This year I have been paying much more attention to the seasons, and the signs of spring have driven me to the garden at every spare moment. Here are is a little peek at the beginnings of my garden:
What seeds have you been sewing for spring?
xoxo brittany
I’ve been holding back on doing a post on the way I eat…because when I say the word that labels people who eat this way, many of you will instantly walk away from your computer. I think Mrs. Priss does a great job of explaining why she chose to be vegan, and her feelings about it. She explains it far better than I could, and I strongly agree with her points.
So don’t freak out. As Ann Gentry says in her book, Vegan Family Meals, “A standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich is vegan.” Most people have vegan sides or even main courses without even noticing it! It’s really not as crazy as it seems…
I’ve been an off-and-on vegetarian from the time I was 7. When I went to college, I was a pretty strict vegetarian, and then I met a boy. He was from the south, and insisted I eat all kinds of southern meaty delights (biscuits and gravy, Waffle House, etc). I completely let go of the eating habits that I had clung so tightly to. When he dumped me, I decided that I wanted to do something for myself, and I had been wanting to go vegan for a while. A friend of mine had been telling me about all the health and environmental benefits, so a week after my break up with the silly southern boy, I threw out my milk and gave the remaining eggs in the fridge to my roommate. Within a week I felt better, and since I went vegan I look the best I ever have. I have tons of energy, and I am more sensitive to how foods make my body feel.
I love being vegan, and I don’t hold myself to ridiculous standards. If I’m feeling like sushi, I’ll have a piece of fish and won’t beat myself up about it. And a few times a year, I like a good eggs benedict – I’ve even mastered Julia Child’s hollandaise, emergency cold water bath and all.
When I first met James, he was really interested in my eating habits. On a whim, he decided to try out veganism. I wasn’t even with him; he was traveling through Canada alone. He loved the way he felt, and he’s been vegan ever since.
When people ask me about my dietary choices, I always say that the most important part of eating is listening to your body. I lead a pretty active lifestyle: I do Bikram Yoga at least 4 times a week, and I like to go for a good long run once or twice a week if I can. So I need plenty of good foods to fuel my lifestyle. For me, it’s easier to be so active if I don’t have a belly full of cheese and milk, but that’s just me. No two bodies are exactly the same, and like plants, we all have different nutrient requirements. I’ve been vegan for 6 years now, and like I said, I feel the best.
I took a good week off from the blogosphere; I didn’t plan it, but it was a nice break and change of pace.
This past week, I’ve been getting down to the nitty-gritty of our little wedding, and I’ve had so much fun! I’ve been crafting, ordering goodies off of etsy, gardening and making to-do lists. I can’t wait for all the little details to come together, and to see all our friends and family enjoying this day that James and I are both working so hard for.
Our various to-do lists are too long to speak of, but our recent purchase has made everything better! Meet our new 1992 Ford F250XLT truck! Oh, it’s dreamy!
I’ve wanted a truck for such a long time; and this one is just perfect. It’s big. I mean, HUGE! Last Saturday, James and I drove out to San Francisco to look at the truck, and we were so flustered we didn’t really compare it to the trucks around. It just looked like a truck (such ametures!), until we pulled it into our own driveway and saw it dwarfed our neighbor’s sizeable vehicle.
Do you like my addition of the sexy reading ladies?
The truck is definitely harder to maneuver than our stationwagon, and I’m not going to lie: it’s intimidating to drive. But it’s thrilling, and I’m getting used to it. The best part: without any conversion it can run on waste vegetable oil! Oh dream veggie truck, I love you!
I’d love to share more with you about using veggie oil and biodiesel! Keep you eyes peeled for a guest post from my sweet fiance.
Where has this past week taken you?
xoxo brittany
It’s story time…
Last January (2011), I was still the buyer for a local bookstore, and went to a gift trade show with my mama to scout out some spring goodies. We came across a booth called DandyLion Press, where a woman was selling her lovely letterpress cards. She had many beautiful, strange and funny pictures of rabbits, and I chose my favorites to get in for the bookshop. There was so much stimulation at the show that within a few weeks, I completely forgot about ordering the cards.
For my birthday in Feb, James had said he would get me a bunny (joy!) so I made haste to the local petshop where I had seen dwarf bunnies before. There were none. I asked the store owner, and she was very reluctant to take my number. It took me months of continually calling her to ‘prove’ that I really wanted a rabbit. When she finally consented, she wouldn’t even let me choose the bunny! She went to the rabbit breeders house and gave me the choices of ‘boy or girl’ and ‘white or spots.’ I chose girl with spots, and rushed straight to the petshop after work to find my sweet girl waiting for me. A few weeks later, the cards from Dandylion arrived at work. I was completely shocked to see that I had unknowingly ordered a card that looked exactly like Emily!
James found a frame at the flea market for 50 cents, so it now sits proudly on our wall. When people visit us, they always think that the picture is actually of Emily. Nope, total coincidence.
Happy Sunday!
I love vintage mugs and teacups. Even before I thrifted, I used to love looking at all the different new mugs in kitchen stores. I remember telling my mom that I wanted to open a coffee shop where all the mugs were unique; my mom’s reply was that it would be very strange and hard to regulate serving size. Millions of years later, I still think it’s a good idea, and it would be even better with thrifted mugs!
I’m wont to chain-drink tea, so I put my cups to good use. But I have so many that James limited the amount allowed in the kitchen: only the ones that fit in the cupboard. Fair enough. So I’ve had to be creative with my uses:
Mugs and teacups are great for holding little odds and ends: I use this one for my sewing utensils. I like to fill the cup with rice – it holds everything in place and the sharp ends don’t scrape on the bottom. This is especially helpful for my seamripper, but it works nicely with pencil/pen cups aswell.
I really want to get some fancy coloured rice, but for some reason I always return from the market and realize I’ve forgotten it again. Maybe this week, haha.
Do you have any little organization tricks?
I’m very drawn to coloured glass, and this past week I found two beautiful amber glass hanging baskets. The glass is shaped like a flower, and they are perfect for holding little odds and ends. I got the set for a cool $3 at the Thrift Center.
For my little house, two hanging baskets is a bit impractical, so I used my needle-nose pliers to transform them. Here’s what I did:
1. First, I noted where the jumbo jump-rings were. If your baskets are attached with only chain, use the chain links closest to these points.
2. Choose which basket will be the bottom basket. Hold up it’s center jump ring and shake out any kinks in the chain.
3. Using needle nose pliers, open up that center jump ring, take it off, and save it for another project.
4. Then lay out your loose chain on the table. Grab the top basket and place it inside the bottom basket. Line up the jump rings on the top basket with the laid out chain on the bottom basket.
5. Working with one at a time, open the jump ring along the side of the top basket, slip on the streched-out chain from the bottom basket, and re-close the jump ring. Make sure the chain from the top basket remains on the inside, and the chain you are adding from the bottom is on the outside of the baskets.
Voila!
They looked so pretty outside that it broke my heart to take them down after this photo shoot. Now they’re in my craft room, holding my measuring tapes and tailors chalk. They add a twinkle of vintage to my sewing corner, and inspire me to continue the reorganization/decoration of my little studio at home.
I can’t seem to get it together; our little snowboarding trip still has my head in the clouds. In all the excitement, I forgot to share the good news! I’m in my first shop: Mag-Big in Portland, Oregon.
When James and I first met, we moved to Portland together and lived in the North West for a year. I visited Mag-Big, but never dreamed of being featured in their beautiful shop. It’s full of goodies from local Portland Artists, and it is hard to enter without immediately seeing 10 things that you want. Mag-Big also focuses on designers and artists that re-purpose and upcycle.
If you are near Portland, you can stop by and see my skirts and dresses. Every item is completely unique, so the dresses in Mag-Big aren’t available anywhere else. But I do promise to post some new lace in my etsy shop soon.
xo brittany
Photos courtesy of Mag-Big.
I want to take this Sunday Bunday to spread a little rabbit awareness.
In spring, many people want to take home a cute little fluffy bunny to call their own. Baby bunnies are often shy and don’t mind being held. But when the bunny grows older, and becomes accustomed to it’s surroundings, it begins to exhibit different behaviors. Among my favorites are bunny licks, races, binkys, and the determination to fit through small spaces. But there are also some undesirable habits that begin to show up. They begin to chew.on.everything. Cords, carpets, moulding, doors, guitars, everything. Sometimes Emily sprays me with pee (as an act of love), bites through my computer cord, or pees several times on the couch.
(Above: Emily sleeping. Look at the job she did on our coffee table!)
When going to the pet shop, most people don’t take these behaviours into consideration. Often, they get frustrated and ‘release the (domestic) bunny into the wild.’ Wild rabbits live in family units in burrows, so a domestic rabbit is especially ill-equipped. These bunnies fall prey to cats, dogs, cars, disease, starvation….
Bunnies need love and attention, and are a 10-12 year commitment. I can’t express to you the importance of Emily’s presence in my life. I love her and she is truly my companion. I have the luxury of having lots of time to spend with her, and to me all of the downsides are completely worth it. She is the perfect pet for me, but bunnies aren’t perfect for everyone. So this spring, won’t you spread a little bunny awareness love? That way all those sweet new rabbit owners out there will have made an informed decision.
As usual, I’ve been pretty lucky at the thrift store. Look at these pretties…
Two lovely new scarves for $1.50 a piece, I just love that funky looking moose.
The floral pot is perfect for our mini compost. I keep it by the sink, and fill it up with all of our cooking scraps, then empty it into the outdoor compost. The lid has a small hole, which lets air in but keeps in all the odors.
These two linen fabrics are dreamy, and I’ve already began to cut a dress out of the striped fabric.
And lastly…
I got this cock! I collect these ceramic animal heads, and use them to display my jewelry in our bedroom. To me they are the perfect mix of vintage, quirky and creepy. I have a few different birds, but this is my first rooster. I’ll have to show you my collection some time…
What do you collect?
When I sew, I try to think like a wise hunter: use every bit of the beast. I use or save every little bit of the garmet/fabric I’m working with so I’m left with as little waste as possible. Lately, I’ve been working on whittling down my scrap collection, and this is my newest masterpiece. I made it out of bits of leftover curtain and a pillowcase, with padding that’s made from plastic bottles.
It passed the test yesterday when my water bottle started leaking in my purse. The cover absorbed the water, and kept my little phone dry as a bone.
What do you do with your scraps?