“Groove the night long”

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Diana

This outfit was my debut for my new black straight leg jeans. I’ve been wanting a pair of black straight leg jeans for a really long time, but for some reason it never occurred to me to check out Levis until last week. I did some research on their site before I went to the store so that I would have a good idea of which jeans I wanted to try on (Levis gives each cut a different number). The only one of my picks that was in the store was the 552, and they fit like a dream. The rise is not too high, but not too low, falling about an inch and a half below my belly button. They are a nice, inky black shade. The straight leg is flattering on my figure, and the hem is long enough for me to decide what length I would like them to be. In these pictures, I shortened the hem by 1″ with fashion tape, to see if I like the length. I’ve come to realize that, on days that I feel like wearing jeans, I also tend to feel like wearing flats. I’m not sure why – I guess maybe it’s a comfort thing. I think these jeans will definitely be a multi-season staple for me.

And did I mention that they’re 98% organic cotton, with a touch of spandex for a nice fit? I love that.

This outfit was a color experimentation of sorts. I really wanted to wear my fuchsia cardigan, but I also really wanted to wear my red Born Codders. Normally, I wouldn’t mix these two colors together, but when I added the red necklace, and kept everything else to simple black and white, it worked.

Never be afraid to try something different.

How are everyone’s Memorial Day weekends going? I’ve been working on some gardening, sewing, and reading. These three things do a fantastic weekend make.

Cardigan: Fossil
Blouse: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Jeans: Levis 552
Shoes: Born Codders
Necklace: Garage sale
Earrings: June Designs

Quote: Bring on that Beat, by Rachel Isadora

I realize that I’m a few weeks late, but I’d like to say thank you to Dolly Features for giving me the Sunshine Award.

Shopping Plan: Weeks 16 & 17

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Diana

Weeks 16 & 17 of My Great Shopping Plan of 2010, where I attempt to stay on a budget and fill out my wardrobe

So when we last left off, I had $9 left for the month of May. And, um, I went over. A good bit. Here’s what I bought:

Boden Starburst Dress, $20 on eBay

So, I admit it: I pretty much have no self-control when I see a Boden dress in my size for under $35. Thus I added one more to my collection last week, even though it put me over budget. The print is lovely, although the fabric is slightly more clingy than my other Boden dresses. It’s uber comfortable and light, so I’ll be wearing it a lot.

Now, after going over by $11, you’d think I would stop shopping right? Well, follow my twisted logic. I tried on a pair of $100 black straight leg jeans at Anthro that were beautiful, except for the fact that the rise was much lower than I prefer, and they had a slight polyester content. I then headed over to Levis and found jeans that fit similarly, but were made from organic cotton with a touch of spandex. These jeans were also on sale for $40. In my weird logic, I decided that it was okay for me to buy these jeans, since I would be “saving” $60. Also, black straight leg jeans have been on my gaps list for a long time.

Levis 552 Straight Leg Jeans, on sale for $40

Was this purchase justified? Well, I guess that depends on how you look at things. I’m not beating myself up over it, but I haven’t done any shopping since then, and I’m trying to shift into a minimal shopping mindset, since money will be tight this summer.

I went over by $51 in May, so I’m deducting that from June’s budget. Since I’m not working my regular job over the summer, I’m taking my budget back down to $125 a month. So, I’ll only have $74 to spend in the month of June. I’m hoping to start getting more creative with my sewing and re-coning, and also to explore some new thrift and consignment shops to save money. We’ll see how it goes.

Bento Box Saturday: 5-2-10

Posted on May 29, 2010 by Diana

This is the bento box I packed for a teacher training day. I knew that I wouldn’t have access to a microwave, so I made sure to pack things that could be eaten cold.

I packed:

Spinach and black olives salad
Sliced Orange bell pepper
Ham and cheese sandwich
Grapes
Hummus
Baby Gouda Cheese
Whole Wheat crackers

What I’m lovin’: Burt’s Bees

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Diana

(Photo from Burt’s Bees website)

I’ve been an addict of Burt’s Bees lip balm for several years now. I love the cool minty feeling, the bright yellow packaging. Burt’s Bees uses natural ingredients in their products, so you don’t end up with chemicals such as petroleum or sodium laurel sulfate, which are bad for people and the environment. They use recycled packaging (even the lip balm tubes are made from recycled plastic!) They have a sense of ethics in how they go about producing their products that I can agree with, and they sell them at a price point that I can afford. If you really want to read in depth about how this company cares about people, animals and the environment, check out their Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

They have a lot more than just lip balm, and lately I’ve started to try out more of their products. Their After-sun lotion is fantastic after a day at the beach. I like to buy products from companies that I can feel good about supporting, so I see a lot more of Burt’s Bees in my future.

“Bouquet is fancy for a bunch of flowers”

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Diana

On Monday, I showed a remix of my red and blue Boden dress. Today, I’m remixing my multi-color floral print Boden dress. The bright green cardigan makes for a fantastic bit of color, and brings out the greens and blues in the print. My linen purse keeps with the cool summer vibe, and my faithful Dansko Novalees make for comfortable and stylish footwear.

Now that I’ve been working as a media specialist for a few months, I’ve come to realize that some of my shoes are more (or less) comfortable than I thought. Being on my feet for a good part of the day has shown me that several pairs of shoes need to have the toe boxes stretched, because after a few hours, my toes feel painfully cramped. My Dansko wedges have been quite surprisingly comfortable. Even though they are taller than most of my heels, the wedge is much more supportive, and even after wearing them for eight hours, my feet don’t really hurt that much. These are going to be my summer staples once again.

Do you have a particular pair of shoes that surprised you in just how comfortable they are?

Dress: Boden (via eBay)
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Sandals: Dansko Novalee (via eBay)
Purse: Morelle Charlotte
Earrings: Efy Tal

Quote: Fancy Nancy: Poison Ivy Expert , Jane O’Connor

Etsy Love: Flower Power

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Diana

Often, when I’m putting together an Etsy Love set, I’ll take a look though my favorites on Etsy and see if a theme stands out. This week, I noticed that there were quite a few flower motif items, so I decided to make that the theme of today’s set. It is spring, after all.

Little Plover Kanzashi Flower Bobby Pins, $22

Petal Mix

Blossom, A Photographic Art Ring, $26

Camera Shy Photography

Poppy Tunic Dress, $65

Karmology Clinic

Mint Jersey Statement Necklace, $31

Love and Dream

Rosebud Belt in Marigold, $35

Heart of Light

Green D.I.Y.- Cloth Napkins

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Diana

I’ve been trying to find more ways to eliminate waste in my daily life, and one easy change I’ve made is switching from paper napkins to cloth napkins. There’s really no need to throw out another napkin every time we eat, when cloth napkins are so easy to make (or buy). To keep them clean, I just wash them with my dish towels, and I keep enough on hand to last for about five days to a week. Even if you only have minimal sewing skills, cloth napkins are super easy to make.

Step 1: Start out by making sure all your fabric is pressed. Wrinkles will mess up your cuts. Once your fabric is nice and smooth, cut out squares of it. I decided to make mine 8″ by 8″, but you can make yours at whatever size works for you. I chose to have patterned cotton fabric for one side (which came from a vintage pillowcase) and plain white cotton for the other side.

Step 2: With right sides together, stitch the two squares of fabric together on three sides and part of the fourth side. The picture makes it more clear. By leaving the gap, it makes it easier to turn the napkin inside out (or rightside out, depending on how you look at it.

Step 3: Clip the corners so that they will turn out neater. Turn the napkin inside out. Press the heck out of it. It should be nice and smooth, with crisp edges.

Step 4: Topstitch on all sides, close to the edge. This will close up the gap left earlier. Press again.

Step 5: Repeat steps 1 -4 until you have the desired number of napkins. Prepare a delicious meal, and enjoy your new eco-friendly napkins!

“Wardrobe – a collection of clothes”

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Diana

I absolutely love my Boden dresses. So much so, that I generally wear at least one of them every week. Sometimes, I find it difficult to figure out how to remix them. It’s basically summer now, so there’s only so much layering that I can do. Since my workplace currently has frigid AC (this is prone to change on a daily basis, believe me) I can layer cardigans. Thus, I’ve been trying some new remixes of my Boden dresses with different cardigans, shoes and accessories. For this outfit, I stuck to brown and black accessories, allowing the beautiful print of the dress to continue to shine.

Normally, I tend to wear belts at the top of my rib cage, just under the bust. Today, I decided to let the belt rest at my natural waist. It was a nice switch, and I think it flattered the outfit well. I also added an extra punch of color in my blue necklace, which helped bring out the blue in the print of the dress.

How do you remix printed dresses in the summer? What do you do to keep an outfit fresh and interesting when it’s 80+ degrees outside?

Dress: Boden (via eBay)
Cardigan: Ann Taylor LOFT
Belt: Thrifted
Sandals: Dansko Novalee (via eBay)
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Earrings: Garage Sale

Quote: Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany, by Jane O’Connor

Shopping Plan: Week 16

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Diana

So, I did buy something this week (another Boden dress on eBay) but I haven’t received it yet, so I’ll catch you up on my shopping next week. In the mean time, enjoy this picture of me and my boy, Elvis.