(Some of) the Things I Need for Spring

The weather here has been really weird lately:  Monday it was freezing with gale force winds; Tuesday was cold and windy,but not as bad as Monday; Wednesday morning it was freezing.  Friday was a little windy, but it was a warm wind.  Warm wind is better than bitter cold wind, but that doesn't stop me from hating it.  It's annoying, blowing sand in your face, messing up your hair, making it difficult to wear dresses for fear of having the skirt blow up unexpectedly.  You would think after living in this valley for my whole life I'd be use to it.  Well, I'm not.  Actually, I am.  I'm just full of contradictions today.  I'm used to it, but it doesn't stop me from hating it.  And before you start hating me for talking excessively about wind, let me explain the reason I started complaining about it in the first place: it is making me really look forward to spring.  (Yep- that's it.  You should hear me teach.)  In the spring, it is still windy, but it is a warm wind that blows on a warm day.  None of this waking up to freezing temperatures crap and needing your wool coat one minute and a short sleeve shirt the next.  Now, don't get me wrong, I actually am not ready (not just yet) for spring to be here, because I am still enjoying wearing my winter clothes.  I love my boots and leggings and layers, layers, layers.  And I just bought a really cool pair of vintage wool Navy sailor pants.  What color you ask? They are navy blue, of course.  And they are awesome.  I got them at the Antique Asylum, which is the store that Rebecca talked about in her post with the yellow beads.  I know I should know how to do this myself, but the pants are too short and the hem needs to be let out.  I'm not good with a needle and thread, people; I safety pin buttons back on when they fall off.  Which is better than my friend Heather, who said she hot glues them on when they fall off of shirts and subsequently has to put said shirts on as slip-over blouses from that point on.  Anyway.  Wool sailor pants that are currently residing on the floor of my closet (that's another thing, besides sewing that I just can't seem to get the hang of- putting things away) that are begging to be worn at least once this winter are really the main reason I am not ready for spring to come just yet.

But.  When it does get here, I will be ready for it, with the help of these wants that are currently on my list of "Things I Need for Spring" (it is in italics because this is an important list, and important things should be italicized).  Ooh, and I'll be ready for spring thanks to this really cute vintage jumpsuit (navy blue, go figure) that I got the other day.  It also needs to be altered, because safety pins, even strategically place safety pins, just won't cut it on this one.

Libby Edelman "Liv" leather ballet flats
(available here)
I love the neutral taupe and pop of orange,
and that chain detail-- love!
I actually love them more in canvas,
but they aren't available yet.

Vintage Inspired Purse
from Loveculture

also available in brown!

Pleat Midi Shirtdress, Topshop

This would be perfect to add an extra pop of color
AND keep your hair out of your face on those
windy spring days.  Available at Topshop.
And the main color is orange.  I LOVE orange for clothes.

Harmony Wedge from Modcloth
This shoe combines the lace and clear shoe trend.
(Is there a prettier way to say "clear shoe trend"?)

Black Gingham top.  Wish is were in blue, and
then it would be perfect and on its way to my house.
Available from Modcloth.

~Lori

S'more gifts, please

These always make me wish it snowed more
here so I could try some of these poses.

I've noticed a pattern concerning my student gifts.  They are always either snowman or Nightmare Before Christmas related.  The snowman thing might stem from my love of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, and the array of crazy snowmen Calvin always made.  Or the fact that they are cute and easily recognizable, so that if you aren't very crafty or artsy, you can at least manage to draw a snowman's face.
For once, I got the gifts for my students finished before midnight the night before the party.  In fact, for the first time ever, they were done by 7!  I am so impressed with myself.  I shouldn't be; they were pretty easy this year.  I went with little make your own s'mores packages.  The holiday touch was the snowmen faces drawn on to the gigantic marshmallows. With sharpie.  Just kidding.  I used edible markers.  I think they turned out to be pretty cute.  I am also going to make my kids some Butterscotch Krimpets.  Correction- I am going to attempt to make them some Butterscotch Krimpets.  The book that we are finishing up, Maniac Magee, takes place in Pennsylvania, and back there Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets are a mainstay.  They don't sell them out here in California, and I didn't think about it soon enough to just order a case from the company.  So I am going to attempt to make them.  Wish me luck.

I love marshmallows and s'mores, and
 apparently I love marshmallow related art.

These are the little gifties for my students

Ooh, and on an unrelated note, Rebecca and I are going to the Long Beach Antique show this Sunday with one of her friends; I can't wait to see what treasures we find!!

~Lori

*update- I didn't make the Krimpets.  The recipe called for a jellyroll pan, and I have no idea what that is, so I took that as a sign to wait until later to make them.