Girlish Garb: Jeans and New Store Background.... Again

So yes, I have a new store background. Again. I went even simpler with all white this time as well as changing the way I take pictures of clothes! But we'll get to that in a minute. 
These were taken a few days ago. I was trying to find something to wear and got the sudden urge to wear jeans! And let me tell you, this almost NEVER happens. I've been very into skirts/dresses/shorts lately, especially because of the heat. So this was kind of a big deal ;)   Outfit Details: Jeans- Forever 21 Blouse- Thrifted Necklace- Thrifted 
So back to the store! First of all, I wanted an easier way of listing clothes. So this is the new first step. I'll be taking pictures of the clothes on hangers and then hopefully this will give me more time to do fun photoshoots which I will add to the listings so that people can see how they fit on a person. 
Kind of the concept is that whenever you take clothes out of your closet, first you look at it on the hanger, and then you try it on. So on my site, first you will see the clothes on the hanger, and then pictures of them on people, styled with other clothing. This also simplifies the first picture you see instead of already putting it in an outfit, it gives you a chance to see it alone and create outfits in your head first!  1. (<< on sale!) 2.  1. 2.  1. 2.  1. 2. 1. 2. 
So what do you think?! I want your opinion!!!

A Few Things: Body Love

I know my first couple of "A Few Things" posts were kind of downers. Sorry about that! But this one is positive (:  So here we go! 

I'm sure all of you can relate but as far back as I can remember, I've been self-conscious about my body. That's really sad to say but it's totally true. I am not overweight but I am not perfect either. And especially now, after having a baby, I'm especially self-conscious. But lately, I've been learning a lot about taking care of my body through the products I choose to put in/on my body and just taking better care of myself in general. I'm learning to appreciate the fact that I even have a body, a healthy body, one that works pretty darn well most of the time and I really haven't been taking very good care of it. It's something that I think a lot of people take for granted. 

This is something I've felt really passionate about lately, partly because I want to learn for myself to better my life but also to learn so that I can pass it on to Eliza so that she can be as healthy (body and mind) as possible. 

I've been reflecting on why I am so self-conscious and how I came to be that way so I can take steps to change it. And I wanted to share a few things I've learned and that help me. 
Clothes: Now, I love clothes. That's what I do for a living. As I've been learning to simplify my life and attempting to become less materialistic, it's been hard to justify "fashion". Although, I don't really believe in fashion. I don't like what I think of when I think of fashion. I like clothes and style and dressing up. But when I think of fashion I think of anorexic models, name brands, and highly inflated prices. Sad. So I really don't like that word. Because when I think of what I do, what I enjoy, and how I look at "clothes", I think of creativity. Art. My body. I love putting an outfit together, how a shirt can change a whole outfit. I dress for my mood, however I'm feeling be it colorful & playful or neutral and down to earth. I dress in comfortable clothes. I dress in a way that makes me feel pretty. I dress for my body type, in a way that makes me feel good about my body. And I've noticed lately that when I look in the mirror, I don't think "ugh, this makes me look fat". And that is a really good feeling. When I dress, I dress to feel good about myself and to be comfortable. Period. I don't try to squeeze into things that don't fit me because I know I'll just be uncomfortable and worrying about how I look the whole day. So I guess my point is that I use clothes to decorate this beautiful body of mine not to make my body something that it's not. 
Ah, this man of mine. He's so cute :)
No clothes: As much as I love clothes, sometimes I just don't feel like wearing clothes, darnit! And that's perfectly fine. Sometimes, it's just too dang hot to wear clothes anyways. Now, that doesn't mean that I walk around naked all the time (I'm not that brave yet). Usually it's just me in my house wearing a sports bra and some comfy undies (to much information?). But I feel like this has had a big part in me loving my body more. Whenever I pass by a mirror, hey, I look at myself. Who doesn't? But since I'm walking around half naked all the time, I've gotten used to it and don't point out every single imperfection of my naked body every time I look in the mirror. And that's also a really good feeling too. There are those occasions when I stop at the mirror for a little too long and start to think bad thoughts but I just try to stop myself and be appreciative. Because it's so easy to narrow in on those stretch marks on my tum-tum but instead, I try look at my body as a whole and appreciate it for what it is. Loving the way you look is a freakin' hard thing. Go naked and enjoy it! This is also a great way to get motivated about treating your body better (i.e. eating well... and working out which I need to do...). I apologize if I sound like a nudist. But sometimes I just like being el natural, ok?! .... I'm really not a nudist. 

Food: Ok, I love my body. I love doing all the things my body allows me to do. But to do those things, I need to fuel myself with good food to allow myself to do them! I don't want to eat vegetables grown with chemicals. I don't want to eat processed foods that'll just make me feel sick. I want to be energetic! I want to be able to play with my daughter, I want my daughter to be healthy! It's as simple as that. Eat healthy and your body will feel good and look good and make you feel better about yourself. This is something we've been working on a lot lately. We went vegetarian this week and I am pleasantly surprised. We've had the best food we've possibly ever made and non of it involved meat! And when I think of meals with meat, the meat is really not even the best part. It's certainly not the healthiest part so why? We're also looking into a local csa to start getting local/organic fruits and veggies. It's kind of fun, I feel so much more connected to the food I buy rather than buying a box of god knows what and following the directions to make our meals. It's very humbling, learning to cook food from scratch. It makes you appreciate where your food comes from and the effort that goes into growing food. And a long with that, we've started a little garden! We can't grow much right now but we've got some tomato plants, some peppers, a few herbs, and lettuce! I hope that someday we can have a steady stream of lettuce so we never have to buy that again. Wouldn't that be cool? Just picking your lettuce everyday for a *fresh* salad? 
Oh, also the pictures are from an "engagement" shoot Brandon and I did. I thought it was kind of appropriate. I've been wanting to take some couple pictures for a while but couldn't decide on a theme. What to wear? What location? And then I just decided to take all of that out of the equation and just do it in our home, with no clothes. (tmi again?) I wanted them to be... raw, simple, natural. Just Brandon and I cuddling in our bed. (nothing sexual, guys). It's just the most comfy and sacred place in our house. Where we all lay down to sleep (Eliza too!). Where we spend family time, playing. And to take clothes out of it was just kind of obvious. Because I didn't want them taking away from the main purpose of the pictures. Us. So that's that. And then I went a little crazy in photoshop.... It's whatever ;)
Anyways, enough of my rambling.... I hope this isn't too weird. I feel like I'm starting to get crazier and crazier. I'm sure my family thinks I'm wacko but to me it's just becoming more normal. The way earth intended it. The world's a crazy place, ya know?

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.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

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

************************************************************************************************************************

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!