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A few photos from around my room.

Gratitude - April 16

+ scoops ice cream: black sesame and ginger
+ going to the shelter to potentially adopt a dog!
+ starting a container garden tomorrow
+ catching up on jamie oliver's food revolution

L. L. Bean Signature

A couple of tops I'm eyeing from the L. L. Bean Signature Collection.  I also want this striped shirt but can't decide what size to get.

She And Him Dress

Okay, taking self portraits with a DSLR without a tripod or remote is kind of hard! Apologies for the less than stellar photos, I had to use a little trial and error to get things decent.  I'm also not quite ready to show my face in an outfit post, hence the blurry and cropped photos.

So here's the dress I made for the concert.  I used the dirndl pattern from the book Built by Wendy Dresses.  I based it off of the Valentine Dress directions but changed it up a bit.  This was a lot of fun to make!  It's the first time I've ever installed an invisible zipper.  Unfortunately I couldn't find any of my other sewing feet so I stitched it by hand, a bit more difficult than I thought it'd be, but fun to finally figure out how an invisible zipper works!  I really dislike really long (like 22") zippers, especially when they go down the center back.  So instead I changed it to a shorter side zip with a three button closure on the left shoulder to fit my head in.

I bought one yard of Heather Ross fabric for the bodice, and 1 1/2 of grey linen.  After a wash the linen came out so soft and rumply; I really want to make more with this! I should have bought some Heather Ross double gauze fabric to match the softness of the linen instead of a quilting cotton.  Either way I am happy with the result and can't wait to sew more.

Chocolate Chocolate Cake

 

What better way to spend my day off baking a big chocolate cake? I picked up the April issue of Martha Stewart Living yesterday and couldn't help but make this cake.  I've used the one bowl chocolate cake recipe before, but not the frosting.  Let me tell you now, it's very, very chocolatey!  Would be perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  I couldn't get the height of the cake like the magazine because I only have one 10" springform pan, but now I'm thinking I should really buy two 8" pans!  Smaller cakes are cuter and more manageable. But mostly cuter.  Now all I need is someone to help me eat it! (photos by me)

The Living Sisters

Happy Monday! Hope everyone's day is going well.  If not, here's a little song that might cheer you up.  I saw The Living Sisters open for She & Him a couple weeks ago and they were so lovely.  I'm really bad at describing music, so just take a listen.  And if you like it, you can get their new album, Love to Live, on Amazon for only $5.

Double Knots - Living Sisters

lipstick and turban

This girl makes me want to cut my hair, put on some pink lipstick, and wear a cute turban, but have a feeling I can only pull of the lipstick. (via Camp Comfort via Teen Angster via Opening Ceremony)

Gratitude - April 2

Where does the time go?  I spent this whole week exhausted, either sleeping or barely functioning at work.  I'm starting to feel better though so hopefully I'll be back to my usual self soon.  Apologies for missing last weeks gratitude post, I went out of town for the weekend. That's probably a big factor as to why I'm so tired...

 + She & Him concert!!!  Yes, that is a photo I took of Zooey myself.  Unfortunately this was the only picture that came out! The concert was simply amazing.  I knew I'd love seeing Zooey in person, but M. Ward leaves me at a loss for words.  Watching him perform left me in awe.  I still can't think of any words to describe the feeling other than amazing!
+ Las Vegas for the weekend!  A small group of friends and I went out to celebrate our friend's college graduation.  The whole trip was fun and exhausting.  The first few times I went it felt like a different world, but sadly the novelty is slowly wearing off.
+ Finishing my dress from Built by Wendy Dresses.  I made this dress specifically for the She & Him concert.  It was a lot of work considering I haven't sewed any garments in about two years! I was planning on taking photos right before I left but running on my typical schedule I did not have time.
+ Street Feast at Americana.  Another fun yet tiring day.  Finally got to try Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches though!  Funnily enough, my boyfriend went to high school with the owner's sister.  We tried a few other trucks but my main goal was Coolhaus! I got the red velvet with brioche.  Really delicious.
+ Hiking at Griffith Park.  My friend and I had never gone before, so it was a bit of an experiment.  We didn't know where to park or which trail to take but everything turned out fine.  The weather was lovely and the hike wasn't too strenuous.