SUNDAY OUTFIT FOR A GIRL: A BIT BETTER

  Although we are not a religious family, it is a nice idea to wear something a bit better on Sundays. Therefore I made this outfit for my girl:

Brown is the key color in my Mabon palette, and it applies to kids´ clothes too, but in a lighter shade. I made the leggings in dark blue to give the outfit variety, although I was tempted to use dark brown at first. But this way the whole is a little brighter and makes the dress pop out even more.

I had these crochet flowers in my stash from an earlier project, and they suit this dress perfectly.

The original pattern had the sleeves in short (see here and here), but now the weather is cool already, so I lengthened them. Simply eyeballing did the trick, no measuring needed. =) I left them about 4/5 in length to keep them from getting dirty so easily. Very handy.

The leggings are made of soft and stretchy corduroy-like jersey. They keep my girl warm and cozy.

  Naturally this outfit can, and will, be worn on any day of the week, not only on Sundays. But Sundays were the inspiration, as I like to create variety in her wardrobe too. There is always a thought/idea behind each outfit. Mindfulness is the trend these days. =)

FLUORIDE AND IQ

 Mensa´s online IQ test popped onto my screen by accident recently. Scary as it was, I could not resist doing it.
  My score was much higher than I had even hoped for, but luckily not quite so high that I´d have to send in an application for membership... I simply have so many other things on my to-do-list, I would not have the time.  =)

  When searching for what my score meant, compared to the average, I found an article saying that  fluoride lowers one´s IQ.  So that´s why there are fluoride-free toothpastes around! I never knew that.

  Although it might be too late for me already, I still went and got myself a fluoride-free toothpaste. To my surprise, my teeth felt much better after brushing with it than my ordinary paste. My teeth now feel smooth, slick, and polished. A very different sensation than ever before.
  I asked my husband and son to try it too, and tell me if they could notice a difference. I had not told them my opinion by then. They both noticed the same as me, and now we all brush our teeth with non-fluoride pastes. 

  Today I went one step further and bought myself a toothbrush made of carbon. It is said to naturally whiten teeth, provide them with minerals to protect the enamel, and be antibacterial. We´ll see how it feels in the long run, but the first time using it was pleasantly soft, while still making my teeth feel clean.

Usually I´m never the first one in line to try out new products. I let others do the testing, and then try it if it feels sensible. But it is fun! Especially if it can also make you feel better or beautify you. Like my own invention aromatherapy earrings. I just wish the world would hear about it and learn to benefit from them. So spread the word if you please! Let´s make this a better, and smarter, place!

PROJECT GUESTHOUSE

  Needless to say, we have spent a lot of time at our summer cabin in the past few months. Mostly it is about fun and play, but we have also been productive.
 We have been restoring and building a guesthouse there. Since the cabin is located on an island where you can only get to and from by your own boat, our guests often stay overnight. So there is big demand for an updated, quality, up-to-date lodging.

  Here´s what we´ve done (so far) this summer:

The starting point. An old tool shed from the sixties. We wanted to conserve the old, instead of demolishing it and building a completely new one, out of respect for the history of the place.

Emptying it was a huge task in itself! Under the floor boards there were old bird nests and 35 abandoned, rotten, eggs...

Only one window in the whole building.

Don´t they say it always has to get worse before it can get better?

Roof under construction, plus bits here and there too.

Floors, walls, the roof, everything was strengthened and rotten wood replaced with new. And the whole building lifted up higher a foot.

Then it was time to start rebuilding. Now light begun to show at the end of the tunnel.

Now the inside feels fresh and good to breathe in.

And after installing more and bigger windows, the space seemed to triple.

Some of the old boards and beams are still visible, but not much is left of the old shag.

The outside begins to form.

Especially after getting painted.

We wanted it to match the new shed-outhouse we finished earlier this year. (Needless to say, the buildings are not crooked in reality, the camera lens is to blame here!)

This is what awaits for us next: insulation. And it is about time, the temperature has dropped to near freezing in the past couple of days!

  The style of these buildings I drew from old fishing sheds, which I imagine having stood by the sea for a hundred years. Something like this.

  Project guesthouse will continue until the sea freezes around the island. And then we´ll see what the winter will be like, whether or not we´ll be able to drive there by car.
  Projects keep life interesting. Highly recommendable I say!

PURE HOME FASHION: COUNTRY DENIM DRESS

  This fall I have begun to listen to country music through online radio stations. That´s practically the only way to hear it over here, and one can not even by accident stumple on anything country overall. It has to be sought after, or created by your own. That´s what I did when designing and making this new home dress for myself:

Basic denim and ruffles combined with browns. Since this outfit is for the real-world use, I did not add layers of white lace or ruffles (which was tempting, but not easy to wear without looking ridiculously over-the-board  =). And since country style is not common in my neighborhood, I wanted to give hints of it rather than go all the way with cowboy hats and boots.

This is an authentic milieu I wear the dress in.

I can even sit on a tree stump without dirt showing too much on the dress. A nicely carefree garment for home wear and with kids.

The necklace has a big silvery sunflower on it as a focal point. It adds the same country feeling as traditionally big belt buckles do, but in a more subtle and feminine way.

 The beads are from a craft store, and were readily assorted to match each other. Making wired jewelry is a new thing to me, and I have completely fallen for it. It creates an airy, light, and modern look to beading.

This is a good apple year, and I have eaten them soooo much. This pair of my aromatherapy earrings suit country style well, and they have been my favorite recently.

Yummy!

  I first ran into country music, and the culture around it, during my exchange year in Kentucky long ago. It felt bizarre and overwhelming to hear only country music, and see folks wear boots and hats and stuff. But I got used to it of course, and now it feels somehow nostalgic and intriguing.
  The movie Country Strong was on tv some time ago, and it inspired me even further. And as a funny coincidence, I learned recently that my sister has also listened to some country lately.

TUESDAY OUTFIT FOR A LITTLE GIRL

  Cute is the code for Tuesdays in my two-year-old daughter´s wardrobe. I made a rough plan for each day of the week, and what the days are all about. So Tuesday is a day to be cute. And now in the fall time it goes like this:

Country style-ish. For some reason I have been fascinated by it lately. Why not sooner?! This vest dress is a classic and cute little girls´ garment. The ruffle in the hem adds to the cuteness furthermore, so a solid colored fabric was enough for this look. The shirt, with it´s cropped sleeves, keeps my girl warm enough for fall weather. The sleeves are about 2/3 length, just right for dodging the soup bowl or being soaked when washing hands.

The fabric is a leftover piece from my summer pants, and I "faked" it to look like denim. In reality, it is men´s collar shirt fabric.

Using orange stitches was the key to "faking" it, to make it look more denim like. I felt like the stitches needed a buddy in the same color, and the dress a focal point, so I added some matching buttons. Had this outfit gone for an older girl, I would have omitted the buttons and added a nice necklace. But you can only expect so much from a two-year-old.  =)

Hem edge got a nice row of detail. The white lace brightens it up well.

The shirt fabric is so well draping, that it makes the garment look a bit sad in this picture. But in reality, when being worn that is, it is really comfortable and soft. The fabric is nice and warm, so it enabled the 2/3 length sleeves for these cooling Mabon days.

This is a ridiculously easy pattern to make! I love it. =)

MABON

  What´s Mabon?

  To me paganism is all about wisdom and freedom. It shows wisdom to think outside the box (I mean the religion to which we were born and raised with), and then freedom of choice. We can either choose an already existing religion to follow, or "free fall" creating our own perspective on existence.

  I free fall. I ran into wiccanism fifteen years ago, and immediately adopted the wheel-of-the-year as my guide through times to come.

  To me Mabon marks mid fall, the equinox. There is equally light and dark time in a day, and from then on more dark than light. We are entering the dark half of the year.
  This year the fall equinox is next Tuesday (always September 22nd or 23rd), and it points the highlight of this season. I divide each sabbat into approx. six week periods, starting about two weeks prior to the actual date. I tune in with each sabbat for those full six weeks, and then move on to the next. By doing so my life has turned into a virtually continuous celebration of the wonders of nature. Not bad!

  Mabon is both joyful and sad time. Joyful because the first half of Mabon we still get to enjoy occasional warm summer-like days, and sad because the other half always is cold and ever darker. Leaves fall from trees and all green dies. We see less and less of the sun, and I get tired and want to start hibernating. =) There´s only little energy left.

  That´s the nature of nature, ever changing, ever evolving. And that´s the way it needs to be. No matter how sad I feel letting go of the warmth and light of summer, it would not feel so sweet if there was no cold and dark season in between.

Now it is time to enjoy the last bits of summery days and sunshine. Take it all in before it´s gone for a good amount of months! And to remember that life is always worth celebrating!

LAMMAS FASHION COLLECTION

  Yay, I have completed my Lammas garderobe!

#1: Linen & peach.

#2: Ragdoll.

This year I made a new necklace to the outfit. The wooden thread spools, of which I was looking for last year, finally reappeared in the craft store, and I was able to execute my initial plan.

#3: Mary had a little lamb.

The earrings are self-made aromatherapy ones.

#4: The nude hippie.

#5: Animal print dress.

Another pair of my aromatherapy earrings.

  Now seeing all the looks here one next to the other, I am pleased with the versatility. The overall feeling of the whole collection remains warm, natural, and calm. Just the way I like my Lammas to be. Happy!

LAMMAS FASHION: LINEN & PEACH

  This is an update to my already existing outfit. What´s new is the top, which is a bit warmer than the original one, and a bit more colorful. As my Lammas Collection has taken form, I noticed there is quite a lot of beige in it, so adding a touch of color was a good idea. The original top will still be stored and worn annually, but now I have a choice in case of a cool day.

Peach is a color only suitable for Lammas. It is so warm and delicate, and resembles the dry fading hays in nature.

The pants are made of linen-like fabric, but they do not wrinkle like real linen does. The fabric was a good find back then, years ago. And since I only wear each of my fashion collections for approx. six weeks a year, the garments stay well for ages. These pants are a living proof, and I´m still happy to wear them. Combining a peachy top with the brown bottom livens up the look, and adds variety to the nude-toned Lammas collection altogether. Big baggy pants combined with a snug top simply looks good as a silhouette, always.

Jewelry pops right out, and brightens up the area around the face. True to my style, I kept the colors subtle and natural also in makeup.

The shirt fabric is synthetic something, but it breathes well and feels warm to the skin. Not all days of Lammas are exhaustingly hot, so I need to be prepared for slight chills too, especially towards the end of the season.

LAMMAS FASHION: ANIMAL PRINT DRESS

  Animal print is a newcomer in my interests. Never until now have I thought it was for me, or for everyday wear. But when I saw this fabric in the shop earlier this summer, I just knew I had to include it in my Lammas collection somehow. Here´s how:

Tiger print is more interesting, and less seen, as the usual leopard, and it is also lighter colored. Two reasons I fell for the fabric. Plus it drapes beautifully and is cool in hot weather. But making the look casual enough for everyday wear was tricky. I did it by choosing a loose and simple pattern for the silhouette, and kept accessories in control. At my work I may meet people from all social classes, from the homeless to the president, all in one day. That sets an impossible challenge for a girl to dress properly to the occasion. So I just go with whatever I like, since I´m dressed wrong no matter.  =)

Ahh, I love these late summer/early fall warm days! I felt like a cat on a hot tin roof (quite literally in fact =).

Golden accessories are a must. The belt is important for creating, or showing, the feminine waistline, which is the key to all of my looks. That´s what separates us women from men, regardless of weight. I mean, men can even have boobs, but not a waist like us women. Let´s celebrate our femininity by showing it off!

Another important key to keeping the look casual is wearing minimal makeup. This classy lady does not look like she´s off hunting for men, does she? (And I´m not yet in cougar age either, so no worries there  =). My aromatherapy earrings here add to the exotic and oriental feeling, and if ylang ylang essential oil was used, the outcome would be quite tempting...

  Animal print goes well during Lammas because now the weather is at it´s warmest, and closest to the natural habitat of tigers and leopards and the kind. At first I was tempted to add a touch of safari style too, but found it too masculine after all. I feel very feminine in this outfit, and in a different and new kind of way. I´m so glad life is for learning and evolving, at all ages!