Hey! I wanted to let you know that I am going to be teaching a Food Styling/Photography Workshop at the Firefly Institute Photo Camp this November in Sonoma. It’s a photography retreat for women that’s guaranteed to be fun. Would love to see you there!
When I was in art school, I used to cherish my time in the photo lab. Many years later, I found that bleaching/dyeing fabric gives me that same sense of excitement I had while watching photos develop in a developer bath in the darkroom. Maybe that’s why I’ve been on a tie dying/ bleaching kick these days? I think it’s also that I love breathing new life into things I already have. Let me show you what I’ve been up to!
First things first. Let’s talk about what’s involved. It’s not much. It’s actually really simple!
The first step in this process is to make sure your fabric is washed.
One of the reasons why I use Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Detergent is that it’s fragrance free. Most of the towels/napkins that I’ve been dyeing are used at the dinner table and I find it super annoying to wipe my face while I’m eating and smell overly perfumed fabric. I think it messes with how you taste/experience food. I find this super important when I’m wrapping hot tortillas up in a dish towel for taco night. It’s those little things that make a big difference.
When I’m washing our clothes, I use the Seventh Generation Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender Laundry Detergent because it smells good and it’s free of dyes & synthetic fragrances.
For any type of bleach dye job, you should experiment with the color first.
I recommend taking a little bit of bleach and dabbing it on your fabric to seee how the color develops. The bleach will essentially lift the color up and reveal a new color.
Alternately, you can dip the eraser end of a pencil into bleach and create polka dots on your fabric. I plan on doing that next!
I have a set of navy napkins that I wanted to bleach tie-dye.
Let me walk you through the steps. But first, let’s look at the before.
Here’s what a little bleach action can do.
Fun, right? I love how it made the blue reddish/pink.
Here’s a nice layer of bleach applied with a squirt bottle.
I like to make squiggles. It’s a little nod to Jackson Pollock 😉
And here’s what it looks like after about a minute. I love watching that happens on the edges.
I should mention that I do this all in the bath tub (with the window open) because helps contain the mess AND it cleans the bathtub in the process. Win win.
Here’s what we have going for us after about 5 minutes.
Pretty, right?
When I feel like the bleach has lifted enough from the fabric, I rinse off the bleach in the tub.
I squeeze the water out of the fabric and put everything in a big tupperware so I can start another batch in the tub.
When we’re done, we wash the fabric.
I’ve found that if you don’t do the pre- rinse before you put the fabric in the wash, the washing machine (at least my front loader) will continue to bleach your fabric while it’s washing. Rinse then wash!
Hanging up to dry. You can put it in the dryer if you want.
I just took a picture on a drying rack for effect 😉
Let’s look at my other experiments.
Here’s a dish towel that I dyed blue last year. I think over the year I did a bleach treatment to it—making stripes and now I’m ready to take it to another level. Experimenting is fun.
For this one, you can see that the overall fabric is lighter. When I did this one in the tub, the tub was a little wet with water and so it got all of the fabric a little wet. When you bleach fabric that’s wet/damp, you get more of watercolor look. It’s not as concentrated, so you can see here that it made some really pretty textures in the fabric.
I’ve had this dishtowel for 3 years and this is its third incarnation!
Here’s another one of my projects.
Can you believe this dish towel was originally white? I like to dye my dish towels because they get stained so easily. When you tie dye/bleach them it’s harder to see the stains.
Here’s the before:
During! Isn’t it pretty??!
After— This totally looks like something that they would sell at Anthropologie.
It would actually make a beautiful pillow!
And FINALLY—-
I have a few Black Maxi Dresses from Old Navy (hello, closet staple!) and I love how they fit so I turned one of them into a tie-dye dress.
This is actually my favorite piece I’ve worked on so far. I’m actually wearing this dress right now.
BEFORE:
I put a layer of the bleach down with a squeeze bottle. You know…my signature squiggle moves.
Then I take bleach and mix it with water about a 1:1 ratio and then pour it over the dress- making sure to leave a few parts black.
After 5 minutes the colors develop into this. The longer you go, the more color comes out. The cool part is that the black turned to gray!
Now I have a cool looking dress I plan on wearing year round. Real talk: I sometimes wear it as pajamas.
Closeup! The black came up and turned grey in the parts that had full bleach coverage and the other parts that didn’t get as much bleach turned into a beautiful rust color.
I LOOOOOOOOVE how this turned out and the best part is that it cost next to nothing to enhance it. You can see that I left the bottom part fully black.
Kinda feels like my summer capsule wardrobe might channel my modern hippie vibe with this dress!
Hope this inspires you to do some experiments of your own! The more confident you feel, the bigger the risk you can take. Like….who knows? Maybe you have something in your closet that will look STUNNING with a little Bleach Tie-Dying Session?!! You never know unless you try.
This DIY Bleach Tie Dyeing Fabric post was produced in partnership with Seventh Generation. As always, all opinions are my own.
It’s Monday. There’s a good chance you haven’t even thought about what you’re going to eat this week. It’s cool. I too have no idea. I went through some pictures on my phone this morning to find some inspiration and forgot about some of my family’s favorite dinners.
Let me inspire you with 20 Simple Weeknight Dinner Ideas:
1. Fancy Ramen
A package of ramen (yes! Top Ramen!) is fortified with a ton of spinach, some seaweed, sesame seeds, sesame oil and an egg! Hot sauce for good measure. You can see more on how I cook the egg in the ramen in this Smoked Salmon Ramen recipe.
2. A Big Ass Sandwich
I think the one pictured above is a hot pastrami sandwich with cheddar, beet sauerkraut and mustard. Served with chips! I almost never eat a sandwich at lunch time, so I make up for it sometimes by throwing together one for dinner.
3. Grilled Flatbread Sandwich
I grill a flatbread in my panini press and topped it with hummus, sliced tomatoes, fresh mint, feta, salt/pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and a spritz of olive oil.
4. Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Really so simple and satisfying. It’s always nice to have pasta leftovers (cold!) the next day.
A perfect way to relieve the tension from work- CHOP A BUNCH OF THINGS. I got my aggression out on this Chopped Salad with Spiced Chickpeas a few weeks ago.
6. Cheeseburgers and Fries
My family loves this option because (FRIES!). I tried making my own fries once and it was a lot of work. I buy frozen fries and plop them in the oven. I cook our burgers in a cast iron skillet because it helps get a nice crust! On these particular burgers, I had some prosciutto in the fridge to get rid of so I cooked the pieces in the skillet. It was like having bacon cheeseburgers.
7. Roasted Sausage, Tomatoes & Asparagus
I put everything on one baking sheet in the oven at 400F for about 30-35 minutes with a little glug of olive oil, salt & pepper.
Serve with rice. The tomatoes get so juicy.
8. Roasted Tomato Pasta with Basil
If you have leftover tomatoes, roast them! 400F for 20-30 minutes with olive oil, salt & pepper. Boil pasta/drain/stir in tomatoes, fresh basil, salt/pepper/and a nice spoonful of pesto. Dinner winner.
9. Oven Baked Ribs
The second I get home from work, I get ribs going in the oven. This means between 4-6 I can go about my business and finish dinner off around 6:30. This weeknight dinner is Orange Soy Glazed Ribs!
10. Fried Rice
I usually have some rice in our fridge for my meal prep so I can make a quick fried rice with it. If I have bacon, it turns into Bacon Fried Rice!
I always have a few portions of soup tucked away in our freezer. I just defrost and reheat and serve with a grilled cheese sandwich and soup. This particular soup is one of my favorites- Cream of Spinach Soup.
13. NACHOS
Need I say more? It’s my go to dinner for Casey and I when he’s super hungry and I have little time. Put it all on a baking sheet and broiler! Or… you can make your own nacho cheese sauce. Check out this Nacho Party situation…
14. Chicken in Lettuce Cups
These are one of the simplest things to make. Just cook ground chicken with red peppers, sauce & cashews and serve them in lettuce cups. My family LOVES this recipe.
15. Pigs in Blankets
All you need is some dough, hot dogs & mustard— OH! And poppy seeds and a little oven time and you are good to go. Here’s how to do it.
16. Pesto Pasta & Caesar Salad
If you’re a pesto fan like I am, you’ll want to keep a jar of pesto in your fridge for last minute dinners like this pesto fettucini dish served with a simple Caesar Salad.
17. Roasted Vegetables with Cheese
Cauliflower or broccoli can be a full on dinner if you roast it and cover it with cheese. The melty/crunchy bits are my favorite part. Sometimes I add it to a baked potato. If you’re all for eating a bunch of vegetables at dinner (some weeks call for it after really indulgent weekends), you’ll like this Roasted Broccoli with Tahini recipe.
18. Burrito Bowls
Make a batch of rice. Stir in salsa. Instant spanish rice. Add your favorite meat on top, some beans and all of the burrito fix ins. Chips add a nice crunch…or scoop out your burrito bowl with the chips. No one complains about burrito bowl night around here.
19. Charcuterie Platter
Snack dinners are my favorite. I almost always try to add vegetables in there somehow….Gotta balance all of the cured meats!
20. Apricot Glazed Chicken
Don’t you just love a recipe that takes little to no effort? All you have to do for the Apricot Glazed Chicken recipe is mix the glaze/bake the chicken and serve with rice. Leftovers are great too.
Now, your turn! What are some of your simple GO-TO weeknight dinners? I’m so curious!
Lox Bagel Pizza with a nice layer of red onion & dill cream cheese schmear.
Dill, red onions & capers on top.
Perfect for weekend brunches and a simple weeknight dinner. Serve it as an appetizer for a party. In my case, I made it in the afternoon- we ate it in the afternoon and turned it into and early dinner. No leftovers!!!
Life is busy and it’s hard to find time and energy to put into the things you love. After 36 years of life, I’ve learned that if I don’t respect my creative side and tend to it, my life starts to feel off. Over the past few years, I’ve honored this part of myself- the part of myself that firmly believes that I must respect my creative spirit in order to be happy. If I don’t respect this, everything in my life tends to fall apart. Just ask my husband.
Here are a few ways I’ve learned to manage/respect my creative side. I hope this inspires you to cultivate your creative side. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself. Trust me.
1. Coloring Books for Adults
Why are coloring books so popular for adults these days? Because we CRAVE creative time. That’s right. Put your phone down and COLOR. I started coloring with Cooper a few afternoons each week after school because it’s the BEST way to unwind. Even better when there’s a smoothie involved. It’s during this time that I have meaningful conversations with Cooper…we talk about school, books and we play a doodle game where we finish each other’s squiggles. I never regret that time I spend with him. NEVER.
2. Take a Class In Person & Online
Cooper and I started taking a few classes online on Creativebug (which is about $5/month). I got Cooper his own sketchbook and we watched my friend- Lisa Congdon’s Sketchbook class together. He was enthralled! Community-based classes online are a fantastic way to meet like-minded people. There’s inspiration at every corner of the internet. I happen to love classes that involve calligraphy and drawing & illustration.
I also realized that taking a class in person works better for me. It’s kinda of like how I am better at taking a Zumba class that doing an hour on the treadmill. I am committed and held accountable to a block of creative time. Last month I took a block printing on fabric class with my friend Jen Hewett and over the past weekend I took a Watercolor Brush Lettering Class. I just went on my own, met a few really nice people and left wanting to keep going.
It’s important for me to be around other people and seeing how they talk about their craft so that when I start teaching classes and workshops again, I will have a better way to communicate what I want to express to my students.
Human interaction always inspires me, even though I’m a full-blown introvert.
3. Write in a Journal
I carry a Moleskine journal with me and an assortment of pens. Right now I am trying out this new notebook situation. I bought an insert (picture above) in Vancouver and love the idea that the notebook can be customized/ added to. The only problem I have is resisting buying all of the inserts and turning it into a trap for receipts. We’ll see!
While we were in Vancouver, I wrote down all of the things we ate and did a few drawings. I created a little journal like this on our honeymoon and it’s so fun to look back and see what we ate/what we experienced during our trip. I will remember more if I write things down.
If you want to doodle, there are a lot of great books like 500 Ways to Draw that show you different ways to draw something. I’ve found that the act of copying these drawings gives me the courage to draw on my own. I can really see my drawing improve as a result. The only thing that makes you better is PRACTICE.
4. Go outside
Sometimes the best thoughts will come to me when I’m outside in nature. When I’m out hiking, I bring a notebook, pen & pencil in my fanny pack so if something comes to mind, I jot it down. Sometimes I’ll draw what I see on my hike and other times I listen to podcasts and look for rocks I can turn into art. Nature can be super inspiring. It also heals the mind and reduces my anxiety. I am so fortunate to live in an area that has so many trails to choose from.
5. Check out an Art Show
Take yourself on a field trip and check out art in person. Even if you’re not particularly fond of some of the pieces, it’s nice to see someone else’s craft. The bookstore is also a treasure trove for good creative ideas. Pick a postcard and put it on a mood board to remind you of your visit.
On our trip to Vancouver, I reconnected with my creative spirit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Color combinations inspired me and there were a few installations that reminded me of how I wanted to be an installation artist when I was in my early 20s. I got to see a few shadow boxes by Joseph Cornell in person. I totally forgot how enamored I was with his work when I was in art school!! That recalibration was what I needed. It helped remind me where I am now and where I was then, creatively.
I guess what I’m saying is that you can find another perspective when you go see art in person.
6. Spend time in a Library
There’s nothing like being surrounded by books. If I feel like bringing new ideas/thoughts into our house- like if I need to feel inspired by a new cookbook, I check it out from the library. Cooper is really into books as well, so we try to have a library date once a week. My only problem is returning things on time… In the end, it costs less than buying a book and I don’t have to find a permanent space for them…but sometimes I overdo it and bring too many books home. It’s a balance.
If you don’t have a museum nearby, you can always go into the Art section of your library. While you’re at the library, check out some art books. I like to have a rotation of several different inspiring books on my nightstand so I have something fun to look at before bed. It’s interesting to see what creeps into my dream life.
7. Give Yourself Little Creative Challenges
I’ve been shooting a lot for other people and sometimes I lose myself / own style in the process. I forget what it is that makes my photography different and unique. To counteract this, I give myself a few creative challenges before I am shooting recipes for others. I try to find something interesting in the ingredients I’m working with and put my own spin on it. Here I spilled some salt and then decided to turn it into a way of saying hello to my followers on Instagram. It lead to a whole conversation about salt puns and I loved connecting with others through that photo.
8. Take a Trip to the Nursery
There are at least three nurseries on the way home from picking up/dropping off at school. Sometimes I take a little detour and spend 15-20 minutes to be around plants. Sometimes I leave with a new friend and other times I leave with a fire under my butt to get our backyard together. Remember how I said how important it is for me to be outside? Well, being in a nursery is like taking an espresso shot. I instantly feel better when I’m around plants.
9. Get Your Hands Dirty & Try Something New
I’m going through a dying/bleaching phase right now and I can’t wait to show you. It’s been fun dabbling in another medium and I’m getting my hands dirty in the process. Like…literally. Things may not be 100% perfect, but I have to remember it’s all a process. Sometimes it’s important to get your hands dirty to realize what it is you’re looking for. Perhaps you can bring new life/repurpose something? You never know unless you pull up your sleeves and do the handiwork.
I’m notorious for spray-painting things on a moment’s notice. When the inspiration strikes, you just gotta run with it! Try not to make tooooooo big of a mess, though.
10. Look for Signs
I find little signs everywhere. You can too. It just takes practice. When I feel like I need to invite new energy in or I’m ready to make a mental shift, I ask for signs. It’s a subtle thing I do, but when I’m on the lookout, I get the exact message I need. And I Quote has been a series for me that FORCES me to look for signs. What compels me each week? What do I feel is important to share? Words that pop up guide me and give me something to focus on.
The signs are everywhere. You just have to tune into them.
11. Document the Process
My Everyday Life has been a way for me to document my life. I’ve been working on this project since 2011! I created this creative challenge to help keep me constantly looking for things that catch my eye. I want to find beauty in the mundane and figure out a way to elevate the everyday. I do this through photography and the words that I use to describe the image I post.
The more you train your brain to see how beautiful everyday moments are…the easier it becomes. As a result, you have a visual history of your life and so many little moments to reflect upon when you look back. This has been easier for me to do than scrapbook (which I failed miserably at). I love looking back and seeing what I did a year ago…two years ago, etc. Sometimes I’m doing the exact same thing on the same week or sometimes I remember how I was in New York…and how it feels like I was just there yesterday.
If anything, it’s helped me realize how fast time goes by and how grateful I am for my life.
12. Give Yourself a Break
Some days you need to abandon your plans and focus on creating good energy/recharging your creative battery. I call these Mental Health Days. I purposely leave my phone in other parts of the house, so I am not doing any anxious cyber loafing. You know…that dangerous trap of Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat. It sucks me in and I get really antsy because it’s never-ending. Plus the leftover feelings from what I experience online trickle into my life and I can find myself getting all weird when I’m around other people because I have these weird nagging feelings of OMG I GOTTA WRITE ANOTHER EMAIL. How can I possibly do something that’s never been done before??
I fall hard into the comparison game trap.
Boundaries.
I’m learning how to set boundaries and figuring out how to respect them. It’s been one of the biggest creative challenges so far. Because this life online is work…but it’s also my creative life and how do I balance that with home life, family life AND make time for a social life?
Giving myself a break and being kind to myself allows me to be more creative with my time. I am happy that I am finally realizing this. It’s about working smarter, not harder and If I can do it with a little more compassion for myself, I’ll be a happier person.
