Shirt DIY

So I've had this shirt for a while. It may have been a dress when I bought it but one day I may have accidentally shrunk it in the dryer. So after all that, it's been hanging out in the back of my closet. I've never really known how to wear it because its not long enough for a dress anymore, but too long for a shirt. And I've never been crazy about the sleeves. The elastic got on my nerves. So I changed it. And yes, that is us standing in front of A's old dorm, Twin Towers, before it was blown up.

It was really simple. All I did was add some trim to the neckline to give it some color. And to get rid of those gross puffy sleeves, I just ripped the elastic out, cut about 1-2 inches off the bottom, cut a triangle of fabric out of the middle to reduce their fullness, and then used the excess fabric from the bottom to create a tab and button closure over that triangle in the sleeve. And then cinching with a belt gives the waist definition and draws it up enough so that I can finally pass it off as a shirt. I can wear it with shorts and it doesn't look pajamas.

You should try doing this an old shirt. Or a dress. Its a great way to breathe new life into old clothes, its easy, and it only takes an hour at most.

And speaking of clothes, the new season of America's Next Top Model is premiering tonight.

EmersonMade

I've been obsessed with this site for a while now. The clothes are beautiful and beautifully made. I am on my way to making pieces this incredible, but until then, there's emersonmade. Look how pretty:

Take a look at the website. There's tons of amazing things there, including men's clothing, gifts, and textiles for the home.

Happy Labor Day!

Monday Music Moment: Neon Indian -- Deadbeat Summer



I hope everyone got to do at least one fun thing on this day off from life.
We slept in, played video games, read books, and made homemade french fries.

So let this song play and enjoy the last fleeting moments of this deadbeat summer.

5-Minute Southwest Layered Salad

This past week, I made this salad for dinner and it was a huge hit (even with those that aren't typical enjoyers of salad). Its quick, its easy, and its delicious. Try it.

5-Minute Southwest Layered Salad

[http://www.kraftfoods.com/]

Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

6 c. torn romaine lettuce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed, drained
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
3/4 c. salsa
1/2 c. shredded cheddar jack cheese
1/4 c. ranch dressing
1 c. tortilla chips, broken

Arrange lettuce  in bottom of serving bowl.
Layer beans, corn, salsa, and cheese evenly over top.
Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with chips.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 c. each

I substituted iceberg lettuce, canned corn, and a Mexican cheese mix and it was still really good. Feel free to experiment. Its pretty much impossible to screw up.

This is my favorite. ever.

Sadly, I missed the the Emmys this past weekend (tragic!) but from everything I've seen, this is what I am most depressed about missing:



It combines my two favorite things: Glee and Tina Fey

Hilarious.

Katherine Grant Salon & Spa

If you've got a free moment, go check out http://www.katherinegrant.com/. Its newly rennovated and completely fabulous. And if you live in the area, you should make an appointment immediately.

If you're wondering why my hair always looks incredible, its because Katherine has been working her magic on me for years. I'd be a hot mess without her. Plus, she's 1/4 of the Order so that makes her completely cool by default. The fact that she's insanely talented is just icing on the cake.

Mason Jar DIY

Today I bring you a great way to reuse mason jars or any jars, really. Spaghetti sauce, jam, pickles, etc.
It's good for the environment and it helps keep you organized. We used ours to hold A's lunch utensils but you can use them for anything -- kitchen storage, craft storage, closet storage, garage storage, sewing storage (I use old spice bottles to hold buttons, needles, pins, etc).

What you'll need:

• glass jar with lid, cleaned and label removed
• sandpaper
• chalkboard spray paint
• newspaper
• chalk

This is really easy to do. Just sand the lid down so its a little rough (this will help prevent the paint from chipping) and wash and dry it. Then spread out the newspaper in an open area with plenty of air circulation (we like to do this part outside).

Lay the lid on the newspaper and spray on one to two light coats, overlapping slightly. You should wait a minute or two between each coat. After an hour or so it will be dry enough to handle but wait a full 24 hours before attempting any writing. Then just rub the whole surface with the side of a piece of chalk, erase, and you're ready to go.

I've been saving up some huge pickle jars to use this project on. I'm thinking they'll make great containers for pasta, flour, sugar, etc.