Misc | Casey's Elegant Musings

posts tagged ‘misc’

twenty questions… answers pt. 1

[ our little trip this weekend to a museum. I decided to do "knot" buns with my hair! ]

Apologies that no post went up yesterday. I was having one of those days where I was sure I was on the set of an I Love Lucy episode, rather than my normal life–weird and wacky things just kept happening! The icing on the cake was when I powered my computer up to start a post and I had a software glitch. So… after some tinkering by Sailor Husband, I’m up and running on the web again. Still, it was weird to not be able to just pop online whenever I wanted; I kept thinking of things I wanted to look up and couldn’t… lol! The upside was that the “halfway finished” dress I started this weekend is now nearly complete… yay!

[ a tried and true outfit, but one of my favorites. also sporting my new Remix Vintage wedges! ]

How was your weekend? We spent Saturday out on the east coast of Florida, and then Sunday evening we went swing dancing for the first time! We both fell quite in love with it, although I decidedly dance with two left feet and still haven’t gotten the basics down for either jitterbug or lindy. lol. I have a lot of work ahead of me… I also got to meet a lovely gal who reads my blog! It’s always great to finally meet people in person who share the same interests I do and don’t regard you as some sort of crazy person. hehe!

Remember this post where I asked you to submit any questions you’d like me to answer? As long ago as it was (I’m such a bad blogger! lol), here’s the first half of the answers! Thank you so much for all your sweet questions (feel free to throw in any others you might have here)!
- Most of the vintage patterns I knit with on a regular basis are from booklet reprints available from Iva Rose. I also search the internet for any websites that might have free patterns available (because I always love free!); a few of my favorites: FreeVintageKnitting.com and Vintage Purls. Try searching “free vintage knitting patterns” on Google; it’s amazing how many resources are out there!
  
  Yarn substitution can be the tricky part, and something I haven’t fully mastered yet. I always start out by Googling the yarn name and brand; sometimes there is a forum post or webpage that has some basic information on the yarn that can help. A good website is Wise Needle, which sometimes has yarns recorded that are matches for those I’m seeking information on. If that fails, then determining the weight of the yarn by the gauge listed on the pattern is the next step. I’m slowly learning to familiarize myself with what weight yarn is knitted on certain needles, and results in a certain gauge (I spent a lot of time browsing around Knit Picks and figuring matches of their yarn to whatever pattern I’m working on, based on needle size and gauge). It’s still hit or miss for me–especially in the area of ordering enough yarn for a project! My best suggestion, especially if you’re new to vintage knitting, is to visit your local yarn shop–the people that work there are usually very experienced knitters and can offer some great pointers if you’re stuck!
  
  As for fiber content, I tend to stick with mostly natural fibers, and some blends. Websites like KnitPicks help make my knitting addiction and love of natural fibers affordable!
- At the moment, I don’t have a “regular” job in the traditional sense of the word. It’s a decision my husband and I made prior to getting married, plus we have some transportation issues that prevent me from commuting to a job. So for now, I do odd jobs as they come my way! But in the past I’ve done things from graphic and website design, selling vintage clothing, to making handcraft items for sale on Etsy. I’m planning on reopening my Etsy shop early in 2010 and striking out in that area again! I also like to think of my blogging as my part time job (I probably spend about the equivalent of working a part time job doing this each week. The difference is that I love this a lot more than any job I’ve held! lol!), and that has opened up several doors as well for me.
- It depends on the hairstyle! hehe! Some days, if I have some “playtime”, I will spend 30+ minutes on my hair for a more complicated ‘do. But on most days, my hair is either simply clipped back in the front (the back section left down), or I do one of my “lazy 40s” looks (such as this one, which take me no time. The ones that tend to take the longest are those that require Victory rolls. If I pincurl my hair the night before, that takes me another 45 minutes or so (I have really long hair, so it results in lots of pincurls). I have a few videos on my YouTube channel, which I have sadly let languish for several months! I have plans to start recording style tips and tutorials soon though!
- I maintain and shape my brows the old fashioned way: with a pair of angle tip tweezers! (The idea of waxing/threading is kind of like pedicures for me… I know I’ll get addicted to having someone do my brows and can’t afford to! lol.) I aim for a fairly natural, “fat” curve that is able to go 40s (a gentle and long, but slightly angled shape) or 50s (a highly arched shape and somewhat thicker). My natural brows aren’t very long, so I use a little kit from E.L.F. to fill in and extend the length at the outer edge a bit. I also use a different brush for the powder application: an angled liner brush for a precise, thin extension line.
  
  As for shaping the brows, I use inspiration from \movie stars of the period. Most often though, my daily look is closest to Lauren Bacall’s brows (circa mid 40s).
- Aw, thank you! Truth be told, I don’t always fit things in! Sometimes I have to drop things, put projects off, or step away from this blog for a period because I have too much on my plate. (A failing of mine is that I tend to underestimate the time it’ll take me to do something, and say yes to everything.) But I think a large part of it has to do with the Brown family genes. I’m not kidding! My dad almost never relaxes in the traditional sense of the word; even on the weekends and holidays he’s working on household projects, writing or studying books. I get the “need” to be constantly active from him (and my granddad… there is a trend here!). Even in the evenings when I’m watching television with my husband, I usually have some sort of handwork to keep me occupied. Plus, we don’t have children yet, so I have a lot of “me time” available for projects.
I still have a few more questions to answer, so hopefully that post won’t be too far in the future! Hope you’re having a lovely day, friends!

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Apologies that no post went up yesterday. I was having one of those days where I was sure I was on the set of an I Love Lucy episode, rather than my normal life–weird and wacky things [...]
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Posted to: misc, vintage inspiration. | 19 lovely thoughts

out with the old, in with the new

I’m totally nicking this idea from Gertie, and doing a roundup of some photos and memories from 2009. I thought it would be a fun way to wrap up the year and get ready to celebrate the New Year!

[ continue reading... ]

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Posted to: life, misc. | 19 lovely thoughts

breathe

[ work-in-progress gingerbread house. it still has a lot of neatening up needed! ]

I hope you all don’t mind if I don’t do a big post for today–I’ve got a million and one things to do on my list, and am a bit overwhelmed by the idea of trying to jot down a substantial blog post! I was going to show you photos of the dress I made to test one of the new designs for Colette Patterns, but I’m afraid if I do (I haven’t edited the photos yet), something won’t get done that needs to (menu planning, anyone?! lol).
So instead, here’s a sneak peak at the work-in-progress gingerbread house! (Things are still being neatened and decorated; so it’s a bit of an “ugly duckling” right now.) One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is what I’m going to wear for Christmas. I have a red crepe dress halfway finished, but it’s a heavier crepe, so I’m not sure it’ll work for the weather that is being forecast (mid 60s). Oh well–I’m sure I can wrangle something festive out of my wardrobe! Do you have any special outfits planned for Christmas? Do tell me!

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments you’ve left of late–they have been warming my heart so much!

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Posted to: holidays, misc. | 25 lovely thoughts

let’s play twenty questions

I have been slowly catching up on comments from the past few weeks, but am starting to despair I’ll ever get through them all (and feeling quite guilty too!). One thing I am trying to do is reply to questions that were asked in specific posts (and reply to email questions as well). But, just in case I accidentally skipped a reply, or didn’t see a comment with a question, I thought this would be a great opportunity to do a “frequently asked questions” post! I must admit, this is also my not-so-sly way to beefing up a f.a.q. page I’m also putting together. lol!

Feel free to post a question you have about the blog, my sewing, knitting, vintage clothing… whatever you’re curious about! I’ll do my best to either answer them here, or in a separate post! Just to make things neat and tidy, let’s give the question submissions a deadline of Saturday, December 12. So ask away!

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Posted to: misc. | 14 lovely thoughts

*coughcough*

[ necessary reading material. always good when you're sick! ]

Excuse me while I take a break from blogging today. I managed to catch some nasty cold/flu bug, and all I want to do is curl up on the couch, nap and read! Instead today I thought I’d post a meme that I’ve had in my draft post folder for over a month–yikes! I’m so awful at posting these, even though I am intensely excited when someone tags me! hehe!

Sweet Natalie awarded me with an “Awesome Girl” award, with the theme being to tag 10 other bloggers and list 10 things about myself. I never know what to say about myself–what weird or interesting things would other people find entertaining? So hopefully this won’t be boring! haha!
- I tend to be very shy when I meet new people. It takes me a bit of time to really warm up, and sometimes I worry that people think I’m too stand-offish. Once I do warm up to people, I tend to be rather silly and laugh a lot (a can be somewhat loud. It’s a family trait.)!
- I cook and bake a lot. Part of it is to save money by not eating out constantly, and the other is because I really love to cook! My parents taught me to cook when I was younger, and the hours of helping them have paid off handsomely. I’m constantly experimenting with new cuisines: right now I’m on a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean kick.
- I used to be really snobbish about watching reality tv shows, but over time I’ve managed to let a few creep into my tv watching. Namely Project Runway and Top Chef. I guess that’s not surprising considering I sew and like to cook! lol.
- I didn’t travel a lot until I was older. My first “big” trip was to San Diego with my girl friends when I was 20. I fell in love with SoCal: the weather, laid back beach towns, palm trees, Mexican restaurants… I seriously ge “homesick” for a place I’ve never lived for more than a week! lol. Both my husband and I hope to move out there one day!
- I love to sing along to music when I’m at home or in the car, but don’t ask me to sing solo if you know what’s good for your ears!
- The first patterns I ever drafted were for my Barbies. I found an old book from the 60s in the library on making clothing patterns for antique dolls, full of little 1870s bustle skirts and poufy-sleeved dresses from the 1890s. So my Barbies were dressed accordingly!
- I like very spicy food–the spicier, the better! I grew up in a household where the spice rack was constantly and generously used, and so I prefer food that has very distinct flavor (bland doesn’t fly with me). The funny thing that was when I got married and started cooking for my husband, we had a few times where the foods were too spicy for him! Thankfully though, his palette seems to have adjusted a bit. hehe!
- My mom nick-named me “lady bug” when I was little (not sure why–any insight into this, Mom?). I’ve kind fo held on to that as my “special symbol” ever since. When my husband and I started dating, I told him about it, and to this day whenever he sees anything with ladybugs on it, he points it out to me! Although really, the only thing I have with a ladybug on it is a tote bag I made a few years ago.
- I have an enormous sweet tooth–really, it’s quite bad! (I blame my parents for passing this trait on to me.) I try and control it, since I’m sure it’s really not healthy to live on that much sugar, but the holidays are probably the most tempting times for me! Some sweets (like autumn themed candy corn), I politely request my husband doesn’t bring home. ‘Cause the bag will be gone in no time! Cake, apple pie, homemade marshmallows, gumdrops, and Reese’s peanut butter cups are my biggest temptations.
- Oh darn… I can’t think of a 10th item! Just my luck. See, I really don’t think I’m that interesting. lol!
Excuse me that I’m super lazy (I blame being sick. haha!) and don’t post a list of 10 people to tag. If you have a blog and are reading this, consider yourself welcome to snag the meme and post it on your blog (if you’d like!).

I hope you all are having lovely Wednesdays! Off to curl up under my favorite quilt and drink some more orange juice…

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Posted to: misc. | 18 lovely thoughts

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posts tagged ‘misc’

twenty questions… answers pt. 1

out with the old, in with the new

breathe

let’s play twenty questions

*coughcough*

coughcough