Modestly Modish

Leftover Green Beans

2011-01-23T23:26:00.003-05:00

Just this evening my husband showed me a brief spot on Eco Company TV -- a tv show that features the latest green technologies, advancements in recycling & organic materials, as well as tons of other Earth-friendly ideas, all geared specifically to teens-- & this spot just so happened to showcase the talents of two California teenagers who began their own green fashion line called Leftover Green Beans. (Watch the spot here.) The line is green due to the fact that all materials used in their pieces are either organic, or vintage, a fabulous form of recycling. While i, & i'm quite sure many more like me, have been repurposing old clothes, fabrics, thrift store finds & the like into new, usuable & wearable clothing for years & years now, it is nice to see that it's actually getting noticed by the fashion world, something quite refreshing. Watching these young girls' story unfold gives me inspiration & joy... & maybe it will reach out to someone else too.

Check out the links, & if you're bold check out your local flea market & refashion something of your own!

DIY dog bed

2011-01-21T14:33:00.021-05:00

My husband & i had been looking for a dog bed for our beagle/bulldog Indie (also known throughout our friend circle as Milwaukee, Jezebel, Derby, Oscar, Binder&Binder, and IndieBindieBuddha) for a while now. In her younger years Indie loved to chew, on everything. We gave her an old chair that had been in my grandpa's old house that ended up with us, and over the course of a year and a half she destroyed it. Plus it was gross, the cushion was old and the holes she had made allowed the gross yellow foam inside leak out all over our floor, so moving it was a pain. Thankfully she got over her chewing phase, at least on the things on which she slept. Still, we needed another solution. While dog beds are relatively inexpensive, they are also insanely easy to make yourself, & convenient if you need a way to use up those old pillows or batting. Which is exactly what i did. i'll tell you how.

Materials:
2 yards of fleece (6 ' x 5') (Fleece is not the cheapest, but when it's on sale --quite often at Joann's, it can be as little as $2.99/yard)
Stuffing material-- you can use foam, batting, old pillows, or do what i did, a set of old worn-out sheets
Needle & thread &/or sewing machine

This finished bed measures 2'x2'

1. Arrange your stuffing in a square shape, to make an approximate 2' x 2' square-- i folded my sheets thus. The stuffing needs to fit inside your folded fleece. (See 2nd photo below)

2. Fold your fleece in half lengthwise, so you have a piece that is 30" wide and 6' long.
Fold the fleece again, almost in half, leaving 6-8" unfolded...

3. Stitch up the edges of the fleece, making a kind of giant pocket. Leave the excess fleece unstitched. You should have 3 sides closed up once finished.

4. Turn the fleece inside out, so the stitches you made are now on the inside of the pocket.

5. Carefully slide the stuffing into the pocket. When using sheets or other loose materials this can be tricky. Take care to spread the stuffing to the bottom & sides of the pocket, & make sure there are no bunched up patches or bumps inside.

6. Now you have a few options: You can stich up the 4th side enclosing the stuffing, & you have a simple square bed. Be sure to make a few hand stitches into the center & around the sides of the finished bed, to hold the stuffing in place, as you would to hold the batting in place in a quilt.

i, however, had pillow cases from the sheet set that i made into an attached pillow. To do that, fold the pillowcases into a piece that measures approximately 10" x 4", lay this on the excess piece of fleece.

7. Fold the fleece over your "pillow," almost so you are rolling it up until it sits on top of the bed. Stitch it into place. There you go!

Aww. IndieBindieBuddha loves her new bed.

DIY "snood?" Yep that's what it's called.

2011-01-07T15:40:00.005-05:00

After a 2 month hiatus (due mostly to laziness, business & overall lack of craftiness) I am back! For a while I found this blog to be more of a hassle than a good experience but after being encouraged by friends & family, I feel like I need to get back at it. I still have lots of ideas & projects & I am the only one benefitting from such if I don’t keep at this blog. With that being said, I’m back, hopefully for good.

The first project I have is the most ridiculously easy thing ever. A few weeks ago (yes, weeks) I was perusing the Elle magazine website which is weird, because it’s me, and anyone who knows me knows that Elle is not something I’m too… well, “in to.” But setting that aside, I still browse it occasionally, to check out the latest fashion trends etc. as well as gather inspiration. Anyway, I stumbled across this article about this thing called a “snood,” found here

Really it’s just a scarf, only the ends are connected, I guess. I thought it was crazy that these things, the designer versions anyway, are going for hundreds of dollars. That’s nuts!! It’s just a scarf! I like fashion trends as much as the next girl but forking out hundreds, let alone anything under 5 dollars is nuts, especially when you can make one yourself out of items you probably already own, and I will show you how.

For the easiest version, this piece only takes one step. Cutting!You can use anything you have, a T shirt, a sweater, a dress. I used a dress that i got at a thrift shop that needed to be hemmed anyway. I cut off a large chunk at the bottom, about 16 inches long, and... yeah that's it. You have a snood. The only thing you have to watch is that the section of fabric you cut can wrap around your head/ neck easily, so stretchy fabric is good, and a wide section is ideal.

Another way to create this piece is to use a scarf you already have, and sew the ends together (or pin them with safety pins for a more temporary solution) ... and again, that's it.

The more difficult and time-consuming snood project is to actually knit or crochet one yourself, which again, is just a scarf with the ends stitched together, so if you need a knitting project, go for it. It's easy and apparently, in style right now.

So while i don't agree with the idea of the snood, fashion is fashion, and if i can say anything positive about it, it's that it shows how easy and affordable is actually it is to be a trend-setter.

DIY Industrial Inspired Necklace

2010-11-24T21:38:00.009-05:00

In light of the husband and I putting together our joint craft room / office space in one of our spare bedrooms this past week, i decided it was time to get to work on the crafts, utilizing my new organized space, which i love. We went to our local Ikea & each bought a table and a matching shelf unit, giving him space for his computer stuff & me room for my sewing machine & hundreds of random loose fabrics, notions, etc. As i went through my pieces i realized that i have way too much unused stuff waiting to be turned into something great, so i decided to make this super quick & super easy necklace.

DIY Industrial Inspired Necklace

If anyone else out there is a relatively avid crafter then you have probably been to your local Michaels' store & seen the fantastic collection of charms called Industrial Chic. This line features industry-inspired pieces, mixing a hint of vintage with urban. While $5 charms don't seem like a giant amount to pay for something, when you need 20 charms or so, you're paying quite a bit for these unique little pieces. What i have found when perusing the charms is that they are replicas of many things already found in my house. Now, as a teen i grew up in my grandfather's house, & he had an entire room dedicated to tools & wood carving & all kinds of stuff, so there was a plethora of screws & nails & little metal pieces that could be made into charms, & i've been making this type of jewelry on a smaller scale since then.

Now, i was able to collect things around the house & from my former work to use in this particular piece. One warning, though: Many pieces found around the house & at jobs are not for sensitive skin! Please make sure you have no allergies or bad reactions to the kinds of metals you may be handling before attempting this project.

So, without further ado:
You will need
Random found pieces (buttons, small hinges, nuts, washers, keychain rings, bits of chain etc)
Cord (Cotton, hemp, leather, anything that can be knotted)

My collection of pieces. i also incorporated pieces of old broken jewelry, & a ring i found at work a long time ago, & an old earring whose partner has been lost forever. A great way to reinvent & recycle old jewelry!

I used cotton cord because.... it's what i had! You can also use a chain, but i made this necklace specifically for people who don't make jewelry regularly-- who don't have the necessary tools to cut jewelry chain. You could even use ribbon for a more feminine touch.

How to!

1. Gather your pieces
2. Cut a length of cord about twice as long as you wish the necklace to be

3. Attach each piece by sliding it onto the cord, tying a knot to hold it in place. Make sure you secure it, leaving enough cord to fit a little over halfway around your neck, at least.

Knotting creates small spaces between the "charms," but to create a more cluttered look, you can slide the pieces on between the knots, making them closer together. Knotting will also shorten your cord enough to make it long enough, once finished, to fit around your neck comfortably.

4. Once finished with your pieces, you should be able to knot the necklace around your neck. i knotted mine where the extra cord meets the charms, to create another piece of texture. Cord knots are typically adjustable, so you should have no problem taking it on & off. Have fun!

DIY Ruffle Shirt

2010-11-20T20:57:00.009-05:00

Ruffles. Don't they just add a touch of girliness (if you will) to a garment? The answer is, of course, yes. And as far as garments go, they are one of the easiest embellishments you can do yourself. This tutorial will instruct you how to add ruffles to a plain Tshirt. You can use the same color shirt, or do what i did & use a contrasting color to keep things interesting. i am using a fitted tee i found at a thrift store for $1.10, & a too old & too big Tshirt from elementary school that i actually kept. (Yes, the light gray tee is an XL, & it's from 8th grade. i wore super baggy clothes when i was 13. Don't judge.)

To make my ruffle Tshirt
You will need:
Needle, thread, scissors
2 shirts. One that fits & one that is too big.

Let us begin!
1. First, cut the sleeves off of the big shirt. Keep the hems of the sleeves intact. Also cut off the bottom hem, about 3 inches of it, all the way around.

2. Cut the sleeves open and the bottom of the shirt open. You will have 3 strips of fabric. 2 sleeves, 1 bottom hem. Cut each piece down, keeping the length, but making it thinner. One slightly bigger than the next. For example, cut the first sleeve down to 2 inches. Make the next sleeve 3 inches. Make the bottom hem 4 inches.

3. Ruffle each piece. To do this, start at one end and fold over the fabric. Pin the fold in place at the top of the fabric (not the hemmed side).

4. Make these folds all along each strip of fabric and pin each fold in place.

5. Hand or machine sew the folds in place. Keep the pins in as you sew (but be careful!) & remove them as you sew & secure each fold.

6. Now you should have 3 ruffled strips of fabric, 2 the same length (the sleeves ) & one that is slightly wider & longer (the bottom hem).

Arrange each ruffled piece along the Tshirt. It can be in any design, but i did an off center, cascading design for mine. i arranged the smaller pieces on top & the larger piece on the bottom for a slightly dramatic look.

7. Pin the pieces in place & again, sew the pieces on, removing the pins as you go.

Ruffle shirt!

How to Ripen Green Tomatoes

2010-11-13T18:41:00.006-05:00

Last week I tore out the remaining plants in our garden considering the cold was setting in and my plants were dying. Everything except for my cucumber and bean plants were still producing well into October and I honestly was surprised that they did so well for what little work we actually put into the garden over the past year. Anyway, my zucchini and pepper plants were dead, and the vegetables on them were dead too, but my tomato plants were still producing relatively healthy looking tomatoes, and LOTS of them. I knew the plants wouldn’t survive much longer in the cold, and while I could have dug them up and put them in our garage, I’m rather lazy. So I pulled them out all together, and gathered up all of the tomatoes that still seemed good.

Yes, about 90% of them were green. But I didn’t let that stop me. Ripening tomatoes is actually easy and a good idea when you have an abundance, as most gardeners have at the end of the growing season. While there are many methods of ripening tomatoes, I’m using my tried and true method taught to me by a family friend. And I’m sharing it with you.

The lazy way to ripen tomatoes.
Materials:
Green tomatoes
Cardboard box
Newspaper

1. Wash and sort tomatoes. Throw out any diseased or super dark/hard ones.

2. Dry the tomatoes & wrap each in newspaper.

3. Line the box with newspaper, and then line with wrapped tomatoes, no more than 2 stacks high.
4. Leave the box in a dark place, cool place. A bonus is to add an apple to the box, since apples give off a gas that helps the ripening process.
5. Check tomatoes every few days. I usually just unwrap a few to inspect them when I go down in the basement to do laundry. It usually takes a couple of weeks for the tomatoes to become ripe enough to use.

If you only have a few tomatoes to ripen, I use the paper bag method. Stick tomatoes in a paper bag with an apple and leave on the kitchen windowsill, but you have to check the bag every day.

Soon you'll have lots of these!

How to Blanch Tomatoes

2010-11-09T20:59:00.012-05:00

Blanching tomatoes is an easy process but often necessary in using fresh tomatoes in recipes for sauces and salsas, and also any canned tomatoes that are to be cooked prior to canning. Blanching is an effective technique for preparing vegetables for freezing or canning, but the main purpose i use blanching for when it comes to tomatoes is to remove the skins.

Removing skins before using tomatoes in a sauce or salsa is not necessary, but it does produce a higher quality product since in many cases the skins will not disintegrate and will then become chewy little unpleasant pieces in your sauce or salsa. It is very easy and while slightly time-consuming, it is worth it overall.

Now, how to blanch tomatoes.

You will need:
Tomatoes
A large pot
A bowl with ice water
A slotted spoon

For freezing purposes, you may want:
A cutting board
A knife
Freezer bags

1. Fill the large pot with water, set it on the stove and bring the water to a boil

2. Fill the bowl with ice water and keep it near the stove

3. Wash the tomatoes

4. Once the water is boiling, drop the tomatoes, a few at a time (6 or 8 is a good number), into the pot

5. For sauces, you may keep the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 3 minutes. For salsa or other uses in which you'd prefer slightly firmer fruit, keep the tomatoes in the boiling water for one minute or less.

6. Once the time is up, move the tomatoes using the slotted spoon into the ice water. Again, for firmer tomatoes, keep them in the ice water for a minute or two. For soft tomatoes, leave them in the ice water for 3 minutes.

7. After the time is up, the tomatoes may have split their skins, making them easy to peel right off. If the skins haven't split, start at the top of the fruit and peel away, the skin should still come away easily.

Since making my tomato sauce takes 4 hours to make & blanching only takes a few minutes, i like to take my large batches of summer tomatoes and blanch them, chop them up and freeze them, to use in my sauce later, when i have more time. If you want to freeze your blanched tomatoes, chop them up after removing the skins and stick them in a freezer bag. When you're ready to use them, take the tomatoes out of the freezer the day before and let them thaw in the fridge. This process makes pureeing them in a blender ten times easier, creates more liquid making more liquid for your sauce.

You can use the blanching process for many other vegetables to freeze fresh veggies for later use. Again, i do this with everything in my garden, from green beans to zucchini, and we are still eating our freshly frozen vegetables that we grew during the summer. You can freeze fresh veggies you buy at the store when they're in season too, saving yourself some money!

Made from Scratch Tomato Sauce

2010-11-03T16:09:00.005-04:00

Happy November!!

For many people, i'm sure the month of November is all about FOOD, which is true for me, too. Growing my own food, cooking from scratch and trying new recipes are all things i love to do. One things i have found from living this kind of lifestyle is that food is all about self-sufficiency, and it's not hard at all! Making & especially growing your own food is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body & your family. When you make your own food, you know exactly what's going into it, you can add as many fruits & vegetables as you want (i'd hope it's more rather than less) & it's easier to control portion sizes. Being healthy & eating right helps you to look & feel fabulous, something clothes & accessories can only do for so long.

This past year i have had the privilege of having my very own garden, making jam, salsa & tomato sauce from scratch, canning & freezing. i know most people think canning is only something grandmas do (or did) but really, it's fun & beneficial. But i'll have more on those things later. This entry is all about tomatoes!!

In our garden this year we had 4 roma tomato plants which were more than sufficient for my husband & i. In fact, we had to give away a bunch of them, & also took several dozen to my mother-in-law's to make some batches of salsa. i don't have canning supplies at my own home, or an appropriate stove (gas is best), so i am left with the option to freeze all of my leftover food, which works well enough. Freezing is relatively easy & all you need is the space & some containers, like freezer bags or plastic containers.

One of my favorite things to do with tomatoes is to make tomato sauce from scratch, which may seem daunting but really, it's easy if you have the time to cook it (4 hours, no that does not include hovering over a pan for 4 hours, just 30 minutes of prep & 4 hours for it to simmer on the stovetop) & affordable. While jarred grocery store tomato sauce is also inexpensive, it doesn't nearly have as many veggies & instead it does have all those preservatives & god knows what in the ingredient list. Plus you won't have the satisfaction of pouring this delicious nutritious sauce over your steaming hot whole wheat pasta & enjoying it with some garlic bread & merlot. It also freezes well so you can make double & save some for later.

After searching for a good sauce that used plenty of vegetables, i made this recipe up one night when i was bored.

So let's make some sauce!

You will need:

Blender or food processor

Large pot

8-10 fresh tomatoes

1 carrot

1 bell pepper

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1/3 cup red wine (choose your favorite)

1 small bunch fresh basil, about 1/3 cup chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon fresh oregano (you can use dried for any of the herbs, of course, just cut the amount in half or so)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

salt & pepper to taste

1. Blanch the tomatoes to remove the skins. Find out how to blanch tomatoes here.

1.Chop those tomatoes! Small enough to easily puree in a blender or food processor.

2.Chop up the veggies & toss them in the pot with the butter & olive oil, stir to coat & cook for about 5 minutes.

3. Add the pureed tomatoes & seasoning, stir well.

4. Bring the pot to a boil & then turn it down to a simmer, cover it, & let it simmer for 2-2.5 hours.

5. After the 2 hours, check the consistency & taste your sauce! If it seems bland or needs a little kick, don't be afraid to add more seasoning. i often add seasoning throughout the cooking process.

6. Bring it back to a boil & let it simmer again for at least another hour. If you still want it thicker, you can simmer it for a half hour or so with the lid off to cook it down a bit.

7. This process by itself creates a chunky sauce. i like to let it cool & then put it back in my blender & puree until relatively smooth. This hides all the veggie chunks!

I find this recipe makes a good amount of sauce if you're having a spaghetti meal for 6 people. But if you're stuck with leftovers, i like to freeze my sauce. Let it cool as much as possible & pour it into either freezer bags or freezer safe plastic or glass containers. To thaw, i take the sauce out of the freezer & thaw it in the fridge the day before using it, & then heat it on the stove just like jarred sauce. The smell of homemade tomato sauce in the middle of winter might just warm you up a bit. Not to mention it's a great way to use up the fresh tomatoes when the store has a sale or when your garden is overflowing with them, like mine was in the summer.

This sauce can be combined with many things to create a different flavor. Stir in mushrooms & ground beef & you have a rich & meaty sauce. Add cumin, chili powder & cayenne pepper to make enchilada sauce. Add extra basil to make your own pizza sauce. It's versatile & healthy!

Happy cooking!

DIY tshirt skirt

2010-10-29T21:14:00.019-04:00

Yay a DIY! The t shirt skirt is a relatively easy project, & it's also common. So i know, what makes mine different? The "traditional" (if there is such a thing) t shirt skirt is made out of 2 large t shirts that are cut in triangle type shapes & stitched together to make a kind of parachute-looking pattern. Well it's been done. A lot. & i didn't have 2 large t shirts. i had a bunch of smaller ones.

Yes, yes i come from the days of crop tops. Anyone remember those? Well in elementary & high school they were mostly the rage, those shirts that were cut just at your hips so whenever you moved an inch, part of your stomach or back or something showed just a little. Or a lot, depending on how short the shirt was! Well i thrifted aplenty back in those days as well & as a result i now have several shirts that are too small. No they still fit me, but they are way too tight & way too short! Even too short for layering, trust me i've tried. The thing is they are still perfectly good, & while i could give them away, i'd rather be creative & change them into something i will wear.

Hence, my version of the tshirt skirt!

You will need!
at least 2 too small shirts. (i used 4)
Scissors
Needle & thread or sewing machine
Fabric / Ribbon to use as a drawstring

i went with a common theme, places i haven't been! (Except Colorado.. still).

Cut off sleeves (if any) & cut up the side seam (if any), separating the front & back of the shirt, so you have 2 pieces per 1 shirt.
This is where you be creative. While i used 4 shirts & only used the fronts of 3 of them, you can use both the fronts & back of 2 or more, mix & match however you like. In this particular skirt i'm using the 4th shirt (yellow) as an accent stripe between colors. This is optional.

Take the smallest shirt & measure it up against the rest, using it as a kind of pattern. Cut the shirts down to this size. It will be easier to sew this way.

As i said i'm using the yellow as an accent instead of a full panel. If you want to do it this way, cut 3 strips of even length (same length as the smallest shirt), about 3 inches in width, from anywhere on the shirt.

Arrange the pieces, right side down together, & pin the sides together, so the raw edges are upwards. If you turn the pieces over (right side up), you won't be able to see the seam.

Sew the pinned edges together. This doesn't take long, by hand or sewing machine.

Now you have a skirt, kind of! With the right side of the skirt you're working on, facing down (so you're looking a the inside of the skirt, seams & all) fold the top edge down about an inch. Pin the edge down all the way around the skirt, leaving a 2 inch section unpinned. This section will be where your drawstring will go.
Sew the edge down all the way around except for the 2 inch section.

Cut out the 2 inch section of the folded edge, so you have a beginning & ending of your drawstring-holder. (What's that called??)

Thread your ribbon or fabric through the folded edge. It's easier if you pin a safety pin on one end, & use the pin to work through the fabric as you pull the drawstring through.

Having a drawstring makes the skirt easy on & off, & adjustable so you can wear it on your hips or at your waist.

Just another tiny note...
i'm participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time ever this year. The writing begins on Novemeber 1st, meaning much of my energy will be going towards that. Of course i'll still be updating the blog. But if you'd like to track my progress of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, you can do it here.

the spoils of thrifting

2010-10-27T15:50:00.002-04:00

This entry, & perhaps the next few entries, will be all about thrifting. Yes, i use it as a verb, meaning to go thrift shopping, bargain hunting, the like. One thing about me is that i love to save money. LOVE it. i actually crave saving money & there's nothing wrong with that. i've gotten quite good at it over the years. & i want to share it with others.

i'm sure a lot of people are grossed out by thrift stores for whatever reason. They smell like grandmas, they're full of "weird" people, whatever. The important thing one must realize if they want to save money & still look fabulous is to get past that part. Who cares if someone has worn this shirt before? Take it home, wash it, deconstruct it, do whatever with it. It's still perfectly good fabric. It's a form of recycling (which i'm big on) & not to mention many thrift stores benefit the not so fortunate-- another great thing. The best part?? i can find AMAZING clothes (sometimes even vintage, yes, real vintage, that same dress some fancy place downtown or some website will charge you $50+ for, & you can find it for $5!!) at amazing prices. Finding really great stuff will take a good eye & it's often helpful to know how to sew at least a little bit, but all of that will come with practice.

Some helpful hints i use:

- Know your size. In everything. Womens, mens, kids... yes kids. i must tell you that i'm actually 4'9" & 90 pounds so i frequent the kiddie section. Don't judge me!! Many times thrift stores don't offer dressing rooms so knowing your size will help you to know if something will fit without trying it on.

- Often thrift stores will carry newer stuff & also vintage. Familiarize yourself with the current (or the vintage, whichever you're looking for at the time) trends. Peruse fashion websites, blogs or even just look at the newspaper ads. Department and chain store ads & websites will have tons of photos of trendy pieces, whether it be a maxi dress or skinny jeans or an overall look like the "layered" look or bohemian. Whatever you fancy, make yourself aware of what's being sold at non-thrift places so you'll be able to spot those same items for $2 at the goodwill. For vintage, again, tons of websites devote themselves to vintage & retro-inspired looks. Take a look, see what you like, & go out there with an idea of what you like!!

-I find it’s easiest to navigate through those sprawling racks of clothes if you go there with something specific in mind. For example, unless I have an entire afternoon to kill in one shop, I need to go there with a list because otherwise I will look at absolutely every single article of clothing. But when I go with a list, it helps me to narrow things down a lot. Most shops (at least the ones I go to) are divided into style or color or both. So I can go knowing that I want to find a brown sweater and a green shirt and a pair of black pants (or whatever) and then I can focus just on finding those few things. Sure it’s fun to browse and if I had all the time & money in the world, I would. But I don’t, so I need to keep myself disciplined. It sounds like common sense but it works! It’s important to note, though, that I may not find what I’m looking for. Then I give up and just try another shop on another day. Thrifting is exciting and fun for that reason, you never know what you’re going to find.

-- But most importantly stay open-minded. You may happen across something that looks awesome but is way too big. This is where a sewing skill comes in handy. On my last trip thrifting i found an incredible 70s style wrap dress that was a size 10. i'm a size 2. i'm going to have to take it in quite a bit, but i can do it because i taught myself how to sew. And don't for get to think outside the box. Do you love the pattern of the fabric on those super early 90s granny shorts? Buy it for a dollar & make a shirt out of it. Stay tuned to this blog because i'll show you how to do just that. Take that $1.20 man's cute plaid dress shirt & turn it into a dress for yourself. i've done it all & it's easy!!

Just for some inspiration & motivation, i'll include these:

First take a look at this adorable 50s style plaid dress from one of my favorite retro clothing websites, Modcloth.

what a steal at $58.99 plus shipping, right? if you have the cash by all means, it's a great dress.

but check this out.

i found this cute plaid gem at one of my local thrift stores, for $1.95. i had to hem it, a lot, & the ribbon around the waist is mine. i wore it originally with a navy blue, wider ribbon but couldn't find it when i took this picture! sure it's not the same pattern or color scheme, but really? colorful plaid is very in right now & so retro & cute.

alright, til next time!

Made from Scratch Cookies

2010-10-20T22:47:00.007-04:00

Obviously, I was bored last night. So i wrote this:

I am still becoming adjusted to my having only one job. I know how weird that sounds but I’m serious. & while there are many things that I could be doing on my free evening—such as reorganizing my sewing room, eek—I decided to try my hand at making cookies. Now I know, I’ve made dozens of cookies before but I’ve only made a few kinds, the standards, sugar, choc chip & oatmeal. I am trying a new recipe tonight.

For those who don’t know, I pretty much live on allrecipes.com. when I first started cooking I went to a few different websites for ideas & they were ok. What I like best about this site are the reviews/ star ratings & the wealth of info provided. There is a search feature, tons of articles, a personal recipe box and plenty of other options which I haven’t even explored yet. Basically members submit their own recipes & then others can try it & rate it. I typically search for recipes sorting with their rating, because then I know that chances are, the top rated recipes will be the best. & in my several years of using it, it turns out to be true. Not to mention people can make comments & offer custom versions & make adjustments which are very helpful. I often read through a few of the comments to see what others had to say, just to get a feel of what other people tried.

So aside from me living & dying by this site, I am making ‘Jumbo Breakfast Cookies.’ While another member pointed out, I don’t think any cookie could replace breakfast in any case, but it is still nice to have a cookie that is sweet but still has some good stuff for you as well. I remind my readers , including my husband ; ) , that cookies are desserts, not snacks & should be eaten sparingly, regardless of how many oats or whatever is in them, because they’re still loaded with sugar & fat. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, onto baking!

I changed the recipe a bit, because I didn’t have much cereal. I used Post Toasties (my husband's favorite, we always have these in the house. They’re like Cheerios only slightly sweetened with brown sugar), and used one less cup. In its place I used an extra cup of rolled oats. I didn’t have raisins so I used chocolate chips instead.

I made the cookies a bit smaller just so I’d have more, & as I type the first batch is cooling & the second batch is in the oven.

Edit: My husband & i each had 1 1/2 cookie last night, they are amazing! So many different textures but still soft & chewy. Delicious! Give them a try.

Introduction, part 2: Who is your author?

2010-10-19T22:14:00.010-04:00

A few random things about me.
The blogger profile can only tell you so much so I’m going to explain myself a bit.

I’ve always been a writer. I’ve always loved film. My dream career would be to combine those two loves and write about film. Recently obtained two bachelor’s degrees, one in English and one in Film Studies. Not doing too much with them except writing film reviews on the side and also working on a novel or two.. I’m planning on going back to school to get my master’s degree (when I’m ready) and then I can teach at community college. I do love the college atmosphere, and find it very refreshing and inspirational.

Another love of mine that isn’t quite as academic is that of fashion. Sometimes I wish I would’ve gone to school for fashion design, but then again, I’m learning pretty well on my own. My mom taught me the very basics of sewing & I’ve taught myself the rest from there. I’m very small so altering clothes was a necessary lesson; I have to hem , shorten, take in, however you put it, make smaller, a lot of my clothes. That branched out into taking clothes and changing them to reflect my personal style. Making them a bit more “punk” or whatever I was into in high school. Found this was easier to do with thrift store clothing considering It was so cheap. I would say about 60% of my current wardrobe has been acquired through thrifting. It’s a godsend. Since then I’ve taken on the task of making more and more articles of clothing from scratch, shirts, dresses, purses.. most of the earlier things I have I sewed completely by hand since I didn’t even get a sewing machine until about 3 years ago. I find joy in creating my own clothing, I would love to do it professionally at some point, but I’m not quite that good, yet. It is hard work but the result is usually well worth it. I have the most unique clothes because no one on earth has exactly the same thing. I love it.

Another thing you may see me write about a lot is food. I love to cook (ask my husband, and all of my friends..) all of the time. When I lived with my mum, she did all of the cooking, & she was fabulous at it. I moved in with my dad when I was 15 & he didn’t really know how to cook anything besides 3-4 basic dishes. & we ate those 3-4 dishes every day, but at least he gave me a starting point. Got a bit boring. I moved in with my fiancé a few months after he & I got engaged & he knew absolutely nothing about cooking . So I took the reins in the kitchen, with pleasure of course. Combined with the help from a few cookbooks & the wealth of information online, I am a master at several meals & always want to try new things. This also led me to the belief in making things from scratch, which really stemmed from laziness and my overall self-proclaimed cheap-ness. For example, I like chicken pot pie. But I don’t have a refrigerated pie crust. But I do have flour and butter and water. So I just make a pie crust. Making foods from scratch out of ingredients you already have in your house just makes sense to me. I also try to use fresh vegetables and fruit in every case, simply because our local fruit market is just down the street, & it’s cheaper than frozen. Plus we have a garden that, even in midOctober, is still supplying us with veggies. Making food from scratch is rewarding & extremely healthy. There are no chemicals or preservatives, no hidden fat or nasty stuff if you start from raw ingredients. & I’ve been cooking like this for years.

A final note. I don’t like to brag, but I used to be extremely busy. I used to work 2 jobs, I used to go to school full time, & even during one semester, I did all of those things & planned a wedding. I had zero time. But I still was able to do my projects & make food the way I wanted to. It may be daunting, but truly, if I can do it, anyone can.

Introduction to being modestly modish

2010-10-17T21:07:00.004-04:00

This may be viewed as cop out. i don't really care, i'm doing what is best for me.

i originally started this blog during the summer, because i thought i could handle it. Since then i haven't updated nearly as often as i had wanted to (i was aiming for twice a week, ha!) & i disappointed myself. i let other priorities get in the way, even though i swore that i wouldn't. So i am starting over. i feel a fresh start will do me good, & will also, hopefully, keep this blog on track.

Things have drastically changed since the summer. i used to have two jobs, working 60-75 hours per week, & it was rough. i recently quit a job, lowering my working hours dramatically. i now have much more time to work on the things that i love. This does not disprove the fact that you still don't need to have a lot of time to be creative, i still am working a full time job. With that said, i am rewriting this introduction, if you'll bear with me.

This blog began as an ode to all things creative. Since then i have had other ideas about what to include within, since there are plenty of other things that peak my interest. While i definitely did not want this to turn into anything emotional or "heavy," i still think i can include some random things that may not fall into the category of self-sufficiency, the blog's original theme. It will from this point on include points of interest, articles, photos, reviews, recipes & of course my DIY tips & how to's.

This blog will still focus on self-sufficiency, but to be more general, it will include entries on how to look and feel great, still staying within a budget, & relying on natural talent to do so. & perhaps a bit of personal taste as well. So i welcome all visitors & readers, i encourage those with ideas to contribute to do so, & i look forward to sharing my ideas with the world.