The Art of Thrifiting and Some Fun Ways to Waste Time Today

I'm feeling a bit hazy.

Still in a funk after coming back from the Great Up North. 

Transitioning back into "civilization" is hard, sometimes.

This week is the end of my paper crafting.

Spring means it's time to pull out the sewing machine!

I'll be deconstructing a half-dozen t-shirts this weekend.

Then I'll take my machine for a real spin.

I'm going to make a dress.
 

Did you know that I am a Master Thrifter? 

My mom taught me the art of thrifting in high school, 

and I took to it like a duck to water. 

The trick is to approach it like treasure hunting.

It lacks the awkwardness of garage sale trolling.

Also, it's easy to justify a silly purchase when 

the money goes to a good cause. 

True, those classic Ralph Lauren hiking boots
from the 80s don't exactly fit me.

Maybe I'll lose a little toe one day...

Russ and I have a grand plan for thrifting in Lansing this summer.

I'll be showing him the Mega Mall for the first time, 

and we're going to check out the
much-talked-about World Mission Thrift in South Lansing.

 If you're in the area, you're welcome to join us.

Are you feeling wiggly? 

Calm yourself with these articles and websites 

that have caught my fancy this week:

 (1) Robert Hardman compiled this beautiful photo collection of children at play in the mid-20th century.

When I was a kid I played outside. My sister and I had an impressive amount of property (well, some pretty cool forts) in the field behind our house, in Texas. We spent so many days in the sun with our friends, The Tate Boys, without the fear of getting a scrape or being abducted. We didn't roam so far that we lost sight of the house. Not often, at least. We knew Mom was there if we needed her, as were any other adults within shouting distance. We just some kids playing around out there, looking for adventures.

I can imagine what person I might be if I had not grown up with a big field behind my house. We traded in our Texas prairie for Lake St. Clair when I was 10. That was a change. Rather than a limitless expanse of sun-drenched land to inspect and claim, we found ourselves hemmed in by water on all sides. The streets (no sidewalks!), our driveways and the neighbor's bushes were our playground. We still had fun, but it was different.

 (2) I came across Entertainment Weekly's list of the "30 Greatest Music Artists Right Now" whilst wasting time on Fark.com. What do you think?

The list is... okay. Lady Gaga is overrated, but Beyonce is amazing. There's simply no way to make everyone happy, as is evidenced in the comments on EW and Fark. I'm glad that Fun. and Mumford & Sons made the list, but would have liked to see Imogen Heap on there, and little ol' Frontier Ruckus.

This week I've been listening to Jon Watts, the insightful and creative Quaker musician I'm sure I've mentioned before. His music is haunting, enlightening, and safe for work (mostly). I've also been treating my ears to the sweet sounds of Meghan Tonjes, Swirl 360, Los Campesinos and musical god Paolo Nutini.

Just listen. This beautiful live performance by Paolo Nutini is from 2006, so imagine this guy six years older. I'm hoping he comes to the US for a tour sometime in the next few years.

This 2009 performance by the same guy is even better.  
Let him get warmed up. So good it makes me melt.

I've been slugging through the music on my old Dell, the computer that got me through college. It needs to be reformatted, and without an external hard drive I am left burning countless CDs in an attempt to salvage my music collection. So much Disney. Is Hinder worth saving? When did I get all of this Adam Pascal? I'll be losing a lot of Broadway, it seems. I'll purge plenty of music I never listened to, too.

 (3) And for the gardeners out there, here is what will be one of your most valuable resources. Their recipe database is stellar, too! If you've planted a salad garden this week, I suggest that you take a look at these Mother Earth News links about how to help your garden grow into your private, verdant escape this summer:
All About Growing Lettuce
Grow Great Lettuce
All About Growing Swiss Chard
Down on the Farm with Phyllis (May/June 1976)
A recipe very similar to Sean's Radish Relish

 (4) Do you like to peep into other people's bedrooms?
I sure do. What, is that weird?

Truman Capote's Bedroom

Really, it is not nearly as weird if the bedroom belongs to a writer. Those fools will spill everything just to get some attention. Here's a look at the bedrooms of 15 very different writers, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

 (5) I got a huge hula hoop as an early birthday present from Sean. The jury is still out when it comes to whether it's a very effective form of exercise, compared to the other things you can do at home. I've been lifting my wimpy weights I got for Christmas and doing some informal yoga. Hula hooping is a fun way to change it up! This girl and this song by Goldfish are great motivators, don't you think?