my dottie angel frock

 



You know who dottie angel is, don't you? She lives over at mossy shed and has the most beautiful crafty life. Here's a little video to introduce you: Click HERE Please

THE Tif Fussell

 

I've admired Tif Fussell for an awfully long time. You can find her on Instagram @dottieangel. So when I found out that she had created a pattern of her famous dottie angel frock for Simplicity Patterns, I was first in line. In fact, this may be one of the few sewing patterns that I've bought lately for which I actually paid full price. That is how much I love this girl!

the frock

 



the pattern



a  classic dottie angel pose
dress ~ made by me
neck-hiding turtle neck ~ J Crew
leggings ~ Capezio
orthopedic clogs ~ Yes!!! Effing ORTHOPEDIC CLOGS! ~ Merrell

This project was lots of fun and very easy to make. I used some plaid that I found in the discount bin. I think it may have been school uniform fabric which makes me very happy.

And I recycled the plaid for the pockets and tie from THIS dress.

I raised the neckline both front and back and replaced dottie angel's adorable apron pockets with plain old square connie snow pockets.

That's what I like about this pattern, it is super simple to personalize.

my ever increasing backside all tied up with a bow!
ah..the joys of middle age

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH TIF. I LOOOOOVE MY FROCK!!!!

And speaking of things that I Love,

because I subscribe to the New York Times,

I received a Google Cardboard NYT/VR.

Virtual Reality. My Favorite Kind of Reality These Days. Click HERE for the details.

I am completely Bonkers over this thing. It is Exquisitely Trippy.

 In fact, sometimes I actually trip while looking at it.

 Wish I could let you in on it but you'll just have to either come over to my house or get your own.

Thank you New York Times and Google.



Well....I think that is Quite Enough of moi en plaid for one day.

Therefore.....

 

I'm heading over to Patti's Visible Monday to see what the kids are up to over there.

~~~~~~~~~~

And even though this has nothing to do with Anne's 52 Pick-me-up prompt of green acorn I'm going to visit her as well just cuz I like her so darn much.

All I Have Wished For Will Be

I am OBSESSED with Ruth St. Denis.

 

2014 was a Crazy Year for me. You may or may not know that I have really struggled with my health over the past two years. And this year. 2014. I discovered that I had been misdiagnosed and was being treated for the WRONG THING all this time! See what I mean? Crazy.

But the Good News for me is that I found an adorable doctor (those are two words that you don't often see together) who is finally helping me to get back to myself.

This is why I think she is adorable ~ she correctly diagnosed me and is helping me to get better AND she loves to shop at Thrift Stores!!! Whenever I have an appointment with her we compare notes about the local Thrift Shop Scene.
 Thrift Girl Power! Yeah! 

 

Did you know that just smelling Rosemary can alleviate anxiety? Well it's True!

I always told myself that if for some reason I ended up in prison I would pass the time by learning a new language. I have no idea what I would have done to put me into prison but...you just never know, right? Well, being ill all this time FELT like prison. I did not learn a new language but I definitely gave the swear words in my own language a workout.

So here are a few things I did to pass the time.

Here's where I spent too much of 2014. In my bed. The picture of the vintage shoes is to remind me that very soon I will be wearing actual CUTE SHOES once again. Yes. I. Will.

Cute shoes, n'est-ce pas? 

I read a lot. Mostly books about feisty women. 

I did some knitting.

 Look at that. I Macgyvered a bread bag clip to keep the yarn from slipping off of the end of the knitting needle.

 

I won this beautiful necklace of a swinging girl from Coulda Shoulda Woulda's Instagram giveaway that I was not even aware that I had entered. Thank you so much Naomi. It is PERFECT.  

I took lots of scenic car drives.
This is the gorgeous Self Realization Fellowship In Encinitas, California all lit up for the holidays.

 

And I did a bit of on-line shopping. This 70's hippie dress is from Thriftwares Vintage.

I just love it so much. I can't wait to wear it out in public while wearing SHOES.

 

Crimson Ball Sinks From View.

Click HERE for some Donovan wonderfulness.

So CHEERS to a HAPPY HEALTHY Running Around Doing What You Want New Year for EVERYONE!!!

 

So what do YOU do to help pass the time when you are housebound?

 

I'll be recycling Radiant Orchid at Spy Girl's 52 Pick-me-up: Pantone Party

And joining the fancy dress party at Patti's Visible Monday



I'm In The Fast Lane From LA To Tokyo

"First things first I'm the realist."

~~~~~~~

After my last post, many of you commented on my nice house. Thank you so much!! I'm working on it. But I don't want to give anyone the impression that I am one of those Look-At-My-Gorgeous-Home/Children/Cooking/Fashion/LIFE kind of blogs. I LOVE those kind of blogs. I really do. But around here it's more of a Warts-And-All kind of situation. 

 

 

Oops. Burned my toast AGAIN! I actually like burned food. I think that means I have some sort of vitamin deficiency or something.

 

 

I'll doctor it up with some sunflower seed butter and chia seeds. That should help.

 

 

I read the New York Times while I eat breakfast. Even though we live thousands of miles away from New York I just HAVE TO read the New York Times. I never ever read the local newspaper. I have No Idea what is going on around here.

 

 

This is my view every morning. Doggy bottom and a bag o' poop.

I lead such a glamorous life.

I know for a fact that some of you walk out of your door EVERY DAY looking like a Million Bucks.

This is how I walk out of my door.

 

20 year old straw hat ~ needs repair
vintage prescription Ray Bans
souvenir t-shirt from my insurance company for crying out loud!
cut-off grey sweat pants ~ classy!
Reef flip flops.  Reef makes the BEST flip flops. They have an arch support. No kidding!

"Let's get drunk on the mini-bar."

 

 

It has been so long since I've been able to wear "real" shoes that I have acquired a rather impressive flip flop tan line.

 

 

My dusty unworn shoe pile. Sigh...

 

 

This is my Inspiration Board. It explains A Lot. I haven't even gotten around to hanging on the wall.

 

 

 

This is Winda, the first doll I ever owned. She gives my family the creeps so she has to live in the closet.

 

 

Winda is so Punk Rock. This is her original 1950's dress.

 

 

"You should want a bad bitch like this."

~~~~~~~

The experts say that as you get older you should learn a new skill in order to keep your mind nimble. I decided to memorize the lyrics to rap songs so that when they finally haul me off to "the home" I'll probably be mumbling about pimps and ho's. I decided to start with "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea because I thought it would be easy. I performed it for my daughter and the look on her face was either Horror or Delight. It was hard to tell.

 

thrifted polyester lady blouse ~ Goody is right. Polyester is a good summer fabric.
8 year old floppy flares from the sale room at Anthropologie. Love the Anthro sale room.

 

"I can hold you down like I'm givin' lessons in physics."

 

All of my clothing must adhere to the Get-Down Rule. I must be able to easily Get Down onto the ground without hurting or embarrassing myself or anyone around me. Then I have to be able to get back up again. Yep.

 

 

 I inherited this beautiful 1960's fish necklace from my mother-in-law. She loved her jewelry.

 

 

 

So what do you do to keep YOUR brain working smoothly????? 

 

 

I be stuntin' over at Patti's Visible Monday
Hey, who dat over at Anne's 52 Pick-Me-Up?

Read Any Good Books Lately?

I have an enormous pile of books that I keep dusting off. I just can't seem to get around to reading them.

It's not that I don't read. I read all the time. I just can't get around to actual BOOKS.
Why is this so difficult?
Because I have a subscription to THE NEW YORKER!!!
I love The New Yorker. I read it from Maira Kalman Cover to Sempe Cover and Everything in between! And just when I finish one issue another one appears in my mail box! It's like an enormous literary schmorgasbord that never ends. And I don't want it to!
But since many of you may not read The New Yorker, you may not have heard of my friend whose cartoons appear in the magazine (well, she's not actually my friend in real life but she feels like a friend) ROZ CHAST.

 

Here's just a mini sampling of her work:

 

 

 

If you want to see more of her work. And you know you do. You can check out her website HERE.

Or you can go score The New Yorker.

Then you too can acquire a dusty unread pile of books just like me!

BTW, I am not paid by nor do I work for The New Yorker. Although if they'd like to offer me a job...

 

Uniq tencel plaid shirt ~ retail and worth every penny
leather belt ~ vintage
skirt ~ Land's End ~ makes me look like a teapot...it is on its way to Goodwill!
glasses ~ Warby Parker

 

This Post qualifies me to join up with The Marvelously Multi-Talented Maricel's

Thoughtful Third Thursday...also hosted by Sweet Selah.

And I believe I am vaguely channeling a bitter old 1940's librarian. So that qualifies me to join up with Anne for 52 pick-me-up 1940's.

Aaaaaannnddd...Patti's Magic Mirror.

See you there!

 

Note: all Roz Chast Cartoons via Pinterest



Stroll Around the Grounds Until You Feel at Home

It's a sunny breezy day.

Let's take a Stroll around the La Costa Resort, shall we?

 I love this California Mission Style of Architecture or California Romantica as it is sometimes called.

It involves a lot of Wrought Iron Scrolls and Swirls.

I am a serious Swirlophile. I have a Pinterest board devoted to Swirls.

You can check it out HERE if you'd like.

And don't even get me started on Fibonacci Spirals!

If it's been a long time since Math Class, THIS GIRL will explain it to you.

 

 

 

Rumor has it that this place was built with Mob Money.

I really hope so. I love sordid facts.

this is the only photo where I wasn't in mid-sneeze

 

As I was hobbling around I realized that my Urban Outfitters skirt matched the architecture so I asked the gardener to take a photo of me. I then proceeded to have a MAJOR hay fever attack. I sneezed so much that I think I scared him. He looked alarmed, snapped a photo, jumped into his truck and drove away Very Quickly.

I really must show you a close up of my Bag. I bought it years ago from an illegal street vendor in NYC ~ a bit of a sordid fact.

The kitty looks just like my dear departed cat Haley Mills who was gobbled up by a coyote one foggy night ~ a sad and sordid fact. She was a tough cat, though. I'm sure she put up a good fight.   

Well it looks as though our stroll has ended.

 Thank you so much for joining me.

Gesundheit!

 

Linking up with another beautiful kitty ~ PATTI!!!

And joining the mathletes with ANNE!!!

Note: La Costa is VERY Wheelchair Accessible :-)