Reviews

Action Wares “The Craftsman” Apron

For those of you who don’t know what I am up to these days, I am here to give you a full update AND a favorite new product review.

I am currently studying Industrial Design in Milwaukee Wisconsin. That means my life is a never ending cycle of sketching, refining, prototyping, cutting, sanding, painting, finishing and presenting. Here is a selection of my projects from the semester:

As you can see, this program is making-intensive. I spend more time in the 3D lab than I do in my bed… and that’s not an exaggeration. Speaking of my bed, it’s really important that I don’t bring these toxic materials home with me into my living space. We often work with toxic wood fillers and high density foam. We can protect our lungs with respirators, but it’s important to control the amount of dust and material that gets on our clothes. High density urethane dust in the ID world is comparable to glitter in the art world– it sticks to everything and never fully disappears.

sanding2

So a few weeks into the semester I decided to find an apron… but not just any apron.

apron3

Peter Wadey is the owner and operator of Action Wares, a specialty canvas apron operation. Peter sent me two canvas aprons, a customized “The Craftsman” apron and a slightly shorter adapted style apron. My Craftsman apron is black canvas with brown stitching, and the second apron is a denim blue canvas with red stitching.

I have gotten a tremendous amount of use out of Peter Wadey’s apron. Not only has it protected my clothes from the perils of lab processes, it has also increased my efficiency. There are three main chest pockets– perfect for pencils, safety glasses, spare bits of acrylic and any other random thing that might come in handy in the lab. There are two main hip pockets that house larger items– my tape measurer, a level, a notebook, etc.

My favorite feature of these aprons is the crossed back straps. These are more comfortable than the typical around-the-neck apron straps. The two straps cross in the back and are then threaded through loops at the hips. This systems allows for easy adjustment of how high the apron sits.

This apron doesn’t get in my way, it moves with me. Take a look at the timelapse below that features me hard at work in my Action Wares Craftsmen apron. If you notice, the lab-tech, Delia, who shows up periodically in the timelapse is also sporting an apron by Peter Wadey.

One of the best things about Peter Wadey is that he will work with you in order to create the perfect apron for you. I already have ideas for my next one– although I am guessing it will take years to wear this one down. I have trouble keeping my pens and pencils from falling out of my pockets, so a pocket-flap or pocket-synch would fix this problem. Delia’s apron is now 1 year old and her right pocket has worn down from constant clipping and unclipping of her measuring tape. For future reference doubling up on the canvas for this pocket would delay the inevitable wear and tear of everyday use.

Overall, this apron has been a fantastic find. Make sure to check out Peter Wadey’s aprons for your next woodworking, crafting, gardening, or cooking apron needs!

It’s a Goorin!

I wore a lot of hats as a kid, but back then it was cute when they were way too big.

I wore a lot of hats...

It is nearly impossible for me to find a hat that fits my peanut-sized head; so hat shopping has always been a dreaded task…

“It’s a four hour experience that you know will end in zero actual purchases.” -Kayla Upadhyaya, Sister

“It’s one of those things that you put a lot of work into, but receive no reward.” -Me

Luckily for me, my hat-shopping misery was put to an end when I walked into Goorin Brothers Hat Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. The place was hoppin’ with eager hat-shoppers, hatters, and milliners milling about. I tried on numerous hats and to my surprise I found the perfect fit! However, I walked into the store penniless so naturally I soon walked out of the store hatless.

A few weeks later I stopped by the Goorin Bros. NYC West Village location. Thanks to the wonderful people of Goorin Bros., I was given two perfect hats to incorporate into my wardrobe.

The first of which is the Goorin everyday hat, April Rose. This wide brim fedora is light weight and super comfy. While walking around New York City I got multiple compliments from random people– some of which stopped walking just to tell me that they liked my hat. I’ve worn it to the beach, for brunch, and I even sported it during the Fourth of July parade.

The second hat is the 100% straw fedora Beach Day. This hat is awesome because it’s packable and versatile enough to throw in a bag and whip out whenever it’s needed.

On the highline with my Beach Day fedora!

Both of these summer hats have been great at shading my head from the hot summer sun. I am so thankful for Goorin Brothers, and I can’t want to add new Goorin hats to my hat collection.

What’s in the (makeup) bag…

A lot has changed since last year. I went from living in the mountains– going days without showering– to living on a college campus– where showering is expected. Okay, so I’m not arguing with people’s tendency to shower… in fact it’s quite nice. However, this whole “always looking presentable” thing is a pain in my ass. Girls show up to their 8am classes with makeup caked-on their faces. If they are trying to catch the attention of boys, well, they should realize no one is awake enough to notice how good (or bad) that smokey eye looks. In theory, I too wake up early enough to put some eyeliner on my half-awake eyes… but I spend my morning time differently. I eat my breakfast at an enjoyable speed, sit outside and breathe in the crisp air, or take some sunrise photos before heading to class. Okay, enough about how I’m cooler than you basic b’s, (…just kidding).

Don’t get me wrong… I too use makeup, and there’s nothing wrong with that. So onto the main point of this post– I am going to share with you what my makeup bag staples are. The brushes, pencils, and shadows I don’t leave without. You know, for those times I want to look presentable.

Alana did this make-up she is incredible talented!

Eye Brows

I’m special, and I get to draw my eyebrows in everyday! That means I can get funky, and make them any shape I want. Although I don’t do that… I stick to something pretty basic. First I use Maybelline Ultra-Brow Brush on Color. I’ve had this one container for over 3 years, so I’ve gotta say this product lasts forever– odds are you’ll lose it before it runs out. After applying the powder, I use a L’OREAL Brow Stylist pencil in a darker shade to give my brows more depth. (I’m trying to sound like I know what I’m talking about.)

Eyes

Elizabeth Mott I like to start by applying black waterproof eyeliner. These day’s I’m using Sephora Retractable (matte black) liner. Most liquid eyeliners are too dark and intense for me, so this retractable pencil works great. It even has a built in sharpener to get those fine lines.

Next, I like to add a second liner above the black to soften it a little. Somedays I go with Sonia Kashuk (olive suede) Eye Definer which blends perfectly with the black liner. If I’m looking for a little more jazz, I’ll use Elizabeth Mott (pearl) Smooth Shadow. This is a pinkish shadow stick that has some sparkle– yes, I said sparkle. Although you wouldn’t consider me a sparkle gal, it’s nice to switch it up every once in a while.

I have yet to find the perfect eyeshadow. Lately I’ve been into Elf Eye Shadow Duo’s because they have two shades that work well together, and it’s affordable. Although I am not sold on the shadow, I have found the perfect brush. Antonym Cosmetics is a Ecocert certified cosmetic brand that makes eco-friendly makeup and brushes. Their brushes are made out of bamboo and are vegan! YES, VEGAN BRUSHES… (jaw drop.) Check out their website to learn more about them! I am using their Eye Shader Brush and am very close to investing in their travel set of brushes.

Lips

Antonym I hate the way lipstick feels on my lips. So I’ve been on the hunt for something that looks great and feels as natural as possible. I have tried a few lip stains, but those aren’t very forgiving, and although I like her videos, I try to avoid the Miranda Sings look. Antonym has another great product… their lipstick pencil. It goes on effortlessly and best of all feels like I’m wearing nothing! My only disappointment in this product is that there aren’t other color options– because we all know if there were I’d own them all.

Face

I don’t typically use foundation, and when I do it’s very mineral… I mean minimal. I have a set of bareMinerals powder that does the trick. My favorite is the Mineral Veil that keeps all the rest of my makeup lookin’ fine come 5 o’clock. I also use Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder for those days I need a little extra under-the-eye coverage. Because I am no longer in that sweet Norwegian air, my cheeks sometimes fall pale. In which case I use a little bit of blush. I’d tell you what I use, but then I’d have to kill you. Just kidding, the blush container is so old all labels, names, logos and such are rubbed off. It’ll forever be a mystery.

Now for those of you dedicated enough to make it through this post, I give you props. I also give a huge shout out to Elizabeth Mott and Antonym Cosmetics for sharing their wonderful products with me. They have now become essential to beautifying my face!

P.S. If you’re thinking the whole purpose of this post was to have an excuse to share a bunch of selfies… you are correct.

A quick shout out to Mondo Baldo!

Mondo Baldo Logo

This is another blog post for my homies…. my bald and beautiful Alopecians, and all dad’s that gave into their receding hair lines. Have you heard of Mondo Baldo? If not, you should check it out pronto!

This T-shirt company is pretty much ran by one (very awesome) guy who goes by the name of Baldylocks. His designs are sleek, and best of all, CLEVER. Check out some of my favorite designs:

There’s also the classic Bald & Proud shirts that I hope to someday add to my collection.

Bald and Proud

SO if you’ve dropped the ball on christmas presents and know someone who’s Bald and Proud… get them some Mondo Baldo swag!