Monday, January 27, 2014

Preparing posts and thrift shop finds

I have been composing my posts in anticipation for the upcoming 30 Minus 2 Days of Writing challenge on February 1st.  Prompts such as "liar" and "social media" have me stumped - I'm trying to be creative.  The challenge came at a perfect time.  When I have down time at work, I draft my posts the low tech way, handwriting them.

In the meantime, the commando thrift shopping continues!  I spent less than $10 at the hospice thrift shop for the paisley scarf ($1.50), the High Sierra black pants ($2.50), the Just Cashmere *sings the word* by Forte brown v-neck pullover ($2.50), the Collecting Art on a Shoestring ($1.50) (pub. 1969) and a 5x7 frame (not pictured, 50 cents).  I lurv it when the pricers tag a cashmere sweater (no holes, no pilling) at $2.50!



I began preparing for the A to Z Blogging Challenge in November by scanning images related to the alpha letters.  In the 2013 challenge, I had the majority of my posts written about a month before but for the 5-7 of those I didn't have fleshed out, I really struggled.

I'm number 75 on the signup list found here a-to-zchallenge.com/2014/01/the-2014-to-z-challenge-list-is-open.  Signups are open now!


Part of the challenge fun is discovering blogs in totally new categories.  Don't be timid and shy, give it a go!

Friday, January 24, 2014

Grow Your Blog hop

Since many that link up with vicki-2bagsfull for this hop are accomplished artisans in the fiber arts realm, I admit I am sewing challenged.  I have a sewing machine but it sits unused, I prefer hand stitchery, even though it is time-consuming.  This is my second year participating, link to last year's grow-your-blog-hop-and-fridays-frock.

My readers know that I delight in posting images from 60's publications.  This little Sew It and Wear It (pub. 1966) was in the discard pile of a rural library.



I can just hear the peals of laughter from the more accomplished of you out there.  Stay with me, there is more fabric art eye candy to follow.

The next two images are from the BHG Patchwork & Quilting 1977 publication.  The patchwork curtain appeals to me as hippy cute.


And on to more complex sewing projects - images from The McCall's Book of Quilts (1975).

This Bear Paw quilt is on my "wish" list.

Sunshine and Shadow (or Trip Around the World/Grandma's Dream) Amish Quilt

Radiant Sunburst (description states "A challenge for the expert seamstress only!")
I won't be tackling this one any time soon ...

Can I have the farmhouse in the background too?  

Don't hesitate to check out the other (nearly 600) Grow Your Blog participants.  




Sunday, January 12, 2014

A few of my favorite things

One of my favorite things - the color turquoise.  Mis Papelicos share-in-style posted the fashion prompt calendar for the next six months and January's prompt is "favorite color."  Since I have already posted purple in purple-royale and the Pantone color of the year of radiant orchid in mad-for-plaid, turquoise it is!

 The entire outfit is thrifted from the
hairclip to the glasses, the earrings and the necklace,
the shirt, jacket and skirt.

The shoes were retail and yes, the heel of the shoe sunk into the ground.


The gang at We Work for Cheese back-by-popular-demand is launching into the Third Second Annual 30 Minus Two Days of Writing for February.  This no-rules writing challenge is one of the blogging highlights for my year and counts as another of my favorite things.


A ton of b***ching and moaning goes on with these prompts and well, see for yourself.
here-we-go-again

Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, here are the themes:
  1. Gouda
  2. It was no accident
  3. Temporary insanity
  4. When Hell freezes over
  5. The empty bottle
  6. Scatterbrained
  7. Hint, hint
  8. Damn
  9. Dylan
  10. Zombies
  11. Succubus
  12. One bite
  13. Incommunicado
  14. It has to be aliens
  15. My ears are ringing
  16. Shakespearean English
  17. I faked it
  18. Liars
  19. Tastes like chicken
  20. Chaos
  21. Yes, I made that
  22. It’s only a dream
  23. There are things
  24. And then she said
  25. Social media
  26. Naked and lost
  27. How did you find out?
  28. And then my brain exploded
"Yes, that really is the list. No, I’m not joking. You should have seen the ones we ruled out.
Oh, and I’d just like to mention that this is a challenge and not a competition. No, seriously. It’s not. Seriously. Nobody is going to be evaluating your work, meticulously grading every single line and compiling the results in a spreadsheet to determine your literary worthiness. Really."  
I am also linking up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style.  A favorite fashion linkup.

Click Here for Our Weekly Link-Up!
Anne at SpyGirl for the 52-pick-me-up-10s-1910s-or-2010s prompt of 2010, turquoise being that year's Pantone Color of the Year.  Fashion linkup that makes you think of colors and patterns from a different perspective.  Fav fav fav!

In a style rut?

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Baby Doll Mugshots and upcoming events

The first BD mugshot post of the year showcases baby dolls from the Tacoma Washington Goodwill store offered through shopgoodwill.com.  I highlight these dollies because each of them appeal to me, there is a story there, a history that could be told.




I have been thrift shopping but the majority of my finds have been in preparation for 2014 fashion or Countdown to Kitschmas posts.  With Christmas items at 75% off in the thrift shops, treasures can be found for next to nothing!  I pack up my new finds with ornaments from year's past and delight in their discovery again at year end.  

The upcoming blog hop this month is with Vicki at 2bagsfull.blogspot.com.  Signups are open until January 15th - still time to join in!  

2 Bags Full

I have also been preparing posts for the blogging from a-to-zchallenge in April 2014.  It will be my second year of participating and Year Five for the blog challenge.  Signups for that event begin on January 27th.

Having started a new job at the new year, I am closer to the State Capitol in the heart of Sacramento.  I hope to utilize the amazing scenery around the Capitol for fashion posts.

Do tell, what posts/hops/events do you have planned for 2014?


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Top Ten Posts for 2013

I've been muddling my way through Google Analytics.  Just for kicks and giggles, I ran a report for my Top Ten Posts for 2013.



Numero Uno was a Top Ten Movie Countdown through Ninja Alex, a AtoZ Challenge blogger.
ninja-captain-alexs-top-ten-movie.  It is far and away my most visited post.  Maybe because I mention a mumbling Marlon Brando in the Last Tango in Paris?

Coming in at second is a personal favorite the-traveling-yellow-skirt-has-arrived.  The Traveling Yellow Skirt Freak Show is still taking place.  The latest to model the same is projectminima.blogspot.ca/2013/12/how-yellow-skirt-woke-her-up.

Numero tres is a linkup with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style AND a writing challenge prompt of "Fact or Fiction."  I revealed more than one fact about myself visible-monday-and-fact-or-fiction-day.

Passion-for-fashion, another of my personal favorites, comes in at number 4.

Last year about this time of year, I was trudging about a field following Mr. VZ and our German wirehaired pointer Zipper on a pheasant hunting trip, memorialized in my Number 5 post of the year pheasants-and-such.

Numero Six post is yet another Visible-monday-and-upcoming-traveling yellow skirt linkup.  Patti and her pals have been good to me!

A random birthday celebratory post for a fellow writing challenge blogger joins in at number seven on my list virtual-birthday-party-for-nonamedufus.

Mad-for-plaid is a post I had soooo much fun creating.  It was also the last time I was able to pose in the amazing Sacramento Hall of Justice Building.

Number 9 post for the year is Fridays-frock-and-now-thats-dress, featuring a springtime ensemble and a dress-drive for WEAVE (Women Escaping A Violent Environment).

Number 10 post was inspired by a writing challenge prompt of "disguise" and it took off from there as my manguise.

I'm considering the idea of Project 52 of a posting a week on Etsy.  I ran into a blogger that just completed Project 365 of a posting A DAY on Etsy.  Now that's motivated~!

Who'd thunk that fashion posts would be so popular?  It was surprising to me.  Ah then, my passion for fashion continues into 2014 ...