Curio Closet

Just Hit a Wall Made Entirely of Creative Block

2011-06-24T19:54:00.001-07:00

I am working on a redesign for my portfolio site and I am feeling so uninspired.
Anyone have some input?

Many Shades of Nude.

2011-06-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

My skin - Tan right?
So as anyone who has ever tried to buy foundation before can tell you, there is no such thing as the color "nude" and in a much deeper and more socially aware sense it bothers me a lot when I see things labeled nude but that is way besides the point.

My friends skin - Also tan?

I am olive toned, which I like to call green. I really am green. Mostly when I am a little tanned. Yes I have pinkness to my skin in some places on my body.

The thing is, if you take my skin, and put it against my sister in laws skin she is pale pink, and I am straight green.

My sister in laws skin - Tan again?

My skin is awesome! Please do not misunderstand, this is not where I bust out in a chorus of "its not easy being greeeeen!" But seriously, it's not easy being green.

The world seems to thing that people come in two basic hues: pink and gold. Yeah there are all the shades in the world of those two hues. But how does that help the odd green girl out?

Because of this anomaly of skin shade, I have the HARDEST time doing two things. Finding foundation and finding nude nail polish. When I am super pale I can usually get away with a neutral light shade. Something right above porcelain and right below medium. Nail polish is even harder. Every pretty beigey polish no matter how neutral it looks in the bottle, comes out peachy pink on my nails.

Me + Friend - NO! Lies!! The true greenness is revealed

I finally found a polish a few years back that was nearly perfect. It was called Bare It In Trafalgar Square by OPI and was more of a greige.

Me + SiL - OH My freakgreen green!

Sadly, it was discontinued. The other day I found an awesome replacement. It is an Essie resort collection color called Playa del Platinum. I looove it!

It is a very warm toned beige and it makes my greenish skin look much more gold.

Disclaimer: images are gross misrepresentations of our skin tones created for the dramatization of my issues

I Love My Cat

2011-06-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

She is so ridiculous. We are getting her spayed this Thursday and I have been trying to make sure she does not get out before then. We don't need any kittens in this house.

But of course she takes every chance she can to escape. The only up side is she is a wussy and wants in within minutes. Sometimes I don't hear her screeching meow right away so she has developed this skill. Keep in mind, this cat has been out side the house around 10 times total.

I know. She is awesome.

Today I Made...

2011-06-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Some logo sketches. I am not super in love with it. I just needed to doodle with purpose.

Against the color of my current portfolio.

By Far the BEST Blog Giveaway Ever.

2011-06-08T08:13:00.001-07:00

Jordan at Oh Happy Day is gonna make one of her readers VERY happy!

She is giving away a 7 day trip to Paris! She and her husband recently relocated there from San Francisco.
Oh Happy Day indeed!!

Everyone should head on over and check her out. Even if you don't win, her blog is adorable and so worth the read.

Today I Made...

2011-06-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

My in laws very very happy.

So I have always loved to photograph people but never had a good chance to test out my skills. This weekend however, that chance came along.
My sister and brother in law will be celebrating their 5 year anniversary in August and they wanted to FINALLY get some special couple photos [they never had a wedding] that they could have to show at the anniversary party.

I still have not upgraded to a DSLR from my little Canon S2IS but the shots still came out pretty great if you ask me.

Here are some of my favorites.

They were wonderful to shoot because they are so darned cute and in love. We had an awesome time and ended up with lots of great shots.

Such a Little Big Step

2011-05-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have been planning, meaning, about to set up a portfolio site for months now. Really longer, but only seriously lately.
I feel scared to do it because I struggle with feeling like a fake. How dare I make a website all about me and my body of work?!?

Well I finally did it. For all the scary, overwhelming feelings I have had it was relatively painless.

The design is laughable, the structure juvenile and yet, I am happy it exists. There is so much work I need to do on it but I am sure some day it will be awesome and an asset to my career.

So without further ado, I present:
SilvanaKathryn.com

Crazy Coupon Lady

2011-05-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

So I have ALWAYS been a couponer, and a clearance checker, a price haggler and occasionally a discount demander [no I don't want the one thats not broken, I want this one half off!].

Lately however we of the crazy coupon clippers are getting more publicity. This both gladdens and worries me. I am glad more people are being thrifty and taking advantage of good deals. I worry that if too many people start doing it the stores will make stricter rules.

Too good to be true discounts are still profitable for businesses because they know most people will not bother to take advantage of the savings. It is like the mail in rebate phenomenon. Most people that purchase something with a mail in rebate never actually send in for the money. If the store had discounted the item at the register, they would lose more money in the long run.

Anyhow, enough with the blabbing. I thought I would share a little coupon shopping in did this morning at Walgreens. With a combination of in-store discounts, manufacturer coupons, and register rewards [instant rebate certificates that print at the register] I saved 75% off my total purchase.

To visualize:

+
+
+
+
+
-$40 = $14!

Where In The World Is Silvana Kathryn!

2011-05-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been pure insanity. I know I make that excuse every time I disappear for a while. But I promise this time it is true!

As you know in December I went through the overwhelming process of moving Alice [my husbands grandmother whom I cared for full time] into an assisted living facility. I had finally finished all the paperwork and transition steps and brought over her last things when she somewhat expectedly passed away a month later. This then started another somewhat overwhelming process of emptying her space, filling out more paperwork, and being there for my in laws while they made final preparations.

Then came February I barely remember that month at all. I was trying to start a business doing something I thought I would enjoy but after a little over a month I realized I was making a mistake and had to re-evaluate.

This lead me to March where I made a huge decision about my future and my career. At this point I should have been set. Things should have been on a good path and settling down. However the big career/life choice I made meant that I was going to be a little bit broke for a while so my husband and I were brainstorming for ways I could make some extra money while I built up clients.

This brings us to April. On April 2nd I posted status on my facebook saying "Anybody wanna rent our basement apartment?" Two days later I got a text from my sister in law asking if I was serious about renting the space. I was, sort of, serious, though it needed alot of work to get it rentable. She proceeded to tell me about her co-worker that needed a place by the end of the month and the insanity ensued.

In less than a month and on a budget of $1500 we completely renovated our basement into a studio apartment complete with a kitchen and all new bathroom fixtures. We tore out walls, ran new drains, new water, and two new circuits for kitchen appliances. I put down new flooring, painted the entire space and installed TWO sinks with minimal assistance. We ended up paying my brothers [the general contractors] to do some of the work running drain because it was just a bit over our heads.

I was pulling 16-18 hour days while still trying to focus on that new career venture.

So when I say things have been insane, I truly mean it.

So now that all the blah blah blahing is over I can let you know the good stuff. I somehow forgot to take photos of the apartment before it was filled with the new tenants things. But when she has unpacked the last few things I will take some furnished photos.

If you are thinking tl;dr, than stay tuned for the fun post to come, complete with visual aids!

Reblog

2011-03-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

"You are missing an opportunity to help stop the bad guys.

You’re missing an opportunity to stop the real misogynists, the fucking sickos, the ones who really, truly hate women just for being women. The ones whose ranks you do not belong to and never would. The ones who might hurt women you love in the future, or might have already.

‘Cause the thing is, you and the guys you hang out with may not really mean anything by it when you talk about crazy bitches and dumb sluts and heh-heh-I’d-hit-that and you just can’t reason with them and you can’t live with ‘em can’t shoot ‘em and she’s obviously only dressed like that because she wants to get laid and if they can’t stand the heat they should get out of the kitchen and if they can’t play by the rules they don’t belong here and if they can’t take a little teasing they should quit and heh heh they’re only good for fucking and cleaning and they’re not fit to be leaders and they’re too emotional to run a business and they just want to get their hands on our money and if they’d just stop overreacting and telling themselves they’re victims they’d realize they actually have all the power in this society and white men aren’t even allowed to do anything anymore and and and…

I get that you don’t really mean that shit. I get that you’re just talking out your ass.

But please listen, and please trust me on this one: you have probably, at some point in your life, engaged in that kind of talk with a man who really, truly hates women–to the extent of having beaten and/or raped at least one. And you probably didn’t know which one he was.

And that guy? Thought you were on his side." ~Kate Harding, "On Being a No-Name Blogger Using Her Real Name"

Awesome excerpt. Read it.

New Venture!

2011-03-24T09:38:00.001-07:00

My mother [the personal trainer] and I [the desperately in need of training] are starting a little project.
She is going to help me get fit and I, in turn, am helping her redesign her website and give her endless material to write about on said website.

Mom is all about fitness and healthy living and would love to eventually point her career in a writing and seminaring direction. This is my way to help her get there.

Anyhow I am messing with some site designs and this is one I came up with.
I am still up in the air about the background and I may go with something totally different. Let me know what you think?

A

B

C

D

Today I Made...

2011-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

A website!!

What what?!?!

I have been working for a month or so on a redesign for TheHistoricInterior.com.
I am about to go live this week and I thought I would show you a little preview here.

Click to see full size.

This is a new experience for me and I am so excited about the progress I am making.

River Tam... Can Kill You With Her Brain.

2011-03-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

I can not believe I forgot to post about this!!

As I have mentioned recently, I am an active member of the craft website Craftster.org. One of the best things about this site is their organized craft swaps.
They work like this, one person figures on a topic of craftiness to organize a swap around. This could be a type of crafting [there have been embroidery swaps, recipe swaps, postcard swaps] or a theme of crafted objects [favorite tv show, series of books, wall art, nerdy stuff, something for my kids etc]. Then users sign up for the swap and are partnered. You are then responsible for making something awesome for your partner, and they do the same for you.

I don't know about everyone, but I get a lot more joy out of making something for someone else than doing it for myself. This means I don't have to wait for birthdays and holidays to craft for someone!

Last week I signed up for a round of the Whedonverse Swap. If you don't get the reference than you ~~must have been living under a rock for the last 15 years and are obviously not interested in awesomocity~~ should look up Joss Whedon.

This is the second round of this swap I have participated in. Last round I made the River Tam [a character from the much loved and sadly missed tv series Firefly] doll pictured above. She turned out AMAZING and I am so surprised at myself for not having posted about her here. Anyhow, now proceeds my raving squee of fangirldom!

I started with this frighteningly made up Liv doll.

Through a long process of resulpting and repainting her face I ended up with a result I am pretty proud of.

I even made a little box for her to send to my swap partner.

Here is a reference picture of River from the show.

Dois Ovos e Batatas Fritas e Uma Água com Gás, Por Favor?

2011-03-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

I am half Azorean, its the dominate half. The half that comes out in my nose shape, skin color, hair texture, voice volume, and general sense of humor.

I used to spend every Thanksgiving [and 4th Of July, Labor Day and BOTH my dads birthdays each year] surrounded by a couple dozen aunts, uncles and cousins that spoke another language and ate alot of pork.

Despite that I never seemed to pick up Portuguese in a practical way. Dad was not around alot when I was a kid. He was also unfortunately perfectly bilingual and spoke barely accented English around the house. The only thing I did learn to say rather flawlessly was this:

"Dois ovos e batatas fritas e uma água com gás, por favor?"

Its what I would order for supper when I visited the Azores as a child.

Another funny thing about me is, despite my pork loving genetics, I was a vegetarian until I was 13 and still eat only fish and a little chicken.

That sentence up there is my go to meal in the land of meat with a side of meat: two eggs and fries and one sparkling water, please?

Lately though I have been thinking I REALLY want to learn to speak more. I can sort-of-kind-of read it, and sort-of-a-little-less-kind-of understand a person.

So, has anyone used one of those language programs? like Rosetta Stone?

Does anyone have a suggestion? Besides watching alot of Portuguese Sesame Street.

Today I Made...

2011-02-16T14:05:00.001-08:00

Bunny on the brain! This little hat I actually made a couple weeks back for a client's daughter.

Color was the clients choice, but I rather like it.

It is even more awesome on. Here is my adorable little sister modeling it.

Ah My Bed

2011-02-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

Begging to be napped in.

Little Slow These Days.

2011-02-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have been so neglectful of the blog lately. So much so that a friend reminded me today of the fact. [Thanks Cherish!]

Well here is my update. It is filled with a little bit of good and a little bit of not so good.

Lets go with the good first. I am super busy right now because I am working on some freelance graphic design work. Mainly a website design for a designer friend of mine.

I also did a really lovely little project on my pantry door and a custom crocheted hat that I will be posting about soon.

I also busied myself planning a birthday bash for my husband. It went off [almost] without a hitch.

Now this brings me to the not so good news.

The day of my husbands birthday party, his grandmother, Alice passed away.

If you remember, I cared for Alice full time up until December of last year. She had been at her new home [Emeritus assisted living] for a little over a month when she passed.

We are all very happy she went peacefully and was able to find comfort there in her last weeks. The day she died she was sleeping while her son sat next to her holding her hand. When a nurse came in to check her vitals she had gone without his notice. It was the very best way it could have happened.

Things have been a little strange since then and I have been trying to do what I can to make it all easier on James.

She was 94 years old and had gone down hill physically quite alot in the last year. As hard as it has been on James and his father, we all agree that it is better for her to not be suffering anymore.

I will be updating with more happy pretty DIY-ness very soon I promise.

Feeling Validated

2011-01-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

For many years now, I have been a [shamefully lurking] member of the craft website Craftster.com.

Today I was told that I have the distinction of having one of my projects picked as a Best Of 2010!
As little as that is, it made me feel awesome!

This is up there with time I won first and second place in the homeschool harvest pumpkin carving contest. Although second place "officially" went to my 2 year old sister whose pumpkin I designed and carved.

So I know you are ALL wondering which fabulous DIY project made it to the top.
Was it the living room chairs?

The sheer roman shades?

Maybe my little scrap yoke necklace?

No! The project named among the elite few are my little teal wedding shoes!

Shop Update!

2011-01-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

Added another couple of sweet items to the shop today.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

2011-01-16T08:17:00.001-08:00

Have you ever taken advantage of a satisfaction guarantee on a product you felt failed you?
Until today, I never had either. I am not a terribly picky person. I have always been able to make do with whatever I have been handed.
But when I feel I have been swindled I really can not sit by.

Last week I purchased a can of Krylon Magnetic Spray Paint. I have been meaning to paint my pantry door magnetic/chalkboard and could not justify the $25 price tag on a tiny can of magnetic roll on paint. Finally I found the spray paint at Hobby Lobby and even has a 40% off coupon to use on it. I came home feeling thrifty and excited about the project.

I brought the door downstairs, removed the hardware and prepped the surface. Then I started painting. At first it worked fine and then it started to mist. I shook the can and sprayed again. This time it was strong for a moment and then spurted to a stop. I pulled off the tip tapped it on the table and replaced it. Again it spray for a second then spurted and this time died completely. No amount of resuscitation could bring it back.

I had only painted about 1/4 of the door and sat there looking at it in annoyance. As soon as the paint was dry a grabbed one of my favorite magnets and set it on the surface. There was absolutely no pull whatsoever.
While the can implies that the thicker the coat the stronger the attraction, it does not say that one coat should be COMPLETELY ineffectual.

So this morning I contacted Krylon. I don't know what will come of it but I at least hope they are made aware that their product might need some tweaking.

Now I am off to the hardware store to just bite the bullet and buy the tub of Rustoleum Magnetic Paint.

Today I Made...

2011-01-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

Very first listings for my etsy shop!
I know, So Exciting!!
So click on over to the items and check them out.

Today I Made...

2011-01-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

Fabric labels!

I love when I discover new and awesome ways of doing things. Man do I have an awesome project for you guys!

Did you know you can print on fabric with your inkjet? No expensive specialty sheets or stiffening solutions needed.

All you do need is: Fabric [basic natural fibers work the best], freezer paper, iron, and scissors or rotary cutter. A cutting mat and guide make it easier as well.

First step is cutting a large piece of fabric and freezer paper to the same size

Layer freezer paper over fabric plastic side down and iron in place on appropriate fabric setting.

The fabric/paper piece should look like this.

Cute the fabric into smaller pieces the size of standard letter paper [8.5"x11"]

To be safe before printing, I press each piece one last time paper side up.

Load paper into printer appropriately [this is usually paper side up] and print regularly.

The last step is of course, Peel!!

It is kind of amazing how finite the detail comes out on basic cotton muslin.

PS. If you want to make sure the ink stays, submerge the fabric in white vinegar and then rinse thoroughly and dry. After that, just treat the item like you would anything printed from an inkjet [avoid prolonged direct sunlight, excessive washing and strong chemical cleansers]

Is It Your Back?

2011-01-07T13:56:00.001-08:00

So after sitting for the first half of the day hunched over my laptop like the nerd troll I am the new site design is up and running.

The second half of the day was spent hunched over my new Silhouette sd [!!] machine setting it up.
I first installed the software and decided it was blah and I would rather use Illustrator directly.
It took me a few moments of "duh" before I found the Illustrator plugin available on the Silhouette site.
Then I spent a bit more time testing the little miracle out with my favorite teen vampire inspired stencil.

It worked perfectly!

Unfortunately I do not work perfectly, so I used the deepest blade guard for very very thin paper and already scarred up my mat.

So then I spent a bit more time searching for inexpensive alternatives to the Silhouette brand mats [$25 for two flimsy sheets of plastic!?!?! seriously??].

This has all resulted in an achy back and sore jaw [have I mentioned I grind my teeth when I am consentrating?] but it is all worth it.

Life is relatively pleasant.

New Blog Design!

2011-01-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

I am in the process of turning over a new leaf, rebooting my life and making major changes.
For some reason the first thing I felt I needed to do was redesign the blog.

I am going to be using this blog to update on my new business and I figured it needed to reflect a more polished and professional me. Not that I am changing so much, but my life is quite a bit.

Please let me know what you think of the new design!

Today I Made...

2010-12-20T06:25:00.000-08:00

A huge mess!

I love Christmas, I always have, I always will. This year, however, I am actually looking forward more to the new year, more accurately the end of the holidays.

Things have been insane around here.
As soon as we decided to move Alice into an assisted living facility, we ended up in the ER with her and she spent 4 days in the hospital. We ended up having to push her move in date up and I have been rushing around like an insane person trying to make it all happen.
This means it is a week before Christmas and I am still making/buying gifts.
Every inch of my home is a disaster. I am just happy we are not having family here this year and I can just pretend I cant see it for a little while.

I made a prototype of one of the items I plan to sell in the shop and used it as a white elephant gift. It was well received and I am super excited.

A Little Peak At Me

2010-12-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

So this is my first ever YouTube video. It is a response to one of those silly 25 questions vids. I thought I might as well post it here. I always love seeing videos of my favorite bloggers, it gives me an idea of how they sound and act and makes reading the blog even more fun.

I also have some updates to make.
Two BIG things are happening in my life right now that have made me a irresponsible blogger.

1. My grandmother-in-law, whom I care for full time, has been declining in health lately and so I am in the process of placing her in an Alzheimer's care facility. I found a home I really like and she is going for her evaluation tomorrow.
If all goes well she may be moved even before Christmas, or at the latest right after the new year.

This has been a huge strain on me physically and emotionally. She has falled alot lately and I spend so much time worrying she will hurt herself I can barely focus on anything else. It even keeps me up at night because I am terrified she has fallen on the way to the toilet and I am gonna find her in the morning on the hard bathroom floor. While moving her to a home means a loss of my income [her son, my father in law, pays me to care for her and have her live in our house] I am really looking forward to starting a new phase in my life.

James and I have NEVER lived without another person and I am looking forward to have a more traditional newlywed time than we have been able to have with her in our home.
For anyone that has never taken care of a loved one with Alzheimer's, it is alot like caring for a very large, very confused and often very angry toddler.

This brings me to...

2. I am starting my own business. I have been wanting to really get down to starting a custom furniture and housewares business for a while now. I went to school for Interior Design by my passions are split evenly among design, art and style. This feels like an outlet that can express all of those.
Another reason I would like to work for myself is that I really would like to be home with my children once we decide to start having them. I would hate to work just to be able to afford daycare. I have huge respect for outside of the home working mothers, my own mother was/is one, but my personal hope is to be home with my kids while they are growing up.

Preparing and business planning has been taking up a lot of what little time I have left and I have settled on this: I am going to begin stocking my Etsy shop with interesting and unique home goods. As that end of the business begins building I am hoping I will be able to shop my items out to local businesses and designers and move on to larger scale custom painting, refinishing and reupholstering work. I have done all of this work in the past and I know that with enough time spent on making connections, I could earn enough to supplement my husbands income and meet our family needs.

So look forward to, not only a slight revamp of the site design and branding, but upcoming giveaways and discounts once my shop is up and running.

All of this has been terrifying and exciting and I am looking forward to changing my life for the better.

Have I Mentioned I Love Free Stuff: Revisited

2010-11-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

So last April I wrote about my free umbrella from Gilt.com.

Well today I have another awesome freebie deal. The website FashionStake.com gives each new member a $15 credit when they sign up. This usually is not so impressive because most of their products and in the $100+ range. But this week they have a whole slew of items well under $100.
One item in particular are these super cute mittens, which come in white, pink, or gray.

They are in the holiday showcase and cost only $13.
Also for only today and tomorrow you can get free shipping on your order with the coupon code "black friday".

So it is kind of like this...

$15 - $13 + $0 = Super cuteness!

You can thank me later when you are wearing super cute yet functional mittens while you text all your friends to let them know how awesome you are.

Three Times The Charm!

2010-11-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

So a couple months ago I posted about some Silhouette craft cutter well here are THREE more!

Are you as excited as I am!?!? I hope so!

First is Kathleen at Grossgrain blog.
Her blog is sweet and amazing and she is also doing a super nifty month of Embellished Knit tutorials.

The next giveaway comes to you from Thrifty Decor Chick.

She offers lots of ways to enter in her
giveaway.

Finally we have Beckie of Infarrantly Creative.

Click to enter!

Redesigning My Life.

2010-11-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

I am going through a tiny bit of a quarter life crisis lately.

Things have been so crazy and hectic for so long and now it is all slowing. to. a. stop.
I am stable and happy and now I keep focusing on those selfish things I always put on the back burner.
My art has been calling me. I have been going through my old portfolio, and rereading my poetry and I am longing to start creating again.
So I had a little idea. I have this one poem I wrote a few years back and it always reminds me how strong I am. I keep rereading it and today I decided I am going to illustrate it.

I am visualizing it as a sort of story/picture book when I finish. I just can't read the words without visualizing it so I am taking those images and putting them on paper.

Updates to follow...

Update a la Chaise + A Sweet Container

2010-10-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

So after that silly post of longing I stumbled upon an awesome deal on craigslist!
Have I mentioned I love craigslist? No? Oh, well I love craigslist. Like more that I love my cat, and almost as much as I love my husband.
Although I love my husband A LOT right now because he drove all the way to DC [ok not that far but he HATES the city] to pick up the chaise of my dreams.

Before I show you the loveliness, I will show you what was in the space prior to Saturday.

That is on a good day. Most days the rigged cushion cover was falling off exposing the lovely mauve of the original upholstery.

So this is the new piece.

Don't mind the ugly "comes with it" pillow. I will recovering soon.

Isn't it lovely?
It caps out as the most expensive craiglist item I have purchased so far at $200. Although I think it was a steal considering the same item online is nearly $500 plus shipping.

Also I upgraded the Wiimote container. Open, sloppy, just reusing the an item I already had.

Now it is this.

Cute huh? I got it for $10 at Biglots. It is so much cleaner looking, I love it.

Today I Made...

2010-10-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

Communion Bread.

This bread is a religious experience. [Religious Joke #1]

So as a kid I looooved the communion bread at my families SDA church. The first time I had it I snatched a piece from the plate as it passed. This was major because you are not supposed to take communion until you are baptized and at a 5 year old, I could not be baptized.
But at that moment I understood why they called it the body of Christ. It was so good it must be holy! [Religious Joke #2]

Once I was older and more apt to understand the meaning of the ceremony, I still could not get over how tasty the bread was. Whoever baked it would sometimes have extra that had not been blessed and I would snack on it at potluck after church.

Well a few weeks ago I found the recipe! It is as simple as I thought it would be.
The very very simple recipe is found here

But its basically this.
2cup whole wheat flour
1/2 water
1/2 olive [or other] oil
salt to taste. [I probably put about 2 tsp cause I like it salty]

You mix salt and flour then whisk the water and oil and stir into dry ingredients.
Its important to whisk the water and oil or else you will get doughy hard spots of only water and flour.

Then roll the dough out on a cookie sheet and cut into squares with a pizza cutter.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 -15 minutes. After 10 minutes check the center pieces every 2 minutes or so. You want them to be pretty firm, and they will crisp up a bit after as well.

Mmmmmm so good.

Is it sacrilege that I had them with a glass of wine? [Religious Joke#3]

Looking for the PERFECT one

2010-10-08T06:42:00.001-07:00

So the last thing I need to do in the living room is replace the love seat. Its mauve and horrible and huge and ick.
I really want to replace it with a nice sized chaise lounge. The love seat does not get alot of use besides James lounging on it to watch TV.

I have been searching online for weeks and it is so hard to find something I like in my price range.

We are trying to spend around $300. I want something that can seat two people if we have company. Which means only one arm and no sloping seat.

And before you mention it, of course I am watching craigslist. I have seen a few I liked but they always end up being an issue.

These are styles I like, so if you know a good place to find something like this slightly less pricey let me know!

West Elm $750

Macy's $900

Raymour & Flanigan $800

Crate&Barrel $800

Le Sigh.

2010-09-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

So a couple years ago I found a piece of GORGEOUS hand painted silk at a thrift store. I used literally every inch of it to make myself a flowy maxi dress, but it always fit a little big so it sat in my closet.

Well I have gained some weight in the last two years and I put the dress on this summer to find it fit much better.

I took it with me on my trip to the beach and wore it a couple times.

When we got home James took all the laundry from the trip and tossed it in the washer together. My dress was among them. When it came out the colors had ran and all the crisp white details were now a muddy gray purple.
I can't get mad at him, he was just trying to help, and honestly I might have been the one to do it, as I am not sure if it required dry cleaning.

Anyhow here are some photos of the dress before the incident. It was lovely.

I am sure once the shock wears off I will realize the dress is still lovely just a little different.

Today I Made...

2010-08-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Real[ish] Ramen

In little snippets throughout the day I watched a silly movie called The Ramen Girl.
The film stars the late Brittany Murphy and is about a flighty tourist trying to become a ramen chef after her life goes to crap.

The movie itself is a little crap as well, but there was one shining star - the ramen! It looked so good I was craving it all day.
So when James came home I made us some real live ramen [not the kind in the foam cup].

There are lots of variations on ramen and lots of different ingredients to choose from. The most common being pork, eggs, norim mushrooms or green onions.

I did mine a little different [although I forgot the nori which I already had on hand and meant to use] because I am not much of a meat eater.
My toppings were: Hard boiled egg, shredded fresh spinich, corn, peas, sauteed tofu and imitation crab meat.

Next time I will definitely add the nori, and forgo the crab. It was too sweet. I am considering some red peppers as well.

Holding Off For The BIG Reveal.

2010-08-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

So I have been wanting to post photos of my living room for a while. It is sooooo close to be finished and it already looks really good.
I just can't do it until I feel it is complete. I know things are never complete, but there are still boxes in the corner and I just cant take photos like this.

My Bedroom is also coming along! It is painted and I have purchased the dressers [only one is assembled] and I have the materials to make my headboard.

I wish I had more to SHOW, but I just cant bring myself to do it.

Oh For A Chance At This.

2010-08-06T05:11:00.000-07:00

Remember when I posted a little while ago about some awesome giveaways on some other blogs?
Well here is a third and its ALSO for a Silhouette cutter!
This giveaway is being offered by Infarrantly Creative.

There is only a day left but hop over now for a chance to win this awesome product and while you're at it browsed around her equally awesome blog.

I Need A Little Motivation!

2010-08-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

I looove to do so many things. I love to sew, to paint and to write. I enjoy baking, drawing and jewelry making. I like making my own soaps, slip covers and scented oils.
These are my favorite things to do above all else.

So ask me how often I do these things?
Consider that my full time employment is the care of my husbands elderly grandmother. Remember that I do this from home, and most of it involves simply being here in case she hurts herself.
Contemplate the HOURS of time I have to my own devices and the GORGEOUS light filled [and of course incomplete] studio I have set up downstairs.
I must participate in my favorite activities AT LEAST daily right? No.
I strive pushing and aching and willing myself to create something once a day and I usually fail.

When I was in school I always wanted more time for doing these things. When I was working full time outside the home I yearned for the time and energy to create something on my own.

And now, when I have the perfect situation, I don't do it.
Instead I watch tv, read books, go shopping, organize my closet, organize my kitchen, invite over family, do favors for others. Anything but what I really want to be doing.

I am going to try a new tactic. I am going to give myself deadlines. Just like in school. I am going to give myself projects, with guidelines and criteria. I am going to say "this is what you must create" and then create it.

This is how I am starting.

I got one of these on clearance at the craft store last week.

Starting Saturday [tomorrow I am painting my bedroom] I am going to start painting in it. I want to fill up the pages before the end of the month. This is my first project, my first assignment. Lets see how I do.

I Have To Brag A Little!

2010-08-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend from college, James Harte, who is an architect and carpenter.
Years before we were married [or even engaged] my husband and I helped James move and he had the most beautiful trunk.

I asked him about it and he said he built it himself and I said I would take one for Christmas.
He offered to make us one someday as a wedding gift.

He was a little late but brought us our phenomenal trunk last week when he visited for a party I threw.
Look at this thing! Sorry for all the photos, it is just so pretty.

Today I Made...

2010-08-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Caprese Salad Sandwich.

Mmmmmm. Another delicious breakfast.
So good with fresh basil sea salt and olive oil.

Today I Made...

2010-07-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Pretty Privacy.
I am going to tell you something but you have to promise not to judge me.

Sometimes I walk around my house in my skivies! Gasp! I know! Also on a rare occasion [ok maybe not THAT rare] I might walk around in nothing.
Its not like I answer the door all desperate housewife in nothing but a negligee or something, but I do go get myself a cup of water in the morning or wander around after a shower.

I sometimes think I could have been a nudist in another life. In this life however my husband is intensely paranoid that someone MIGHT see me. So we keep the blinds closed always!

I hate this, its dark and gloomy and I can't see my trees.

I came up with a solution to this issue and it does not even involve a bath robe.

I made privacy blinds! These are made from two simple mini blinds that I mutilated and added fabric to.

I put them back together in such a way that allowed me to only open the top sections to get in the most light and privacy [we are in a split level, so you would have to be in the tree tops to see in the top section]

This is a close up of the wonderful burnout fabric! I bought the last 5 yards on amazing clearance and plan to use it in a few more rooms.

Here are the old blinds, they were nice but so dark and depressing.

While I made the blinds on my own I did enlist James to help install them. Such a helpful and only slightly "there was nothing wrong with the old ones" cranky hubby.

And check out this monster of a wasp I killed before we started setting them up! That stinger is deadly!

*shudder*

Craigslist is My Hero

2010-07-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

So I got my HUGE tub a few months ago on the site for $125.
I also got my vanity and medicine cabinet for $50.

Most recently though I got an AMAZING couch for $100.
It looks like it is maybe a year of so old and no one ever sat on it. I have a feeling the previous owners didn't want to toss it but didn't care about making anything off it.

[sorry about the wrinkles in the middle I didn't smooth it out after I plopt my big but in the middle]

Look how perfectly it goes with my pillows.

And how lovely is this upholstery fabric?

Today I Made...

2010-07-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Some super cute clothes for some super cute little girls.

My sister [the older girl] and my niece are spending a couple of days at my house and I got them to help me organize and unpack some of my studio in exchange for new homemade clothes! They were ready and willing.

They picked out their fabrics from my scrap bin and I sketched up and sewed up each outfit while they did some unpacking. Both outfits I made in about 3 hours. I love how fast sewing is!

Also how awesome is my nieces pink hair? My sister in law gave me the OK to dye it yesterday.

It Didn't Feel Cheap.

2010-07-07T06:32:00.001-07:00

So our wedding, by American standards, was very budget conscious. I hate to call myself cheap, usually opting for creative or thrifty, but I sure don't like to spend money.

I read an article over at TheFrisky.com about wedding statistics and I realized how different mine was.

Some of my favorite items:

"1. The average budget for just the wedding ceremony and reception is $28,385. And that’s down five percent from 2008! Still New York City and Long Island throw the most money away lavish weddings, with their budgets at nearly $57,000"
My total cost = $1000

"4. The average engagement ring costs $5,847. Bling-bling, cha-ching"
My custom designed wedding ring = $800

"6. Most brides have at least one DIY element, usually ceremony programs, favors, or escort cards"
The ONLY elements of my wedding that weren't DIY were my cake [made by my sister in law], my food [made by my caterer friend] and my photography [taken by a family member] which I did all the editing on myself.

"8. The average number of friends the bride will force to buy a dress that they hate is five. The average number of groomsmen squeezed into monkey suits also numbers five. Even Steven"
Our attendants = A big fat none. Although we made about 15 friends and family speak as part of our ceremony.

"11. On average, the parents of the bride usually pay 46 percent of the cost, the bride and groom absorb 40 percent, and the groom’s folks get away with a mere 12 percent contribution"
My dad bought the alcohol and all the rest was on us. Of course considering the tiny total cost it wasn't much of a burden.

The crazy thing is, I never once felt that I was missing something from my wedding. I never had the "I wish I could afford..." thought. Even our smallish [about 70 people] guest list was not really a compromise. We started with a much larger list and cut if back because, truthfully, so many of them I never even talked to much less invited to visit.
I was lucky to have talented friends and family. My food was 5 star, my photography professional and my cake truly perfect.

I LOVED making all the decorations, I adored making my dress, and my free venue was better than anything I looked at with a fee. I mean who gets a rockin' pool party reception! The tiny price tag was just a great side effect of all the crafting.

I guess the point of this post is to say, have a wedding that makes you happy. If that means top of the line, all the bells and whistles than go for it full force. If your dream wedding is crafty and quirky and completely DIY then get out the glue guns and sewing machines. The only important thing is the day represents you. Luckily for us crafty types that usually also means not having to go into dept.

Today I Made...

2010-07-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Some pretty frames for my pretty photos.

I found two very unattractive metal frames at a thrift store.

This is how they turned out in the end. I reused my pretty hammered metal spray paint.

Bargain Shopper!

2010-06-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

So I did a job with a friend of mine who is a caterer [the lovely lady who catered my wedding] this weekend and made a little extra spending money. Some of it is going to my new dressers fund.

I took a little and went shopping today and boy was it the day to shop.

Victoria Secret has been having one of their bra sales. I went on the first day and bought a bra for $24. But when I got home and tried it on again I felt like I had torpedo boobs. I ended up taking it back.

Today however I found 2! bras I liked and when I got to the register I realized they were both only $15 [marked down from $42!].

How cute is that little owl!?! Sorry for the excitement, cute bras in my size and few and far between.

Then I went over to Bath and Body Works [I was using the shopping bag I picked up from there a few weeks ago which got me 10% off anything I buy] and they had awesome sales going. Alot of their regular items were buy 2 get 2 free AND they were handing out coupons for $10 off $30.

I got ALL this [originally $97.50] for only $29.50!

I am super excited about the massage oils. They smell soooo nice.

Finally I went into New York and Co and found some jewelry on clearance. Both this bracelet set and the earrings were $2.

So now for the breakdown.

Original Total = $205

Total Spent = $64

Total Saved = $141

Two AMAZING Giveaways.

2010-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am not even close to having a blog big enough to warrant a giveaway but some of my favorites definitely are.

Right now there are two super awesome giveaways I want to share.
The first is from Bobbypins Boardwalk and is for a $60 gift certificate from CSN Stores.com.

This place is jam packed full of awesome home decor items and with $60 you are sure to find something lovely to buy.

The second giveaway is from Thrifty Decor Chick for a Silhouette Craft Cutter!!

I have wanted a craft cutter for ever! I worked for a custom shop and they had a professional cutter that left me itching for my own.
The Silhouette brand cutter is my favorite because it connects to your computer where you can easily create your own designs as opposed to working off expensive predesigned cartridges.

Good luck and happy blogging!

I Wish I Was A Farmer

2010-06-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

But since I am not, I have to shop at the farmers market.
James and I went this weekend and we got lots of goodies.
Fresh peaches and cherries. Amazing super sharp herby chedder and crusty whole wheat bread. Also some pumpkin bread and cranberry granola. And finally a little basil plant.
I love fresh basil in the summer time. It is amazing in drinks [which I will be posting about very soon] and salads. It is sweet and fresh and lovely.

This is my little farmers market breakfast

Unfortunately the ONE thing I really wanted to find there was no where to be seen.
Some good local honey. I have been out of honey for months because I an not willing to buy the crappy stuff in the little bear.

Today I Made...

2010-06-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

A retro inspired floor fan.

My husband and I can't sleep without white noise in our old apartment there was no central AC so we had a window unit that was wonderful for the background hum.
When we moved he had to switch it up.

As we were moving out of that apartment a neighbor was doing the same and he had a pile of things next to the trash that he told us we were welcome to. Among the mess was a desk chair and a floor fan. They were in rough shape but we took them cause you know, free is free.

The fan does wonders for our sleep but it is so hideous.
I kept thinking I would buy one of these lovelies to set on one of our dressers.

But I am so very cheap so I thought I would spend a few bucks on some spray paint and call it a day.

So here is it before.

Those gross splotches on the base are some sort of polyurethane or something. They DO NOT CLEAN OFF.

Here is a little progress pic.

And the finished project! I am super happy with it.

I used this, I liked it alot.

The texture covered the weird junk on the base perfectly.

Today I Made...

2010-06-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

A little pretty for a hot summer.

My studio is still completely packed and so I scrounged around for scraps and made this little yoke style necklace.

This necklace happens to be in the color scheme of my new bedroom. I guess it is on my brain.

The BIG Day!

2010-06-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful. Not stressful, not hectic, just more fun, friends, family and food than one day should be allowed to contain.

Here are some great shots from the day. My sister in laws brother did the photography and I have 457 AMAZING shots to pick from.

It rained a little right before things started. Then it was blistering. But we were equipped with sunscreen and a pool so all went well.

Oh My God Dang Goodness

2010-05-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

So we moved two weeks ago exactly and I have been sick every single day since.
The first week was nearly all bed rest and this week is all fighting the fatigue and sickliness.

Let us not forget that in one weeks time is the wedding and there is still crafting to do and altering to do and play-listing to do.

My mother is convinced that I was pushing myself too hard and fell prey to evil flu viruses.

Also my camera batteries have been dead since the move and since I have only unpacked about 1/4 of my boxes I have yet to find anymore.
I am DYING to post photos of my beautiful new bathroom and my awesome furniture recons and wedding crafts. Its driving me insane.

So expect tons of updates and photos after the big day!

Sleeping =/= Living

2010-05-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

We moved all our belongings into the new house. We have slept here the last two nights, and our internet is up.
We are still not 'living' here. Its all boxes and cushionless couches facing walls. We have an uninstalled oven and pathways through hallways. The cabinets and closets are empty and the rooms are stacked full.

I feel like I am camping out in a storage facility.

I am also sick this week so the pace at which things are being unpacks is practical immobility.

I'll have updates when something changes :)

If Only I Slept 3 Hours A Night.

2010-05-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

We will officially be in the new house on Saturday. I have so many updates and no time at all to share.

Today I Made...

2010-05-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Shoes.

So this post is going to start with a short story. When I was in college and living in the dorm I met a girl named Thanh. She was the most adorable southern raised Vietnamese girl who lived down the hall from me in my second dorm. One evening I was turning a pair of pretty pink leather flats into slip ons by removing the heel. I was sitting on the edge of my bed stitching away when Thanh wandered in and with wide eyed amazement said
"Are you making SHOES!?!"
It wasn't that silly of an assumption but just the way she said it cracked me up forever and I would tell the story to people who had not met her to prepare them for her innocent and sometimes clueless cuteness.

This brings me to These shoes. I knew I wanted teal flats for the big day, but the more I looked for them the more I realized I was going to have to "make" them.

On day I was browsing a discount store [Rugged Warehouse] with my sister in law and came upon a pair of eyelet lace flats. They were sweet and ruffly and pointy toed and a 7 1/2. I wear anywhere between an 8 and 9 1/2. I tried them on anyhow [they were only $6 after all] and I could actually get my foot in. Walking would be entirely out of the question however.
In the past I had altered shoes on my own and I figured for $6 I would try. I altered the back so that they are a sling back with a ribbon closure. I think they are fabulous!

In their original state, pretty cute to begin with.

Here is the first bit of alterations - removing and reshaping the heel.

As opposed to dipping them in a dye bath I made a small cup of dye solution and painted it on. These are a few shots of the shoes while they were still wet and un-rinsed.

And here is the final product! I ADORE THEM! I can't wait for the wedding so I can start wearing them all the time.

My Crazy is Acting Up Again

2010-04-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

What do you think of Saxophones?....
Yeah that's how I feel too. I can't stand them. I don't like the sound they make, or how they look, or the people who play them. I never thought this was much of a problem until yesterday.

I wrongly assumed that having an unwavering distaste for a particular instrument was acceptable but have been informed that it is not.
I was on the way to Lowes with Debi [my 18 year old sister] yesterday morning when the conversation occurred. I have to mention that Debi was edgy because the very thought of walking into a Lowes set off her previous reno flashbacks. She kept thinking she was in the fan aisle with my mom again, waiting the 4 hours it took her to make up her mind and JUST PICK OUT A FAN ALREADY! I tried to explain that I was not that type of shopper, that I had researched online and was 97% sure which selection I was going to make and simply wanted to pick them up in person.
She wasn't convinced.

So somehow we got to talking and saxaphones came up. I wish I could remember how, but I can. I mentioned casually that I hate sax, everything about it, completely and without exception. This simply would not do. She used her phone to look up song featuring a sax on Youtube and played them despite my polite request to stop. She tried to psychoanalyze what early childhood trauma must have caused this hate. She then assumed I must have dated someone horrid that played. I swore that I don't recall ever knowing someone that played, and that the sound simply made my head hurt. She asked about the other members in the brass family and I said I didn't mine them. I can always go for some trumpets or a little recorder.

By the time we made it to the Lowes parking lot she had determined, based on her exhaustive research and knowledge base that my hatred for a single instrument could only be explained in one way - I am crazy.

Yes folks, it has been diagnosed, I can rest easily now knowing definitively what ails me; a strong case of the crazy.

Will update upon further developments.

Dress update!

2010-04-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

I still don't have good full length photos :( but the yoke and straps are completed!

I embellished with precious little florets!

The rosette style florets I made from an old draw string from an old tank I have had lying around for years. Talk about trash to treasure.

The others are made from a few layers of peach tulle and Swarovski Crystals.

Today I Made...

2010-04-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

A very unattractive vanity into a very classy vanity.

I mentioned this vanity before. I paid $50 for the base, topper and medicine cabinet.
They are solid wood, have good working drawer sliders and a nice over all shape.

I was not sure what I was going to do about its appearance at first but I decided after reading some of Allison's projects over at House Of Hepworths using Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze I was pretty sure I had found my solution.

I cleaned and lightly sanded the surface and then went to town on it. I love the results!

Here is the vanity before in all its early nineties glory.

And here is the after.

Speaking of House Of Hepworths, Allison is hosting her first ever link party! I made sure to post this project that she inspired.

What a Waste of a Day.

2010-04-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Do you ever spend the whole day doing things and still feel like you accomplished nothing?

I was moving non-stop since I got up this morning. I had a few stitches left on the dress. By the time I had finished that and showered I needed to meet my brother at Home Depot to pick tile, toilet seat and counter top.
The tile is a 12" neutral light tan. They do not have the item listed on the site but it looked very similar to this:

I also got a 12" mosaic medallion:

The final item I picked up is this counter top:

I looked at and picked out but have not purchased a seat for the existing toilet.
It was the right color but I was not sure it was the right size. I will be picking one up later this week.

I spent many hours and multiple store visits looking for bull nose tile edges that went well with the tile and finally gave up.

All the items were sent over to the new house with my brother so they could continue working. I came home feeling completely exhausted and totally unaccomplished. I know that the work they are doing is far beyond my abilities, but I hate the feeling of paying someone else to do things.

I am the girl that had only one professional hair cut in her life, and that was on her fifth birthday. I never once called a professional in any home repair field until last month and have been regretting it since [$326 to snake a drain?!?! Inconceivable!] and the only full priced home item I have ever purchased was our TV.

Even this renovation is thrifty, but unfortunately not very hands on.
Tomorrow I am refinishing the second hand vanity I got for $50. It is solid wood so its worth a little work. I know I will go to bed feeling more accomplished tomorrow night than I am tonight.

Have I Mentioned I Love Free Stuff?

2010-04-27T12:29:00.001-07:00

So last month I joined a website called Gilt.com I wish I could remember where I found it. I am sure it was on a blog somewhere but I really don't remember which.
The premise of the website is that each day there are certain items on sale in a very limited quantity. The items are all lovely quality goods, mostly apparel and accessories with a few house wares thrown in.
In addition to the great prices for designer items, another site perk is that if you invite a friend and they purchase something you receive a $25 credit. Pretty sweet right?

I had checked the site a couple of times since I joined but nothing had jumped out at me. Then a week ago I opened my inbox to find an email from Gilt announcing a one week $20 credit. I had not done anything to get this so I snooped around to make sure it was legit. Sure enough I could use that $20 with no penalty and no minimum purchase amount.

I still had not found anything I loved on the site [at least nothing with a sale price dent-able by a $20 credit] until I wandered over to the kids section.

I found this awesome umbrella!

It was on sale for $12 [half the regular price] and despite being a child's umbrella, boasts a nearly 40" diameter and 30" handle length. This means its more than large enough for a grown up [namely me!] to use.

So I added this bad boy to my shopping cart and proceeded to check out. The shipping cost was $7.95 which meant the total came out to be $19.95.

I put in the order on Thursday the 22nd and the lovely little umbrella arrived today.

I can't say whether they do promotions like this very often but it is worth signing up to find out.

Of course if you want to try them out I would love if you clicked here to do so. Then if you find something fabulous you can thank me for the hint. ;)

Surprises Of Spring

2010-04-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

We moved into this rental in the last week of June last year and by then most of the spring colors had been replaced by summers green.
A bush on the side of the carport bloomed into this over the course of this month.

It brightens my life a little each time I get in the car or take out some trash.
Reminds me all over again why I want a country home someday. So I can spend the spring wandering around finding all the new flowers.

Ooops! I Forgot.

2010-04-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

After asking opinions on the invitation design I completely forgot to update with my final design.

Flickr messed up the colors but you get the idea. This is oriented so I was able to print all 4 pieces on each page with no waste.
The two bird shapes and the bird cage image are all inspired by images I found online.
Since it was for my own use, I felt ok incorporating them. I had these grand ideas of multi-layered Cri-cut created sheet music birds [which I am still hoping to use in the wedding decor] but I have just been too overwhelmed for that much work.
These took me a few hours to design, and a few more to print, cut, envelope and address.

Today I Made...

2010-04-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Dress.
It has some finishing details to add. Some little florets I made and the straps.
This is so far.
James has not seen the the dress since I altered it and I am keeping it from him. Thankfully he does not read this.

Its hard to get full length shots without James' help.

Today I Made...

2010-04-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Some bridal Bling.

So I had an old piece of costume jewelry, an elastic rhinestone bracelet. The elastic broke and so it was just an over sized piece of shiny unusable junk.
I am not sure how this particular idea came into my head but I love the result

I used all this [minus the closure, I ended up using a normal clasp]

I snipped out the extra rhinestones and stitched the bracelet onto the velvet ribbon. I finished by folding the ribbon over and stitching another whole length to the bottom of the bracelet.
I used the chain clasp from an old broken necklace as the hook and clasp.

Of course I should have been packing. It's so easy to be distracted by something quick, pleasant and ending in instant gratification, when the alternative is long, tedious and with no end in sight.

Sigh, I can't wait for this move to be over.

Another Room Visualized!

2010-04-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

That's progress right?
I even made a Photoshop mock up.

What I ALREADY have:
Paint
Fabric for headboard
Fabric for shade
Night stands
Lamps
Wall decor

What I need
Materials for headboard
Mirror
New dresser
New duvet cover and pillow shams

I hate wanting to make things like my fabulous new headboard and just not having the time...
I have to keep reminding myself that in two months things will be soooo calm again.

Teeny Tiny Update.

2010-04-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Packing A LOT: Most of main house boxed and away.

Birthday Outing: Romeo and Juliet last weekend.

Verge of nervous breakdown: Trying to avoid total shut down.

Altered and dyed wedding shoes: Yay Teal!

Started alteration on wedding dress: Hit an artistic block.

Livy is missing: If I lose my little fur baby this week I might not recover.

Will be back to regular programing shortly: As for now crafting has taken back seat to just making it through the day.

The First Room to be Finished... In My Mind

2010-04-11T17:38:00.001-07:00

This move is going slowly but surely. I just packed about 90% of my kitchen! eek! no appliances and only three pans until we officially move.
I am the type of person that hates to do lots of things slowly. I am a "one project start to finish at a time" girl. So I am really excited to have mentally and nearly physically finished all preparations for one whole room.

Behold the beginnings of my living room.

Alot of this design was inspired by two things I love. My antique Indian quilt and my Folies-Bergère print.

I am trying to bring those two very old things into a more modern space.
So the first thing I did was pull a wonderful warm gray out of the quilt to step outside the obvious earth tones.

This paint is called elephant skin.

Going along with the gray paint are slip covers for my quadruple-hand-me-down mauve couches [on no, I kid not, MAUVE]

Pulled from both pieces of art are the gold-green and bold red I am also incorporating.
The drapes are going to be made from this AMAZING faux silk dupioni.
[this is how the fabric was previously used, it covered a whole wall in the bedroom of my old apartment]

Then of course my favorite chairs!

The red comes in as a set of side tables [sorry I do not have photos yet, somehow they are not finished despite being started over a month ago... c'est la vie]
They are painted Apple Red by Rustoleum

Finally I am going to be using some silver tone and glass accents to again pull the space out of a time warp. I love these birds! I have one alot like it but it is packed away and can't be photographed.

I also have some dark wood finish book cases and matching media stand but they are not interesting enough to post. Now if only I could settle my mind of a color for my bedroom!

Saying Goodbye.

2010-04-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

I am half Portuguese. This fact is not relevant to this story until later on, but try to keep it in mind.

When I first moved into a real apartment and out of my moms house, I spent a whole summer collecting all the things I would need. Dishes, furniture, housewares. I scoured thrift shops, flea markets, clearance racks and dollar stores. Slowly I worked until I had everything I would need to start my new life. Some things were life necessities, like dishes and towels. Others were extras, curtains, art, and decor.

The very first thing I found though was this.

There is a story to this dish. Its a good one I promise.
In my hometown, on the undeveloped stretch of highway one between downtown Fredericksburg and Woodford [where my mothers lives], is a flea market. It is a true flea market, most likely sporting real fleas. The peddlers are dodgy the goods are dusty and there is hardly an item to be found over $50. My dad used to take us here once in a while on a Sunday. I learned my thrifty ways from my dad by the way. He learned to be thrifty in a hard way and I suppose I might explain that someday, but not today.
Well this was my first trip out in search of things for my new home. All the thrift stores are further into town and so the flea market was the logical first stop.

I wandered around the entire place, looking closely over every table, at every booth and in every creepy motel room turned store front.

I was about to head home empty handed when I walked through one stall that I had avoided before because the owner gave me the skeevies. Within a moment I spotted a filthy dish filled with screws, nuts, bolts and some tiny draw handles. It had a piece of crinkled paper on it that said $.50 a handful. For some reason I really wanted this dish, so much so that I built up the courage and asked the skeevy owner if he would sell it to me.
He said "sure, how bout five dollars" and immediately dumped the contents into another random bowl. I was feeling all tough now, so I said "how about $3?" and the deal was made.

I gave him the cash and he gave me the dish. This was when I decided to look it over [I know that's what you are supposed to do BEFORE you buy], most of it was covered in grime but then I saw the bottom.

I knew there was a reason I wanted this dish. This would be the first in a collection of Portuguese stoneware I have collected over the years. I have found pieces in the most unlikely places all over the state and I like the idea that these things come from the same place my big nose and dark hair come from.

When I started this post, my dish was in the trash. You can see the major crack in it I am sure. I cant use it to bake my favorite meals anymore and so it was time to let go. But I just cant to it. I took it out of the garbage and carefully cleaned it one more time. I know that I am silly and weak but I really just can't give it up just yet.

Death by Organization

2010-04-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

Let me preface by mentioning I have never actually been to a mental health professional and any and all opinions stated here in are simply that, opinions based solely on my few years studying psychology in college.

I am pretty sure I suffer from obsessive compulsive personality disorder. You can find all sorts of explanations of this disorder online but this is the gist. People who suffer from OCPD tend to focus on perfection, organization, rules and routines. If they are not able to complete a task in a manner they find to be perfectly organized the task simply does not get done.

I have always been this way. As a teenager cleaning my room was a struggle that often took a whole week to complete. I would literally sit on the floor for hours on end organizing a junk drawer, or spend an entire weekend going through my clothes. I could not just put them away. I had to try each one on, mend anything that was ripped or missing a button, organize them by color and style. I could not use hangers that were different sizes and even different colors of hangers bothered me. I say all this in past tense even though these are still issues for me.

I am sure I know what you are thinking. "So you were a bit of a perfectionist, so what?"
The issue arises in the fact that, if I could not devote as many days as it took to work on my room with no interruptions [I would forget to eat and sometimes not shower until I felt the room was complete] than I simply did not start. This meant the task was only completed a few times a year.

I have worked very hard to fight this about myself. I can proudly say that I am able to wash and put away ONE load of laundry and leave the other two for another day. I can tidy JUST my dresser top and not go through every drawer. I can even organize my pantry and ignore my fridge.

Some times though are harder than others. This move is one of them. There is so much to do. Packing, cleaning, painting, refinishing furniture, remodeling the bathrooms, taking care of granny, keeping up two houses and then planning my marriage party on top of it all. Every single day has been a struggle to do anything. Because one defining feature of OCPD is the total shut down that comes with tasks that seem too big to accomplish. I have to fight myself to even try because in my mind this is an impossible situation. No matter that I have moved before, that people renovate all the time, that this party is so laid back its ridiculous, that I have tons of people available to help me, I just KNOW I can't do it, and so I don't.

But I am doing it. Because I am stronger than I was as a teenager, because my husband wont let me wallow in it, and because I have to.

Yesterday I went through 6 years of magazine subscriptions. It was a task that most would not think necessary, but there was no way I could move them all to the new house. The accomplishment is it only took 3 hours and I am getting rid of 3 of those 6 years.

Yay me!

Today I Made...

2010-04-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well actually it was yesterday. A custom banner for a mother of one of my little sisters school mates.

My husband gets on me occasionally about the irresponsible stretching of myself thin.
I can not say no.
"Silvana can you make this?"
"Of course!"

"Hey Silvie are you free this weekend?"
"Yeah!"

"Could you do this for me?"
"yeah, well OK"

"Silvana you have to help me!"
"....yes?"

I love to help out, even if I sometimes sacrifice the higher priorities.
I have planned bridal a bridal shower and bachelorette party in two weeks due to a flaky maid of honor. I have thrown innumerable birthday parties for my siblings over the years. I have made altered nearly every special occasion dress for certain hard to fit friends, even before my own senior prom. I always ended up helping other students in my college courses rather than do my own work.
I have loved every minute of this. The issue is, I have an uncanny knack for doing the sorts of projects when I really have more on my plate than I can honestly handle.

This flag is one of those projects. We are in the thick of packing, renovating, planning our marriage celebration and having a root canal. Actually that last one is just me :( My molars, like my nails hate me.

I had to tell my husband that today I was taking a break from our important tasks to finish this project. He was kind enough to not call out why I was in this situation.
He is such a sweety. :\

My Nails Hate Me But I Still Love Them

2010-04-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

I have very brittle weak soft icky nails. As a girl they were very hard and tough and healthy. I don't know what went wrong in the last 15 years to make them so terrible, but they really are wretched.

I have two choices, keep my nails painted at all times or keep them short buffed and bare at all times. If I try to paint them and then leave them bare they look so damaged its embarrassing.

So for the last few years I have been on a quest for good nail polish. I hate polish that clumps, or requires 4+ coats to cover. Then there is the enigma of the polish that leaves bubbles!. I don't like polish that is too soft and peels or takes hours to fully dry.

I have tried a few new [to me] polish brands lately that I love and I thought I would share.

First drug store brands
I love the new Sally Hansen Insta-Dri [I know it was around pre-little-triangle-bottle, but I never tried it]
So far I have:
Lively Lilac

Snappy Sorbet

Lemon Dash

Source - Steph's Closet

It really does dry so fast and usually only requires one coat. I have found that alot of so called fast drying polishes stay soft long after the surface losses its tackiness. So if you bump any little thing you get dents and smudges.

Another drug store polish I have tried and like is Sinful Colors
I only have one color, but it is so vibrant and goes on really well.

Source - Walgreens

The last in the drug store category is Sally Hansen No Chip 10 Day polish.

The funny thing is I don't like this because of its apparent long lasting chip free coverage [lets be honest there isn't a polish out there that will last 10 without a chip]. I like this polish because again, it drys fast and applies smooth in few coats. The colors are vibrant and opaque. Unfortunately this polish all went to clearance at my usual Rite-aid a couple weeks ago and now it is listed as unavailable on the Sally Hansen site. I hope they haven't pulled it.

Now onto the specialty polishes. These I buy from Sally Beauty Supply or Ulta.

I have tried four pretty common brands and was very impressed with only one.
China Glaze is awesome. It covers great, dries very fast, and barely chips. I just got a bottle of Flyin High and I love it.

I have also tried Orly, OPI, and Chi Ceramic[yeah the same people that make flat irons] polish. Chi and Orly were very similar in coverage. Both needed a second coat, and both bubbled badly. If I took the time to properly dry each layer Orly ended up with a nice hard finish and Chi stayed a little more soft than I would have liked.

OPI has always been a difficult polish for me to wear. It is truly what you call a nail lacquer in that it is very thin and yet very opaque. It even smells like car paint. The issue arises for me with my nails. They are ridgy and warped and not very smooth. Even when I buff them I feel like I need a good base coat under OPI and this is always an issue. Every base I have tried doesn't dry at the same rate as OPI and so I get bubbles. It also tends to show imperfections in my strokes so a clear top coat is also needed and then the entire nail is so heavily coated it never dries properly and I ALWAYS end up smudging it. I even smudge when I go to a salon and have them do it and use the nail dryers. It just never seems to be hard.

I suppose if I have time to paint my nails and wait 40+ minutes to dry then OPI would be the best, because for the time the result is beautiful. I just don't have that kind of time. I suppose I should be happy that the most expensive of the lot is my least favorite. Of course I have never even tried some of those $30 bottles of designer polish, and I can honestly say I never will.

Seven out 34,271 - Its a Good Start.

2010-04-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when I get soooo overwhelmed with all the things that needed to be done like yesterday by noon or else something in my brain might possibly explode, I write lists. If you riffle through the drawers and purses and pockets in my house you will find them. There is the list of design supplies from first year studio in my sketch book. There is that one journal next to my bed [oh yeah you remember the journals] with the lists of things that I must write down at 2am in order to get at least a little sleep before I start the tasks the next morning. There are always Note Pad files littering my desktop with labels like "christmas gifts to make" or "things to paint" and of course "new house TO DO" This one currently has about 200 items ranging from "pick paint color for kitchen" to "knock out wall for Alice."

I am proud to say that this week we checked 7 items off a couple of lists.

1. We bought this

in this color

Its called Elephant Skin [UL260-5], How cool is that!?!

2. We purchased these

3. and installed them [That smart key stuff is ridiculously cool!]

4. We pack every single one of these in my house

5. As well as the contents of this

6. We borrowed and USED This [the carpets smell sooo much better]

7. Last but not even close to least I designed, print, cut, enveloped addressed and stamped [with some help from my little sisters] all of these!

Maybe I Should Consider A New Career

2010-04-03T05:12:00.001-07:00

My husband is awesome. One thing that made him so awesome was he let me design my own engagement/wedding ring. He proposed with a piece of $10 costume jewelry so I could have exactly what I wanted.

I will tell you this, having a piece of jewelry made custom on a budget is so very difficult. I talked to multiple jewelers and was about to give up when the last one refused to set any lab created stones.

Then I found Laurie Sarah. She is located in California [I know all the way across the country] and has an etsy shop, Laurie Sarah Designs. I contacted her about my trouble getting the ring of my dreams [and budget] made. I sent her the super nerdy diagram I had been working on for a while showing the exact dimensions I would like along with the stones [12 tiny moissanite and one padparadscha sapphire] and she created something so wonderful I still get giddy at its glitter.

Today I thought I would wander over to her shop again and when I did, I found that my design is still in her regular rotation!
This is a custom order based on my ring! It is my rings beautiful little twin! I never thought when she asked for permission to use the design again that anyone would actually buy it!

I feel so proud, even though I did none of the actual work. Its as though I created something that is spreading beyond myself. Its exciting.
Here is the ring again [this one you can buy yourself!] and here it is in all white stones, and another with a lovely soft pink center sapphire!

Laurie Sarah and her husband have so many gorgeous designs that can be customized.
I always loved this one with the precious little knot on the side.

Of course if you are like me, you will just want them to create something wholly new for you.

More images of my ring because I am sure you want to see them.

This was a progress image she sent me while she was working on it.

And this is the diagram I sent her showing what I wanted. Complete with a couple Photshopped rings for visual aids.

The Dynamics of Moving

2010-04-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

I can't say for sure if this is a universal feeling, but relocation tends to make me want to purge the old and acquire the new.
This new house is urging me to buy new furniture, and then new accessories, maybe nice new appliances. I go so far as wanting new clothes.
Think about it this way; Do you really want to pack up all those old ratty sweaters and one size too big/small pants just so they can mar the fresh tidiness of the new empty closet? I get the same feelings when I buy a new journal that is so pretty and straight and unfoxed that I can't make myself write in it. Yes, I have a bin of lovely perfect unused journals and sketch books, its a problem and I am working on it.

My brain is on the brink of war. The strong, ancient, well established army of frugality is coming up against the young revolutionary freshness militia. Thus far they have been able to maintain a somewhat peaceful coexistence but recently a small yet powerful group has begun to rouse old animosity, they call themselves nostalgia.

These two candle sticks are the start of all this cranial tension.

I have had these two since I was a teenager. They had been a trio until last month when my husband knocked one over and it didn't make the fall. I purchased the set from Dollar General for something like $7. They were originally bright, tacky, brassy gold and I antiqued them. I don't remember how honestly, it was too many years ago.

The issue how is, I can't bare to lose them, but they are so old and really don't go with the style of my things these days.
As a 15 year old, I was full of dark and brooding feelings which came out in my decor. Deep wine red walls, rich purple bedding, strange haunting paintings and lots of ornate black accessories.

I have been considering painting them the same metallic silver as I my lamps, or possibly a clean bright white to go with other items in my living room. I just don't know what to do.

Anyone have a solution that would pacify all three sides of my waring consciousness?

A little sneak peak

2010-03-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

This came for James today [well the suit, not the shirt].

It looks a little tanish because of the afternoon light, but it is gray. He looks adorable in it by the way.

Today I Made...

2010-03-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Fabulously unified living room chairs!

They are finally whole! If you read my earlier post you know that I struggled with these two, but all is well that ends well!

They turned out exactly how I would have hoped.

And if you don't remember what they looked like before:

I Need Some Opinions!

2010-03-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

Which do you like better?

You only have to listen to my ranting if you want to!

2010-03-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

I started another blog. I want to keep this one mostly fun stuff, clothes and DIY mostly, but sometimes I like to just write alot of non-sense. I assume as I get more readers a lot of you may only want to look at pretty pictures so I am separating things.
If lots of words and very little images sounds good to you then you can check out SilvanaKathryn

A thrifty remodel.

2010-03-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this post by saying, I have not had a bath in over a year! More so, the number of baths I have had in the past 10 years is recordable by a few sets of fingers. This is not because I dislike baths, in fact, long soaking baths are one of my favorite things ever. I have simply been unfortunate in the way of tubs.

Somewhere close to 11 years ago my family home burned down. This was post single parent living and we could not afford an appropriate replacement. So for the next 6 years I lived in a home with only a stand alone shower. Then I went away to college and as many might know, was relegated again to showerdom of the dorms. I finally got an apartment with a tiny and I mean tiny green 1950s tub with uncontrollable mold issues. Needless to say my baths were few and far between.

Throughout this entire time line the only bathing I did was when I visited my dad in his grand downtown home. [Is it just my father or are huge luxurious baths a Portuguese thing?]

Finally my husband and I moved back to Fredericksburg this year and are renting a nice little home. In this home are to bathrooms, a small master bath with standing shower and a hall bath with tub. The hall bath belongs to James grandmother, whom I care for full time. That bathroom has become unusable by normal people because no matter how many times you clean it, it is quite filthy within a few hours. All I will say is, at 93, dribbling occurs.

So goes my years of tublessness and so comes my first important project for the new house.
We go to closing [crosses fingers] on the 30th! I have let James know that the bathroom upstairs MUST be upgraded before we move in. I just can't live another year of sub par bathing.

Of course I am a reasonable woman, so I have been collecting the items needed to remodel our bathroom in the most economic ways - Craigslist and the ReStore!

So far I have gotten a large soaking tub [60"x 42"x 24"], an under-mount sink, a vanity base and matching medicine cabinet and a kitchen sink which is unrelated but still great, for $265.
Did I mention both sinks are Kohler?

I am ALMOST more excited about the great deals than the new luxurious bath I will have in a month or so.... Almost.

Today I Made...

2010-03-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing... :(

I am a week into a project and had a major road block.

I have two chairs.

They are from the same design era and to unify them I am painting them both and replacing their cushions with matching fabric.

This is what went wrong. I decided to spray paint for a smoother finish. I purchased quality paint and primer. I cleaned and sanded the chairs. I painted the primer - all good. I painted the first coat of paint - all good. I came back a day later and started to paint the second coat - all NOT good.

The second coat of paint acted exactly as a coat of stripper would have. I have stripped things and am familiar with the gooey wrinkled reaction but if you aren't, it looks like this.

I wish I had photos of the actual damage, but I panicked when it happened and started to repair without even thinking of documentation.

I still have no idea what went wrong. But I have since purchased a can of regular paint in the exact same color. I have fixed all the stripped spots sanded both chairs down AGAIN and am in the process of the new paint job.... blegh.

I will hopefully have some images of the finished product within the weekend.

On a happier note, we should be going to closing at the LATEST Tuesday! I have decided that I want the bathroom redone by my birthday on the 13th.

Today I Made...

2010-03-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

The ever evolving free lamps: Silver edition

So these lamps have a bit of a story behind them. Some years ago, during the summer after my first year of college I worked at our local Hancock Fabrics [for those unfamiliar this is a fabric and home decor store] as their in store design consultant and design side lead. That title sounds spiffy but I only made $6.70 and hour and it wasn't all that glamorous.
It did however have its perks. Besides the joy of spending my hours surrounded by fabric, and the ability to actually help people by imparting my knowledge and expertise of all things fabric, I also got free stuff. Oh yes, free stuff. This is the only job where this has happened to me and I loved it. If a product ever broke or came in damaged and it was under a certain price point is was damaged out of the system. This meant the store would get reimbursed and the product could be trashed. However I was allowed to salvage anything I liked.
This is where the lamps came in. They were in a shipment and arrived with completely smashed up shades and scuffed bodies. They were damaged out and [que choirs of free stuff angels] I got to take them home!

Their first iteration, which I unfortunately have no photos of, were in a style and coloring very close to this:

My first reinvention was to paint them white and put a burlap lamp shade on them.

They remained in this sad state for quite a few years.

Now it comes to the present. My husband and I are buying a house and my head is spinning with all the plans for my first home. I have settled on this idea of making our bedroom into a posh hotel room, complete with crisp white linens, heavy black out drapes, deep rich calming blue walls etc. My next thought is, what says "posh hotel" more than Silver lamps and box pleat lampshades!

Have I mentioned I love metallic silver spray paint?

This stuff is amazing.

More ~Ruffles and Stuff~ love

2010-03-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

Disney is having another great giveaway over at her blog ~Ruffles and Stuff~. This time it is for the awesome book "MAKE!"by Cath Kidston. I haven't gotten my hands on a copy [I am entering her giveaway myself] but it looks fabulous. The book seems to be filled with the cutest retro craft projects. If you are like me and love actual vintage craft and sewing project books, you will probably love this.

Pop over to her post to enter yourself.

Family Connections

2010-03-23T16:49:00.001-07:00

So thanks to the internet, more notably Facebook, I got to have a very fun conversation with my cousin in the Azores.

Marco: se tiverem uma barrinha de ouro a mais nao esquecem deste pobre aqui lol
[translation: If you have a spare bar of gold, don't forget this poor guy lol]

Marco: silvana falas portuges
[translation: Does Silvana speak Portuguese?]

Silvana: hahaha no, well I knew you were asking for something but that's it

Marco: i am wor cansen [I am your cousin]

Silvana: I know

Marco: gold for farmvile bat a dont no wirt ingles [I want gold for farmville, but I don't know the English words]

Silvana: hahaha I will send gold

Marco: tanks

Silvana: no problem

Marco: you are all dora all raposo [you are Als daughter? Al Raposo?]

Silvana: yes

Marco: i am abel son [I am Abels son]

Silvana: oh, I have met you before I think

Marco: i look lik my fadher [I look like my father]

Silvana: yes you do

Marco: i sepec ingles rid bedd [I speak English real bad]

Silvana: Yeah, I know very little Portuguese

Marco: he you chod lorn portuges [Hey you should learn Portuguese]

Silvana: I try

Silvana: I learned Spanish in school and it helps some

Marco: my ancoll i is in canada [is my uncle still in Canada?]

Silvana: My father? No he moved to West Virginia

Marco: ok

Today I Made...

2010-03-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

A pretty little recon tank top.

I have been reading ~Ruffles And Stuff~ a lot lately and Disney is making me want some cute girlie things very badly so today I gave into my urges.

This particular tank top is one of the softest most comfy things in my wardrobe. Unfortunately its also very plain and I end up sleeping it in most of the time.
I was messing around in my studio today trying to keep my mind off house buying and I found a pile of doilies I had forgotten all about. Creativity struck and I am very pleased with the results.

Here are the pieces [minus some tiny ribbon that came into the project later]

The nearly finished product

I realized the neck was gaping and the bow was lopsided so I moved the bow to the other side and strung the tiny ribbon into the neckline to gather it. This is the FINAL final product and I LOVE it.

Also if you are interested, she is also having a contest for DIY ruffly cuteness ending April 2nd.

Maybe Its My Generation

2010-03-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

My sister in law over at Here Is A Brighter Garden just posted about striving for a more simple life.
Reading it made me smile because my mind has been so overwhelmed by the same thoughts lately. Right down to the couple of chickens and a goat.

I can't say for sure if this common feeling is a narrow result of my family history or a reaction to the broad state of affairs in our society these days. I would bet on a pretty even split, at least in my case.

As my husband and I go through the laborious and disheartening process of trying to buy our first home, I am becoming far more certain of what I want for my future. Subtracting a few key points, what I want is my past.

I grew up living in a twice-the-size-of-the-average-American family. Another child was born, on average, every two years, which coincidentally was also the length of time we spent at any one place of residence. Though, while I lived in well over dozen houses by the time I was twenty, one thing that nearly all these places held in common was their setting - the country, the boonies, the middle of nowhere, twenty miles from the nearest grocery store, etc. I always had land. There was always a creek or a pond somewhere on the property - and realized these were property not simply yards - there were woods, fields, sometimes even livestock, always chickens, always vegetable gardens. I remember harvesting pure white clay from the sides of creek beds to make my own sculptures - always the artist - and building furniture out of logs and scrap wood that I would arrange in my "forest house" - always the designer - and gathering poison berries from the bushes behind the sheds and old walnuts from the hill to dye my doll clothes - always the fashion lover - and these are the best things about my childhood. Have I mentioned I was home schooled? So not only were these the best parts of my childhood, but also common occurrences?

I am sure I always knew I never wanted anything besides a home and more importantly a piece of land that would inspire and allow me to be the person I wanted to be. What I have learned along the way is who that person is. She is a simple person, a mother, a wife, and an artist; the type of person that needs seclusion from others, but also enough space to house dozens of friends and family, the type of person that needs to be proud of her surroundings and yet feel insignificant to the natural order of those surroundings, the type of person who plants the potato, which feeds her family, who save their scraps, that feed the chickens, which lay the eggs, which cook up so nicely with the potato, so she never has to buy breakfast food again.

So here I am, a week of from closing on a nice little raised rancher with a postage stamp back yard and a prime view of my neighbors bathroom window and I am wondering, "what am I doing?" The good answer is planning, investing in an affordable home so that some day down the road we can sell for a profit and buy our little piece of land where my brothers the contractors will build/renovate my little dream home complete with artist studio and huge soaking tub. Unfortunately there is another answer that is less ideal but still holds a tiny bit of truth; I am settling.

My youngest sister - I have realized that due to her age I can no longer call her my 'baby' sister anymore - told me something yesterday that made me happy. She said to me "Silvana, you know what makes you cool? you always want to make things better, you never settle for just good enough." I really want her to be right about me, so I am still striving for a simpler life. Better doesn't always been greater, bigger, wealthier, it just means better.

I am not pretending.

2010-03-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

My mother and I had one of those top speed discussion yesterday. That's the kind of talks we tend to have because life is too busy to sit for hours and chat. Our conversations, which never last much more than an hour, will cover at least a half a dozen topics. It's a grocery list of mother daughter bonding.

Yesterdays talk was about, in no particular order, my first-time home buying troubles, her experience working in a mortgage loan office, relationships, OCD and other mental health issues, fitness, my baby sisters broken thumb, becoming a writer, and the fear and indecision about changing careers.

The one thing that has been nipping at my thoughts since the talk is a certain kind of fear that we've both experienced.

We realized we share a tendency to feel like impostors. We have both had times of thinking "I don't know what I am doing, I am just pretending to be..."
All through school and college I remember telling people that I was really good at "bullshitting" my way through writing assignments. I always made A's on essays, short stories, poems and really anything that required me to write. I never took that to mean I was a good writer, just that I was good at faking it.

I felt the same way about design school. I have a sneaking suspicion this is part of why I am 2 years out from graduation and I am not even looking for a job in my field. No matter if it's true or not, I know I am not a designer, I just pretend to be. I am realizing that this is something that has held me back from too much.

I decided today I am not going to dance around titles anymore. Why shouldn't I claim who I am and live it? I have gifts and skills that the average person does not have. I have understood design and art long before I knew what they even were.
Why shouldn't I say I am an artist, if I create art? Why shouldn't I identify as a designer, when I am constantly designing. Why shouldn't I be a writer, while I am at this moment writing?

I have never had trouble claiming all other aspects of who I am. I am a wife, a caregiver, I am a loving and giving person, I am intelligent, well read, witty, and stubborn. I claim my mental issues for what they are, my physical frailties and my failings. So why until now have I felt so false when I claim my gifts and skills?

I sew, paint, sculpt, draft, build, design, write, sing, and cook, so if I do these things, then I am a seamstress, a painter, a sculptor, a drafter, a builder, a designer, a writer, a singer, and a cook.

Today I Made...

2010-02-06T11:56:00.001-08:00

Tzatziki sauce and quick flat bread.
Snowy days always make me want to cook delicious food.

Lazy Christmas.

2009-12-01T06:07:00.000-08:00

This year James and I have a little more money to put towards Christmas gifts for our family and it is making me lazy. This year I am barely making gifts for anyone. This goes against my normal avenue of totally home made holidays.

I almost don't feel like myself this December.

Halloween Part 5 - Tracy and Edna and a poodle skirt

2009-11-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

For Halloween I was Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray! It was such a perfect costume for me.
My husband didn't fit the look of the fellows in the film but he did have what it took to play one of the other ladies, Tracy's mother Edna.

Also, my brothers girlfriend dressed as Sandy from Grease on Halloween night but didn't want to wear the tight pants to work that morning so I made her a quick poodle skirt.

Halloween Part 4 - Angels, Dark and Light

2009-11-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

My brother and sister in law were a light and dark [fallen] angel.
I made the costumes although my brother started to get timid closer to the day so his is not as fantastical as I had originally planned.

This is the only photo I have found of my brothers wing nubs

Halloween Part 3 - Valkyrie

2009-11-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

My younger sister Debiana was a Valkyrie for the day.
She could not make up her mind on a costume so I made the decision for her. I also made the costume for her.

Halloween Part 2 - Dark Fairy

2009-11-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

Abby's second Silvana creation is dark fairy.

This costume cost exactly $3.25

Halloween Part 1 - Dolley Madison

2009-10-31T05:05:00.000-07:00

So this is the first bit of Halloween crafting I have photos of yet.
One of the 8 costumes I made.
My baby sister somehow got two costumes out of me this year. One for tonight [an awesome deep purple blue fairy] and Dolley Madison [the FIRST first lady].
Her tiny christian private school has something called a biography tea this time of year so the kids whose families don't celebrate Halloween can still dress up.

...but what have you been up to?

2009-09-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

Oh nothing much. Moved to a new city, took in my 93 year old grand-mother in law [thats right in LAW] got legally, though not yet symbolically, hitched, gained an uncomfortable amount of weight, became only quasi-employed and started reading again, sewing again, crafting again, living again.

Timeless?

2008-04-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have a dirty little secret. Its a habit I have picked up in the last year. It has alot to do with my boyfriend, but I try to keep it from him as best I can.
My guilty pleasure: wedding websites. It isn't a daily exorcise, more the occasional relapse consisting of intensive multi-day binges.

I am just coming out of one now and I have something to say.

A lot of wedding dresses these days are painfully boring, and some are just plain ugly.

There are so many examples of this, but one shouts at me every time I give into the urge to type "weddings" in my google side bar.

The fully bustled skirt:

This

is meant for windows, but blushing brides.

Somehow the masses have been convinced that the billowing monstrosity is elegant and of the moment.

Lets have a look at what else was once considered elegant and of the moment.

In the seventies it was the 'Edwardian' style, which was popular for both brides and their maids.

When the eighties came around it was the giant sleeves.

Most recently, the nineties showed us the 'contemporary' hairstyles

Every one tells you not to pick a dress, or a hairstyle, or even makeup that doesn't feel like you. But even more than this, don't pick things that wont feel like you in ten, twenty, fifty years.

Today I Made...

2008-04-02T14:23:00.001-07:00

A precious little wall vignette.

Here they are in a raw state. I should have taken photos of how icky the top of the kitty perfume bottle was.

I took off the candle holding part of the sconces and painted them white.
All set up in their new little corner!

Close up of how delightfully cute it all is.

I also made a new top for my nightstand. It used to be painfully tiny, because it is actually just a shelf.
Here is was before.

Here it is after!
I went to the lumber supply and got a free scrap that is 2'x1'6" and used my super 77 spray adhesive to attach a lovely sheet of wrapping paper.

I will have up my other finds [a couple of nifty dresses] as soon as I alter them!

Its so nice to feel healthy again!

sick

2008-04-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

I have been fighting my way through work just to get home and collapse the last few days. Today is my day off. I am determined to force myself in to recuperation.

68...9...70 degrees

2008-03-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

So after all my ranting yesterday I finally went out and my mood was melted by the warm weather.
So much in fact that half way to the street I decided to go back in and trade boots for sweet ballet flats, and my dark jacket for a borrowed button down from James side of the closet. I felt much better.

I made a trip to the thrift store to ever more lighten my mood. I got two dresses to recon for spring. One is actually a vintage house coat. It is green and plaid and almost like the dress below I want.

I also picked up some super cute nick nacks. I am a bit of a nick nack fiend. I love pretty things.

I will have pictures up soon. I am too tired to do them before bed this evening.

Thems fightin' words.

2008-03-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Do you ever just wake up angry? Not angry, perhaps agitated? You want to do something like break a piggy bank or have a pillow fight, but a little more viciously than would be expected.

The feeling can probably be chalked up to hormones or a bad nights sleep.
I suppose it isn't just me, and I also assume that I am not the only one that also lets my feelings dictate my daily outfits.

Today I feel like ratting my hair and wearing monster eye liner a la Winehouse.

I wish I still had my shit kicking combat boots I wore to death as a teenager.

If I weren't still in my pajamas looking forward to a day of laundry and vacumming this is what I would be sporting, while I wonder downtown looking to get into a fight.

Trench from Luv Charlie
Dress and stockings from American Apparel
Boots from Hot Topic

ggrrr

Spring is almost arrived.

2008-03-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

I went to visit family for Easter and everything was in bloom! There were trees bursting the sweetest pink and white blossoms and daffodils and violets were all over lawns.
Unfortunately this valley is behind in the seasons, which means a few more weeks of brown.

In the mean time I am lusting over pretty spring dresses. I have gotten to be even more of a dress person lately. Although skirts have always been my preference.

Here are just a few I want terribly.

Florals

Isaac Mizrahi Floral Wrap Dress

BCBG Max Azaria Strapless Dress

Rachel Pally Sleeveless Dress

Chaundry Floral Print Cotton Dress

Colors

Isaac Mizhrahi Taffeta Dress

Green Plaid Shirt Dress

JS Boutique Jersey Dress

Rachel Pally Jersey Dress

Linen Split Neck Dress

Soft ruffles

Jovovich-Hawk wrap dress

Helena Eyelet Dress

Ruffle Elbow Sleeve Dress

Vivienne Tam White Ruffle Dress

Bib Yoke Shift Dress

I have been waiting for this my whole life. Pt 2

2008-03-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

So the lovely author of Ma Petite Chou asked me about how the lip stains looked on. In regards to the gloss or shine.
This got me to thinking that most people might not know what they look like on. There are always the stock photos from the Revlon website, but who can really trust that.

So here are the four colors on my mouth.

Clockwise from top left:
Blood Orange
Cherry Tart
Plum Wicked
Berry Juice

All are topped with Blistex Medicated Balm