simply step back

Plastic-Free Living Update: New "Eco" Stuff

2013-01-31T07:50:00.000-06:00

I'm still trying to avoid using and buying plastics whenever possible (spoiler: it's harder than you think). One of my resolutions this year is to try to purchase fewer things I don't need. It's easy to mentally commit to "going green" and then go out and buy a ton of new "eco" stuff...when your old water bottles, reusable bags, and silverware are totally safe and usable.

I've tried hard to avoid it, but with a $50 Amazon gift card burning a hole in my pocket, I finally ordered some long-standing wishlist items. My only regret is the huge amount of plastic they came packaged with. A better alternative would be to order from Life Without Plastic, or a more environmentally-minded retailer than Amazon.

Anyway, my new purchases include stainless steel straws, a Klean Kanteen Reflect water bottle with literally no plastic parts (amazing!), and a set of bamboo utensils. I plan to keep the straws and utensils in my purse. I've been using my tiffin almost daily since I got it almost a year ago, and found it's made a huge difference in the amount of single-use plastics I consume. Hopefully these new items will help keep me on the right track, especially when I'm out and about.

Do you have any favorite "eco" products? Guilty new purchases? Leave a comment and let me know!

Tutorial: Make a Cute Skirt from an Ugly Christmas Sweater

2012-11-25T14:30:00.000-06:00

Can an ugly Christmas sweater ever be turned into something cute? If so, this is an easy way to get a new skirt! If not, well, I've devised a way to wear ugly sweaters all over your body.

Thrift stores are full of ugly holiday & Cosby sweaters (although the biggest and smallest stores tend to mark up the prices around the holidays). I found a sweater with a wide boat neck and thought it'd be fun to make into a skirt.

This technique can be used to turn many kinds of shirts into skirts. Depending on the fabric, consider leaving the sleeves partially intact and turning in to become pockets.

Making a Skirt from a Sweater

1. Cut off the sleeves. If you like, you could stop here. Your ugly sweater has become an ugly sweater vest! Cut across the shoulders to widen the neck/waistline if yours isn't as big as mine.

2. Create a skirt shape. I laid a skirt that fits me well over the top, and cut the sweater to the same shape (similar to my old sweater dress tutorial). Consider the differences in fabric between the two skirts and how stretchy your sweater might be. Either way, leave yourself a little room for seam allowances. You can always take it in if need be.

3. Stitch up the sides. I'm a little afraid that sweater fluff will gunk up my serger, so I used my regular machine. Is this a legitimate fear? Either way, if you don't have a serger, a zigzag stitch will do the trick.

At this point, since the original sweater had a boatneck and was quite stretchy, I called it done. Most sweaters will probably call for some kind of elastic waistband. If you choose to add one, it's easy to do!

Adding a belt helps polish this look, especially if the elastic gets bunchy or the neckline looks more like a neckline than a waistline. You could even make a belt out of the sleeves of the sweater. Or, use the sleeve to make something like this wine bottle gift wrap. Congratulations! You're all ready to rock the ugly sweater parties in a new way this year.

Sun and leaves and jackets and scarves

2012-10-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've never heard anyone say that they don't like fall. Even though it means that winter's around the corner, I can't get enough of beautiful sunny fall days- especially when a pretty hike is just a couple miles away.

Even if the leaves weren't starting to change, I'd know fall is here- not only is my CSA vegetable box full of squash and pie pumpkins, the number of people finding my blog by searching for variations of "Mary Poppins Halloween costume" is huge! I think we can expect a lot of umbrella-carrying nannies flying around at the end of the month. Happy fall!

Going Shampoo Free: The 8 Month Update

2012-10-08T18:59:00.002-05:00

I'm going on month 8 of a nearly shampoo-less hair care routine, and my cousin just announced that she'll be going shampoo-free too, so I suppose it's about time for that long-promised update.

You may have read about my endeavor to go shampooless back in February. Feel free to stop by that post if you're new to the idea of giving up shampoo. Besides a couple of rough spots and adjustments, I'm pretty pleased with how this has gone. Generally, my hair is less frizzy and more manageable than it used to be. Best of all, I don't have to wash it every day! Since middle school, it's gotten greasy by the next morning, and I couldn't stand how it felt to not wash it every day. Believe it or not, that greasiness is actually caused by regular shampoo use.

Replacing shampoo with baking soda and apple cider vinegar has helped immensely. For me, the first couple shampoo-free months were actually the easiest. I just used a dab of baking soda dissolved in water when I lived in Madison, and my hair felt clean and great.

Unfortunately, traveling to the Chicago suburbs for job interviews became problematic. I found that the water here requires a far higher baking soda to water ratio to keep my hair clean. Emergency hotel shampoo bottles had to save the (greasy) day pre-interview! Now that I live here, I have to use a thick paste of baking soda to keep my hair clean. I still use the same apple cider vinegar rinse I used before. For whatever reason, I definitely have a harder time keeping my hair clean here than I did in Madison.

That said, I clean my hair with baking soda every other day. On the occasions when I do use shampoo, as long as I do so seldomly, I can go three or four days before it starts to feel oily- which is a vast improvement over the daily washings I used to rely on. I've heard some people say that they can cut it back to weekly or even stop the baking soda process completely. Can anybody weigh in on how well that works?

Eight months in, here are my tips:

Research what others are doing, but don't be discouraged if their ratios and routines don't work for you. Everyone's hair and everyone's water are different!
It's ok to use shampoo now and then, especially when traveling. Some people use baking soda just once a week or month to give their hair a break from shampoo, and still see great results.

What are your tips for me?

What's New in the Shop: Pandas, Mugs, Purses, and More!

2012-10-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Simply Step Back Vintage Shop is up and running! I am processing more items right now, so expect more soon.

Here's a peak at what's up in the shop!

A Cauldon England vintage plate dating1862-1904. It's almost too pretty to sell...I'm tempted to keep it myself as a bedside tray for jewelry.

Set of four Studio Nova Fresh Mint mugs. I love the charming tulip pattern.

An adorable Glasbake Panda mug.

Set of 3 pretty glass bud vases.

Set of four amber glass teacups.

Vintage leather woven belt.

Cute brown Carson Pirie Scott purse. It has three compartments and is the perfect size.

Head over and check them out! Which item do you like best? What would you like to see more of?

Sneak peak: Simply Step Back Vintage Shop

2012-09-26T07:41:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true- I'm starting a vintage Etsy shop! It's always difficult for me to turn down my vintage thrifting finds- yet I've seen enough episodes of Hoarders to know I shouldn't keep them all. I have some items already that I think my blog readers especially will like.

I'm busy getting the items ready for listing, so they aren't for sale yet. But here's a sneak peak at what's to come. I especially love these pretty tulip milk cups, There's a set of four.

This Glasbake Panda milk cup is another favorite.

I hope you'll stop by the shop!

Infinity Dress

2012-09-23T21:29:00.000-05:00

I made an infinity dress! If you're looking for a super easy one-evening project, this is it. Since convertible, or infinity dress tutorials are all over the internet, I won't write one up, but I recommend Sew Like My Mom and Knuckle Salad, who has a great diagram for added help.

Basically, the infinity dress has four parts: one circle skirt, one waistband, and two loooong straps, all made of jersey. The dress can be worn an "infinite" amount of ways by tying the straps around your upper body. Most tutorials call for the straps to be 100 inches long; mine are 60 inches long and work just fine.

The wedding industry has turned this very simple dress into a big money maker, since it's a great idea for a bridal party- every bridesmaid can tie the dress a different way. After you make yours, check out some sites that are selling these for a lot of money and give yourself a pat on the back.

Pretend you don't notice the wrinkles...

A few tips:

Consider making a matching separate tube top to wear under the dress. This will give a little added modesty, and make wearing a bra possible in the many backless styles. Plus, with more coverage up top, you'll be able to tie the dress even more ways.
Many people call this the "one-seam" dress. Don't worry if this doesn't work out for you. I found that sewing the straps on first, followed by the waistband, made this step make more sense.
Make the waist a little smaller than you normally might for a circle skirt, since this fabric is really stretchy. It'll be easier to make the waist larger later if you need to.
Check out some YouTube videos and tutorials for ideas on how to tie the dress.

A newsy update

2012-09-22T17:38:00.000-05:00

I'm still here! Over the past few months I've been working and playing a lot and getting into the swing of my new life. I'm not a student for the first time since, well, age four or so, and that's a pretty big change.

I live in a one-bedroom apartment in the Chicago suburbs, about ten miles from my job. Generally speaking, I'm not too keen on the suburbs. Living in Madison for two years spoiled me. I got used to being around people my own age, taking the bus to work and class, and being generally busy all the time. The 40 hour week routine in a car-and-house-and-family focused suburban environment is a little different, and not really a place where I feel totally at home at this stage in my life.

But I can't complain. I like my job, and my boyfriend is a short 40 minute train ride away, which is totally better than the 4 hour bus ride we got to enjoy when I lived in Madison. Best of all, he lives right in Chicago, so I can run to the city for an adventure any time I want, like a Tuesday night Cubs game, or a weekend spent hanging out in Wicker Park or the beach. My next lease might find me a little closer to the city, too.

If you've been reading this blog for my sewing and cooking and crafting endeavors, don't worry- those are still on my radar (and I still use my tiffin for lunch, which has yielded many comments from my new coworkers). I did some shopping at Chicago's Textile Discount Outlet (a jam-packed three story warehouse that feels like a tremendous fire hazard and has amazing deals), and have a pile of fabric to work with. Like usual, I've got more "to do" than "done" projects, but I did make a blue jersey infinity dress, plus an iPad cover out of an old moleskine-like notebook and felt. I've just got to get over the after-work laziness and get more done!

Have tips for getting craft motivation? Suburban sympathies? Recommendations for Chicago hangouts? Let me know!

Out on the balcony

2012-06-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

My favorite spot at my new apartment is my balcony. I like to have coffee there in the morning (if I have time), and read a book in the evening after work. It's fairly quiet where I live, but I like people watching, too.

It's still a work in progress- ideally, there'll be more flowers and plants in the future. I'm hesitant to do as much with vegetables as I'd originally intended, since I don't know yet what my CSA share will bring.

I use Pinterest in small bursts, but I've pinned a few of my favorite balcony inspiration pictures. My table is from Home Goods, and the chairs and tea light lantern are from Ikea (a 15 minute drive from me now! Dangerous.). Do you have any suggestions for decorating small balcony spaces or trying to grow mini container gardens? Let me know!

Dying a White Dress Blue

2012-05-30T22:09:00.000-05:00

I haven't forgotten about that promise to keep blogging post-graduation! I've moved to a new state and started my new job, and it's about time I blog about my most recent project- the white dress I dyed blue for graduation.

I bought this dress at Goodwill for $6, loved it, and wanted to wear it to graduation, but it just looked too bridal once I put it on with my jewelry (pearls I've worn for previous graduations).

I've never dyed anything before, but have heard from friends and fellow bloggers that it's easy, so I purchased some "Brilliant Blue" iDye from a local Madison craft store. Note: Before you purchase iDye, check and see if your fabric is synthetic or natural. My dress is 100% cotton, so I purchased iDye for natural fabrics. If you're unsure, check out their website for pointers.

The directions on the package are pretty straightforward, though I recommend using a BIG pot. I used the biggest one I had (not very big at all) and ended up spilling every time I stirred. Luckily, the blue water wiped right off of everything easily- no stains at all in the kitchen. Phew.

Visit the iDye website (or RIT,which many recommend) and decide which set of directions you want to follow. I used the stovetop directions, but here's the overall gist of it:

Prewash your fabric. It should be wet when you begin the process.
Fill up pot with warm water (garment should be able to be submerged yet easily stirred) and turn on medium to high heat
Add the iDye packet to the water and stir.
Add your wet garment and bring to a simmer.
Add one cup of salt (mix with hot water first) and stir. Be careful doing this. If you dump it all in one clump, your fabric may turn out discolored in that spot. This is where having a big pot comes in especially handy.
Continue simmering and stirring for a half hour.
Rinse dye out (I did this in the tub and had no problems with staining, but it probably wouldn't hurt to do it in a bucket if you're worried about messes).
Wash with hot water and a mild detergent and dry. I did this by hand, since I didn't want to risk messing up anyone else's laundry later in our apartment dryers. And, as you can see, I hung it to dry in the shower for fear of drippy blue messes.

Here's the dress in action on graduation day (fellow model is my cousin Kate). This was a super hot day, and I was worried about my sweat turning blue, but the dress didn't stain me at all.

Annnd one more of the dress in white (for good measure). As you can see, the floral pattern didn't pick up the dye, leading me to believe that it must be at least partly synthetic.

All in all I was pretty pleased with the end result and will do this again- with a bigger pot next time. Do you have experiences (good or bad!) with dying clothes? Leave a comment and let me know!

The Happiness Project

2012-05-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

I'm a major skeptic of feel-good movies and self-help books, though I'll admit some are better than others. But after a number of people recommended Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, I decided to give it a go.

I read it really quickly and not too closely (it was the last week of classes in my last semester of graduate school, after all), so I'm not going to give a thorough review or anything like that. Some parts were better than others, and I'm not going to start a regulated happiness project of my own (though Gretchen's blog suggests her readers do just that).

I did make a list, as Gretchen suggests, of the things that make me happy, and the activities I genuinely enjoy doing. This seems totally corny as I write about it now, but it's also a fitting time to think about it since I'm on the verge of making some changes in my life. Between experiencing a death in the family and selling all my free time to graduate school the past two years, I've had a lot of ups and downs and often, trouble deciding what I really like to do anymore. One thing I do still like doing is writing and blogging. Thanks to my information architecture class this past semester, I also know I (oddly) like coding and messing around with html, so I'm excited to make some improvements to the blog.

This month, I graduate, move to a new apartment, and start a new job. I'll be closer to my boyfriend and living near Chicago. I don't like making posts about my goals or what I'm going to do, because those kinds of things never actually pan out as planned, and I don't really know what I'm getting into yet. But I WILL be decorating a new apartment, and I have a Groupon to a fabric store. I also hear that I'll have to learn to preserve food, thanks to my newly-purchased CSA share. Simply Step Back will continue, though it might be different- so stay tuned.

The Tiffin Lunch

2012-04-23T22:16:00.001-05:00

My plan to reduce my use of plastics has inevitably crept into other areas of my life as well. It turns out (not surprisingly) that you can't just go to the store and refuse to buy plastics. There aren't easy alternatives for most purchases, so I've ended up reevaluating how I approach shopping and everyday expenses. I've found myself watching lots of documentaries on Netflix about the food system in America, since that's part of the reason why it's so hard to switch to completely non-processed, non-packaged food.

So, in response to the question, "So what do you eat?", here's an example of my tiffin lunch, carried plastic-free.

Generally, I bring sliced fruit or fruit salad, a cucumber and tomato salad, and a cheese sandwich, and might sub out any of those with leftover soup or stew. I have an additional small stainless steel container that can fit a halved avocado or another sandwich for long days. All of these items can be purchased without plastic, too...except for cheese, which happens to be my favorite food. I haven't completely switched to this whole foods, Michael Pollan-esque diet; I do buy candy bars or chips occasionally, and I definitely don't always make the healthiest choices when I go to restaurants. But it's a good start, and I'm especially looking forward to the half CSA share I purchased for when I move next month.

I checked out the Manga Cookbook from the library, which has some good Bento box ideas, so hopefully I'll be able to branch out more soon. I also recommend checking out the blog 100 Days of Real Food for some more creative ideas than mine. Do you have suggestions for packing tasty lunches?

Plastic Free Living Updates

2012-03-16T18:06:00.000-05:00

Plastic free living is a huge overstatement right now. I use plastic every day, in all kinds of ways, though I've really cut back since I decided to give up single use plastics for Lent. I have lots of updates for you, but I'll start with food storage, since it's probably the easiest way to make a big impact in your day to day plastic consumption.

One big change has been eliminating plastic baggies and Ziploc containers from my lunches. I bought a stainless steel three-compartment tiffin for taking my lunch to work. So far it's been great, as long as I keep a bowl in my work desk to heat up hot meals.

Keep in mind: I ordered my tiffin from Amazon. That's obviously not ideal on an environmental scale either, but on a grad student schedule and budget, with no car, I'm limited in my shopping access.

Save pasta sauce jars and pickle jars to store food in in the fridge. When I studied abroad a few years ago, my friend and I did this out of necessity, but I never thought to do it once I returned home. You can even freeze food in these- just leave space for the food to expand.

The easiest-yet-hardest change is to use reusable grocery bags. Most people have them, and most people don't use them. I've been making a bigger effort, and I even made drawstring bags to take to the bulk bins at the grocery store- eliminating plastic packaging for things like rice or lentils. I've avoided produce bags altogether. I wash my apples and tomatoes when I get them home anyway, so that one-time-use produce bag isn't necessary. Keep in mind: I went to Whole Foods yesterday and they scolded me; apparently FDA regulations mean that you can't use a reusable bag at the bulk bins, though I've read of many bloggers doing this. You CAN use paper bags, though.

I'll admit it, I haven't been successful all across the board. Traveling, throwing a birthday party, and buying cheese are all terribly difficult to do without using loads of plastic- and I've done all those things in the past few weeks.

One reader asked if there's a good way to eliminate plastic garbage bags. While you can always reuse the plastic grocery bags most of us have jammed under the sink, those are too small to be ideal. If you really want to eliminate plastic bags, composting is probably the best option. Without wet food trash, you won't need a plastic garbage bag. Even apartment dwellers can start worm composting under their kitchen sinks, though I admit I'm not doing that just yet.

Despite these less-than-stellar moments, though, making these changes has only changed my standard of living in one way: I've been eating far healthier over the past few weeks. Eliminating plastic as much as possible also means eliminating most processed foods. The healthiest foods in the store- produce, grains, and beans, for example, don't come plastic wrapped.

Going Shampoo Free

2012-02-28T13:36:00.001-06:00

Some people call it going "poo-less," but that's not a term I can bring myself to use. Why would anyone want to give up shampoo? I'll give you the quick answer. Shampoo strips your hair of its natural oils, causing your body's production of those oils to go into overdrive. Your hair feels greasy (even though you washed it yesterday) so you wash it again, using more shampoo. If you let your hair go "natural," it will eventually stop the excess production, so you won't need to wash it nearly so often- if at all.

My hair is really thick and frizzy, but it gets greasy if I don't wash it every morning. Often, I get a buildup of shampoo and conditioner that makes it feel unclean, even when it's not. I've avoided going without shampoo though, because I'm afraid of the transition period- 2 weeks to 2 months of greasy hair while it gets used to being shampoo-free.

However, there's another option, and that's what I'm trying out. Wash your hair with baking soda, and rinse with apple cider vinegar. Many people say that doing this in lieu of shampoo helped them totally skip or drastically minimize the transition period.

Here's the plan:

I mixed two tablespoons of baking soda with two cups of water and keep it in a jar in my shower. Use a few tablespoons of this mixture in the shower, rubbing it in to the roots. Rinse.
Next, make a mixture of 1 part apple cider vinegar to 4 parts water. Pour about a quarter cup of this over your hair. Rinse.

Different people might need to adjust those ratios substantially. I'll let you know what I end up doing. I'm on day 3 of this plan, using the baking soda treatment every other day, and I'll probably add a bit more baking soda and a bit less vinegar. Here's a few blogs that got me started:

Simple Mom: How to Clean Your Hair Without Shampoo
Nature Moms: The No Shampoo Alternative
It's also worth checking this cosmetics database, just to see what's in your daily products.

Would you ever try this? I'll keep you posted about my "transition period," and we'll see if I can stand going shampoo-free!

Avoiding Single Use Plastics

2012-02-25T11:43:00.000-06:00

Last week I watched the film "Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic," and since then, I've been doing a lot of thinking about all the plastic in my own life.

I won't exhaust you with all of the issues discussed in the film- you can watch it on your own if you're so inclined. Sure, many of us have heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and maybe bought reusable grocery bags- remembering to use them is another story, though. Even so, I learned a lot this week about the effect of plastics on our economy, environment, oceans, and health. It's much worse than I had ever considered. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that every piece of plastic ever created is still in existence today, but I hadn't really sat down and thought about it before.

Lent started on Wednesday, and for the next forty days, I'm going to try to give up single-use plastics as much as I can- starting with plastic bags (even those produce bags in the grocery store), and ziploc baggies and containers and seeing what other changes I can realistically make. It's hard to think of an item that DOESN'T come in some kind of plastic wrapper. The amount of plastic in the fridge, in the bathroom cupboard, and yes, in the garbage can, is daunting. But I'm going to do the best I can, and try to think of ways I can sustain this project beyond Lent. This includes some craft and sewing projects, so stay tuned.

Here's some of the resources I've been checking out.

No Impact Man: the story of a man who tries to eliminate his carbon footprint for a year. There's a book, which I read in a couple days, a blog, and a film, as well as an ongoing project.
Plastic Free Living Guide: an extensive list of all the ways one woman is almost totally eliminating all plastics from her life. And when I say extensive...I mean it. Whoa.
Life Without Plastic: Food storage containers made of stainless steel and other healthy and environmentally-conscious materials. More on this in a future post.

What do you think? Are you giving something up for Lent? Any tips about cutting back on plastics? Let me know!

Everybody Everywear: Black and White

2012-01-10T11:35:00.001-06:00

I haven't done an Everybody Everywear in ages! I'm excited to be linking up today. This month's theme is "Black and White." Originally, I was going to stick strictly to the black-and-white theme, but this outfit needed a pop of color to help dress it down for work. And then it needed a cardigan, because even though we're having a bizarrely warm winter...it's still January, and I still live in Wisconsin.

The dress is just a simple jersey that I made on the weekend. Expect another post about that in the near future!

I'm wearing...

Black dress: Made by me

Grey cardigan: Kohls, 6 years ago

Green belt: Pitaya, $3

White scarf: H&M, 4 years ago

Black shoes: My beloved Born flats

New Year

2012-01-03T18:32:00.000-06:00

It's a new year! I'm back in Madison today after traveling around Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois, seeing some of my favorite people for the holidays. Geoff and I celebrated New Years Eve in Chicago at Navy Pier. It wasn't too cold or too crowded, and we saw some of the best fireworks I've seen in a while. This might have to be a new tradition.

While I have several plans for the new year, one of my resolutions for 2012 is to work out at least once a week for 30 minutes. I used to walk a lot, but since I moved to an apartment further from campus, I've been taking the bus instead and not getting much activity. On the blog front, I am hoping to complete more projects- although I'm graduating in May, so completing the last semester of my student career is top priority!

Do you make resolutions for the new year? What are they?

Proof of projects!

2011-12-06T12:34:00.000-06:00

Being a grad student with three (yes, three) part time jobs is taking its toll. But I assure you, there are a few proofs of in-progress projects scattered about my apartment.

Pieces of a wool dress (and leftover fabric, which I also have plans for)

Bodice of a brown dress (which I seem to have misplaced the directions to...drat)

And there's a secret Christmas project or two going on, too.

What projects are you working on?

Super Easy Biscuits

2011-11-28T11:59:00.000-06:00

I made these quick biscuits from my favorite bread cookbook.

I prefer to bake yeast breads, but I wanted something fast and easy! These guys do the trick.

Easy Baking Powder Biscuits Recipe

2 cups sifted all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup milk (the original recipe called for 2/3 cup, but that wasn't quite enough)

Cut shortening into dry mixture till coarse crumbs form. Add milk and stir quickly. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead slightly and roll out till 1/2 inch thick. I used the rim of a cup to cut out the circles for the biscuits; you can use a biscuit cutter if you've got one. Place on baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes 12-16 biscuits.

Wall Decals

2011-11-22T14:27:00.000-06:00

Just showing off my new wall decals!

My walls are looking bare, and I picked these wall stickers up from Target. You just peel and stick them onto the walls! I'm a little concerned that they won't stay sticking because our walls are the bumpy kind, but so far so good.

I'm totally digging these bird wall decals too. Maybe I'll pick them up next...

Bacon-Asparagus-Potato-Cream of Celery Soup (or, Soup from Scraps)

2011-11-19T18:30:00.000-06:00

You know those days when there's nothing really to eat? You're running low on groceries and you don't have the ingredients to make any of your favorite recipes?

These are the days when I make a meal from "scraps." Sometimes stirfry, but usually soup or some sort of fried-rice concoction. It helps if you have a small store of canned veggies, soup or beans to supplement. Today's soup from scraps is Bacon-Asparagus-Potato-Cream of Celery Soup.

Recipe:

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

A few cups of water

1 package bacon, cooked and chopped up small

4-5 potatoes, cubed

1 stalk of celery, chopped

Additional veggie if you've got it- I used some asparagus I had frozen in the fridge, but broccoli might be good too.

2 cans celery soup mix

2 bay leaves

Saute the onions and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer until potatoes are cooked.

Enjoy!

A Mary Poppins Halloween

2011-10-31T22:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! Using this post by Keiko Lynn as my inspiration, I was Mary Poppins and Geoff, my boyfriend, was Bert. I fell in love with Keiko's cute pictures and couldn't get Mary Poppins out of my head! Such an easy, fun costume was hard to resist.

And how could I not do a signature Mary Poppins pose or two?

My costume was partially homemade, or at least adjusted. I bought the shirt at St. Vincent de Paul for $1 and refit it to my size and made the bowtie and belt out of red scrap fabric. Everything else I had already. The hat isn't exactly Mary Poppins-authentic, but I think it worked out well enough!

I wish I had a better picture of my handsome Bert and I, but these are pretty cute.

The coat in this picture was also a thrift store find- $3 at Goodwill and it kept me fairly warm while tying in with the costume.

What were you for Halloween?

Wearing Homemade Clothes: Sorbetto

2011-10-17T10:57:00.001-05:00

I haven't had a lot of time to sew recently, so you haven't seen a lot of new projects from me. I thought this lull would be a great time to challenge myself to actually wear some of the clothes I've sewn, since I often...don't. I'm not sure why. Sometimes they fit funny or they feel too seasonal or I'm just sick and tired of them by the time I'm done sewing! Any of you have the same problem?

So now and then, I'm going to make a point to challenge myself to wear at least one item I've sewn myself. Today is the Collette Patterns Sorbetto top, which I sewed earlier this summer.

I always like to see people incorporate garments into outfits anyway- the boxiness of the Sorbetto top made me wonder what people are pairing theirs with. Any input? How do you wear your Sorbetto?

EBEW DIY: Missed it!

2011-10-11T12:24:00.001-05:00

Naturally, I missed the Everybody Everywear that I'm most interested in! This month is the DIY challenge, and I totally forgot about it. Today I'm wearing something similar to this, which is quite storebought.

Had I remembered about EBEW, I might have worn one of these DIY creations:

Sweater Dress made from a men's sweater

Summer dress made from a pillowcase

Summer dress made from a thriftstore find

Don't forget to check out Everybody Everwear: DIY for some inspiration!

Fall colors and updates

2011-10-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy fall! This is my second to last semester at UW Madison, and I feel like I'm cramming everything possible into it. I have an hourly job, a practicum, and a project assistanceship...plus class...and very occasionally, a social life. I love everything I'm doing, but sometimes there's just too much to fit into a day.

Luckily, my weekends are free so I can have a little break now and then. Last weekend, I went canoeing with my dad and some friends up in northern Wisconsin.

How are you guys enjoying the fall weather?