Hey guys! Happy hump day, everyone. How’s this week been treatin’ you so far?

Yesterday was supposed to be a get-things-done/chore/errand day/whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it day, but I ended up going to Buffalo Exchange with my mom (and coming home with a few goodies, yes!).

Needless to say, today has turned into let’s-get-things-done day instead. This morning I am scanning in some Polaroids from a photo shoot I did with a lovely doe-eyed lady named Alexzandria. Honestly, that girl is so sweet and crazy talented (and she has a sister too that I photographed earlier in the week!!) and I had the best time EVER photographing her. If you’re reading this, Alexzandria, I’m going to shoot again with you real soon:) But I’ll save the rest of my rhetoric for when I actually edit and blog the pictures.

I also have an exciting ’60s themed shoot (this shoot, specifically) that came out in Ballad Of Magazine I’ll share with you soon (hopefully by the end of the week when the magazine arrives at my doorstep and I get to see my shoot in the flesh!).

After running the SF Half Marathon, I’m debaatttinnggg signing up for the Nike Women’s Marathon (half marathon, though, not the full!). Mainly because all finishers get a Tiffany & Co. finisher’s necklace, hehe. I’ll give it a few days, though, and see if I’m still keen on running it. Have any of you folks run/know people who’ve run it before?

Other than that, I’ve been practicing the piano more. Right now I’m teaching myself Michelle by The Beatles.

Anyway, that’s about all I’ve been up to. Last week was pretty hectic and busy, and I’m glad this week is somewhat calm.

What have y’alls been up to?

xo – Micaela

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A few of you who have seen my updates on Twitter and Instagram have asked me about the marathon. Sooo about the marathon: the San Francisco Marathon is divided into two halves. You can either choose to run the full marathon, the first half, or the second half. Last year, my family and I ran the second half and this year, we all ran the first half. So you could say we ran the entire marathon course over a span of two years:)

This was my seventh half marathon and I PR’ed by six seconds: 1:38:15, which translates to 7:30 minute mile pace (I got 1:38:21 last year) and I placed 1st in my age division and 13th overall out of all the women.

I was probably the most dressed up out of everyone at the expo hehe (which kind of stunk because the people working there definitely knew I was the same person when I came back to the various sample booths for seconds; yes Larabar, I’m lookin’ at you…).

I really love this dress for the v-neck back it has (is that even a real word to describe it? anyway…). It’s one of those dresses that looks better when you wear it than on the hanger (it looks kind of boring on the hanger). Mom and I took these pictures while we were waiting for the bus to transport us to the expo. It was funny, we were right outside of an office building and a whole bunch of people were taking smoking breaks outside. They certainly got a show, watching me take outfit pictures!

dress: ark & co, cardigan sweater: j. crew, loafers: vintage cole hann, necklace: tiffany & co

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Here’s a bit about what Sophie does:

As the Creative Merchandising Director at Free People, my job is to work on all aspects of merchandising the Free People brand, bringing the product together in the most
inspirational and brand appropriate way. From product featured in our catalogs to store trend concepts, styling inspiration, emails, and creating strong website imagery, merchandising means collaborating with everyone! We support each other and are passionate about the end product, whether it’s a new jacket lining, an idea for an email, the new color of a best-selling t-shirt, or a glamorous catalog shoot with a famous model – every aspect of my job inspires me to be here, loving what I do, each and every day.

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Hellooo dream job alert, right??

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Do you have questions for Sophie to answer about Free People, her personal life, etc.? Now it’s YOUR turn! Send them all over (don’t worry; they’ll all be completely anonymous) for Sophie to answer at careerday@drifterandthegypsy.com by Friday, June 21st. Sophie will be here next Tuesday, June 24th to answer your questions and talk more about her work and her life!

Psst if you’re new to Career Day, pop over here to view the archives and learn just how this feature works!

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Oh my wardrobe! I wish it could be orderly, but it is not. Let’s be honest, I am the rather messy one. Do you remember when I told you about my desk and the “creative mess”? The same is with my wardrobe. I don’t know how it happens, but I can clean my wardrobe and organize everything, but the order disappears after a few days *sigh*.

Maybe I have too any clothes…? Hmmm, I don’t think so;) How about you and your wardrobe? Is it chaotic or ordered? - Asia

this or that is a weekly column brought to you every monday by asia pietrzyk.  to view the archives, click here.

Annnddd as always, you can find my response in the comments section of this post – Micaela

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There are many tutorials out there on traditional shibori dyeing (my favorite is this one), but surprisingly few on the stitch resist technique, a branch of shibori that, while time consuming, can be pretty simple to master. Stitch resist can be as complicated as the dyer wishes it to be, ranging from simple shapes to intricate patterns.

Today I’m sharing an introduction to stitch resist: how to stitch and dye a shape onto your fabric.

What you need: natural fabric such as cotton muslin or linen (I used a 12 inch square of linen), an embroidery needle, crochet thread or embroidery floss (any thread that is thicker than normal sewing thread – the thicker the thread the thicker the pattern), seam ripper, and your dye. This project works with nearly any kind of immersion dye but I highly recommend using indigo, specifically this indigo dye kit as it’s inexpensive and easy to use.

Keep an open mind with this project. You can stitch resist nearly anything… a pillow case, tote bag, dress, you name it. If you decide to dye a square of fabric, make sure to finish the edges by serging them or cutting them with pinking shears to prevent too much fraying in the wash.

To begin, outline your chosen shape onto the fabric using a pencil or fabric chalk. I chose a simple floral scene and the outline of a house (which I’m giving to a friend as a first-time homeowner housewarming gift). Another great idea is an animal – your dog or cat, or even this adorable rabbit via Folk Fibers – just look up simple images on Google and copy them onto your fabric.

Then, loop your thread through the eye of your embroidery needle and double it up, knotting at the end. Slip the needle through the fabric and straight stitch around your shape with even stitches, making sure to never overlap (you will need to pull the thread and gather it at the end, and stitching over another stitch will prevent successful gathering).

Once your stitches are done, leave a long chain of thread at the end. It’s time to gently pull the thread, gathering your shape evenly and tightly in the process. Once the thread is gathered tightly, knot it in place.

Now dye your fabric! Once it’s been completely submerged in the dye (and oxidized, in the case of indigo), rinse your fabric well. Gently pick out your stitches using a seam ripper. Pull out the thread – you should have a white outline of a shape on color-saturated fabric!

Wash according to your dye instructions. All finished!

There are many stitch resist techniques out there – feel free to experiment with all sorts of patterns and styles. And have fun!

Lauren (DIY Sew Contributor)

click here for more diy sew!

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A few months ago, I shot these Polaroids (and a few film photos) with my friend Emma in her backyard. Half the roll of film ended up having imperfections, but that’s alright because I guess that’s what makes each Polaroid unique.

apricot high waist lace mesh yoke dress and white long sleeve elastic waist rhinestone lace dress c/o sheinside

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Last week I visited Portland again and was so surprised that the entire city is flocked with roses all throughout the city! I mean, it should have been obvious, it is called “The City of Roses”. I think I gasped in wonder every time we’d go round a bend and I would be greeted by dozens of rose bushes lining the streets. And not just roses, but so many flowers of every kind cover the lawns of practically every home we drove by. Does everyone garden in Portland? Do they all have the greenest thumbs?

It didn’t rain a drop during this visit and so every day I was pleased to wear breezy skirts, sandals, and a hat to shade my eyes from the sunshine. Oh yes, the sun does shine in Oregon!  - Rodellee

(all links to the clothing can be found here)

imaginary outfits is a weekly column curated by rodellee. for more imaginary outfits click on over here!

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Ania Wawrzkowicz makes some pretty nifty art. The neat freak in me is going CRAZY over her minimalistic, clean still lifes. I may or may not want to color coordinate everything I own now…

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I am head over heels in love with this fashion series by Richard Ramirez Jr. I’m usually not crazy about double exposures, but I think they work so well with the mood of these images. And the washed out hues are amazing, as is pretty much everything else about this series.

There’s such a lovely, floating feeling about them… like in between dream and awake. They kinda make you want to just laze around in the California sunshine and sing Sitting on the Dock of the Bay (even though, okay, yes, that song is mainly about Georgia and the south, but still, you get my drift).

styling by emma cherry
hair by marissa spokes
makeup by susan zeytuntsyan
model is ash fisher

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That’s a serious one isn’t? I decided to be very honest with myself and answer this question. I would like to be as much of an eco enthusiast as possible, but sometimes I am nothing but ignorant. It does not mean that I don’t care, but there’s a lot of stuff I buy that isn’t too eco-friendly. I think that I use too much paper too (well, look at last week’s This or That). On the other hand, I never use plastic bags, don’t drive a car (although I miss my old one ahh) and always buy organic ruccola. I think I am not sooo bad, but I could be better, I know.

How about you? - Asia (This or That contributor)

this or that is a weekly column brought to you every monday by asia pietrzyk.  to view the archives, click here. and view my response to this question in the comments section of this post!

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