Wardrobe Refresh: Making the Old New Again

This Fall I've trying to mix up the items in my wardrobe in new, refreshing ways. It's kind of a fun and creative exercise, I think! 

I particularly liked today's experiment. I was able to incorporate some favorite summer pieces (the blouse and skirt), while keeping the whole look weather-appropriate with layers. The result: A fun, comfortable outfit that's appropriate for work. 

Do you like to mix and match pieces of your wardrobe in order to freshen things up? You might be surprised by what you come up with!

Weekend DIY

I have had a little 5x5 inch canvas sitting among my crafting supplies for months. I had intentions to make a little painting, but most of my creative time lately has been devoted to drawing. This weekend I came up with an idea to use the little canvas along with a small self portrait I did several weeks ago.

I have been seeing Japanese Washi tape everywhere, it seems. I just can't seem to get enough of it! I decided to incorporate a similar, patterned ribbon tape into my little DIY project.

I simply cut several pieces of different patterns and used the strips to adhere the small illustration to the mini canvas - That's it! I really like how the canvas makes the picture three-dimensional, and the patterned tape adds additional visual interest. 

 The result is quite playful, I think. Such as simple project!

Friday at Last

Yay for Friday! I just got back from a nice relaxing dinner with my boy, and I'm looking forward to a nice evening in.

Last night I made two apple pies with the bounty from last weekend's adventure. We dropped one off to our good friends, and kept the other for ourselves. I had a piece this morning for breakfast - delicious!

What are you up to this weekend? Here's what's on my agenda:

- The second session of my beginner's yoga class
- Drawing
- Looking for a living room rug
- Relaxing
- Warm apple cider
- Whatever else tickles my fancy!

I'm really looking forward to the extra day off on Monday; it can really make a big difference, don't you think?

Have a lovely Fall weekend!

Wednesday Already?

Is it really Wednesday already? Things have been quite busy around here, but in a really good way. A few notable happenings from the past few days:

I took my first yoga class EVER on Saturday morning. I signed up for a five week session for beginners at a lovely little studio. The teacher is very warm and welcoming, and the class is wonderful. I felt so relaxed when I walked out the door. I can't wait to explore the practice a lot more in the coming weeks.

On Sunday A and I took a trip with friends to a farm in our area for some apple picking, warm cider, animal watching and corn maze racing. We were a bit like little kids (the maze was full of parents with their children), but we had a wonderful time. I have a pile of apples sitting in my kitchen just waiting to be made into a pie, apple sauce, apple cobbler, apple muffins... I could go on.

In the spirit of getting more active, my dear friend Brit and I took our first Zumba class on Monday evening! Seriously, why did I not try this years ago? The music is so energizing and the dance moves are really fun. We laughed and smiled for the entire 1.5 hours we were sweating it out. We went back for more tonight!

I hope everyone is having a fun, eventful week so far!

Putting Pen to Paper

A little doodle I did while sitting on the couch with a coffee, watching my handsome Princeton sleep. 

Loving: Embroidery

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Embroidery and I are having a moment. Every time I visit Etsy, I find myself hearting every embroidered object I come across! I'm especially loving these finds. It's such a sweet and pretty art form, don't you think?

DIY-ing for What You Want

I am sure I'm not alone when I say it can sometimes be difficult to achieve a unique aesthetic in the home. It's hard to resist the convenience and price point of big box stores. The internet has helped immensely, what with all of the amazing design blogs out there providing endless inspiration, and handmade marketplaces like Etsy making wonderful vintage and homemade items accessible and affordable. 

Living in a rural area (like central Maine) adds to my frustration. So often I see blogs featuring the perfectly curated homes and closets of stylish Californians or New Yorkers, who have access to the seemingly endless numbers of vintage shops and independent boutiques. Where I live, big department stores largely round out the list of shopping opportunities. I would love to explore opening my own business in the area to serve a market of design-conscious, creative women that I know must exist here, but I digress..

The point of my long rant is this: I want curtains. Not just any curtains will do, because almost one entire wall in our apartment is covered in windows. I want them to not only be functional, but to fit with the aesthetic of my home. 

I love these curtains artist Amanda Johnson made for her own living room, out of vintage sheets!

She pieced together several patterns she liked, and the result is wonderfully fresh and eclectic. I love how creative people are! When you can't find what you like at a price you can afford, why not make your own version? You are guaranteed to end up with something that truly reflects your personal taste, and have a little fun making it too.

You can bet I am now on the hunt for some great sheets to make several sets of my own curtains. Thank you, Amanda, for the inspiration and the tutorial!