lately on instagram
5.07.2013
Spring is finally here and I am loving it! I've been inspired to sew with lots of different pretty floral fabrics lately. I am so close to finishing some new spring items for the shop. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll update the shop and show you everything I've been working on. In the meantime, you will notice I've shared some sneak peeks on instagram. I also managed to make a little spring top for myself to wear, just in time for an afternoon at the botanic gardens! xo
the yardsale continues... {sold}
5.03.2013
I found more things in my closet! I splurged a bit the other day on a few spring wardrobe staples, so I decided to clean out a few more things from my closet. Let me know if you are interested in anything! I will probably continue to update the yardsale as I keep finding things I don't wear anymore! And I'm trying to really only keep things I actually wear. Hope you enjoy the new selection! xo
playing dress-up
4.25.2013

Today I just sold a wedding dress I designed and made years ago. It is kind of bittersweet because I spent a long time making it and it took so much fabric! But it has been sitting in a plastic bag in my closet for years. I finally brought it back here to Evanston so I could try selling it. Today someone was interested in it and decided to buy it. I'm so happy that it is going to a good home! I just had to try it on one last time. Here are some quick photos Jed took with my iphone. My hair isn't perfect or anything, but it will at least document this dress that I made. Kind of makes me want to dress up more often! xoxo
new spring dress / sample dress for sale
4.20.2013
I have been working on a new dress for the spring/summer season and it's just about ready. However I decided to make a few minor changes on the final design. So, I'm selling this sample dress in size small. There is a piece of elastic in the center back, which I actually plan to change on the final design. I also decided to make this dress more fitted than my other designs. In case you are interested, I put it up for sale in my Etsy shop. More to come!
xoxo
{pictures by my husband! bass sandals and lipstick by revlon in "stormy pink," although you can hardly tell i'm wearing any.}
p.s. Just wanted to let you know I added a new item and reduced prices in my yardsale.
xoxo
{pictures by my husband! bass sandals and lipstick by revlon in "stormy pink," although you can hardly tell i'm wearing any.}
p.s. Just wanted to let you know I added a new item and reduced prices in my yardsale.
spring yardsale
4.15.2013
Hello! Here to let you know of a little yardsale today on my other blog. We are moving this summer and I would like to get rid of as much stuff as I can. I may do another sale later as I have some fabric I may want to part with. This sale is mostly shoes, a 1930's evening gown, a handmade silk wedding gown with a large train for a wedding business that never took root (thank goodness) and various other clothing items that either don't fit me or I never wear anymore. I would love if you would take a look. Please let me know if you would like something (include your zip code so I can calculate shipping costs): gracefullady [at] gmail dot com
a favorite children's book: miss hickory
3.07.2013
One of the things I am rather passionate about are old children's books. I absolutely adore them! There are so many classics that I grew up reading that I hope to share with my own children someday. I do think that I am a child at heart. These books still make me so happy and inspired every time I read them over again. I used to imagine that the apple trees in our backyard could grow a little Miss Hickory. I even planned to make my own Miss Hickory doll, but somehow that never happened. If you are not familiar with this book, it is about a doll whose body was made of an apple twig and head of a hickory nut. How charming is that! It tells of all her adventures throughout the changing seasons. In the end she falls happily asleep into an old apple tree, becoming one of the branches and blossoming into spring. It is the cutest story with lovely little illustrations throughout. My copy is quite old and worn; you can tell many have enjoyed it through the years, which makes me quite happy. Do try to find a copy of this old classic if you can. I know that you will enjoy it even if you are no longer a child.P.S. I found these instructions on how to create your own Miss Hickory doll! It looks just like the illustrations!
new prospects.
3.04.2013

Hello everyone! That is, hello to the few of you who are still out there reading this space. I have felt like I haven't had a lot to blog about lately, so I have been a really bad blogger! Jed and I are going through a transitional period and there are a lot of decisions that need to be made soon. Jed decided to apply to other grad schools and got accepted to a few really great ones. One is in Houston, TX and the other in Boulder, CO. Pretty opposite places! And on top of that, Jed is being interviewed in Madison, WI for what looks like a pretty amazing job. I'm here now with him for the interview. I think I would love to live in Madison, but I also know that getting his PhD is probably a bigger priority right now. So we aren't really sure yet what we will do. But it is nice that we can both figure this out together! For now we are enjoying the ride. I must say, though, I could be very happy here in Madison. It is gorgeous. I've never lived in a place where the lakes freeze over solid enough that you can actually walk across it in the winter. Iowa always had cold winters, but not quite cold enough to freeze over lakes. The drive from Chicago was also really lovely with all the white snow covered fields. At least we have a little while yet to figure out what we will do.
In the meantime, I'm busy working on a new pattern for the shop! Yes, I've decided to branch out into making sewing patterns. I have been quite slow on it right now, but hoping I can have one ready for the summer, at least until we move to our new location! For those who are wondering, I'm getting this dress from the spring/summer 2011 collection ready and it will be available through PDF download. I still have a lot more work to do before it is ready! Also, I'll continue to sew items for my shop, but I am very excited to branch out into the pattern making world!
P.S. It's Jed's birthday today! He is at his interview at the moment, but we are planning a big celebration tonight. I'm so proud of him. He has been working so hard! I love that man so very much.
how i care for my hair.
1.23.2013
Affiliate links included in this post.
I thought I would share my hair care routine with you all, since one of my readers asked what I do to my hair to keep it healthy (thanks Yael for asking, by the way!). I used to have a lot of trouble with my hair and I hated how thick and frizzy it was. I tend to have thick, somewhat course hair. But it is much better today than it used to be. I have a few tips for my type of hair that I've found works fairly well. First of all, don't use cheap shampoo that strips your hair of its natural oils. Find a shampoo that has argan oil or another type of moisture/oil in it. It doesn't have to be expensive either. I really like the Shea Moisture brand that you can find at most drugstores. It's inexpensive and it lasts a really long time. Both Jed and I use it and he has really curly hair that can get frizzy if he uses the wrong shampoo. I also apply a small amount of argan oil all throughout my hair while it's still wet. Sometimes I will even apply a tiny amount at the top of my head, where I can have a tendency to get frizzies. I generally put more oil in my hair during the humid summer months than the winter. If it's really cold and dry, my hair is straight. When it's hot and humid, my hair is a wavy puff ball. However, ever since I started using argan oil, I haven't had much trouble with frizz! I also use conditioner, but I don't worry about getting an expensive one. I've been using the Dove brand for awhile now, which is nice and thick and it keeps the tangles at bay.
Up until more recently, I really haven't used a hairdryer or curling iron/straightener on a regular bases. I think that is partly why my hair isn't damaged. I also know now that since I'm drying my hair more often and using really hot curling irons etc., I should probably get a heat protectant. Anyone know of one that is good? I hate adding extra gunk to my hair if I don't have to, but I don't want to damage it either. Other than that, my hair routine is pretty simple. I also take a good multi vitamin and other supplements for my skin (zinc for blemishes). I haven't taken any of those hair/skin/nail vitamins before, though. I wonder if anyone has had experience taking these sorts of vitamins? Do they make your hair grow faster or skin softer? That is another thing I need to research more about; dry skin. I inherited dry skin, which is quite annoying! I'm sure there is something lacking in my diet, but for now I just have to make sure I use a really thick lotion and body oil right after a shower, otherwise my skin hates me. But now I'm getting off topic!
The hairbrush I use is by Sonia Kashuk for Target, which is similar to the very chic and very expensive Mason Pearson brush. I love that the Sonia Kashuk brush is not expensive so if something were to happen to it, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Mine is amazing on those nasty nape-of-the-neck tangles I tend to get. And best of all, tangles are never painful to brush out. I also use a brush to tease my hair when I'm feeling in a '60s mood! The one I use is called "Teaze" by Phillips. I got it on Amazon for $5 or $6 and it works really well. Like I mentioned before, I love the Elnett hairspray by L'Oreal. I've never liked a hairspray so much!
As for my bangs, I blow dry them while brushing to the left and to the right. Then I use my straightener to curl them under. When my bangs were shorter, I didn't always use a curling iron. Sometimes I would even put the smallest amount of argan oil to tame them (in the summertime), but I know when I do that I'll probably need to wash them the next day. At the moment I am currently growing them out, so I'm playing around with different ways to wear them. I still love my bangs, but I think I'm ready to try another style. I used to trim my bangs, which is so simple to do yourself and saves on trips to your hairdresser every other week.
So, what are some tips you've learned about your hair? Any fabulous hair products that you would like to tell me about?
Labels:
beauty
,
curls
,
long hairstyles
,
vintage hairstyles
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