Nesting Dolls of Science

You know what the best part about this challenge has been so far?   By not shopping this week, my brain is like "Girl, you are crushing this challenge!"   So, I could passively go through a year of not buying clothes and feel good about myself!   BOOM.   But here’s the thing:   looking forward, I'm going to need to do some serious wardrobe consideration.   My jeans are quite a few years old and wearing out in places.   I had a baby a year ago so my body is still changing.   I'm also trying to be more active, so yeah it's going to keep changing.   Plus, I'm rocking the tail end of my 20's, therefore weddings.   Always.   I have three invites for this year alone (one my daughter is going to be a flower girl, exciting!) Basically, the goal for this week was to sit down and figure a few things out. Define my personal style. What pieces do I need? What pieces do I want? How do I get those pieces? STEP NUMBER FUN:   D...

I think the word I want to use as my mantra this year is Sustainable. Not just in the green sense of the word, but maintaining good habits. All holiday, my heart has been breaking over new about wildfires in Australia and it reminds me that the new reality here in California is the same with semi annual wildfires.  I want to make changes to help the environment, but they need to be sustainable as well as sustainable...oh man that wordplay cuts me deep. Anyway, I started with some soul searching. A few changes I've already made are to use period panties and menstrual cups. I also started using a reusable straw a little last year, but maintaining that habit has proven tricky. I also was using an imperfect produce system, but we weren't eating stuff fast enough due to time constraints. There's also other changes I could make, but here's the thing: a lot of the rhetoric around sustainable lifestyles is changing habits and they ignore the privilege that involves. As a parent...

What Went Right: I wore handmade clothing 26/31 days in May!  I wore the first dress and first button down I ever made.  I didn't repeat too many outfits, which is big for me in general.  I think this month of focusing on what I was wearing and what it looked like helped me define my style in a far more sophisticated way.  I don't think I would have ever called anything about myself sophisticated, but there you have it.  I think it inspired me to push for more fashion risks, which is another sentence I thought I would never say. I made more clothing this month than throughout the rest of this year.  It took me MONTHS to make a dress, and within May I made a skirt, a top, redid a sweater and a t-shirt and finished a knit sweater vest.  Now, when I look at this, it does not look prolific, but when you think about how much work I was doing at school and how busy spring weekends can be, I'm pretty happy with it.  And I'm hoping that inspiration will...

This is strange for me to write, because I will never admit it aloud to anyone no matter the physical cost, but I am very much like my mother.   Not to say this a bad thing.   My mother is warm and strong, the epitome of a Midwestern turned Californian transplant.   I am so happy to be her daughter.   However, we have definitely had our moments of conflict.   Recently, I talked to her about it, and she said, “I don’t remember us fighting much.” “But don’t you remember when I made you so mad you cried?” “When was that?” “I was in high school.” She looked at me as if I was tap dancing in a tutu, which I would never do. “Really?   I don’t remember that.” I think this proves the strength of my mother’s selective memory.   I also recall our yelling battles when I returned home from college for more than two days, when I started coming home most weekends when my now fiancé and I were dating, when I intro...

Sunday:  (No IG post) Hayden top from Seamwork, see previous posts Monday:  Upcycled Old Navy top Tuesday: Jane Seamwork Top Wednesday: Colette Violet top under Sewaholic Fraser sweatshirt Thursday: Nope Friday: Nope Saturday: Nope Sunday: (No IG post) Hayden top Reflection: This week, I did what I previously thought was impossible: I think I figured out my style.  I'm casual.  The best fit for my style seem to be Seamwork patterns.  I love the magazine, and the basics provided are a stylish basis to grow an outfit via fun fabric choices.  The Hayden top is becoming my go-to dress it up or dress it down look.  There will be more, and I have a Sorbetto top cut out with a big plan for it.  (To come later in its own post). I completely agree with So, Zo on the toughest part of the project:  posting.  I feel like a terrible Millienial because I didn't like posting a photo of myself on Instagram.  I began to really fa...

Sunday: (no IG post) Homemade PJs Yeah, I failed.  Oh well.  I was putting way too much pressure on myself and this was the cost. Monday:  Seamwork Hayden top Pretty stoked on today's look. Totally going to make more #seamworkhayden now that I've got the hang of it. #keepflippingthrough #itgetsweirder #endofyearteacherproblems #mmmay17 #memademay2017 A post shared by The Shreve (and Carvalho) (@nestingdollsofscience) on May 15, 2017 at 7:14pm PDT Tuesday:  See Kate Sew Peplum top See past post for picture. Wednesday:  Sewaholic Rue Skirt and Pendrell Top #memademay2017 #mmmay17 best part about giving a test is I can wear heels and not regret it #sewaholicpatterns #rueskirt #pendrellblouse A post shared by The Shreve (and Carvalho) (@nestingdollsofscience) on May 17, 2017 at 8:26pm PDT Thursday:  Sewaholic Pendrell Top, ruffled sleeve version I have never been complimented more on a homemade thing...#pendrellblous...

Sunday:  Agnes Top from Tilly and the Buttons Casual Sunday #agnestop #tillyandthebuttons #mmmay17 #memademay2017 #iactuallywentawholeweek A post shared by The Shreve (and Carvalho) (@nestingdollsofscience) on May 7, 2017 at 12:43pm PDT Monday: Rae Skirt in polyester #Raeskirt what you don't see is the paper clips holding the skirt up since the elastic broke #mmmay17 #memademay2017 #sulerstar A post shared by The Shreve (and Carvalho) (@nestingdollsofscience) on May 8, 2017 at 4:39pm PDT So I have learned a lot by making mistakes and cutting corners.  The corner I cut?  I didn't sew the elastic together strongly enough.  Now, why this is often not an issue, at a certain point, it'll come apart if put under enough stress on the seam.  Or any stress.  Or just over time.  So...the elastic came apart first thing Monday morning.  Didn't have enough time to fix or a sewing kit.  What did I do?  Paper clip my skirt...

I have a Pinterest problem.  I love it, so very very much.  When I have moments of downtime during my days, I'll peruse it at my leisure for craft ideas, hair ideas, fashion ideas, teaching activity ideas or just basic inspiration.   My husband often wonders why we run out of data every month.  Between Pinterest and Instagram, it's me.  It's all me. Now to the purpose of this post.  As I began preparation for Me Made May (see last post), I found myself spending an increasing amount of time on Pinterest, and I found myself actually starting to consider some of the projects I've Pinned.  A lot of the modification and project idea (as well as informative tutorials) have found their way onto my boards, and I want to share this journey with you. How We Met I was introduced to the magic that is Pinterest via my teacher education program.  No, I'm not kidding.  During our technology class, we learned about Blogger as way to share our teach...

So I've been preparing for Me Made May the best way I know how: organizing, talking and shopping and going on Pinterest.  My goal, honestly, going into May is to modify as much clothing as possible so I have options and, honestly, to save myself money.  Why buy fresh fabric when I can use old pieces in my closet that haven't seen the light of day since college?  Also, in terms of time cost, I think this will be the best way to rejuvenate my wardrobe while still preparing for the month of May. Now before you think about the post that said this is not about completing a bunch of projects in April to prepare for May, I am simply using this deadline as inspiration.  I am a deadline girl, so I find it to be enough fire under my butt to finally do something.  Also, I've had a big creative burst thanks to a recent Disney trip and I want to channel that energy into something besides paintings.  (If you want to see the paintings though, look here .) I think my P...