Happy Holidays!

It is the last crazy rush week before the holiday weekend, and I am glad it is about to be over! As much I like the new years holidays, it just gets overwhelming.
I can't get enough of these sweater leggings! Skiing trip soon, and I will totally be wearing this outfit again. Feeling like 80's, too!
Did I mention that Quill likes getting between me and the camera?

Sweater form France, boots from Spain, leggings from Poland (see in the previous post).

Happy Holidays everyone!

Nordic Print Leggings

I've been planning to style these leggings for a while. And of course, I finally was able to take pictures after 4PM, which means it was way too dark for good photography. Anyway, here is a minor result of my major efforts. In addition to poor lighting, Quill puppy kept getting between me and the camera. If you have a dog, you probably know what I mean. He ALWAYS needs to get between me and the camera. So, the dark spot on the right, is his nose.
Back to leggings. They are very easy to style if you have oversized cosy sweaters. I didn't have any. And yet I wanted the look to be all warm and sweater-y. The result is sweater on sweater on sweater... Lots of knits.
Oh, and I used remote control to take pictures because Z was busy watching football. Yay for remote control! No need to run back and forth to set the timer.

Wearing: Seychelles wedges, Juicy Couture cable knit sweater, DIY shrug, Miu Miu bag, Norwegian nordic print leggings by Marilyn

RIP, Quincy-Pup

I have lost interest in almost everything since we lost Quincy on July 16. Life seems to be slowly getting back on track but things are so different now. It has gotten so quiet without Quincy's whining and singing when he wanted to eat or go potty and without his intensely wagging tail that would knock down everything around.

I miss you terribly, puppy. I hope you have lots of unlocked fridges to empty where you are right now, and I am very sorry for not taking better care of you when you were so sick. We had no idea you were suffering quietly.

Hosiery in Vogue Magazine - Stock up Stockings!

Every time I get a new issue of Vogue, I start looking for photos with knit/crochet clothing and hosiery. Both are very rare I must say. The last issue, though, has surprised me with multiple photos with hosiery. Yes! Finally, this piece of clothing is given the place it deserves and doesn't have to be appreciated by Eastern European women only.
I've also noticed new hosiery companies popping up in the US and other countries. That should tell you something, too.
These are photos featuring vintage 1940's style. Very artistic and beautiful.

Take a note, vintage style lovers. Your outfit will not be complete without a pair of silky stockings. Bare legs weren't so popular back then.

I am very tempted to buy a pair of white pumps to wear with black tights now. I absolutely adore the last look.

What are your thoughts? If you disliked hosiery before, are you starting to change your mind? I hope so, because you may HAVE to get a pair of tights or two to stay fashionable this season. If that's your thing.

Crochet Butterfly Necklace

Finally finished this butterfly necklace. It was an unusual project for me but definitely fun.

I can't decide which way I like it best - braided or unbraided, with the butterfly centered or on the side. I didn't do a good job taking pictures. Just took them with whatever I had on today. Boo on lazy me.
It is listed on Etsy, so you can have a look here for more details.

It Is Spring, So No More Crocheting Wool Clothes :(

I love bulky yarns. The texture, the definition, the speed of knitting. But it is time to start playing with thin cotton threads. I like the delicateness of the result but it is soooo time consuming.

I crocheted this set to sell on Etsy but Z asked to keep it. He probably liked the Michigan colors. :-P
(The shorts photographed with sunlight, and the top - with a flash, hence the difference in colors)

There is such an abundance of this stuff on Etsy, and it doesn't seem to be selling well. Not sure if it is the price tag or just people not liking them?
I look forward to crocheting more bathing suits, though. They look unique and are so pretty when you add some lace.

My advice to you if you decide to crochet something like this and to use it for actual bathing - don't use cotton yarn. Use synthetic yarns. Cotton will get very heavy when it gets wet and it won't hold its shape. You may end up losing your suit in water, too. People around you probably would enjoy the sight, but... you know. Cotton bathing suits are good for just sunbathing/tanning and showing off on the beach.

I can't wait to crochet more for beach shows. :) Although, I should mention that I never swim or tan, but I dream that I will some day.

I made it to the Etsy Treasury!

I cannot express how excited I got when I received a message saying that my crochet skirt was added to the Etsy Treasury only a few minutes after I added it to the shop. I love green color, and it was very nice to see the skirt in the Green Treasury! :)

Thank you, PIGandFiSH!

I still get amazed how much difference makes proper blocking. I was about to frog it in the process. The skirt started making pleats along the "holes"! Eventually, I started liking them but decided to flatten the skirt completely during blocking. I love the result so much that I secretly hope it won't sell. :-P
OK, kidding!

I wish I took time to dress it up with my leather jacket. These photos were taken in a rush while Z was in a good mood. He doesn't like any extra work on weekends.

I have another skirt in my mind that I can't wait to start crocheting. It should turn out pretty unusual...

Fridge and Labs

We have gone through dozens of locks in 1.5 years until Z finally came up with a solution that WORKED.
The problem was that Quincy dog figured how to open fridges, and then freezers. He once even chewed through the seal around the fridge trying to get inside. He is truly a destruction monster. Needless to say, he and Quill, his humble assistant, managed to eat a lot of food... Quincy would get in a pot of food or a cake while Quill would enjoy cheddar cheese and cream cheese (together with foil). Every time we decide to go out with Z, we'd find a huge mess upon returning. We'd get so frustrated that barely thought of taking pictures. After we got our final fridge lock that WORKS, I decided to take before and after pictures but they weren't as impressive as they would have been with regular child-proof locks.

Here is this lock that WORKS... The 1000 lbs logistic strap.

Well, we weren't sure if the strap would work well knowing Quincy, and left all our previous locking systems - the child-proof lock and three velcros (there is one in the bottom, too). And yes, what you also see is a remainder of the previous child-proof lock that was effortlessly broken off by Quincy a couple of weeks earlier.

And here is what we found after we got back in a couple of hours...

All the velcros and the child-proof lock were snapped off.

Hallelujah! The food was still in the fridge and not in someone's tummy or on the floor in a digested form.

But that's not the end of the fridge adventures. They still continue. As we aren't able to keep the fridge strapped all the time, Quincy still tries to sneak in there every now and then (which is several times a day). He opens the fridge with his nose, by pushing it between the door and the fridge. So we needed to find a way to make it impossible for him. And the brilliant Z came up with another solution...

This system still needs to be improved but it works.

Here is an advice for you, folks. Think twice, or even three times, before you get a labrador. Or you may end up dealing with a way too smart pet that is awfully cute, too. :)

Here we go - my new post!

Let me introduce our two very mischievous dogs:
 

Quill



Quincy

These two 90-lbs monsters are masters of destruction.They also make any food instantly disappear once their noses reach it.

More to come about our fridge adventures...