hot fun in the summertime

my word, it is HOT outside. i was sweating while i watched the kids' soccer games this morning. i was roasting while i watched dot work on a pottery wheel this afternoon. those who know me know that i do not like the heat. why do i live in the south? i would like it to always be between 40 and 60 degrees. always. i love scarves and sweaters, but i don't like frostbite or bitter numbness. i love crisp, brisk wind, and pulling a blazer just a bit tighter as i shop downtown.

i ordered a new cell phone. it was renewal/upgrade time. i don't know where the time went, i didn't think i had had my old one this long. i guess it had been 2 years. amazing. your choice of a 'cool' phone is limited when you don't have or want a data plan. here's the one i picked. my old phone was a slider with a touch screen and full qwerty. i don't like touch screens. so i got this lg octane that is a side flip with a full qwerty.

of course when i get a phone, i immediately shop for a hard cover. i was tired of my old one, and wanted something new. i looked and looked. eh. no. mmm sort of. maybe. i knew i'd know the perfect one when i saw it. and i saw it. and it was the only one i wanted. here it is.

funny thing. i just got this tote bag. it matches perfectly, but i didn't mean it to. if you like these bags, my s-i-l is a consultant and would appreciate the biz. i love these bags!

and i got this large tote for the soccer gear.

i opted for a belt holster for my phone because i don't like carrying it in my pocket. so i got this.

my most recent television obsession is parks and recreation. i love this show!! so funny. talk about must-see-tv. this shirt was featured on the recent episode 'harvest festival'. i had to get it.

so this is the shopping i've done over the last 2 months. sorry i've been gone so long. miss you!

dear blog, i missed you

{sigh} ah, super bowl sunday.

{snore} a couple of the commercials have been funny. adrian brody selling stella artois. i've been working, and just living day to day. i'm writing my book like crazy. 21,ooo+ words. it's really coming along. i'm very happy with the progress. i want to read now.

happy birthday, jane austen

a peek at things to come

we all know i usually start planning in july, but things got a little off course this year. so here's what i've got so far...

back to work

okay, so it's been 6+ years of not working outside the home. what with the kids and all... so when the boy started kindergarten 2 weeks ago...

i decided to go back to work. just during school hours. and i got a job! at DSW shoes! yea, shooz! yea, employee discount! so i did a little work-clothes shopping at ross...

yes, i don't know what happened - lots of black and grey, but then i can wear colorful jewelry. and what's up with the scarf? i have plans...
so whilst shopping, i couldn't help getting a little helen of troy action...

blurry phone pic

it was only $20, but i couldn't justify it. and i'm not gonna wear it while scrubbing toilets.
my orientation was yesterday, and i put together my outfit.

belted grey long shirt, dark wash capris, fun cuff bracelet, dangly earrings, smoky navy necklace, navy strappy sandals. i felt good. i have fun plans for wednesday, my first official day o' work.

now the other day...

i showed a book that i made instead of doing housework. just to clarify, i have cleaned the house.
and no, i won't post 'before' pics.

the trunk in the living room, my mom gave me when i was 20. i worked really hard redoing the interior. but i've never touched the exterior. so i finally redid it as an end table...

before: kitty-boy loves to get right in the middle of the action

i found some faux leather contact paper at the hardware store on clearance for $5!

close up of 'leather' grain

found some great drawer pulls at said store for less than $2 a piece!

it took a lot of grunting and sweat, but i managed to get the hardware off the front and
i will replace the latch. it made it much easier to cover.

hubby was nice enough to get a piece of glass cut at work to fit on the top for my lamp and phone and coasters. thanks to janabanana for the awesome leather coasters!

my homage to newdressaday

here's my $1 dress:

before

this little number caught me with the vibrant flowers and it's shapelessness. hahaha! but i thought, 'i can do something with this.'
so i cut off the top and made it strapless. added elastic to the top. ripped the seams on the sides for side slits. hemmed it. added a halter. sewed a snap whose other half was attached to a ribbon with a fab silk flower. a little empire waist, yo!

after

fun top! the ribbon is removable for laundering.

a quick project

i made this for dot instead of doing housework. :{

my inspiration: a "plush book". the monster book of monsters

i used a journal that i had meticulously copied harry potter class info into years ago (before dot could even read) and made it into this:

i simply cut out cardboard the size of the front and back covers. cut out 1 piece of plush that would cover the entire book. cut out felt teeth and pink plush gums. and just started hot gluing everything in place.
plush to cardboard, teeth to book, gums to teeth, cardboard to front cover, plush to cardboard, cardboard to back cover.

alex likes it

today...

i saw a man in town. people were throwing daisies at him and giving him goodies.

"Where are your robes?" "They were... stinky. These are my recreation clothes."

gettin' lucky

how many of you joined the lucky magazine online buying club thingy just to get the cute red handbag?
come one... you know you did. then you got this medium-sized smashed nylon thing in the mail 4-6 weeks later.

i haven't used it yet because i wanted to snazz, yes, snazz it up a bit. what to do, what to do. i decided on some black ribbon action, since i still had some from my alice dress. but first, i wanted to put some feet on it. i took some navy (close enough to black, and i would never use them for anything else) buttons and clipped the loop off the backs and hot glued them in place.

then, i started on the ribbons. the first one, i tacky glued. messy, yucky. so i got out the hot glue.

i snipped the backs off of the featured buttons and ran my middle line of ribbon.

then, what was i to do with the back? i didn't have enough buttons to do the same. since the front looks kind of like a blouse (remember that time, the people were chanting my name? and i used my strength to rip my blouse? i remember you getting knocked unconscious!) i decided to do the back like a criss-cross lace-up.

i added tiny bows for accents.

last thing (more is more!) was to do something with the handles... more ribbon, a little thicker.

and i had 4 buttons left, so...

so my completed product is like, such as...

front

<---

                                 back

                                  --->

and for you, mom, i put my charm on my bracelet. hope you like it...

just some little hot glue hairs. i got them off post-picture taking.