Exhaustion

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Hello, long-neglected internet world! This month got really crazy really quickly, between friends leaving town and making new friends and looking for jobs and interviewing for jobs and finding new jobs and... let's just say I'm exhausted. I want to sleep for a million hours, not so much because I'm physically tired, but because I'm emotionally spent. However, very soon I should be adjusted to a new schedule and back here on the blog. I'm hoping that after this weekend I'll be rejuvenated and back to regular posting. Until then, thanks for hanging in there!

My First Fashion Icon & Fall Trends

It seems like every style blogger I read is talking about fall fashion, and in some ways I'm excited for the clothing possibilities the changing seasons offer as well. I certainly won't complain when I'm able to wear more outside than just shorts & a tank top or a dress and sandals. (Unfortunately it's still so hot here that that's not going to happen for a while). I have mixed feelings about trends for fall, though--it seems like neutrals and a certain tastefulness are going to be in, and, well, I don't do neutrals very well. According to this Refinery 29 post the big color trends for fall are: camel, metallic, olive, ice blue, rich purple, and red. I can get behind purple and red, I guess? The others I could take or leave. Really the problem here is my first fashion icon, Mz Frizzle:

Talk about being able to put together an outfit. I think I still strive, at least subconsciously, to create a theme any time I put an outfit together -- and sometimes, the theme is something classy (like, "Mad Men") but sometimes the theme is something less sophisticated (like "Kinds of Sea Creatures!").

The truth is, I like dressing like Mz Frizz now and again (or more often). I like wearing outlandish colors mixed together, and jewelry that thematically coordinates with my shoes. I like sewing my own clothes in colors and combinations that you just can't find in a store. So, I think my personal fashion trends for fall 2010 are going to be: color, ruffles, ridiculous shoes, handmade accessories, and of course a good Mz Frizzle up-do.

Okay, maybe I'll throw in a few pairs of boots & skinny jeans, and a cardigan here or there. But only if it has ruffles on it or felt flowers pinned to it (or both).

Open For Business

At long last, I can reveal the project that's been taking up most of my time lately! After a couple years of hemming and hawing, I've finally opened up a One Room Schoolhouse Etsy Shop!

The shop contains all sorts of hand-sewn fancies, all with a retro aesthetic. I've been hard at work sewing aprons, necklaces and wallets! Putting the shop together was more work than I anticipated, but it's already been a rewarding experience even if it's only been open a couple of hours!

If you like what you see here, hop on over and take a look at the rest of my wares. I welcome feedback on my shop (um, as long as it's not utterly scathing criticism). And, if you buy something from me, I will love you forever and ever! Obviously.

sneak peek

This is just a little glimpse at what I've been working on lately... the final product will be unveiled soon! (Hopefully tomorrow, if I can get my act together)

Weekend in Tuskahoma

I'm home from spending a lovely weekend in Tuskahoma! Apart from a slight (HOUR LONG) backup on the turnpike, the drive down was uneventful, but beautiful. The southeastern corner of the state is all low, rolling mountains, pine trees, lakes and crisp air. I had a great time at the labor day festival with Briel--adequate (excessive) amounts of funnel cake, roasted corn, and fried cheese on a stick were eaten. Plus, all weekend there was a definite snap of autumn in the air--when we woke up on Saturday morning it was almost cold, and we briefly considered taking sweaters and jackets with us when we left the house (that idea was ultimately vetoed, and not only because I'd forgotten to pack any extra layers).

In addition to the labor day festival, we made preserves (!), Briel taught me how to spin with a drop spindle (!), and we also visited some yard sales and went shopping at the variety store in Clayton. Plus, there was plenty of quality lazing-about time, and a little exploring of abandoned houses. A wonderful labor day weekend, all in all!

lazy kitties on the porch

peach goo, soon to be peach preserves

freshly cleaned jars waiting for preserves

the finished item

My first bit of hand-spun yard (dyed with kool-aid)

Outfit Friday, regency style

It is still SO HOT here! Yesterday was at least 97 or 98, plus a lot of humidity. Looking at the forecast, I doubt we'll start having fall weather (read: mid-80s) until early October. Oh well, I supposedly love summer, so I guess I should relish these last days of scorching heat.

Anyway, this weekend I'm off on a surprise trip to Tuskahoma! (The surprise is that I'm actually doing something spontaneous). I'm going to visit Briel and go to the Choctaw Nation labor day fair. Plus Briel saw my list in my last post, and has promised not only to teach me how to spin with a drop spindle, but also how to make and can peach jam! I'm extremely excited.

Yesterday I was reading a regency-era romance novel (Georgette Heyer, anyone?) over breakfast and got inspired to create an outfit that would be reminiscent of that era. The result was maybe less "regency" and more "crazy lady with three different prints," but I still liked it.

top - Modcloth, skirt - GAP, shoes - UO

The skirt I wore is several years old and is intended to sit at the hips, but I safety-pinned it in a few inches and added a scarf-and-brooch belt arrangement to disguise all the jerry-rigging that went into this outfit.

scarf - hippie store, brooch - gift

24 before I'm 25

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Okay, this is the last birthday-related post, I promise. Just a little list of goals, some serious and some not so serious, to accomplish before my next birthday.

24 Things Before I Turn 25

1. Participate in the 365 Project.
2. Make homemade preserves.
3. Learn how to spin with a drop spindle.
4. Go to Dollywood.
5. Go on a long hike.
6. Spend an afternoon reading outside.
7. Take a yoga class.
8. Sell my wares at a craft fair.
9. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
10. Volunteer at the Humane Society.
11. Go to a show at Cain's.
12. Take a dance class.
13. Throw a party.
14. Write a YA novel.
15. Get my photography certificate.
16. Go out dancing.
17. Go to a show at the Brady.
18. Apply to Library Science grad school.
19. Write a chick lit novel.
20. Go to the Tulsa State Fair.
21. Go to a show at the BOK Center.
22. Visit NYC.
23. Attend a music festival.
24. Visit J in California.

Almond Raspberry Layer Cake

Birthdays are, above all, an excellent excuse to prepare a fancy dessert. As long as I've been old enough to wield sharp kitchen implements and use the stove, I've insisted on preparing my own birthday cake. This year I made this oh-so-tempting Almond Raspberry Layer Cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I love almond pastries and dark chocolate, so I thought this would be the perfect combination. I had a blast putting the cake together (it had so many steps! Crumb coat! Homemade buttercream frosting! Decorative icing piped through an actual pastry bag!). In the end it was quite a confection, and I think my family quite enjoyed it. My only failing was that I prepared the cake layers a day early, and stored them wrapped in plastic in the microwave overnight--and I probably should have frozen them instead. The cake turned out just a tad on the dry side, despite the fact that I brushed each layer with simple syrup before adding the raspberry jam filling. Oh well, live and learn.