Sewing circle.

There are few people who can do it all. My grandma, I think, is one of them. When people ask me what I want to be when I grow up, I tell them, "Olga Hernandez". 

I'm serious. There's never a shortage of love and laughter around this woman (not to mention amaaazing Cuban cooking and serious trend-setting); this woman who's taught me to value family above all else. She also taught me how to sew. 

I could sit for hours watching her and my great-grandmother sew on the machine or by hand. When I was eight, she gave me fabric scraps to create my very first hand-sewn "quilt" that I took EVERYWHERE. I remember sitting in the lobby before ballet class just stitching away. And while I don't think the quilt ever got as big as I wanted it to be (I had bedspread dreams, just goin for the gold!), I do know that the experience made me want to learn more, do more. Lela was more than thrilled to show me how. And when my great-grandma passed, she gave me the sewing machine they'd bought for her when she finally joined them in the United States in 1972 (and it still works amazingly well). 

Since then I've fallen in and out of love with the craft, never quite mastering it but still enjoying every second I spend in front of a sewing machine. And when I found the Minnesota Model A on my Galveston trip, I died. When my grandma saw it, you can imagine the reaction. Her grandmother had one just like it in Cuba. 

In honor of National Sewing Month (and because restoration of the Minnesota is driving me crazy with excitement, and I just miss sewing in general) I hope to finish a few projects this month, whether that means making a dent in my thrifted 'to be altered' pile, or starting something from scratch. I finally found a flexible pattern that I love...but full credit goes to People Webs for the that because watching her sewing progress (and her crochet projects!) over the years has been such an inspiration. 

And with the help of my ever-enthusiastic Lela, I know it'll happen. PS how babin' is my grandma right now? So incredibly lucky to have this woman in my life as a BLOOD RELATION. She's amazing. You don't even know. 

Minnesota update: I found a leather treadle belt online and fitted it to the machine...it works like a DREAM. I just have to find one more tiny piece and it'll be ready for use! Aaahh! And then maybe I'll find a decent place to photograph it, finally. 

Bits & Pieces: September Issues.

And I'm talking more than just magazines here. Specifically, I have a bone to pick with Vogue, with fashion, with my own bifurcated mind when it comes to all of these things as they relate to women. As they relate to myself. It's no secret that fashion has always been an influential force in society. It's functioned as a means to denote status and wealth, separate the classes, define gender roles, and, you know, everyone wears clothes so why wouldn't it be the most nonverbal form of self-expression? Because of that, it's easy to see how clothing, this most intimate fabric of our lives*, the mere CREATION of it, is an art form, requiring a specific skill set and eye for that self-expression. A means to bring out that personal sense of "style" in others. It defines some of us, while others could care less. But that's not really the issue here.

Vogue has been lauded (lauding itself, rather) on being this voice for women, loosely tracing the feminist movement from the taboos of showing nothing but neck and ankle to the free spirited baring of arms and legs and so on. Highlighting feminine beauty. Dressing women appropriately for the groundbreaking roles they've played throughout the years. That said, my love/hate for the fashion industry and its steadily pulsing vein in our culture stems from the vanity, self-righteousness, and emphasis on outward appearance, though I'm just as guilty of wanting to look my best as the next girl. I'm just thinking out loud, and thinking that maybe the focus is too much on that. Too much on what to wear, what's in and what's not (the real trailblazers break such barriers...but then that's part of the legacy of feminist fashion in of itself)…

At the end of the day, you wear what you wear, prioritize what you do, and go from there. It's the ones that take it way too seriously that scare me a little, but without those people, we'd have no great designers, no bulky magazines to ogle every month September, no tailors and seamstresses dedicated to their craft. That’s just the gradual shift from hand-sewn clothing as a necessity to mass-produced ready-to-buy or clothing to catwalk that’s less about functionality and more about art form. (I myself love to sew, so what does that say about me?) When I say fashion is a guilty pleasure, I mean it. Guilty.as.charged. So this week I'm giving in and shutting down the half of my brain that hates the drama/judgement/nitpicking that fashion brings out in some people (who wore the dress best? WHO CARES) and sharing some of my um...favorites from the fashion world. It is, after all, September. 

1. Ten Vogue firsts. Mainly I like the phrase "ushering in a new era for the working woman".  

2. Chloe FW 2012 ad campaign. My heart. But see, as much as I'd like to dress all classy every single day, I'd much rather live my life in secondhand/vintage/something that's not jeans and a tshirt (no offense). Mainly because fashion magazines are my art journaling/general crafting mecca, and most of the shoots are interesting and well done. See above. (Also I am broke. So there). 

3. Um, just celebrating the man that is Marc Jacobs because he's my favorite designer. As in, him personally. And his stores in NY. I could make a cozy home. His designs aren't always my thing but I love his weirdness, his total outoftheboxness (though I WILL say I basically want to live in his S/S 2010 line forever...also his purple highwaisted jodhpur jeans and no I don't still have a picture of them framed on my wall. Absolutely do not). How he turned some of the craziest, most ridiculous things into iconic fashion. It's no secret I (still) want a tattoo of his initals on my wrist, or his actual name on the back of my neck, in the typical MJ branding font. Just BECAUSE. Have you seen HIS tattoos? Ok then. Don't judge me. 

4. Isabel Marant F/W 2012 campaign...yes.I.do. Also, LOVING the hair. Way to go Arizona Muse for pulling it off so beautifully/tempting me to chop mine off when I've come so far! Ahhhh. 

5. Technically this isn't September anything. But apparently James Franco has been making these 'episodes' for 7 For All Mankind. This is for the spring collection BUT it has this end of summer feel that vibes September, ya know? Whatever. I like it. 

6. The goggles are my favorite. Can I be on this train? Dear Louis Vitton, I really have no respect for your work whatsoever but this is a nice shot. So, you know, maybe I retract the former statement. But only slightly. 

7. Ok, tired of talking about way outta my league expensive fashion things. I have 11 months to recover from this high society headache, so in the meantime, here's a really great read for anyone interested in being a better writer, blogger, etc  via the ever amazing Sarah of Yes and Yes! Happy Thursday! 

*You guys, I actually used that in a post. Commence full-body cringe. 

Killer Queen.

1 / 2 / 3

So, I mentioned in a Five Things post awhile back that I want to visit where Freddie Mercury was buried, and how that presents a slight problem because he was cremated. Well. That just goes to show how much I love this man who would have been 66 TODAY. 

I was initially drawn to Queen the way many people are- Bohemian Rhapsody is probably the most well-known, catchy song by them besides We Will Rock You and Another One Bites the Dust. I mean. Is there a lyric to any of those songs you DON'T know? Ok maybe. But that's not the point. Beyond the mad crescendos and GalieloGalileos I found something more incredible; the beauty of an idiosyncratic, theatrical band and the man behind the microphone with a vocal range to rival any man (and most women) I know. 

I remember a lot of late night art projects with News of The World and Night at the Opera spinning on my record player in highschool. Long roadtrips with nothing but me and Freddie, windows down belting out track after track at the top of our lungs to see who could hold each note the longest. He won every time, duh. 

These days I mainly listen to their live concert recordings because um, hello the energy. You can practically taste it, you're so close. It vibes in your bones. Chills to the max. 

Ok ALSO, how brilliant a name is Freddie Mercury? I mean. I've never gotten over that. So incredibly fitting for a man who was the center of attention, the main attraction. I guess that's the magic of the whole thing, the charm. When I become a legendary musical powerhouse, I can only hope you guys will give me half that kind of credit. Seriously.

Happy birthday Freddie. You're missed. Also, I'm jealous that my uncle's first concert experience was seeing you live. So you know, maybe come back and play me a song or something. MISSED.  

Five Things I Miss

Cara and I are waxing a bit nostalgic in this week's FT list! As always, feel free to join in the fun and post your own list. Don't forget to leave us your link in the comments! 

1. Having an apartment and the most uh-MAZING roomates ever in San Marcos, with the river two seconds away (and all my fraaaans) 

2. Anything and everything related to coffee, dark chocolate, dessert in general, cranberries, and colby jack/muenster cheese

3. The moment I stepped off the bus in Shashemene, Ethiopia; the thrill of it, the beautiful people

4. Attending a university...being in a random, exciting community in general

5. Feeling whole (the other half of my brain lives in Waco, ugh)

Easy Art Journal Organizer.

My little sister likes to hang out in my room while I art journal, and as I got more into it (read: buried under paper scraps and general ephemera) she decided to start one of her own! I was SO thrilled. She's always running into my room with her journal like "BIRD LOOK AT THE PAGE I JUST FINISHED!" haha. I LOVE it.so.much. And when her birthday rolled around I wasn't quite sure what to give her...but then it hit me. She already has unlimited access to my supplies, but how cool would it be to have a stash of her own? (And also clear her desk of all the scrapbook paper and pages she's torn out of magazines). 

My favorite thing about this little organized starter kit is the fact that it's quick and cheap to assemble, as well as easy cleanup for the person using it (that's probably my mom's favorite part). Another cool thing is the adaptability of the concept for all ages and interests. Of course, if I were to make this for one of my friends, I might upgrade to a plastic storage container, etc etc. ANYWAY. Here's what's inside!  

 The Basics

-Folder for scrapbook and other paper (which, like I said, my sister already has plenty of)

-What art journaling experience is complete without a great playlist?! I compiled a mix of our favorite 'sister songs'

-Stamp and stamp pads ($1 each at Michael's)

-Neon rainbow gel pens (88cents)

-Gluesticks (from my own massive stash)

-Stickers! She's really into mustaches right now so I HAD to get some of those, along with the Phineas & Ferb ones (confession: I bought the P&F ones for myself too; at $1 each? HAD TO)

-Decorative tape: I have a really limited supply of washi tape/can't really afford to buy it regularly, so I started printing patterns on label paper and cutting it into strips to use. Not exactly the same thing, but just as cute! I gave her some of my favorites. 

-Large ziploc bag for paper scraps: I have all of my scrapbook/art journaling paper organized in a plastic bin with hanging file folders, but I still use this method for my small scraps. As of right now it's busting at the seams so I need to do something about that, ha.

-Odds & ends: I have a box of random found objects I like to use in my journaling, so I put together a little bag of miscellaneous notecards, envelopes, pictures, photo corners...anything that could possibly be used to add interest to a page. My hope is that she adds her own little elements as she journals. 

Last but not least...

-Prompt cards! The baby bird has a beautiful creative spirit but we all have those days when we're just stumped and need a little nudge of inspiration. I wrote out different ideas for art journaling pages on notecards and put them in an envelope. 

The final product! Again, nothing but the basics. Shoebox storage and mini organizer tray I found around the house. There's even room for her to store her journal in the box too! Everything stays neat and tidy. If only MY craft supplies were this organized! 

She really loved her gift, and literally ran upstairs with it the minute she'd looked through everything. I can't wait to see what she comes up with! 

Hope you had a fabulous Labor Day weekend! Did you do anything exciting? Have you ever made a kit like this (or in general) for someone before? 

Around here.

I've been delving into my anthropology book like it's Christmas, no joke. (It is, after all, my major).

And because it's September and fashion is my guilty pleasure I bought the Vogue September issue and have been going through it at breakfast the past few days...um 916 pages?! Pretty impressive...it's a stellar 120th anniversary issue so far (though I don't really buy these things for the writing, hello). So congrats to Anna Wintour and the gang on that I guess. 

I picked up Women at a garage sale on Saturday and the photography is just amazing. Um Annie Leibovitz?! Please. Essay by Susan Sontag?! So there. "A book of photographs of women must, whether it intends to or not, raise the question of women- there is no equivalent 'question of men'. Men, unlike women, are not a work in progress." Think on that for a bit; I'll be sharing my own two cents once I've processed the work as a whole. 

And Allen Ginsberg, well. You know. His poetry is my break from life. 

Oh, and re-reading all the interviews in the last Lab Magazine. Because they're so much fun, and I think (don't quote me on this) a new issue comes out this month. Which is completely unrelated as to why I'm re-reading this one. But anyway. 

ALSO. 

Thursday was the baby bird's birthday (she's eleven...um what? When did that happen? She's also six inches taller than me already???) and I decorated the house, baked some chocolate cupcakes with espresso buttercream frosting upon request. She was my resident taste-tester for The Boyfriend's cupcake batch and liked them so much she wanted some for herself! It's been one helluva birthday blitz around here, lemme tell ya. More on that tomorrow.

ALSO!

Meet the newest member of my ever-growing analog camera family! I've been on the prowl (ok not really, I'm just bein drama) for a 35mm and my neighbor's garage sale (same as above) put an end to my search! Um WHEN did they become so cool and WHY do they have to move out NOW?! I spent half an hour talking to the husband about art and photography (they were also selling a complete darkroom set...MY HEART...but I have nowhere to use it! Sad day!) But enough about that. Enter the Minolta SRT SC-II, commence my heart exploding into a billion pieces because I couldn't/still can't believe it was so cheap/is now mine. The camera came with two extra lenses, detachable flash, leather case in great condition, and manuals for everything except the camera itself. But thank Google, I found a free pdf on my first search! 

So, you know, happiness. 

And I'm gladly accepting any/all expired 35mm film at this point and time. Mostly I'm kidding. But seriously.  

ALSO. I could go for this three day weekend stuff a little more often. Can I get an amen? 

Dear September.

You're the end of summer, beginning of fall semester. Back to the books, notetaking, coffee shop study sessions (NERDALERT), and fingers that cramp from writing so much. Friends back in town from international adventures, friends moving closer and farther away. Fingers crossed for cooler weather, but then again this is Texas. More connection and courage and patience and soaking up knowledge wherever it's found; less stress, less stress, less stress. 

More hope. 

Digging deeper. 

Being raw and open and letting go. 

Let's do this, yeah? 

PS it's officially National Sewing Month my friends! I'm soso excited. My mood as of late has been yarn and needle and pedal and thread. I got the belt for my Minnesota A (which I've STILL yet to share pictures of, gahhh sorry) in the mail this week so I'm one MAJOR step closer to restoring that baby for use! My grandma is probably the only person as, if not MORE, excited than I am about it, haha. She's the best. 

Happythreedayweekendfriendlies!