post hurricane.

Sipping my coffee this morning, surveying the damage of hurricane Sandy, which is extensive in parts of the east coast.

We are very, very lucky. Amazingly enough, our power stayed on.

I'll provide a real update soon.

loot.

Yesterday I went to the thrift store
one of my favorite places
I love running my fingers
over the shoulders and sleeves
of old jackets and sweaters
Love perusing the used books
with obscure titles and
little personal notes that
flutter to the floor
And I always take a moment
to look at the evening gowns
some hideous
some amazing
but always, always interesting

(found: mint green mohair sweater, Free People crochet-sleeved t-shirt, hardly-worn pair of green converse sneakers, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, and a handbook of maternal and newborn nursing)

Oct. 20

I have been
making pitchers of tea
bringing rosemary, mint, chives, and basil indoors
reading poetry while I sip my coffee
even if it's a stolen moment
standing over a pot of simmering soup

all i can handle.

I feel like
the sharp edge
of something

It makes you
ravenous
for the hand of God

1 a.m.

I worry
that I gave away
my beauty
too often

And now it runs from me

there is unfair.

there is a lot of unfair. there is a lot of disappointed. there is a lot of cry-while-you-brush-your-teeth. there is also a lot of stubborn. there is brush your hair and put on a pretty dress and bring the flowers inside to brighten the rooms. there is pumpkin cookies and cinnamon coffee and late-day yoga in the sunlight. there is happy, or the leaning in the direction of happy. there is the choice to smile anyway.

gathered smock top.

So I feel really silly for even posting these pictures because, honestly, they suck. Especially if I stop to compare them with all the fabulous "DIY" and sewing pictures by other bloggers out there. But oh well. There is no sun to be had this week and I became really impatient waiting for perfect picture-taking conditions.

This is a simple, smock-style top, basically two long rectangles sewn together at center front and center back, leaving a 'V' for the head, and then stitched up the sides with enough space left to fit the arms through. I gathered the waistline with elastic and did the same with the sleeves. I also tea-dyed it, as I didn't really like this fabric's blindingly white background. I like the way it turned out. It looks great with jeans, cinched with a belt at the waist, or with boots and a little cardigan for cold weather.

On another sewing note, I printed this free pattern from the Colette blog. It's been all over the internet for a long time now, and I want to finally try my hand at making it. I'm thinking of lengthening it into a dress...because I really need to make another dress. Right.