Flowers for Eleni Updates

I'm sure a lot of you are following along with Rachel and Eleni's trials and triumphs. Recently there's been a lot of updates. Stitched in Color received the quilts that Jodi from Tales of Cloth made for them. 

Here's two pics from Tales of Cloth's instagram.  

That blue flower peeking out at the top is mine!

That blue flower peeking out at the top is mine!

I'm pretty sure that that bottom yellow with birds is the one I fussy cut, but on a new background. excellent. 

I'm pretty sure that that bottom yellow with birds is the one I fussy cut, but on a new background. excellent. 

I spotted my flowers in some of the photos! I feel proud and happy to be able to have participated, and when I see my sewing being part of something that can bring someone comfort and joy.

New Block: Four Bear Paws

Well, really this is an older block as I made it quite a few month ago, now.
I was inspired my Maureen Cracknell's Bear Paw block. 

One day, I will iron all my blocks. Perhaps I'm waiting for a proper ironing board. Or even a table ... Right now we iron everything on a towel on the floor. 

One day, I will iron all my blocks. Perhaps I'm waiting for a proper ironing board. Or even a table ... Right now we iron everything on a towel on the floor. 

I've been lacking inspiration and motivation in my sewing lately, so I thought I'd go thru some of the WIPs I have. I'm at a stage in much of my ongoing quilts where they require a large block of time and space, and I just haven't had that recently. I'm hesitant to work on the projects that are more new and less done, bc that just means my pile of unfinished grows and grows. 

I need a vacation just for quilting! Who's with me?

I'm linking this block up with Slow Sunday Stitching by Kathy's Quilts. 

Wardrobe Project: Who Needs This Many T-Shirts?

Or, My Spring Wardrobe. 

When I went to change over my Winter wardrobe over to Spring, I carefully set aside all the Winter clothes I wouldn't need. It was a lot of clothes. Two full clear recycling bags full. (I put them in clear bags, to be boxed up at a later date, and to prevent them becoming cat beds). I also made a pile of giveaway/throw away items. Items that I didn't wear, didn't want, or realized I didn't like during the Winter season. 
Next I went to get out my Spring and Summer clothes that were stored at the top of my closet. 

But I couldn't do it. 

I pulled out the first big storage bin... I couldn't bear to go thru it. SO many clothes. I felt totally overwhelmed with what was already out. Removing my Winter clothes felt like it barely made a dent.

I decided I really only needed to keep what was already out for Spring. There were some pants and jeans, a few skirts and dresses, some tanks I used for layering in the Winter, plenty of clothes for work, and so many t shirts. So. Many.  

Maybe when it gets really hot, I will reassess. I realize that I will have to go thru those Spring/Summer clothes eventually. But for now, even what I have out feels impossibly large. 

Is anyone else struggling with their Spring or Summer wardrobe?

 

May in Review

Can you believe we are fast approaching the year's half way point? I barely can. But on the other hand, so much has already happened this year!

May seemed to decided to skip the end of Spring and shoot right into Summer.  We had some rather warm days (to put it mildly) and it has us wondering how hot will Summer really be? As a way to beat the heat, and save the Spring, I tried to see friends and family this month, enjoy cocktails and meals, flower spying and watcher spot as much as possible. 

We traveled Down the Shore, for leisure and for secret projects. We worked, we played and we even saw a hot dog car! 

Quilting was a little slow, as I had more paper work than paper piecing in my life in May. I managed to finish one of my goals for Q2 of the 2015 Finish Along. I have another month to catch up... which I may never do if I keep starting new projects!

I took an unexpected break from blogging at the end of May, but am back on it now, and here's how to find me all over the internets. 

So while Brooklyn bloomed, May sped on. Now June, can't you slow us down?

 

New Block: The Letter B

I'm back from an unexpected break with the letter B. 

Are you tired of wrinkled blocks yet?

Are you tired of wrinkled blocks yet?

I've had a letter quilt rattling around in my head for a while now... So I rolled up my sleeves and made a B. I liked my fabric choices, but they weren't right for what I have in mind, so I changed directions on this quilt. I'm happy with how it's turning out and think it'll be a great new idea. 

Tom is "helping"!

Tom is "helping"!

I feel successful with my first letter block and can't wait to do the rest of the alphabet!

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

The Soc

Oh, the internet!
People love it. 

Here are some places you can find Mad Cat Quilts (and what you can expect when you do):

madcatquilts.com
You're already here! Blog, quilts, links, contact. Follow this blog on Bloglovin!

Mad Cat Quilts Big Cartel Shop
My main shop were you can buy Mad Cat quilts and other items. You can also purchase Library Card items here. Needs an update, badly...!

Madcat1 on Instagram
This is where I spend a lot of my time! Home life, cats, quilt progress shots. Blog and shop updates posted here, as well as giveaways and special offers (someday!). 

@madcatquilts On Twitter
Mostly a dream journal. Also another place to find my instagrams, blog & shop updates, and special offers.  

Ana Mo Shoshin on Pinterest
Find boards/inspiration for things I like here; tattoos, cats, plants, quilts... etc... And find more info on blog topics like Recently Researching, Wardrobe Project, quilt labels, quilt blocks, etc....

Mad Cat General Store on Etsy Coming soon!
Another place to find my wares, as well as Library Card and other artisans. This shop also contains some vintage goods and seconds.  

Mad Cat Quilts is all over the virtual universe, so take a look, follow along, and reach out to say "Hi". I'm looking forward to it! 

Scrappy Little Hearts: A Finished Quilt

This little strangely shaped quilt started out when I saw Cluck Cluck Sew's heart block pattern. I know a lot of people fell in love with this block this year. I didn't really have a plan after I made the blocks. 

But after I made them, I couldn't let them rest.  I had other projects I was working on but the little hearts called to me. 

I knew I also wanted to scrap bust this year, so I pulled a ton of green scraps and started to create wonky courthouse steps around the hearts. I linked it all together with some 9 patches in purples, mimicking the checks in the hearts. The quilt was looking a little crazy at this point so I added some calming solid boarders. 

I used the last heart block, and most crooked and crazy, for the back, as well as more solids. I sandwiched top and back together with some scrappy batting.  I used purple pearl cotton to go around each heart on the top and each 9 patch. Then used light green cotton thread to densely quilt the rest of the top. I embellished the boarders and back heart. 

I made a thin rolled boarder to finish it all off. Bc of the improv piecing, this quilt is a crazy shape and all crooked. It kinda averages at 37" x 37" but is measures as wide as 39" in some places. 

Pit was the biggest helper on this little quilt. He knows it would make a cute baby quilt, or play mat, or wall hanging. 

I washed this quilt and it got nice and crinkly. I was a little worried about how it would wash bc I used a bunch of different fabrics for the top. Mostly cotton but also some velveteen, and wool, as well as blends. This quilt doesn't have a label yet. 

This is my first finish of Q2 of the 2015 Finish Along. I have a feeling I'm not gonna get as much done this quarter, but I'm happy with this little finish!

Zoo at home, zoo abroad: Nashville Zoo

Some people think it's odd, but I'm a huge fan of zoos. Where ever I go, I try to see a zoo, aquarium, nature museum, bug exhibit, farm, petting zoo, etc...  A visit is always in any trip I plan. Or several if there's time. I know many have mixed feelings on seeing animals caged, and I do as well. I try to focus on the conservational and educational aspects of these establishments.  I can't help but be amazed and delighted by seeing strange, interesting, and exotic creatures. 

While we were in Tennessee in December 2013 we went to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. I never posted about it way back then, but I've been thinking about that trip recently and thought it was time to share. 

The Nashville Zoo is vastly different from our little zoo at home in Prospect Park. It sits on a huge piece of land with bamboo paths winding throughout. Most of the exhibits are outdoors. We went in the dead of Winter, so many of the animals were not on view. We even managed to go quite late in the day and miss some of the ones that were out. Even with our poor timing we got to see some great animals.

Tigers!! Wow!

Tigers!! Wow!

The Nashville Zoo has both a white tiger and an orange one! These were incredible to see, but it was very clear that these great beasts are not supposed to be caged. 

This zoo had so many large and wild cats! Perfect for cat lovers like ourselves! 

This zoo had so many large and wild cats! Perfect for cat lovers like ourselves! 

Despite the cold, the animals were very active! We got to see many close up, only a few feet away. Like a cougar drinking from the "stream".

This leopard seemed to be observing us as much as we were him. 

This leopard seemed to be observing us as much as we were him. 

As everything we visited in Nashville on that trip, the Zoo was deserted. It was great!! We had the whole place to ourselves. With no one else checking out each habitat, the animals really seemed to take notice of us. But I also suspect they knew it was closing/feeding time. 

These goats were all lined up, waiting to go inside for the night. 

These goats were all lined up, waiting to go inside for the night. 

Overall, it was a wonderful trip, and I can't wait to go back in the Spring or Summer!  It will be wonderful to see more animals, even if that means more people, too. 

We try to get to zoos pretty often so I hope to make my animal observations a semi regular post. I could write 10 posts about our local zoo alone! Do you have a favorite zoo or aquarium? Have you been to the Nashville Zoo? Care to comment?

New Block: Crown of Thorns

When I saw this block on the Tales of Cloth blog, as part of her Red Sky at Night QAL, I knew I wanted to try it. 

Ever wrinkly.

Ever wrinkly.

I decided to make a really over sized block. I picked out some tiny calicoes and then decided it needed a plain border, or part of one... I'm not sure what I'll do with this big block. Any ideas?

Also, at Tales of Cloth, Jodi revealed the top and bottom for the Flowers for Eleni quilt. It's amazing quilt and it was an amazing experience to be a part of. 

Picture by Tales of Cloth. Pure photoshop skills by me. 

Picture by Tales of Cloth. Pure photoshop skills by me. 

I can even see one the of the flowers I made in the pic! I think they changed the backing fabric, which is super nice of them, as I think I cut mine too small. 
Thanks so much to Jodi and her helpers for allowing us to share our grief and joy and hope in this way. 

I'm sharing all this with Slow Stitching Sunday. As always, check out Kathy's blog!

April in Review

Phew, April went fast! 
This month really felt like Spring to me, with daffodils making their debut and trees flowering like mad all over Brooklyn. We began to take more regular trips Down The Shore in April, which definitely heralds the warmer weather. 

1) Trees blooming in Park Slope... 2) and Kensington. 3) There were a few grey days and April showers. 4) And some spectacular sunsets. 

1) Trees blooming in Park Slope... 2) and Kensington. 3) There were a few grey days and April showers. 4) And some spectacular sunsets. 

Work geared up for the family this month, what with warm days and the start of baseball season. But it felt good to get our hands dirty and change up our routine. Although we were worn out from the end of March, when it was still cold, family members fell ill, and we were generally tired and stressed, having the upswing at our day jobs cemented the start and change of Spring. 

1) Giant eggs for Easter. 2) My black metal album cover. 3) High contrast in Prospect Park Zoo... 4) and in Asbury Park. 

1) Giant eggs for Easter. 2) My black metal album cover. 3) High contrast in Prospect Park Zoo... 4) and in Asbury Park. 

The month started off with great focus on our work at home as well. Quilting, blogging, and sewing were all chugging along in the beginning, but petered out a little towards the end of the month. I'm diligently trying to stick to the blog schedule (more on this soon) I have been working on since end of March, and doing well IMHO. I made my Finish Along list for Q2 and got working right away at the beginning of April, but at it's end I have no finishes to show for it. Other goals have been achieved tho! We got back into the house hunt, as well. Which is both invigorating and stressful. 

1) Olin Street, Ocean Grove, NJ. 2) West Cape May, NJ. 3) 8th Street, Park Slope. 4) 8th Ave, Park Slope. 

1) Olin Street, Ocean Grove, NJ. 2) West Cape May, NJ. 3) 8th Street, Park Slope. 4) 8th Ave, Park Slope. 

1) Serious Tavis. 2) Pensive Pallas. 2) Pondering Pit. 4) Bippi and a sun beam.

1) Serious Tavis. 2) Pensive Pallas. 2) Pondering Pit. 4) Bippi and a sun beam.

We were able to travel a few times this month, hitting some of our favorite spots, seeing family (although briefly), and watcher spotting out of town! We were able to walk some towns, some zoos, and some beaches .
At home, we watcher spotted, visited with friends, cat sat, made some food and ate out, went to the zoo, read books in bars, and general enjoyed the heck out of Brooklyn. 

1) I kept calling everything at the zoo "zebras" for some reason. 2) Finally back to beach combing. 3) Classic coffee. 4) Tavis refuses to DJ. 

1) I kept calling everything at the zoo "zebras" for some reason. 2) Finally back to beach combing. 3) Classic coffee. 4) Tavis refuses to DJ. 

So, happily and easily,  April budded into a beautiful bloom! It's Spring growth felt like it was propelling us with leafy tendrils into something new. We shot forward thru the month and now we can only wonder what May has in mind for us... 

Recently Researching: 2015 Goal House Plant Edition. Part One.

I wasn't sure where to put this blog topic... I could put it under 2015 goals bc taking care of my house and plants is a big goal for me this year. Or I could put it under Recently Researching bc, well, it's something I've been researching lately... So I kinda did a mash up of the two! I couldn't think of a super catchy name for it, tho. 

I think every house should strive to have three things: cats, musical instruments, and plants. Luckily, I've got all three covered. 

In effort to take better care of the plants I have (and therefore feel justified in getting more!), I've been researching my house plants. This is something that seems like a no brainer, but I've never actually done it before. I always claim to have no green thumb and maybe this is partly why. 

Here's a rundown of some of the plants I have, as well as some facts, and care for each. 

Aloe - This guy's a succulent, but I often forget that. That means that this soothing medicinal plant should be watered well, then let to dry completely before watering again. Aloe should be kept in bright light and a small pot, as it enjoys being root bound. Aloe's healing properties are well known, but I can never bring myself to break the leaves when I need to treat a burn or scrape. I keep a bottle Aloe Gel in the house for that instead.  Did you know that Aloe actually refers to a whole genus, so the typical plant we see is sometimes called "true" aloe. 
I've had a few different aloe plants, and I think my problem is that I over eater them. I moved my current plant to  the brightest window, and am trying to make it flourish, but at the moment, it's kind of languishing. 

Schefflera/Umbrella Tree - Again we have a plant that is commonly called by it's genus, but the big type we see in pots are usually the Schefflera actinophylla. This plant can grow quite large and full and flower when in the right environment. It can live in medium indirect sun, but prefers bright light. This plant should be watered well, then it's upper soil should be let to dry before watering again. If it's leaves turn yellow and fall off, it's under watered. If they turn black and fall off it's been over watered. (Mine tends to have the former problem). 
When we moved to Park Slope and into a larger apartment, I searched Craigslist for some larger plant and found the schefflera I currently have. We had a harrowing but memorable drive thru the neighborhood with it propped in the back of our truck. I call it our "bedroom tree" (every bedroom should have a tree!) and it's about 7 feet tall. The family we got it from said it was about 8 - 10 years old, then, so now it must be about 12 years old or older! We repotted it once, and it's not living it's best life. Sometimes it grows the cutest little baby new leaves, but mostly it just hangs around looking droopy. I've been trying to water this guy more regularly and I think it'll benefit when we open the windows so it can get fresh air and more light. 

Pothos Epipremnum Aureum - This is the most commonly seen Pothos, which has shiny light green, or variegated light and dark green leaves. The standard pothos grows well in low light, and is super easy to maintain, needing water only when it's soil is about 50% dry, or even dryer. Leave will yellow and fall if left too dry for too long. These plants prefer warm climates and will die if left to get too cold. Pothos prefer to be root bound, sending out long tendrils which can be pruned, or coiled to keep the plant bushy. These easy houseplants keep the air clean, so are good to have on hand, but can be poisonous to cats and dogs, so keep in a safe place!
I have quite a few of these guys, and most do really well. One was left by an open window, got too cold and is on it's last legs. One has some sort of white mildew which my schefflera also gets. I've found that giving it more sun after gently wiping away the white powdery substance usually solves the problem. Sometimes I forget to water them until I see the leaves start to droop. I'm trying to avoid this, but haven't had any dies like this. I've tried to propagate cuttings from some of my Pothos with mixed results. Some start growing roots right away and live long lives, but others fail completely. Growing new plants from cutting is a goal for me with these. My cats don't bother these plants much, so I don't worry about them, but I do try to keep them in higher places, if possible. 

Rubber Plant - This plant (ficus elastica) used to be grown for the rubber that could be made from it's latex which is like sap, but separate. Now it's mostly a decorative plant and it's cousin the Para Rubber Tree is grown to make the rubber we use today. These two trees actually have a different genus and the house plant is more closely related to the fig tree. It likes indirect light and does well in low, medium or bright as long as it's not direct. They don't need too much water and prefer it a little dryer in cooler climates. The leaves can yellow from being over or under watered but usually fall off if overly saturated. Rubber trees can grow quite large and get nice think trunks. This plant prefers warm temperatures and will die in cold weather, but overall I've found them to be quite hardy!
My rubber trees are my longest lived plants and I always have to stop myself from getting more and more of them. They are so easy to care for and lovely to have around. I do need to tie them up better as their branched can start to get wild and out of control. And I need to dust their leaves more often (or ever) bc it's better for them to be dust free. 

I've learned a lot about how to care for the house plants I currently have. And this is only the first installment. By my count, I have 9 or 10 more varieties to learn about! I feel that when I am better able to take care of my plants, I will be ready to get more. Hopefully by that time, we will be living in a more light soaked home and one where my plants can spend some summer days outside. Even house plants like a field trip!

Do you have an tricks or tips for these house plants? If so, I'd love to hear them in the comments! 

Check out my pinterest page for more on these and previous Recently Researching topics. 

 

 

 

Wardrobe Project: Some Little Things

At the beginning of 2015 I started what I'm calling my Wardrobe Project. My closets were full to the point of overflowing, but I could never find anything to wear. I started reading about minimalist wardrobes and decided it was time for a change. I'm not sure I'm aiming for a minimalist wardrobe, but I am aiming for less clothes in general, and I want those to be clothes I love and clothes that fit me well. 

Right away I could tell that this project would take some time. You can read about my first steps in this post. I don't feel rushed or stressed to finish this project, bc even when I get my closet manageable, which I know will take a long time, I still see this as an ongoing task. Maybe it never will be finished.  But everyday I try to chip away a little. 

Some little things I try to work on every day when I get dressed are the little things:

Warm winter socks to get packed away. Including the cat hair. 

Warm winter socks to get packed away. Including the cat hair. 

Socks 
I never have enough pairs of socks, do you? But for now they are one of the little ways I'm pairing down my wardrobe. I used to save socks with holes in them or that were worn down and threadbare bc I didn't want to mismatch a pair. Here's what lessons I've learned so far:
Throw away your holey socks! I've come to embrace mismatched socks bc I can wear them under boots, or as a second pair in the Winter.
When wearing mismatched socks, pair the ones that make sense. Like colors, weights and textures work best. 
Don't save the sock with the hole in the heel bc you might use it in a craft project! You won't.
Never return a holey sock to your sock drawer. When you find the unfortunate mate, throw it away immediately!  
Pair the remaining sock with it's mismatched friend ASAP. 
These few little steps have greatly reduced my lame sock stock and made it easier for me to find socks to wear each day. Socks are one of the few items I thought I would have to buy this year but so far, I haven't bought a single pair!

Underwear/Bras
Again, this may seem like a silly not-need-to-be-said thing, but I'm getting rid of undergarments that don't fit, don't feel good, have holes or old elastic, or I just don't like. If, when getting dressed, I find something like that, I get rid of it right away!
No more underwires. This is a decision I have come to. I hate them, they are not comfortable and really don't do that much for me, looks wise. Thankfully, I have this luxury.  Only soft and comfy boulder holders from now on. 
These items are also on my May Have to Buy list. But it hasn't happened yet.  

All types of knickers. 

All types of knickers. 

Bags, Belts, Hats, Scarves, etc...
So, I haven't actually tackled any of these things since starting the Wardrobe Project. But I plan to!  Through the years, I've already tried to pair these items down.
I only have a few purses that I've kept around, but it's time to go thru those again and make some cuts. I'm guilty of having a lot of tote bags, but I'm gonna go thru these bc I know some have holes, rips, are too dirty to be saved, etc... I plan to save some totes for "wearing" bags, and designate the rest "working" bags. With working bags, I plan to only keep those that are useful and needed. 
I think I have about 5 belts. All fabric and all comfy. But I don't need 5 out at a time. Next time I go thru my clothes to store for the season (it's coming up!), I plan to put some of these away. 
Hats are something that I need for work, but that I mostly don't enjoy wearing (with the exception of a good Winter knit). I plan to get rid of any that are lingering that I don't wear, pack away all the Winter ones, and find a place to store the few I need for work. A good new Winter hat is on my Need to Buy for next year, tho... Something to look forward to.  
I do love scarves. But here, too, I realize I only need a few each season. All Winter wear is getting put away and I'll also pack some favorites up for another time. 
Same goes for mittens, gloves, and other odds and ends. 

These ideas might seem like no-brainers to most, but they have really helped me both in practice and in mindset! When paring down my clothing,  I find every little bit helps.

Saturn's Return to New York

One of my goals for 2015 is to read more.  Check out the first book I read this year here. 

The second book I've read this year is Sara Gran's Saturn's Return to New York. I picked this one up bc I read two of her books last year and wanted to try her first novel. 

I liked the other novels that I have read by Gran, both of which were mysteries from her Claire Dewitt series. And I enjoyed her first novel as well. Saturn's Return to New York was not a mystery, but a slice-of-life about a thirty something New Yorker dealing with her bubbling emotions concerning her family and friends as she navigates the drug addled and angst drenched city. Gran's writing is comfortable and quick for all her dark topics. She whisks you along like a well informed but apathetic tour guide in your favorite city. And you want to see where the tour will lead you. 

Mary's an underachieving book lover writing reviews for an online seller and living comfortably, ambiguously but a little annoyedly under her mother's cold literary shadow. But when her mother falls ill, Mary must face her true feelings about their relationship, as well as the one with her long dead father. Soon all Mary's relationships come under scrutiny and it seems the planets are malaligned over her New York. 

I'd recommend Saturn's Return to New York to anyone who likes books about New York City, especially mildly gritty, angry ones. Or who like female authors who write about sex and drugs and rock & roll. Gran's writing reminds me of a more cynical, less mystical, old person version of the Weetzie Bat series by Francesca Lia Block. Even dealing with serious themes of loss and death, this is a pretty light an easy read. It would make a great plane book, I'm sure! You could bring it to the beach, but all the New York talk will make you feel like you should be dressed in chic head to toe black.

Have you read this book? Leave a comment!

Something New: Scrappy Pin Cushions

I'm sure we're not the only ones scrap busting in our house this year. Sometimes this is a hard activity for me. One way I'm trying to use up scraps this year is by making some scrappy little hearts. Another is to make scrappy over-sized pin cushions!

I try to pretty organically pick bits out of the scrap bins and match them together. I use a bit of scrap batting and pearl cotton or embroidery floss to quilt a quick handy design on them.  

I've been backing them all with a very soft cotton flannel that came in a friends destash. In most things, I don't like the grey, pink and blue plaid, but in these it's completely perfect. 
I fill them from a huge box of fiberfill that we've been working off of for two or three years... Now it's finally dwindling. I hear walnut shells are good for pin cushions. 

You can see the backing peeking out in the photo above. I'm hoping that they will be fun small things to sell at the markets I'm planning this summer. But for now, they are just fun little pillows!

Recently Researching: Jackfruit, Fabric Boxes, Wheat Pennies

It's been pointed out to me that I have a lot of (useless) knowledge about a variety of things and subjects. It's also been pointed out to me that I'm a nerd. 
If I hear or see something that I don't know about, I love to look it up and learn as much as I can. It seems to be a slightly rare thing to do. But it's so fun!

Here are some things I've been learning about in the past week or so:

From Google image search

From Google image search

Jackfruit
Are there more fruits nowadays? I'm always hearing about some fruit I don't recognize. And it makes me want to try all of them!! 
I had heard of jackfruit but didn't really give it much thought until I saw this recipe on The Minimalist Baker. This sandwich looks amazing! But what exactly is jackfruit? Well, I've learned it's a large fruit that's a cousin of the mulberry. It kinda looks like an unripe mulberry, but much bigger! According to Wikipedia it's the largest tree grown fruit and can reach up to 100 pounds!.  It grows in moist warm flatter areas of Asia, India, the Caribbean, Brazil and Mexico. The tree is cultivated in many of these nations but can also be considered an invasive species due to the fact that they are tasty to many animals who will eat the fruit and spread it's seeds.  The fruit apparently tastes both sweetly tropical and substantial, can be fibrous, or "custard like" with a musty smell. Every article comes with it's own vague description of the taste, but all can agree it's unique. The fruit has a bunch of goodness like dietary fiber and vitamin C and even a little bit of protein. And some think it would make a great food source for places where food is a scarcity. It seems to be readily available frozen or canned in Asian grocery stores but can also be found fresh in big cities. Even Amazon has it. Although these fruit seem a little hard to handle, they are a vegan favorite as they are versatile and can have a meaty texture. I'll be on the look out for these monster fruits, both fresh and jarred, and for more easy yummy looking recipes. 

From Fall for DIY

From Fall for DIY

Fabric Boxes
I don't like to sew on the machine, but I've been seeing fabric boxes that makes me want to try! These little boxes seem fun and cute and pretty easy for a sewing machine novice. Here are some of the patterns I would like to try:
Fall for DIY suggests using these boxes to cover plastic plant pots. What a neat way to spruce up those ugly plastic pots!
Noodlehead makes a fabric box with a sliding cover that would be awesome for organizing so many things! I could see this being great to take along on a car or plane trip. 
I have to find the first blog where I saw some cute fabric boxes, and what inspired me to look for more. The most simple design, but so useful and pretty! now I can't find it!
So now I've done my research, all that's left is to try Something New!

From Google image search

From Google image search


Wheat Pennies
I love to find old coins! I'm no numismatist but when I see an old or foreign coin, I can't resist keeping it! Wheat Pennies might be some of the most recognizable collectible American coins, as there are still many in circulation. But what makes a Wheat Penny a What Penny? And why don't they make them anymore? Recently I started wondering and had to find out more! 
When it came time to redesign the cent in 1905, the US Mint hired a sculptor to create the new images. To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of his death, the new cent was issued with the now familiar portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the front in 1909.  This coin features shafts of durum wheat, now popular for making pasta, surrounding the words "One Cent" on the back, and the Wheat Penny was born! The coin originally had the designer's initials on the back, as well, but was quickly changed. Few of the coins with the initials VDB still exist, and these are rare and expensive, possibly fetching up to $50. Through it's history, there were several changes made to the wheat penny's composition. Only one bronze penny is thought to exist and it sold for 1.7 million dollars in 2010 (the seller was from NJ, BTW.). The Wheat Cent was produced from 1909 until 1958 but the wheat shaft design was replaced with the portrait of the Lincoln Memorial the following year. 

From Google image search

From Google image search

You can find out more about these Recently Researched items on my Pinterest board! Or if you have an idea for a Recently Researching topic, leave it in the comments!

2015 Goal - Wardrobe

In January, I wrote down some goals I have for the year. I only marked down my general goals. I didn't want to get overwhelmed! I think it would be good to expand on each of the main topics. There are very specific things I want to accomplish within each goal section. 
I'll be breaking down what I want to get done for each goal over the year and posting updates. See the first goals I tackled here and here.

The goal we are looking at today is Wardrobe Makeover. 

I think people are surprised when they find out how much I love clothes and shopping. They are surprised that for much of my young life I wanted to be a fashion designer, took classes at FIT, and learned fashion illustration. My dreams of working in the industry died, but my love of clothes never did and that lead me to having way too many. 

At the end of 2014 I started realizing how much of a pain my over-flowing closet had become. There were piles of clothes all over, clean and dirty, making it hard to keep them sorted. Closet, hangers, drawers were flowing out all over. But with all these clothes, I could never find anything to wear. I guess this is a common problem. I started researching, started reading blogs about minimal wardrobes, and started realizing that I really wanted to change this chaotic aspect of my life. 

My first step was to read a lot! Some blogs I highly recommend are Unfancy and Reading My Tea Leaves and Rowdy Kittens. All of these ladies live very different lives and all those lifestyles are different than my own. They all have really interesting takes on the reasons and practices of minimal wardrobes. 

This cheapy sweater has been one of my favorite pieces this winter. I got it at Mandees by my house for like $16!

This cheapy sweater has been one of my favorite pieces this winter. I got it at Mandees by my house for like $16!

Next, I formulated some loose goals: I want to decrease my overall wardrobe. I want it to be easy to pick out what I'm going to wear each day. I want to only have clothes that fit well and feel good. And I want to spend less money and less time shopping. 

With those goals in mind, I decided to drastically reduce what was in my closet and set about sorting thru all of my clothes. But I love my clothes, I couldn't just give them all up! I knew I would have to go in baby steps. The first baby step was to get rid of anything that was emotionally easy for me to get rid of. Items I never wore, had out grown, or just didn't fit well went into a giveaway pile, a donate pile, or the trash (if they were really no good to anyone). I only got rid of things that were easy to get rid of. 
For the next baby step I used some advice from the blogs I had read: I thought about "my style". People often joke that I dress as if it's still the 90s, and why not? T-shirts, jeans, vans, hoodies and flannels, layered dresses, and funky sweaters are what I like to wear and what I feel comfortable in!
Next I went thru all the clothes that remained with "my style" in mind. I kept everything that I loved, that fit the season, that fit the description of my style, and put everything else into plastic bins. I have to wear black or white to work, so I also kept (almost) all of my work clothes. I put the bins away to be reculled at the end of the season. 
OK! I had drastically reduced my closet. I felt good about the progress I made and decided that it was a great start. 

I knew that a very important goal for me was to cut down on shopping. But I decided that I really needed to do more than cut down. I needed to stop. So I decided that besides a few items I needed I wouldn't clothes shop at all in 2015! Scary! But I knew that there were some items I would have to buy, so I hoped that would hold off my cravings. 

I started this goal for myself in January, and now 3 months later, I feel really good about what I've accomplished so far:
It's easier to find items to wear each day, I don't feel like I'm scrambling to find work clothes as much.
Almost everything I grab from my closet this season fits well and I feel comfortable in it. If I end up having something that does't feel good, it's easier for me to put it in the discard pile than it has been in the past.  
I end up wearing items that I enjoy, but got little wear out of, bc it's easier to find things as my closet isn't as full. 
I've only bought 2 items since Jan 1 2015. 

But all these accomplishments have also made it clear that I have a long way to go:
I still have way too many clothes. 
I still have items that don't fit well, or feel good. 
I have huge piles of laundry, left over from years of hording clothes, that hasn't even had the first cull yet. 
I have a whole new season and it's weight worth in clothes, to go thru!
My closet is still very messy and disorganized. 
I have a bunch of stuff in a "maybe" pile that I haven't tried wearing yet. 
I still have the urge to shop. 
I haven't donated any of the items I put aside, or sent any of my giveaway bundles. So all those clothes aren't in my closet but they're still in the house. 

Another Mandee find, cheap and versatile. I wear both these tops to work and for day to day! This flannel will be good for spring, too!

Another Mandee find, cheap and versatile. I wear both these tops to work and for day to day! This flannel will be good for spring, too!

I have some ideas about what to do next. I want need to go thru all my clothes again, then swap out the Winter clothes for more weather appropriate ones. Going thru all my clothes will be a seasonal activity but it will happen several times during the season as well. I plan on doing this, among other things, until I have my clothes at a more manageable number. Who knows how long that will take? But this as well as other things are good steps towards my overall goal!
 In upcoming months, I plan to keep working on this wardrobe project and posting about it. Just like the minimal wardrobe blogs I love reading, I hope my own trials and errors might help readers who might be struggling with the same issues.