I'm practically famous

Angela over at My Year Without Spending has certainly been an inspiration to me. I would tell you her whole story, but she does it better. She has a fun and informative blog about her journey to living more lightly on this earth. And she doesn't do it with finger pointing or preaching. She just shows the ways that she is striving to be less of a consumer and more of a conscious participant in this crazy life. She has great ideas for baby steps, things that anyone can do to make a difference. I encourage you to check out her blog and start being inspired yourself.

Oh, and (brace yourself for the shameless plug) I just happen to be featured on her blog today. She does a segment called Thrifty Threads where people send in pictures of outfits they have thrifted or re-purposed instead of buying new. She said some super sweet things about me and I will now give her a plug to my audience. Don't freak out, Angela...you might get 3 WHOLE NEW READERS!

Be the best you can be!

What have you been reading my dear?

I have been reading a lot over the past few months. Mostly stuff in the vein of voluntary simplicity.

Thought I would share what I have been reading over the next few blogs and give you mini reviews.

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin



This book is kind of must read amongst voluntary simplicity types. It really discusses our relationship with money and trying to change those ingrained perceptions so that we stop looking at money as the currency of our life and instead begin to think of the things we do for money and the stuff we spend money on as spending the hours of our life. When you put it that way, is that pair of shoes worth one hour of my life I can't get back? Depends on how much you like shoes. I liked the book, but I was overwhelmed by many of the 9 steps outlined in the process that leads you to ultimate financial freedom. That is the goal of the book. To gradually and with a great deal of discipline, get yourself to a point where you have parlayed savings into enough investment income to live off of. Thereby freeing up your time to pursue things that are truly important to you. I think I would like to be this person, but I am not ready to tackle the mountain yet.
I recommend it!

The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard




You will never look at another purchase the same way again (past or present) after you read this book. It is truly eye opening. The fact is, we rarely think of the processes involved in the raw materials that make up our everyday purchases. Nor do we think of what happens to those items when they leave our hands.
I am forever changed by reading this book.

Living Simply with Children by Marie Sherlock



This is a lovely book to help motivate you to take a more simple route in the raising of your kids. I needed this motivation to start taking control of the craziness in our lives. A good read.

More books to come later...

This week I made the girls some dresses for school picture day. Lu was home sick one day and I used the day off from work to be creative. I made these dresses from a prairie skirt I bought at a thrift store. The skirt wasn't my style, but it spoke to me. And then it didn't. It took me forever to figure out what to do with it. I think it made two precious dresses.

But the models are really what makes the clothes!

Some things stay and some things go

I have been on a sewing kick lately and it has been great. Unfortunately, this means I don't have time for the baking frenzy. I am trying to come to terms with the fact that a person who works full time and commutes 2 hours each day, who has two kids and a house and is active in her church just can't do everything. I get to pick one hobby/obsession at a time. I would prefer to bake all of our bread and snacks, and I can do that, but then there is no time to create other things. So I will have to trade in and out to balance all my domestic desires and my need to be artistic in other ways.

This weekend I accomplished sewing a dress that is entirely hand stitched. I used a robe I bought at a thrift store. I am pretty proud of myself because I didn't even have a pattern. I don't know that I love the dress. It is snug across the behind and that makes me feel a bit immodest (and creates a dirth of problems finding the appropriate underpinnings).

(please excuse the way I look. I don't know why I always take these pictures when I look so blah)

I will wear it on a day when I don't feel the need to be particularly appropriate or impressive and see if I grow to like it better by the end of the day. In any case, I am sure I will at least wear it about the house. I have been doing more handsewing lately and it is very satisfying. Plus I can do it in bed or in the kid's room or the living room. When I sew on my machine, I am tied to the spot and usually with one kid stuck to either side while they stare and insist (despite my pleas) on helping by jabbing hands dangerously close to the machine-gun fast needle.

I also made Zelda a dress.

She has been asking me to make her something. I had a dress I bought at the same time as the robe. I used part of it turned inside out to make the trimming for the neck and sleeve of my dress. What was left over was still an adult sized dress, but I was able to size it down for Zelda and add some of her design ideas...like the Z.

And just for the heck of it, here is a pic of my adorable family.

Make sure you shine your light wherever you go!

What's been doin in my world

The past two weeks have been full. I was going to say busy, but that is not really correct. I was in the process for getting ready for a staycation with visitors and then staycating. It was really nice. My parents came in for a week.

Here are the rents at the park.

I think it is hilarious that Glen is swinging with my doggie.

Here is a better picture of the rents.

Here is a picture of my mom trying to pick a smore. It was her first one ever. Glad to have been a part of that because smores are the bomb diggity.

Here is a picture of a dress redo I just completed.

It was one of those Mrs. Roper kind of mumus. I took the grey part off of the big gathered sleeves and hemmed the rest under to make more of a flutter sleeve. The only other thing I did was make a belt from one of the Hubz’s old shirts. I used the leftovers from the sleeves to make the flower on the belt. I LOVE this dress. It makes me feel all Anthropologie-ish.

Here is a sample of Miss Z’s artsy and sometimes mildly disturbing photography. She loves to steal the camera and it is cool to find her little surprises. The Hubz thinks we should save all of them and make a coffe table photo book when we have a good sized collection. I agree.

I am in a really creative and motivated phase right now. I am obsessed with reading and making and I kind of like it a lot.

I’m ready for fall, are you?

I have not forgotten my peeps

All maybe four of you? I have been on vacation, but I will be back this week. PROMISE.