woops!

It’s been a while! BUT still haven’t bought any new clothes…I keep looking and either think it will look foul on me or keep feeling guilty that – “I could make that” or “I’ve got one of those” and so on. BUT I do want new red strappy sandals for summer, I have put my order in with the moneyman.

I think we have bought our last lot of disposable nappies. TheStar has been toilet trained during the day for quite a while now, so we have been trying to use cloth at night but if you don’t wash it can catch up on you – time for bed and no nappy! Anyway, I have bought a big bag of cheapo disposables but the aim is to use the cloth nappies and night and not ever ever have to buy disposable again. I think we are almost there!

Yeehaw! 2nd refashion

I did it – i did it! I refashioned my opshop purchase into a skirt for TheStar! I planned to do it and I did. I want to sing that song from My Fair Lady (she’s got it! Indeed she does or whatever it’s called) Seriously – to actually carry through with something is very exciting for me – especially after 6-9 months of depression – to do something I wanted to do is very pleasing. Plus it’s just such a damn cute skirt man! And how do I know it fits? Well I tried it on her…yes, it’s 12.30am and she’s asleep but you know you just fit in on over Pjs and it all seems good! (thank goodness my children would sleep through the second coming… the number of things I just “have” to do at whatever time of night like moving shelves, decluttering their wardrobe or trying skirts on their sleepy bodies).

So anyway, it was a ladies halter top, and I cut off the top bit and shaped the sides a bit to get a parallelogram sort of a-line skirtish shape, and added elastic.Not quite as simple as it sounds it was little fiddly to get the shape right. This is the action shot – Star is “very sad” that I’m taking her picture!

Thrifted and crochet..

I want to learn to crochet, I need to learn to crochet…I WILL learn to crochet…sometime. This is my goal this year actually to learn to crochet.  I bought the needle, the books and patterns, the wool so long ago, it was even pre-children! Heaps of people use crocheting for edges of things, and it looks so rad. Also, I want to make kitschy crochet squares with a sense of humour and put them on everything! I wonder if there is a pattern for white with red star for TheStar’s room? Now THAT would be way cool,  Jennifer.

Some more thrifting,  I LOVE red and white, but I didn’t realise I had shopped this colour theme till I got home and looked at them all! The halter/tube tops are skirts for TheStar, the hooded jumper a dress for her as well, and the shirt which is the biggest shirt I have ever seen in my life and is a ladies, well there’s quite a few things that could be done! Not sure if it’s a dress for me a.k.a. clevergirl.org as it’s actually big enough,  or if I make TheStar one of Dana’s shirt dresses, then I could use the leftovers for a two-for-one that a shortsleeved black jumper is begging to become…. Hmm.

Grossgrain Giveaway

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I don’t understand why this lady does this or what she gets from it, but she seem to give things away – and who am I to not simply link to her blog to be in with a chance?!! This vintage dress is just too lovely, and this crafster also makes one the best adult playsuits I’ve seen in like – totally forever! 😉

It’s a very inspiring site too, hopefully will help with ideas for Wardrobe Refashion.

Boots!

Ok – a VERY successful thrift purchase with which to begin the pledge – Black, ankle boots- leather, brand new, fit perfectly, and only $5AUD! (that’s $2.50 or less for our OS compatriots…) The absolute best part about this purchase is that I really did want a pair of these boots and had used a lot of willpower (and reminders of lack of money and credit) to resist purchasing a pair last time at the shops. Also purchased a fantastic T-shirt for my nephew but dang! forgot to get a photo. Orange with a superduper picture of astronauts standing on a kind of cloud…, and a cute, little, white, short-sleeved blouse for Seconda – And they were only $5 too.

However went browsing at the local “lifeline” and was sorely disappointed at range, quality, and PRICE -everything was really expensive. There is NO way I’m paying $6 for a second-hand t-shirt when a new one costs $8!! and is exactly what I want. So if you live in Sydney, Australia WHERE are the good op shops? especially on the north/east side of CBD?

Home Made Soap

Oooh, I’m becoming a regular depression era penny pincher. If you knew me, you’d know how funny it is that I made my own soap. It’s the kind of cheats version as I didn’t actually make the base soap, but it means that we have about a year’s supply of liquid soap for the cost of 4 bars ($2.52 from Aldi). The first refill looked and felt like pale cream snot, the next refill from the same batch was heaps better just through having sat/settled for some time on the shelf.

Home Made Liquid Soap

Grate up one bar of soap.

Boil it with 14 -16 cups of water

Let cool, and stir lots before it sets.

I joined Wardrobe Refashion… finally

Ok Ok, I did it -I did it.
I signed up for *gulp* 4 months at Wardrobe Refashion – couldn’t quite come at 6 months just yet – although really I kinda should sign up for life. Actually the whole movement should be called “lifestyle refashion”, because really it kinda either justifies the life you are already living or if you are like me – it means I will totally have to adjust my life and get on with things, like not spending, sewing and learning to crochet before I turn 50. Yes it seems like a long way off but I have had brand new unused crochet needles and patterns for over 6 years so far…

And there we were today and I nearly bought TheFairy overpriced pants produced in China. It wasn’t signing up to refashion that stopped me – it was just that she doesn’t like anything that is “stiff” ie. jeans, cords, cargos. So if I don’t want her to live in tracksuit pants, I’ll have to make her some “soft” trousers in a colour combo pattern she likes. The easy part is the sewing, the difficult part is finding something she will still like by the time I have actually made it. The other option is just to make stuff and then give it to her… nah, maybe not it could get personal if it took me ages to make it. Her favourite colours this week are “black, red and green – like a christmas tree”. Crap. I mean I’m really glad she likes black again, it was a hard 2 years while she thought she liked “Barbie” pink, but having bought her red and black fabric for her room, and then having to endure pink and purples for a year or two and then her 6 month obsession with strawberries, to turn full circle back to red and black again, I’m a bit nervous about making her anything. Still, I can always give it to TheStar who doesn’t care (yet).

And now Handmade as well?

So I’ve also pledged…which means that not only can I not buy my clothes at the mall, but gifts too. Anyway, this is all about trying and aiming to do this. Sometimes it may not work and that’s ok. And yes, I’m full of energy and a little teeny bit manic today…

Oops, stuffed it already!

It doesn’t count that the two things I bought today are going to be adjusted and one is being used to refashion something else. It doesn’t count that they were cheap.
They were brand new (BAD girl) a-a-a-nd even worse they were cheap Asian imports so made in some horrible sweat shop and they were so cheap I’m sure that it costs someone somewhere far more to have them (BAD BAD girl), I dont’ need them (BAD x3 girl) and we don’t have money for this sort of thing no matter what they cost (BAD x4 girl). So I had just bloody better do something with them huh? Cause it’s not like I don’t have a several crates full of stuff I “could do something with”. *sigh*

The above news is so bad, the fact that I finally hemmed and took up a skirt really isn’t on the radar…but I did. And now I can wear it…Pic soon just for the heck of it..

Day One – It’s begun

I’ve been thinking about Wardrobe Refashion for some time now. I like the whole idea of not buying new etc. However, it has been kind of forced on me as due to my habit of spending on anything and everything – well we now officially have NO money. No really. If either of us get sick for longer than a week our house is at risk and we’d have to sell our car or something. 6 month pledge Without a doubt, or any shadow of matyrdom – this is my fault, especially the size of my credit card debt which I have helpfully shared with my husband. So I’m guessing I’m the one that needs to fix it. Pity – I really wanted some new grey shoes…maybe I can find them second hand somewhere.. anyone a size 6.5 to 7 (38) with a lovely pair of grey mid high heels? So here we go, it doesn’t officially begin until April 15th, but due to our rather desperate circumstances I need to start now. And I need to start sewing so maybe, maybe this will help. Such a shame I hate the smell of second hand clothing shops. I was thinking for 2 months (ie. till 9th May) but this really needs to be a way of life I’m thinking, especially if I want baby number 3 before I turn 45! So there’s definitely the clothing side, but also everything else. Today I refused to buy icecreams, which was met by great loud cries of disappointment and an accusation of cruelty (G is such a drama-queen!) and we had iceblocks at home (made early this morning at about 3.30am while I was in manic mode) and a promise of icecream in a bowl with choc sauce after dinner. I’m really not that cruel… but I just have to convince her of that. Just gotta work out how to add “buttons and things” to this as I’m a blogger.com kinda girl.