Friday, November 28, 2014

Big Black Skirts

Here are some poofy black skirts for Black Friday! Enjoy.


Her cyborg arm really compliments her ripped tights.


I've always wanted some black boots like these, but i don't think they would be conducive to walking long distances so I'll probably never get any. If you're interested I think they have some very similar ones at Dollskill.


I've been wanting a tenchcoat dress for travel. I can't seem to find a pretty waterproof one, though.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

And now for something completely different - My Favorite Sponges!

Sponges might not sound like an exciting topic, but these sponges seriously make my day! After lots of trial and error I have finally found the one - Lysol Multi Purpose Durable Scrub Sponges. I <3 them so!

Amazon.com - Lysol Multi-Purpose Durable Scrub Sponges, 4-Pack - Cleaning Sponges



I have had major issues with sponges in the past. I would go through them quickly because either the texture would bother me, or they would start to smell weird. I tried putting them in the microwave and the dishwasher as suggested but they would still bother me. Replacing sponges so often got to be expensive and super irritating. Thankfully I discovered the Lysol brand a few years ago and they are still my favorite by far. Absolutely no stank. 

The goopy feel of traditional wet sponges makes me cringe. Some of them feel that way straight out of the package. These Lysol sponges are not goopy at all, even when they are old! I have had one for quite awhile now and it still doesn't smell at all. I am finally buying more because 1. it looks a bit stained 2. it's my last one and 3. I think I should replace it just in case. It has survived the dishwasher and countless cleanings. If there was ever a world ending crisis of some sort, I would surely attempt to bring these sponges with me lol. 

Why do I love these sponges so? Let me count the ways...
  • The soap washes out of the fibers easily
  • They clean just as well as any other sponge
    • Maybe even better since it wont leave stink sponge smell behind
  • The scrubby side works without deteriorating much
  • They are antibacterial
  • They feel better 
  • They smell better
  • They are just better
Any downsides? 

These sponges tend to cost a bit more than others in many stores although they are pretty affordable at Walmart and Amazon - only $2.97 for a 4 pack which comes out to 74 cents a sponge. Some people don't like the fact that they contain antimicrobial agents, however they have never given my family a problem. Also, many sponges have antimicrobial sponges to begin with and I think it's a good thing when you have to clean up extra yucky messes. 

I've heard that it can be harmful to try to kill all of the germs in your house by overdoing it with antibac sprays and Purell, however we use mostly natural products. In our case I think a little antimicrobial action is a good thing.

Hope that you are having a great start to your Thanksgiving week! We sure are busy making sure everything is ready :).

<3 KM

Friday, November 21, 2014

Fashion Don't: Condom Beanie


I'm fine with leggings as pants and Uggs. They don't seem that heinous to me. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I hated a trend. But I have finally found one I think is utterly ridiculous: the condom beanie. There are many ways to wear a beanie. Why are people suddenly resorting to this option?


So many people in my neighborhood have been wearing these things the past month. This trend seems to have started on the coasts a few years ago, but I was blissfully unaware of its existence until now. I do not understand it. Do people really want to look like they have a condom on their head? Or do they just not realize?



I mean seriously. Look at this hat from HalloweenCostumes.com. It is actually supposed to look like a condom. Look at the beanie above. Striking resemblance, right? I am not sure whether to cringe or laugh when people rock this bizarre fashion...




Monday, November 17, 2014

Fanciful Dinnerware

I have always had weird, vivid dreams. Last night I dreamt that I had brightly colored plates with a two horned unicorn printed on them. The unicorn happened to be a cyborg. They were so cool lol!

Before I went to sleep I was browsing artist Sasha Unisex's color block tattoos and I am sure that had something to do with it as well. They are sooo pretty. The art on the plates in my dream looked like it could possibly be one of her drawings, if she drew cyborg unicorns :P.

When I woke up I knew I had to continue my search for an awesome dinnerware set. Here are some that I found:





Hope that everyone is having a great week! I don't know about you but I am really looking forward to the holidays already, and Black Friday :P.

<3 KM

Friday, November 14, 2014

Autumn Veggie Feast



I got delicata squash, butternut squash, and tat soi, all of which are in season. I love trying new veggies! I had never tried delicata squash before. And romanesco is my favorite. I wish they would sell it like frozen broccoli at the grocery store here like they do in France. 

Unfortunately I have never found the right recipe for butternut squash soup... it always turns out too sweet. It did this time, too, so I wont give you the recipe for that. But I will give you the incredibly easy recipes for the other three veggies. 



Romanesco
Separate the florets
Steam romanesco until tender (5-8 minutes)
Shock in cold water to retain bright green color
Toss in melted butter and lemon juice

Delicata Squash
Cut the ends off the squash a dig out the insides of seed and gunk
Cut into rounds a little less than 1/2 inch thick
Coat squash in olive oil and roast at 400F for 15 minutes
Turn squash over and top with Parmesan cheese
Roast for another 15 minutes

Tat Soi
Cut the leaves from the base
Boil tot soi until wilted (about 2 minutes)
Shock with cold water
Top with a dressing of soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil



And as bonus I had left over romanesco: something that has never happened to me before! I made some pasta with arugula, Canadian bacon, and Parmesan for lunch the next day. It was amazing. 

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

When Did You Go? First song on Soundcloud!

Hey beauties! I am finally up and running on Soundcloud, yay! I just posted one song tonight and will be posting more soon. No big productions yet, just me and my guitar but it's a fresh new start after deciding to give Youtube a break to focus on sound quality. Gotta <3 Garageband!

This song is for anyone missing somebody in their life right now. 



When Did You Go
- KM Fern

When did you go
out of my life i need you so
whenever we’re down and out
i only want to hear your voice
we didnt even have a choice

As the sun moves
So many days have past
But our memories
You know theyll always last
The time is ticking slowly
The stars across the sky
I cant help wondering if only
You got to say goodbye
Neither did I

When did you go
Out of my life i need you so
Whenever we’re down and out
I only want to hear your voice
We didnt even have a choice
mmmhmm mmmhmmm
mmhmmmhhm
mmmmhmmmmmmhm

I only want to hear you
Only want to hear you
Only want to heeeeeeaaar you

The smiles you left on my face
Are forever in my heart
The laughs weve shared at your place
Are never very far
Though we’re apart

When did you go
Out of my life i need you so
Whenever we’re down and out
I only want to hear your voice
We didnt even have a choice

Happy Veteran's day to everyone that has served or is serving America, bless you all!


<3KM

Friday, November 7, 2014

Haphazard Sewing Lesson: Old Jeans into New Vest

I'm not big on patterns. They are so ridged and it seems to add useless steps for me. Plus, you have to pay for the pattern... yeah, I'm a little tight with my wallet. This lesson will also include the mistakes I made along the way. I hope that you don't mind that your teacher is not all-knowing. Also, if you have very large boobs or very skinny thighs these instructions may not work for you. Oh, and if you a very blood-phobic you might want to stop reading. 

Anyway, take an old pair of jeans you don't mind sacrificing and a vest you like out of your closet. 

My jeans had a nice little curve in them so I lined up the waist curve in the vest to it. Yours might, too, so utilize that. Then cut the legs off to the length of the pattern substitute vest. 


Try to be careful when doing this. I accidentally cut into one of the pockets I was going to sew on to the front later... oh well


Cut the waistband off the jeans and down what will become the inner seam of the vest. This will probably be the inner seam of each leg.  I left most of the seam that was already there on the front so I would not have to re-hem it. 

Then pin the pieces together and sew up the back seam.

Cut the arm holes to match the ones on the vest. I didn't leave quite enough jean on the top, so I had to add a little. Not a problem. Extra pieces of fabric add interest. Hem the inside of the armholes. 

Pin the shoulders up. Make sure the edges of the armholes line up. Try it on in the mirror. Do the armholes droop? Pin away more fabric. Are the armholes cutting into you? Either re-cut the armholes larger or add an extra piece of fabric on top like I did. Sew it up when you are happy with it. 


You can double stitch these seams for added stability, durability and interest.   

Add some shaping seams. I like the diagonal-across-the-top-of-the-boob ones. Does that type of seam have a better name? Probably. Do I know it? No.
 Be sure so try on carefully before you sew. If you have extra fabric in the waist area you can take it in vertically there. Just make a triangle shape starting right at your boob going down. If you are a man, do not bother with this step.

Oh - and be careful when trying on clothes with pins in them. I ripped my finger open on one.

Sew the waistband on the bottom. It's okay if the button side spills over a little, but not too much.
Also hem the neckline. If you want to add a collar, do so. I did not.


Sew on some buttons and some holes. Try to make sure the buttons line up with the button from the waistband. I do not have any pictures of this because the buttonhole setting on my machine was pissing me off too much. My buttonholes are not pretty. Luckily they are mostly covered by the buttons. 
Don't forget to add some pockets. Sew along the seams that are already there. 

Then you are done. Whore-ray! 


Monday, November 3, 2014

Why all singer/songwriters should play an instrument + tips for aspiring guitarists

If you have been following my blog for awhile you probably know that I am a songwriter. Singing and songwriting is a huge part of my life. It's something that I will do always and forever. But unlike songwriting playing an instrument while singing has not come easy to me.

Learning an instrument when you are used to being a Soprano 1 can be really irritating to say the least. Although I have sang in choirs and musicals in the past, it was very hard for me to pick up an instrument. At first I was unable to make it play the sounds that I wanted to convey. I had no idea how to make those sounds and I had a hard time singing in time while playing an instrument. I was just a mess.

This frustration kept me from committing to instruments in the past. I got disappointed because whatever instrument I was trying out at the time sounded too twangy, too silly or too country. I was not patient enough with them so I would just sing.

Finally my husband convinced me to get over it. I decided to start with the keyboard and eventually I was able to pick up the guitar. It is much easier for us to collaborate now that I can play too. He is still leagues ahead of me in that department but he also has much more experience. I am finally seeing the benefits of continued practice and I don't feel like a newbie anymore. It is still such a process but I can finally, actually say that I know what my style is. I am working towards making it come to life a little more every day.

So singer/songwriters, the moral of the story is that if you really want your songs to be heard, learn an instrument even if it feels impossible to do so. Playing an instrument allows you to collaborate with others more effectively which is key to finishing a track or being part of a band. It also gives you the ability to perform all by yourself which can be empowering and lucrative.

Your music may evolve into something different than you ever expected, which happened to me, but that's a good thing. I still occasionally miss the days of being able to focus on singing alone as I can do more complicated vocals that way, but I actually feel more comfortable playing as I sing now. In the future I would love to have my songs professionally recorded. I probably won't play anywhere on the track, but I will be able to guide the process by establishing the chords and those steps are critical.

Earlier this year I became more serious about finishing my songs and sharing them so with my primitive guitar skills I decided to start posting videos on Youtube as it was the most manageable outlet. Now I have become motivated to perfect my sound so I am going to work on creating more professional recording of my songs so I can share them on Soundcloud instead. I'd like to work on making better audio files and forget about any form of video until I can make something really neat.

If you would like to play the guitar, but feel as if it is nearly impossible, here are a few tricks:
  • If the guitar seems too overwhelming try the keyboard first. 
    • This may give you the confidence to go ahead and try something different. 
    • Ask a friend for a few mini lessons or search for a good video
  • Try before you buy
    • Some brands of guitar are easier to play than others
    • Nylon strings are not as painful as metal strings
    • Certain types are easier for smaller hands/ larger hands
  • Take your time
    • Just play until your fingers hurt, then play a little longer the next day...
    • It gets better over time - trust me! 
    • If you get frustrated put it down and try again later just don't wait too long
  • Print a chord chart
  • Follow tutorials of your favorite songs
    • There are so many on Youtube
    • If you are really new it helps to have your chord chart with you
  • Don't give up! 
    • The earlier you start the better you will become so just keep on going
    • Even a few minutes every day really adds up in the long run
<3 KM