Knotted Beauty

A few months ago, I mentioned on Instagram that I was spending the afternoon taking pictures of a few scarves that my mom had crocheted. Thankfully, after a couple of hours of photographing, I got to see the results of my efforts and I was actually pretty happy with how they turned out, so I wanted to share a few of them here as well, because this is not a frequent occurrence in this camera-challenged girl's life.

Like I mentioned, the scarves were all crocheted by my mom, after learning this beautiful new stitch called "Solomon's knot", as a way to use up some of the yarns we have around the house and to stay busy during her long commute to and from work.

The reason I was photographing them is because we decided to list them on Etsy. As much as we love a handmade scarf, we really don't need so many of the same, and we'd rather share them with others who will appreciate their beauty and softness just as much as we do.

Besides, after seeing how beautiful this pattern looks, I've requested a larger, shawl-sized scarf, that I can drape over my shoulders and wear during all 4 seasons, not just the 3 colder ones that these scarves are perfect for. To this day though, I'm still debating what colour or yarn I'd like my shawl to be crocheted with (maybe one of these neutral, lighter yarns that we have in the shop?), which always seems to be the hardest choice for me when it comes to handmade projects. Usually, when I pick the material first, I know almost instantly what I would like to make with it, but when I pick the project first, I have the hardest time settling on the material.

Does this only happen to me? What is the hardest choice for you when starting a new project? And also, speaking of Etsy, what are your favourite shops there?

PS: Naturally, I had my whiskered assistant along with me for the picture-taking, to make sure everything was in order!

Alterations

A few weeks ago during a long weekend, I finally got a chance to pull out my sewing machine and do a little bit of sewing. It was the first time in over 2 years and it felt so good. I am not experienced in any way at the sewing machine - I think I sewed less than 10 times in my entire life - but I grew up around women who sewed, and have always had a deep desire to learn.

Since I only had about half a day free, I picked two clothing items that needed some very simple alterations. It felt so good to start and finish something in the same day, since I already have a few in-progress projects that have been waiting patiently for me.

The first item was an ill-fitting dress that was both too short and at the same time had a neckline that was hitting quite low - that is, when the straps actually stayed on. With a loose elastic neckline and armholes, even the slightest movement caused them to slip off my shoulders. This was a quick fix, even for me: I shortened the straps by about 2cm, and now I have a longer, tunic-style top (instead of a dress) that I can actually move in and that stays in place.

The second item was an eco-friendly dress that I bought online. As is the risk with online shopping, I couldn't see all the details clearly, and once it came in the post, I found the actual cut of the dress was a bit odd for me: the sides were extended about halfway through the length and ended with pockets that pointed out. This too was a pretty quick fix by cutting out the extra material.

It was so great to take a bit of time to sit and work at my sewing machine again. Even better, I managed to fix some items that I hadn't worn yet, so with just a couple of hours of work, I technically added two pieces to my closet. I hope to be doing more of the same this month while I'm on vacation from work because my mending and finishing pile alone is overflowing, not to mention that list of new projects I'd like to tackle.

I'd love to know, do you sew or would you like to learn? If yes, do you prefer to fix and re-imagine ill-fitting items or to work on new projects from scratch?

The Beauty Files

As someone so interested in environmental issues, reducing my - and my family's - waste is an issue that is constantly on my mind, especially more recently. During the last few months, I've slowly shifted to a mentality in which things can - and maybe should - be both pretty and functional. I believe more and more that I don't have to compromise between the two; for example, "special occasion" dresses can be worked into everyday outfits, and in the same way, decorative items for the home can be used for organization too. This is not a new approach for me - I've already repurposed empty candy boxes and my jewelry box - and this year I added one more thing: a file holder that now holds my hair and makeup products.

I bought this file holder a few years ago, in hopes that it would help me organize the piles of paper from my desk. Once I brought it home however, I realized it was much too big for the desk, so I moved it to a small console table next to it, where it stayed filled with papers I barely ever touched. In short, it wasn't functional at all, it just added to the clutter. Ever since we moved to the new house, it's been gathering dust in the basement until last month, when I figured out its new role. I'm so happy to be actually using it every day.

I'm always so proud whenever I find a new use for an object I already have so I'm curious, do you ever repurpose items in your home? If so, what are they?

In The Box

Over the last few weeks I've been going through a phase where I want to declutter, organize and decorate every little corner of our home. Part of the reason for this is that the house is in need of some renovations - big and small - and so, even more than a year after we moved in, we're still left with the odd unpacked box in each room. One of my main missions during this phase, besides making things look better, is to eliminate some of the plastic that seems to be everywhere and make our space a little greener in the process.

Last week, as I was working on a few little corners of my room, I uncovered a jewelry box I've had for many years now, that's been buried deep into one of my nightstand drawers. The box is beautifully crafted and it's been one of my treasured possessions for most of my life, passed on by a family member, but since I display all of my most worn jewelry on a corkboard for easy access, the box has been holding the pieces that I don't wear. I wanted to give it a better purpose, and I thought I would try using it for something other than jewelry; that something turned out to be a set of coloured crayons.

Though it was quite well designed, I was happy to get rid of one more piece of plastic packaging and actually find a way to display my beautiful jewelry box, so I think this mini project turned into a win-win situation.

Have you been repurposing any items in your home recently, either to declutter and make your home a little greener or just for a better look? I'd love to hear - and get inspired by - new ideas.

Weekend Bouquet

We are at that stage now where the signs of spring are becoming clearly visible. For example, the maple trees in our backyard are filled with beautiful red buds. It won't be long before green leaves start to appear, but this stage is so lovely and short, that we decided to make the most of it over the week-end. Since the weather forecast predicted lots of rain - no rain drops actually fell on the ground, but it was cloudy for the most part - we wanted to be able to enjoy them while inside the house too. So, just cutting a few of the smaller branches and arranging them in some pretty vases that we spread all over the house turned out to be a quick and fun way to do just that.

Here is what we did, step by step:

1. Cut a few branches from the tree.

2. Pick out some vases in which to make the arrangements.

3. Trim and place the branches until you're happy with how the arrangements look.

To end, you could choose to leave them dry, or add some water with a little sugar to help keep them looking their best for a little while longer. Just like that, in a few short minutes, you can have some beautiful bouquets that bring a touch of spring inside.

I'd love to know, how do you make the most of the first signs of spring?

Clean Fruit

Though I'm not the healthiest eater out there - I'm not the worst either, but my sweet tooth gets me into trouble - I always try to have at least a few servings of fruit each day. I truly think that this habit keeps me healthy and protected from seasonal colds and it's easy to maintain since I have so many favourites; mangoes, apples & cantaloupe are just a few of the ones I eat most often, either on their own or blended in a smoothie. One thing that I don't like is the wax coating that many of them, especially apples, are covered with to look more appealing in grocery store aisles.

One trick that I learned from my mom recently is to wash all the fruits, especially those whose outer skin we eat - with baking soda rather than just water. All it takes is just pouring a little baking soda in your hand, wetting it and then scrubbing the fruit with it. It's important to rinse well afterwards so that there is none left at the end - it has a salty taste. That is it, a quick and simple way to an even more nutritious snack!

A Fall Bouquet

One of the most enjoyable activities of the past long week-end for me was raking leaves in the backyard. It might sound strange, but somehow I always knew I would enjoy it, and was happy to be proven right. In between making mounds of leaves, I stopped to gather a few of them for some DIY projects that came to mind. Since most of the trees in our backyard are maple trees, I found a beautiful array of yellow, red and brown mixed together in unique ways in each leaf. I immediately thought that they would make for a lovely fall-themed bouquet.

I picked out a small white vase to hold them, and the contrast with the rich colours of the leaves proved to be stunning. I made sure that the vase was narrower at the top, in order to hold together all the leaf stems the way I wanted it to. As for the leaves, I think that the more diverse they are - both in colour and in size - the better.

For the first few leaves, I made sure to hold them with one hand so that they stay put where I want them to be. Once the vase was filled enough to keep the leaves in place, I started to add more from above, both in the middle and on the sides, until I was happy with how full the bouquet looked.

Be warned that the bouquet will not stay looking "fresh" for a long time - I made mine in the evening and by morning, it resembled more the second picture - but long enough to make for a perfect table accent while hosting a few friends over for a fall-themed celebration, or to add a touch of colour to a room on a dark fall day. That being said, I think that the "dried-out" version looks just as good, and is maybe even more in keeping with the season. 

A few recommendations:

• Make sure to have the leaves face both the edge and the middle of the vase, so that their beautiful colours can be seen from all sides.
• Don't overthink it! It will look more natural the more random it is.

Make/Remake

During the past few months, I've become more and more interested in the idea of creating things myself, and trying my hand at a few DIY projects. To be honest, I have barely ever tried any - these pore strips and this knitted scarf are my only trials. Still, I am really enjoying the process of looking for - and finding! - some incredibly creative inspiration. Now, in the hopes that showing it here will, just like putting it down on paper, keep me to my promise of completing them in the near future, I decided to share some of the green DIY ideas that I've been dreaming about lately.

• Turning all the corn husks collected during the summer into something useful •

• Breathing new life into some old, broken bracelets •

• Mixing these two ideas with my own vision to create something beautiful •
Photos via Cupcakes and Cashmere (first here & second here) and Heartmade Blog (third here)

Beginnings are always tough but I'm looking forward to getting over my "DIY shyness" and starting to make all these project ideas - and more - come true!

Still Sweet

My family and I moved to our new house almost two moths ago, but with my trip to Italy in July, my new bedroom is still mostly unpacked - and coming together very slowly. Since it is a smaller room that has an entirely different layout than my previous one, I'm having trouble trying to fit everything inside it. So far I've had to be quite creative in order to make it work and I've realized that one of the best - and most eco-friendly - solutions is repurposing old items. As it turns out, chocolate and cookie boxes are quite versatile when it comes to giving them a new job.

It's no secret that I have quite the sweet tooth, and when it comes to chocolate - especially one that comes in such pretty packaging that I can later reuse - it's almost impossible to resist. 

A Fresh Canvas

I am still feeling inspired and crafty after having finished this project, but now I would love to turn my attention to sewing instead of knitting. While I do have some fabric bits at home that I could work with, I wanted to browse Etsy for some organic options and I was amazed at the wide array of pretty fabrics that I was able to find. These are a few of my favourites:

1. Mum Mustard Organic Cotton, $48/yard

2. Cloud 9 Speckle Grass Organic Cotton Fabric, $16.50/yard

3. Birch Forest in Robin’s Egg Organic Cotton/Hemp Fabric, $40

4. Cloud 9 Flock Sky Organic Cotton Fabric, $16/yard

5. Seasons Winter (Grass) Organic Cotton Fabric, $10

6. Cloud 9 Leaves Shell Organic Cotton Fabric, $16.50/yard

7. Cloud 9 Speckle Shell Organic Cotton Fabric, $16.50/yard

8. Cloud 9 Elefete Shell Organic Cotton Fabric, $16.50/yard

9. Sprig and Sprouts Coral Poppy Organic Cotton/Hemp Fabric, $68/yard

10. Cloud 9 Beyond The Sea Organic Cotton Fabric, $16.50/yard

The anticipation and excitement of spring is clearly visible in my choices - I found myself drawn towards the bright, happy prints the most!

• Note: the proportions of the prints might not be exact. •

Warm Embrace

During my trip this past summer, I stopped by a lovely knit shop, where I found this wonderful yarn that is a blend of cashmere and silk. At more than 20$ for a single ball of it, I decided that I needed a small project to make if I were to buy it, and the neck warmer displayed on a mannequin at the store seemed like the perfect choice at the time. It later turned out not to be, and the neck warmer I had knitted quickly got undone to be remade into a regular scarf. I hinted at the work-in-progress a few weeks ago (here) and, although a little later than I had hoped, I managed to finish it and am eager to wear it for the remainder of winter - and maybe even into early spring.

Of course I was so excited about it, I couldn't help but play around with it - I'm really thrilled to see just how versatile it is.

Crafty Introduction

All the women in my family - both of my grandmothers and my mom - are hard-core knitters. In fact, they've been knitting so much and for so long that they have no problem working on their projects without even looking at what they're doing - talk about multitasking potential! I, on the other hand, am still in the beginning stages of my knitting experience, and surprisingly so since I learned how to do it probably a decade ago. Shamefully, I never actually had the patience and dedication to complete an entire project, other than a fuzzy scarf a couple of years ago.

However, along with my growing passion for a sustainable life, I'm finding myself more and more attracted to this craft. On the way, I'm learning that not only is it a productive way to spend my free time, but it's also a rather green one, and for many reasons.

For one, a knitted item can be much less wasteful than most other store-bought items: almost anything can easily be done, taken apart, and redone if it doesn't fit right or it just doesn't fit in with an ever-growing sense of style. Not only that, but there are so many eco-friendly fibres out there, like organic cotton and wool along with hemp and bamboo, that there'll never be a shortage of resources or ideas.

All that to say that lately I have been putting to work my newfound passion for knitting, and this is a sneak peek of a project I'm currently working on and can't wait to share the minute it's done!

The Beauty Pantry: Pore Strips

A few months ago, I found a pore strip included inside a magazine that I bought. I had never used pore strips before, and it took me a while to try this one but once I did, I vowed that I would buy more. Luckily, not long after, one of my favorite Youtube beauty gurus (and one of the most subscribed-to Youtubers) Michelle Phan posted a video with a natural alternative: pore strips made from milk and gelatin.

In her video, she walks viewers through the entire process and explains every single step in detail. It is such an easy tutorial that I have already tried it a couple of times and, just like Michelle, I am at once disgusted and excited about what came out of my pores.

•  The few things you need for this beauty DIY  •

(all images via amazon)

Check out her video for step-by-step instructions:

For more of Michelle's green beauty tips, see how to curl your hair with no heat in one of her latest videos!