The Wonders And Woes of Ambition

" Do you ever get up in the morning, feed your family,
drive the youngsters to school and then come home,
look at your cluttered kitchen and untidy bedrooms and think
"Well, I really ought to clean the house top to bottom but I just
Haven't the ambition."

The ambition you are referring to is the worthy kind,
the one shorn of it's destructiveness. It's altogether desirable.
Without it we would be living in a world of dirty homes and discomfort.

But have you ever known someone who had her heart set on becoming
president of  a club, member of a sorority, writer of a bestseller,
or social leader of her community? Or perhaps, a popular craft blogger?
This is the other kind of Ambition, The harmful kind."

Everywoman's Magazine August 1954


( Okay I totally added the craft blogger thing myself.. but it just Fit So Well.)

I wondered!
I have the wrong kind of Ambition!
I blame the internet. Oh, the cursed wonderful Internet!

But look where my Harmful Ambition has taken me now:

Welcome to Bitter Betty's Dilettante Atelier

Harmful ambition, my sweet patootie! 

My living room is clean. 

My craft junk looks way more delectable in the light of day,  

I've already got a piece of art in the show
at the gallery downstairs  from the studio

and this week I found out one of my dresses will be in an

Honest To God Fashion Show  in September. 

Was it hard to pony up the rent at first? Yes. It was scary. 

I didn't feel like my efforts deserved it. 

I had a hard time justifying it. It felt selfish. But now? 

It feels perfect.

My home is better, my work is better, 

I'm part of a community of creative people

and Ican't wait to see what will happen next. 

Every day something new seems to happen and

my creative life feels like it just finally came out of it's cave.

I'm still struggling with the "clean the whole house" ambition, 

but at least I don't have to shuffle all the craft junk into a corner to do it anymore.

What's Happening Wednesday

Hi Gang!
Well, Summer's swinging through like Tarzan on a vine. I have been up to all kinds of wild goodness and I'm so excited to share some of it with you.

First, did you know I trade sewing lessons with an organic farmer friend for veggies? I do. And I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I get to learn about all kinds of super deluxe gourmet treats in exchange for something I do because I like it better than anything else. How's that for an Alternative Economy? This last batch of veggies held what can only be described as a culinary revelation.  Coriander Berries.

Yep, if your cilantro is bolting, run and catch it quick and snip these pretty little berries off for a taste sensation!

I made a vinaigrette of rice wine vinegar, a little elderflower syrup*, a light olive oil,  lime zest and salt and pepper and tossed it with sliced cucumbers, chopped up basil,  and the coriander berries. Yummmmy.


I've also been doing some sewing. Here's a little WIP picture:

 It's an outfit with a secret... But I might not get to reveal it until September.

Mysterious, No?

And I finally found a cure for this little problem:

 Yup, that's supposed to be my living room.

dining area... just shove the projects over if you want to eat...

But Hey, There's no room left in the Cave

 My solution will soon be revealed.....

Mysteriously Yours,

Betty

*you can buy premade elderflower syrup at fine markets or make you own by boiling cheesecloth wrapped elderberry blossoms in simple syrup and steeping overnight. 

TGIF....

I'm really busy sewing today. I'm working on a project that I started almost 2 years ago and I'm really excited about the way it's coming together...

In the meantime I hope you will enjoy this musical interlude from Andy Combs and The Moth...



Have a great weekend...

Vintage Sewing Tips for Back to School

Okay, seriously? How cute is this article with their kitschy-koo adorable poses? 

They look like they are about to burst into song or something!

And if you look closely you can see they clearly prefer the shirtdress with the black skirts over top!

This is from the August 1954 issue of Everywoman Magazine, 

discoverd at my favorite thrift store yesterday.

We just don't really do this kind of multi-tasking layered garment stuff like they used to.

Maybe if the economy doesn't recover it will find itself back in fashion.

The article itself has some nice easy embellishing  ideas and some vintage machine attachments demystified. So make sure you click on the images to enlarge and print them out! 

(If you are into that kind of thing...)

New Vintage Wardrobe #26: My 40th Birthday Dress

Okay. I'm like  a year and a half behind posting this. But I think you'll like it anyway.
It's the dress I made for a dinner out in the city for my 40th Birthday. That was a year ago last October.
Dinner was great by the way. Deee-lish.

I haven't worn it much and when I put it on for the photo shoot I wondered why not.
It's a very nice dress.

I have to fix the sleeve hems now that I have a bit more sewing experience.

It's so grownup and sophisticated.

It's a scotch and soda dress.

The top is raw silk and the bottom is a heavy rayon, vintage hand screen printed.

Maybe I  just don't pull off sophisticated as easily as I'd like!

Simplicity 2153. 

Circa  Late 50's, I'd imagine

It was pretty darned easy to make, 

Just like it said on the package 

and it was all salvage materials for my Fabric Fairy Godmother...

Thanks Diana!

 As usual...Fashionably Late,

Betty

We Have A Winner! And a Vintage Fashion Inspiration

Our Vintage Fashion Inspiration of the Week is the Japanese Band Pizzicato Five.
I just lost about 2 hours of serious craft time drooling over the styles sported by their lovely singer Nomiya Maki, and trying to decide which catchy tune to dedicate to my DIY Couture Winner.

Double click on the video and go to YouTube and listen to happy Japanese pop and drool over vintage fashion eye candy.

And Now for our Winner

KellyAnn you are lucky number 11!!! (generated by the Random Number Generator!) 

And the books are all yours. Email Me your address and they will be in your hands shortly!

I'm off to do some chores and some sewing so I can come back tomorrow with some Betty Generated Fashion. I have my fingers crossed. Summer is so distracting!

xxoo,  

Betty