What's in my purse, round 1

Hello, lovely people!

Since I've been extremely busy with work and summer assignments, I haven't had the time to draft my reviews of the Finishing School series or of Dune, which I finished. Fear not, I will begin drafting today, and have them up over the next few days. Maybe even by later tonight if I have the time.

For now, here is the contents of my purse. With my new dedication to fitness and health, I'm trying to de-clutter my life. I've already de-cluttered under my bed, and in one of my drawers. My purse was my latest project. It involved me switching from a sack-bag to a structured purse. By using a structured purse, I get the following results:

- There's less room for me to put unnecessary things into the purse.
- I look more professional (yay!)

So here is a picture of most of the contents of my purse:

- Lotion
- Glasses case
- Handheld mirror (that small red thing with the brown tail)
- Cough drops
- Back-up phone charger
- Wallet
- Flashdrive
- My favorite Rose Salve from C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries
- Pens
- A notebook, for, well, notes
- Whichever book I'm reading (Currently, Dante's Divine Comedy)
- Pain killers
- Emergency deodarant

Not pictured but in the purse:
- Mints
- Female necessaries
- Tissues
- Mints
- Keys
- Phone (used to take picture)

A lot of things, I know, but each of them necessary. And it's much easier to find in this purse, because everything has its place.

An update on the Exercise and Eating Healthy Streak

So far, so good. I'm doing the Nerd Fitness Angry Birds Workout Plan every Monday, Wendesday, and Friday. As of this morning, I've reached level 4 for squats, level 3 for pushups, level 4 for back exercises (I get to try pull-ups on Friday! Exciting!), and level 3 for planks. I do this workout as one big circuit, so I can be more efficient and get my workout done in a 30-45 minute chunk at the beginning of the day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I try to do some form of cardio, whether it's dancing crazily around the house for a bit, going on walks or hikes, or even doing some interval training. Saturday is a rest day, and Sunday is yoga day.

I've cut processed foods almost entirely out of my diet. I did have a slice of pineapple pie last night, but that's probably the only dessert I'll have all week. Besides, it was a long day at work yesterday, and the sweet pick-me-up was just what I needed. I try to eat grains with only one meal a day, and am upping my veggie intake. I try to have at least one vegetable with every meal. This morning for breakfast, the veggies were cherry tomatoes (or were they grape? I always get the two confused) and avocado. Yum!

Because of my lifestyle changes, I'm able to wake up earlier (I woke up at 6 today of my own volition!!), I feel better and more alert throughout the day, and I generally feel happier. I'm really enjoying this change in myself over the past two weeks, and will keep working at it. I plan on joining a kung-fu class when I move for law school, so I can add something new to my workouts, get strong, and be able to protect myself.

Well, lovely readers, that's all I have for now. I'll start working on those drafts as soon as I can!

The long-awaited Pirate Pants (Image-Heavy Post)

Dear lovely readers, I know I promised these pants back in... March?! Oh boy. My apologies. Well... Here they are! A tutorial to make your own pirate pants (or pajama pants!)

WARNING: Being the silly billy that I am, I didn't think about the fact that elastic waist pants are, in non-worn position, smaller than my waist. The result of this is that these pirate pants now belong to my much smaller sister! =/  So, if you want these to actually FIT you, then do the first step with a pair of non-stretchy pants like slacks or non-stretch jeans, rather than pajama pants, which is what I did.

Step one: Acquire pirate-y striped fabric. I found a striped curtain for $3 at the salvation army near my school. (That being said... who owns curtains like this?!)

Another beautiful shot of my dorm room floor... the only space big enough to lay out the fabric.

Step Two: Fold the fabric so that the "right side" (bolder side) is facing down on the floor. Take long ends and fold them to the middle of the fabric. This is so you can make the two parts of the pants.

Step Three: Lay your outline pants (Remember to use non-stretchy pants at this point that fit you very well!!!) on top of one side of the fabric, like so:

To make things easier, use the bottom hem (or selvage edge, if you bought some fabric from a fabric store) for the bottom of your pants... One less thing to sew!

Step Four: Trace an outline of the pants (remember, make sure they're business slacks or non-stretch jeans), and then add 3 inches to the height of the pants (both for higher-waisted pants and for hemming), and an extra inch to the curved part as a seam allowance.

I suggested using a colored chalk, rather than pencil, which is what I used.

Step Five: Cut out fabric along your trace lines.

This will be the front part of your pants.

Step Six: Flip your pants the other way, and repeat steps 1-5 on the other side of the fabric, so you end up with two halves of pants. (Hi Stitch!)

Step Seven: Unfold the two halves, and lay them out like so, right sides facing each other.

Step Eight: Sew the crotch parts together first on both sides , and then sew down the legs.

Step Nine: Dress as a pirate, and wear pants proudly

My sister, modelling the pirate pants. Yes, they're a tad loose on her, but she likes them the way the are, so I won't make the legs narrower. 

And there you have it! The long-awaited pirate pants!

An Update on the Fitness Thing!

I am exercising six days a week (today is actually my off day... mostly because I have to work on Saturdays during the summer, and could really use the extra energy there, rather than on a workout), and cutting out processed sugars from my diet still. Even though it's only been a week, I already feel a lot better about myself, and have higher energy levels (except for today, although that actually might be because of the lack of exercise today!) 

Drinking: Irish Breakfast Tea. I don't drink coffee any more (sugar is a no-no!), and I really need the caffeine boost today. Irish Breakfast Tea is the strongest non-coffee caffeinated beverage in my house, so I made a cup of that and sweetened it with honey! 

Listening to: The dog snoring. And the beautiful sounds of mother nature. But in terms of music, for the past few weeks I was in a classical mood. However, I'm once again in a rock-and-roll mood. AC/DC, Van Halen, Ozzy Osborne, Guns 'n' Roses, and Deff Leppard are my go-tos at the moment. 

Reading: Dune. When I finish it, I'll write a review! I finished Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen, and The Finishing School Series, by the wonderful Gail Carriger, and will try to write reviews for those over the next few days. (I'm working for almost a week without a day off, though, so I'm not sure when they will be up.)

I want YOU

to help keep me accountable, dear readers.

Yes, this is a rather silly picture of me, but I thought the pose was fitting.

A few days ago, I decided to make some changes in my life. I'm going to eat healthier, and exercise.

I can hear you say, "yeah, yeah, Nicolette. Everyone says that. What makes you any different?"

Because I'm counting on you, dear readers, to keep me accountable. I'm holding myself accountable to myself, by keeping track of my workouts and to eat healthier, but I'm also asking you to hold me accountable. If I don't post once a week giving an update on exercise, or how I'm eating healthier ask me! I might have just forgotten to post, or I need to own up and confess that I've been slacking. Either way, your help is necessary. Please help me become a more active, healthier person!

Also, this website, right here, is what motivated me to get off my butt and start doing something! If you're like me, a huge nerd, and not too keen on exercise, NerdFitness is possibly the best place on the planet that can motivate you. Seriously. Steve Kamb, the founder of Nerd Fitness, is also a huge nerd, and has written hundred upon hundreds of useful articles on getting healthy, whether it's by sharing stories of fellow nerds who "leveled up" and became rockstars of awesome, or by teaching about the Paleo diet, or by creating workouts after our nerdy loves, like the Legend of Zelda Workout. Seriously, if you want to change how you live your life... go to this site. Maybe you're happy with your health and fitness levels. Or maybe, like me, and like 200,000+ other nerds, you're ready to take control of your life and want to level up.

That being said... here's what I've done in the past three days:
- I've walked my dog every day
- On Monday and Tuesday I went for brisk walks in the woods, to get my heart pumping and to slowly build up to running
- Today, after walking my dog, I did five minutes of body-weight squats, jump rope, and high-knees. I'm about to go and do two sets of 30-rep crunches.

I'm cutting out junkfood of my diet this week. Good-bye candy, ice cream, chips/crisps (depending on your location in the world), cake, and other delicious but unhealthy foods (except for special occasions). I did eat an oatmeal and cranberry cookie today... but that's it.

Remember, I can't do this alone, lovely readers! Keep me accountable!

Back, alive, and with a project!

My dear lovely readers, I am so sorry for my extended absence. I fully intended to post far sooner than this. Unfortunately, school took precedence. However, I am now graduated, with every intent on going to law school this August. At that point, posts will most likely drop down again to an infrequent level. My sincere apologies in advance.

For now... I have a project! I decided to make a driftwood incense holder, inspired by the Free People Blog. See the original here.

I happened to have a piece of driftwood lying around my room, and decided to put it to good use!

Step one: 
Assemble necessary items.
- Driftwood
- Pencil (to trace lines on wood in pattern of your choosing)
- Paint (I chose a summery gold and turquoise)
- Paintbrush

At this point, I feel it necessary to add this warning: DO NOT PUT SPRAY PAINT IN A STYROFOAM CONTAINER. EVER. Just trust me on this one.

Step two:
Trace outline of pattern on wood with a pencil.

Step three:
Paint on outline

Step four:
Insert hole on opposite end of painted side of wood. No picture for this. You can do this either by drilling a hole at an angle, or by hammering a thin nail in at a 45 degree angle, and then removing said nail.

Step five:
Enjoy your new incense holder.

That's all I've got for now lovelies! Enjoy!

I'm alive! And a Review of Sue Starke's The Heroines of English Pastoral Romance

Hello, Dear Readers,

I apologize for my long absence! But I am alive! With school starting back up, it has been rather difficult to find the time to actually sit down and post about things. That being said, I have a sewing project in the works, which hopefully will be finished in the next couple of weeks or so. It's a pair of pirate pants (yay costuming!) which would be fun for Halloween, or whenever one so wished to dress up like a pirate. It will be a full tutorial with pictures, so hopefully I can have that up soon.

I mentioned some posts back that I might start reviewing books I'm using on my theses if I didn't have time to read for fun (which I don't). So, for a lack of better ideas, I shall review one of the texts I'm using on my English thesis. 

Some background first, on my thesis. I'm looking at female agency in John Milton's Comus (formally referred to as A Maske at Ludlowe) by looking at tropes in the pastoral in relation to the political nature of masques. It's a topic that I'm really enjoying writing about (moreso than my history thesis, at the moment).

Since this is an academic work, rather than fiction, I'll review it slightly differently than the other books I reviewed. 

The Heroines of English Pastoral Romance, by Sue Starke

Available at the link above

Topic: Sue Starke looks at the history of English Pastoral Romance, and investigates the connections between certain works as well as the history of the influences that would have impacted either the genre or individual works. By looking at the works of various authors such as Spencer, Fletcher, and Milton, just to name a few. The summary from Amazon.com describes the book thus:

"The genre of pastoral romance flourished dramatically in Renaissance England between 1590 and 1650. One of its key elements is that it is the daughter, not the son, of the gentle family who increasingly becomes the subject of the romance's attempt to define and illustrate heroism. The pastoral heroine's task is paradoxical: to break out of her pastoral paradise in order to ensure its reconstitution. She is the princess, the shepherdess, the Lady, or the virtuous daughter who becomes a repository of honor and virtue in a changing society where traditional chivalric definitions of honor hold decreasing purchase. This groundbreaking book examines the typical challenges faced by the pastoral romance heroine as she matures within the pastoral locus amoenus: the foundling dilemma; the loop-shaped quest: the rhetorical battle; the chastity threat; the reconciliation of beauty to virtue; and familial reunification. It illustrates how the allegorical, symbolic, and psychological characterizations of pastoral heroines in the works of Sidney, Spenser, Wroth, Fletcher, Milton, and Marvell anticipate developments in the representation of female subjectivities normally associated with the novel."

Thoughts: Even if one isn't writing about the pastoral, but is interested in a very specific and often-ignored subset of English Renaissance literature, this book provides a comprehensive look into this genre. Starke's writing style is easy to read, fast-paced, and comprehensive without being cumbersome. It's immensely helpful to me for my English thesis, and even as just as light reading, it is thoroughly fascinating. 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Smart, easy to read, and helpful beyond measure to my thesis gives this book a 5/5 rating. 

In other news,

I've finished my law school applications, and am turning my full focus to my school work, and more importantly, these two theses. I'm hoping to find time here and there to make pretty things (mostly skirts, because 1) they're easy to make, and 2) because I like skirts). I'm still looking for supplies to my Xena costume, but as a student, spending money is something that I'm trying to avoid. I'm hoping that once I get back to my summer job, I'll be able to put aside enough to spend on projects like my Xena costume, or full Ren Faire garb (which has been on my bucket list for a while, for costuming).

I'll try to post the pirate pants tutorial soon, hopefully by next week. I'm planning on finishing my second chapter for my history thesis by this week, so that should free up some time for sewing and the like.

Love,

Nicolette

Oh but it's cold outside....

Greetings, Dear Readers, from snowy and cold New England! Seriously, it's around -13°C (or 9°F) at school right now, making it extremely difficult to be fashionable and warm at the same time.  I am wearing a scarf indoors for non-fashion purposes. Oh the horror!

The semester has started, and as such, it's going to be fewer DIY projects for the next couple of months, and more book reviews. I'm still trying to make my way through a couple of books for fun, but more likely than not, I'll end up reviewing my assigned readings for my classes. Admittedly, I'm taking Western Feminist Thought and Philosophy 101, which means that texts should be fairly interesting. (I'm also working on my two theses, which means that I'll hopefully write about some of my research as well.) If I get truly pressed for time, I might post one or two of the essays I wrote last semester. I'm especially fond of my essay about The Sandman series for my History of the Graphic Novel class. (To be honest, I'm mostly fond of it because I got an A+ on it... I was so exhausted and burnt out when I wrote it, that I don't entirely remember what it was about....)

I got my Xena corset in, so I plan on swinging by Joann's to pick up a matching pleather and some grommets so I can start making the skirt. I think the armor will be papier-maché, I'll keep you all updated.

Love,
Nicolette

Book Review: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Hello, Dear Readers!

It took some time, but I finally finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This had been on my to-read list for a very long time, and I'm so glad to finally cross that one off. I checked it out from my public library, but you can find it here!
                                             

Plot Summary: American Gods is a fantasy novel written by the talented Neil Gaiman. It follows the story of an ex-con, Shadow Moon, after he is released from prison. Upon learning that his wife and best friend died in a car crash only a week before he was released (and learning that said two were involved sexually), Shadow decides to take a job from the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, a one-eyed man who comes straight out of mythology. Mr. Wednesday informs Shadow that a war is about to happen, between the gods of old religions, and the new gods, such as the gods of the Internet, the Freeway, and the goddess of Media. As Shadow travels around the United States helping Mr. Wednesday, he encounters beings either long-forgotten, or no longer believed in. More importantly, however, Shadow learns about himself, and what he is truly capable of doing.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I found it gripping and compelling, and at points, very difficult to put down. It took a while to actually get into the book, but once the story actually picked up, it was quite fascinating. Gaiman is a master of mythology and story-telling, and he has re-cast the old gods in new faces. His grasp of various mythologies and knowledge of folk lore are really what carry the story, as even the minor characters are well-fleshed out. The side-stories were rather distracting, and I think they detracted from the story over-all. I didn't love the book, but once again, Gaiman has written a story that I found truly enjoyable to read. (I'm a huge fan of The Sandman series)

Rating: 4/5 Because of my love of mythology, I enjoyed the story. The side stories and slow start, however, detracted a star from the rating, hence the 4/5.

Other things.

I'll be focusing on law school stuff for the next week, and then school starts back up so I'll be focusing on my theses. I may not get to do all of the DIY fun stuff I wanted to, but that's alright. I plan on making a Xena costume. I've bought the corset, but will make the skirt and armor. The skirt I can make at school, but the armor will most likely be a summer-time project. I hope to finish the costume in time for New York ComicCon this fall.

I'll also try to keep my New Years resolutions/goals (I've already done two! The dress separation and acquired some high-waisted colored jeans! I'll post an outfit pic with those pants soon.).

Love,
Nicolette