break

Readers,

I've decided to take a break from blogging to allow time to catch up on some work and think some thoughts. Thanks for your kind comments and for visiting my blog in the first place!

-Margeaux

winnings

The winner of the 18" doll outfit giveaway is LittleYellowBirdBoutique! Be sure to check out her Etsy shop. The outfit will be shipped this Monday.

In other news, I visited a rather out-of-the-way antique mall this week that'd I'd never been to before. It was in a warehouse and it smelled kind of strange, but it was definitely worth it.

The prices were insanely low and I found some amazing items. Besides, I just love being around vintage things. I gives me a new perspective on history that I doubt I could ever receive from a textbook.

Here's what I found:

My new jewelry favorite, this great Betsy Johnson-esque charm bracelet.

A copy of Life magazine from 1941.
The caption under the cover photo states that 'the pretty Mrs. Bertram Benedict' was a freelance fashion illustrator who moonlighted as a volunteer air-raid spotter.

A tiny beaded purse....

...and this really unique purse; I love the clasp and buckle.

A few patterns from the '40s ($1.95 each! Crazy!).
Aren't their hats and hairstyles great?

And to top it all off, a few bags of pins (I like putting these on gifts/packages instead of a bow).

Have you been vintage shopping recently?

I'm back!

Hello, everyone! I'm officially back from vacation and getting back into the swing of things (or at least trying to). I had a lovely time, and right now I'm desperately trying to figure out a way to make my tan last until summer.

I've decided not to post photos from the craft show I did while gone (though I said I would), because the lighting was awful and my table didn't look so great anyway. It was something of a last-minute affair.

Anyway, I cancelled my Teen Vogue subscribtion awhile ago, but I returned home to find the latest issue in the stack of mail. I quit my subscribtion because I don't like the magazine, but I think TV may have redeemed itself with this editorial. It still seems a bit overstyled to me (my main complaint with TV), but the overall mood is lovely.

And they managed to find a boy model that doesn't look like a girl!

View the entire editorial in higher resolution here.

vacation adventures pt. 1

It certainly is lovely to no longer feel like an ice cube whenever I go outside! Here's what's been happening these first few days of vacation:

random headscarf, Old Navy sweater, Converse dress, Mossimo purse, Old Navy flip-flops

Yesterday's outfit. It's actually been a little chillier than I expected (mid 60s), hence the sweater.

Lunch at Whole Foods Market, which consisted of Margherita pizza and a delicious fruit tart with lemon cream.

Magenta bougainvillea.

And here's some pictures of the items I sewed for the trip:

A zipper pouch for snacks (to keep in my purse), because I'm not wild about the idea of my ipod getting anywhere near my Fig Newtons.

I made it using this genius tutorial. It's all pretty much notion/fabric odds-and-ends I had sitting around (the pink fabric is actually a leg from a pair of pants I turned into shorts).

The little applique is just a design cut from a scrap of fabric and ironed/stitched in place with the help of Wonder Under and my sewing machine.

Sleep shirt. I couldn't find one that I liked at any stores, so I made one ( loosely adapted from patterns from this book). Again, pretty much all the fabric is second-hand here. The bodice was cut from a men's tee, and the skirt part is actually cut from an old maxi dress, so this came together in about half an hour (measuring the ribbing was the most time-consuming step).

If you get the idea I was whipping these things together the afternoon before we left, you're right :)

vacation

First off, something funny. This post is titled 'Vacation', and after I added tags I saved it to my dashboard and saw this:

:) Here's today's outfit.

I tried taking photos outside (it's foggy and rather mystical-looking today) but it was so cold and my skirt kept blowing about.

So I moved inside.

Jones New York turtleneck, Thakoon for Target skirt, random tights, Gianni Bini shoes

Unfortunately, it started raining after I took these pictures, so I had to change to boots before going out. Which is sad, because these are the kind of shoes that make an outfit.

By the way, I'm leaving for a 2 week tropical vacation....

I'm planning on doing a few outfit posts and sharing some pictures from a craft show I'll be doing, but things will be relatively scarce around here until March 15.

Goodbye!

a little night sewing

I've spent the past few evenings sewing some extra Barbie clothing for an upcoming craft show. As you can see, I also snapped a bunch of behind-the-scenes photos.

Magnetic pin cushion. This kind is a lot easier to use than the typical tomato cushion (though I'll admit it's not as cute).

My trusty Husquevarna Viking.

Fabric and trims for 2 Barbie evening gowns.

Vintage Barbie illustration.

Barbie, waiting with the scissors and thread for her modeling gig.

Samples of a new bathing suit design I'm working on (these will be debuting in the shop in a few weeks!).

Dress bodices and my iron.

In other news, I tried out a new dessert for an Australian-themed dinner the other night: lamingtons. I'd never heard of these before I started researching Australian food; basically, they're squares or cubes of butter cake coated with chocolate icing and topped with coconut.

Mine weren't particularly authentic, but they did taste great! I used chocolate ganache instead of icing, and toasted up plenty of coconut to sprinkle over each.

My recipe is from a copyrighted cookbook, but here's a few online recipes I that look similar:

• Lamingtons 1
• Lamingtons 2

Also, here's the ganache recipe I used:

• Ganache (it's at the end of the brownie recipe)
  

lucky

I've been giving my sister sewing lessons for the past few months now. This is our latest project: Lucky the Dog/softie.

Lucky's made out of fake fur (it's really cow print, but we decided it works for a Dalmatian). He has a felt face, ears, and collar.

The name tag is a Shrinky Dink drawn with colored pencils.

The pattern's from Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals (which is definitely worth owning).

As you can see, our Lucky is rather unique (compared to the prototype in the book).

But that's how we roll :)

banana-oatmeal muffins

I'm usually not a fan of banana-related baked goods, but my Mom, muffin whiz that she is, makes a mean banana-oatmeal muffin. Which just happens to be what we had for breakfast this morning.
Above are my photos, and here's her recipe:

Banana-Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon honey
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups mashed bananas (4-5 medium)

Combine oats and milk and set aside.

In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

To soaked mixture, add oil, eggs, vanilla, and bananas.

Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir only until the flour is moistened.

Fill greased muffin cups and bake 375 F--20 minutes.

Makes approx. 17 muffins.

Best served with scrambled eggs and orange juice.

What did you have for breakfast?