Blue Rose

 

Remember the fabrics I bought a couple of weeks ago? Here's what I made out of the one with the blue rose print!

I finished it on Saturday night, just in time to wear on Valentine's Day :)  That's when I took these pictures. OK, I know I look sunburned or something in these, but I'm not, really! It was super bright outside, but when I tried to darken the pictures it got a little wonky. Well, I've never claimed to be a great photographer.  I just wanted to show you all the dress I'm so proud of!

  

This was my first time doing real gathering, at the bust and on the tops of the sleeves. I think it turned out pretty nice, if I do say so myself!

When I finished it and put it on for the first time, I held my breath as I zipped it up, and when it went all the way up without a hitch, I started dancing around the room. I didn't make it too tight (which was my biggest fear), the zipper didn't fall off when I tried to zip it up, I didn't rip a huge hole in the back or anything! It's a fully functional dress! 

Small miracles, eh?

 

I can't wait to start on my next one. I have some other patterns waiting for me, so it's decision time!

I'll be accessorizing this one in the future, but I wanted it to really shine on its own today :)

Note to Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,

I believe it now, OK?!!

 

  

The snow came, and it started out fun...

 

Then things got a little more serious later in the evening...

And then just crazy!
It's all melting away this morning, but I got to snap a few pictures while it's still here.

 

  

I forgot how blinding snow can be!

  

 

South Carolina, I know you're under there somewhere!!

scarf - Target / top, jacket - old, dunno / skirt - Free People / 

tights - Target / boots - Shoe Carnival

Can it be spring yet?

 

I got this great cardigan at a thrift store for $4, can you believe it? I was eyeing one at the mall for nearly 10 times the price of this one. Score!

Sorry for the stiff-looking pose. The truth is, I feel pretty stiff today because I pulled a muscle in my neck yesterday somehow, and I'm having trouble moving around. I can't turn my head to the right at all, and I can't look up very well, which makes me too nervous to drive. So, I'm taking the day off and doing as much work on the dictionary as I can from home.

  

I was wearing pearls with the cardigan and lace top earlier, but it looked a little too Stepford, so I ditched them. 

  

I decided to make it a three-pattern outfit: floral, lace, and stripes. I lovelovelove these shoes. I know it's pretty early in the season to wear them, but I'm ready to wear sleeveless dresses and open-toed shoes already! Last year during spring break, which is the second week of March for me, it was sunny and mid-80s. And this morning when I checked the forecast, I found out that central South Carolina is under a winter storm warning until 6:00 am tomorrow morning! What?! They're calling for 3-4 inches here in the capital.  Well, the last time they called for snow here--January 2009, the day of Obama's inauguration in fact--they predicted 5 inches overnight and a wintry mix the following day. The whole city shut down, and they interviewed kids on the news about how excited they were to experience their first real snow. But when we woke up the next morning, there was nothing on the ground. There were some flurries during Obama's speech, then it was sunny and clear for the rest of the day. So I'll believe it when I see it.

  

These guys are called shiisaa. I got them in Miyako, and they're supposed to protect the house and family. I love how every house in Okinawa has a pair of these guarding the entrance. I'm hoping today these guys do their job and keep the snow away! 

 

Bijou wants to be a shiisaa, too! She's sitting on the chair that K reupholstered in about 20 minutes. I love the material. He's going to make a backing for the chair as well when he has time. I love my handyman :)

cardigan - Liz Claiborne, thrifted / top - old, dunno / jeans - old / shoes - thrifted

Something a little more nautical

 

Some people have wondered about the name of my blog. Not about the "magnolia" part, of course, but about the "matcha" part. Matcha is a strong powdered form of green tea which is used at Japanese tea ceremonies. It's supposed to be really healthy for you. Sadly it's really expensive, too, so I use mine sparingly. Yesterday I used a little bit to flavor a batch of waffles, pictured above. No, the color settings on your monitor do not need to be adjusted, those waffles are actually green! K likes his with syrup, like normal waffles, but I prefer my matcha waffles with powdered sugar. Yummy!

  

I finally mustered up the courage to wear the red tights that I mentioned a few weeks ago! I was going for a modern nautical look here, but I'm afraid it borders on 4th-of-July. I guess that's one of the big risks of red tights. What do you think?

  

  

I got a haircut last week, finally! They took off more than I expected, but I still like it. There are lots of layers, and I like how much it's angled around my face. 

  

  

dress - Forever 21 / jacket - Kohl's / tights - Urban Outfitters / belt - thrifted / shoes - Payless

Construction

 

Sorry for the lack of updates this week! The weather here, like most of the country, has been pretty gross all week, so I haven't had much inspiration or opportunities for more photos. Instead, I've taken to the indoors and have decided to revel in my inheritance.

As some of you might know, my grandmother passed away suddenly early last fall. It was quite a shock, and we're still going through many of her things. She grew up during the Great Depression, and like many people from that generation, she had boxes upon boxes of just, stuff, packed away in her house. As you can imagine, it takes a while to sort all of it. My parents even found some tin type photos from the late 1800s in her basement! Pretty amazing, huh? Anyway, my grandfather generously passed on all of her sewing supplies to my mother, who then passed them on to me (since my old room is full of her own sewing supplies!!). 

When I was little, my mom used to sew a lot. In fact, she made a living sewing dresses for entire wedding parties, including the bride's gown. She even made mine! Naturally, when I was a kid, I helped her a lot...mostly by staying out of her way and not sticking myself with the pins, I suspect, but I know the basics of sewing from those years. It's been quite a while since I last had my hands on a machine (awhile = 9-10 years! eek!), but I'm hoping it's like riding a bicycle.

  

So, I borrowed some patterns from my mom and bought some fabric and sat down to sew. Now, my apartment is teeny tiny, so I don't have room for a sewing table. Above is my current setup-- all my crafty supplies on a low table with folding legs, straight from my undergraduate days. It's not bad so far, but it's a bit tricky to use the foot pedal this way!

When I bought the fabric, I also invested in a pair of left-handed scissors. I'm not sure if I've ever had a proper pair of lefty scissors. I've always had a huge problem using scissors, and my teachers in elementary school didn't really know what to do and of course didn't have lefty scissors, so they would usually just do any necessary cutting for me. It was the same way at home. So, I was really excited the other day when I found some lefty scissors made just for sewing! I came home and started cutting out a pattern, and realized.....

...I can't really use scissors. Talk about embarrassing. I guess all those scissor skill development years were lost on me! It took soooo long to cut out the darn thing, but it was really pretty funny. I'll just have to practice, I guess!

  

This thread was the bulk of the inheritance. Some of these guys are tiny wooden spools from the 1950s (in the right side of the picture). 

  

 Here are some of the fabrics I bought. Aren't they gorgeous? Prints have really come a long way from the cheesy ones I remember from the early 1990s. I'm planning to turn these into dresses and skirts. Providing I can maneuver the scissors well enough, that is! Do any of you make your own clothes? Any tips or tricks for a novice?

Lastly, I'd like to send a huge thank-you to Tieka of Selective Potential, who recently included me & K in her "Guy Behind the Camera" series. I'm flattered to be in such good company! I'm sure you've all seen her blog, but if for some reason you haven't, go pay her a visit! She is so sweet and stylish. Thanks, lady!! :)

February showers bring floral skirts

 

Time for an outfit post, 'cause it's been a little while now. (Have you ever noticed how southerners like to attach "now" to the end of sentences? Why do we do that??) 

Ironic that it was sunny the whole time I was in Ohio, and the day I get back to South Carolina, it's rainy and overcast! I felt that this was a perfect reason to break out my new floral skirt. It's just so cheerful, isn't it? This outfit is also part of my attempt to accept my legs as they are. My attitude is that, since I have no aspirations of becoming a model, I might as well have fun with what I wear and not worry so much. If I'm comfortable and confident in what I wear, then what else matters? 

I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect body, anyway. Do you have any insecurities about your body? If so, does it affect the clothes you choose?

  

This top actually has tiny black and white stripes. I guess they're just too tiny to turn out in the photo! I need some bigger stripes. It is awfully comfty though. Always a bonus of thrifting!

  

I might have to trade these boots in for my galoshes when I head out to my second language acquisition class later this afternoon. Don't wanna get my pretty purple tights all splotchy from the puddles! I suspect that I will be tearing my way to the parking lot after class because it ends at 8:00-- which, as you know, is when the season premiere of LOST starts! Why oh why did they move it an hour earlier?! I only have one real class that I attend each week, and it has to interfere with my beloved LOST. I guess this is why they invented VCRs. Yep, that's right, I said VCRs. Not Tivo or DVR. We kick it old school 'round these parts :)

  

top - Banana Republic (thrifted) / skirt - Forever 21 / tights - Urban Outfitters

boots - thrifted 

Hitting "reset"

Sometimes, when it feels like the floor is crumbling beneath your feet, it becomes necessary to temporarily get away.

No outfit or fashion to post today, though I do have some new finds that will be up shortly.

I've spent the past five days mulling some things over and searching for some new perspective.  It had been a very long time since I had made the pilgrimage north to my parents' house, and I had forgotten how beautiful the Appalachian Mountains are. The middle and lower Appalachians got a surprise snow storm while I was huddled by the fireplace up in Ohio, and the drive back gave me some spectacular and rare views.

For a while, it seemed like the further south I went, the more snow there was.  

 

One of the things that I find most inspiring about this region is the perseverance of the people. The landscape is unforgiving, the area is one of the poorest in the whole country, the weather is unpredictable (as you can see), but the people have such a strong spirit and pride in their roots.

Many Americans have mistaken ideas about the people here, and some don't even like to acknowledge the existence of the place. But I really think that there is so much beauty to be found here, and so many rich stories.

  

I spent a lot of time on these roads when I was younger. My grandfather lived out in rural Appalachia (even more rural than this pictures, if you can imagine that!) and we would often visit him on school breaks. My ancestors were among the first to live past the foothills in the 1700s, but I didn't really appreciate it until recently. They must have been made of stronger stuff than me. I was very grateful for the heater in my car as I zipped through! It's hard to imagine what it would have been like for those people, coming through on foot or horseback, with no roads or landmarks.

 

 

I can honestly say that I feel refreshed after this trip. Hopefully this will give me the energy I need to push through the next couple of months. A lot of changes will take place in my life before summer is here, and I'm trying to find a more zen way of approaching them. A "go with the flow" attitude and all that. But sometimes, you just have to step back from things to be able to think more clearly. It's like they say, "don't get mad, just get away."

Er, wait, maybe that's not quite right...