Our Saturday: Gay Pride

I have been on the hunt for a good ol' (literally old) film camera. I bought this really cool Crayola one at a thrift store and then found one hiding at my Dad's house! So this Saturday we took them out for a little test run (we didn't know if either of them worked). And they turned out beautiful! 
First, we went to this location downtown. I had originally scoped this out for the photoshoot I did last month but didn't end up going. So we decided to go back and do a little photoshoot of our own! It was Pride weekend so we put on our craziest (and 90's themed) outfits.... Ok, they weren't too crazy... just fun. 
Then we saw Moonrise Kingdom, soooo good. And after, we walked the few blocks down to where the parade/festival for Pride was. 
 We met up with friends... And saw some very interesting people....  Pardon the foul language. The front of this shirt said, "Call me Michael Phelps..." 
I thought it was pretty funny... 
We still have one more roll of film to develop so you may get to see more later on! I must say, I have a new found obsession with film. But it's so darn expensive! To get two disposable cameras and one roll of film developed, it cost $30!! Geez louis! 
P.S. We're trying to save up for a road trip, any tips on making some fast cash? We have a bunch of movies and some other things we want to sell but don't know where. Suggestions? 

Mingle Monday: Lost in Relocation

Yes, yes it is a day late. But here is today's Mingle Monday with Bhrett from Lost in Relocation.

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1.    What got you into blogging and how long have you been at it?

In the winter of 2010 I decided to go to graduate school.  I was interested in schools in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Canada, and New York.  After realizing that we would be getting married, moving away from home, and beginning a life half-way across the country I decided to start my little blog to document the process.  I never dreamed that I would meet so many amazing people or get paid to do something that I love so much!  

2.       What does blogging mean to you? Business or pleasure?

Blogging is and will always be pleasure.  Yeah, I make a couple of bucks here and there for sponsorships, but writing doesn't come easy for me.  I have to be inspired, and I have to love and believe in what I'm doing.  The day that my blog becomes a business will be the day that I quit writing.  (Why yes, I do have a bit of a rebellious streak.)

3.       What do you mostly blog about?

Lately I've been blogging a bit about my inspiration for my shop, Fringe and Feather.  I also write about our adventures around Philadelphia, the woes of a vagabond life, and our journey to a simpler existence.  It's really quite the mish-mash, but I feel that it is representative of who I was and my journey to who I am.

4.       What do you besides blogging? What’s a normal day like in the life of Bhrett?

I am a full-time student, part-time pizza architect, and full-time house wife.  I just went back to school for the third time (after leaving my graduate program in New York) to earn a teaching certification.  I have a degree in Mathematics and I hope one day I'll grown up and teach high school mathematics.  Actually, maybe I will pass on the growing up thing...

In a typical day I do a bit of crafting, some homework, and a walk by the river with my loves.  I also do some less blog-worthy things like go to work or clean the kitchen.

5.       Do you plan out your posts or just kind of wing it? Strict schedule blogger or go with the flow blogger?

I blog like I live the rest of my life.  Winging it is what I do.  You'll rarely if ever see a post planned ahead.

6.       Are you a daytime blogger or night owl blogger?

Now that my husband has a nine-to-five I've become a daytime blogger.  I love being able to go snap a few photos and get them live within minutes.  It makes me feel like my readers are a huge part of my life, experiencing it with my as I seek out my journey.

7.       Name a few of your favorite blogs and why?

This is always so hard.  I found Sam because we seem to read a lot of the same blogs.  They are big.  You probably read them too.  I'd rather tell you about some up-and-coming blogs that I read.  I hope you'll check them out!

I love A Flower of the Sky.  I feel so connected to Felicia.  We have so much in common, and I love seeing her journey unfold.

Bronwyn at Little Bravery writes of adventure and style.  She's planning to buy a vintage Winnebago and hit the road.  I can't wait to see where her heart leads her.

Kelley at A Crooked Trail approaches life with such joy.  Visiting her corner of the web always brightens my day with an awesome photo, video, or just some beautiful thoughts.

Thanks for having me Sam.  You, lady, are too amazing!

xo bhrett

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Thanks Bhrett! It was good to have you (: 

DIY: $10 Scentsy

 

Living in an apartment has it's downfalls, my biggest thing is that our apartment doesn't always smell the best. I mean it's not bad, it's just.... apartment smell? So for the days I can't just open the windows (hello 100 degree Houston weather) I like to have something to freshen up our air and make it smell nice! Candles won't do and spray fresheners are just.... chemicals.... all in my air. So another alternative I found was Scentsy. But after some thinking and researching I decided against it for two reasons. 1) They are so darn expensive!! and 2) I'd rather go a more natural route (i.e. not petroleum based wax!) So I searched for a cheaper and healthier solution! And it was pretty easy, all you need are three things: 

1) A candle warmer- $5 

2) Thrifted tea cup- $1 (I used one I already had but I assure you it cost me less that one dollar)

3) Soy wax melts- $4 

I met this lady at my pop-up show and she was so sweet!  I bought the blueberry muffin soy wax melts and boy do they smell delicious!! I will definitely be buying from her again. 

All you have to do is put your tea cup on the top of the warmer, pop in a cube of your soy wax melts, and turn that puppy on! We just love this thing, it's hard to keep ourselves from using it every single day! Seriously, it's the best. 

It's safer than a candle (Eliza and fire is not a good combo) and I just feel so much better knowing that it's not leaching chemicals into our home, what more can a mother ask for? 

My Day & A Video

Two posts in one day, whaaa?! I just had to share some exciting news. We went to the beach today and after past failed attempts at surfing, I had given up. However, I gave it another try today and actually surfed! I was so proud of myself, I kinda want to go back tomorrow!! But probably not.... because I have a feeling my arms are going to be sore tomorrow. Anyways, that just kinda made my day (: 
So Brandon showed me this video today and it is incredible! Makes me proud to be a Houstonian. Definitely worth watching. *wink wink*FPSF 2012 RE-CAP. from Free Video Houston on Vimeo.

DIY: Kitchen Play Mat

I made this for Eliza a while back. We don't have room for a play kitchen so I came up with the idea of making this little fabric mat that she can roll out on top of her toy box (perfect height!) and play kitchen! She's got a sink on the left and a stove on the right to cook stuff on!   I gathered a bunch of old fabric I had and let Eliza pick out all the pieces.  She chose ^^ this for the main part. I cut two identical rectangles.  And this pink floral fabric for the stove. I cut out circles and then cut them into spirals. Then pinned them on (to only one of the rectangle pieces!) and stitched them on!  She chose this cool aqua striped fabric for the sink. After I stitched the sink (onto the same rectangle piece as the stove pieces), I placed the other rectangle piece (print side down) on top of the sink/stove piece. Then, I stitched along all the edges, leaving a little hole so that I could turn it inside out and then closed that up.  And then I just sewed around the edges and between pieces just to give it a bit of structure!  And bam! A portable little play kitchen that I can put away when she's done with it. 
Well, I'm about to head to the beach for the day. Hope you guys have an awesome weekend! 

Hydroponics: The Easy Way

After I posted the.. 3 posts on how to build the window farm, I realized how complicated it was. I decided I wanted another hydroponic system but opted for an easier route. And a cheap one too! This is what I came up with and boy was it easy! If any of you are thinking of dipping into the world of hydroponics or would just like to grow some edible plants inside, this is definitely the way to go!! 
Before we start let me give you a little background info! This particular kind is called a water culture system. Basically the plants are suspended and the roots grow directly in the water. You put the nutrients in the water which makes it super easy for the roots to get which means less roots. However, roots need air as well! So we have an air stone in there to oxidize the water. Hydroponics is so great because it uses 70-90% less water than traditional farming and produces greater yields. Also, it can be quite space saving and is great for indoors! Plus you can avoid all those nasty pests that come with outdoor gardening. It's just really great all the way around. 
 
Here's what you'll need:Rock Wool CubesSeedsA small aquarium air pump An air stone Tubing A plastic tote box (make sure it has a lid)A drill/drill bit/knifePlastic containers (I recycled some containers I already had) Clay PelletsNutrients (I used this)
I started out with lettuce. I put some seeds onto a moist piece of paper bag (we don't have paper towels), put them into a plastic bag and stowed them away under our sink for a couple of days to germinate. 
Then I transplanted them into the rock wool cubes. I cut the rock wool in half and then poked some holes in it with a tooth pick. I did so many because I have bad luck with seedlings dying and will eventually pluck some of the bad ones out. Then, with a pair of tweezers, I carefully placed my little seedlings in the holes. And last, I soaked the cubes with some water mixed with a small amount of nutrients. I covered these with a plastic container and set them in a window sill until they reached about an inch and the roots were coming out the bottom.Once they were tall enough, it was time to build their new home! 
I choose a container that was about 15" wide, 20" long, and 6" tall. You can use just about any container with a lid on it! Just research how much root space your plants will need. For the plastic containers, I just found matching, round, plastic containers I had that I buy nuts and stuff in. 
Next, I drew out the placement.  To cut the holes, I drilled holes all the way around the sharpie lines. I found it was easier to cut through when I drilled about a million holes. This is kind of the hard part, I definitely got an arm work out!    After I had enough holes, I cut through it with a knife. Then I drilled holes all around the bottom of my plastic containers.  And slipped them in!!         Now, to hook up the air. Basically you stick the air stone in the bottom, drill a hole through the top or side (above where the water will be!), stick the tubing through to the inside, and attach to the air stone. Then attach the outside end to the air pump! My air pump came with a check valve so I went ahead and stuck that somewhere between the plastic container and the pump. This is so water doesn't make it back to the pump. And the very last step is to fill the plastic tote up with water, put your plants into your plastic containers and fill with clay pellets! If your rock wool doesn't reach the water, you may want to spray them down until the roots can reach.   my little helper ;)
And there you have it! Pretty easy right?! 
I've come to the realization that something has been missing on my blog! And I'm not exactly sure how to explain it. I suppose in one word I could describe it as a sort of environmentalism? Although to me it's more of relearning how to do basic things the right way and trying to live life as healthy as we can, and as naturally as we can. It effects everything we do and how we live day to day. We've been cutting meat and processed foods out of our diet, spending more time outside, gardening, watching less tv and buying less. And it feels really good. I could say we have been being more "green" but I have mixed feelings about that word. Because eco-friendly and green might not be the best solutions. I think what I'm aiming for is sustainability, to really find the best, most practical ways to do things while reducing our eco foot print. 
Well enough rambling! I just wanted to share that little bit of what my mind's been mulling over lately. And this was kind of the perfect post to do it on! I know everything I do may not be perfect and "eco-friendly" but we're trying little by little. Baby steps (: 

Questions!!

So a while back I asked you guys if you had any questions for me! I didn't get quite enough to fill up a video but I still wanted to answer them so here they are! Don't worry though, I've got a fun vlog in the making ;) 
Alex Wish: How did you start up-cycling clothes? And when did you know that's what you wanted to do for a living?
Well, I took a few classes in high school where I learned to sew and from then got my own sewing machine. I made costumes while I was in theatre which kind of sparked the idea of using some of my old clothes to make new clothes. I experimented a bit but it wasn't until after I had Eliza that I really got dived back into upcycling clothes and decided I wanted to try and make a living off of it! I remember when Eliza was a newborn, she would sleep all the time and I'd be stuck at home so I'd just sew all day. That was when I really learned how to sew, just me and my sewing machine. 
xo.leslieanneQuestion: how do you find all the cute clothes thrifting! I only ever find reeeeeeally ugly clothes.
Haha, I kind of get this a lot actually. Umm, practice? I like to think that I have an "eye" and can see potential in things others may not. I also just go thrifting a LOT. So even though my wardrobe is almost completely thrifted, it's from years of searching through thrift stores and finding maybe one or two really good items for myself. 
Steena

Do you do any kind of scrapbooking for your little girl? Got any good ideas on that?

I used to scrapbook for her but then I got bored of it. It just takes a lot of time and money, both of which I don't have. I'd like to think that this will suffice for a scrapbook and maybe in the years to come, she will be able to look back here and remember all the good times. But one idea that might be useful is digital scrapbooking. I did a post on it here, if you'd like to read more.

ereddy

Is there a certain time of the day that is best to thrift? Or a certain day?

Umm, well I prefer to do my thrifting when it's not too crowded. So that's usually mid-day during the week. I have a few favorite thrift stores and I like to stay updated with all their sales and deals. One of them sends out weekly newsletters with what is on sale that week and then another has like "half off wednesdays". So it's helpful to be familiar with the stores and what deals are happening where.  

Amanda Rose

What would be your tips for a successful blog?

This question was asked before I did a whole post about it, you can read my  blogging tips here! 

AnonymousWhere do you usually shop? How did you pick the name Eliza?
I usually shop at thrift stores. Generally, I try to stay away from department stores but if there's some clothing item I need (like basics), I usually go to Forever 21 or Target. 
We had a few other names picked out but after our parents found out, we were totally turned off by them (we wanted to keep it a secret!). One day we just stumbled upon 'Eliza' and just fell for it. There was no arguing or debating, we were both in love with it. 
loony

what is your favorite mythological beast

Haha, umm a Centaur? I've always liked horses and I think they're just interesting. I mean, how cool would it be to be a half man/half horse?!

Anonymousloony's question is so fun! what do you like to do most with eliza? did you know she was going to be a girl before she was born and if you didnt, what were the boy name options for her? best date you and brandon ever went on?
Ooh, that's a hard one. My favorite thing to do- in the mornings sometimes, before we get up, we'll just hang out in my bed and talk about what we want to do that day and make tents out of our sheets and just play. It's the best time because she's not quite awake to be a crazy ball of energy so she sticks around long enough so that we can have sweet conversations and cuddle! 
We had a sneaking suspicion she was going to be a girl. Brandon's dad has 3 girls out of 4 children and somehow we just kind of knew? We were trying to keep an open mind just in case but I think we were both secretly pining for a girl.  
Hmm, best date? I would say our first real date! He had just gotten his license and he drove me in his mom's car to a crawfish festival in town. I don't think we were "official" yet and it was kind of awkward but like the good kind. We walked through the crowds holding hands (probably not talking much!), he payed for everything, we ate good crawfish, and then we went home. Just kind of a typical, giddy, awkward first date. 
AmandaIf you could get a message across to a large audience, what woud it be?
Dream big. I've always been a firm believer in dreaming and I think everyone has the capability of doing great things but they must know that it's possible. That's something I'll always push on Eliza. I want the world for her.