Project Rewear: August edition

The end of July was a very satisfying time for Project Rewear, mainly due to a kick-ass clothes-swapping party I held at my house. I invited a bunch of friends to clean out their closets and come over to have dessert and trade clothes. We were so busy digging through the mounds of clothes, however, that we never really had time for dessert, nor did we have time to take pictures. So the only photos I have to show you are of the loot I ended up with.



The dress on the left is the super cute strapless number from J.Crew that I found on ebay for $14. Then, we have my clothes swap finds: a black cashmere sweater, a brown leather purse, a stretchy and silky dress (new with tags!!) for fall, and a sleeveless purple button-down. And I completely forgot to take pictures of the two pairs of summer-y dress sandals I ended up with. May I remind you this was all free?

Everyone that came to the swap ended up going home with something, which made me really happy. And afterwords, I took seven or eight bags of clothes and shoes to the Northside Neighborhood House thrift shop, and organization that is doing awesome things for our neighborhood. It was certainly a win/win, and I think the clothes swap might become a yearly event. You should host one, too!

On another fashion note, I will leave you with a bit of eye candy. I made this corsage belt with a couple of silk flowers, a few scraps of chiffon, and an old sash, and I love it. I might make one in every color family.

Now Launching: Project Rewear

I only made one real resolution this new year's. Actually it's not really a resolution as much as it's a challenge. For the whole of 2009, I will be attempting to avoid buying any clothes at a retail store. Before you gasp and say, "What?! That's impossible!" - let me explain further.

I love clothes. Oh, how I love them. Particularly anything to do with J.Crew, the Gap, and cute vintage finds. I am also extremely budget conscious, which means I shop for bargains like it's an Olympic sport. Most of the time, finding deals is a very good thing, but that also means if I find something I like that's on sale, whether I need it or not, I'll buy it, because it was "such a good deal." And as my closet gets fuller and fuller, I keep on shopping, and keep on packing it in, because I enjoy it so.

But all those little "finds" add up, not exorbitantly or anything, but to more than I need to be spending on clothes I don't need. Plus, new clothes come with an environmental price tag as well - it takes a lot of energy and resources to make those jeans, and the list of clothing companies that could be qualified as environmentally conscious is still pretty small.

So, this year, I will not buy a single piece of clothing at a retail store. I will, however, continue going to thrift shops and consignment stores occasionally, because I don't really want to give up shopping cold turkey. I've also been attempting to further my sewing skills, so any clothing I can sew is fine, and will be a fun challenge (and you can't really impulse-buy patterns and fabric). Underwear, socks and PJs are exempt from the no-retail rule, for obvious reasons (thrift shop undies? I don't think so).

I hope to keep my thoughts and progress logged here, at least every couple of weeks, throughout the year. I'll also keep you supplied with pictures of anything I attempt to sew, or especially cute items I pick up thrifting. Feel free to comment and share your own thrifting or sewing tips!

I can feel the creative juices flowing already.

Gettin' all Martha Stewart-y

I am in love with all things Martha Stewart. It's kind of like our wedding (and all of the DIY crafts and projects that went into it) switched on some part of my brain that had been dormant for a long time.

I've always been artistic and rather crafty. I owe that to my fabulously creative mother. I remember making pine cone turkeys, clay Christmas ornaments, and cotton-ball snowmen not long after I could walk. So I suppose it's only natural that I should catch the crafting bug again, even if it's been a decade or so since our regular rainy-day craft dates.

Thus, I have plunged myself deep into the world of holiday craft-y-ness. Nearly all of the Christmas gifts we are giving this year are at least partially homemade. And, boy, is it fun. It's been a great way for me to pass the time while Lee is out of town for the ridiculously busy fall sales season. Yesterday afternoon, while sipping hot tea and listening to Vince Geraldi Christmas jazz, I made this:


It's our holiday wreath! I know it's only November 10, but when you're making all of your holiday decorations, you've got to start early. Now, I know what you're thinking: "How did you make this glorious holiday creation?" I'll tell you!

First, I cut a giant cardboard "G" out of a big, sturdy box that was awaiting our recycling bin. Then, I went to walmart and bought $10 worth of red fake poinsettas. With five blooms on each $1 stem, I got 50 flowers for really cheap.

Then, I took a screwdriver with a very small head (maybe 1/8 inch), and poked holesin the cardboard. I pulled each bloom off of the poinsetta stem and stuck it in a hole. after I had covered the whole G, I went back in with the blooms that were left and tried to fill in any sparse spaces I could see cardboard through.

And, ta-da! I could have hot glued each flower in, and I might if I decide to keep the wreath for consecutive seasons, but the screwdriver and bloom stems were so perfectly sized, the flowers fit well and don't seem to want to fall out. You could also paint the cardboard the color of your flowers if you don't want to risk a bit showing through.

That's all for now! Next crafting/design project up: our dining/library/craft room. Now, back to my day job.