The Ralph Lauren Bed Skirt. . .Skirt

This is my first and only piece of Ralph Lauren clothing. . .and I made it! 

I had this Ralph Lauren bed skirt that I couldn't use on my bed because we have a base-board that doesn't allow for a bed skirt.

I keep seeing fashion shows and reading in fashion magazines that a great closet staple is a knee-length khaki gathered skirt. It's flattering on every figure and looks great with everything from a tank top, to a sport coat, to a nice sweater. I really wanted one, so I made one!

Here's a tip I learned from reading several other blogs: to make a gathered skirt that looks good on you specifically, measure your waist line and multiply that by 3. That's how much material you need. Even though this material was pre-gathered, I still had to baste it to gather it properly. I added a folded-over panel of fabric to the top for a belt-line and this is what I came up with:

Obviously, I couldn't wear it like this because there is too much material around the waist. I thought about darting it like the picture below:

But I have a very short torso, and I felt like this option would assure that I wouldn't wear this skirt, like...ever!

So then I got the bright idea to make the skirt in such a way that I could wear it two ways, as a hip hugger:

All I do is fold the fabric over and it fits the top of my hips. This helps me looks like I'm not as stumpy as I really am. However, the back had these two corners sticking out from where I'd sewn the zipper, so I sewed this decorative piece over to make sure the back lies flat:

Here's a close-up if you couldn't see it in that last picture:

But if I want to wear it with more of a high-waisted effect, I can also fold it back up, because I sewed belt loops along the top:

This give a cute retro, "bread bag" waistline look. 

As one last little touch, I even left the "Ralph Lauren" tag on the inside seam! Haha...

The End!

The Sherry Dress

My sister-in-law (and great friend!), Sherry, is having a miracle baby (whole other story). She asked if I would make her a dress. I am willingly ignorant about many things when it comes to having children, but I know a few things about maternity clothes: Pregnant women love the comfort but hate the style. Sherry is an awesome person, so it took me awhile to come up with her dress.

First, I asked her to give me a dress of hers that she liked. It was a purple tank top dress. She wanted a dress that she could wear to work, so the dress I would make would need sleeves. I laid the purple dress on the floor and traced the basic outline of it and then added sleeves to my pattern, but also made a sort of criss-cross front, because that is flattering to the female figure. Sherry has awesome shoulders, so I braided some strips of material and sewed them onto the shoulders. She also requested that I make it a maxi dress. Maxi dresses are automatically more comfortable than shorter dresses. If you are a woman, you understand why without my explaining...

I went to Walmart and found this really soft grey jersey fabric. The problem with it, though, was that it was kind of see-through, so I had to layer it. If you have ever worked with jersey, you can understand what a headache it is to try to sew several layers of it together. The advantage, though, is that now it's not see-through, so she can wear it confidently throughout the summer. Anyways, this is what I came up with:

Doesn't she look so cute? And she can wear it after she delivers, because I pleated the front of the skirt part instead of gathering it, so it will lay flat later on.

I love you, Sherry!

Diet Apocalypse Soup

So, if you're like me, you are constantly hungry. One way I stave off hunger, maintain my weight, and save money is to make bean soup. It's super high in flavor, fiber, vitamins, and protein but low in sodium and fat. It's a recipe handed down to me for years and years from mine own head. It's a bit labor-intensive (takes about 3 or 4 hours), but you can do other things while it's cooking.  Also, it makes you feel like an olden-timey kitchen maid or a witch from Macbeth.

I know it's an odd time of year for such a hearty meal, but you can eat it cold if the weather is too hot. Leastwise, you will eat off it for days and days...maybe weeks or months: Hence the apocalypse reference. Here's how I do it:

Get these staples:

1. A huge stock pot. (Remember when you made laundry soap? Use that one.)
2. A ladle.
3. An iron skillet.
4. A wooden spatula

These main ingredients:

5. Four or five bags of dry beans (It doesn't matter what kind. Pick your favorites! I usually buy one of those 15-bean bags and add three or four bags of whatever bean is cheapest at the store. I like lentils and split peas. Don't buy canned beans because that's gross.)
6. Some chopped up meat (Not much. Let's say 1/2lb. I use either the lowest fat/sodium sausage I can find or else ground turkey. Meat is kinda optional. I only add it to keep my husband happy happy happy.)
7. Mustard (I like honey, dijon, or spicy, but regular is fine too.)
8. Garlic and onions (I usually use about 3/4c of minced garlic, and two onions.)
9. 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes (Or use 3 or 4 fresh ones for even lower sodium.)
10. 3 peeled potatoes (You won't be eating these.)
11. Chili powder (Or dried red peppers.)


Then choose whatever you like from the following:

Carrots, Celery, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Peppers,.....any vegetable (or spice) you want. You can add as much as you want as long as it all fits into the pot. Apples are a great addition because they add fiber and texture. You can also throw in any compatible left overs like chili or spaghetti sauce that haven't gone bad yet, but that you probably aren't going to eat otherwise.

Directions:

1. Empty all your beans into the pot. Cover them with water, swish your hand around in them, and dump out the excess water. You can repeat this several times. Then cover them with several inches of water and stick your pot into the fridge overnight.

2. The next day, swish your hand in the beans again and drain the water. You can wash them again a few times if you want, but eventually pour some warm water over them till there is about an inch of water above them. Put the pot (covered) on the stove on medium high heat, and bring to a gentle boil. You may have to stir a few times. Don't put it on high heat, because you risk scorching the soup. (This is experience talking!)

3. While that is happening, peel three potatoes and toss them in. This is to "de-gas" your beans. If you have a stomach of iron, I suppose you can skip this part, but don't ask me to sit next to you.

4. Once a boil is achieved, turn the heat down low. Like really low. Like almost off. Trust me on this one. Even one degree too high can scorch you a nice black layer of evilness on the bottom of your pot. Not everyone has as nice a husband as I do who is willing to scrub that off! You will let this simmer for three hours, stirring every 15-30 minutes.

5. Do another activity for two and a half hours that won't take you too far from your pot. Nap, workout, TV, read, sew, clean, pick your nose, etc.

6. During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, saute some garlic and chopped onion in your iron skillet. Then, add some meat. You can either microwave your meat ahead of time and drain the fat, or you can just use something low fat like turkey and brown it in your skillet. The little bit of fat in the meat will add some lubrication to the skillet. (You can add more vegetables here if you want. Sauted vegetables/fruit taste better than boiled.)

7. Once the three hours are up, remove and toss the potatoes (Don't eat them! They are full of gassy nastiness!). Then, add the tomatoes into the pot along with the contents of your skillet (and leftovers if you want).

8. Add some mustard and some chili pepper. Go easy on the pepper and careless with the mustard. Mustard is the secret to a super great bean soup, as far as I'm concerned. Also, the longer chili pepper boils, the hotter it gets.

9. Simmer all these ingredients for another 30 minutes doing several taste tests along the way to check if you need more mustard.

All done! All you need now is some black pepper and a light sprinkling of your favorite cheese on top. Cornbread is a nice addition to such a meal. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients each time.

It's fun, healthful, and keeps you full so you don't need a midnight snack. Also, if you go easy on the meat and cheese, it will clean you out like a nice yummy scrub brush.

This soup will feed approximately a million people and costs between $15 and $20 to make. Actually it makes about 30 servings, but if you add a little more water it will go even farther.

Since I live with just my husband, I end up freezing about 3/4 of it in plastic containers or freezer bags and pull one out every once in while when I don't have time to make dinner. It's so much better for you than a frozen entree at the grocery store and just as fast to reheat and serve.

If war breaks out, you're ready!

Ultimate Travel Multi-Wear Shirt

I had this idea in my head, and I had a few hours last Friday, so I made it. It is reversible and can be worn in any setting from super casual to very dressy. Why don't you scroll down and see?

I used these three shirts as my inspiration. I used the top of the back grey shirt, the bottom of the front grey shirt, and the split front of the pink one. I just laid the shirts down and cut around them instead of making a pattern, because I was too lazy to use paper:

I cut the same pattern in the striped grey and the nude underneath, except the nude I cut a bit longer, obviously. The front neckline is slightly lower than the back, but it is wearable backwards (you'll see what that means later).

It looked kinda frumpy on me the way I had it up there, so I cut a slit up the middle of the front, detailed the lower seams, and narrowed the grey part so the nude part would sort of ruffle underneath.

The back.

You can see how I detailed the lower side seams here. I added elastic to the grey part and tucked the nude part.

This is how the two seams hang together.

If you turn it inside out, you can wear it like this.

This is how the tucked sides hang from the other side.

This is how it looks if you wear it with the grey side out and the slit in the back.

You can wear it to work!

I guess the style now is to mix like patterns.

You can also wear the slit in the front with a jacket.

You can gather up the grey and tuck it in and pin it in the back and make a sort of mock-midriff shirt.

If you pull the two corners of the slit to the back and pin them like this, you can get the following look.

You can also simply tuck in the nude part and let the grey part hang out. (The skirt is one that I made that I will post soon, but I'm still tweaking a few things.)

You can tie the two corners together up high and do a 50s/80s look.

Or tie it low and get this one.

If you use a wide belt, you can pull the two corners to either side and get sort of an Asian look going.

Flip it inside out and add a white sweater for a conservative granny style.

Looks good with black lace too.

Add a belt and pull the bottom out in a bit of a non-obnoxious peplum.

Gatsby it up! (Pretend that I wasn't lazy and added my string of pearls.)

It's off the shoulder...but not really.

Add a fake collar.

I wore it this past weekend with the grey side out, slit in the back, and the top from my flash dance dress.

Another nice thing about it is, it's made of polyester and nylon materials, so you can wash it out in a sink and it will dry over night! Ta-da! Perfect for travel!

Thanks for reading!

Make Your Own Conditioning Shampoo

I recently ran out of shampoo, so I thought, instead of buying more, why don't I make some?

All I had to buy was a big 32oz. bottle of Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, because I had the other ingredients on hand. It is tea tree scented (which my husband says smells like kerosene, but I think it smells earthy. Choose your poison. Dr. Bronner's has scents available in lavender, tea tree, peppermint, and. . .I forget the other one). It was about $12 at a regular grocery store (16 oz. bottles are around $6 or $7), but it will last me at least two years if not longer. Also, I will be able to use it for many other purposes besides just shampoo. Stay tuned!. . .Or just google other uses for Dr. Bronner's.

Recipes online exist for making your own liquid Castile soap from Kirk's Castile soap bars if you want an even cheaper option than Dr. Bronner's. (Unfortunately, I read those blogs after buying this bottle.)

Ingredients:

1. 1c boiling water with one green tea bag added to it.
2. 2T coconut oil (olive, jojoba, argan, or your favorite hair-loving oil)
3. a few ice cubes (or make the water amount 1 1/2c to start)
4. a few drops of essential oil (for scent)
5. 1/3c Dr. Bronner's
6. 1/3c aloe vera gel
7. An empty shampoo bottle (preferably with a pump)

Directions:

1. Bring your water to a boil. Add the green tea bag and let it steep about five minutes, and then squeeze the tea bag to get the most out of it.

2. Immediately, add the coconut oil and stir it till it melts.

3. I added several ice cubes to the mixture to cool it down, because I wanted to make sure that the coconut oil wouldn't harden into clumps at the surface of the liquid, and it never did. If you don't want to add ice cubes, you can just add a little more water.

4. Add the aloe.

5. Add a few drops of essential oil. I used lavender, just because it pairs nicely with tea tree.

6. I added 1/3c of Dr. Bronner's and the mixture fit perfectly into an old shampoo pump bottle.

Simplified directions: Make a cup of hot tea. Add the oil to the hot liquid and stir. Add water or ice cubes. Add a few drops of essential oil. Add the aloe gel. Add the castile soap. Stir and then pour the mixture into a bottle.

Tips:

1. If you add a bit more oil, you won't even need a conditioner afterwards. (Unless you have really dry hair like me, in which case, you can put a bit of coconut oil directly onto your towel-dried hair after your shower.)

2. To use the shampoo, tip the bottle upside down and back upright (don't shake, because it wastes the lather). Put just enough in your hand that it makes a puddle. Rub your hands together until it lathers. Then, rub your lathered hands into your scalp and then work through the length of your hair. Repeat if necessary. (Don't put it straight onto your head, because it won't lather well that way.) Wash it out.

3. NOTE: Your hair is going to be clean; however, it will not feel the same as when you shampoo with commercial cleansers. In fact, you may think your hair is not clean, because it will feel oily to you. It's not. This feeling comes from the fact that cheap chemicals in store-bought shampoos strip your hair, and you have become accustomed to the stripped feeling. You know how when you wash your hands in soft water, they feel like the soap isn't washing off, but actually you are just used to hard water? Same thing. Give your hair a little while to grow accustomed to this change; your oil glands have been working over time for decades to compensate for the drying chemicals in your commercial shampoo.

4. If your hair is extremely oily and/or very fine, I would back off the coconut oil. Play with different hair-loving ingredients to find your perfect formula. Just make sure to use diluted castile soap in there somewhere so you get a lather. Maybe use baking soda instead of aloe if your hair is really oily. . .Things like that.

5. If you want to lighten your hair, add lemon juice. If you want to redden your hair, use red tea instead of green. If you want to darken your hair, add coffee or black tea.

6. This soap will keep for up to 3 months if you put it into a dark bottle and keep it in a dark place away from excessive heat. It might keep longer if you add a preservative, but the point is to have it preservative free, in my book. If you don't use large amounts of shampoo, consider cutting the recipe in half. If it smells spoiled, throw it away.

7. This shampoo costs around $1.00 a bottle to make, and is far nicer than normal "natural" shampoos in the store that cost upwards of $15. If you make your own liquid castile soap, this shampoo will costs even less than $1.00! Plus, companies still put chemicals in "natural" shampoo to extend the shelf life.

8. This formula can also double as a body wash, shaving cream, and is mild enough for a face wash. If you are acne prone, however, stay tuned as I will be posting a recipe for acne-prone skin face wash soon!

Make Your Own Hair Dye

Two things happened in 1989 as far as I was concerned: 

(1) I was nine years old, and 

(2) The Little Mermaid happened. 

Ever since then, I have wanted to be a red-head. Now that I'm getting older (um. . .a bit past nine), graying is the inescapable inevitability. I'm hoping with a vitamin-rich diet, and this little trick I'm about to share, I can prolong color-loss as long as possible. (If you don't want red hair, scroll down for other natural hair dye options.)

Why This Is a Good Idea:

1. HEALTHFUL - That hair dye is chock-full of terrible ingredients is no secret. Even though companies claim that no one has died of cancer from hair dye since 1980, you have to ask yourself why every other box of hair dye says things like, "Amonia-Free!" and "Safer Formula!" Exactly what was amonia doing? And why is it still in half the dyes? Also, if the formula is safer now, then what was I putting on my head a month ago??? 

These are important questions. Therefore, if you can make a permanent dye with natural, hair-strengthening ingredients, you best do it!

2. TIME-HONORED - Women (and men) have been dying their hair with henna for centuries.

3. COST-EFFECTIVE - Making dye with henna costs less than store-bought dye even from the get-go--let alone the health benefits from not covering your head with damaging chemicals. It costs far less than a professional dye job.

What you need: 

1. Henna powder - You can easily buy this online on eBay. It is probably for sale at your local Asian/Indian market if you live in a city. If you want really red hair, I suggest going for a pure henna powder. Sometimes packagers add ingredients like coffee and amla to darken the dye to more of an auburn or brownish red. If that is what you're going for, though, do it!

2. Hot water - Boil it in a kettle, not the microwave.

3. Lemon juice - You can also use lime juice. You can also use both together! (Some people use apple cider vinegar. I have tried it and I hate it. It makes your hair smell like vomit. Also, I feel like lemon juice gives brighter and shinier highlights.) Don't skip this ingredient. Henna needs something acidic, like citrus or vinegar, because the acid is what helps the "dye release" of the powder.

4. Essential Oil - Some would say this is optional, but henna has a very earthy green tea-ish smell. It's not bad, but if you don't want to smell like a plant, I suggest using an essential oil. I like to use peppermint, because I would rather my hair smell like a mojito than the aforementioned vomit!

5. Other non-ingredients: A plastic cup that you don't care about, a chop stick, a head wrap, rubber gloves, bobby pins, a hair claw, and a brown pillow case.

You may think that this process is going to be too labor-intensive, but actually, the actual amount of time it takes is the same amount of time you'd use to apply regular color. You are going to do this in two stages, however. You need to do this first part in the morning (takes about five minutes) and then dye your hair that same evening. Then, you are going to sleep with the dye on your hair all night and wash it out the next morning. You can easily do this on a work-night, but I usually save it for Friday night so that I can leave it in extra long on Saturday morning. 

The morning before the evening that you dye:

1. Pour a few tablespoons of henna into a plastic cup and drizzle some boiling water over it till you get a thick dough-y consistency. 

As far as amounts go: My hair is down to my waist and I have been dying it this way for several years now. I use maybe five heaping tablespoons of powder. I'm not sure. I just pour it in the cup till it looks right. You really just need to do it a few times yourself to get the right amount for your hair length and thickness. 

2. Drizzle some lemon and/or lime juice into the mixture till you get a thick paste. I like mine to be slightly runny because it spreads more evenly that way.

3. Wait all day or at least four to six hours.

That evening:

1. When you finish your day and before you go to bed, wash your hair (no conditioner), don your gloves, and apply the paste wherever you want color. I usually take my chopstick and part my hair, front to back, one part at a time from ear to ear. Every time I make a part, I stick the chopstick into the sauce, twirl it around the stick, and paint it into the part. Then, I take a nice little handful of paste and, leaning over my tub, work it into the middle length of my hair and then the ends. Then, I twist my hair up into a bun on the very top of my head and bobby pin my bangs back. Lastly, I use my gloved fingers to paint the remainder of the henna around the edges of my hair. . .But if you have your own hair coloring system, do that! Make sure to wipe away any excess on your skin, but don't worry too much about it because it will just crust up and flake off.  I usually put moisturizer on my face before I start just to make sure that the henna doesn't stick to my skin. 

2. This might be the hard part for some people: Sleep in your pasted hair. It's not really that bad, though, and the long amount of time really helps the color set in. My personal system is to put the dye on my hair around 7:00 and let it air dry a bit before going to bed. Then, I wrap my head in this pink head wrap that I got at the Dollar Tree a million years ago (for. . .a dollar). Then I cover my pillow in this brown pillowcase just in case any stray dye feels like creeping out. I've never had it happen, but it would be awful if it did!

If you don't feel comfortable sleeping in the dye, then I would recommend at least four hours. I would also recommend spending a lot of that time with a hair dryer because the drier the paste gets, the more it absorbs into your hair shaft. Also, the less time you leave the henna on your head, the pinker and more temporary your hair color will be instead of red and permanent.

3. The next morning, wash it out. NOTICE: the first few minutes of washing is going to be kind of traumatic because your hair will be crunchy and immovable. Also, your shower is going to seem like it's never going to be clean again for about a solid five minutes. Don't worry. After the warm water has loosened the hardened paste for a while, the henna washes down the drain surprisingly cleanly. I only have to brush off the walls of my shower with my hands a little bit during the rest of my shower and no one is the wiser that the seconds prior were so catastrophically dirty.

This is the color of my hair before dying. (Keep in mind, it was still henna-ed, but a few months ago, so the new growth is brownish.):

This is the color of my hair immediately after washing and styling. (These last three photos are non-doctored, and I used the same camera settings, lighting, and location):

This is after a few days:

I would really recommend washing your hair with a super mild shampoo to help retain the color, but I would advise that for any dye job.

If you don't want red hair:

1. Blond - I hear that lemon juice and chamomile helps hair that is ALREADY BLOND retain its sheen. As far as a non-chemical way to go blond from originally dark hair, I don't think it exists. Bleach for sure is NOT the way to go. Maybe lemon juice and the sun?

2. Brunette - Add about 1 part finely ground coffee or amla to 1 part henna. Notice: coffee and amla alone are not going to dye your hair! Henna is not just a red dye, it actually bonds to the hair shaft to strengthen it and allow for dying to happen. Coffee and amla don't bond to the hair like that, they just help tone that bond down from red to brown.

3. Black - Purchase indigo powder on eBay (yes, the stuff that makes jeans blue). Go through the entire above process. It's important to do the henna process first to prepare your hair. The next morning, mix some indigo with some water until it makes a paste (Wear gloves!). Apply it right away to your rinsed hair. Wait two to four hours and then rinse it out. Your hair will be jet-black. Notice: mixing the indigo with the henna together doesn't dye your hair black. You have to do it in two steps to get black hair. You can use this method even if your hair is blond!