my first treasury!

i was wondering why my traffic on the ol' etsy site was up this week: turns out i've been featured in a treasury!

w00t! first etsy treasury!

big thanks to Green Bridge Studio for spotting and including the U-Bag!

U-Bag, Earth, Wind & Fire Edition

and now, a few extra exclamation points, just for good measure: !!! !!!!! !

guys, i totally made something!

if only you knew how little effort went into this project.

but anyhow, i'm always suffering harassment for not sharing things i've made, so i figured i'd post a few photos of a skirt i made recently, and how i wore it.

seriously, you have no idea how easy this was. in fact, cutting the skirt, piecing it together, and attaching the elastic waistband all together took less time than the hem alone. maybe because i insist on hand-sewing blind hems into every skirt i make. it's a thing i do, i can't help it.

i found the fabric at a thrift store, and was immediately smitten. its yummy floral pattern is perfect for this time of year and for the looks i've been loving lately. and then there was this fantastic, lightweight crinkly texture. bonus! i keep trying to think of other potential projects, but am a little afraid of being clothed entirely in this yummy, crinkly floral, and that eventually my usually unobservant coworkers might catch on.

i wore the skirt with an old, well-worn v-neck tee, one of many well-worn cardigans (it's FA-REEZING in my office) and my favorite taupey oxfords. i'm pretty sure i'm the only one who likes these shoes, but i'm always looking for clever ways to sneak them into my everyday looks.

i've also been recently inspired by a sort of blogging phenomenon called Wandering Wednesday. this day happened to be a Wednesday, so i snapped a quick photo to give it a little try. i'm hoping to be able to include more of these in the future...

this Wednesday was spent like a lot of my recent days: working, then hurrying home to soak up the last few hours of cool Autumn daylight. mmm... Fall. ♥

wilderness

i've been so grateful and excited about the new crisp autumn weather! a retreat to wearing pants and real shoes. making hot chili and curling up in blankets. cool evening bonfires. tights with dresses. creamy squash soup.

and being the best time of year, you'd think i'd be giddy up to my gills. but i think busy-ness, striving, hard work and big decisions are taking their toll.

but then this morning i came across this on my favorite Mennonite cooking blog (okay, so my only. but also my favorite.) perfect, timely, true:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19

how easily i lose my head sometimes.

so as the seasons change today, i'm throwing off all that hinders and toasting blue jeans, morning runs, salted caramel, future plans, and a God that never changes.

who's with me?

Lake Country 5k 2010

ps - the photo above was taken this Saturday, as my friend Katie and I started off on our first 5k together. we didn't quite hit our goals, but we did come pretty close, and we're looking forward to our next race!

shop's up--whatwhat!

i'll keep it quick: hey folks, i got my stuff together and listed a few items in my shop. a few newbs (at least to the internet) and a few old faves that need to find homes to make room for even more newbs! big thanks to Michelle for helping me shoot fresh, new photos for this latest shop update!

ps it looks like i may have some space to breathe this weekend. hoping to spend most of it sewing new creations and listening to Sufjan's new ep nonstop. it's the simple things, really.  ♥

Tag -- You're It.

... which reminds me of that time we drove through the Sonic after watching the Olympics and they sort of forgot to give us half the order we paid for and we had to call the place when we got home, sadly clutching our 5 tots and 4 jalapeno poppers which we were left to share among roughly 5 adult human beings (seemed more like 12. 12 ravenous, adrenaline-hyped, fast-food-deprived adult human beings.) turns out the cashier who helped us out (more like gave us the Serious Sonic Shaft) was named Tag. that's right: T-A-G. just like where you look for the price on those overpriced sandals you've been salivating over. anyway, we explained what happened, they promised us two free double burgers, which we were free to pick up at our leisure. and remember to tell them that Tag was the one who screwed up the order. it was all Tag's fault. see? this is what happens when you give your children "unique" or "original" names. they end up getting fired after 12 ravenous, Olympic-watching freaks  lose their composure after paying for tots they did not receive. (it sure seemed like 12, anyway. what, with all the weeping and gnashing of teeth.) poor Tag. (we got our free burgers though! HA. in your face, TAG.)

the point is, i've been meaning to post something interesting for a really long time. no really, i have. it's just that, well, i'm really, really, incredibly lazy. for example, i keep showing up dressed all pretty for work, and when my coworkers wonder what big new fancy job it must be that i'm interviewing for, i don't have the heart to tell them that i just couldn't be bothered to put on pants today, so considering this dress requires putting on only one piece of clothing, it seemed like a pretty good compromise.

my point being, blogging hasn't really been high on my priority list lately. my priority list, which of course includes: eating carbs i shouldn't, laying around watching Big Love, giving up on the flower beds, and trying to avoid the sweltering, jungle-like outside at every available opportunity.

so when Erin over at Luck&Bliss tagged me on this funny little questionnaire game, i figured, aw what the heck. it's not like i've got anything else to write about! (let's politely disregard the previously promised Popeye recipe and Things I Wore In Europe posts. no, srsly. i'll get to them someday, i swears.) so, in the name of Getting Moving Again, I thank you, Erin, for your sweet thoughfulness (you always come along and encourage me when I need it most!), forget all my normal resistance to silly internet games, and present you, my readers, with a little low-key entertainment. Enjoy!


1. Is there anything you feel nekkid without? (aside from clothes!) Okay, here we go, cheeseball right from the start. But honestly, my wedding ring. It's completely grungy because to go without it to have it cleaned kind of drives me insane. Plus, there's that whole Poor Memory problem of mine, which when combined with an absent wedding ring, causes panic attacks all day long.

2. Books, magazines, games, comics, pieces of art that made you who you are today? My Big Backyard, Reader's Digest. (I'm joking. Sort of.)

3. Monkey or Robot? in the words of my adorable Hubs, "... I want a MONKEYROBOT."

4. Food you make when the poop hits the fan? Do you cook/eat for comfort? hahaha cook for comfort?? Give me a DQ Blizzard with Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups any day of the week, and I'm a happy gal.

5. How did you meet your sweetie? Is it romantic?  Folks, I'll never live this one down: We met at a Campus Crusade cookout the beginning of my sophomore year. I had just transferred there from a different school, so I could be closer to my boyfriend at the time. Hubs later told me he had been very much looking forward to finding out who this crazy girl might be that was dating that guy, and was very excited to meet me. I don't remember meeting him at all. I only remember meeting his roommate, Jake. (This would prove to be a sad theme throughout the rest of his college days.)

6. Do you have a life plan, or do you just sort of truck along? Maybe it's Dave Ramsey's fault, but I've lately adopted the (very grownup) mindset that having a plan is always better than not having a plan. But on second thought, I've always been a plan-maker and plan-needer (and fit-thrower-when-the-plan-is-abruptly-changed, but that's perhaps a post for another day,) to some extent, so having a goal, an eye on the future, and some rough estimate on how to best get there always makes me feel more together. Certainly there have been times where God has tested this area of my life, but I'm learning in my old age that the more my plans incorporate Godly principles and themes, the less he feels the need to give me a little poke. More than anything though, my husband and I are alike in our tendency to favor Things That Work, and so far, we have found that having a plan is definitely one of those things. (Now, if I could only apply this enthusiasm and planning to writing a blog! Just think!)

7. Would friends of the teenage you recognize the current you? Would you still get along? Oh, probably. Would we get along? Certainly. Although, I will say that in my old age, I have had more time to steep in my convictions and become more of the person all my friends probably suspected I was all along. (I really tried on the Tortured Young Writer look for a long time, but it's perhaps time to own up to my mostly Granny self. I had you fooled for a while there, though, right?! No? ... More eyeliner? Ok, nevermind.) I may have a tendency to attract people with many opposite opinions and completely different world views than mine, but even as I've become more rooted in my own beliefs, I've not lost the tenderness and affection I've always had for folks I should probably be fighting with. (But what are we fighting for, anyway? HA.)

8. Could you show me something pretty? Please? I stole this from S. of AcademicChic, via her new (and awesome!) bike blog, Simply Bike. (quickly becoming one of my faves!) she posted it among many other pretties recently; it's the prettiest thing i've seen in a long time!

 Via a.pic.a.day

Next up in the silly 8-question game? 

Some of my faves: 

Michelle over at BoltedMKE, because she's clearly too cool for this nonsense. 

Tejas, My Love, because well... The Love. It's overwhelming.  

A kettlebell friend John, because he and his lovely lady Erin are always there with a Like on FB, and an  encouraging note. (So many awesome Erins! I knew I picked this name for a reason...) 

And last, but certainly not least, Sara at Cream City and Sugar, 'cause I dig her MKE style, yo. :)

I stole most of Erin's questions, because well, this post was getting to be a bother, really. ;)
Here you go: 


1. Is there anything you feel nekkid without? (aside from clothes!)
2. Books, magazines, games, comics, pieces of art that made you who you are today?
3. Monkey or Robot? 
4.Vice food? Be honest, now. (It's Fair Week up here in 'Sconsin, if you haven't eaten something disgusting by now, you're clearly in the minority.)
5. What blog do you secretly swoon over, but are afraid that if you came out of lurker status the writer of the blog would suddenly be completely freaked out and file a restraining order against you? (not telling mine, ha! okay, twist my arm, it's Dores. love her style, love her jewelry, love her minimalist posts!)
6. Is it appropriate to sign out of Facebook and pretend you didn't notice that that person you haven't talked to in 7 years just instant messaged you? Your thoughts...
7. What kind of bike are you: mountain bike, road bike, or city/cruiser?
8. What food or fitness item, concept or practice do you most rely on to keep you on track? Where do you turn when you need motivation? What can't you do without in your quest for better health? (okay, so that's a 3-parter. GUESS I'M NOT SO UNDERACHIEVING AFTER ALL, HUH??) ;)

at least cover your parts, you're going to work. (The Post Wherein I Go Back To The Real World)

getting dressed in the morning has been something of a challenge, ever since returning from our family vacation to Bavaria a little over a week ago. in fact, most things have been something of a challenge. upon returning to work, which, by the way, was in the throes of what some might call a Deadline Crunch (and all the subsequent freakouts and meltdowns) i told my husband that i felt quite like Peter in Office Space, right after the hypnotism heart attack scene. everyone was running around as if there was some kind of unannounced fire drill not involving an ice cream truck, and there i was, in a delightful haze at my desk while twangy tropical music floated through my head. this first day back was followed by several mild temper tantrums, in which i, at least once, declared loudly that if i was not in Europe riding bikes in the mountains, well, then life just wasn't worth living.

needless to say, getting back to normal has been a bit of a challenge. but the deadline at work has passed, and i've had some time to reflect on this trip and forget, at least for a few minutes, that i probably ought to be Doing Something.

i have very little hesitation calling this My Best Trip Ever. (i considered it for a minute, knowing this would knock my High School Junior Year Band Trip to Hawaii out of first place, but then remembered the 10-hour sunburned flight home, and well, that was that.) and not to get all mushy on you, but i believe the reason this trip ranks so highly on my very short list of destinations is not merely the Currywurst, latte macchiatos or even the Sound of Music tour, but because we never stopped moving, not for a minute. we rode bikes along the river in Salzburg, hiked to the top of Kehlstein (or The Eagle's Nest, as we, the Allied, may remember it) and spent countless hours walking to and from our hotels and the charming city centers of each place we visited. and for the first time in my life, i did not even complain about how badly my feet hurt. (okay, so i did once, but i maintain that my father-in-law is responsible for promising a cab ride home and not delivering, even though the promised cab ride home was the reason i wore Those Heels in the first place.) but seriously. for the first time in my life, i was able to enjoy a vacation that wasn't centered around eating until The Ulcer came back and loafing around Doing Nothing. and i started to think, hey, maybe this is what living an active life is all about.

my most favorite part of Bavaria, especially Munich, was how active and fit everyone there was. i wasn't sure what to expect of Germany and Austria, not being really German or Austrian at all, but admittedly knew i wouldn't be surprised by a mass of burly, solid folks dressed in funny leather pants and carrying head-sized mugs of beer. and there definitely were head-sized mugs of beer, but rather than being delivered by buxom barmaids in lace-trimmed aprons, they were skillfully carried, 4 at a time, by seemingly very small but obviously quite strong 20-something girls. (!!) guys, these things were liter mugs of beer. made of heavy glass. FULL OF BEER. half the time, they tossed in a couple head-sized pretzels too, just to show off.

and we haven't even gotten to the bikes. oh! the bikes! everywhere you looked people were using bikes as transportation, rather than driving cars or scooters. sure, there were cars and scooters, but because Munich and Salzburg are so beautifully dense, using a bike to get from place to place really makes a lot of sense. and of course there was no shortage then of yummy bike eye candy. vintage cruisers, stylish new city bikes with all the bells and baskets, sleek road bikes jockeyed by even sleeker young Europeans. guys, it was as if i had died and gone to my very own personally-designed heaven. complete with Turkish food, strong coffee and functional fashion!

so it was no surprise that having realized the pitiful state of disrepair of my old hand-me-down, white-and-teal Trek road bike from the early 1990s just before our trip, that upon returning, we'd find ourselves salivating over new beauties in the local bike shop within mere days. and now, my friends, after a quick test drive and subsequent squealing, i am saving my pennies for this charmer:

while considering this hefty purchase, my husband asked, would i rather have a bicycle or a moped? "bike, duh." i replied. "i'd rather be active than merely have an alternate transportation to work."

... wait, I said that??

well, wouldn't ya know, i made something.

too bad i don't have photos to show you yet. but i leave on Friday for Deutschland, and i'm hoping to gather enough pictures of my creations while we're there to provide you with a pretty peek into my very rare moment of productivity. new items may or may not include:

- brand new tote bag
- brand new cross-body bag
- brand new totally easy knit skirt
- brand new elastic waist skirt (yes, that kind everyone is crazy about. let me tell you: i now TOTALLY GET IT.)
- refashioned skirt made from and old pair of dress pants
- thrifted tank that needed mending after the stupid thrift store tag ripped a hole in it (staples? really. get with the times.)

but for now, i have a question or two to pose for our live audience.

first of all, has anyone ever traveled with sewing supplies? the last time i took a quick trip next door to Michigan, i left my emergency sewing kit and embroidery at home. but now that i'm likely to spend 16 hours on an airplane trying to distract myself from the complete and total terror of speeding over the ocean in a metal tube, i'd like to bring my happy toys along in my carry on. i've read on the TSA site that knitting needles, needlepoint items and some scissors are now allowed. has anyone tried to travel with items like this recently? how about the return flight from Germany? are they as strict with travel regulations as we are here? i welcome all informed thoughts and advice on the topic.

i want to be entertained, but i don't think i could live with myself if My Baby was ever confiscated at security:

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

my next question is for the craftiest of you. you see, a few weeks ago i was cleaning our bright white new kitchen sink with that handy spray cleaner, and about a half hour after admiring its gleaming wonderfulness, my husband casually asked "Hey, is that supposed to be there?" He pointed cavalierly at my favorite skirt, no, MY FAVORITE SKIRT, THE MOST FAVORITE, ALL-TIME FAVORITE, THE ONE THAT I HAD TO LOSE WEIGHT TO FIT INTO THAT FIT SO PERFECTLY FOR ONE WEEK BEFORE THIS DREADED DAY. and yes, i couldn't deny it: THERE WERE BLEACH STAINS. i cried. i'm not kidding. it might've been a slightly unstable day in general, but i wept like an overtired child who had just had his Huffy stolen from the bike rack at the local pool. no joke. of all the clothing i've ripped, altered or ruined over the years, this was BY FAR the most devastating. i don't think i'm still quite over it. anyhow, i've documented the carnage: 

being a spry, developing refashionista, i've done a lot of thinking on this. my first thought was to merely shorten the skirt, make it a little sassier, and remove the problem altogether. but you'll notice that the cargo pockets sort of impede a process like that. (and who wants to walk around with amputated cargo pockets? i know i sure don't.) every online forum advises the use of some kind of wacky markers to color in the bleach spot. this sounds too much like puffy paint for my comfort. my thought now is to try to dye the skirt entirely, hoping to cover the bleach spot. i wouldn't even mind trying out a deep indigo-navy color, in fact. has anyone tried dying stained clothing before? how did it go? did the bleached out portion take the dye the same as the rest of the garment? i'm wondering if i'll need to strip the color of the entire skirt before beginning the dying process. my fear is weakening the fibers, but maybe there's a safe way to remove the current color before re-dying. 

so with that, i'll leave you, Internet, to flood the comments section with your infinite wisdom.