6 Month Lil' Sack Dress Challenge

Day 181

This is the last.  Zero posts post this post to post.  Zero, zero, nado, niente, zero, zero, au revoir.  Salute!  I am sitting here, writing to you, and drinking a glass of very modestly priced champagne in celebration to the end of a great project. 

I  decided to end the run with what I consider to be items from my current all-star line-up: soy/cotton/spandex blend  french terry knit in cream, my fav’ plum leggings, new white 80’s sandals, sterling silver brooch gifted to me by my parents a handful of Christmases ago, and my second knit project, a long loop scarf in sage green bamboo blend yarn.  Yippee skippy.  That’s the last of it.

Somehow I feel that there should more to say at the close, but to be honest, there is too much to say.  Instead, I’m just gonna let it mull, and consider creating an epilogue and non-Lil Sack Dress post for tomorrow afternoon.  For now, thanks for following, it was a pleasure to share this six month journey with you, and, stay classy Internets.

Baci,

Tyler

Day 180

Oh my, my.  Such a difficult decision…which dress do I finish with tomorrow?  Can’t say yet, but it looks like it’ll be partly sunny so…yeah, still can’t say for certain.

Today it was all about the color spectrum paired with some classic black tights.  The black tights also kept me warm when the breeze was whipping past me on my bikerly jaunt into North Portland to crochet and hang at the Waypost with another artist friend.  As this blog comes to a close, we were brainstorming about a weekly art feature that we’d like to run through my burgeoning art blog, MWF-PDX; the ideas of an artist/curator/hopeful-pedagogue and screenwriter/filmmaker meet to discuss exciting arts-related projects, creative personalities and happenings around Portland that touch on art and film, two of my favorite things in this world.  It is great to have another blogging project to look forward to, and I believe that the daily writing I have done here has equipped me with the tools I need to advance in my blogging and writing pursuits for the arts.  Yeah art.  Yeah writing.

And now it is time to turn in with some tea, crochet and, hopefully, more awesome documentaries on Netflix.  I watched so many great ones last night, but my favorite one was entitled, “Between the Folds”, about the world of origami art and mathematical/theoretical research on folded planes.  I really got some banging ideas with where to take the future of my sculptural crochet work.  Yeah ideas!

Baci,

Tyler

Day 178 & 179

Two days away from the close!  Two days to cover for this post!  Tuesday-Today!

So, yesterday was a day for sleeping in a bit, crocheting and watching Daily Show re-runs in my robe, yoga in the afternoon, wearing my hoodie dress backwards and on purpose, and then special treats and libations with a culinary friend at Saucebox on SW Broadway.  So great!  Little known fact to me prior to last night is that if the sake flight at Saucebox gets you feeling warm and buzzing, then a rich, chocolaty dessert at Papa Haydn’s will sober up the buzzing full stop.  Ay.  So much cocoa.  Ay.

Today is for trying to fight off the grey and gloom by enjoying a good bit of time with my yarn and crochet hook.  It’s been working out pretty well so far…and there’s still more day, and then night, to come!  I love yarn.  Tonight is the night to set down and go through some of the crochet techniques in Crochet School in order to better expand my crochet prowess; I’ve got an interview with a local yarn shop next week, and while they are primarily a knit yarn shop, I know the extra crochet knowledge won’t hurt…what might smart is my limited knit knowledge.   Ah, we’ll see how everything comes off soon enough.  For now I shall take delight in the fact that my cookie and the yarn that I’m eating/using match perfectly.  I’ll take perfection where I can get it.

Baci,

Tyler

Day 177

What a sun-filled day.  Spent the morning with family, potting some savory herbs and then the afternoon with tea, pie and sangria fruit slices with a new friend.  And then work at night with many pleasant Sunday customers.  It was a good Sunday.

It was also a good day for keeping things simple with the chartreuse color block.  The ensemble transitioned well from day hang to work.  Good job color block!  Good job red and white shoes!  Good job!

Oh boy.  It’s time for me to sit down with a late night snack and enjoy the Netlfix bounty.  Oh joy!

Baci,

Tyler

Day 175 & 176

How much longer to go now?  Less than a week!  Yay!  I can’t believe that I’ve maintained, essentially, a fashion blog, for the past 6 months.  In that same time I’ve also gotten really into my Bikram yoga practice and it’s nice to see the physical progression of both projects throughout this photo documentation.  I have also become a lot more comfortable about putting myself in front of the camera, and have loved adding my sense of humor and goofiness to the shoots.  I hope you all have enjoyed watching this journey as well. 

I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself, but I bought a new pair of vintage 80s flats at Half Pint on 30th, in between Killingsworth and Emerson, and the heel of the shoe cut into my heel.  The whole area is a bit inflamed today after being on my feet for many, many hours, so now I am nursing things with a lil’ tea and relaxation.  Last night at Al Forno was BUSY and tonight was steady-ish for the first five hours, so yeah, my gams and feet are something sore tonight.  Gotta take better care of my feet!  Oh, and I also got this great green belt from Half Pint.  Taking care of the waist decorations!

Ah, it is high time to retire now.  Netflix, here I come.

Baci,

Tyler

Day 173 & 174

One more week left in this challenge, count it, one!  Woot, woop!  It’s been a fun adventure and I’ve learned a lot about the great adaptability of a simple garment.  This challenge kept me sane when I couldn’t find a job and was adjusting to a new life, and it has seen me through to much better days, thank goodness.  Now I’m just looking forward to showing off my waist again when I get to hang all these dresses up in the closet for a good, long rest.  Can’t wait, but I’ll have to, for just One. More. Week. 

Mm.  There is a great used shoe store near the Cup and Saucer on NE 30th, Half Pint, and I have been spying into their windows for my next used boot purchase.  These maroon boots are great, but, like the Lil Sack Dresses, they need a bit of a rest.  I may have to see about some boots tomorrow!  Excited:)

Well, we had a fun and busy night at Al Forno yesterday, and I had a great sew/crochet session today with my housemate, Kara.  Now it’s about time for me to meet up with my pops for some din-din and a 60th birthday drink.  Happy 60th yesterday, Dad!

Baci xoxoxo,

Tyler

Day 172

Wowzah, yowzah.  The first day of summer/longest day of the year was a nice and sunny and warm one.  Thank you!

I paired this warm and friendly weather with a colorful ensemble that made a pastry girl smile and a bicyclist ahead of me on NE Broadway stop and compliment my colors.  It’s a good color combination, I must admit, and a true winner when paired with my pink frilly slip.  Glad to hear and see that it’s also appreciated by others:)

Ah, yes, solstice day was filled with many good things such as morning yoga, crocheting, volunteering at MoCC and dining with a friend who provided the most delicious cioppino dinner…I made the most delicious citrus and simple syrup dessert infused with fresh vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.  Yum, summer sun, you inspire good and delicious things.  Thanks for that.

Baci,

Tyler

Day 171

I know.  It’s oh so glamorous to include one’s toilet plunger in their fashion blog photo shoot.  Please, don’t be too envious.  You too, with a lack of foresight can also reach such heights of glamor.  Just leave a plunger on your porch, focus the shot, and disregard note of said plunger’s presence in the shot.  Boom, bam, instant glim-glam!

As promised, I am donning a new-to-me, button-down addition to the closet today.  And it’s a repeat of the blue wool dress, which is feeling a bit warmish on this day of more sun and warmth than was yielded to us yesterday.  Ah, it cools down here in the evening time so I’m thinking it’ll be better when I’m doing some walking and hanging about on Alberta. 

Love my neighborhood.  We just need a hardware store.  For serious.  We look like a bunch of sissy babies for not at least having a bitty hardware store to buy nails, a hammer, some tape, paint, lightbulbs, batteries, a fan, wall hooks, etc.  Can already count on my hands and toes the amount of times I’ve wanted to have a hardware store nearby from which to purchase convenient and helpful household goods.  Yargh.

I’m gonna crochet now!

Baci,

Tyler

Day 169 & 170

Oops I did it again.  The days are just packed now that things are getting warmer…and kind of sunnier, although it still is raining here quite a bit.  Thankfully, it did not rain today.  Yay Father’s Day!

Spent yesterday practicing yoga with my mom, buying some new savory herbs for a clay pot garden, liberated more plaid button-downs from my dad’s closet (wore a new one for these Saturday shots!), and successfully kept my cream dress free of red sauce while laying it down at the pizza joint gig.  Full day of stuff, plus fun with beer and friends in the after hours.  Good Saturday.

This morning it was a Cup and Saucer Breakfast with the ‘rents in NE, then an afternoon spent with in the Mackie garage with my pops making some necessary repairs and re-vamps on the Trek.  Hot green handle bar tape.  I’m stoked to whiz about town with this new stylin’ on my light commuter bike.  It’s also nice to have new break pads and pedals that will not chew up the soles of my lady shoes while I bike. Gotta balance the necessities with the decorative.

Oh my goodness.  So many new pilfered button-downs to rock.  I’ll probs be rocking a new one tomorrow.  Woop!

Call your dad and say hey!

Baci,

Tyler

Day 167 & 168

Boy, oh boy do I love just saving up the posts right now and blamming a couple out in a back-to-back mash-up.  Oh joy last night for an evening of live Burlesque on 39th and Hawthorne, and heavenly day today that the sun and blue sky are both out in full force.  I have been soaking up some much needed vitamin D and cultivating a blissful inner quiet and peace before evening work at Al Forno.  And mulling over some fine “act” ideas for my future Burlesque journey.  It will not involve gloves, but it will involve tassles…who doesn’t love tassles?!  I saw some assles last night.  Never that afore!

Bah!  So, I was feeling indecisive about which other Lil Sack Dress to wear this morning, so I just decided to wear the same one I wore yesterday and call it good.  It is good, and comfy.  And leggings are way awesome for wear on a bike ride about town.

Biked over to Cream, to get a trim from my hairdresser, Nicole, on 28th and Burnside this afternoon, and made the custom-dyed grey dress with separate hoodie piece exchange and now we are in the works for the next trade: an up-cycled t-shirt dress.  Yes!  I love trading for goods and services.  It makes me happy.

About to break into a cute little carrot cake cupcake over at Townshend’s now, and that also makes me happy.  Ta!

Baci,

Tyler