

I Like This Picture

via The Inklings

All by Myself

I do believe that I am turning into a hermit. It's funny to think that on most days, the only whiff I get of the outside world is when I open the back door to let the dogs out. Sometimes I make it a little farther outside-- usually out to the front and up to a neighbor's house-- but that only happens when one of the dogs (or more often, both) decide that I need some exercise and takes off out of the yard.

It's starting to show a bit-- I feel as if I'm thickening up for the winter. Perhaps I'll go into hibernation come December:) I keep telling myself that I'll put our treadmill to good use, or maybe lift a weight or two (all squirreled away in the basement) but so far inspiration (or rather, motivation) seems to be lacking.

I wonder if being solo develops character. It's amazing the amount of time I spend all by myself. Today I holed up in the basement with the sewing machine. I spent time laying out my fabric, cutting, ironing, and stitching pieces together. It's deathly quiet down there, aside from the humming of my machine, and I sing bits and pieces of hymns to myself as I pass the time.

The jacket is progressing nicely. I still have tons to do, and I seem to be determined to make it a piece of art. I take the long way every chance I get, and my only hope is that this will show in the quality of the workmanship. God is in the details, as van der Rohe says. It's a very painstaking process though, and I just pray that I have the patience to carry it through.


In other news, I've found another way to pass my time: a television series that I am sure to become addicted to. It is a British series called The House of Eliott. It ran from 1991-93 and I netflixed it the other day. It's about two sisters who are left poor after their father suddenly dies. The plucky sisters get together and start a fashion house, making their own designs. You can see the immediate appeal of the show to me, but additionally, it is set in the roaring 1920s, which happens to be one of my favorite decades. Although the series looks dated (the film quality, etc.), I'm already hooked and cannot wait for the next disk to come so I can follow it along.

Designing Woman

I've been busy sewing all day- I'm working on a jacket that's quite complicated. It has something like eighteen buttons, pleats, and the whole thing is piped. If that wasn't enough, I am drafting the pattern myself which means lots of mistakes and editing. I've completely remade the jacket several times, each time out of a trial fabric, and today I finally decided to go forward with the actual fabric: a buttery, gray wool.

It's a little known fact about me that before I moved to New York to pursue modeling, I was in school for fashion design. Not only did I graduate, but I finished at the top of my class. It's a skill that I don't use very much, but I do enjoy working on little projects when I am in Delaware at my parent's house.

I definitely plan to post pictures of my latest project, but in the meanwhile, I found these designs that I did while in college. You can get an idea of what my aesthetic is, as I tend to design what I'd want to wear.

Baz Luhrmann's Australia

I'm obsessed with epic costume dramas which is why I know what I'll be doing this Thanksgiving-- why, going to see the new Baz Luhrmann film, Australia, of course. Here is the trailer for the movie, set in the 1930s.



Here are some movie stills courtesy of AceShowBiz





This is the spread that appeared in the July 2008 issue of American Vogue. I love these costumes!

McCain's Concession Speech

I stayed up late last Tuesday night and watched as the election map filled in with reds, yellows, and blues. So, I was still glued to my television set (actually, I had grown rather bored of the pundits and had popped in a movie on my laptop) when the official announcement of Obama's win came through. It was this, though, that opened my bleary, tired eyes, and for a moment filled me with hope. What am I talking about? The concession speech of John McCain which was filled with dignity and grace. It was like watching a totally different man than the one I had seen during the debates, and this time, I was proud of him. If you have a moment, I recommend watching it, as I do think it should go down in history as a great and memorable speech and, one that graciously ushers in the new President-elect, Barack Obama.

For Fellow Bloggers

I just found out that there are tens of thousands of gadgets that you can add to your blog to personalize it. Ranging from pictures of the day, to weather, to games visitors can play, you can do some pretty cool customization to your blog. To learn how, watch this short YouTube video:

Going to the Dark Side

I had to post this picture-- after going blonde this summer (I blog about my process here), I decided to embrace darker hair and go back to my more natural brunette self. When it came time to choose a color, I was feeling the pinch of a tight budget, and decided to use hair color that I already have on hand: the L'Oreal hair box that I am featured on. At first the transition was quite a shock and I kept protesting that I looked nothing like the model on the box, but after a week of getting used to it, I think you'll agree with me that my results do indeed resemble the hair color box.

Before (During the summer):


After (Now):

Knitted Donkey and Elephant

I found this really fun yarn on clearance at Walmart the other day. It's red, white and blue and made by Peaches and Creme. I thought it would be fun to make a political project like the donkey and elephant pictured below (via Cathy of California). Now all I need to do is find a pattern.

The Trouble With Men

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. I found this quote in an amazing book that I highly recommend-- The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature by Elizabeth Kantor, Ph.D. In the book, she talks about what we learn by reading great literature, i.e., lovers learn to be better lovers through reading the sensual poetry of John Donne, believers read and are inspired to pray in the words of John Milton or T.S. Eliot, a widower finds comfort in William Shakespeare's words: "Men must endure their going hence..." and finally, women "manage (their) relationships with greater integrity because of (the works of) Jane Austen."

Hence, here is what she writes we can learn from looking at the relationships in Jane Austen's book:

"The same tendency not to take responsibility-- to keep their options open, not to get involved-- is what makes young men so dangerous. The villains in Jane Austen's novels are not rapists, wife-beaters, or even jealous husbands. They're men who don't stick around. It's not men's violent, "controlling" urges that make it necessary for parents to look out for their daughters; it's men's tendencies to avoid (or weasel out of) commitment that do. In each of the novels there's at least one man who pays a woman the kind of attention he knows (if he thinks it through) that he shouldn't pay her unless his intentions are serious-- and they're not. In Jane Austen's views, this behavior seems to be an occupational hazard of being male."

Fashion Nightmare

It's still too early to criticize our new president (awwww, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and wait to see what he does with his power), but I will take this opportunity to pick on little ol' Michelle Obama and THAT dress she was wearing on Tuesday night.




















What was she thinking? No, really. She DOES look like a lava lamp. It's a Narcisco Rodriguez dress that comes from his September collection, and it's sad to say that she does not do that dress any favors by wearing it. In contrast, the model looks lovely in the same outfit which is why one really must dress for their body type. (And why models get paid to wear the clothes, not average people, even if it is normal people who will be wearing the clothes at the end of the day. That said, a dress whose price range lies between $1,000-8,000 is hardly something an average person would wear.)

You can read the New York Times article about that eyesore here.

There's also a slideshow that depicts some of her more winning fashion moments.

Getting Crafty

One of the first rules of blogging is to pick a topic and stick to it. Apparently, it confuses readers if you jump around-- only the devoted will stay loyal while you switch from topic to topic. I'm not much for arbitrary rules anyway, and I don't exactly have a huge readership, so I'll write what a please, and you'll like it, darn it. My blog is titled "Dum Spiro Spero," which means "While I breathe, I hope," and it is my personal motto. The description under that heading states that this blog is about love, life, and literature, which gives me a lot of wiggle room when it comes to the topic department.

One of my favorite blogs is the Craft Magazine Blog which I have listed in my sidebar. They compile crafts and crafty items from other blogs and the web and showcase them on the Craft Magazine site. It's a fun site and a great way to learn about other sites. Here's some of the recent items on the Craftzine blog that caught my eye on a recent visit:

Designer wedding dresses for less site, Once Wed, shows how to make these pretty monogrammed leaves.


These tags come courtesy of Fog and Thistle. You can download them for yourself at the site.


I always want to make envelopes and wrap presents with fabric. ChezPlum.com has a tutorial showing how to make this cute one.


Mmmm... Cashmere fingerless gloves (pattern) from The Purl Bee

Cook popcorn on the stovetop with these easy to follow directions. Via Three Wheels Turning.

Yay to this person for turning a pair of thrift-store shoes into this Marie Antoinette number.

Even though I hate Scrabble, I thought these benches and pillows were kind of cool.

Another site that I discovered through the Craft Magazine blog is the Inspire Company blog which also has links to a cute magazine, and to their store which is full of charming gift ideas. The blog includes directions for different crafts and this one caught my eye.

This walnut has small gifts inside. You can learn how to make a tiny gift box for yourself here.

Cute Overload

On this day of strife with the reds fighting the blues, I thought we could do with a bit of lighthearted cute. I found this aesthetically pleasing food (courtesy of the Japanese) at Cute Overload. Yummy!

Medicating into Mediocrity

We cannot mature and be fully creative by burying or displacing anxiety, but only by moving through it.
~Soren Kierkegaard

If nightingale and linnet
Knew of my sadness and pain,
Their singing would have in it
A far more joyful strain.
~Heinrich Heine



The November issue of Elle features a strumpet-looking Nicole Kidman on the cover (who at forty-one years old looks younger and fresher than any seventeen year old) and one woman's take on the antidepressant debate. In her article, Club Med, Cathi Hanauer explains her own journey from anxiety ridden to Celexa dependent, and back to being drug free. She takes a detailed look at the world of SSRIs-- the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that increase the serotonin levels in synaptic gaps in the brain, thereby making people feel better.

The world of antidepressant and antianxiety medicines is fraught with controversy-- ranging from questions of why Americans seem to be more medicated for these illnesses than the rest of the world, to whether it's safe, what it does to our brain, and even the implications that one is a weak person if they can't beat their problems through diet, meditation, counseling, or exercise.
The article immediately caught my eye, as yes, I am one of the many who are being treated with these drugs. I take both Lexapro and Abilify, one drug which is prescribed for depression, and the other for anxiety. I started taking these medicines seven months ago after going through what was one of the toughest times I had ever been through.

I have always thought of myself as a melancholic (see the Four Temperaments)-- I'm an introvert who lives inside my own world, and while I can be quite social, I tend to feel unknown and misunderstood. I've always longed to be one of those joyful people-- the kind that are jovial and constantly beam from ear to ear. Gregarious, outgoing, yes, I would love to have those descriptors applied to me. Instead, I'm the girl who sits in a corner and reads a book, who enjoys crying, and has long claimed to love "movies, music, and men that make me cry." It's as if in this sadness, I feel real. It puts me in touch with an empathy that feels other's pain.

My sister said to me the other day that she always felt that her depression was a gift from God. She had gone through phases where she was so low that she could barely get out of bed, and yet, in her pain, she is still thankful for the emotions that the sadness evoked. Similarly, during my own periods of particular depression, I find that I am reflective of my relationships, appreciative of life's moments. As tears stream down my face, I remember those precious moments that otherwise I might not have known. There is a song by the singer-songwriter Patty Griffin that details Mary's days after her son, Jesus, has left. He kisses her on her cheek, and she "stays behind and starts cleaning up the place." The lyrics speak of a mother who is overcome by the loneliness of saying goodbye to her eldest son. It's a poignant song, but one that I did not appreciate until I was blue. And then, one night on the floor in the bathroom of my hotel room in Athens, Greece, far away from my family and friends, my eyes filled with tears as I reflected on what it must mean to be that woman torn apart from her son. It gave me a new found appreciation of that moment in history-- one that I might not have known had that pain been dulled by antidepressants.

And, yet, that is the world that I have now entered-- one where meds take away some of my stress and ease my pain, but also one where, regrettably, I miss the insights associated with my pain. Is it possible that I loved greater and more before I was medicated? Or was my sadness and anxiousness a real drag to those around me and myself?

I have a difficult decision ahead of me. I'm comfortable now, filled with a mentality of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But perhaps it is time to go back-- back from whence I came. I don't know. All I do know is that I have some thinking to do.