Mad Maverick

She opened her eyes, and green

They shone, clear like flowers undone

For the first time, now for the first time seen. 

      D.H. Lawrence- Green 

                         Boy, was it ever hot and humid today! All these layers were most

unnecessary, but after getting dressed I was steadfast in wearing

this outfit (such a lousy idea). So, due to my stubbornness, I sweated

profusely all day. Now that I've painted you a pretty picture of my day...

Lately I've been seeing people rock vests with dresses and I really

like the look of it. My pining has put me in a conundrum however, for

I don't own any vests and I have yet to come across one that suits my

desires. Hah, that's the trouble with thrifting sometimes (or always);

it's a lot of searching and hunting, often through junk, to find the gold.

Then again, that is half the fun. So until I come across a vest that suits

my desires I'll have to make due with what I've got. I rummaged

through my closet and found this; I think it suffices, for now.

I'm excited to show off my latest DIY jewelry project: the leaf bracelet.

Being the hoarder that I am (I prefer to say landfill reducer) I have

a bunch of unwanted jewelry just sitting in my craft box, including

these large leaf tiered earrings. I'm big into studs and had no use for

these, so I took them apart and one of the things I created was this 

bracelet. The leaf only had a hole in one end of it so I had to create a

hole in the other end. I have jewelry bits lying around so I created a

band a finished it off with a lobster claw. I think this has to be, by far, 

my favourite DIY jewelry project to date, I mean you probably

thought the DIY project was the beaded bracelets, nuh-uh! (Yes, I

proudly patted myself on the back after this one)

Outfit

Dress: Thrifted

Bag: H&M

Sweater: Thrifted

Belt: Thrifted

Leaf Bracelet: DIY

Necklaces: Thrifted

Hat: Thrifted

Garnish with Grit

Our laughter falls sparkling 
As the mauve raindrops bright
When they fall through the light
With the briefest delight. 
      Edith Sitwll, The Mauve Summer Rain 

Confidence is a funny thing, isn't it? I absolutely adore this hat; I love

the deep brown colour, the cute bow, the floppiness of it...everything. 

Yet it only gets worn on days I feel comfortable and self-assured (and

when Paul has the day off). What's with that?! I've heard before that

confidence is the best accessory; I'd have to agree with that one. So I

put on some confidence today and wore that beloved hat of mine!

There's just something about a hat that spices up an ensemble, 

wouldn't you agree? Paul and I spent the afternoon sipping ice cold

beverages with friends on a patio under the sun, and I thought this

floppy hat fitted the scene perfectly.  The two of us have been cramming

our schedules with as much friend-time as possible before pursuing this

uprooting move. I'm nervous about that aspect of the move; my ability,

or inability, to make new friends. It's not the same as when I was five,

the age where one could simply walk to the nearest park and join in on

the game of Sand-Man being played. Oh, moving can be daunting can't it?

This outfit to me screams "Autumn!" Although, if it were truly Autumn 

I wouldn't be wearing a t-shirt, flats, and no tights, it would be way 

too chilly for that, I do live in Canada after all. But the colours are 

reminiscent of my favourite season. Do you do that as well? I always 

forget, in my anticipation for the next season, to just live in the moment.

I think it would be quite the shock for me to move to a place in the world 

that doesn't have such defined, distinctive seasons. 

Outfit

Skirt: Thrifted

Top: Thrifted (dress worn as a top)

Bag: Thrifted

Moccasins: Moccasins Canada 

Belt: Thrifted

Hat: Thrifted

Feather Pendent: DIY

Charm Bracelet: Thrifted/DIY

Necklace: c/o Chicwish via Chictopia

DIY SKIRT

       I know I've sung this song before, but I just hate it when something is put away, 
collecting dust. I live downtown as well, which means next to no
closet space (things are fighting for hangers). This poncho was tucked away, ignored. I

was thrilled to find it at a second-hand store, only $3 and such a vibrant print, I couldn't

   say no! However, I've worn it a total of ZERO times. I was nervous doing this project,

 I so very much wanted it to work out and not ruin the fabric. I'm no master at this, 

  and you'd probably be better off following instructions from someone more experienced 

than I, but it shows how almost anything can be revamped to suit your desires! 
(And that even a novice like me can manage a bit of sewing)

1. Materials: Scissors, thread and needle, measuring tape, fabric, safety pins and an elastic waistband.
2. Next I cut the poncho in half. Now I have the front and back of my skirt. 
3. At this point I just played with the material, figuring out what style I wanted and measuring it to my needs. Once I did this I pinned it in place. 
4. A rough idea as to what the finished product will look like. 

1. Sew the fabric to the waistband (the bottom). I bunched mine up a little because I like the look of it and it allows for better stretching when I put it on. 
2. Sew the sides of the skirt. I do everything by hand. It would be much easier, and I'm sure more precise, but I have yet to get the hang of my machine. Repeatedly throughout this project I would put on the skirt to make sure the measurements were correct (pins are your best friend). 
3. Almost done! Well done if I didn't want it to be shorter. 
4. I wanted the skirt to be a tad shorter, especially since the ends reminded me of a throw blanket. I folded where I wanted to the hemline to be and then ironed it (this keeps it in place when sewing, a HUGE help).