Friday, April 29, 2011
Fashion Friday: Fedoras!
oh fedoras! you've been around a couple years now...but i think people are finally warming up to you around here:)
this spring fedoras continue to be a top trend as was evidenced by the vast amount of celebrities and us regular folk at coachella music festival this past year! above is Ashley Greene, mark's ambassador, in a mark fedora (check this one out that she's wearing at my mark eboutique - has 3 changeable ribbons!) at coachella...
also representing the fedora at coachella:
(love this whole outfit...so so so happy that flowy, long skirts are back!
and when i say back, even if you are totally not down with "trends" at least it = more available!)
from another fashion blog: "They {fedoras} are beautiful and seems that they can transform anyone into a confident Parisian at heart! (Fun fact: The Fedora hat is apparently named after a woman in a French play called, "Fédora" written by Victorien Sardou in 1882)."
and from Fashion Urbia "The fedora has that classic look that sits well on the head of a well polished and tailored fashion forward person. Today the fedora continues that tradition along with a new twist of being fun and airy."
once again, for me, versatility is key! and love how it adds the whimsical, free-spirited feel to an outfit...
and...indeed...a few summers ago i actually found a fedora to love...now only to start wearing it again!
well this weekend is going to be completely nuts! hope yours is BEAUTIFUL. catch you on Monday!
xoxo
ashley
Thursday, April 28, 2011
procrastination...don't even try and find a line this time, it's fine.
you know that thing you have to do...that you remember at odd times of the day...that maybe you've been meaning to get done the past 6 months even, because there's no true deadline for it?
the kind of thing like renewing your passport or driver's license...making someone a gift...closing a bank account you don't need...canceling a credit card...renewing a subscription...
the majority of the to-do things that sit in the back of our minds to remind us that we once again forgot to do it when we had free time won't stop the world if you continue to procrastinate it...and may never affect anyone really.
but. you. constantly. get reminded. that you will forget again. so your mind keeps reminding you when you drive past target...or the bank...
so JUST DO IT.
make a small list of those few things that you keep waiting to do and give yourself a deadline of tonight or tomorrow and DO IT. that nagging reminder will finally go away.
{you will feel so free}
i waited to renew my passport after getting married until a couple weeks before we went to iceland. it cost like an extra $200 to expedite it.
so yesterday i was on a mission to get things done. nothing that HAD to be done, but that i keep thinking about randomly. i found a house key and made copies. i picked up dog poop. i brought recyclables in.
today i am going to finish making my mom's running CD (this has been waiting for a YEAR to do!!).
just. do. it.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
inspire me on hump day: when life hands you lemons...
...and lemon bars are pretty dang awesome...it really is all in your perspective...your attitude...
...whatever your situation finds you this hump day...just keep in mind how much perspective can rock your day...i know when i'm pissy, the last thing i want is someone telling me to have a better attitude...however...
“I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me." Charles Swindoll
so no matter what you week is throwing at you...just remember this morning how flippin' awesome you can make it! you.can.do.it.
just do it. seriously. choose to be happy today. choose to say something beautiful to someone who's been annoying you. choose to be the change you are wishing you'd see. choose to have an adventure and change a boring day up. choose to do whatever you need to enjoy this hump day more - get a coffee and bring someone else a coffee. call whoever you've been waiting to. and forget about all the things that haven't been done yet and tell your husband he's the bomb (because, really, it's never that big of a deal to have forgotten to take the trash out). do a little dance in the elevator to get your groove on and snicker a little to yourself at how awesome you are.
you can do SO MUCH with such a little change in your attitude.
"We got to make this land a better land
than the world in which we live.
And we got to help each man be a better man
with the kindness that we give.
I know we can make it.
I know darn well we can work it out.
Oh yes we can, I know we can can
yes we can can, why can't we?
If we wanna, yes we can can."
Pointed Sisters
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Try it Out Tuesday: Love your old sweater!
I honestly wouldn't have tried this out if I didn't know Tuesday was coming and I hadn't made anything!! Seriously, start to blog and you'll feel more accountable to do the things you say you will;) My friend Laura told me about the blog "Adventures in Dressmaking." It's not a blog I too regularly follow, but I do check it out for a random DIY clothing idea or two.
I've been going through clothing...and...everything...for a garage sale coming up this summer. There's always those few things that I don't want to part with b/c it's a kick ass color, potentially wearable in another year with new trends;), will fit another time, etc. But I decided if it's not something I have worn for 6 months I have to either remake it or garage sale/thrift store it!
Enter: Ugly fitted, sweet colored, old sweater with too deep of a v-neck:
I used this tutorial from Adventures in Dressmaking.
But...it was too lengthy and I only had an hour or so before I was going to lose interest in finishing what I was about to start...so I just tried some things...
Like cutting the sweater down the middle...
Sewing a too-short-of-stitch on one side that caused it to ruffle weird...
And then sewing a much better, less tensioned side...
And looking at a pocket from a fellow cardigan...
Mainly eyeballin' everything...
And pressing the sides around...
To make sewing it on a lot easier...
And then (even though you can't really see it) sewing a row of 2 stitches parallel on the top side of the pocket...
Pinned it on...
And then opened a bottle of Big Fish riesling from the penny sale while Justin watched Star Wars and working on his rack thing...
And sewed it on...
And decided it wasn't complete...so used another one of Adventure in Dressmaking tutorial to embellish my first felted flower on clothes! (i was excited.)
I actually did follow this tutorial...
And realized I'm not very good following directions...
Because things end up imperfect...but that's how I like it;)
Indeed.
I actually like it:)
But I would put a button on to allow the very top to button...
Next time...
xoxo
Monday, April 25, 2011
i'm not ready for this, but it's not over yet.
Every time I read that story again I wanna run and take the nails out You remind me that those nails are mine Once and for all to the end (Hebrews 9:26)
I’m not ready for this I’m not ready yet I’m not ready For this ending But it’s not over yet I’ve been fighting against myself And I’ve torn myself to pieces I hear You calling, God, I hear You calling “Stand up, stand up And spend yourself for Jesus”
Cool Hand Luke - I'm Not Ready
Justin took this photo at the top at Hope's Easter service...totally beautiful!
Cool Hand Luke is one of my go-to bands for putting life back in perspective when I get wrapped up in the mundane, get-this-done, this-is-all-there-is, you-are-alone-in-this kind of feeling. I've been blasting this beauty of a song in my car and I get reminded that life is so much more than me. Which I find incredibly comforting. When I see the sunrise (finally!) in the morning as spring allows I remember that life is so much more than whatever is consumingly overwhelming my mind. When I see the city lights reflecting at night in the rain off the street, I remember that it's not about me.
It's about love.
And when life gets completely crazy and overwhelming...and things completely out of our control spiral...we only need to be still.
And I just need to share with you some sweet victories in the life of gardening! I was given some perennials last year and so so so excitedly planted them. This above one, specifically, I was sure I destroyed. But see the beautiful pink buds?! Totally honest, I have no idea what it is;)
And the tulip and daffodils bulbs I planted from *cringe* Walmart last fall - they're showing they're sweetness, too!
But by far, the sweetest victory is my little squirmy friends I found while weeding - my earthworms!! Last year, there were NONE that I found while planting in our front yard area. Just CLAY. Blah. But we added peat moss and compost from the city and BAM - earthworms loving on it!
With gardening...sewing...business plans...running...well, let's just go with marriage...life...faith...just like What About Bob - it's all about BABY STEPS!
xoxo
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fashion Friday: Braids...and a couple local crafters to go along!
braids have gotten a bunch of attention in the past few years...and it seems to be only an increasing trend in hairstyling!
no longer do you have to feel like a sticky-cotton-candy-fingered-girl...
but there's beauty among the youthful hairstyle, too!
and my favorite kind of trends are the super incredible versatile ones...that you can really create into your own style...and this is one that will be here for awhile still!
i have a friend who makes fishtails look soooo easy...but i'm still figuring out...with some help thanks to this youtube video...
“To complement the casual-yet-chic designs, we wanted to do something that was strong and graphic, but still beautiful,” says Rodney Cutler. “The fishtail braid is cool, understated and worked wonderfully with the clothes and makeup. Plus, the great thing about the braid is that it’s so easy to re-create at home with minimal products and time.”
and even embellishments can be creatively used with braiding...
love the looseness...and kind of messy, which, when mixed with braiding remains classy in a way...
braids in updos are still tricky to me...but hoping to figure out some sweet ones before we go to Korea in 2 weeks!
Kindrexleigh
there are some pretty awesome crafters making sweet embellishments for your hair to love...such as:
Craft Mission
Beckaboodle
Raine Design
This Earthly Tenthave a most beautiful weekend ahead! see you monday all you wonderful lovelies and friends!
xoxo
ashley
sidenote: justin swears that hope lutheran's good friday service tonight at 7pm at north campus will blow your mind...come join me?
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