Projects: Plaid Blanket Scarf

I want a plaid blanket scarf.

The craving hit me suddenly, immediately.  I was going through my clothes (I called it packing, but it was more figuring out what I can still wear in that annoying Most-of-My-Regular-Clothes-Don't-Fit-But-I'm-Not-Big-Enough-to-Fill-Out-the-Maternity-Ones-Yet Stage) and realized that I had a couple of sweaters that simply Could Not Be Worn without a blanket scarf.  A plaid blanket scarf, to be specific.

The online search commenced.  However, it quickly became clear that this was not going to be easy.  My problem was twofold:

1. Most of the ones I really liked were more than I cared to spend.  Which wouldn't be the end of the world, except...
2. I wanted it now.  NOW, now.  Like, as of yesterday now.  When this bug hits, INSTANTLY is not soon enough for me.  And unfortunately the ones that I found online,  at least the ones that I liked, regardless of price, were not available in any stores near me.  Did I mention that I wanted one NOW?

Commence Project Plaid Blanket Scarf.

Never mind that there is packing to do, that we close on our house in a mere one week and five days, that there are toddlers around.  PRIORITIES, people.  I simply cannot live another fall day without one.

So I made two.

Here goes:

1. Purchase 2-2.5 yards of flannel.  If you get lucky, your fabric store of choice (Jo Ann Fabric, in my case) will have a special display of "Fall Flannel", 50% off, to make it even better.  Note that in the above photos, the scarf on the left is closer to 2 yards, the scarf on the right is closer to 2.5 yards (+ a little extra on the end of the roll).  If you buy much more than 2.5 yards, you will end up not with a blanket scarf but an actual blanket, and will suffocate or at least sweat profusely if you try to tie it around your neck.
2. Cut off all 4 edges of fabric (bonus: plaid flannel comes with built-in lines for you to cut on!).  It's not the end of the world if your cut isn't perfectly straight (like say if you already packed your good fabric scissors so you use a not particularly sharp scissors instead), since you will be fraying the edges.  Speaking of...
3. Fray the edges.  Pull loose threads on all edges until you get the amount of fringe you desire.  Find something interesting on Netflix to binge watch; this step was more time-consuming than I expected.
4. Put on a fabulously fall sweater and accessorize with your scarf.  There are plenty of tutorials online about ways to tie a blanket scarf, so I'm not going to go there.  Note that a 2-yard scarf will have much less "tying" possibilities than a 2.5 yard one.  2 yards is enough to loop around your neck once or twice, and looks cute with some fluffing and puffing.  2.5 yards will give you more leeway in tying options, such as braiding, knotting, etc.
5. Add hot beverage of choice (coffee, tea, cider), grab the closest pair of suede boots, and find some leaves to frolic in.  Your fall can now commence.

Sunny (Purse) Day

It may be a snow-y day (although not a snow day from work...*sigh*), but I did get a little ray of sunshine today.

Behold.

(Seriously, how cute is this tissue paper?)

(And a charming card with a delightful saying?  In pink?!?  I haven't even gotten to the part that I've paid for yet...)

(Another delightful saying?  On the dust bag??  Of course, kate spade, of course. )

(Ah, here we are...)

(Adorable polka dot lining and all.)

Yes, after waiting and waiting and agonizing and attempting to purchase, and failing to purchase, and multiple emails about final sales...this sunshine-y beauty is mine.  Add in the card, the dustbag, the sayings, and the tissue paper, and it was worth every penny.  I savored opening the package.  I am such a sucker for details.  And the pink card is on this nice, heavy paper and printed with gold lettering...I just have to decide what place of honor it should occupy in our apartment.  I love it all.

Spring Clothes and Sunday Breakfast

I lied.  I realized that I actually love spring clothes.  This happens every year: I go crazy shopping in January because the sales are so good and then I go to the store the following week and all of the spring clothes are out and I'm all like "OMG THE COLORS!"  And then I remember that I thought I just liked fall/winter clothes but I actually love spring clothes, too.  And I think this repeats with every season.  Also with home things-Target has some seriously cute, colorful new home items, which makes me want to re-do everything in our apartment and start over.  This also happens at least once a season.  I would love to be able to re-design everything as the mood strikes...new furniture, new colors, new accessories, new dishes...

Everyone needs a hobby, right?

Despite my preoccupation with spring clothes, I do love my new heart shirt.  And I'm just cheesy enough to be ridiculously excited to wear it for Valentine's Day.

{I spy with my little eye a scorched pancake.  It still tasted good.}

This past weekend included making blueberry pancakes and eggs on Sunday.  Because we didn't have to do anything or be anywhere.  And because blueberry pancakes and eggs are delicious.  It also has nothing to do with anything I was just saying above, but that's okay.

Weekend Happenings

Right now is my favorite time of the whole entire year to shop for clothes.  The stores go crazy with their post-Christmas sales, scrambling to turn over a lot of product to make room for bring in their spring lines.  This is totally and completely the reason that I have approximately 1,248,097 times more fall/winter clothes than spring/summer ones.  Also because I like fall/winter clothes more than spring/summer ones.  And that Christmas and my birthday are both in the winter.  So, anyway, it's most of the reason.

Hubby and I went to the mall on Friday night to celebrate these sales.  I refuse to go on the weekends (too busy/crazy/crowded), and will only go later at night or on a weekday, if I get the chance.  I scooped up the two skirts above and a gorgeous leopard-print silk top from J.Crew all for about $50.00.  Win.  One of my main requirements are that the clothes are something I can still wear now through the cooler part of the spring, (i.e. nothing too blinged out that screams "New Year's Eve" or "Christmas"), because I'm too impatient to purchase something that I can't wear for a whole entire year.  I also bought a sweater and flannel shirt from Target the weekend before, and boots ($30.00!) while we were still in Sioux City.  That's more goodness than I've purchased for myself in the previous three months combined.  I love it.

Besides that hubby and I mostly hung out and played our new obsession, Rummikub.  We played it on New Year's Eve at a friend's party and both immediately loved it - surprising for me since it's partly a numbers game.  

We both actually went to Target, separately, at different times, last Thursday, and both purchased the game to surprise the other....when I walked in the door with Rummikub in a Target bag in my hand and another one sitting on our kitchen table, I was definitely surprised...

Oh, and we also checked out the new Ale Asylum.  Very cool.  

Oh, and hockey is back!  So it was a good weekend.