Realistic google circles

Married to a tech geek, I cannot escape the latest and greatest thing from Apple or Google or whoever is the 'IT' of the IT world, did that pun work?

So lately I have been invited (rather exclusively I was told!) to joing Google+ and I have no idea how it works but I am assured that this will all reveal itself soon enough.

I found this graphic entitled 21 Google circles you can actually use (follow the link) via MissSwiss which illustrates my sentiments exactly. Now I have the option of more circle categories than I could humanely handle! What circle categories are you breaking your contacts into? It's actually a lot of pressure. And what circle are they putting you into? What if an 'acquaintance' puts you into 'friends'! Oh dear!

I actually LOL'd when I saw this. And by the way, the other day, my consultant at work told me she thought 'LOL' meant 'Lots Of Love' so that proves I do know something about this tech stuff though maybe not as much as my boy.

Kay

So true

This says it all doesn't it?
Deenie, after your trip to Paris later this year, you will know that this website is genius.

Paris vs. New York is an illustrative comparison between NYC and Paris through the eyes of a French artist in NYC. So I'm sure that bias is going to be easy found.

I love the retro style of the design. The images are available as posters and would look fantastic decorating our study...hmmm...tempting!

Kay

Button-ise your beanie

For my sporty sis, stylish sis and mum respectively.

Accessories on beanies are the greatest.

I made fabric covered buttons with a button making kit and left-over Japanese echino fabric. And the flower is two crochet flowers sew together with a button on the front and a safety pin on the back.

Deenie

Hot bow ties

(Clara Bow Pin - Collette Patterns)

(Foliage - etsy via Creature Comforts)

(Sartorialist)

Happened across a tutorial for bow tie pins at Collette Patterns (link). Looks pretty straightforward - will definitely give this a go. It might go down well with a shirt for work like this NYC girl.

Deenie

An uplifting blue

(Rag and Bone via Amateur Couture)

(A Second Life - etsy)

I like shift dresses. And yes, most of all in winter! You can wear a warm top underneath and tights, then the cute pattern of the dress peeks out under the hem of your jacket.

I also heart long necklaces with a statement colour. If ever you want to brighten your outfit (or day), this does the trick.

Deenie

Lemon Sorbet Love

With our lemon/lime tree finally ripe to harvest and a new ice cream maker, it was destiny to try creating some yummy sorbet. It was really easy and fun...except the washing up cos everything got really sticky...but anyhooz...

1. Dissolve 2 cups of sugar in 2 cups warm water (adjust to your taste) and let cool.

2. Grate about 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. (a lot harder than we imagined- see photo of us attempting to measure and grate at the same time)

3. Squeeze 2 cups of lemon juice.

4. Combine all the ingredients and put it into the ice cream maker until set (approx 25mins) (and no photo as my hands were incredibly sticky at this point)

and ta-da! yummy sorbet...ok...it was a little too sour but I love sour and was scared at the amount of sugar I was putting in. I think I'll definitely add more sugar next time as the eye was beginning to twitch from the sourness.

-charli

Single speed bike envy... and lights

(Tokyo Bikes)

(Bookman lights)

(The Sartorialist)

My Giant Cypress 07 is a trusty stead for my 5.5km commute to work. But this winter has seen it break down a couple of times - gears, tires. Made me wonder whether to go the single speed for less maintenance (and that cool factor). Be a bit European hey.

And do turn on your lights - getting dark going home these nights.

Deenie

Map cushion covers

Following on from Deenie's post on her cushion covers, I too just made my first set of cushion covers for the home.

They took a long time having never used my sewing machine until now (a wedding present that took this long to open!) and I had a false alarm that I had made measurement errors and made the cover too small for the 2nd cushion. I unpicked the whole thing and then realised we had purchased one cushion 3cm larger than the others! Frustration! Needless to say I also felt relieved that it wasn't my miscalculation that had led to the error but a 'foreign' pillow arriving in the bins of cushions at Ikea.

I have been planning these cushions even before I received the sewing machine. The front is made from a set of Muji hankerchief with the map of New York, London, Tokyo and Paris on them. I don't know what you would use such a large hankerchief for though! So they have been happily refashioned into cushion covers.

There are lots of online tutorials for sewing cushions like this. I was staunchly opposed to attempting zips on my first sewing project so I sewed envelope pillow cases.

Firstly I lined the backs of the scarves with a coloured fabric so it wasn't as see-through.


Then I cut 2 pieces of fabric the same width as the pillow (no allowances so the case would be nice and snug!) but one 1/2 the height and the other 3/4 of the height to allow overlap of the 2 pieces as a flap on the back of the pillow case. I hemed the ends that would be seen along the flap.


I then placed the pieces with the right sides facing each other and sewed them along the edges to close.





After turning the pillow case the right way up, this is what the envelope opening at the back looks like. Insert your pillow and ta da! Enjoy.


I would really have liked a rotary blade Deenie! I can see how useful it would have been...My cutting was shocking using scissors!

Kay

Marc Jacobs Kiss Glasses

I've been meaning to get a new pair of glasses, as I have been really slack with getting my eyes tested. I was going to see Saltimbanco, so I thought that was a good excuse to force myself to go get that eye test.

When I went into the store, I couldn't find exactly what I wanted and after trying on dozens of glasses, the receptionist asked if I wanted to try a new pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs that hadn't hit the shelves yet.

And behold, they featured Marc's iconic kiss print on the back of the frames.

I loved them the moment I saw them!

One week later...All mine!

I found they even come with the print on the front. Very chic!

-charli

Beanie loving

Modified pattern from a japanese knitting book, 'Let's Knit Series - boushi and muffler' (Cap f) (hey, I have a large head ok).

Gave the grey one to friend's daughter, Rose. Then I showed my sisters and mum the one I made for myself via facetime and now they each want one - with their own mods of course. The stylish sister wants pom poms at the end of hers. Mum doesn't want ears and only wants black. The sporty sister wants a supersized beanie - she likes baggy methinks.

Deenie

Eating Non-Stop

Hello from overseas! It's been an eating-fest all week in malaysia and phuket. 

I've been feeling like this chipmunk.

More photos to follow!

-charli