Swamp Thangs

I've learned a lot about swamps and wetlands since moving to Georgia.  For example, did you know that

Swamp thang.

for an area to be consider a wetland it needs to have water, hydric soil and the presence of hydrophilic plants?  That's why my front yard was not a swamp even after our water supply pipe cracked this week and flooded the lawn.  It had water, but not the appropriate soil or vegetation.

I've also learned that sometimes in Georgia swamps have alligators.  The idea that there are alligators where I live blows my mind.  It's like having dinosaurs in the back yard.  (Luckily they aren't literally in my back yard.)

 

I'm swamped at work.  I'm swamped at home.  A swamp-themed outfit just seems appropriate.  I went with swampy colors and accessorized with creatures found in the swamp.  Swamp swamp swamp.  If only I had some alligator accessories.

 

Shirt dress, Miss Tina, Walmart; jersey dress, thrifted; sandals, Sofft, Younkers; butterfly earrings, Claire's; dragonfly earrings, handmade by me; lizard pendant, had since childhood; shell bracelet, flea market.

Butterfly, lily pad and dragonfly earrings.

Mischief.

It has been a few weeks since I wore two dresses at once.  These two are nice and light so they don't overwhelm me on a warm, sunny day.

Lizard necklace.

Snake shoes.

I last wore the patterned dress on February 10.  My hair has really grown a lot in the past six weeks.  I wore the shirt dress multiple times while I was in Iowa, but I didn't get any photos taken.

Flea market bracelet, less than $1.

My best swamp thang pose.

As you probably guess by the abundance of photos, I really like how this outfit turned out.  Suddenly being swamped doesn't seem like such a bad thing.  

In very happy news, the lovely Chenille has agreed to do a guest post on my blog AND she will soon be launching her etsy shop.  Huzzah!  Happy Wednesday!

Hooked

When I learned to crochet in February 2011 I never guessed how addicted I would become.  I find the repetitive motion of hooking stitch after stitch to be mind-numbingly relaxing.  I've decided to send my rainbow shawl to one of my friends, so I promise that the next thing I make will be for me.  I have crocheted dozens of projects over the past year, but I have only kept a couple items for myself.

 

This shawl is the first thing I ever made with "nice" yarn.  I suppose by nice I mean it's not 100% acrylic and not $2 per skein.  The yarn is Naturally Caron Spa, which is a bamboo and acrylic blend.  It is decadently soft and has a lovely sheen.  I also crocheted my necklace and beaded bracelet.

Dress, George, Walmart; shawl, handmade by me; shoes, Born, Younkers; shawl pin, gifted (thanks, Stephen); necklace, handmade by me; abalone pendant, farmer's market; abalone earrings, purchased in Cozumel; beaded bracelet, handmade by me.

Abalone is one of my favorite gems.  Is it a gem if it's shell?  I find the swirls of blue, green and purple truly enchanting.  Unfortunately it doesn't photograph very well.

Most days I take my photos and write my posts before work, but today I didn't get to it until the end of a long day.  I'm surprised by how well the outfit actually held up.

(In)Visible Monday

Today is Visible Monday, but I didn't feel like being visible.  I am having one of those days where my self esteem is just not in a comfortable place, and my stress level is through the roof.  How do I get visible and invisible at the same time?  I decided on this dress.  It is also convertible to be worn as a skirt.  I like it because it gives me all of the colorful visibility I could want without feeling exposed.

 

This dress is one of the outfits I wore for engagement photos with Stephen.

Mabe pearl pendant and mother of pearl earrings.

 

It's funny how the mind works.  On Friday I felt like a curvy hottie, and today I feel like a bit of a blob.  My body hasn't changed in those few days, but my mind is in a different place.  I suppose I didn't hurt that Stephen spontaneously told me I looked great in my dress Friday... though he still questioned my devotion to the rainbow shawl.

Engagement pic.

I am finally self-aware enough that I realize that feeling like the Incredible Hulk doesn't mean I am the Incredible Hulk, but it doesn't really help with how I feel in the moment.  I am working on loving myself unconditionally.  It seems like the right thing to do to love myself as much as I love my dogs.

This weekend I didn't get as much done as I had hoped I would.  The house still looks like a bomb of clothes and papers exploded in pretty much every room.  I managed to get the dogs washed and a mountain of laundry reduced to a few stray bits.  I also switched my shoe closet into summer mode.  I am sad to put my boots away but ready for sandals.

Last night I made a big batch of spaghetti and meat balls, so we will be eating that for the next couple days.  Yum!

Jeanne and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Shawl

Shawl of many colors.

Behold my amazing technicolor dream shawl.  I started it on the plane on my trip to Iowa, and I finished it last night.

Same pattern, but tasteful yarn.

It is the same Eva's Shawl pattern I used to make this ivory mohair shawl for my step mom, but I used a bigger hook this time for a lacier end product.  Also, I used some batshit crazy yarn.  The yarn is Serenity Garden Yarn in Gems.  It comes in a whole bunch of fun colorways.  It is a dralon microfiber, so it is very soft and hopefully will hold up well.  It was a lovely yarn to work with.

I am quite certain that this is Stephen's least favorite thing I've ever made.  He really thinks it is hideous.  Luckily, I like it.

Stephen gave me this beautiful abalone
shawl pin for Valentine's Day.

Now I am debating whether I will keep it or give it away.  I can keep it and vex my own husband, give it away to someone who is happily single, or give it to someone who can vex her significant other with it (unless her SO is color blind- then s/he might like it).

In the meantime, I had to at least take it for a test drive.  I don't know what today will hold, but I know there will be at least some rainbows and unicorns.  It can't be all bad.

 

Dress, Miss Tina, Walmart; shawl, handmade by me; shawl pin, gifted (thank you, Stephen!); belt, thrifted; shoes, Montego Bay Club, Payless Shoes; earrings, etsy; unicorn pendant, ebay.

 

The dress is somewhat va-va-voomier than I realized.  I was just going for a black dress to better showcase the shawl.  Thanks, Beyonce's Mom.

 

So what do you think?  Should I keep the shawl?  Give it to a friend?  Give it to a blog reader?

Birds of a Feather

I am so fortunate to have encountered many wonderful, creative, intelligent women over the course of my life.  Some of them are related by blood, some by marriage and some through the bonds of friendship.  Some have drifted in and out of my life over the years, and that's ok.  Some will be in my life and heart forever.  I am grateful for all my friends, family and spirit sisters.

 

Tonight I am having dinner with one of my newer friends.  I met her soon after moving to Georgia.  Chenille is the whole package: clever, crafty and kind.  To celebrate our meeting of minds, I styled a swallow-themed outfit.  Swallows are my favorite bird because Cozumel is from the Mayan for "land of swallows," and I got married in Cozumel!  I know I've said that here before, but it makes me happy.

 

For whatever reason I actually feel like listing my sources for clothes this morning.  Dress, Coldwater Creek, thrifted; tank, thrifted; shoes, Montego Bay Club, Payless Shoes; earrings, Roth Jewelers; necklace, ebay; belt, gifted (thanks, Mom!).

You may notice that my hair has been styled like this all week.  For some reason I've been in a night showering mood, and I am too lazy to really style my hair after sleeping on it wet.  Bobby pins to the rescue!

Thai food for dinner tonight!  Yum!  Today is Thursday, and Thursdays are for Thrifters!

Spring and Cleaning

It is another beautiful day in Georgia.  The breeze is warm.  The sun is shining.  The flowers are blooming.  The grass is green.  I wish I had worn this outfit for the EBEW: Green challenge.  I really like the green accents with the navy dress.  I made the amazonite necklace, bracelet and earrings.

 

Deranged!

 

I'm getting in the mood for spring cleaning.  I set a timer for 10 minutes this morning and worked on de-cluttering the bedroom and closet.  Ten minutes didn't fix everything, but the clutter is a little less oppressive.  I frequently joke that I know Stephen didn't marry me because I'm such a great housekeeper.  That's a good thing.  I'm not a great housekeeper.  But clutter in my home and life has been a bit overwhelming.  Taking little bites of cleaning at a time keeps it from being too disheartening.  My shoes and jewelry are everywhere right now, so hopefully this strategy will bring a little order to my chaos.

Tonight for dinner we had chicken tacos and cinnamon vanilla tapioca.  Mmmmmm

Yo Ho, Yo Ho...

A pirate's life for me!  Today the pirate's life sounds pretty damn good.  I could do with a little more grog with me mateys and a little less nine to five.  The first day back after time off is always hard, and I've been off six of the past 10 work days.  Alas, me mateys will have to wait because there is non-plundering work to be done.

I listened to this song three times after I linked to it.  Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho!

 

Some fun facts about this outfit.  The shirt is from Goodwill, but the tag says (in French) it is sailing attire, made in France.  How fancy is that?  The combination of the shirt, pendant watch and swallow belt put me in a pirate state of mind, so I went with the vibe and added the sea-worthy earrings.
 
After looking at the pics I realize the shoes really don't work.  I'll try again next time.

I haven't felt like listing the brands and sources of my clothes lately.  Does the lack of sourcing detract from  the outfit posts?

 

Tonight we are having Italian-inspired chicken and sausage soup again.  I froze part of what I made last week, so tonight will be quick and easy.  I have unpacking and clean up to do from the trip, so I don't want to spend too much time on dinner.

I usually drink tea before bed, so I am constantly on the lookout for caffeine-free teas.  On my last trip to the grocery store, I decided to try a Yogi Tea called Bedtime.  Last night's tea bag had this message attached to it.  I think it's good advice.  Thanks, tea.  Here's hoping it comes through with it's promise to promote restful sleep.  It tastes pretty nice.