Mary D inspired

My friend Mary wears bikers shorts, which are really just leggings cut off. Well at least for me that's what it is. Anyway she is a cutie I love her and because of her I too have been bikeshorting it up. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I will be posting some pictures I shot soon of that. Time to go to the Mouton family Christmas. Hope they dont think I am too weird and instead just embrace it. I did have so much fun yesterday talking with my sister in laws Bess and Emily and soon to be sister in law Sarah.
Also my husbands cousin Isabelle. It was fun times as always in the Chambers house.
*my son just drop kicked a ball into my head twice!... I swear he is too cordinated for his own good.

Wrapping up

Just getting things squared away. I reused these flags I made for Henry's birthday for tags on gifts:)  I used some swine and wrapped it several times around then with craft thread I wove in the first letter of the receiver. Also first atempt at making carmels:FAIL. That is just my luck when I think I know better than the recipe.

The Fix

The holidays are in high gear and it's likely you've got leftover treats hanging around your kitchen already. Keep your nibbling in check by starting the day with a high-protein breakfast.

Research found that people who did so ate fewer calories all day. Try this creamy smoothie with yogurt and almond butter! YUM

Enjoy a high-protein breakfast: People who did so ate fewer calories all day, research from the University of Kansas at Kansas City shows. Protein ups levels of satiety hormones, so you'll be less likely to snack. Sip this smoothie: Blend 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree, 1 banana, 2 tsp almond butter, 1/2 cup vanilla soymilk, 1/4 tsp pumpkin-pie spice and 5 ice cubes.

The Skinny 399 calories per serving, 9 g fat (1 g saturated), 54 g carbs, 9 g fiber, 30 g protein

Knitwear designs graph the success of Etsy's online marketplace

This is an article I found on coolhunting.

This girl Natalie Rachel has produced a pair of handmade scarves that use the company's data as inspiration for the patterns. As the basis for her Data Scarves, Rachel collected figures related new members, items sold and the apportionment of vintage, handmade and supply goods. She later graphed the resulting data and—with a bit of ingenuity and an eye for fashion—put together a selection of wearables that plot the company's profile.


In the world of online retailers, Etsy is synonymous with handmade goods. Constantly inspired by the creativity of sellers, Rachel used her talents for design and craft to create a final project for her Data Representation class at NYU's ITP. Each design is one-of-a-kind, though we're hoping to see more knit visualizations from her before the seasons change.


In addition to selling the two scarves, Rachel has included prints of her elegant graphs. One is a pie graph detailing the types of items listed and corresponding to the infinite scarf, the other a comparative study of the growth of new members and the number of items sold over time. Both the graphs and the scarves are available through Rachel's Etsy shop.

I hope I can jump start my Etsy..and get organized and share all my lovely things with you all. That is the goal anyway.

B

swingin free

Why is it that everyone around me chooses to poke fun or despise these pants. I have some and loooove them. But chose to switch to something else when my husband made fun of me. He said,'oh crotchedy' I was like they are suppose to be like that and they taper and look awesome with my roper boots. I also said, they are so soft and comfy its like wearing sweatpants, then he replied, 'exactly'. *longsigh*
What do you guys think???
or people call them my m.c.hammer pants...come on people! they are awesome!

So case in point...the amazing Jenny Lopez this is her off duty at FP..wearing FP pants. I have been enjoying looking at her blog. I mean seriously, so easy, tshirt, slip on boots and comfy pants, who wouldnt want to. You can look awesome when you barely have to try.

your name eludes me

Derek Sivers posted an article that I thought was a good and fun exercise and wanted to share it with you all. He wrote down all the friends he's ever had from memory, no address book-no phone and no facebook. He is awesome, I recently read a book of his, Anything You Want. It was great quick read and helped get my head straight on some questions I had about running your own business....whhhaa?! I know what you are wondering but I am not ready to reveal it yet, you better keep checking this blog for more on that in the next month or so! YAY
Thanks Derek for giving me some peace of mind about how I want to go about doing this. Trusting myself and my ideas. I want it to be as natural and easy as possible, not to do it for the money but for the experience... for the joy I get for helping people find what is perfect for them. I want it to flow nicely with my current life. I know that owning your own business can and probably is all consuming but I want it to be a comfortable, homie, unique experience as if you just discovered the Amber Room, the eighth wonder of the world. Ha, ok it might not be that awesome, but in my head it kind of is;) I have never been so excited about something, I am constantly thinking of all the possibilities and how I want to really be involved in the community and give back. Our town and the people in it are amazing in overcoming and regrouping and just coming together to help others in the travesty that hit Joplin this last spring. I want to get people creative minds flowing with blog posts and to have a location, a business in Joplin like the one I am wanting to build because there isn't one like it here. Maybe it will get other people inspired to do the same thing.
Anyway.....

Oh I envy people with good memory. I just sit at my Grandma Pat's feet and gaze up at her in awe when she is telling me stories from when she was in first grade, like they were yesterday...she can remember lessons, every teacher...first and last names. Anyway his post reminded me of her. I started recording her this summer FINALLY. On various things like old folk songs she always sings, unique names in our families, stories of my dad and two brothers. I would love to get with my sister in law (Kelsey) and write a book or collective memories from her life.

My list would be all broken up like, only a first name, sometimes both or it would be...'that British stylist who colored my hair in Schaumburg, IL'(actually her name is Sue Cooper, but you know what I mean)
I dont have time right now to post them but would love to try. But those of you who do, should..and I will soon I promise. What I will do is be thinking about it this week and write down names that I think of put it in my journal and then post them all so I am not just sitting a the computer and tempted to just look at FB:)

Hope everyone is having a great day! Also I am so happy hearing about so so many of my friends making gifts this year for their families. Its fun listening to all of their ideas and it means so much more I feel. I did half this year..making some, bought others. My husband is making awesome gifts for the guys in the family, turning trash into something usable for everyday. I will show you those soon! My husband is so talented, I love it when he gets creative...last night we were driving home from a work party and we had borrowed his mom's van to car pool with the other music store employees and there was a CD of some of his basement tapes tracks and OOHH how I missed them. He is such a great songwriter and musician, I wish he had more time for that. He recorded most of them on a four track cassette recorder. One of the guys in the van, Nick said, "when did you record this?" and Eli was like, "ohh I was 15 or 16 in my parents basement."
Anyway Nick was really impressed, cause we were talking about how the quality was really good and sounded current. Later that night when it was just Eli and I, we heard a Jars of Clay song on the radio and were laughing cause it literally sounded like we were listening to a cassette tape the sound was so rough and foggy;)

Ok here is a journal that I made for my other niece Sophia. I used a book I bought at the DAV and had already used the pages for making flags at my son's second birthday, so...just felt like I should use all of it.

I also feel like I should say sorry, cause my thoughts are all kind of jumbled;)

Etsy

Hey I have one! I am going to be posting new things this week, pretty late if I was wanting to get in with the Christmas shoppers but, oh well...if you live in my home town Joplin then no shipping eh!! YEA

Here is a quick peak of an amazing speed suit I found last year.
*photo credit to Will Vastine

It's a Vera Maxwell Speed Suit from the 70's...all black, swoop back, velvet cuffs on the sleeve and full length skirt with a slit on the side is also velvet. Great for keepin warm in the winter months to come, and HEY its speedy for those of you always trying to get out the door in a hurry, like me.

K guys, I really need to go to bed. Ok so I just posted like 3 posts in a row on here. Its good though, I really want to start posting more on here about daily things, mommy things, crafty things, vintage finds, and whatever else runs through this brain O mine. Hope its entertaining and maybe helpful too.
Thanks! sleep tight
mamawolf

Nan in doll form.

So tonight I finished up a doll I am hand making for my precious niece Ivy Girl for Christmas.
First attempt at making a doll period, let alone one that is suppose to resemble someone. It took two days, with daily house hold activities and nap time that I have been taking advantage of this week getting in the way but I did it. I love it, its not perfect which is fun anyway with gifts like these, but at the same time now I just want to keep doing it until they are.(perfectly done the way I see them in my head)
So I made the doll to look like my sister in law and now I am going to make one to look like my brother in law;)....debating whether to give them eyes, Im thinking not.
Those of you who know Hannah will appreciate the fur slippers and hat.(oh that fur hat, I have to practically yell when she is wearing it)
Either way it was FUN making it. Hope Ivylicious likes it!
*if you want to see the people I am turning into dolls, check out my other blog.

In case you were wondering.

I’m loving Zimmermann‘s dark and sultry interpretation of 1920s nostalgia by way of their fall lookbook. The mood is flawlessly set with woven brocade pants, asian-inspired botanical silk printed skirts, lace dresses, and velvet blazers. I’m especially eager to try the strapless dress over blouse combo!











And here are pieces that I love from the fall 2011 line that I am just now seeing as well that I am dying over as well.

I love the long flowy maxi with the long flowy sheer top.

Loving the full mini.

This is just stunning..not so much practical but I WANT it.

Who doesnt want a deep V floral jumpsuit?!

Love her expression, her eye-makeup, hair, and of course killer dress!

This just seems so fun, effortless yet well put together! kind of festive to me as well.

Beauty Tips to Beat the Winter Blues via FP

Static Hair: rub a dime sized amount of Aloe Vera in your hands and run through your hair – not only will it tame static it is also full of nutrients that are good for your hair!

Dry Skin: When it’s freezing cold outside your instinct tells you to turn up the heat or take a steaming hot shower – but both of these things can dry out your skin immensely. To combat this, try using a humidifier in winter, which adds more moisture to the air. Also, try taking a bath instead, and add moisturizers like coconut oil or shea butter to the water. I’ve never tried this, but some people swear by adding milk and honey to the bath as well!

After bathing or showering, apply moisturizer immediately while skin is still damp to help lock in the moisture. While in summertime, light moisturizers are great to help prevent skin from getting to oily, in winter you don’t need to worry about that – you can use rich moisturizers with an oil base like avocado oil or almond oil that help create a protective layer for your face. In doing research for this post, I learned that avocado oil will not only add moisture, it can help reduce blemishes and sun damage and helps your skin produce more collagen! Pictured above is Avocado Oil Body Butter by Mediterranean Spa.

Chapped Lips: Sometimes repeatedly applying chapstick seems to make your lips even more chapped – try using a mixture of Vaseline and honey (the honey makes the Vaseline taste better, too) – it has done wonders for me :) Dab a little Vaseline on chapped knuckles as well!

Things you can eat or drink that help as well? Lots of water, fruit and green tea will help hydrate your skin and keep it clear. Also, green-based smoothies are great! Try FP green smoothie recipe.

Hope these tips help you out, and again, if you have any of your own please share!

Amy

I am practicing for my Winehouse costume. The dirty messy beehive was just so inviting this year.

Pinterest

ALSO if you would like to see some styles and other things on my Pin-site...feel free and pin away.

We are the goon squad and we're coming to town Beep-beep.

ginger hat hair

So I have not been on the up and up with this thing, more like I dont have my trusty side kick to take my pictcha. Anyway I think this fall is going to be fun and I have some fun things I would like to share along the way. So here is a pic I just FB'd but I was with my sister in law and stole her hat for a min.
Hanging out in Eureka Springs for a mid-week mommie getaway.

Vintage fur hat.
Handmade jacket I got gifted from a friend,
she got it when she was in New Zealand.(more of that to come)
And newly colored hot tamale hair.

xoxomamawolf

james perse

There is a store in town called NBC I've mentioned it a ton before, and that is where you can get you some James Perse. A new favorite of mine. I went in on a sale night and bought a dress of his for $22 retailing at $190 and this oversized shirt I am wearing for $17 retailing at $90 or so.

Anyway I love it its a great night shirt as well;)
I cant describe the textures of his pieces other than amazing..I mean they are all cotton but its different for some reason.

U.O. jeans
James Perse top
Thrifted necklaces and rings
Thrifted leather boots

Have a good one.

Going to a benefit show tonight in the pouring rain.