perfectly splendid

sewing endeavors

2014-08-08T13:07:00.001-07:00

I've had a sewing machine almost my whole life, but I've never done much with it other than little pillows and repairing things. but this weekend, I made my first skirt, and it went so well that I made another. the one I'm wearing in the picture is actually the second one I made, but I have yet to find a shirt that works with the first. (the other one is knee length and yellow with little ruby slippers all over it)

the fabric was just a couple dollars per yard at walmart, and I still have basically enough to make a second skirt with both fabrics. I just did simple gathered skirts and threw on a waistband, zipper, and button. It took all of 3 hours to finish both. hopefully I'll get back to the store soon so I can get more fabric and start a collection of these.

oh also, if you're wondering why my hair looks so short, it's because it is. it was getting too long to curl, so I got it cut to just above my shoulders. I'm still trying to figure out how to curl it without looking so shirley temple-y. (suggestions are appreciated) :)

with love,

Julia

p.s. last night I went to see the arctic monkeys at staples center in LA and it was amazing

p.p.s. I'm leaving in like an hour for NorCal to go to the ranch and to a ZZ Top concert, so I won't be posting until after the 18th or so.

pinup prom

2014-07-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

hi! I meant to post this almost a week ago, but the wifi was out at my house all weekend and then I got caught up with great weather and going to the beach. oops.
anyway, as anyone who follows pinupgirlclothing on instagram already knows, last friday they had a prom to celebrate the anniversary of their store in burbank. everyone had gorgeous dresses and immaculate hair and it was all really cute and colorful. across the street was a cute little candy shop with all sorts of glass bottled sodas and penny candy and tin signs and stuff.

if you're ever in LA/Burbank area, you should definitely check out the boutique. it's just like the website but in real life and even more pink. :)

with love,

Julia

p.s. happy birthday harry potter

where I've been

2014-07-22T01:25:00.002-07:00

hello! I haven't been posting for the last week or so because I was in a tiny town in Nor Cal called Nicasio. my family has had land there for over 100 years and we go up there two or three times a year. we have cows and chickens and a vineyard and stuff, and our property is right next to Skywalker Ranch- George Lucas's property (!!!). my great grandparents were married in the one church in town, and my great great (great?) uncle or grandpa won the town's only hotel in a game of poker and lost it in the same way.

anyway, there's all sorts of cute towns nearby, and San Francisco is just 40 minutes away. one day we went into Point Reyes Station and looked in all the little thrift shops and stuff. my sister and I packed a picnic and hiked halfway up the hill to our vineyard and it was all beautiful.

my aunt (who lives in a darling yellow house on the property) runs an antique shop in what once was the town's butcher shop. she always has great little animal figurines and antique kitchen things and old pictures. on our last night, she pulled out a photo album with great pictures in the 50s and 60s of my grandpa (her brother) and her europe trips and my dad & his cousins as children. here are some pictures of my father in his prime- in a new, somewhat racist-looking slicker on christmas, and with my grandfather, sporting some saddle shoes to match mine. I think he's in kindergarten in both of these.

we drove home along the coast as much as possible, which was absolutely gorgeous. there's always dozens of strawberry stands and cute towns and stuff. we stopped to peek in at the Madonna Inn, which is fabulous and pink and somewhere north of Pismo Beach. this is the dining room- I just about died when I walked in.

anyway, that's where I've been. I'll be back to my regular schedule soon enough. I bought some really cute fabric for really cheap at walmart, and I'm going to be making some skirts soon. if anyone has any tips/patterns/ideas/warnings, drop me a comment, I'd love to hear from someone with a little more knowledge on the matter. :)

with love,

Julia

simple 50s ponytail tutorial

2014-07-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this tutorial for waaayyy too long, but every time I had a chance to, I'd be too lazy. The pictures are pretty bad quality because I had to use my webcam, but finally, here is my tutorial for how I wear my hair almost every day. My hair's starting to get too long for curling, but I can still manage this 'do without it looking too sloppy. I actually got the idea of just curling a ponytail from 13 Going on 30, one of my favorite movies. I couldn't find a screenshot of the right scene, but when Jenna is getting ready for a big party, there's a split second glimpse at her hair in a ponytail with curlers. She wears her hair completely different (much more early 2000s rather than mid century) than your hair will end up from this tutorial, but it's all the same general idea.
What you need:
(pretty self explanatory)

foam rollers
hairspray (I use Aussie, which is great for getting hair to stay all day without crunchy curls)
spray bottle of water
bobby pins
bandanna/scarf

Curl a section for your mini victory roll

you can skip this step if you have bangs or don't want it or want to do another style in the front, but this is just how I do it. My "bangs" are ridiculously grown out, but this little roll still works really well. roll this part UP, not down like the other curls will be.

Make a high ponytail

do I even need to explain this step?

Begin curling the ponytail

this part is very easy, but a little hard to explain. unlike most curl sets, you won't be making sections, or even curling all of your hair- it's very random and can use anywhere from 15-40 rollers.

basically, just take little pieces each time and roll. nothing has to be exact, but if it feels like you're putting too much hair on one roller, just use a smaller section of hair.

spray each piece-to-be-curled lightly with water and hairspray.

***roll every curl DOWN- this should be the opposite of doing something like victory rolls. when you finish each roller, the hair coming from your head should be at the TOP of the roller.

Continue like this with the rest of the ponytail

when you're done, you should have a sort of ball of curlers sticking off the back of your head.

tip: try to roll each roller as close to your ponytail holder as possible. remember, all of this hair is coming from one place and there is limited space to curl everything perfectly, but make tight curls and tuck each roller under the ones above it. I'm not sure if that made any sense, but hopefully you'll understand when you start curling. you can always leave a comment if you have any questions.

Curl your baby hairs (optional)

skip this step if you don't care, but I always like to curl the little baby hairs that grow by my forehead and at the nape of my neck.

Hairspray and cover with a scarf

spray everything and tie up in a scarf as you would normally do around your head. it doesn't have to be perfect, it's just to protect your curls while you sleep. (by the way- if you normally sleep on your back, that probably won't be happening with this tumor-looking thing hanging off your head. try sleeping on your side.)

In the morning, undo the baby hairs first

it helps to spray a little hairspray all over all the rollers, same way you did before covering with a scarf.

Make a little victory roll

skip this if you have real bangs or didn't curl this part. roll it up (neatly) as you would with any other sort of victory roll or pin curl. generously hairspray.

Undo the rest of the rollers (obviously)

start from the bottom and work your way up, so the first curls you put in will be the last to come out. you should end up with a result somewhat like the bottom two pictures. this isn't one of the best sets I've ever done, but you get the idea.

Brush out the top inch and hairspray

only brush the very very top. this step is just so that the top few curls don't stick up at the top.

hairspray once now and let it sit a minute or so. repeat and repeat again. sometimes I apply hairspray as many as 5 times before going out, just to make sure my curls stay for as long as possible. tilt your head to each side and spray the underside too.

Personalize it

I usually just add a ribbon, but you could also tie a bandanna around your head or clip in some flowers or pretty much do anything you want.

Finished product:

everyone's hair is different, so yours might be much more or much less curly than mine, but hopefully it all worked out and you ended up with something you're happy with. I like this style because it can be very casual and simple but still looks polished enough for nicer events. it's not as detailed and big as a lot of hairstyles on the rockabilly scene, but I think it's a pretty good modern representation of mid-century hair.

some ponytail inspiration

with love,

Julia

p.s. ignore the messy wall behind me- I'm in the middle of redecorating :)

DIY 4th of July Banner

2014-07-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

I usually have paper flowers along this blank spot of wall, but given the upcoming holiday this week, I thought I'd make a festive little banner to fill the space.
What you need:

red, white, and blue construction paper
tape
scissors
pencil (not pictured)
ruler
fishing line (or other thin string)

Cut your first triangle

This will be a model for the rest, so be sure its exactly the size you want it to be. Make them as big or as small as you want, but make sure they're not too wide/long/short/thin.

Cut some more triangles

Line up that first triangle on your next paper, trace, and cut out. I used 9, but you can make as many or as few as you need.

Line up your triangles and cut a piece of string

make sure every triangle has the side with pencil marks facing UP. leave an inch or two of extra string on each side. line it up just above your row of triangles and tape down the ends so it'll stay put.

Slide the triangles up & tape

this step is really simple but I'm not sure how to word it super well. slide your whole row of triangles up so that they are under the string (pencil marked side up still). make sure it's all even and in the order you want and have less than 1/8 of an inch of paper above the string. tape each triangle to the string. remember, it's the back, so it doesn't have to be pretty.

Hang it up

hang it from the ceiling, a shelf, bedposts, or just tape it straight to the wall like I did. tape the ends to your wall/surface the same way you did on your table/workspace.

Fix any crooked triangles

any corners that are sticking up/out are easily remedied with a loop of tape.

& voila!

happy 4th of july (a little early)!

with love,

Julia

Beach to Beach to Beach

2014-06-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! I haven't been posting for a while because 1, I was finishing up final exams, and 2, I was on a family trip for the past week. It was sort of a goodbye trip for my cousin, Patrick, who's beginning training or something for the army on Monday. Even though we live 2 minutes from the beach, we stayed at a lovely place somewhere between Carlsbad and Oceanside, about two hours away from home. The darling house we stayed in was built in the late 20s, and was just a few meters from the water.

Everything was really laid back and I hardly wore anything other than my swimsuit, except at night when it got cold. I never even curled my hair while I was there, which was a welcome change. It was mostly a private beach, and save for the occasional dolphin or seal, we had the beach all to ourselves. The water was warm and the weather was great and I'm about 5 shades darker than I was before (but the skin on my forehead is now peeling because of a sunburn I got on the last day- ugh!) and it was nice to just relax and not see anyone I know and not have to put on shoes to get to the beach.

on Sunday, we (my cousins, sisters, cousins' friends, and I) bought a queen sized air mattress from Walmart and went surfing with it. The only thing harder than getting on was staying on, and with six full grown people and some pretty big waves, staying on for too long was near impossible. My knees are all scraped up from hitting the sand after being thrown off so many times, and my lungs probably had more salt water than air in them, but it was honestly so much fun. If you look closely in the second picture, you can see the tiny dot of my head before the mattress fell on me.

we made lots of s'mores and watched cute WWII movies, and I read The Help (again) all throughout the week. I french braided my hair most, which was SO much easier than curling and pinning and victory roll-ing it every day. I probably took too many pictures of myself, but oh well. I had too much fun to care.

I have lots of crafts to post about next week, as well as hair tutorials, and I'm gonna get back on a regular posting schedule very soon (hopefully). I hope you're all staying cool and enjoying this summer so far. :)

with love,

Julia

strawberries mean love

2014-06-11T17:06:00.001-07:00

happy wednesday! I know I say this about every new thing that I get, but this is one of my favorite tops. it's got 3/4 sleeves, so it works for warm and cool weather, and the hem ends perfectly for wearing it with high waisted pants or cinched with full skirts. I like the collar a lot because it's just the collar attached to the neck of the sweater, not a whole shirt or a dickie, and it stops it from being too where's waldo-y.

my latest obsession has been granola with strawberries. most people would probably have it with yogurt, but I can't stand the taste/texture of anything gelatinous like that, so I usually add milk and eat it like cereal. the granola is just straight granola, not sweetened or anything (is granola ever sweetened?? I have no clue) and there are so many strawberries this time of year, so it's great.

with love,
Julia

goodbye spring, hello summer

2014-05-31T10:30:00.000-07:00

can you believe it's already the end of may? It feels like christmas was just a few weeks ago! time moves so quickly it's crazy. summer is just around the corner, and that means lots of cold cokes and beach days and low priced summer fruits. Honestly, cheap fruit at the farmers market is one of the best things about summer.
the weather is about to get a lot hotter really soon, so I've been wearing all my cardigans and thick skirts while it's still not to hot to do. (the dress is from goodwill by the way, cardigan from target)
I haven't been great about posting this month, but during these next few months I'll have a lot more free time, and I'll be able to post hopefully almost every day. I know I keep promising that and then not following through, but this time I really mean it. probably.

with love,
Julia

come on boys, let's go to the fair

2014-05-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

every memorial day & labor day weekend, there's a fair in hermosa beach. There's all sorts of booths selling jewelry and clothes and lemonade and other little crafts. saturday was pretty cloudy, but sunday was beautiful and the beach was packed. the mural in that picture of me and my friend has been on the wall of this liquor store for ages, and it's just too cute to not take a picture with.

by the way, here I'm wearing an absolutely fabulous 3 piece suit I found in my grandma's old stuff. the top's a little big and the shorts are missing a button, but I think it's just darling.

there was a little booth doing temporary tattoos for pretty cheap, so we got matching cherries

there was a booth selling cute retro tin signs, and I couldn't resist getting this coca cola girl. my friend got a great one of rosie the riveter.

the weather is too lovely for me to stay inside blogging, so I'm going to bike over to the beach right now, and I hope you're all enjoying your memorial day and staying in the sun.

with love,

Julia

candied grapefruit peels

2014-05-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Grapefruits are probably the best fruit. They're super healthy and not very messy, and on top of that they're practically always in season. But why throw away the peels when you're done? Here's how to make something sweet with just two simple ingredients.

What you need:

one large grapefruit and at least one cup of sugar

Remove the peel

cut the grapefruit TOP TO BOTTOM (rather than through the middle like you would do to eat it normally) and use either a knife or your fingers to ease the fruit out of its skin. try to leave behind most of the white pith, but not so much that you end up with super thin pieces of peel.

Cut the peel into pieces

you can do strips or triangles or whatever shape you want. I did a combination of shapes. I think it'd also be cute to cut them so they look like little grapefruit slices.

Boil twice

fill a saucepan with just enough water to cover the peels, and bring to a boil. drain. repeat the whole process.

Boil with water and sugar

once you've done that last step twice, use the same saucepan to bring the peels, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil. bring it down to a simmer until the peels are translucent.

Drain and move to wire racks

let them cool, then dip each peel in sugar.

Let them cool some more

give the sugar time to crystallize. they should end up stiff and not wet/sticky. I let them sit out over night to ensure that they would dry out. dip them in sugar one more time after about an hour.

Enjoy!

garnish drinks, add to trail mix, dip in chocolate, or just eat the peels plain. store them in a mason jar.

with love,

Julia

happy mother's day!

2014-05-11T16:25:00.003-07:00

I hope you are all spending time with your mothers today and making sure your number 1 woman doesn't have to do any work today. yeah it's cheesy, but we all really do take our mothers for granted. there are so many people who don't have mothers, and so many people who can't be mothers, and I think we should appreciate all that our mothers do for us. I mean, come on, the woman carried me around for nine whole months and sacrifices so much every day. that at least deserves some flowers and brunch once a year. so, here's to Cindy and all the other moms out there!

with love,

Julia

tie it up

2014-05-06T19:29:00.001-07:00

even though I just got it, this is one of my favorite skirts I've ever had. I got it on ebay for like $8, and it's fantastic. It has pockets, like all the best skirts do, and it's got little pinkish red and light brown dots on it (though it's hard to tell because this picture is such bad quality).
ebay has been my obsession lately. there are so many unique things out there, and being able to get them for so cheap (and without leaving my bed) is just great. I got my Rosie poster that's on the wall behind me for $2, and I scored some great vintage clothes. the only downside to ebay is the shipping and losing. sometimes there'll be an amazing dress for a mere $4, but shipping will cost twice that. I lost a bid war on a beautiful vintage 50s hair dryer, one of the salon style ones, and I also didn't get this perfect brown hat with a little veil and a wide black band, which made me sad. but hey, you win some, you lose some.

with love,
Julia

her nose stuck in a book

2014-05-04T15:48:00.001-07:00

one of my new years resolutions was to read more this year, and I'm finally getting around to following through with it. today I read a lot on the grass in my backyard while I was tanning. this weekend has been really hot and I actually went to the beach and stuff yesterday, which was wonderful.

The Help -Kathryn Stockett

I've read this one once or twice before, but it's one of my favorite books and I couldn't resist reading it again. I'm sure you've all heard of it, but it's in the early 60s about some black maids and the white women they work for. It's all full of controversy and references to good music and if you haven't read it, go out and get a copy right now, and watch the movie when you're done (the movie is as good as the book).

Fat Girl -Judith Moore

this is an autobiography, and it's beautifully and brutally honest. I'm still in the first few chapters, but I'm already fascinated by this young girl and her struggle with her weight and self image- which is something everyone can relate to on some level. Judith talks about what it was like to be "the fat girl" at school and everywhere she went, including her home with a cruel, petite mother. It's a very moving story, and though it is short, it's not a quick read.

Go Ask Alice

this is another one I've read before, and it's also one of my favorites. It's the published diary of a young girl, and it deals with all the struggles of being a teenager and being in love, as well as her dark downward spiral in the world of drugs. It's timeless and incredible. I can relate to so much of what she says, and it really puts into perspective how so many people have experienced situations like the anonymous writer has. The title comes from a line in the Jefferson Starship/Airplane song White Rabbit.

Catcher in the Rye -J.D. Salinger

the classic coming of age story of Holden Caulfield and all his many antics. to be completely honest, I don't like it all that much. I mean, it's super well known and I can't go through my life without having read it, and it has a lot of good points, but I'm not a big fan of Holden. he calls everyone a phony, but he's a pretty big phony himself. that said, it is very good writing and an interesting story, but it's hard to read a book when the narrator and main character is so particular.

anyway, that's what I'm reading right now/just finished reading/going to read soon.

with love,

Julia

cat appreciation

2014-05-02T19:42:00.002-07:00

today I realized I don't talk about my cats enough, and they decided it was naptime on my lap today, so I took way too many dumb pictures and here are some of them because they are too cute.

anyway, I've had a really good week, but it's been H O T. all I wanted to do all day was go to the beach and live in the water. hopefully the heat will carry over into the weekend so I can follow through with that. If not, I'll be watching all the Harry Potter movies and drinking gallons of lemonade. (I've never mentioned this before, but I love harry potter almost as much as I love vintage). I hope the weather is great wherever you are, and I hope you all have a lovely weekend. :)

with love,

Julia

rainbow cupcakes recipe

2014-04-29T19:59:00.002-07:00

I actually made these last weekend but I haven't gotten around to posting this until right now. better late than never though, right? This was my first try at rainbow cupcakes, so I sort of learned from my mistakes as I went along.

What you need:

1 box white cake mix
eggs,oil, & water called for on box
4 or more colors of food coloring
4 small bowls
cupcake wrappers

Make cake mix as directed on box

and distribute evenly between the bowls.

Color the batter

add as many drops of one color as you want to one bowl, and mix. use a different color in each bowl.

Add one spoonful of each color to the center of a wrapper

aim for the middle, and try to use the same amount of each color.spread out the color layer if it's off center. use a variety of patterns. (I wish I could rotate that last picture, but blogger has neglected to add that option)

Bake the cupcakes as directed on box

Top with white frosting or icing and enjoy!

I would include the buttercream recipe I used, but it actually turned out horribly gross so I won't let you suffer through that. any other old recipe will do.

with love,

Julia

Accidental Hiatus

2014-04-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't posted anything in almost two weeks. I don't have a great reason, but I'm not going to let it happen again (maybe). My laptop has been acting up lately, which has given me time to get a lot of cleaning done, so it hasn't been all bad.

My curls have taken on sort of a lazy little bo peep vibe, which honestly doesn't bother me. Brushed out, it's more old hollywood-y, but I kinda like how the little ringlets bounce.

I've recently gotten really into buying vintage on ebay. It's as cheap as goodwill, and I don't even have to put on real clothes when I shop. I scored a really darling Betty Boop shirt last week, and there's a black full skirt & a Stray Cats record in the mail right now.

Not a lot has been going on in my life to be honest, just a lot of old movies and new (to me) records.

with love,

Julia

p.s. excuse the selfie- the timer app that I usually use for photos hasn't been working. :)

pink & white

2014-04-16T21:43:00.003-07:00

This isn't a great quality photo and I'm sorry I've been sort of absent for a while. I just kinda have a lot going on in my life and I haven't had a lot of inspiration or ideas for posting stuff. sometimes I get really discouraged, because I aim for 1940s or whatever and end up looking like a 90s toddler. I know, everyone has their off days, but I dunno it's not a great feeling when there're all these rockabilly and vintage goddesses out there, who look 100% everyday, online and in real life.
I've been getting into buying vintage clothes on ebay, which has been surprisingly fruitful. I have a betty boop shirt in the mail right now, and I'm working on a couple dresses for really great prices. I'm hopefully getting a real job soon, so I'm going to be able to buy actual new clothes, which'll be a change from my almost entirely second hand closet. I'm also working on the hair. I need to get it cut shorter soon, to accomodate for better 40s and 50s curls. I still have a tutorial to post for foam rollers soon, so I'll probably maybe get around to that.
This dress is from goodwill (shocker). I got it in like November, but this is the first time I've ever actually worn it. The sweater is from a little thrift store in Idaho, something my grandma picked up.
Hopefully y'all will hear from me soon, but I hope spring is going good and I'd love to hear your Easter plans.

with love,
Julia

jive jive jive

2014-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late, but last night I went with my dad to the Cicada Club in downtown LA, to see the Jive Aces, Satin Dolls, and Toni Prima perform.
(The Jive Aces, by the way, are the UK's number 1 jive & swing band and they're just great)
The club itself was a mens' haberdashery from the 1920s until about 1969, and a lot of the drawers and cabinets from then are still intact. It's a stunning place, and everyone gets all dolled up. and it wasn't just your typical circle skirt and foam plumeria rockabilly look. people really went all out, with immaculate victory rolls and beehives and 20s finger waves. There was a woman who honestly looked like she'd stepped out of It's a Wonderful Life. There was a table of ladies who could have doubled for the cast of The Help in a heartbeat. If it weren't for the cell phones and neon exit signs, I could've sworn we'd jumped in a time machine for the evening and gone back to a party of yesteryear (new favorite word right there).
and the dancing! as soon as the first song started, couples flooded the dance floor- and they were all phenomenal. I still can't do any of those dances to save my life, but it's on the to do list.

by the way, my dress is from modcloth and it's my favorite thing I own. I wear it every chance i get.

here's some pictures from the night:

here's my dad and I in front of our house, built in 1953.

we were guests of this woman, Toni Prima, daughter of Louis Prima (he wrote I Wan'na Be Like You from Jungle Book, among other hits)

(and now you can see why I never smile in pictures- but I'm getting that metal out of my mouth really soon!)

Bing Crosby's grandson, Phil Crosby Jr.. no big deal though, right?

the satin dolls, jive aces, and toni doing their thing

on the left, that's a really really fabulous dancer named Erin who I talked to for a bit, and that fella on the right is the pianist of the jive aces.

anyway, it was all really great and if you're ever in LA, check out who's playing there and make sure you go!

with love,

Julia

DIY spring box decorating

2014-04-10T09:57:00.001-07:00

If you're anything like me, it's near impossible to throw out boxes- from Christmas, birthdays, new shoes, anything really- and there's always things that need a place to go. after months of keeping my rollers in a box that once held a santa snow globe, I've finally decided to make it cuter and suitable for all seasons.
(I meant to post this yesterday, but I ended up doing stuff with my friend. oops)
What you need (coffee optional):

colorful construction paper (the lights washed it out here, but trust me, that's pink)
ruler
pencil
scissors
invisible tape (the purple label, not the wimpy, foggy green label kind)
shot glass (not pictured)
4 paper tulips (about 5.5")
a box that needs redecorating (mine is a square but you can honestly use any kind)

Paper the sides

line up one side of the box with the edge of the paper. try to be as exact as possible. trace it and cut it out.

(this next part was all sort of accidental so bear with me. drop a comment if you're confused)

once you have your side cut out, use your ruler to measure about half an inch or an inch of paper extending from the wider side of what you just cut. cut out this strip and tape it to the side you cut out.

compare this piece to the side of the box. the inside piece is probably going to be a little wider than the inside of the box, so trim a little bit off each side of JUST the inside piece, and tape it in.

make a few little tape rolls and tape on the side piece. don't worry if the edges are a little rough just yet.

repeat this on each side until all four sides of the box are covered. I used just one color, but don't let that stop you from using a different color for each side. your finished product should look something like this:

Add the tulips

a while back, I cut out dozens of these little tulips using one of those big die-cutters. I'm sure that you can get that sort of thing at a craft store or a kindergarten classroom, but an easier and cheaper solution is tracing a cookie cutter to get the shape you want. Or you could draw one/print it out/whatever you can think of.

anyway, you'll need four of some sort of flower, about 5.5" tall.

compare the size of the flower to the size of your box. trim any excess stem.

use this one as a model for the next three flowers.

fold them all in half. be as precise as possible and make sure it creases well.

tape the first on on the first corner. use glue or tape rolls, but just on the stem and half of the rest of the flower for now. tape it on. tape the other half of the flower now.

do this on all four corners.

Tape the edges

this step is important if you ever want your box to last.

cut a piece of tape as long as one side of the box. make sure it's the completely invisible kind, otherwise you'll have a big icky tape spot all around your box. also be sure to cover at least the tip of the flowers it touches, so they don't bend or anything. you can't really see it in the pictures, but I guess that's the point.

do this for all four sides, and also do it along the bottom edges.

Scalloped border inside

when I got to this step, I realized that the lid wouldn't fit over the paper. so I had to improvise something to make the inside prettier. I liked the green that it already had, but if your box doesn't have a great inside color, just paper over it.

using scraps from cutting out the sides, pick the longest side and line up the shot glass (face down) so that it makes the size scallops you want. trace along the ruler lightly, so you have an even line across. for each scallop, try to put the glass exactly next to the one prior.

cut it out. flip it over to hide the pencil marks.

line up the straight edge with the top of the box. figure out how many scallops you will need for each side, and crease where the scallops for one side stop.

tape in just the side that you will be using first.

for my box, I need four scallops per side, so I am short just one for the excess side. figure out how many you'll need and, using the scrap from the first row of scallops, trace and cut out how many you need.

tape it in, as close as possible to the one next to it, and try to make it look like there's no split.

using the scraps from the first row just like you just did, trace and cut out the amount of scallops you need for the next side, four in my case. it's important to line up the papers exactly, so that all scallops on all sides are the same size and height. tape this in and do it again for the last side.

..and voila!

fill it with whatever you want to, and enjoy your snazzy new box. the best part about this is that, since everything is taped on, you can easily remove all the paper to redecorate as you please.

got any questions? let me know in the comments. :)

with love,

Julia

summertime blues

2014-04-08T16:55:00.002-07:00

(This is actually from yesterday but I never got around to posting so don't tell anyone)
I went to the beach for the first time in months and it was great. I didn't get much of a tan, but I finally had a chance to wear my new pink polka dot suit, which I love so much that I got it in black too. I'm going to go to the beach every opportunity I get, if only to show them off. It's hard to tell, but my bandanna has little strawberries all over it and it makes me happy.
I got some fabric flowers and other little crafty things from the 99 cent store, and I'm gonna make some stuff with it tomorrow. stay tunes. I also got some less ratty foam rollers, and I'll be posting a tutorial before the week is up.
have a good day and listen to lots of the Beach Boys.

with love,
Julia

casual sunday

2014-04-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

I've spent my whole weekend knitting and listening to the Wicked, Hairspray, and Avenue Q soundtracks. I love musicals more than anything. I saw Wicked in San Francisco a few years ago, and I saw Avenue Q in New York this summer, and they were both so wonderful I couldn't resist buying the CDs. Book of Mormon is in LA right now and if I don't get to see it soon I might explode a little bit.

I've been wearing shorter skirts lately in a fruitless effort to get less pale. Despite living 5 minutes from the beach, I don't go there enough to be tan. sigh.

I have this next week off, and I've got all sorts of crafts to do everyday. I'll also probably be updating my storenvy with a few new things, so check that out soon.

with love,

Julia

mini strawberry muffins

2014-04-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up hungry and wanting to bake something. Here's a recipe for strawberry donut-y muffin-y somethings.

What you need

(scroll down a bit for glaze ingredients)

1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
12 Strawberries (10 if they're bigger)
2 tbsp strawberry jam

Preheat oven and grease pan

Preheat to 425. Grease a mini cupcake pan with cooking oil or butter. You can use cupcake papers if you want, but I think they look better without.

Puree the strawberries

I used frozen strawberries, but fresh ones will work just as well, if not better. cut each berry into fourths and put them in the blender. you should end up with something like a watery smoothie.

Combine dry ingredients

whisk together, by hand or with an electric mixer.

Add wet ingredients

using a spoon or your fingers, make a little well in the center of the dry ingredients.

pour the milk, butter, maple syrup, and egg in the well. Mix this until you have a sort of sticky, watery dough.

Add the jam and strawberry puree

I put the jam in the bowl of puree and mixed a little first, to make this step easier.

add about half, mix well, then add the other half and finish mixing

you should end up with almost a yogurt consistency. It should be wet, but not too runny

Put the dough/batter in a large bag

I used a normal gallon sized Ziploc, but any sort of freezer bag or pastry bag will do. cut off the tip on one corner, about an inch or two wide.

Fill the pan

squeeze the batter out of the bag and fill almost to the top.

Bake for 9-12 minutes

don't take them out until you can stick in a toothpick and remove it cleanly. When you take them out of the oven, let them cool for a minute and use a fork to take them out.

The Glaze

while the muffins are in the oven, make the glaze.

What you need

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Mix it all together

if it's too watery, add more sugar. likewise, add more milk if it's too thick.

Glaze the muffins

dip the top of each into the glaze and let it dry. then, dip them all again

Enjoy!

These'll keep for about a week, covered in plastic wrap. they're best hot, so heat them up in the microwave.

with love,

Julia

preppy & pink

2014-04-01T19:17:00.002-07:00

I somehow managed to rip the pocket of this sweater after owning it for less than 48 hours. oops. I know, it doesn't match great with the shirt, but I was lazy today. also I need to work on not taking such grainy photos. oh well.

tomorrow, I'm watching Frozen entirely in french, which should be interesting considering I haven't even seen it in english. I've heard that the french version is even better than the english. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

I haven't much else to say, and there's mac and cheese waiting for me in the microwave, so this is goodbye for today.

oh and happy april fools day. I don't have any fun stories to share, but I'd love to hear some (hint...comment below). :)

with love,

Julia

spring wishlist

2014-03-31T22:06:00.001-07:00

some things that i really really need this spring:

goodwill goodies

2014-03-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

yesterday, at all of the goodwills in the south bay, it was two dollar day- all clothes cost just two dollars! my friends and I went to a couple locations and found all sorts of great things, so here they are.

I'm really really happy about this coat. It's a little heavy for wearing at home most of the year, but it'll be great for when i go to San Francisco or if it rains. If I ever find time, I might replace the bulky buttons with little daisy buttons from the craft store.

This skirt makes me think of the opening scene in Hairspray, when she sings Good Morning Baltimore. I have yet to find a cardigan to match the pink stripes on it. (I don't know why I look so upset in this picture)

I am completely in love with this um- actually I'm not sure what to call it. It's too light and thin to be a coat, but it'll be great for windy days and picnics. The picture's a little blurry, but its a really cute red gingham pattern.

This bag is the only thing I paid "full" price for. It wasn't part of the sale, but it was too perfect to pass up. (it was still only $6 anyway) I love everything strawberry patterned and I think this is just darling.

This one's a little questionable. I love the yellow gingham and lace trim, but it looks a little nightgown-y. Maybe eventually I'll find some time to cut off the top and sew the bottom half into a skirt.

I have been looking for cute overalls for ages, but they've all been too 90s and sloppy for my taste. I love these because they're not formfitting and not too short or baggy.The lights washed this out a bit, but they're adorable light green gingham (sensing the gingham theme here?)

This is more of a sleeping shirt, but I think it's really cute. It says "fast repairs and fast cars" if you can't tell.

I like this sweater a lot. It doesn't really match the dress, but I was too lazy to change. :)

I also found some great tapes-

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (one of my all time favorites), American Pie, Blazing Saddles, National Lampoon's Animal House, and Part II of Titanic (I've have Part I for ages but never had this half).

All of this, plus floral dress for my friend, for a whopping $26.94. I'll won't be able to shop at a regular store ever again.

with love,

Julia