Hello Dear Readers! It’s feeling like Fall and lately I have been….
Reading:
I just finished Northanger Abbey so I’ve completed my goal of re-reading Jane Austen’s books this year! Now I’ve started Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport which I’ve been meaning to read for several years. It is very interesting.
Loving:
Bouquets of “volunteer” sunflowers and cosmos from my mom’s garden.
Making:
A little Fall garland out of fabric scraps, above.
And a new apron; I love this crossover style. This one was made out of a tablecloth and there was enough fabric to make two.
Working on:
Pickles, syrups and jams, applesauce and juice… so much produce to process this time of year.
Eating:
Garden produce! My favourite recipe for this time of year is Zucchini Italian.
Sauté onion rings in butter and olive oil. Once transparent, add thinly sliced zucchini, diced tomatoes, a teaspoon of dried dill (or fresh if you have it), salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer until cooked- delicious!
Finding:
The time to write letters and mail some Fall greeting cards to friends.
Happy September, Dear Readers! The air is feeling crisp and it’s beginning to feel like Fall, but before the season completely changes, it’s about time I shared this dress-turned-skirt I made back in June. I don’t know why I forgot to take photos of if (I’ve been wearing it quite a lot!) but it actually turned out well leaving it until now to take photos, because look how nicely it matches the front flower garden. Cosmos, petunias, evening scented stocks and sunflowers. This flower bed used to have two giant peonies in it, but this Spring the bed had to be completely excavated for plumbing issues, and the pink peony didn’t end up back up in this flower bed. (It’s been planted elsewhere now…)
So yes, this halter dress came up on our church’s free group last year and I hesitated to claim it since I was thinking of altering it, so I let it go to someone else. And then a year later it came back up for grabs and I didn’t hesitate to claim it then! And I am so happy that I did because I love how it turned out. As far as refashioning projects go, this was one of the simplest and it only took a few hours to complete.
Paired with my navy tie front blouse (or a navy t-shirt some days) it has been perfect for summer.
I’ve been really into tying scarves onto handbags lately. I don’t always like wearing scarves because I find them too hot, but they add such a nice touch to a bag.
I’ve been wearing my dainty heart pearl pendant on repeat lately. It pairs well with a more casual outfit to elevate it, but it’s also not overwhelming with a more dressed up outfit.
It’s definitely starting to feel like September. I hope we get a nice warm Fall this year. I never thought I would say it, but I’m sad Summer is almost over. It’s never been my favourite season (re: heat), but this year we didn’t get much sun, so I would love a little bit more!
How is your September so far? Are you ready for Fall, or still holding onto the vestiges of Summer? And how does your garden grow?
As the end of August approaches, thoughts may begin to turn to Fall, but we’d rather embrace these late Summer days in style with vibrant colours, bold patterns and, of course, some bright blue eyeshadow.
Inspiration for this one comes from this vintage 1967 cover featuring Twiggy. Interestingly, when I was layering the photos to make sure I had everything lined up in the correct place in the image, I discovered that we have almost the exact same eye shape! This was a fun cover to do – 60’s makeup is so wild isn’t it?
Hello Dear Readers! I can’t believe we’re already into the second half of August; where has the summer gone? Lately I have been…
Reading:
I’m halfway through my goal of re-reading Jane Austen’s books this year! I’ve finished Persuasion, Pride & Prejudice and Emma, have started Sense & Sensibility, and only have Northanger Abbey left! (I read Mansfield Park a couple of years ago, so I’m not going to re-read it this year.)
I am really enjoying it. Especially when I sit outside on the swing on a peaceful, sunny afternoon to read a few chapters in between watching the birds and the clouds go by.
Loving:
Vibrant yellow canola fields and going for walks. Especially when a storm is coming up and the sky is starting to get that greenish look to it that means it is time to head home!
Making:
So many cute baby things lately for new babies in my church.Bibs for little boys and a polka dot dress and bloomers for a little girl.
Finding:
Letters from friends in the mailbox. Always a cheerful surprise!
Working on:
The family history photo project. I’ve created a family tree of one side of the family and have printed a whole bunch of the photos, finally, but then some of them were printed incorrectly, so I have to do a re-print of some of them. I got the majority printed on 4×6 papers and trimmed them to size, keeping the white margins so they look “old”. I have them stored in this pretty box until I’m ready to assemble the albums.
Eating:
Fresh vegetables from the garden! So many cucumbers in particular. Yum!
And I am not eating these pretty evening scented stocks my mom planted, above, but I am enjoying their lovely blooms and delicate scent.
Watching:
These two videos about two very different dresses were a treat to watch.
–Marilyn Monroe’s pink “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is one of the most famous dresses in cinema (superseded only by the Little Black Dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and it’s on display right now in an exhibit called Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon.
And that’s all for this week!
What has your August been like? What have you been reading, making, finding, eating, and watching?
And here’s the dress I finished sewing…three months ago! I gave a sneak peek in this post, and then never got actual outfit photos. So here they are finally.
I started sewing this dress back in 2018, I think it was. I was going to finish it in time to wear it to the Ladies’ Garden Tea that year, but, well, obviously that didn’t happen. I threw it aside in despair for 8 years, and then pulled it out this past spring to finish it. The way I had left it actually wasn’t the best fit, so no wonder I wasn’t pleased with it. I ended up raising the waistline, cutting 8″ off the hem, (originally I had planned for it to be floor length) and adding sleeves.
The button placement is wonky, and there are some areas that aren’t the best fit, which I shan’t point out to you, but it’s done! And I’ve worn it several times already! I was planning to sew a matching belt, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I like it with the leather belt, though, so we’ll see whether I end up sewing one or not.
Paired with my new round rattan purse, and my old ankle strap sandals: I absolutely love this outfit and am so happy this dress is out of the Pile and into the wardrobe.
This round purse is the most impractical thing, it doesn’t even fit my wallet, but I have no regrets. I have always wanted one of these, and found this one on Poshmark. I just noticed it’s facing backwards in the picture below-oops!
And I guess that’s all I have to say about this. I had a goal this year to sew one new garment for myself. So far, I have only finished up half completed projects, and alteration/mending projects, and I don’t know whether that’s a goal I am going to actually achieve this year. Still, I have been sewing a lot more this year than in past years, and that’s the important thing.
Do you have any sewing (or creative) goals for this year? Any half finished projects sitting in the Pile that you just need to push through and finish?
