Shopping

Sucks. 

All of the energy out of me. 

But I have a lot of great clothes for my mission now! 

I took a trip down to San Francisco last week to stock up on past the knee length skirts and conservative but cute and comfy tops. It was nice to not feel guilty for just shopping all day because I really need almost a whole new wardrobe for the next year and a half. As I looked over the checklist before I went I really only had one gray skirt, one dress, and maybe 3 black and white shirts I could take. Hence the shop-o-rama that ensued. 

What I didn't expect was a lesson in humility. 

The dressing standard for sister missionaries has relaxed a little in the past year; hemlines have gone up from mid-calf to covering the knee when sitting and standing, colorful prints and patterns are ok, and nylons are optional!  I began my search on Union square at all of my favorite city spots like Anthropologie, H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Macy's hoping to find modest clothing that would be trendy. I don't want to be a frumpy frump boring dresser. I found only one shirt and one dress. It had been hours and I was frustrated that nothing was turning up. The only long skirts in style right now are these hideous 90's hippie things.

ew see for yourself.

I regrouped with my Uncle and his girly friend over fish and chips and prepared myself for another few hours of little luck. Instead we headed over to Ross (ironic because that is one of the very few stores we have in Eureka) and well, I found 3 perfect skirts, a top, and some low cut socks all for less than the price of my clearance sale dress from Anthro! 

After this success I realized that I had a poor mind frame for shopping for mission clothes. I'm not going to be spending a whole lot of time fussing around with cute fashionable things and the trends are going to change in the next 18 months. I don't even know what's in style in Tennessee and Kentucky and I'm really not prepared for the heat of a southern summer! As I stopped caring about the name brands on the labels inside of my clothing I was blessed to find what I needed at a much more reasonable price.

I stopped at the mall in Santa Rosa yesterday on my way back and scored on a bunch of really cute classy tops at Forever 21 (the one in Union Square is way too hectic to even attempt going in), PacSun, and Banana Republic. Um, hello? Three tops at Banana Republic for under $40? That was a serious blessing waiting for me right there!

So I ended up happy and spent far less than the average $1000 that we are told to prepare to spend. Bring on the 18 months of the 30x30 challenge!

A Project Complete!

While working at Porter's this past year I fell in love with many fabrics and typically seeing them every day was enough to get my fix.  There were some however that I just bought yards and yards of. The woodgrain fabric that inspired this quilt was one of them. I bought a little bit for a journal project during Red Velvet Summer Camp and it started a fever that burned in my crafty heart. The rest of the bolt came home with me shortly afterwards. I recovered a body pillow so it now looks like a log but there was so much of the fabric left that I knew I should make a quilt with it. Several visits to JoAnn's and Redwood Sewing Center later the final concept was born.

I give you, The Toadstools and Pinwheels Quilt

Yay! Hooray! Applause! 

This is the first project that I have made with the intention to sell and it is a different mindset of quilting. I think I do better work when I know that the final piece won't be with me forever, but I'm also not quite as motivated because I know I don't get to snuggle up with it at the end. 

You can find it for sale in my shop!

A look at the fabric on the back

Close-up view of the 'shrooms

I read a few blogs that do TILT posts and as bad as I am at keeping on schedule I think I'll do one myself today!  So here are a few pictures of things I've found around on the interwebs and throughout my day that have struck my fancy.

 

rabbit and girl print so sweet! 

a tiny pink sewing machine that charmed its way into my heart!

 Aqua, pink, and gold is my new favorite color combo

Baz Luhrmann. The Great Gatsby. Oh. My. Gosh.

The best and funniest silhouettes I have EVER seen

paper fashion matching card game

and a song

Taking A 15 Minute Break

The packing police arrives tomorrow (aka mi madre) and I want her to be impressed by how much I have done. I actually amazed myself when I got ALL of my clothes except for jackets into a big green duffel bag and a little black carry on suitcase. Yes, the color of the luggage will help you visualize their size and my stuffing abilities better.  The donation pile downstairs is growing and growing and I'm thinking this is the most ruthless I have ever been with de-junking.

I can't figure out which makes me more sad though, getting rid of something that I bought new or getting rid of something that I thrifted or was given.  When I've purchased something full price I kind of expect myself to love it forever but my styles always changing or I really don't need the thing (like all of my kitchen stuff).  But when something is thrifted I've already decided that the item was a one of a kind treasure that was worth rescuing from guaranteed boredom to death on a dusty shelf.  How can I let something be double rejected?? That's just mean! Like kicking out a foster child.

So as I've been going through everything I have made a shopping resolution that I should be standing by better. If something is on sale, or a good buy at a thrift store, don't just get it because it is a steal.  Think about it. Would I buy it if it were full price? Because that is what makes it a good deal, actually getting better price than you planned! (But still feel free to have some of those thrifty impulses).

Here's my poster child for the story. Think long and hard like this kitteh...

Finally Friday

Well hello full time job! Thanks for giving me something to do with my days! Thank you for giving me a way to pay my rent! Thank you for taking away the social time I have during the day! Oh wait, scratch that part. Luckily at least one thing in this small town is open after 6pm and that is the Farmer's Market!!! Today was the first one and they will be every Friday from 4pm-8pm until October 15th so head down to the Tabernacle building to check it out!

My friends David and Emily have a booth for the first time this year where they are selling homemade Italian cookies (the crispy waffle kind!) and fresh noodles. Yummy!

Jen, another friend, made the cutest aprons and chef's hats for her daughter's birthday party and they turned out so well that she is going to have a booth at the market.

The stand that I'm looking most forward to though is the corn on the cob vendors! Mmm! Fresh corn on the cob with lime!

Giveaways!

I've realized that...I shop too much. Yes, when I have money I find fun things to do with it. Not that I live outside of my means, but probably right up on the edge. So a cure for this disease...blog giveaways!

So many bloggers these days are rewarding readers with goodies they've made or just want to share. So this week I've signed up for Carrie's 100th post giveaway and although I want to win, I'd love for other people to enter and read her blog! So give a click here and enter enter enter!!!

Also, I snagged my friend's copy of Self (love that magazine!) and they have a massive giveaway coming up on May 6th. Everyone who signs up wins something! So do it! Why not?

Happy Earth Day!

Emily rode over to my house two days ago and was telling me about the new bikes that she and her husband Ben recently got. They've made it part of their week to go on daily rides around town together. They invited me to join the other sunny day (its been nothing but rain ever since) so Em and I made a run down to the store since they got his on sale just the day before. Of course the two wheeled piece of wonder that I fell in love with was not one of the sale ones. Oh well. If it's good for the Earth and my body and eventually my gas costs its worth it right? This is the beauty that I picked out!

Yep. Even pink girls can have their wishes come true! What's funny is that I don't think I've ever owned a bike that wasn't pink! My first one was white, pink, and purple with streamers out of the handlebars. So great! Oh wait. I was terrified to ride it! Charly put training wheels on it and if he let go for even a second I was convinced that I would fall off. What a wuss I was. There was one after that I think, but I can't really remember all that clearly. What I do know is that I haven't had a bicycle of my own since at least middle school. I just hate riding up hills! They're awful and not fun at all! It's like, who wants a work out that bad? And this town is the flattest thing since pancakes so I'm set!

Ben, Em, and I went out for an hour and a half and I loved every minute of it! When I was in Boise last week I found a vintage picnic basket so I'll have to track down some bungee chords and strap the sucker onto the back for summer lunch fun!

Now that I'm a biking girl I had to check out bike related goods on Etsy! Here are a few of my favorite products! Shop away my Earth conscious friends!

Bird and Bike Art Print

Old Fashioned Bike Necklace

Handlebar Bag

Cycling Cap

Nice Bike! tags

Pinup Girl Shirt

Bike Chain Clock