resolutions, etc.

last year's resolution is the first one i've ever kept: to eat things i am sure i don't like. i've always been a bit picky but it seemed to be time to try some things again. i still don't dig on some stuff and won't have them again for a longlong time (i'm looking at you carrotcake) but i now love brusselsprouts. so this one is a keeper and is now just a part of my life.
for '09 i am making some e-resolutions: one is to be better about commenting on the blogs i read. google reader has made me very lazy and a post has to be super special awesome for me to click over to the actual blog to comment, and even then i rarely do it. no more! i read a whole lot of blogs daily (thx to that afforementioned reader) and it is high time i got it in gear.
i also plan on being speedier on my replies to your comments on this blog. i really try to reply to everyone, but sometimes it takes me a few days to catch up. again, no more!
and finally i plan on continuing to do all i can to make the shop a reality. some things are out of my control right now (thank you global economic meltdown) but i refuse to let that stop me from getting it going. stay tuned...


for your viewing pleasure today i have some house pics: bedroom edition. well, dresser edition anyway. they had pretty bright roses on sale at the grocery today, so i finally get to use this girl vase i found the other week at the superthrift:



the scene:





here is that pic of ronald i promised you:





i found this great green & turquoise jar yesterday:





of course you remember moustachioed rubber santa baby:


he may stay out all year :D


finally, my old faux-croc 8-track case turned makeup case:



the tiny pink vase was an xmas gift from ma. she really finds the best stuff. the white ceramic puppy is from west germany and has a brass fly on his belly, which he seems really freaked out about. he is defly top 10 goodwill finds ever.

aw yeah

i am so done with this. but now i am thinking i have time to make a cute little pair of rumba shorts to go with...






the other day i went back to jo-mar and grabbed materials to make a fluffy tulle crinoline for underneath, but now i think it doesn't need it so much.
now i just have to figure out how to store such a thing.. it is gigantic and i think will require its own special box.

dress II update II

next time you see it, it will be done :D











about 12 inches to go - it is so cuddly like wearing a teddy bear

christmastime in the city

update:

dress II update

i am still trying to get it done in time to wear for new year's eve! i started on monday night, and now have the top and arms done and think i can have the skirt done in time.


[front]



[back]


it is shaping up quite different from the sketches for a few good reasons.. the best of which being that if i don't want buttons or ties then it has to be something that can just go on over the head. so i decided to make it more of a babydoll shape, with the same short high torso and narrowing tubular arms as the sketches, but a big full short skirt instead of long and close. the top went easy and arms were fast and came out way cooler than i imagined (quite by accident - you can make big accidents just be sure to make them symmetrically!) but the skirt is taking forever. for.ev.er. and it's just going to get slower because i want it to pouf out once more from it's already voluminous state about 10-12 inches from the bottom, thus doubling the number of stitches all the way 'round when i'll be so close to done. but it'll look great, so i'm not losing momentum any time soon here. it doesn't look like much on the hanger but it really is good on :D i am determined to get it done on time! i have about 35 inches to go.
back to it!

rubber baby santa!

ma got me (way too much great stuff as usual) this freaking amazing rubber santa baby!! she said he is surely creepier than my naked ronald mcdonald action figure. i think she is right - this pic really doesn't do his creepiness justice. i need to get some new pics of ronald for you (and yes i should also crochet him a suit.) as for baby santa, i know from his patent number (on the squeaker on his belly) that he is from 1962. i told ma i'd crochet him a new santa hat - then run it over with my car to make it match the rest of the suit.

and here are some more pics of the tree, this time with all the ornaments. i like giant ornaments on little trees. and i like a lot of them. i knew i had taken pics too soon for you the other week, before i found my atomic plastic stars and mica covered velvet trimmed bells - also i am betting from 1962. the aluminum tree is from around then too. it was a good year for christmas apparently.



[click for very big view]













merry holidays everyone!

dog spoons

love it when they spoon :D

dress II

i really want to have it done to wear for new year's eve, but that is prolly not going to happen. it'll be cool when it is done though :D

peppermint patties

i made these tasty peppermint patties that have been making the internet rounds. they are maybe the easiest candy to make as there is no cooking involved, and they're way better than store-bought as these are made with butter and cream. junior mints are actually vegan. who knew?
a few tips if you decide to make your own: err on the side of too much chocolate. also, don't get curious and do half of them milk choco like i did. there is a reason they always use dark chocolate on this sort of thing.. the milk ones are just gross. but i will be making the dark chocolate ones again and again!

pups

and feet, mostly.

bread

i have been making this irish soda bread for a little while now. so easy and it tastes like a giant buttery biscuit! i'm about to heat up another big slice with butter and strawberry jam.

dating by patent numbers

i grabbed a bunch of stuff at jo-mar the other day when i was on my headboard upholstery mission. this silky blue ginham lining fabric will be a flowy summer dress, and that giant pale yellow cotton bouillion fringe will likely be a part of that dress.
i also scored some suspender clips and a few of these old slides:




i'm not yet sure what will happen with the slides, but i had to get them as they are covered in old patent numbers, which is something we don't do anymore to things that aren't electronic. i'm not sure why i never tried to do this before, but i went online to see if i could date the slides by the patent numbers. you totally can! the US patent and trademark office has a handy list right here. turns out the slides are from 1930. now i have a few patent numbers memorized - 600,000=1900, 1.7 million=1930, 2.9 million=1960 - so i have a nice window of reference when looking at any patent number from now on :D

dog in the window

and so many more dog pics here.

constellation headboard: done

it's only a little different from the plans i posted last week. today i went to jo-mar, the local fabric clearance warehouse, and spent a good hour looking at absolutely everything. of course i couldn't find the fabric i had imagined, but this muted red on cream upholstery is just great and was only $2 for the yard. it was super hard to choose from all of their incredible options, but i kept coming back to this one. i also scored these perfect vintage black and white fabric covered buttons there for 10 cents each - just right for the stars.

christmas tree

i grabbed one more box of christmas goodies last week and it happened to be the one with my vintage aluminum tree in it. the tree comes in such a small box and goes together so quickly that i was able to put it all up before work this morning. this year i did all toy ornaments.. some new, most vintage, and many mine from childhood. no electric ligts on the tree this year in an effort to save a penny or two.




[strawberry shortcake is mine from 1978, one of those engraved jobbies from the mall. the mercury glass spaceman is not vintage but is just too great, no?]


[charlie brown is another engraved one from my early childhood, along with cookie monster]


[this care bear is mine from the early 80s]



[60s candy elf]



[60s bear]

[60s angel with rubber face. the set of embroidered satin ponies are from pier 1 in the 80s.]


[big vintage elves]


[little vintage elf]

constellation headboard

now that it's winter i have found that i really need a headboard for my bed. there's only one wall i can have the bed against in here and it is un-insulated and constantly icy cold - no fun at all to sleep near.

i came up with this idea for a constellation headboard a long time ago but didn't really need a headboard then. now is the time! sry the top of my sketch is cut off - my scanner is itty bitty. the cut off part just says 'constellation headboard'. i suppose i should translate the private language that is my handwriting: neo-swedish/marie antoinette.. bright light yellow & dusty sky blue striped tafetta.
i'll pad it with the old egg crate that is on the bed now (yay new egg crate time!) and then tuft it with fabric covered buttons laid out in the shape of the constellation sagittarius :D haven't deicided what color to do the buttons in. i like this blue, but i also like the idea of using m. antoinette macaroon colors.. peach and mocha and pistachio, etc.






to tuft a headboard what you do is this:

• have a piece of plywood cut to size at the hardware store.
• lay out where you want your buttons on the plywood and drill 1/4 inch holes in those spots.
• lay your egg crate over the front of the plywood, cover w fabric and staple to the back side.
• now use a big needle and twine or heavy cotton thread - push through the first hole at the back, all the way to the front, string button on and return needle through the same hole.
• then run to the next hole and do the same until you have your buttons all attached at the front.
• tie your thread off tightly.
• now put big saw-tooth picture hangers on the back and hang on the wall.

if you have a little dough to spend you might want to have a nice wooden frame cut to fit at your local frame shop. a white lacquered moulding would be perfect on this but is a little bit out my price-range right now. that part can wait. the rest i will start on this weekend :D

hottt

my birthday present to myself this year was this totally freaking fantastic pair of platforms from the ebay shop of the very talented ms. kime buzzelli. if you haven't been reading the moldy doily you should be, and if you are lucky enough to live near her shop show pony in LA you need to invite me out to the coast for some shopping! her artwork is lovely and girly in such a good way. yes, i idolize her a lil bit.
the shoes are so comfy and easy to walk in. i might wear them to the office holiday party this weekend, with my red lace 50s party dress :D too much? good.



[cutest thank you note ever <3<3]

darn it

how-to darn a sweater, courtesy of my 1948 singer sewing book:





case in point: my favorite vintage alpaca sweater. it had 3 little moth or cigarette bites when i found it at the superthrift. luckily i knew just how to fix them. you simply run long stitches across the hole, then weave your needle through those stitches until you've woven the hole over. each hole took me about 5 minutes to fix.


[before]




[after]


so next time you find a fabulous old sweater that has a few small bugaboos you know it's super easy to fix.

the best laid cake plans...

so i had a plan. you saw it. giant cake. rainbow. easy. just follow directions and it's done. well, i was well on my way to completing said plan when things started veering off-plan. ultimately the plan was, um, adapted.. yeah.. to new circumstances. i was not sure in the end how it would taste but really it turned out delicious, and quite attractive if i do say so:

















and inside:



the bottom layer is ginger/peach and the top layer is lemon/orange. (there is also a batch of strawberry cupcakes and a few pistachio ones too :D) the icing is the best part i think. it is whipped cream cheese + not too much sugar + a lot of heavy whipping cream. sooo heavenly. i just used regular box yellow cake mix, divided it and added a small amount of fruit to each bowl. i tried to color the layers as you can see, but i suggest you get the gel coloring. the cheapo watery stuff is just not bright enough. or you can use jello to both flavor and vividly color your layers.
the edible flowers i had my heart set on when i saw them at the grocery. some of them are even quite tasty with the icing, but there is a sort of weird 'salad' element in your cake that not everyone may dig on. but look at them! i ran out of eggs to properly sugar them (you water down a bit of egg white and brush it on the leaves, then dust w sugar) so i ended up just dusting the whole cake w sugar.
i thought it was all a lost cause for a moment when things started going wrong, but i am very happy with how it turned out. ariel came and enjoyed a bit of it with me, and she even went back for a second slice :D