What I'm Up To

You might have noticed that I don't post about my own life very much. Well, here's a bit of what I've been doing.....

What I'm reading:

Susan Wise Bauer writes so well, it's engaging as well as thorough. The timelines are also very helpful.

I've barely started this one. It came with my logic curriculum and I think it will be a great (albeit slightly dry) read.

What I'm knitting:

This is a pattern from one of my vintage books. Since I'm not very good on the needles, I chose something rather simplistic. One thing I like about knitting in the round is that I never have to turn my work. It's been so much fun, I'll probably make another pair out of angora or mohair once I finish these ones.

What I'm sipping:

Yama Moto Yama has been making fine Japanese teas for upwards of 300 years, and they sure know what they're doing. I drank a lot of festive, flavorful teas over the holidays, but lately I've been craving a milder, more understated taste. Made with green tea and brown rice, this is just the right one. Not sweet, strong, or spicy, just soothing. And perfect accompniment for my reading and knitting.

Grey Gardens

I recently watched a most intriguing documentary on the lives of two eccentric women, who defied the status quo and sequestered themselves in a ramshackle mansion. Grey Gardens, the story of "Big" Edie and "Little" Edie Beale, and filmed in 1976, begins on an off-kilter, lightsome note, with "Little" Edie welcoming the Maysles brothers, and confiding in them that she is wearing "the best costume for the day." (which includes a brooch-adorned turban, turquoise high heels, and an upside-down skirt securely fastened to her girdle)
Cousin to Jackie Kennedy, she never married, and at 56, had been living with her aging mother for the past 20-odd years. Though it isn't specified when, they both turned their backs on wealth, fame, the socialite life, to reside on their East Hampton estate, gradually slipping deeper into a time warp where past and present somehow bend and merge.
As the film progresses, Little Edie's passion for life grows more apparent. She describes herself as a "staunch character," and tells of her longing to join Broadway. In the meantime, she spends her time reading horoscopes, ("that's what I need, a Libra man!") feeding raccoons, dancing on the porch, and answering her mother's impatient calls of "E-E-E-die!!!"
Although, at first, the documentation of these lives seems amusingly cock-eyed and near Suessian, it unfolds into a beautiful portrait of a different humanity than what we are most familiar with. It made me laugh, but it also made me pause and think for a moment. Life is not as prescribed as what it is often cast to be.

*note: The film is only rated PG; however, I would advise some prudence in watching it. There is some {what I would consider to be} mild language, and several of the Beale's outfits are more revealing than is proper.

Sleep in Your Car

I found this funny how-to on WikiHow. Sorry for my absence. I do have a life, but more will come, I promise.

The Best Almost-Instant Manicure:

Most everyone knows that I love painting nails, and that I'm a sucker for bright, happy, cutesy colors. Those are all well and good for toenails, but for my hands, I prefer something a bit less distracting. Enter Borghese nail lacquer in Angelica Blush. In just the right shade of translucent pink, it is very pretty without looking unnatural. So, you just start with clean, filed nails, sweep on a coat of polish, and voila! Perfect!

Love in the Library

Oooh...I love the library! I am always falling for one or two or twenty books in there. Librarians are some of the most intriguing people around, and so helpful. They usually inquire as to whether I need help carrying my 17 lb stack back to my car. Dear souls.
Yes, so anyway, last time I paid a visit, I found this fantastic gem. It has a nebulous "Scando-Japanese" look, with cool and cozy colors paired in a most pleasing way. And the projects are darling! In most cases, I will check out a book, salivate over the designs, and return it before I can actually realize any of my inspirations. This time; however, I am working on the party bag. Sewn from plummy shantung, lined with a flowery print, and adorned with little ruffles, it is quite a treat. I'll post pictures when I have it done.

Baby Treats

I LOVE baby clothes!! I've always been a fan of anything small, and "big people" clothing reinterpreted in a miniaturized scale is way too scrumptious cute! Here is what I found at Twilite Moon:

Little boys are awesome because you can throw together just about anything for an outfit, and they somehow end up looking fantastic. And vertical stripes are a must.You can stone, burn, and red-letterize me, but it is my firm belief that all guys should wear cords. No particular reason, other than I think they are the coolest thing left behind by the 70's, and they always look great.

Itty bitty laces. Miniscule stitching. Way too cute.

They're red, and they're Mary Janes. I totally envy any little girl I see wearing these.

I love this dress! It looks so grown-up and pretty, and would match those Mary Janes perfectly.

I'm not too hot on the idea of women wearing suspenders, but it works for this little throwback.

Ok, enough for today. More style at a later date.

More from Anthropologie

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. I found this skirt today and I think it is the cutest thing:
Perfect for any Christmas party! Add a wooly sweater for casual gatherings, or something soft and shiny for a fancier soiree. Not quite worth the $88 price tag, but it serves well as inspiration.

It's All Relative

The lady pictured above is my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Brubaker, for whom I was given my middle name. (the gentleman is her second husband, of no relation to me) The other day, Mrs. Comstock said my nose looks like my grandma Lizzie's. So what do you guys think? Do I have the schnozz of a long-deceased Mennonite granny, or did it get here by some other means?

Eating Real

It has been a long time since I've seen a documentary this good. If you haven't seen it yet, get off my blog, and go rent it.

NEWS!!

I have just opened my new Etsy store, The Crafty Chicken! I've only got two items in so far, but it's enough to get me excited.

The Lucia skirt:

The yellow suit:
(which, coincidentialy, is very handy for faking an hourglass)