Life Update: I'm Tired 'Cuz I'm a Builder

I realized something the other day.  I was pondering my life and why I feel tired and drained a lot (place twenty-something  "adulting" meme here), when I think I came upon a part of the answer...

I'm tired because I'm a builder!

I realized that I am in the process of building four very different things in life all at once. That might be why I feel drained a lot even though I get enough sleep.  I'm constantly thinking about how to make four different things better,  how to keep them going, how to build and grow them.

I'm building this blog, for one thing.  As any blogger will tell you, if you want your blog to grow you need to put a lot of effort in.  Photos, projects, new content... they all take work!  

my workout buddy Molly and I!

I'm also building a career.  Right now I'm working at two jobs to help my husband through his master's program, but I ultimately want to join the military.  I'm taking steps toward that, but it involves a lot of physical exercise, studying, learning, and effort along the way to be the best candidate I can and give myself the best shot at the kind of job I want.  

I'm building a church, too.  Obviously, not by myself, but I'm part of a team that has started a brand new church in our city that was officially launched last October.  It's a multicultural church, and we're in a very monocultural town.  It's pioneering type work that has never been done in our city, and we can't find many examples of other diverse churches in monocultural towns in the U.S.... so we're trying things and listening for God's guidance and learning a lot through trial and error as we do something new. 

Then, lastly, I'm building a family business!  Recently I've stepped into the role of managing my father's recording studio and music publishing company while they are out of the country.  While I grew up at this studio (my dad started it when I was in elementary school), I don't know all the technical aspects.  I'm learning office work, technical skills to do recording sessions, and working on marketing and expanding the business.  

All of this is a lot of learning and working outside my comfort zone, which often comes with new things.  It's a bit of a trying time, but I know I'm developing grit and moxie that will come in handy later.

I have to remind myself to be patient with me.  I think we expect ourselves to pick things up and run with them faster than we as humans are really able to do.  While we may be pretty bright, humans need time to adjust to change, and there's a lot of change in the modern world and in my current situation.  I need to be patient with myself and be willing to put in the work to see things grow over time, not just overnight like I may want.  Building things takes time.

All this to say, I know I haven't been posting as much as I used to, but it just might need to stay that way for a bit in order for me to keep my sanity.  I love this blog, and you readers are the best, so I'm not going anywhere!  I'm just building a lot of stuff right now and may post a bit less.  Some days I'm too tired to pin curl my hair and put on a nice outfit, and I know you guys understand.

Are you building any things in your life right now?  How are you adjusting to change or increased responsibility?

Egyptian Ramadan Skirt

Today is the second full day of Ramadan, a holiday celebrated by Muslims that includes fasting during the day.  I'm a Christian, so I don't celebrate Ramadan, but I do have fond memories of living in Egypt and getting bags of dates and snacks thrown in my taxi window at sunset when everyone is breaking their fast.  Free snacks are always a win in my book.

In Egypt they also tend to decorate using some of their traditional fabric motifs more during Ramadan than any other time of the year.  This type of fabric has been made by men that appliqué gorgeous designs onto a base fabric (you can see examples of this on some pillows in my home in this post). Nowadays sometimes they'll cheat and print the designs onto the fabric, like the material I used to make this skirt!

They use the fabrics oftentimes as big dividers or screens for events, such as the giant dinners held during Ramadan.  The rest of the year they seem relegated to wedding halls and construction sites!  (You can see it in use during Ramadan in the picture below.)

source

I had some of this fabric cut out to make a dirndl skirt, but I hadn't put it together yet.  I figured now was the time to get on it!

I paired it with a bandana and a necklace made by an old grandma in my parents' village.  Because why wear just one thing around your neck when you can wear two?
I also wore my touristy belly dancer bracelet that jingles loudly when I move!  That with some sassy red heels and lipstick, and I was good to go!

And why photos at an old gas station, you ask?  Well... it was on my way to the grocery store and matched my blue skirt.  We're a bit lacking in Egyptian-style locales in my Missouri town, so color matching had to do.

Do you know much about Ramadan?  Have you ever broken the fast with a Muslim friend or have celebrated it yourself?

10 New Scarves to Add to Your Wardrobe

I've been having fun trying out new wrap styles with different shapes and sizes of scarves, but my go-to favorite is the giant square scarf.  It's super easy to turn into a vintage style wrap, and they're often made of light, breezy materials that are perfect for the warmer weather we're now experiencing in the Northern Hemisphere.

But let's move beyond the easy-to-find floral vintage ones and find some statement scarves, shall we?  Modern square scarves are in great condition, and you don't need to worry about them as much as you may vintage ones, especially the silk ones.  I also consider them special pieces that I, personally, would spend more money on than the vintage florals I typically thrift.  The vintage scarves we thrift now were once pricier, and I'd love to add unique, quality scarves to my collection that will last as long as those have!

Here are ten of my favorite modern square scarves that would be fantastic additions to a vintage look:

Plateau Florals Limited Edition Silk Scarf
J. Okuma - $200

Now, kids, this is what we call "wearable art," and it deserves the higher price tag.  The scarf is a print of beaded pieces made by the artist.  It's 100% silk satin and has the hand-rolled hems that we vintage lovers adore!

Silk Tea Time Scarf
Smithsonian Museum Store - $40

Hello!  It's a TEA scarf!  Need I say much more?!  This 100% silk scarf has tea pots, flowers, and tea bags surrounding a Roman numeral clock with a definite vintage vibe.  I don't know about you, but I definitely love tea enough to wear it as an accessory.

Diné Bizaad (Navajo Language) Colors Bandana
Beyond Buckskin - $15

This 20"x20" bandana features street art from Navajo artist David Sloan.  It has doodle-type drawings paired with corresponding Navajo words.  It's 100% cotton, comes in a lot of colors, and can add a fun edge to vintage looks.  (Can't you just see it tied Rosie style with overalls?!)

Dehn Spring in Central Park Scarf
The Met Store - $55

It doesn't get better than this!  This silk crepe de chine scarf is a print of a 1941 watercolor by artist Adolf Dehn. It features iconic New York architecture and ladies in fantastic hats going for a stroll in Central Park.

Feathered Limited Edition Silk Scarf
J. Okuma - $200

This is another gorgeous wearable art piece.  Featuring eagle and flicker feathers surrounding a beaded motif, this 100% silk satin scarf would be an amazing, culturally-sensitive accessory that would go perfectly with vintage Western looks.  There are ways to wear feathered head coverings and support the Native community, and this is it!

NWHM Scarf
National Women's History Museum - $100

I include this scarf not as much for its aesthetic appeal (though some people like orange) as much as for the opportunity to be a part of something awesome. With a $100 donation to the creation of the National Women's History Museum, you'd be a part of establishing the first women's museum in any nation's capital. It's time our story was told, right ladies?!

Shandra Smith Designer Scarf
Shandra Smith - $64

Smith offers several 36"x36" scarves in her shop, and her painterly style uses bold, bright colors in unique designs. This one was one of my favorites, and you have the option of choosing which fabric it is printed on.  Think of how many outfits this bright scarf could coordinate with!

La Marche du Zambèze Scarf
Hermes - $395

Okay, so with a price tag like that, this one is mostly for drooling over and staring at online.  However, I thought it was especially awesome because it's part of a line of scarves formed out of a collaboration between Hermes and a South African art collective called Ardmore. The artists reinvent traditional styles, and scarves like this are the result! Pretty cool, huh? 

Traveler's Eye Silk Scarf
Smithsonian Museum Store - $60

This awesome print is made of vintage postcards included in The Traveler's Eye: Scenes from Asia exhibit.  It has handwriting, stamps, postage marks, and hand-tinted scenes found on the old postcards in the collection.  It's 100% silk and comes with a museum provenance card!

Women Warrior Ledger Scarf
B. Yellowtail - $145

This scarf commemorates a Shoshone warbonnet dance, the only time when females don the traditional warbonnet in Plains cultures. The print is a collaboration with Native artist John Pepion and honors the young leaders of their indigenous nations. It's 100% chiffon and is made in the U.S.A.!

So which one is your favorite?  If money were no object, which would you pick?  Do you have any other favorite modern scarf sources?

I have not been compensated for including any of these scarves.  I just thought they were awesome and wanted you to see!

C-Street Car Show for the Kilties

Yesterday I stumbled upon the Car Show for the Kilties here in Springfield.  My friend and I were stopping at Springfield's one vintage store (Decades on Commercial Street), and the whole area was blocked off for a car show and the weekly city market!  Springfield doesn't have many vintage events at all... except for classic car shows!  We dominate those, and there are quite a lot of them throughout the year here.









This car show was a fundraiser for the Kilties, a girls' drum and bugle corps at my alma mater, Central High School.  The Kilties were started at Central in 1926, and I always thought they were pretty awesome.  I was glad to help out the group!

I grabbed Jacob and we came back later to take it all in.  My dad's side of the family is very into classic car restoration, so I've been going to car shows my whole life.  However, the extent of my knowledge is pretty much being able to determine the decade a car is from and admiring the shiny chrome. 

When I go to car shows, I always pick out my favorite car that I would buy if money and practicality were no object.  So let's have a virtual car show!  Which one would you pick?

So what's your favorite car?  Which one would you like to own?

Little Debbie Picnic Outfit

For Mother's Day, my mother and I happened to be together!  Since she lives overseas, this  is a rare occurrence.  Our family took the opportunity to go on a picnic together and break out the picnic set Jacob and I got as a wedding present and have never used.

I threw on some comfy, light summer clothing: late 1930s/early 40s shorts, a white cotton blouse, and a giant straw hat I recently found in a flea market.  I'm not sure how old it is, but a straw hat is a pretty timeless piece.

My mother said I looked like the Little Debbie snack cakes girl:

I kind of do, haha!

Outfit Details
shorts: OLL
blouse: made by me, Simplicity 4762
shoes: OLL
hat: flea market in Alton, IL

Guest Post: My 1950s Middle Eastern Circle Skirt

OMG, is that Emileigh wearing a circle skirt?!  With a crinoline?!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is me wearing a circle skirt with a puffy, albeit comparatively small, crinoline underneath.  You won't often see me in such 1950s styles, but I've debuted one of my new-to-me, favorite pieces of all time in a guest post on the Boyer Family Singers blog.  

Go now and check out all the deets!