Me wear Mairwear

I totally wear hats and then I decided I was going to make one...and then decided I wasn't ready. That's when I started browsing Etsy. I went through pages and pages of slouchy hats and finally came across Mairwear.

Best of all she was located nearby. Actually what was best of all is her hats look amazing and are completely reasonably priced.

I bought....

Fenceposts are really not very good hat models.

The black slouchy hat. The slouchy hats come with removable flowers and you can request a color. The flowers are removable and on hair style clips making them perfect for hair, scarf pins or as I use it...like a modified hat pin. I remove the flower, put on the hat and then clip the flower back on and include a chunk of my hair to secure the hat.

My hat - which, by the way, is super soft - was $20.00 plus $3.00 shipping, arrived nicely packaged and included a hand-written note complete with....stickers! I enjoyed that very much. I've worn it a zillion times already.

Like when I need to take silly photos in the bathroom mirror.

Mairwear on Etsy.
Mairwear on Facebook.

Do you totally wear hats?

Totally random Thursday - ketchup is the downfall of civilization

I have never liked ketchup. As anyone who knows me can attest to, I usually have a violent reaction to it's presence. I have tasted it - albeit on accident - and it assaulted my tastebuds almost as much as the foul smell of it offends my nose. But this morning I came to realize what ketchup represents.
I made my brunch based on something my uncle in Arizona treated my travel buddy and I to one morning. The Perfect Breakfast Burrito.

As I was adding sweet roasted peppers and fresh basil to my eggs I was thinking how my brother would make it. Just cook the eggs plain. No peppers. No herbs. Then dump gallons of ketchup over it.
Hmm.

The point of the fresh basil (which I'm having a memory recall smell as I write this) is to flavor the eggs. The roasted red peppers? Same. I also added some fried potatoes and ham strips. Now that you're all over thinking either how good that sounds or how bad that is for you - think about what it is for: FLAVOR.

All these flavors coming together in the grand symphony that was my meal. No sauce was necessary because it flavored itself.

This brings me back to ketchup. Why is it a representation of the downfall of civilization? Ketchup has no style. From what I've witnessed, food becomes merely the vehicle to transport the ketchup. It pretty much overwhelms the flavor of anything you're trying to eat, rather than enhance it. Cookie-cutter, generic, mass-produced, flavorless garbage that people are just shoving in their faces. Where is the subtlety, the style...the art? How about the effort for crying out loud?

Obviously ketchup is just one more thing that makes us less....civilized. Less humanity, more insanity.
You laugh now - but you just wait and see where ketchup leads us! sigh

Made it for me - eclectic necklace tutorial

I decided the other day that I wanted a blue necklace. I'm going through a blue color obsession right now and don't have nearly enough accessories in that color to satisfy me. I bought some chain for the project and looked through all the beads trying to find the perfect shade....to no avail. Since I have eleventy billion beads I thought I'd save myself some money and just use what I already had. As luck would have it, I didn't really have any blue beads at home either. My solution was to make an eclectic, long necklace with multiple colors so I could wear it with an assortment of clothing options.
Want to make one for yourself? Here's what you'll need:

Tools - wire cutters, needle nose pliers, round nose pliers.

Materials: Spooled wire, chain, and beads of your choice.

The beads I chose are all glass and have similar shapes and finishes for a little continuity.

I started by watching season one of Sherlock - again - and making my beads into links using [this] method. I love watching TV and movies while doing this sort of project because making a bunch of links can be a bit tedious.

The chain I chose is unsoldered - meaning the links can be opened. I randomly selected lengths of chain to go between my bead links so that there is no symmetry. I also made the necklace long enough that I can slip it over my head and don't need a clasp.

The length and asymmetry of it means I can twist the necklace around my neck so that any beads are in front. It's like having several new necklaces in one!

I wore mine today with a red shirt and already got compliments. Tomorrow I'm going to try it with a black and blue shirt combination. Oh the possibilities...

Now it's your turn! And I'd love to see photos of your completed necklace.

Totally Random Thursday - that's not Family Guy...

Ladies of Downton.

My brother gave me the password to his Netflix (maniacal laugh) so I could see if they were going to let us see the latest episodes of Sherlock yet. Nope. Guh. In any case I decided to use this opportunity to check out Downton Abbey because no one will shut up about it.

Oh. I see why.

My brother told me after I used his account to watch the first episode he logged onto Netflix and clicked "resume" to start playing the next Family Guy episode like he does every night before bed. Downton Abbey started playing and he thought...well they sometimes have weird beginnings....five minutes later....this is definitely not Family Guy.

Um no, it really isn't Family Guy, thank the Lord.

I laughed forever. Unintentionally making your brother watch period drama? I should win a thousand points for that.

So says the Dowager Countess.

Have you seen Downton Abbey? What do you think?

Coffee steampunk upcycled makeup organization

I was trying to make google search blow up with that title. ;)

I work in walking distance of a Goodwill and have already spent a few lunch breaks zooming through the aisles. 

I picked this up for half price - so $1.50 - I think it is a....candleholder? I'm not sure. Anyway the color was not in great shape, covered in some grime. And I need another candleholder like I need a hole in the head.

But it is nice and wide and the perfect height for my makeup brushes for which I had bought a previous holder but it really wasn't big enough.

 

I painted it oil-rubbed bronze which is probably out of style in the blogosphere by now but I'm thinking about making my bathroom a steampunk bathroom and wanted something with an aged look.

Then I filled it part way with coffee beans - which smelled amazing.

 

And now it holds my makeup brushes - upright so they don't touch - and it makes the bathroom smell like a coffee shop. Win - win!

I have a more in-depth post coming about the collection of upcycled/repurposed items I use in my bathroom and makeup organization in which I've managed to have an almost finished, cohesive look. Stay tuned!

 

Totally Random Thursday - it's not THAT exciting

My friend texted this photo to me this week - it's out of some crafty/home magazine and is an advertisement for cardstock. CARDSTOCK. Have you ever been this excited about cardstock? No, you haven't. Because no one has ever been this excited about cardstock in the history of ever. Maybe she looks so dementedly happy because there are people jumping out of it? People jumping out of your card is almost as unlikely as being this excited about cardstock.
I have to stop looking at it, it's frightening me. I also have to stop saying cardstock.

I was, however, this excited about finding some toffee popcorn at Grocery Outlet one time. It was the kind you microwave pop and it had the perfect amount of sweetness to it and then they stopped selling it in stores and you couldn't find it anywhere and on a random trip to GO there was an entire pallet of it. There was some jumping and a little squealing and it's entirely possible I was making that exact face but I hope not.

Have you ever been this excited about something?

Mosaic Monday - Signs of Spring

After that insane week of snow and flooding a couple weeks ago, things have calmed down considerably! In fact the past several days have been sunny and even mildly warm - especially for us PacNW Oregonians this time of year.

The day lilies and daffodils are on their way, the lilac has tiny buds and the andromeda is starting the bloom. The honeybees were enjoying that and I've noticed the return of robins and other little birds that sing me songs in the morning. That bird nest is old and looks like it blew down from an upper part of the tree, but it still makes me think of spring.

Be sure to visit Little Red House to see all the beautiful mosiacs.

Totally Random Thursday - Jayne Cobb is everywhere

If you aren't familiar with Joss Whedon's Firefly this post may be a bit lost on you. I'm also a tad concerned everyone is going to think I'm nuts after this one.

Jayne is:

He's wearing the hat his mommy made him, how can you not love that? And this hat has sortof become an unmistakable secret handshake for Firefly fans. I actually own one, knitted by my friend Judy. In any case, this hat and probably this photo I've seen floating around...

[credit]
I have no idea what occasioned this parade but I kinda wish I'd been there.

And this adorable amigurumi I pinned:

[credit]

Have me seeing Jayne Cobb everywhere I go.

Like in my shower:

What, that isn't glaringly obvious? Okay first of all, that is a blob of haircolor foam that escaped the shower wipedown after the fact. And it looks much worse than it is because I was playing around with shadows and color to try and make him stand out more so please don't think I never clean.

 And then I tried to outline it and I am just really terrible at these drawing things.

I don't know why he has monkey legs or is holding a piece of glass wrapped in tape or why his hat is so tall or why his goatee look like he has a donut on his face according to my brother. Or why he could possibly also be Toad from Mario Bros. or maybe a drag queen old-school Strawberry Shortcake. When I look at it, all I see is a cartoony baby Jayne.

Then there's the paint can in the bathroom at work.

Thanks to Karen who saw my tweet about this and texted me and reminded me to take this photo.

Tell me that logo doesn't look like a cunning hat!

Okay I'll go sell my loco somewhere else now.