frikkin spring!

[thats a happy title btw.]

i remember trying to get a shot of one of these trees during work last year. 

close-up of almost carnation-like flowers.  turns out its more normal to whip out a camera on campus instead of a sort-of construction site.  i cant promise those will be the last flower pictures.  its spring damnit!  theres lots of pretty shit out there!

the kitters in his weird nesting phase

thats not frank.  its his doppelganger

cucumber and basil are go!

frikkin clouds that kept getting in the way of my sunbathing today. 

more flowers and a camocat

eventually we'll have to mow over these bitches but until then they are bright and sunny in our mostly dead yard

didnt even know i had white tulips

or variegated daffodils

tiger tulip.  not nearly as pushy as tiger mom.

someday i will have time to photoshop this.

double tulips and the few remaining daffodillys

random groundcover

i was closing the gate and heard a weird crunching noise.  its a stray kitters!  probably..pooping.  but its under the bushes so who cares.  atleast its not in the middle of the front yard.  i mean jeez.  have some shame kitties. 

liz's laundry

• shirt: calvin klein
• necklace: ae
• skirt: gap
• awesomely gaudy earrings: unfortunately unknown

• blurry wrap around cardigan w ties cut off: gap about 6 years ago
• blurry polka dot tanktop: kohls
• blurry short skirt: h&m

• scarf: thrifted
• belt: charlotte russe
• shirt: victoria's secret outlet
• skirt: ny&co

flowering trees on campus

magnolia and the sun glare from the chemistry building

same tree, taken while trying desperately not to be blown away in gale force winds

click to zoom in on a semi-decent shot of the petals blowing around.

green and black and not doing homework

this almost doesnt deserve an explanation.  but it looks so much better!  i bought the dress at marshalls or tj maxx or something and apparently wore it several times without noticing the awkward length.  it hit just at ankle length so it wasnt quiiiite a maxi dress.  about 2" too short.  so i cut most of it off.  and then made a ridiculously short skirt with the remainder.. but its perfect for summer layering.  too short without leggings, but long enough to make an ass-grazing tunic appropriate for public. 

this was my 10-minute sewing project of the day.  the top spent most of its life as a midi-skirt with ridiculous back elastic.  i cut off the waistband, rolled the hem, and added straps.  voila.  minidress.  with sequins you cant see in this shot. 

and this last little number will have to wait til next fall cos it is officially spring/summer weather in LI!  i bought it probably on super-clearance-mega-discount from victoria's secret and ..its acrylic/wool.  just enough wool to be a tad itchy but not enough to make me break out in hives.  i probably wore it once in 2 years..so i had given it to a friend who was on the search for conservative office-wear.  unfortunately for both of us it had weird ubertight sleeves attached to the oversized dolman puffy upperarm part.  result: ridic.  and she didnt wear it for a year either.  but i sat in her apartment unstitching the arm strangling part as she packed to move.  i didnt get a before pic as it was so scary i thought no one should ever see it again. 

the sleeves now reside in a dumpster in kansas. 

400!

this is officially my 400th post.  woo?

most of my spring break has been spent crazily doing homework or panicking about homework.. with an iowa interlude and a day at the auto show.  for which i will post pics someday.  until then.. here was a small project i did after completing a term paper draft

i bought this shirt at some thrift store ages ago cos i really liked the fabric.  and by the crumpledness you can tell it sat in my fabric bin for quite awhile.  but i saw a tutorial recently on converting a silk shirt to a simple shell.  and of course i thought.. i can do that!  so i did.  the end.

just kidding.  heres what i did: cut off the sleeves and sew a rolled hem around the arm hole, opened the fold-over button down and sewed it flat, sewed the buttons closed, cut off the collar and folded under the neckline to make it a v-neck, sewed the collar back on over the cut off neck [poor planning in retrospect], and then gathered the front shoulders and made mini-pleats.  much better no?

also, sorry for the blurry before-picture.  apparently i had changed my shutter speed to a lower setting and forgot to change it back.  and idk about the lean in the after-pic.  apparently i wanted to be closer to my frumpy-shirted self in too big jeans.

what i want to buy

one of the following.  k thx.

• dwell studio for target hippo print duvet set
• fabric: cotton
• size: full
• price: $59.99

• dwell studio for target moroccan quilt
• fabric: cotton with poly batting
• size: full/queen
• price: $62.99

• dwell studio for target prakesh duvet set
• fabric: cotton
• size: full/queen
• price: $55.99

• echelon quatrefoil
• fabric: cotton
• size: full/queen
• price: $83.75

[images from target and amazon]

first garden post of the season!

neighbor pj and i went on a garden store adventure today and while it's apparently still too cold for tomatoes and basil... there was plenty of other stuff to buy!  i added a thin layer of compost for the first time since i bought the 3 cubic yards of compost/topsoil mix to build the garden.  finally a good use for the "hound dog" garden tiller.   as of a couple hours ago, 1/4 of the garden is officially planted!  and yes except for the parsley they are all "cool weather" plants so i can potentially plant another round in midsummer.  dont hold your breath.

forlorn fiction

want to read the most depressing book ever?  its an award winner!  [for literary works ..not happy-mood-killingness] click cover for link. 

here is my brief synopsis:

two complete misfits, alice and mattia, have unbearably traumatic childhoods.  dysfunctional parents and cruel schoolmates add to their unfortunate neurosis.  in a romeo + julietesque tragedy, they seem destined for solitude [hence the title] and future failures.

will they ever get their shit together?  um.. i didnt deem it "most depressing book ever" for no reason.  another book i read recently was not quite as depressing... but its no disney classic either.

rose, the protagonist, finds she can taste emotions in food.  this "talent" eventually progresses to the point where she can pinpoint where each ingredient was sourced and what the working conditions were like.  she also finds her mother and brother are harboring dark secrets.

i cant say that i totally understand the end of the book.. but damn its bleak.

[images from amazon]

food and flowers

the daffodils have bloomed finally!

this is kind of an odd pic but i liked how the forsythia was just peeking over the fence

i made a crapload of vegetarian sushi

isnt it pretty?  ingredients: scrambled egg, red pepper, baby cucumber, sauteed sweet potato noodles, avocado

in iowa they still have dq.  and the new thing is $1.99 mini blizzards.  FUCKING AWESOME!  i had two.  and fries.  left-toffee cookie, right-chocolate truffle

battered cherry blossoms in kansas city

liz's laundry

apparently i havnt done anything picture-worthy lately.  except wear awesome clothes.  cos thats what i do

• choir boy coat: thrifted [marsh's]
• scarf: thrifted
• dress: forever 21
• leggings: charlotte russe
• shoes: chinese laundry

• sweater: calvin klein
• scarf: thrifted
• skirt: bought at a nz street market
• frilly socks: kohls kid's department
• shoes: nine west

• shirt: from pop's college days
• dress: cino [from some sample sale]
• half leggings: glassons
• random purse strap: ny&co crossbody

• silk scarf: h&m
• jacket: kenneth cole
• geometric top: calvin klein
• black tank: h&m
• skinny jeans: pac sun
• shoes: kenneth cole

my black mary janes garnered compliments from the 3 english-speaking girls in my class tonight.  so glad i found the little squishy ball-of-foot pads cos i missed my kenneth coles.  also..i cut sort of layered-bangs.  but you cant tell from the blurry ass outfit shots i take.  and honestly the grey/blue dress thing [3rd outfit] looked less frumpy during the day.  i think. too late now.

hello kitty recital

sorry about your nose kitty.  though you look pretty good for almost 40.

it bothers me that 5 are upside down and one is missing right whiskers.  but theres nothing to be done about that now.

cupcakes for doctor leah!

did you know there is a hello kitty pig named pippo?  FRIKKIN ADORABLE

balloons!  the "congrats" balloon is conveniently hiding

roses!

the cupcake tree makes yet another party debut

the most hello kittiest table ever prepared for a doctorate of musical arts reception

flores amarillas

[click to enlarge] stony brook has blooming daffodils.  why the hell dont i??

theres a cardinal in there.  trust me.

uber closeup