I want to make this:

Let me take your hat

The latest project at Chez Quivas: redoing the entry-way!  This little project has been in the works for about a month, mainly because: 1. I'm a chicken and 2. I have friends in north Denver now, which apparently takes up a lot more free time than I remember. :-)

This is our "Before" entryway.  I still need to find a place for our lovely dragon hanging, as Dorothy sewed it for Mike in college.  Here's how that conversation went:

Mike: "Hey, so I think I'm getting a tattoo with Chinese symbols."

Dorothy: "If I make you a wall hanging with a dragon and those symbols, will you promise me you won't get a tattoo?"

Aaaaaaand the wall-hanging was born.

But I digress.  I found the gossip bench at ARC last summer (Heidi's birthday no less) for $20. The books I had, and the camera was also an ARC jewel for $2. 

So.  $30 in 3M hooks later (and a preemptive strike with the ancient antique mirror from Goodwill that, for $10, I couldn't pass up), we have this:

With my epic new sewing machine, I sewed the ends of leftover (from this project and this project) ties together to recover the seat on my sweet little bench.  Also the biggest reason why this project took forever.  Why I would take the time on such a fairly insignificant detail, you ask?  I have absolutely no idea.

Well, I do.  If I'm honest, my life is all about the details.  So much so that I miss the big picture a lot of the time.  Even my work evaluation said as much (didn't stop me from getting the Top Achiever, though, just sayin').  So what if my parents, and maybe one friend, are the only ones that notice.  I notice.  To quote my regional manager, "It's your world, we're just living in it."

I believe we've established our love for Goorin Bros Hats.  Combine my love of decorating with things that make me happy and our love of hats?  You've got the best entryway ever.

Tie Purse

This bag was a labor of love, as the only reason I stuck through to the end was I'd already cut up most of the ties I loved!

In the end, though, it was totally worth it.  I followed these instructions, but improvised to make it the size I wanted.

I used some leftover tie tops from the skirt to finish off the strap.

I made the linig out of a pillow sham I bought at a thrift store.  Reduce, re-use, recycle at its prettiest!

The other side (which if I'm really honest is about an inch shorter than the front).  It happens.  You can't tell based on how I wear it!

Sigh...I adore neckties.

The Levi Universe Smiles Upon Me

I took the second-to-last step of becoming fully Coloradoan (we started recycling last month, I buy everything thrift, I'm greener than the knees of a 3 year old in newly mowed grass) by joining a yoga studio down the street from our house.  That is an expensive little proposition of you start to really get into it.

So instead of dropping $30 on a yoga mat bag for ease of transport, I decided to make one with nothing but what I had on hand.  I found these instructions online, gathered the necessary items, and went to town.  Even with the screw up on trying to make the bottom way to epically complicated, I have to say this is a huge reward for a relatively small amount of a Saturday afternoon.

The jeans were from a 99 cent pile at Goodwiil.  I had the belt turned strap from college in a box to be used for "something".  And the tie at the top was off a whole spool I had for another project.

 The bottom has a little security pocket for lipgloss and driver's license.  Probably most proud of that part.

 It snaps.  Because I'm awesome. :-D

This will be so handy!

It's a Good Friday

After I'd purchased the iPad 2 in February, I waited a couple weeks to even open it as I purchased the case online.  Imagine how ticked I was the day after I opened it when the announcement of the New iPad came out, and would be available in a week...

To Best Buy's credit, they took it back no questions asked; but I was ready for a fight because the blue shirt guy told me it'd be another year!

After weeks of waiting for the new one, it FINALLY arrived today (which I also had off work)!  And it. Is. EPIC.  Totally worth the months of saving up my blow money!  I wanted to make sure it was extra protected, so I modified the size of these instructions and sewed myself a customer iPad case for my iPad case, which I finished just in time for its arrival!  I'm surprised how simple and enjoyable the process was.  But was most surprising was how awesome it turned out!

I'm going to fuse some embroidery from an old pair of warm ups that I love, but are too big.  Perf colors, and it'll add some durable decor.  I think I'll use my flight to Houston next week to handsew the leftover seems down to the padding...but I love this thing!



Signs by Bloc Party

Tie Skirt

Epic.

Vest - GAP Outlet
Sweater - Merona for Target
Boots - DSW
Necklace - Walmart

Button Up

People discard clothing simply because it's missing a button.  Of course, when it's a vintage jacket (look at that tag, I could just die for tags like that) like this, getting an exact copy of the button is simply out of question.  So change them all!

If you look closely (read: click), these are all silver in nature, but apart from that they have completely different patterns.  Part of the benefit of having a huge collection of vintage buttons is full use of the collection on thrifted clothing items that need them!

Next, a new jacket that had awfully white buttons that simply didn't go with the dress with which I want to wear the jacket (because I always have a plan).

   

BAM.  Vintage gold and rhinestone (you can't really see here, but the middle one has an original Model T!!! How appropo):

It makes my heart happy.