Made Over

 A new year, a new look.

One box of darkdarkdark brown dye. A good trim and asymmetrical bangs via razor comb. Some white and pink embroidery floss. Earrings from my favorite jewelry artist. This super-easy new make-up trick.

From this to witch in exactly one year!

Symmetry

I bought these matching vintage lamps at the same time as the lamp in this previous post, for $6.00 each ($12.00 for both). I knew it'd be a long-shot to thrift matching lamp shades, so I caved and bought these from a big box store for less than $30 total (yikes!). I suppose the extra cost was worthwhile, as I have been grinning at them each time I walk past for four days now. 

This is the wall directly across from this one, and I love how its symmetry is mirrored. No matter how ready I'll be to leave Chicago, it's going to be tough leaving this apartment.

Happy Weekend! I'll be taking it easy and hopefully hosting a game night--our first time having a gathering of friends we've made here in Chicago. What are your plans?

DIY Grease-Fighting Liquid Dish Soap

After some struggle and playing a little "mad scientist" in the kitchen, I've struck up a pretty, pretty decent alternative to store-bought dish soap. Here's a little somethin'-somethin' for you to read about major brands is dish soap. There are many somethin'-somethin's on this subject for you to find out there, so this is just a jumping off point. 

 This recipe is natural, but please remember that natural does not mean that it's something you should eat or drink. If you're going to do a full load of dishes with this stuff by hand, be sure to wear some gloves to protect those lovely paws from drying out.

I already had all of these ingredients on hand (you will too, once you begin exploring the world of natural housekeeping), so it was unbelievably convenient to make. More convenient, in fact, than actually going to the store to buy more dish soap. The total cost of the soap breaks down to approximately $2.50, which is less than leading natural dish soap brands that I've found to be much less effective at cutting grease.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups water

1 cup Castile soap (Dr Bronner's is my preferred. The peppermint is what we always have on hand, but unscented would probably be ideal)

3 TBS Super Washing Soda (Found in most laundry aisles)

2 TBS Baking Soda

3 TBS White vinegar

10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil *optional (I chose tea tree, but lavender, lemon, and eucalyptus are great choices as well)

OPERATIONS:

1. Mix the water, castile soap, washing soda, and baking soda together in a non-reactive pot. On your stove, gently heat the mixture over medium-low flame. Whisk until the washing soda has completely dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and add the vinegar and essential oil. Mine did not bubble over, so I assume anyone who tries this method should be safe. If your kitchen turns into a middle school science lab, I apologize.

3. Allow your soap to cool and then transfer to your favorite liquid soap vessel. I always make sure to label my concoctions clearly, as well as mark their containers with the recipe for easy future reference.

Please note that this soap will not do much in the way of sudsing, but it WILL get the job done. As consumers we've been convinced that something isn't getting cleaned unless we see some bubbles, but often suds are the result of drying, harmful chemicals--totally artificial to most cleaning processes. 

An Eccentric and a Flake

Lately there's been a great deal of consideration done on my part towards my next steps in life and the future far ahead. My "now" and my future look much different than many of my peers', as I am sure many of my dear readers understand and can relate. Make no mistake, I  am not feeling down, simply reflecting, considering, deciding, and preparing. 

Street art on Randolph Street in Chicago. The piece on the left is made from reclaimed home trimmings.

"Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. 

In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy 

doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive. Ambition is only 

understood if it’s to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes 

an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities 

is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential-as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth. You’ll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you’re doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you’ll hear about them."

-Bill Watterson

 

Back in Iowa, I had the pleasure of not only making exceptional espresso at the city's favorite coffee shop, but also keeping up the chalk boards. The menus are done exclusively by hand, and I updated some of them weekly.

Being barista and chalk-wielder are two things I miss dearly, so I was thrilled when offered the old menu board from Jake's Chicago coffee shop. It may not be a job any longer, but I will certainly keep it as a hobby.

Make no mistake, this board is the size of my car--almost four feet tall and 7 to 8 feet wide--which made it difficult to get home. It looked a lot like this, but much less stable. Now that it's home safely, it will be the perfect thing to fill up our bare wall in the entryway and offer greetings and art space for our guests. My first-ever chalk board greeting was for birthday kids Josh and Jessica, who were to spend their birthday weekend with us here in Chicago until the snow ruined our plans.

Eventually it will be hung, but the whole hallway is full of "eventuallys." Eventually, we'll put up a couple more coats of orange paint to hide the blue underneath and touch up the white trim. Eventually, we'll either pull up the hideous carpet or get a decent rug. Eventually, we'll put a privacy curtain over the front door. 

Here's a peak at the other side of the wall, in all of its undone glory:

Outfit: Color Warrior

 With the season's first winter storm (in mid-January? No complaints!), I'm back into wishful dressing.  Just because the whole outdoors is grey does not mean that I need to be.

Top: Discount buy from a big box store, $2.00

Skirt: Vintage and home-sewn, a birthday gift from my handsome roommate

Hat: My favorite of all time, crocheted vintage from a church sale, $.25

Necklace: From the one and only Luxe Debris, who is now hand-etching the most amazing pieces!

Belt: Vintage gold, silver, and copper makes for a perfect match in any jewelry situation, $.25

Tights: Discounted from a big box store, $3.50

Boots: Thrifted in Des Moines on New Year's Day 2010, $4.00

Approximate Total: $10.00

Happy Weekend!

Stay safe and warm this weekend!

We may be hosting some if our greatest buddies over the next few days, but it looks like an impending blizzard will be thwarting our much anticipated plans.

In the case that I'm snowed in and buddy-less I'll be sewing, cooking comfort foods, and figuring out what to do about my mess of hair. It hasn't been this long since I was 22 and I'm reminded now of how boring it can feel. Any suggestions would be welcomed!

Here is an unfortunate phone photo of myself sans make-up or styling for extra effect of desperation: