secondhandsewn

secondhandsewn has moved! new website!

2009-07-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

secondhandsewn is now its own new and improved, self designed, completely fabulous and wonderful website!

here's a looksee:

so go to www.secondhandsewn.com, poke around, SUBSCRIBE people! see you soon!

wouldn't it be fabulous to have...

2009-07-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

personalized pencils?

i think i would feel so glamorous if someone asked if they could use a pen- and i pulled out a pencil with my name imprinted on it with a flourish.

i think mine would be tiffany blue with a gold or silver imprint... faaabuloussss...

for the long weekend...

2009-07-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

it seems like summer is the time to read good books... more than any other time of year. was anyone else in a summer book club? we used to join one at the public library every year when i was a kid... you'd set a goal for a certain number of books to read and if you met your milestones you got free ice cream and carriage rides. awesome right?

well if you're looking for a good beach read (for 4th of july weekend perhaps?) here is a list of "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die."

personally, i don't believe in having lists of things to do before i die... so i am not regretful when that day comes (because i never finish my lists!). STILL- looks like there might be some good suggestions on this list.

i am currently reading:

trying to refresh my memory before the movie comes out! (and secretly... i never read the end because someone told me a sad spoiler... and i didn't want to experience it.)

i have been horrible lately.

2009-07-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

completely unable to control myself and yield willpower against the beast we all know as... 'the summer sale.'

luckily- or unluckily? my hubby totally supported my addictions this week...

check out my bargains!
**sorry for the poor photo quality!**

$5 "gift wrapped ring" from jcrew- looks like a present bow, right?

$19 felix rey tote from target... seems a little marc jacobs esque to me... and a good laptop tote?

$24 pink chucks from tj maxx! i have always wanted a pair of chucks!

so now that i've busted my budget... have you found any treasures in summer sales?

the best part of waking up

2009-06-30T05:08:00.001-07:00

some days, waking up early and going to work just stinks. i just want to cuddle up with my blankets and pillows and hubby and stay in my bed all day.

coffee is the one saving grace. seriously, sometimes i'm getting ready in the morning thinking 'man, i can't wait to get to work and have some coffee.'

another thing that helps is a cheery coffee mug... and maybe a pretty trivet or tile to sit your mug on... i know it makes me smile to see my pretty coffee in the morning.

my mug was only $.50 at a thrift shop!

you can find lots of pretty options online at one of my most favorite places...anthropologie...

like these:

happy coffee!

the most perfect bike

2009-06-26T05:11:00.000-07:00

if i only had $600 extra dollars...

saw this beauty on a walk through carrboro yesterday afternoon. the leather seat! the leather handles! the color! the creamy wheel wells! the vintagey amazingness!

olde town art fair

2009-06-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

hand blown glass in all different fabulous colors... i love glass. these would look beautiful all lined up in groups atop an all white fireplace...
this next one is a graphite drawing- as in pencil- and was as tall as me. that's not saying much, but DANG i bet that took a long time.
these next paintings were fabulous. i saw someone buy one and was so super jealous. my favorite was the yak... but there was also a beautiful minty-blue cup that i didn't get a pic of...
these pretty orbs were handblown glass, and on a pole so you could put them in your garden. what a pretty modern take on a gazing ball!

so on my free day in chicago, i checked out this super cool art fair in old town.

"The Old Town Art Fair will celebrate its 60th anniversary on June 13th and 14th as the charming, tree-lined streets of the city's historic Old Town Triangle District will set the stage for 260 nationally acclaimed artists and an estimated 50,000 art lovers."

Chicago!

2009-06-21T07:19:00.001-07:00

sorry for the lack of posting last week... i was in the lovely chi-town on business (neocon 2009!).

here is one of my most favorite things that i saw in chicago... the bean! or, 'cloud gate' which is its official name. i think it's one of the coolest public artworks out there... especially as far as involving the public, getting people to interact with it and each other- it's amazing. you can read all about the artist and its construction here.

i'll try to be back for good... and post every day this week! possibly more pictures from chicago...?

the smell of summer

2009-06-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

the day june 1 hits... i miss the beach something fierce. i miss the beaming sunshine, the sand between my toes, running from the waves, hunting for seashells, and even the moody clouds when a storm is coming...

i also miss being able to just head out to wrightsville beach on a whim, driving along in my yellow beetle with the windows down and the music blasting...

one thing that helps bring me back to the beach is the smell of hawaiian tropic.

lately, i've been slathering it on my arms every morning- it's actually super light and moisturizing, has spf (duh!) AND that amazing summery coconut-y smell that takes me right back to the waters' edge.

really, you should try it. you'll be driving to work, catch a whiff, and suddenly you're on vacation :)

music i like right now

2009-06-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

after a bit of a hiatus... i'm back. and i'm going to be posting about all kinds of randomness... the usual crafty things, plus great design, do it yourself ideas, and things i just plain like.

speaking of things i just plain like- check out lisa hannigan's new solo album. super cute name, super cute cover art, and check out this super cute video. amazing use of arts and crafts (pop up book! yes!) in a really creative and fabulous way, i think.

oh yeah- and it's super cute.

valentine's day flowers

2009-02-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

you know what- i used to be super cynical about valentines day. one of those people who said 'the only good thing about valentine's day is the 50% off chocolate the day after!' maybe it's just because i'm happily married now or maybe i've just gotten older and wiser (ha!), but either way i have a healthy respect for valentine's day now.
i mean c'mon- who can't appreciate a holiday that's just trying to make it a little less awkward for us bumbling idiots to tell each other how we really feel?
and...we all know the flowers, chocolate, and jewelry (i got all three!) don't hurt!

i hope you had a happy valentine's weekend. and if not- you can share my flowers, and i love you :)

texture

2009-02-09T18:17:00.001-08:00

les fleurs

2009-02-09T18:06:00.001-08:00

it feels like spring here this week...in the 70's in february! it's just insane...

it's been a long while...

2009-02-09T17:54:00.001-08:00

shouldn'tve left you...without a dope beat to step to...step to...

hehe

i know i know i haven't posted in ages. this photo makes me want to go on a road trip...

piccys

2009-01-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

in lieu of other crafty delights...i am giving you these :)

i love dish towels...

2009-01-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

...i know it's silly maybe, but i absolutely love dish towels. they are such a cute way to add character, color, and texture to an otherwise sometimes sterile room- the kitchen. and, they're cheap! so you can afford to switch them out with your moods and the seasons.

the one on the left is from williams and sonoma, and is purely for practical use (although i do love a good stripe...clearly). the one on the left is the reason for this photo- a christmas present from anthropologie!

i love its embroidery and the tassels at the bottom...and you can't see it but on the edges there's a cute vintage-frenchie red and blue stripe. i didn't make this one, but i am planning on doing some using these super cute vintage transfers sometime soon.

prettyyyy

2009-01-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

isn't that color amazing??

these are the curtains in my bedroom, which, are not at ALL that color. ok well they're blue and stripey, but i don't think that they are nearly that intense in person.

it's awesome what color and light can do when all smashed together and poured through and around each other...

p.s. my husband took this one, not i

treasure

2009-01-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

i found this little owl guy hanging out in my husbands old bedroom at his parents' house. isn't he cute? he's a bank!!!

the little glass birdie is a tealight holder from the mast general store in asheville, nc...and the bowl is my creation you may remember from a previous post.

cookies

2009-01-03T19:05:00.001-08:00

cookies cookies...something about baking is so pretty to me.

these are cinnamon butter cookies...i added the raisins because my hubby loves them. and i mean loves them a lootttt.

here's the recipe. they came out a little cakey this time, and i used whole wheat flour so i think that maybe had something to do with it. more than likely, a little too much flour, a little too little butter. balance is everything!

new year, new camera

2009-01-03T18:54:00.001-08:00

so, i know i'm late (as always)...but HAPPY NEW YEAR!

expect to see some hopefully prettier photos in the new year...as i got a fancy dancy new pentax dslr for christmas :)
disclosure: there may be some more photography and less crafty posts in the near future. MAYBE.

anyway... i hope to be more crafty, take more time to do things, blog more, be better with correspondence, and not sweat the little stuff in 2009.

all the best to you and yours, and i hope that your holidays were ahmazing!

handmade gift...

2008-12-20T23:31:00.000-08:00

so...this is my best attempt to photograph my first completed crochet project. my camera seems to have mysteriously disappeared...so iphone will have to suffice :)

this is a crocheted lace cowl, created as a christmas gift for a very dear friend. perhaps we can have a post with her reaction very soon...?

the shape came out a little wonky...not quite like it was supposed to...but i think i like it. it seems to serve more of a warmth-purpose with a wider edge. anyway, apparently there's a technique called 'blocking' which can be used to re-shape knit items that have become distorted during creation.

it's not perfect...but i think it's kinda cute! i started on tuesday night, and finished tonight (saturday)...and all it took was yarn and a crochet hook. so you can DO it if i can!

here's the pattern i used if you feel inspired. my mom and i tweaked it a little bit as she was teaching me, so you may have to work out what works best for you.

remember- with handmade gifts, the effort and care you put into them is the best part!

p.s. i look very tired in the photo because i couldn't sleep and took it about 2 am. and i promise that my left hand is not really a claw. :)

p.s.s. remember the bathroom stripes??

merry christmas!

Pppresents!

2008-12-07T18:58:00.001-08:00

yay presents!
I was planning on using recycled grocery bags to make my own wrapping
paper this year, but found two rolls of wrapping paper in my storage
closet...so I kinda felt the need to use those.

so instead...I made bows!

for a pretty cheap, easy, and reusable bow alternative, yarn pom poms
are so fun and easy to make. go here for full instructions!
also...round paper doilies make great gift tags. they cost like $1 or
less for 50 or so, and they look like snowflakes :)

be creative with your gifts...presentation is half the fun! happy wrapping!

Cookie mountain

2008-12-07T16:54:00.001-08:00

so I have admittedly been a little absent lately from my poor little blog... But I have been busy christmasing and such! tonight I had a hankering for some chocolate chip cookies...so I made
some! they turned out more cake-y than crunchy or cookie...maybe too much egg ratio to butter and flour?

either way...they're good.

the recipe that i used this time is on the back of the hershey's bag of chocolate chips...they're cheaper than nestle!

i'm still working on perfecting the chocolate chip cookie. if you have any good recipes or secrets...please comment!

pretty!

2008-11-18T19:19:00.001-08:00

fall is one of my absolute favorite seasons. the excitement of the holidays is upon us, the weather is cooler and refreshing after the hot hot hot summer, and the fashion is so multi-layered and full of options! probably one of my most favorite things about fall is the leaves...

we don't have too much change here in north cakkilaky, but i think that this year the early cold snaps helped the leaves put on a much more impressive show than usual. here are some shots from a lunch break stroll to get you in the spirit!

sadly, they are mostly blown away now...but that means that christmas is around the corner!

another treasure....

2008-11-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

i was going to wait until i had better photography (the phone camera is not always the best)...but i love this one!

one last find from the weekend...lanvin watch! $5! (i told you she has magical powers!!)

let's just keep our fingers crossed that it still works!

treasures!

2008-11-18T18:58:00.001-08:00

last weekend i went to wilmington to visit my lovely friend jade for her birthday! celebration, and to spend a lil time with my momma....and had the pleasure of doing some thrifting!

jade has magical thrifting powers, as you will note from some of the posts on her super cool blog. needless to say, in her company, i found some treasures!

1- a cute ring stand! i have been looking for one of these that isn't cheesy or stupid or in the shape of a heart or flower FOREVER. this one is just simple and pretty and perfect for holding the sparklies while you sleep :)

2- teacups! these are so cute, and actually had some fabulous saucers to accompany them...i just brought the cups home, because they are soon to become CANDLES.

3- a little christmas mouse cross stitch kit...you will see his completed photo soon i hope!

yay thrifting!

pretty!

2008-11-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

ok....so i am a little biased because i might maybe have a weensy part time job at a j.crew. but seriously people, how pretty and chic are these shoes???!?!?!!

p.s. i know that these are neither secondhand or handmade...but they do have sewn parts! in my blog description i said that i would be posting on pretty things...which i would like to do...so expect to see more not necessarily handmade things that i still think are pretty in the near future!

buy handmade!

2008-11-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

so here's an idea.

we all like handmade things, right? so if you'd like to be all crafty and give handmade gifts this season, but you don't have time to make EVERYTHING (which is probably most of us)...you can buy from folks who DO have time!

if you really want to support handmade holidays, go to this site and pledge to buy handmade gifts this season, while requesting that others do the same for you.

my gifts will probably not all be handmade...as i have loved ones who request otherwise and i ultimately always want to make eeeverybody as happy as possible...but i will be creating as many crafty gifts as humanly (me-ly?) possible, that's for sure!

nobody likes parking at the mall in november or december anyway, right?

Friends give good advice

2008-11-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

While visiting with my bestest friend last weekend, I commented on her
fabulous fireplace. The gas isn't hooked up, so she stacked some logs
inside and twisted white christmas lights aaaall around
them. Now, you may not know to too well yet, but
Christmas lights and I have a very longstanding love affair. While
wondering at her magical fireplace I said 'man I wish I had a
fireplace, that's such a good excuse to use Christmas lights all
year!' to which my fab friend responded...'well, you could just put
some in a vase....?'. Now why didn't I think of
that? I didn't have a vase big enough, but
I DO have an extremely large crystal bowl that I got as a wedding gift
and couldn't figure out how to use! Voilà! Instant lamp! To boot,
there are Christmas lights in all of the stores now...so get crackin!

Tadaaaaa!

2008-11-06T18:12:00.001-08:00

Here is the finished product! On my nightstand! So
easy. The materials only cost about $12, and the
process took maybe 5 minutes. Just glue the wick, melt the wax, and
pour! Follow this link for my inspiration and full instructions.

Lately I love...

2008-11-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Candles!!! I know it's a little corny, but I love candles a lot.
Especially lately. They are just so homey and fall-y and make your
house smell faaabulous! So I took the advice of a fellow blogger and
made one myself :) here it is in progress...

election day party!

2008-11-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

we can always count on martha. having an election-results partay?
head on over to the queen's website for recipes that represent different areas of the usa. or perhaps are just plain patriotic...like these cute cupcakes :)

amazing.

2008-11-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

ok so maybe not secondhand or sewn...but definitely handmade and amazing! this is a sculpture by artist jeff koons. he is pretty much the picasso of our time. this piece was atop the roof of the metropolitan museum of art in nyc...along with a few others...for a couple of months this fall. it's made out of stainless steel and coated in a translucent material. SO COOL! i especially like how you're always a part of the piece of art that you're looking at, because it's so reflective.

amazing!

martha craft!

2008-10-13T16:23:00.001-07:00

first of all, happy columbus day!

i was hunting for an easy sewing project...as i am still pretty much sewing machine retarded...so i of course turned to our favorite craft maven yet again!

this is a pretty cool craft, super easy (once i got my machine working, it took about 5 minutes!), and really useful. we all definitely have a bunch of old t shirts hanging around that we are too attached to and will never throw out, but wouldn't be caught dead wearing. you know you have some...in the bottom of your drawer or a closet junking up your precious clothing storage space!

anyway, this is a great way to make use of those shirts, free up some closet space (!!) and help us be a little more green...ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

all you have to do- flip your tee inside out, and stitch the bottom hem closed. next, trace a half circle around the collar (bowls work great!) and cut it out. last, cut off the sleeves and flip right side out! tadaaa!

if you're feeling extra crafty and have a sewing machine (which i of course was and do) you can use a zig zag stitch around the edges to make em stronger.

go here to get the original instructions and a handy dandy video from ms. stewart herself.

i chopped all of my hair off

2008-10-05T19:05:00.001-07:00

well, i didn't really do it...but someone else did per my request.

i like it, but it's SHORT. i have decided that one perk of having short hair, rather than down to my shoulder blades long hair, is being able to wear cute little clippies without them falling out! or completely serving no purpose because they don't hold my masses of hair.

anyway, i had a bag of buttons left over from the pillowcase project....so hot glue + buttons + bobby pins = hair jewelry!

if you try to make these, maybe try a different type of glue. the hot glue took some trial and error, and some of them seem a LITTLE bit fragile.

martha craft

2008-10-05T18:57:00.001-07:00

i love martha stewart. she is the woman i will never be...always carving time out of her busy day to create wonderful crafts out of random objects, or bake cookies, or organize something, or garden...or hire someone to carry out her craftiness under a geniously marketed brandname. you know, domestic things.

anyway, on her website, there's this cool section on 'crafts' where they have a 'craft of the day'. you can even get these sent to your inbox...a little dose of daily inspiration! while my husband isn't so excited about the effect of this 'inspiration' on our bank accounts or trips to the craft store...i am VERY excited about the possibilities! there are some especially great gift ideas.

here are some tassel earrings i created based on martha's instructions.
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=56f8c5607a9a5110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=craftcod_pi
stay tuned for more martha crafts!

the first day i wore them to work, a customer said 'well, those are some interesting earrings' to which i happily replied.... oh! i made them! maybe it wasn't a compliment, but interesting is what we're going for...right?

This pillow is....

2008-09-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Mine!

I have a weird complex with sharing pillows.

I also don't like it when pillowcases don't match....

So I decided to stake a claim :)

'yours' to follow....

Happy fall!

2008-09-22T19:57:00.001-07:00

So for some reason when I think of fall.. Reds and oranges and
pumpkins and the crisp wonderfulness in the air... I also think of
baking. So, in honor of fall... I made banana raisin bread! From
scratch!

Recipe as follows:

2-4 mashed ripe bananas

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix mashed bananas and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle in the baking soda and salt...and add flour. Last...add raisins (if you like!). Pour mixture into a 4 x 8 loaf pan, and bake for 1 hour.

today was a bad day.

2008-09-09T19:40:00.001-07:00

so i went thrift shopping on my lunch break. here are my finds!! a big fat yellow brooch, some teensy silver shell earrings, and some white metal bamboo hoops. yay! the background is a find from over the weekend...not secondhand but super awesome jonathan adler placemats that i got for- that's right folks- $1 each. better day!

triumph!!

2008-09-08T19:40:00.001-07:00

i finally got my sewing machine to work. it has been an uphill battle...usually involving three or so hours, some tears and frustration, and my poor husband trying to fix a sewing machine.

but last night...I FIGURED IT OUT. MYSELF. yayyyy!!

so that little splotch of stitching says 'hi'....my pillowcase project is hopefully soon to be completed and up on the blog!

ban definitely

2008-08-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

so i have been peeking in on this wonderful blog for a little while now, and it's fabulously creative author jen seems to have embarked on a new venture.

she has a new site, band.do, full of fairy tale headpieces that i might never have the guts to wear on a daily basis but wish i did. they also each come with their own haiku...fun!

fashion illustration...

2008-08-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

I was tooling around on Etsy and came across this shop, which among other oddities is home to vintage sewing patterns.

These could not only provide guidelines to making some fabulous designs inspired by history, but check out the illustrations! They remind me of many that one might come across in a magazine.

Pretty inspiring, no?

2008-07-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

i have a cool aunt.
i know lots of people say they do, or there are cool aunts as characters in books and stuff, but i really have one.

anyway, my cool aunt nancy made these for us as a wedding gift, to remind us of our honeymoon in hawaii. i think they're a great craft idea, a gorgeous result that 'seems' relatively simple. they're slices of tissue paper collaged together in a glass frame.

grouped together, they're a great way to brighten up a sad little wall!

i got flowers!

2008-07-27T21:03:00.001-07:00

these were a surpise! they completely brightened my whole week.
you can share!

how to make a really small room look HUGE

2008-07-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

ok so maybe not HUGE, but a lot bigger!

my bathroom = really small.

one day while flipping through domino magazine (which is fab, by the way) i saw a photo of a gorgeous green striped bathroom with a claw footed tub. it was a bathroom of dreams. a small can of navy paint and a lot of painter's tape later...maybe not a bathroom of dreams, but a lot larger looking!

i think the stripes are a great way to brighten a small space....entryway? closet? laundry room? the possibilities are endless.

treasure!

2008-07-25T04:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend- per sabrina's recommendation- my husband and I checked out a really cool little vintage shop called Hong Kong Vintage in Charlotte, NC.

Thift shopping is like a giant treasure hunt... I found this fabulous tablecloth! I think that bright prints are a great way to add character to a space. Tablecloths are especially great because a) they're inexpensive! and b) you can change them on a whim.

Really brightens a room, don'tcha think?

bonjour!

2008-07-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

welcome to my space.

this is my first foray into the blogging world. i need a place to be creative, and share what i love.
i hope you enjoy reading!