For the Style Hungry

One of my favorite things about New York is the fashion. It's not hard to find, in fact I am most inspired by people I see on the street. I love how even a simple top, lets say from the GAP can look completely different from one person to the next just by what it is paired with. This to me is what fashion & style is, personal expression.

Lucky for me, there are now many other ways for me to be inspired besides walking through the East Village. My friend Nick introduced me to facehunter. It's a lot like the Sartoralist, but a bit more eccentric, Europeans tend to take fashion a bit further than we have the courage to. But it is very inspiring and very addicting. And there are many many other links that will take you through the styles of almost anywhere in the world. I could easily waste a lot of time browsing and browsing, but I am up to my ears in boxes, and still have lots to do. So for now, until I have something interesting to report or say, enjoy some of my favorite looks from facehunter.

Marking the last

And this, I'm happy about. I love sewing, I love making new clothes, but what I don't love is my working space. I won't miss sitting on a bar stool, sewing on a 12' inch wide counter, packing up each time I want to make lunch or dinner, cutting fabric on the floor, accidentally turning on my cook-top when I set down my scissors, ironing in the middle of the kitchen, and finding thread in my food. 

I had Tom take these photos so I can always keep things in perspective. I can't wait for my own work space. A must have in our hunt for a new house.

And I had to get one more easy project in before I boxed her up. My friend Amy gave me some of her gauzy plaid fabric that I had been drooling over for weeks, and I couldn't wait to make something out of it, even amidst the boxes and mess. Luckily BBW's pattern #3835 is a snap. It's simple base provides so many options for different and unique tops, tunics, and dresses. It's my favorite of her patterns, and it only took me a couple of hours.

The lightweight loose style and fabric

of the shirt will be great for summer and layered with a light cardigan, perfect for spring.

Chewy & Delicious

Up until I got married and had Luke, February was sort of always a dreary month for me. I don't mind January so much. I can usually hold onto the coat tails of the holidays, still enjoying my presents, wishing people happy new year, and holding fast to my resolutions, but then February comes. The weather turns for the worse, it's cold, dark, snowy, and for me, miserable. I think that's why Valentines is stuck in the middle of February, no one likes it, and some cheering up, at least for some is needed.

And what is the best part of Valentines day? The candy of course. Going to the drug store takes on a whole new meaning for me. I head straight for the red aisle just to get a fix, and really all I need to do is look at it and I get happy. There is something about red candy that turns a smile to my lips, a similar reaction my husband gets to chocolate. I like that we don't agree on candy, I could pass an entire box of Jacques Torres chocolate for a bag of 99 cent red gummi hearts. I try to keep a bowl of them around through the time I see them first appear on the shelves until they are in the 1/2 off bin.

I think Sarah introduced Vanilla Creme Peeps to me several years ago. I really don't like peeps but the Valentine Vanilla Creme is very satisfying. And the a bag full of red and pink jelly beans? heaven.

I will be consuming a lot of red candy on the plane ride from New York.

Woes

Not much has been going on around here. I don't have anything interesting to report or say, and lately I seemed to be consumed only by the fact we are leaving in two weeks. The boxes are piling up, my apartment is slowly losing our stamp, and every night I seem to sob uncontrollably. I know things won't be so bad when once we get into the swing of things, but the leaving thing, I just don't think I can do it. I keep imagining myself on the plane as it flies above Brooklyn, straining my eyes through the tears just so I can get one last look at the city. It's torture, and I really need to stop.

There are many things that I am looking forward to though. Our refrigerator broke a month ago and for the last month we have only been able to buy enough food to keep in this cooler.  Unfortunately we have to replace the fridge before we leave, and believe me there are many other things I would prefer to spend that money on, especially since we won't be there to enjoy it.

But in reality, what we did have wasn't much bigger. An under the counter fridge seemed like a great idea for the space, but the icebox that only holds a couple of pint size Ben & Jerry's will not be missed.

And of course a nursery, or at this point a bedroom for Luke. I do admit I love waking up to his smile every morning, but being able to read a book in bed, or not having to tiptoe to bed in the dark will be oh so nice.   And just a place, not in the living room, for all of his toys.  We kept his toys to a minimum, until this Christmas. They all fit too nicely inside the cabinet, so nicely that I never wanted to take them out. It takes at least 15 minutes to carefully arrange them just to shut the door. But now, his Christmas is still all over the living room floor. And my only solution is a moving box.

And a parking spot. It has been so nice to have a car here, to not feel trapped in the city, but a driveway, or even a garage, life would be so much easier. I have become quite a pro at parallel parking, but that's not the worst part about it. The street sweeping 4x's a week. I have to move my car four different times just so the city can attempt to keep the streets tidy. And then trying to find a spot, or double parking for the hour and a half, only to move it back. And driving home at night, circling around and around for a half an hour just to find a spot four blocks away. Oh the things everyone takes for granted.

And honorable mentions. The tiny tiny bathroom with the tiny cabinet that everything falls out of every time I open it. The three cupboards I have for all of my food,dishes, bowls, etc. I can't wait to shop at Costco and be able to buy something that I can have room for longer than a week.  A table. Something  we can sit at for dinner that doesn't face the wall. A place for my sewing machine that isn't on the same 12 inch wide counter I eat at. My machine needs a weekly clean from the my nightly food splatters. A closet that actually fits my clothes. I like to purge, but I have to practically get rid of something to buy something.

But these are all really my sorry attempts to help me feel good about moving. In reality, we all sacrifice these things to live here.  Some days it's worth it and other days its not. I guess I will have to re-read this post every time I get sad. And when I just can't take it, I'll go on holiday.   

Eight is great

I've been inspired to post my new year goals after reading so many of my fellow blogger friends' resolutions.  I'm also hoping that by posting these I will actually accomplish them, I mean I don't want to let you guys down. So I've narrowed them down to eight. Eight that seem realistic and achievable, but not without some work.

1. Live by a budget & eliminate all debt.
    I am great at setting budgets, but I never keep them. This year
    we want to be financially free.

2. Become well informed on all current world affairs.
    I am now 30 and need to be up on more than just what
    celebrities are wearing.

3. Be ok with leaving New York.
     I'm not just leaving the city behind but the life we have
     created for ourselves here.

4. Pray on my knees morning and night.
    This is on my list every year, and for a good reason too.

5. Have a baby.
    This is proving to be difficult.

6. Start teaching violin & join a symphony.
    New York has sucked the violin right out of my life and I have   
    missed it dearly.

7. Create a 3 year plan for my prospective business, & get on it.
     Yes, clothing will be involved.

8. Make an educated, un-biased vote for the presidential election.
     Just because I will be living in Utah doesn't necessarily mean I
     will be voting for Romney.