Currently...

Reading: Stiff, by Mary Roach.  I picked up the book from Ephraim a couple weeks ago, when he decided he just didn't need to know that much about the human body after death.  I tend to be a bit more interested in the macabre, and not easily grossed out by gore and details of the body (I was actually working toward a career in medical illustration for a long time), so I figured I'd have more luck with the book.  So far, I really like it.  I only started reading it a couple days ago, as last week I was tearing my way through the first compendium of The Walking Dead, which encompasses the soft cover volumes #1-8.  And man, did THAT ever fix my displeasure with TWD season finale.  If you're also a fan, and felt that the finale was just too anticlimactic, pick up the comics, you won't be disappointed!

Watching: I'm still working my way through Veronica Mars, and I'm already on the 3rd season.  Honestly, this season isn't as good as the first two, but I love me some snarky Veronica, and I'm emotionally invested in the show, so I'm seeing it through.  Other than that I've watched the first third of too many romantic comedies before I decide that I hate them, and go and read instead.  Yup.

Anticipating: A weekend FULL of plans.  I am double booked for Saturday night and can't wait to see some friends and have a good time.  Especially at formal bowling.  Fancy clothes, beer and bowling? It's like all of the things I like, at one time! Plus it's to celebrate my best friend's birthday.  So you know it's gonna be a good time.

Laughing about:  My inability to keep my Bloglovin' unread count under like, 100.  Just last week I got fed up and marked all as read, and now BOOM I have 125 unread posts already.  And you know what's to blame? Fuckin' blog hops, man.  I give up on bloghops (except for Chantilly's, but that's because it's special and not demanding).  Seems like every week someone I follow is hosting or co-hosting a blog hop, and oh it's free to join, as long as you spam the ever-loving shit out of your own reader with the mommy blogs of the 8 co-hosts.  Enough.  I am not a person who can handle that many blogs, particularly that many that I don't really find all that interesting.  A purge is gonna happen, and I'm no longer going to feel badly about missed posts here and there.  It's started to eat up too much time, and is making my reading list so long it's overwhelming to the point of avoidance.  Blog hops.  Not even once. 

Listening to: Lots and lots of 8Tracks while I work.  I'm a bit disappointed in their search function on the mobile site, I can't seem to search activities or moods as well... I don't know why "sewing" results in mixes consisting entirely of Rap and R+B.  So, it's a lot of just acoustic indie and pop for me, easy to find and less likely to require song skipping.  Do you stream music on your iPhone? Any suggestions for a good site? I'm pretty new to streaming music, outside of looking a tune I have stuck in my head on Grooveshark.

Eating:  The funny thing is that I talked about making brussels sprouts for the first time ever in my last "currently" post, and I literally ate a plate full of them, topped with Parmesan cheese, for dinner last night (at like 9:30.  I got in a sewing groove and had no idea how late it had gotten!).  But at literally this moment, I am sipping a chai latte (which in my last post I was wishing for.  I don't change much, month to month!)

Working on: Sewing a dress I designed and started working on this past Sunday.  It's been a weird and difficult balance between wanting it to look clean and professional, and not wanting it to take forever.  I've already decided to replace one of the back panels, because the one way pattern looks a bit too sloppy for my tastes.  It sets the progress back by a good 1.5 hours, but I know I'll be glad I did it, in the end. I kind of wish I was staying in NOTL this weekend, so I could finish it up, and make a trip to the fabric store to get the remaining supplies I need.  I spent 5 minutes hemming (hah, sewing pun) and hawing over zippers, and somehow managed to leave with a standard zipper and not an invisible zip.  Needless to say, that realization earned a hearty (and disappointed) slowclap... from myself, to myself.  Well done, Erin.  Well done.  I took a sick day this week (allergies plus spring cold equals no fun at all) and spent the vast majority of it sewing, and it was awesome.  I needed something inspiring to get me out of this little sewing rut I've been in ever since I abandoned my Sew for Victory dress.  I'm hoping this project kicks me in a high enough gear to actually complete my Sew for Victory dress in time for the Guys and Dolls opening night next month, but I am not going to hold my breath.

Wishing:  That the wind would die down and I could get a handle on taking outfit photos for myself, mid-week.  I get to dress however I want to to work, and sometimes it's pretty cute.  I hate feeling like I'm "saving it up" for the weekend, and frankly, I like outfit posts, and it would seem that the folks dropping by these parts do too, so being able to have more of them would be really swell.  I've been spoiled by Ephraim's photographer skills! 

I hope you all have a great weekend!! 
--Erin

Colour Your World

Last weekend was our first real glimpse of spring.  With a crisp breeze and a constant struggle between sunshine and grey skies, it's finally beginning to look like April out there! And though my daffodils at home are taking their sweet time to poke their heads from the ground, I am getting so excited for plants to start springing up! My home has been greener than ever, as my roommate is a plant lover as well.  I haven't had a lot of luck this past year at keeping plants alive, as I keep going to and from Toronto a lot, but now that I have flexibility as to when I come and go thanks to Gertrude, my trusty Volkswagen Golf, I feel more confidant to keep adding to my little garden.  A trip to a local plant nursery had to be made! It's still early in the season, so none of the small stock caught my eye (well, except for the bleeding hearts, I may have to go back for one!) but I had to take pictures of all the beautiful colours.  I just can't wait for it to LOOK like spring!!

I told Ephraim I wanted to live in a world as purple as the little flowers in that first photo, and you know what, I stand by that ridiculous statement.  Take me away to purple plains.

--Erin

Before and After: Locks of Love

Some time last week, I decided I wanted to cut my hair short and make a donation to Locks of Love.  If you aren't familar with the charitable organization, Locks of Love takes donations of hair, 10" in length or longer, and makes wigs for children suffering from medical hair loss who cannot afford a wig to wear.  Judging by the massive 12" braid my hair stylist chopped off (and man, there was some serious sawing with those scissors!) my donation will be making more than one wig.  Thick hair, man, and I had more than enough to give and not feel a loss.  Plus, I like to think that soon there will be a (or more...) kid out there getting a fierce red wig that can make their day a little bit brighter.

My hair stylist kept remarking on how calm I was about the whole ordeal. "You're so chill!! I just cut off all your hair and you're like 'yeah, whatever'!!".  But hey, this ain't my first rodeo.  I cut my hair short (like, really short) when I started high school, and after not getting at all what I wanted that fateful day (brought it pictures of a pixie cut, left with a buzzed head.  Sinead O'Connor style. FOR SERIOUS), I learned that hair doesn't matter much, and all mistakes as far as hair is concerned, are healed in time.  And this go around, I won't even have to wear a hat for 3 months till those wounds heal.  Because I LOVE my big, wavy, short red hair.  Just call me Molly Ringwald.

Wears Wishlist: April

1♥ 2♥ 3♥ 4♥ 5♥

If you guys are anything like me, the changing weather has you window shopping (or for real shopping) like it's nobody's business.  I just want to stock my already-too-full closet with sweet summery frocks and comfy flats for kicking around town.  Most of all, I want to wear more colour than anyone probably should at any given moment! Here's a little outfit I dreamed up centred around the "Hannah" dress.  The dress features lots of architectural angles, not only in the front as pictured here, but also in the back (which is why this isn't paired with a cardigan, haha!) which you can see on its listing.  The angles in the dress inspired the choice of the pointed toe flats, and the chevron tights and ring.  As for the orange, red and gold accents, I can think of nothing better to pair with ochre to put a little spring in your step! Spring, get it? Haha! I only wish that my closet wasn't so full, or my bank account needing to recuperate from the One of a Kind Craft Show a couple weeks ago.  Hey, a girl can dream!

What is the weather in your area making you antsy to dress up in?

--Erin

OOTD: Leather Satchel and Nautical Stripe Boat Shoes

THE DEETS:

Floral Button Up: Vintage, free

Navy Painter Tee: J Crew

Mustard Cropped Pants: Anthropologie

Striped Boat Shoes: Target

Watch Necklace: Antique, gift from Ephraim

"Hive Mind" Brooch: Premonitory Dreams

Leather Satchel: Aude Bags

Ephraim gave me this necklace for my birthday last year.  Though I've never been big into gold coloured jewelry, this necklace made me reconsider that bias.  Though I still lean heavily toward silver as a preference, the gold colour of this necklace (not to speak of the enamel flower detail on the back) goes so nicely with some other things in my closet.  Of course, the piece is beautiful on its own: I love that it looks like a locket, but is in fact a watch! It's so nice to hear it ticking away when you wear it.  

This leather bag is actually Ephraim's, but he was nice enough to let me borrow it to walk around the One of a Kind Show.  When it comes time to finally buy myself a nice camera bag, the cross body strap is going to be a very important feature for me.  I simply can't lug around a camera for hours in a shoulder bag, yet I keep only packing a shoulder bag for Toronto! It'll click in my brain eventually, and until then, there's this sweet little messenger bag for me to borrow (by force).  I even told Ephraim, when he picked up the bag at the One of a Kind Show last year, that if he didn't buy the bag, I would! But then, I was the one shopping for a bow tie for themselves at the show :p.  I didn't pick one up, but Handsome & Lace had the most amazing spread of ties, bow ties, pocket squares; and I have a weakness for men's accessories! A sweet bow tie may make its way to my birthday list, yet.

--Erin