iPhone photo of the week

Yummy. French toast with berries and whipped cream was on the menu for breakfast, thanks to Jenny Craig. I've been going to Jenny Craig for about a year and half now. Not only has it helped me lose weight, but it makes grocery shopping simple and food prep very easy. All I had to do was microwave the french toast, cut up some strawberries, and add a dollop of lite Cool Whip to have this yummy looking breakfast.


Now, the iPhone alone  didn't make the food look this yummy. I used the Camera Bag app for iPhone to apply a Helga effect to the picture. This is one of my favorite iPhone photo apps to play with because you can change the look of the picture by scrolling through the possible views. It recreates the look of different cameras and film. 


When I searched for a link to include above for more information about the app, I found that it is also available for desktops. I am going to have to think about getting this for quick photo editing.

Spring flower makeover

I'm halfway through switching my closet to spring. Last night, I went through everything in my closet and drawers, pulling out things that I didn't wear all winter to determine if they should a) go directly to Goodwill or the church-wide rummage sale or b) live another season in clothing purgatory (a big rubbermaid box in my storage unit).

Today, I'll go through the rubbermaid boxes and swap out summer stored clothes for winter. Yay! Then, it's fashion show time, determining how can I put existing clothes together in new ways to update for 2010.

I've already added a few accessories to my collection to help the spring transformation.

These floral beauties came from OwlEyes Accessories over at Etsy. The orange flower bunch is a big pin made out of felt. It will liven up my denim jackets and cardigans and also add some more of my favorite-color-of-the-moment to my wardrobe (it's orange).

Hanging out on my gray Toms are blue flower shoe clips. I got the idea to use shoe clips on my Toms after Megs and I talked about getting 'mod-ing' our Toms. Now, my Toms can have multiple personalities without any lasting changes.

What would you make?

Do you watch Project Runway? If you do but you haven't seen this week's episode, I promise I won't give away who won or who lost. The challenge was to create a high-end runway look based on what the designers saw at the circus.


One of my favorite reasons to watch Project Runway is that I will sit there and image what I would make. This week, I happened to have a pad of paper and pencils laying on the coffee table, so I paused the DVR playback and sketched what I would make. This assumes that I have wonderful sewing skills, so I don't have to worry about the logistics of making the outfit. 


This is my "high-end runway look based on the circus":

Like several of the designers, I was inspired by the coat the ringmaster wore. This would be a faux-shirt dress with a puff skirt. The whole thing would be skillfully constructed out of red silk dupioni (my favorite type of fabric). The top would be very fitted but have some reinforcement so that it stood up on the shoulders. To add a little sparkle, I would have an under tank out of red sequin fabric. In the back, the top would also be very fitted and scoop down in the back.

Then, I would make a pair of fuchsia satin slim pants. Almost leggings. Of course, I wouldn't have to worry about the common problems with "weird-crotch" as Michael Kors would say, because the dress would cover that portion of my model. But, what am I saying, I can sew impeccable clothing in this fantasy.

To further evoke the ring master, I think I would make a headpiece, just a flat black satin circle to sit in the model's hair.

After I was done sketching, I returned to watching the episode. You should watch the show and tell me if Heidi would have told me 'auf Wiedersehen'.

Warm weather clothes

This weekend, I'm planning to go into my storage unit and haul out a couple of big rubbermaid containers. These boxes contain most of my warm weather wardrobe, which has been banished since mid September. Now, it's time to put away the sweaters although the freak snow storm last night made me think that I should keep out at least a sweatshirt.


Pulling out those boxes is going to take a lot of energy, which I still don't have a ton of, so I'm saving it for Saturday morning after a good sleep. Also, I need to sift through the rest of the junk in storage for things to put in the church rummage sale.


So, since I can't wear my warm weather clothes because they're in storage and it's two cold, I decide that I should go shopping for more! Shopping online is fun, because you can see everything that you're thinking of spread out. I prefer shopping at sites that have brick and mortar stores where I can return the purchases if something doesn't fit.


I came across this fun tool at one of my favorite sites - Boden. Okay, I haven't actually bought anything from there but I love all of their clothes and one day I will. Especially, when I can see how the whole outfit will come together with their outfit maker.


For cross-site dressing, I still prefer Polyvore. Here is what I wish I could wear to work tomorrow. Oh, if only spring would get to WI!

PortA and summer clothes by Schizi

Items in this set:
Old Navy Womens Slub-Knit Button-Front Cardigans, $27
Boden Rosette top
AG Pixie Shorts - Anthropologie.com, $140
Canvas Bag-AM127-Bags at Boden, $58
Corsage Flower Necklace-AK159-Jewellery at Boden, $58


Picture of Port Aransas from THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER: August 2006 Archives

Laptop Bags

Several folks that I know, including Megs, have purchased laptops recently and need new bags. They've each asked me about what I use, what I like, how it travels, and where to find good bags. One friend was more interested in the backpack style that I use for work, so I expounded on the benefits of having a bag with a couple of compartments and space to shove my purse in if the TSA folks strictly enforce the two carry on rule (I do make sure that all my bags will fit inside just two carry ons so that I am always compliant, even if I don't appear that way). 

Megs wanted something a little more fun. I also have an every day tote bag for carrying my laptop, notebook, pens, water bottle and whatever detritus is floating around the bottom. For this, I use a purple seatbelt bag from Harvey's. I figure, what could be more indestructible than a seatbelt. And, in fact, it has survived two years of daily use and even a few plane trips looking remarkably like new. 

Still, I couldn't help but start my own search for a new bag, just in case my current bag were to bite the dust. Since that isn't going to happen soon, I would definitely look first at a Harvey seatbelt bag in the future.

From left, Vinyl laptop bag, American Apparel; Urban Junket-t.o.t.e Laptop bag;  Seatbelt bag, Harvey's; eBags Savvy laptop tote, Walmart;  Icon charm laptop tote bag, Target;  Orla Kiely Buzy Lizzie laptop bag, Muse Ten; Bueno Chevron Computer bag, Target

Or, I could get really crafty and make my own. I have a ton of plastic bags, so I may have to try this project to make a backup for the days when I'm not feeling the purple bag. How to - fuse plastic bags into a laptop case 

Happy Easter

God's blessings to you on this happy Easter! Wherever you are, I hope that you got to enjoy hearing the good news once again surrounded by family and friends. My family may have been far away, but the wonders of speaker phone made me feel almost as if I was there with them. The only things I really missed were the pancakes after church (just kidding BLady, I wish I could've had those peeps, too!)

Here is my list of all the things that I wanted to do today. I have new supplies and a couple of new craft toys laying around here, but I couldn't summon up the energy to do much with them this weekend. It's been a rough couple of weeks, with back to back to almost back travel and other work in between. I'm now going to be home for all of the next week (meaning not traveling, not on vacation by any means), so expect to see a couple of these projects come to fruition. 

Still, yesterday, I did go on an inspiration and supply gathering trip. First, I visited my favorite store on State Street - Anthology. The store is almost everything I need for supplies, ideas and a general feeling of craftiness. In addition to a pack of paper scraps and some buttons, I also got a Fiskars large block party squeeze punch. There are so many possibilities - I can't wait to show you the mess I'm gonna make with that thing.

I also stopped at the art supply store on State for the first time. Oh my goodness, if I didn't love my apartment, I'd have to move downtown just to be within walking distance of these two places! I am now the happy owner of some more iDye, other fabric dyes, two paint brushes and a pack of color-bleeding tissue paper.

So, with supplies and a couple of good nights' worth of sleep and a nap, I think I'm ready to hit the week both for real work and crafts/blogging crafts.

iPhone photo of the week

Spring has come to WI! It really has, and I've seen it. Here, the young buds are set against the bright clear blue sky that was gray just an hour before.

Now for a critique of the iPhone camera for taking pictures. I tried to focus on the closest bud. Several shots did not capture the look I was going for. This is the closest one. The size of the screen also makes it hard to tell what you've captured exactly until you get it back to a computer. Reminds me a tiny bit of taking film pictures. It was (is?) exciting to see what you had captured after the moment had passed. I often found myself looking at a stack of pictures or negatives wondering what I was trying to accomplish with the picture.