I have been keeping busy keeping house and trying to plan things out for a vacation next month.  I haven’t been feeling 100% well in a while and have been trying to exercise more and eating better in hopes of a remedy to the solution.  Several things have been ruled out but I am still trying to find a solution.

My sewing machine has been very lonely for a while and has been collecting dust.  I had mentioned before when I was making my Beignet skirt that I had put on a few inches.   Well, I haven’t been quite been able to shed those inches yet to get back to a more “normal” size for me that I have been used to and I am not wanting to make anything that is fit to this new size in hopes of losing the inches and then not having the clothes fit well.

Wish me luck!

This is what I wore for day 26, the dress from the vintage pattern, take two.    The weather has been warming up here so this dress has really nice and light.

I don’t really have much to update on my end; life has been hectic and not much sewing has been going on.  We are having a guest stay with us for a while so there wont be much from me while we entertain our guest for Memorial Day.  Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

This is the outfit I wore for day 19.  It consisted of a bought skirt and my me-made Sencha blouse.  I haven’t worn this one in a while so I felt it was due time.  Plus….check out my new shoes!  I love them but the husband is not as fond of them as I am.  Oh well!

I wore no me-made clothes over the weekend.  Saturday was spent hiking with the puppy and the husband while Sunday we went to a friend’s birthday party that was very very casual and I felt I would be over dressed in any of my me-made items.

I’ve gotten into a non-sewing rut lately but I am hoping to snap out of it soon and get back to work on my blouse that I gave a sneak peak of a while back.

Day 9 was spent in Nashville with some of the in-laws for Mother’s day and I wore the same outfit as day 1 with the addition of a blazer (it was a little bit cooler on that day).  It is a comfortable outfit and just about anything can go with the trousers.

Day 10, 11, and 12 were spent wearing RTW clothes while day 13 I wore the first dress I made.  I enjoy the bound button holes and the flowers.  Day 13 was a hot and humid day so this nice light dress was prefect.

I am still working on my JJ blouse and hope to have it finished soon!  Have a great weekend!

Picked by the husband to make me feel better

]]> http://ericalwong.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/hiatus/feed/ 1 Erica Pictures 334 http://ericalwong.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/cilantro-hummus/ http://ericalwong.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/cilantro-hummus/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 15:31:39 +0000 Erica http://ericalwong.wordpress.com/?p=424 ]]> Here is a recipe for a wonderful hummus I threw together today.  It was a combination of several different recipes to make this one.

1. 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained; reserve juice
2. 1 teaspoon cumin
3. 1 clove garlic
4. 6 tbs lemon juice
5. 1/4 tsp salt
6. 1 tbs olive oil
7. 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
8. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor.  Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved juice from the can and mix.  You can adjust some of the ingredients to your taste such as the garlic, lemon, cilantro, and cumin.  I think I added maybe about a cup of cilantro and a bit more salt because I used reduced sodium chickpeas.  Other hummus recipes call for tahini but I did not have any and this turned out just as yummy without it!

Serve with vegetables, pita bread, or use on a sandwich.  Enjoy!

Day 2 was spent inside cleaning and being a bum (which was great) because of rain and I stayed in my jammies and cleaning clothes all day and sadly did not wear anything that was made by me.  Maybe I will make some lounge pants…

These pants…well, here I am wearing them again for day three.   The downside to these pants is that my dog also loves them and tends to get his drool on them and it is hard to get out without washing them completely.  The cardigan was thrifted and the little camisole I have had since I was about 12 (It’s actually from Limited Too)…I’ve gotten plenty of wear out of that little cami.  And this is day 1 of pin curls.

For day 4, I wore the dress I made with the first vintage pattern I bought.  The sad thing is that I didn’t really get to get out and enjoy my dress or the weather.  It finally stopped raining today and hopefully it will continue to be sunny for a while.  I have my fingers crossed!

Oh and in this picture is day two of pin curls with Lottabody Olive Oil Foam Wrap.  I find this is easy for me to use since it’s a foam and goes in like mousse.  I didn’t do anything to the hair, just brushed it out a bit.  Speaking of hair….anyone know any sites that show you step by step how to fix your hair in a vintage style?  I would love to try something new.  Thanks!

The Beignet and I are not friends anymore.  There is something about this skirt that I am not crazy about.  I tried working on it last night and threw in the towel.  I am not meant to wear this skirt.  I have tried.  And I am giving up (for now).  I will get you my pretty…. Maybe the cat knows something I don’t…maybe that is why he is trying to help me by getting in my way so much so I can’t get frustrated….maybe, just maybe….

Plus, it doesn’t help that from the time that I started making this skirt, I must have put on a few inches around my mid-section and thighs (ugh) because this skirt does not seem like it will fit me.  The lining and the facing are now one.  I just need to hem the bottom, add the belt loops, make the belt, and add the buttons and it will be complete.  Why is this skirt giving me such a headache?  I’m not sure.  Maybe it was my fabric choice.  I have put this on the back-burner and started work on a blouse instead.  Here is what I have finished so far.

Has anyone else had such issues with this pattern?  On paper, it doesn’t seem like it would have been such a complicated project.  Is it so simple that I am complicating it?

Oh to sew so care-free….

• Baking Soda – I use this to clean my sinks, bathrooms, and shower.  Just mix the baking soda with water to make a paste and scrub away at whatever you need cleaned then rinse with water.  It’s a nice alternative to harmful chemicals, especially if you have kids.  I like to use this paste on my counters every once in a while and I don’t have to worry about dropping food on my counters and getting chemicals on it.  It also works great at removing stubborn stains on your counter.
• White vinegar and water – Mix equal parts together in a squirt bottle and use as a cleaner.  I use on my kitchen counters, bathrooms, anywhere you want to disinfect.  It can even be used to clean fruits and vegetable before you eat it, and the good thing is that vinegar is not harmful to you!
• Do you have a clogged drain?  Remember the volcanoes you made in grade school?  Yep, baking soda then vinegar in the drain will clean it right up!
• Here is a link to 10 different recipes for homemade laundry detergent.  I’ve never made any yet, but may one day.  It’s a good way to cut back on the cost of store bought laundry detergent.
• Lemons – Have a stubborn smell (like garlic) on your cutting board or knife?  Rub a piece of lemon on it and it will take care of it!  You can even throw a piece of lemon into the garbage disposal, turn it on to grind it up to freshen that up as well.  Or you could use a lime, whichever smell you prefer from your garbage disposal.

I am sure there are a lot of other homemade recipes out there for other jobs around the house, but these I use in my own home (other than the laundry detergent) along with my steam cleaner to clean my floors and anywhere else I want to steam.  If I think of others, I will add to the list.  Happy cleaning with homemade items!

Review of April

1. Instead of buying full price fabrics, I purchased fabrics on sale online and used a coupon as well, purchased fabrics on sale at my local fabric store, and thrifted fabrics.
2. I made my own dishcloths instead of buying ones from the store.
3. I have made some of my own cleaning supplies rather than buying.
4. The husband and I have found free things to do rather than spending for fun.

It’s not much, but it’s a start to a more thrifty lifestyle.   I enjoy reading The Retro Houswife for tips on grocery shopping and where I can get coupons.  Anyone have tips to a more thrifty lifestyle or other blogs that I could read?