Notice I didn’t write “Cookie Recipe” (just a small matter of a floating “s”); I’m saving the Cookie Recipe (singular form) for A Day That Feels Epic. A Day Befitting An Extra Special Super-Sized Cookie All By Itself. Lest your knees weaken as you glance at the wordy length of this post, the recipe is easy to find at the end. But I’d read on, if I were you. [continue reading…]
Not Groundhog Day; it came and went without a handshake. Thankfully, my daughter Maurya was paying attention; she tells me that Puxatawny Phil saw his shadow; spring should be here soon.
Ah, good. Because while I love aspects of winter, I don’t know if our immune systems can hold out much longer, not to mention our ebbing reserve of endorphins. Thank you, darling.
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And speaking of spring, and Maurya…I took these pictures of Maurya last spring. Doesn’t she look happy? She was happy. We were both happy, me because she liked the dress I’d made, she because she’s basically a sweet, happy person anyway, and because she liked the dress, and because she had somewhere to go in it. Senior Cotillion I think. [continue reading…]
Not my favorite, but definitely compelling in the questions it raises. Where did the story come from? What had the storytellers seen and experienced, that they concocted such disturbing details? The Grimm brothers made Hansel & Gretel famous, but there are older variations of their story all over Europe and into Russia, with chilling commonalities in both details and themes. Mostly, I wonder about storyteller motives. Is Hansel & Gretel a cautionary tale? Or is it instructional–a precursor to our modern self-help genre: “Make a Comeback from Medievalism: Breadcrumbs to Success in a Cold, Cruel, Cannibalistic World.” [continue reading…]
And found that yes….a requiem might work as a melancholy retrospective. Still, I was also interested to learn that “requiem” has a longer history as a Mass for the Dead, or better yet, a Mass OF the Dead (repose of souls, amen). [continue reading…]
glazing everything in its path with a beautiful, high gloss. Sunday afternoon, the next storm dropped a new, thick layer of snow. As I drove to and from Salt Lake in the breathtaking mess, I searched for words to describe the size of the gorgeous snow globs hitting my windshield. Brain-stunned by their sheer mass, I could only come up with “hamburgers”.
(As shown in last Friday’s Wool Skirts and Leggings refashioned from Wool Sweaters)
1) I bought three wool sweaters at a thrift store. The bigger the better. Cotton or cotton/ramie would work too, but it’s winter, and besides being warm and tough, wool is classy.
2) I washed & dried the sweaters in my washing machine/dryer. In lingerie bags (mesh), to keep fibers smooth. This shrinks them, yes, but it also tightens/thickens the fibers so that my final product will be sturdy…and machine washable (but probably not dryer-dryable).
3) Using a favorite skirt from my closet as a template/pattern, I made sure there actually was room for a skirt in each of the sweaters before I cut the necks and sleeves off. A straight/pencil skirt’s shape is almost square, curving subtly around the hips. (I didn’t make a skirt out of the white sweater. I did use the arms for my leggings; the body waits for a later project).
(Unless you’re a guy, and you’ve got enough whiskers growing in just the right places).
So I’d refashioned wool skirts and wool leggings out of wool sweaters, like my friend Steph did so beautifully. I was tickled at the outcome; pleased as punch that I was finding so many things in my closet that would go with. Excited to show off my adventure. [continue reading…]
Inspired by my friend Stephanie’s beautiful wool skirts made from thrifted sweaters, I played with her concept. My refashion was fun that day (yep, the two skirts and one pair of leggings took one afternoon, the end). And the leggings and skirt kept me warmer than you’d think when we took the pictures…I’m so excited to show them off.
EveryDay Bloom: Journal of an Attempt at Creative Living, Dappled & Imperfect. Possibly Ridiculous. 
