Crafts - Monthly Progress

So I FINALLY made solid strides on my projects!

The green dress is done! I did some additional stitching while wearing the dress for the second time, but I finished it for wearing a couple of weeks ago. I've discovered that one of the armholes is a bit tight on the side I had to take more out of the chest. I think I should have adjusted the back darts then the front princess seams to even out the correction. Otherwise, it's outstanding. Super comfortable and survived a dinner out with friends. (I usually get nauseous and/or very bloated when out with friends. Stress and anxiety mixed with rich foods and alcohol...)

Also "finished" my friend's cross-stitch gift. I still need to do the hands on the face of the clock. (Totally forgot until a day ago.) And wash and block it. It's amazing how dirty it got. Granted it went to the beach twice, upstate once, and sits in my Brooklyn apartment that always has a layer of soot on everything. I will also need to frame it before gifting.

Now onto Christmas cards and fixing the zipper on my husband's coat. He's become demanding...

Finances - Investing for the Future

A new ad in the NYC subway is for Stash - an investment app.

Now, I have done absolutely no research into what this app purports to do or if it's good at it, but it did get me thinking.

If you've read this blog in any depth, you know that my finances are in a constant state of siege. My debt is significantly more than my income (thank you student loans!) so I don't have a lot of money left at the end of the day. Because of this I have no current investments aimed for the future.

I was wondering if there was a way to easily buy into investment funds and packages. I need low entry costs aka my initial investment, like $10, and no/low fees because when you only have $10 fees are just as important as when you have millions.

I started some research, and I'll see what I find. Hopefully something somewhere that will make me feel like I will have at least two pennies to rub together in retirement.

Modern Done Right - Andrew Franz

The other day while browsing (more like surfing) the internet, I came across Andrew Franz architecture firm. I was really blow away with the firm's work. It produces a lovely mix of contemporary architecture and livable interior design. This is what modern spaces should look like. Swoon!

Image by: Albert Vecerka/Esto

Cooking - Mexican Night

Cleaning out my fridge the other day, I found a still good Tupperware of a sauce. I thought it was a marsala paste I use for a lentil dish, so I immediately put it on the menu for that night.

But it wasn't the masala paste! Instead it was a chipotle-orange marinade. I didn't realize my mistake until halfway through cooking, so I ended up having to wing the lentil dish. (It was good, but not as delicious as the original.)

Then, since I had this leftover marinade, I needed to put it on the menu.

And a new

was born!

MEXICAN NIGHT

I marinaded approximately 1 pound of pork tenderloin in the 4 ounces marinade. Before grilling it on my grill pan. My supermarket still had corn, so I boiled that. Then as a second side, I figured I'd look in the rice aisle for a boxed Mexican or Spanish rice. What I found was Carolina rice and black beans.

What solidified it for me was a recipe on the back of the packet. They were instructing you how to make a southwestern soup with the rice and beans. The recipe called for lots of broth, vegetables, and salsa. Salsa! What if I made the rice as usual and added a little salsa for some southwestern flair?!?

My husband, "Oh, this is great!"

That's about as effusive as it gets my household.

Move over fajitas, Mexican Rice and Beans are a new favorite!

Crafts - Monthly Progress

Not much progress, seeing as this post is weeks late...

But yesterday I had the day off from work for Yom Kippur, so I had an opportunity to work on my latest sewing progress.

The dress went from being a mostly completed bodice and skirt to a dress!

I had to sew up the sides of the bodice with the ties sewn in (which I had to do twice), attach the bodice to the skirt which I almost did without hemming the front edges of the skirt, and obviously hemmed the front edges of the skirt.

All that is remaining is hand-sewing the remaining opening between the bodice and skirt, hemming the bottom of the skirt, and sewing some snaps.

Can't wait to wear it!!!