Quick and easy plastic bag holder

I haven't sewn anything in quite some time... Pretty much since I sewed my thumb by accident (it's all better now!).

As of late I've been thinking about how there are a lot of things I used to do that I don't really do anymore and it is making me feel less lively and a bit blah. I find that when I am a little down or unmotivated that doing something quick and easy makes me feel more positive about everything. I have a collection of plastic bags from grocery shopping (I should remember to bring my own bags) and I've been meaning to make a plastic bag holder. This took maybe half an hour and I think it's very pleasant to look at. It is super easy to make as it is just a tube with one end scrunched up with elastic and a handle on the other end.

Little things make the day a lot better :)

Read More

Lay-N-Go Cosmo: Travel Make-Up Organizer

I travel a lot.  That's not saying I'm taking vacations or anything, but I do live what feels like a double life going back and forth between Ohio and Kentucky.  Josh and I take turns doing the weekend drive back and forth, with the dog living in two states.

Maybe I carry more products than I should with me, but I do like to be prepared to look nice.  It is a bit of a hassle to keep things tidy, to pack things in a pack... unpack, re-pack... then there's the fear of make-up falling rolling all over the place and onto the floor.

I first came upon this product a few years ago, but originally I saw the Lay-n-Go Activity Mat for kids and their toys. 

Then I discovered the same concept for make-up and purchased the Lay-n-Go Cosmo Bag to accompany me on the many weekend trips (and hopefully an actual vaca soon?).

I keep my favorite make-up essentials in it, as well as some jewelry.  It is incredibly convenient, cute, and keeps everything nice and tidy.  It just takes 1-second to cinch it up and be on my way! Perfect for on the go.

The bag cinches up and has a little handle to carry it around with.

The bag even has a front little pocket! I'm not sure what it is for, so far I just put the little pouch the mat came with in it.

Read More

Seersucker Blouse & A Precautionary Tale

Finally got around to sewing this shirt (and sewing in general).  I used a Deer & Doe pattern, the same pattern that I used to sew a previous blouse (that included a collar!).

I really like this lightweight seersucker fabric that I bought for my birthday with a fabric.com gift card that I received.  This fabric is just right for a summer workday because it is hot and humid outside the building but very cold in the office.  This is a good transitional temperature shirt with it being cute and comfortable to boot!

Blood and sweat literally went into this blouse.  It is not a difficult blouse to sew actually but I did have my first sewing injury the evening I started sewing this.

I had finished the bodice and was on to sew the sleeves onto the shirt.  I was not being as careful as I should be and was trying to sew closer to the edge.... then the machine ate my thumb.

My thumb was obviously too close because before long I had a broken sewing machine needle in completely through the top of my thumb.  I swiftly got it out, cleaned up and rested.  I'll spare you the details but I got paranoid that I didn't get it all out as it had broken in half so I went to the urgent care to get it x-rayed to make sure.  Thankfully, I had an hour before the urgent care closed... also thankful that I have health insurance.

As I left, the receptionist was funny and called out "now you can get back to sewing!" to which I responded.... "maybe not today"

I did get back to it the next evening to finish the shirt though then wore it to work the next day.  Thumb is still a little sore, but it's healing really well.  I'm very fortunate it wasn't worse, which is why I urge you all to be very careful.  Sewing can be very dangerous! There are a lot of sharp objects involved in this art.

Was the shirt worth it? I think it was certainly worth the lesson to be extra careful, and it turned out nice :)

Be safe and be happy, everybody!

Read More

Purse Essentials June 2014

Purse essentials June 2014 by Feier featuring a satchel purse

I like to be prepared wherever I go yet I also don't like to carry large purses.  Those are two conflicting wants in life so over time I've limited myself to a handful of items to keep in my purse.  For my medium-sized purses I'll put a lot of these items (+ some other personal items) in a small pouch to keep my purse organized.

I recently purchased this Mini Satchel Bag with Scallop Bar Detail purse from ASOS.com and I'm quite fond of it! It's not real leather but it has a nice feel to it, is not expensive, and is just darling.

Considering that I use my phone a lot for texting, browsing, calling, listening to music... my iPhone works pretty hard and sometimes runs out of juice.  There are a lot of battery boosters out there available for our electronics, but I'm a big fan of how sleek and small this Ultra Compact Portable Charger Lipstick Size by Anker (in pink!) is!

Also, being that it is summer right now my face gets oily quicker and I don't want my make-up to be running off my face.  I like to have oil blotting sheets with me like this Boscia one.  To freshen up on the go I like having this Instant Body Smoother by LA Fresh handy.

I wash my hands a lot, or use hand sanitizer (one of my essentials!) if necessary.  Washing my hands a lot results in some dry hands, dry cuticles... I really like having Rosebud Salve with me because it is good for moisturizing my skin, my nails, and work like a lip balm!  Speaking to dry cuticles and such, my nails have been getting hang nails and chipping more recently lately so I like to have mini nail clipper/file/poker with me at all times as well! It is really miserable for hang nails to be pulled out by accident by being caught on things like clothes.  I'm a big fan of the Tweezerman Nail Rescue Kit because it really does rescue my hands!

Band-aids & Re-wetting drops because I'm a contact lens wearer is always helpful as well! My shoes tend to rub on the backs of my heels so I like to have band-aids handy to protect my feet.  Re-wetting drops for contact lenses is a no brainer for me, because my vision is so horrible.  If I got stranded somewhere with no contacts or glasses I don't even think I could get myself home.  I like to minimize that likelihood by keeping my contacts moist and I keep extra pair of glasses in the glovebox of my car.

You never know what happens when you're out and about... enjoy lunch but splatter some sauce on yourself? Spill coffee? ... I have a lot of clothes that happen to be white/light colored so having Shout Wipes with me is so practical not only for myself but other people I'm around (accidents apparently don't only happen to me ;-)). I actually like them a lot more than tide pens even though each wipe doesn't go nearly as far.  Even so, I find them to do a much cleaner job which is the point of having touch up cleaning on the go.

Last two items: Stationary.

I Love Collecting Stationary. I Love Colored Pens.  I have multiple sets of colored pens.  My favorite is actually the Paper Mate's Inkjoys + Staedtler Fineliner Pens because they both write so smooth.  As much as I love those pens, they are rather large.  For my purses, when I feel like carrying stationary with me I like to have these  mini Stabilo's with me along with a small notebook.

Yes, all of these things are teeny and purse friendly!  There's something so satisfying with being prepared for the day, especially when the items are so cute and small.

Read More

Closet Oranization June 2014

Closet organization 2014 by feieron Polyvore

My closet is starting to get out of control and I have no good excuse for it. It's a very large walk in closet and I just shove everything in there even if they're not clothes/accessories. There are things hanging on the back of the door, bags piled on each other, shoes still in boxes taking up room unworn because I don't notice them in their box... 

It really is not making good use of space.

It is really the multi-purpose closet because the coat closet is so tiny it barely fits my vacuum and a few jackets. I want to de clutter my apartment better. Just because things fit in the closet does not mean they should look like that in there, hah.

I bought thin hangers in the past but I still have a lot of thicker plastic ones which would be better served playing role of impromptu drying racks. I'm also accumulating skirts and like them to be hung up because I won't notice them to wear them otherwise... Same goes to pants hence I have extra pant hangers on my list for organizing my closet.

I'm curious about how the purse/shoe hanger will actually work out on my closet because I'm worried it will squash purses too much or shoes won't fit in it right.

One of my favorites on this list that I have yet to purchase is the hanging coupler thing that allows me to hang two sets of clothes in the same space.

I missed the wagon for spring cleaning but it's never too late!

Happy summer!

Time to make room for the summer wardrobe :)

Read More

June 2014 Everyday Favorites

June 2014 Everyday Favorites by Feier featuring Soap & Glory

There are so many skincare and beauty products out there and although there seems to be an endless list of recommendations out on the internet, the reality is that everybody's skin is different as well as their preferences.  Over the years I've tried a bunch of products and as soon as I've figured out a slimmed down list of products I love, either my skin or style changes.  Sometimes, that also changes with the season given the humidity, heat, allergens, level of activity... etc.

These are my current favorites for the days of sun, heat, and humidity!

Diorskin Nude BB Cream -- A few months back I was at Sephora and attained many small sample sizes of foundation products.  I wanted something that looked natural, worked with my skin, and gave me some SPF protection... Essentially the point of a BB Cream.  This is not the same as original BB Creams out of Asia as this BB cream (and most in the United States) is more like a nice tinted moisturizer.  I love how it looks on my face and how nicely it blends in.  It's a bit on the pricy side so maybe next time I'll try out a Jouer tinted moisturizer as I have heard lots of good things about it.

Ole Henriksen Blue Black Berry Enzyme Facial Mask -- This humidity has not been particularly kind to my skin which is not intuitive to me at all.  One would think that because the air is not dry that the skin would not be flakey.  This weather has been making my skin more unpredictable and prone to break-outs and in combination with make-up, my skin has not been nearly as smooth.  This Enzyme Facial mask is great! It doesn't look crazy on my face because it is clear, it's not abrasive, and it makes my skin feel wonderful and new.

NARS Foreplay blush/highlighter palette -- I just love the colors in this palette and it is perfect for on the go! It makes it easy to change up looks without having to pull out a bunch of blushes.  Also, the color is very pigmented with good staying power which is especially good in the summer when it feels like makeup is prone to just melting off.

Lioele Artist Auto Eyebrow Pencil in Gray -- Most eyebrow pencils I find in any store just don't really go with my eyebrows.  I have black hair and typically eyebrow products are either for blondes or brunettes.  A lot of the other more black/gray products I've found in stores have been too dramatic/startling on my face.  This product is buildable and looks super natural on me.  This pencil also comes in other colors!

Urban Decay Cannonball Mascara -- This mascara works so well and is so waterproof! Eye makeup tends to run on me even if it is labeled waterproof but this mascara is great.  It also looks very natural, has good curling power, really lengthens my lashes and opens up my eyes!

Chubby Stick Intense in Heftiest Hibiscus -- I am such a fan of bright colors!  This is as bold as I feel comfortable with for wearing to work as well as out and about.  It's bold red with a hint of orange to give it some real warmth.  This is so hydrating and fun!

L'Oreal Clean Artiste Makeup Corrector Pen -- As I alluded to above, my eye makeup tends to run on me, especially eyeliner.  To combat with this problem on the go, I really love this makeup correcter/remover pen to clean up my makeup! It's like tide pen but safe for my face :).

Urban Decay All Nighter in Perversion -- I love this waterproof eyeliner because it doesn't need to be sharpened, glides on so velvety, and has such an intense color.

Real Technique Expert Face Brush & Blush Brush -- I love how airbrushed my makeup looks with these brushes AND I love their price! Each is under $10 and I like it much more than my other much more expensive brushes right now.

Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix -- So I got a tiny sample size version of this with my Sephora VIB points.  I had a few large spots on my chin (from the heat/makeup/stress?) that were bothering me and I dabbed some on... in a few hours they were smaller and by the next day they were gone! Definitely keeping this around.

Soap and Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel & The Righteous Butter Lotion -- I am such a fan of this line of products because I'm not sensitive to it, it smells amazing, and my skin feels so luxurious afterwards.  It makes showering feel like a pamper evening, every day.  Sometimes I think maybe I'm living in the wrong country because I am drawn to so many products and fashion out of the UK.

ASOS.COM is going to be the end of me...

Read More

Aiming for Mint Green Skirt (Chardon Pattern)

So I've been away from my sewing machine for much too long! May was much more busy than I would have expected.  This project took longer than expected... not because it was difficult because I could have completed it in two evenings... but I did appropriately complete it this past Friday which was National Sewing Machine day! my Juki and I bonded.

I love that my friends know me so well! So the fabric from this skirt was purchased with a fabric.com gift card I received from one of my friends.  

Twill Premier Prints Arrow Twill

This dress is sewn with a Deer&Doe pattern for the Chardon skirt.  I made this previously and blogged about it in a previous post which features some tutorial-photos <here>.

I am quite happy with how this turned out! If I had thought of it, I would have taken photos while I was wearing this out and about at a local winery... maybe next time... I at least took a selfie at home though, but by then it was dark outside.

What should I work on next? oh the options...

Read More