Skies of Gray, Pants of Blue

Today was a gray day, but without the rain we so desperately need down here. Luckily, my pants were a cheery blue.  I've been working on turning clothes I own into clothes I wear and I've had these pants and cardigan for years.  I picked up the pants a few years ago on mega discount at Old Navy.  They are a nice medium weight but powder blue pants just didn't do much for me - especially with super wide flare.  Into the washer they went with some teal dye and out they came - Tiffany blue!  I love the new color, springy but not pastel. I stitched a straight leg and now I have some pants I'll actually wear.  

The cardigan is even older - I think I picked it up in 8th grade? I still wear it occasionally but thought it could be pepped up.  I picked up some polka-dot crepe fabric in the remnants bin and added ruffles to give a bit of romance to this wardrobe staple. A whole new outfit for less than $3?  You can't beat that!  I'm loving refashioning and I have one of just about every type of garment in my box - any great ideas?

Three Dinners and a Movie

I've gotten behind on my Dinner and a Movie posts because I feel like my movie critiques aren't up to snuff and my food posts end up just being a thesaurus-worth of "this is tasty."  So, presented without additional commentary are three great meals for three great movies:

Thelma and Louise with fancier than diner Provençal Tuna Melt and Lightened-Up Banana Pudding (don't roast the bananas, they turn to mush).

Gone with the Wind with Hoecakes and Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Turkey Leg

Duck Soup with 1930s-era Philly Cheese Steaks with provelone instead of cheese sauce and Crispy Green Beans. 

Passion to Refashion

As part of my goal to purge every room in my house by next month, I recently took on my closet which was stuffed full of stuff that I wasn't wearing because it was too big or I just wasn't that into it.  I filled two huge Rubbermaid containers with clothes that are fine except for one or two tweaks.  For example, this navy pencil skirt was a pair of wide-leg shorts until I cut them open.  Straight seams down the front and pack and I have a skirt with pockets!

I bought two of these very light-weight cotton shirts in January 2010.  The other got a basic redo - taken in, sleeves shortened - but this was a little more in depth.  I wanted a shirt that was more casual, so I picked the stitches out of the collar to remove it. Then I took in the sides by a few inches and the arms by about an inch and cut the bottom hem straight across to give a more finished edge without having to tuck it in (bonus!).

I still wanted a shorter sleeve but I decided to add a little bit of interest by cutting off the shirt cuffs and rolling up the sleeves.  I went ahead and tacked them in place to make sure everything was secure and used the cuffs to create tabs.  They are just decorative, but I still really like this detail.

In addition to gaining tons of closet space, I organized my jewelry with this simple frame and chickenwire jewelry hanger.  My mom and I found these two frames at the Habitat Restore (look for one in your town - great prices on all sorts of construction and home goods and the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity!).  I painted them this bright blue and had a custom mirror cut for just $7 (please ignore the smudges).  I love the splash of color on my beige walls in my dark bedroom and I am wearing necklaces I had forgotten I even had.  I love getting organized.

Sock it to Me!

I call these my sea monster socks.  The pattern, Scylla by Fiona Lucas, is based on offset slipped stitches and wraps to create a sort of box pattern with a lot of dimension.  The pattern fit well pretty much straight-away, although with my long feet, there wasn't much left for the leg portion.  You can s

I bought this yarn in Portland, Oregon during the AAPA meetings in April of 2011. The colors are gorgeous and the yarn was pretty springy, but I think for my second pair of socks, I'll use something with some synthetic stretch built in.  I may start wearing socks with sandals just to show them off.

February in Instagram

Koi in the pond at the Japanese Tea Garden

Two of my favorite women in the whole world!

After two failed attempts to get a sourdough starter going in the summer (it got moldy), I spent a week getting it going and making pumpernickel.  It was good.  Not worth six months of effort. 

Magnets made from clear Christmas ornaments and sea glass from Rhode Island and Long Island.

Gave a talk on skin color and health at AAAS meeting - I love Boston!

A few extra days with friends and their adorable kids in Boston.

I finally got my library card so that I can spend my commutes listening to audiobooks instead of just hating my fellow drivers.  

Knitting and watching Jayhawk basketball are two of my favorite pastimes.

Hooray for friends visiting!!!

I own way too many spices and I don't even know how to use the more exotic ones.  I put some kala jeera and star anise in this Lagman Uzbek with chickpeas in place of lamb.