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.