Best of '12

Best of '12

uyguguygu   12.21   Comment  

2012 was a solid year. Now that it's coming to a close I have a chance to look back and reflect on some of my favorite things from this year. While there were many, many amazing things that never even made it onto this blog here are, in no particular order, five of my favorite things that happened this year:

1. Sleeping in a ghost town in the mountains

I've always been a huge fan of ram-shackled ruins, if you haven't guessed by now.  The scenery in this area is the most beautiful in Colorado, as well. This camping trip took the cake, even if our tent was broken, it was raining for part of the trip, and I ended up sleeping in the car. 

2. All of the mountain bike "W's" this year

Sometimes we call winning "Taking the W." I had the chance to race a lot this summer, in several different places. I think I won five races this summer and a series overall as well! Not too shabby and I hope to improve upon those results in 2013!

3. Easter in Santa Fe

Santa Fe seems to be our holiday town. We spent Easter weekend there this year and we also went for Thanksgiving. It's really a beautiful place, full of art and classic southwestern architecture  Can I also say I'm slightly obsessed with The Shed, the best (and most difficult to walk in if you're tall) restaurant in Santa Fe for classic New Mexican food? 

4. Driving 4,000 miles in a giant loop around the eastern half of the United States

This was the trip, as two guys I met in a hostel in Nashville told me, of a lifetime and I didn't even realize it until they had pointed it out. They had worked and saved for a year to do what I had flippantly decided to do. I was able to ride my mountain bike in 8 different states on some amazing trail systems, see both sides of my family, take my grandmother-in-law on a roller coaster, go swimming in a classic southern swimming hole in a pebbled river in the smokies, camp all by myself for the first time since before I was married, couch surf in a beautiful home filled with books, head out to Nashville's honkey tonk bars with fifteen people from eight different countries, and so on... 

5. Jessica's photo shoot

One of my favorite things ever is to take pictures. I also don't mind being in front of the lens, either, especially when you have someone as fun and patient as Jessica taking the photos. The pictures that came out of this session are deserving of framing - she is an amazing photographer and doesn't mind heading up to the archives room of the library and shooting away in front of the card catalogues! I don't think there is a better combination than libraries and vintage ball gowns.  

Closet Change Up

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Closet Change Up

uyguguygu   22.07   Comment  

We have two clothes closets in our house. One is a walk in and the other is a regular sized closet. JR has always held the walk in closet, using it to store all of our gear, kayak paddles, backpacking backpacks, and all of those things that we need for our outdoors adventures. We were able to re-organize and switch closets giving me an extra four feet of closet rod space. I was even able to get him to hang the closet rod six and a half feet off the ground so my floor length and trained gowns don't drag on the floor.

 

Before I had quite a few things double and tripple hung on hangers, tule gowns from the 1950's were getting squished in between cotton things, and my wool dresses were going positively flat. I think my dresses are enjoying the extra breathing room and are starting to fluff out again.

My little dress parade makes me happy! I have to be the luckiest girl in the world to own so many beautiful clothes. 

(A profile shot of some 1950's through Current confections in my closet...spot the new ballgown on the right next to the upside down crinoline?)

A Sturdy Cotton Housedress

A Sturdy Cotton Housedress

uyguguygu   17.17   Comment  

I whipped this dress up two days ago from a pattern given to me by my Aunt. The pattern had originally belonged to my Great Auntie Flossie, who I believe was Auntie Flossie through marriage. I'm honestly a little unclear about how exactly she was related to me - she was present at every family event, though, so she was family anyways! 

Whenever I sew one of her patterns I become extremely thankful for her and that she saved these patterns for so many years! Even though some of them are marked smaller sizes than I am I haven't had to majorly alter anything from her pattern stash yet! I also am thankful that my Aunt thought of letting me pick through Auntie Flossie's sewing room - many of the convenience tools come from her, and were things that, at the time I was given them, I wouldn't have been able to purchase. I would probably still be making do without electric scissors, an array of slopers, three different sizes of eyelet setters, a thimble with the top cut off (indispensable!), and other little treasures. I still use many of her vintage trims and buttons whenever I sew, although some of the cuter things like buttons in their original cards or Milwaukee Advertising needle cards remain unused and waiting for display in my someday sewing room.

In hair news, this is the third set I've tried so far, and it's worked a little more enthusiastically than I've expected! I used sponge rollers everywhere this time, and of course setting lotion as usual. I've had a hard time keeping the curls brushed in place in a wave as they keep wanting to form individual curls all by their lonesome until my hair looks like it's going out in all directions! I used a 1950's setting pattern with a distinct part but I feel like it almost looks a little more 1930's to me. I think it might just be the length of the hair that's giving it this 20's/30's vibe more than the setting pattern at this point. I feel like a character out of I Capture the Castle or something! I love Cassandra Mortmain so this look doesn't worry me all that much.

Dress: Simplicity 1819

Shoes: Vintage

Three Days Across the Country

Three Days Across the Country

uyguguygu   18.40   Comment  

I'm on the road all summer long. Last week I departed from Denver and left my husband behind to fend for himself. I drove through Eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and into Wisconsin. 

(Privately owned...and very difficult trails in Nebraska! I won't tell you who owns part of them but I can tell you they were flippin' sweet :)

(Beautiful books in a house of more beautiful books. This place I stayed at was a place where my soul felt at rest.) 

I split the drive up into three days -  my schedule went something like this: Wake up, Drive seven hours, Nap, Ride Bike, Sleep. There was eating somewhere in there too, but I was determined not to buy food from the gas stations or fast food places along the way so I mostly ate fruit and nutella sandwiches.

(Vast and endless driving.)

(I ended up driving behind the Miss Iowa Rodeo Queen for Miles and Miles. I passed her on the freeway and she looked like a pageant winner even from peeking in her truck!)

Honestly, despite the fact I don't have cruise control, I had the time of my life. I got to ride private trails in Nebraska and a hidden gem of a trail system in Iowa that is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.  

(Campsite in Iowa)

(Surprisingly wonderful trail system in Iowa)

Honestly, despite the fact I don't have cruise control, I had the time of my life. I got to ride private trails in Nebraska and a hidden gem of a trail system in Iowa that is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.  

Finally, right before I went to my parent's house in Wisconsin I stopped at the trails I learned to ride on in 2008. What was at times impossible is now a flat easy race course. I remembered every inch of those trails, too, which surprised me, and I was able to just fly around them. 

(Guitar on the dock before bed...)

(Home again, Home Again...)