Notes from the Field | 001

Greetings from the other side! We've had an admittedly rough start to our year. I fell down the steps on New Years Eve which resulted in an ER visit (not broken, just very sore). Three out of the four of us (myself included) have also come down with another round of colds which make mommin' so damn hard. The commercials make jokes of it, but there are no sick days when you're a parent. I could go on and on (see also: frozen pipes, buckets of water, stained ceilings) but I'll spare you because... 

I actually woke up feeling really good this morning emotionally!! I'm finally getting a fresh start that most people feel on January 1. So what if it's a little late? I still have a stuffed nose but I know I feel better because I really want to clean. (Oddly enough I don't think I ever have the nesting instinct before giving birth to either of my kids - maybe because mama is always feathering her nest!) 

Speaking of nests and feathers, I've been reading up a bunch of chicken keeping. In sum, it almost feels like taking on more children for all of the babying they need. Do any of you guys have backyard chickens? Do you free range? Have predator issues? THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER!! The book I just finished and enjoyed is Backyard Chickens, Beyond the Basics by Pam Freeman. I know one book doesn't cover everything so again - suggestions welcome! 

Another random thing on my mind - have you heard of the pegan diet? It's part paleo and part vegan and I know nothing about it aside from what I'm guessing is a grain free vegan menu.  Which seems really hard? I've done both before for extended periods of time. I'm the kind of person that really loves carbs and sugar so a framework to keep me out of the bakery is useful. I also don't like eating tons of meat and the more I think of keeping chickens the less I want to eat them (please no soapboxing on this guys). Anyway, I did get a heavier duty spiralizer for  Christmas and I really love it and the texture of both zucchini and sweet potatoes are such an awesome pasta substitute. The hardest part of either a paleo or vegan menu is eating enough  for me. 

So that's all from me for now! Hope your first week of the year is going better than mine! No pity parties though, I'm feeling a turn around in effect! 

Make, Do, Mend | A New Year's Resolution

The past year has given me the gift of change - something I appreciate both for the challenge and the newness. We've gone from a family of three to four, we upped and moved to the country, sold our first home and I quit my long time fashion blog. It was a big one for us! 

I think 2018 is going to be great too. I've been changing my artistic focus from clothing and personal style to making my house a home. I love interior projects - everything from sewing pillows (like in my bedroom) to cutting and installing new window casing (like my upper living room). When it comes to the actual stuff in these rooms, I've found myself turning to craigslist and thrift stores (or what Adam sarcastically calls my hoarding of decorative items I have collected over the years and live in the attic/garage/basement) and have outfitted the spaces with some really awesome second hand finds. In fact, going to Goodwill and ReStore has become part of our weekly routine. I get a huge thrill out of turning someone's discards into something special in my place! 

So with the spirit of creativity and frugality, my goal for 2018 is to Make, Do and Mend! The saying was popular during the second world war and encouraged people to do more with what they had and to upcycle instead of buying new. And that's what I'm aiming to do. Specifically, I'm cutting myself off from first hand purchases. So unless I can thrift it, get it second hand or make it, I don't need to buy it. Of course consumables (food, toiletries, lightbulbs and project materials) will be ok.  

Along with not buying new, I'm going to be doing some major purging with my closet. I'm ok with the fact that I don't have a use for many of these pieces anymore and they should be passed on to someone else for a new life.

Fresh starts, new beginnings. Happy New Year, my friends.  

A Tintype Portrait Sitting with Giles Clement

Adam treated me to something really amazing last week - a tintype portrait session! In the era of digital photography, there's no shortage of personal imagery. Hello, ten years of What I Wore! Yet, all of those shots were part of a larger set, which were then edited down, cropped, brightened or darkened before landing on my site. It's almost hard to imagine what photography used to be like when one shot was all you got! It's a mixture of artistry, science and skill!

So let's just play time traveler and go back 170ish years for a tintype photo session. Photographer Giles Clement paid a visit to Bloomington and we signed up for a spot to have our portrait done on tin with a lens from 1849. I asked him for something romantic and moody. The lights were set and we stood still for a couple seconds while the camera captured our souls. Then, before our very eyes, the plate went into the developing wash and lo and behold - there we were! What an incredible experience to be a part of and to witness. We hung around a while longer to watch the next family sit for their shot as well and it's just nothing short of magic!

You can see more of Giles' work on his website or follow him on instagram. 

A New Year, A Clean Slate

Welcome to my new blog! I'm so glad you're here. I'm so excited for this new space and for a clean slate for my creative projects.

For a long time I've felt limited by the name What I Wore and had a desire to share more of my world and less of what I'm wearing. Not to say that I'll never take an outfit photo again, but I find my confidence rising and a better quality of life now that I'm not in front of the camera regularly. I don't regret the ten years I spent documenting my life and personal style, but I'm just ready for something new. We all deserve a change of pace once in a while! 

The most important thing for me in creating a new site is the freedom to let it take me in whatever direction the wind blows. For now I hope to do a lot more writing and photography - more getting behind the lens and less in front of it. I don't know how produced this site will be. I have been learning more about photography and look forward to learning the best ways to snap pictures of my home, cooking, baking, DIYs, my kids... everything! I also want to be able to post things on the fly - just text for example or photos from my iPhone. I think there's a place for all of it! 

I hope you'll carry on with me here, or at least check in once and a while. On social media I will be using the @starsandfield handle everywhere, so find me on your app of choice or bookmark this address.