First 333 outfit

First outfit, many apologies for the crappy iPad camera :( 

I'm wearing the black skirt, denim jacket, grey shirt, gold flats and jade necklace. Today I have work and Spanish class, so I want something comfortable and somewhat stylish. I don't feel great as well, so all knits was on order. 

I'll try to get the next outfits on my good camera!

Project 333

I'm going to try the 333 project: 33 items for 3 months. I've been trying to minimize my possessions for the last month or so. I have donated about 10 boxes of clothes that I no longer wear and no longer fit me (I still have 3 Rubbermaid bins of the same, though). I've donated several boxes of books, and am close to only having those books that I actually reread - which is still a massive amount of books. I've even given away fabric and craft supplies that I know I'm never really going to use, keeping only that for which I already have plans. 

Finally, at an effort to minimize my internet and tv time, I spent Christmas week offline. No TV (which I watch through Netflix), no Facebook, no Pinterest. I gave myself about 15 minutes to check my email for jewelry orders and that was it. It was a great week! I had the whole week off from work, and I was exceptionally productive, making dinner each night and keeping the house clean while finding time to work on new jewelry designs and read several books. Phew! Now that I'm back to my regular job (and my irregular teaching job), and I'm back online, I find it a lot harder to focus on single tasks, trying to multi task all day long. 

In an effort to reclaim some of my motivation for minimalism (or "new minimalism," technically), I'm participating in Project 333. I'm hoping that by limiting my wardrobe I am encouraged to minimize other distractions in my life. 

Here is the list of items I am going to wear for the next three months. Being a jewelry designer, it was hard to just pick 5 pieces, so I picked my favorite pieces that I've designed for myself, and one fun statement necklace that really livens up my more neutral outfits. One thing I've noticed is that there isn't a lot of neutral in my wardrobe! I think this may be the most colorful wardrobe I've seen in 333, but I love color. I don't have a lot of statement pieces (one of the skirts and the gold flats), and there are only a couple people who see me every day (Most of my friends and colleagues only see me a couple times a week), so I don't worry about wearing the same outfits every week or so. 

What is great about this wardrobe is that all of the shirts can be worn with the black skirt, and all but one go with the pants (the grey wrap shirt is shorter and fitted, so it doesn't work with the skinny jeans). Most of the shirts can be worn with the statement skirt, and the jackets go with nearly every outfit (puffer jackets are a requirement in Idaho winters). Ditto on the jewelry. I love that I can create a wardrobe so full of color that is still a very cohesive look. You can tell I pretty much wear blues, greens, purples and black, with a few variations. The statement skirt is super flattering and has blues, greens, orange, yellow and very dark brown (black works with it). I am pretty excited for the next three months, and at the end it will be getting pretty warm here, so I'll swap some of the items for my summer stuff. Can't wait! 

2 skirts - one black, one multi colored

4 pair pants - skinny jeans, black boot cut trousers, grey hiking pants, knit pinstripe dress pants

2 dresses - one knit black/grey striped, one navy ponte

2 sweaters - one orange chunky, one purple lightweight wool

2 cardigans - one hot pink, one plum

4 t-shirts - (all can be dressed up) green, cerulean, plum heather, black.

2 long-sleeved shirts - one grey wrap shirt, one black v-neck

1 green purse

1 backpack

3 jackets - denim, pink puffer, blazer

4 pair Shoes - harness boots, gold flats, pink tevas, brown sneakers

5 pieces Jewelry - jade necklace, turquoise necklace, mint bib necklace, green triangle earrings, yellow stone necklace, copper disc necklace, long leaf earrings

1 black circle scarf

Total items: 33

Not included in total: jewelry I don't remove (4 rings, 3 stud earrings, 2 toe rings) leggings, underwear, tank tops, choir clothes, pajamas.

Finished ceramics!

Here are the pictures of my finished sugar bowl. There were some flaws from the clear coat and firing (one spot even looked a bit "overcooked") but those can happen to any piece and there weren't any flaws on my husband's piece. All in all, I will definitely go back. This only cost me $12 to make and that includes using a couple special glazes!

First up, here is a shot of the mermaid's face - it was hard to get a good shot because I was taking the pics late in the afternoon (as an aside, this is the only spot in our room that gets decent light. You can see the handmade cat post to the left).

I always decorate the bottom of my ceramics, even if it is something simple. I was disappointed that the fish got dinged up, but it still turned out pretty neat.

I added little goldfish to the handles...

I used a crystal glaze on the inside. When you paint it there are these chunks of "crystal" in the main color that melt when fired so you get this awesome oil-in-water effect. They come in a bunch of colors, too. 

Surprise! A little mer-cat under the lid :). The bubbles in the clear glaze are kind of obvious so I might use my Dremel to file them down a bit.

All in all it was a ton of fun and we will definitely go back to the Coffee Shop!

Work in progress: it's a hat!

My knitting needles showed up before my new yarn so I did what any decent knitter would do: I frogged a project I wasn't happy with and started making something new! This was a cowl that I crocheted about a year ago and never really liked - it was too stiff and the pattern didn't really show off the colors of the yarn. The yarn was a present from a dear friend who honeymooned in New Zealand - she brought back this lovely soft yarn for me in a colorway that really goes with my wardrobe. I wear a lot of purple :)

This pattern is Wendy Neal's Flower Bud Beanie (the pattern is available on Ravelry). It is a loose-knit lace pattern with a lot of stretch. I added a bit of ribbing at the bottom because I have a huge head and wanted to make sure it fits (it only comes in one size). 

Here you can see a better shot of my "stitch marker" (an earring), and, yes, I know I'm not using it correctly but I don't really use them very often. 

The needles are ChiaoGoo Lace circulars. I LOVE these needles. Once I learned Magic-Loop knitting I started looking for needles that would have a flexible cord and work with my style of knitting. For reference, I knit Continental style (unlike most Americans) and I tend to knit very tightly. The ChiaoGoos really loosen up my knitting and the points are great for lace patterns. 

This hat is just for me :) but I am going to start on presents for others after this project. Find me on Ravelry.com, username: Seropdo.

In which yarn is demanded

This is not my baby.

Please go to www.tincanknits.com and check out their awesome seamless knitting patterns. Okay. I had to get that out of the way so I don't feel bad about using the picture.

Caveat: they look awesome and simple. Once I've made a couple I might change my mind, but I doubt it. I trust my fellow knitsters on Ravelry, and they have made some nifty first sweaters using this pattern. 

It seems I am surrounded by an abundance of babies and I am an APPALLING aunty who has not made any warm knitted goods for any of these tots. Now that I'm working part-time again, I actually have time for the fun stuff: knitting, painting, getting my jewelry business back up and running (more on that later. Like, when I actually have space to work!) 

Since it's been a while since I've knitted (I was doing a lot of crocheting last year), and since this is my FIRST EVER sweater, I picked a supposedly easy pattern that is a top-down, seamless, raglan-style sweater with an interesting sleeve detail that is also FREE. I'm a cheapskate with my patterns. 

I've been scouring Ravelry for patterns to whet my knitting appetite and the Tin Can Knits Simple Collection seems like a great place to start. Plus, that high I was on from the ceramic painting has worn off and I need to get crafty soon or I may just become one with my mattress and never rise again. Bleh. Anyway (get to the point, self), I plan on making a couple of these in small-sprog sizes, one purple and one blue. After that, if it is an easy/great pattern I'll probably make a couple more for other soon-to-be babies. I might even (gasp!) branch out to adult sizes. Who knows? 

Of course there will be pictures, including progress pics. I might even throw in some cat pics because cats. If I can get them there will even be pictures of the sweaters on their recipients. We'll see. My nephew is a speedy little demon. 

When you simply must make something or succumb, painfully, to your mind palace

I don't know how it is for all crafty-artsy people, but there are a few of us who simply HAVE to make things on a semi-regular basis or we go completely doo-lally. 

Doo-lally is, of course, a scientific term meaning utter and complete whats-the-point-of-getting-out-of-bed-depression but with a friendlier spin. My husband jokes about my "wandering uterus" because I get a "little" (read: a LOT) more emotional and snappy and despondent. It was due to an unplanned jaunt to a sweet little cafe that lead me to the realization that, DUH of course I am depressed! I haven't made anything three-dimensional in almost two months! 

The jaunt was a story in itself: on Saturday it was raining and I was going out of my f-ing mind and my very-smart-and-loving husband suggested we get out of town and go visit Emmett, a little farm town north of where we live. I had been wanting to visit the coffee shop there anyway and I am very much a country person and being cooped up in the city makes me a little crazy, so despite the rain we drove north (after picking up delicious donuts first, of course). 

Emmett is actually a neat little town that reminds me of where I grew up (minus the tourism) with old store-fronts and a single grocery store all surrounded by the Payette River and a lot of farmland. We passed horses, sheep, goats, llamas and long-horned cattle on our drive, which was great since the wildlife were hiding from the rain. 

The Coffee Shop (yes, that is its name. One of two coffee places in Emmett - the other is a questionably-named Christian coffee place) not only sells coffee and pastries, but also has ceramic painting available. Now, I don't know if you've done this before, but ceramic painting is fun - you spend a few meditative hours painting your ceramic piece in these pastel-looking gloopy paints, and a week later you get to pick up a finished product, all shiny and brightly-colored. The bonus is that this place in Emmett makes their own pottery pieces locally and do not charge a sitting fee (also: COFFEE) - which makes this much cheaper than any other ceramic place I've been to. 

Finally, while we were there, painting with locals and surrounded by folks just there for some coffee, people started bringing in food. I mean good food: fried catfish and hushpuppies, homemade skillet bread, corn slaw... the best part? It was free! The owner's dad had too much fish so he was frying it on the patio and giving it away, and some of the people living nearby decided to bring over side dishes. Wow. 

The best part of the trip was the feeling of a HUGE weight off of my shoulders. For the next two days I actually felt optimistic and calm - and I realized that all it took was the two or three hours we spent making something that will be both useful and beautiful. 

Of course, pictures will follow. Darling man that he is, my husband is going to drive with me back to Emmett this weekend to pick up our items (and maybe paint some more). I expect my mermaid and goldfish sugar bowl to be the highlight of my new kitchen.

House Hunting Sucks

My husband and I are trying to find a house. Well, we think we have actually found a house but due to various things (including possible mold) we may not go ahead with it. Mind you, trying not to get our hopes up is a fool's errand - we are already mentally redecorating "our" kitchen (the very 70s kitchen with questionable remodeling...) and planning where the veg garden will go.

We actually made a bid on another (practically perfect) home - 1950s with wood floors, great kitchen and 3 bedrooms, plus a HUGE lot in a great neighborhood. It was way too good to be true and we weren't that surprised when our offer was rejected. Then we found out that we'd made the best offer, but the homeowner was re-listing the home at a higher price. Hmm... It is legal for them to do so, but it is pretty unusual and extremely frustrating. The new price was out of our range so we decided to check out a home in a less-nice-but-still-nice neighborhood. This new house is in good condition and is very light and open. There is just enough room for a vegetable plot and small yard in the back.

So we'll see how it goes. I won't share too much, just in case the seller reads brand-new blogs (unlikely) but I will definitely share more if we get the house. Whichever house we end up with, expect lots of pictures of my decorating efforts, before/after stories and garden tales.

A bit of background - for many years I moved from rental to rental. We tried living in Eugene, OR, which was lovely but lacked employment opportunities and moved to Virginia, where we lived with a relative for a couple years and then remained in the home for 2 more years after he moved out. We were very lucky to be asked to caretake that home (owned by my husband's family) and were allowed to make it our own, to an extent. I never did get to paint the kitchen, but we redecorated both bathrooms. Although my husband and I have some different tastes when it comes to homes, we both wanted to create a home in which our friends felt comfortable and that was functional for our needs. Although our Virginia house wasn't perfect, we are really looking forward to finding our next home.

My home style is kind of a mix of hippy/artsy/cottage/Scandinavian - essentially, I have always wanted to live in a fairytale cottage and I think my decorating sense gets pulled in that direction. So while we might have Star Wars action figures riding dinosaurs (yep!) on our bookshelves, we also have alchemist jars of dried herbs and several beaten up antiques sitting around. The giant gnome-head birdhouse helps a bit, too :) Basically, if you can imagine the Weasley's home - that is what I'm going for.