Twinkle Loon

My first style swap was a success! We had a really great turn out and a lot of fun. Everyone was so giddy that they could leave their desks and go shopping for free clothes at lunch.

So what is a “Style Swap”? And is it different than a “clothing swap”? No, not really. I always heard of clothing swaps but I think recently people are trying to make it sound more chic. Eh, whatever. Either way it is a free exchange of clothing and accessories.

Style Swaps are really easy to organize… if you are organized! You have to have space to set up the different categories and if you are having more than your three best friends over you need signs! Make bigger signs for the main categories and then smaller signs for the sub-categories. You might not use all the signs but it is better to have them in case you need them. And the most important thing is to have friends to help you organize! With two fabulous ladies at work we really made this swap a success.

I can’t wait to do another swap… maybe next time at my house where I can lounge around with friends and drink wine!

Tomorrow is the big day! Swap day! Today I finished up the signs for the swap. I decided to go with something simple and bold. I’m no graphic designer but I think the children’s sign is pretty darn cute.

I finally finished going through all of my clothes to take to the swap. I was brutal! I had so many clothes that I rarely wore because something wasn’t right with them. Either they didn’t fit right or it wasn’t a good color on me, so out the door they go!

From the photo below it looks like I shouldn’t have any clothes left in my closet. Haha… awww. Yeah, but I do. It’s much, much better though. I promise! Soon I will post a before and after of my closet and you’ll see! You’ll see… I might have a problem. Does it help that over half of them are from the thrift store or hand-me-downs? No? I didn’t think so. I’m working on it though.

I have finally found a hair rinse that works for me and doesn’t smell bad! I have been using it for a couple of months now and it is working out really well. I researched on the Internet a good bit and came up with my recipe for the rinse through some experimentation. This rosemary rinse is only for brunettes because it tints the hair brown. If you have blond hair just exchange chamomile tea for the rosemary. The natural tinting is really nice for me when in summer the sun starts to lighten my hair.

What you need:

• one pot for boiling water
• small strainer
• measuring cup
• medium size spray bottle

Ingredients:

• water
• fresh rosemary
• white vinegar

Everyone will have to experiment with the proportions but here are the measurements that I used. First I took about three sprigs worth of rosemary and stripped the needles off of the stem. Then I poured 1 1/2 cup of water in the pot and added the rosemary needles. Let this come to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 45 min or until water turns a deep brown/ red color. Remove from heat and let sit for a bit to cool down. Strain rosemary out and add 1/4 cup of white vinegar and about 1/4 cup of fresh water. Then I put the rosemary rinse in a spray bottle to use in the shower. What I like to do is wet my hair in the shower and then spray the rosemary rinse on my hair and let it sit while I shower. The rinse can dye fabric so use a dark colored towel when drying hair. However once your hair is dry you shouldn’t have any problems with the color coming off on clothing.

Voila! A hair rinse that leaves your hair fresh, shiny and naturally colored!

No, I’m not talking about the economy and the unemployment rate. I’m talking about clothes and stuff. Yeah you know, all that stuff that builds up in your house. In the drawers and the back of your closet, under the bed and in the cabinets. In the past two years I have moved twice and still have fully unpacked boxes from the first move. I have not touched nor thought about the contents of these boxes in two years! Do I really need this stuff? My rational mind says ”NO” but my pack-rat, sentimental side whispers “open the boxes, you might need that stuff one day. Hoard, hoard, hoard”. It’s a battle I have been fighting all my life. I blame it on my parents. Damn their collections! Green glass, door knobs, vintage gloves, matchbooks, coins (oh my god the coins!). I shouldn’t be too harsh I mean my parents aren’t as bad as the people on Clean House! Yikes!

But how do we release our selves from the clutter? I have been on a crusade for the past few months to get rid of everything I do not need. Every few weeks I go through my clothes and drawers and take out more and more things. I am trying to see just how much I can get away with. Just a few days ago I met with two lovely ladies (I will post about that later!) and one of them told me about this amazing website the Uniform Project. I’m not really sure how I have not heard about this before! It’s awesome and inspiring! One young lady has challenged herself to wear one dress for 365 days! It is also a fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation. This has really challenged my thinking about downsizing my own wardrobe. I am organizing a clothing swap at work in two weeks. So until then I will be purging my closet of all unwanted, unworn, un-mended clothing. I will post the results in three weeks…

(Image above: Closet Organizers )

Outdoor city bins

It was really nice to see a city that has trash, recycling and compost bins readily available around the city. On my trip to Europe both Paris and Barcelona had these bins all over the city. Now, I love Baltimore but I find that on most days I can’t even find a regular trash can let alone a recycling can! I thought these bins were very nicely designed, using simple internationally recognizable symbols and in many cases having multiple languages.

Indoor public tourist spot

Indoor office area

Outdoor park area