Last Post

This blog started as a one year experiment.  The first post was made on August 25, 2009.  Today is September 6, 2010.  It is therefore time to close this blog.

It wasn't a bad experiment.  This is the blog's 60th post.  I started the blog posting twice a week, and then ended it posting about once every two weeks.  It may have gotten a little neglected over the course of the year, but the blog never languished or died.

It also developed a regular readership, which surprised me.  I am indebted to those readers and their comments: they encouraged me to keep this blog going, even as I was losing interest.  They have also encouraged me to keep blogging.  And so, even though I am closing the 2 by 15 blog, I am starting up a new one: Teashell Times (http://teashell-times.blogspot.com/).  

Teashell Times is a blank page at the moment, but I plan to start updating it within the next couple of weeks.  I will send out an e-mail to my readers once I start posting.

I would like to thank all my readers for following me this past year, and I hope to see you again at my new blog!

Finally, a few odds and ends to close out the blog:

Thai noodles with chicken and peanut sauce:

It's one of the prettiest things I've made all year, I think.

And my ruined attempt to make steamed cornmeal buns:

They were supposed to come out round and puffy, like rolls.  Instead, they were flat and lumpy.  They tasted fine, though.  I *will* try these again.  It seems that I just have no luck with pastries--my latkes earlier this year turned out just as poorly.

The penny remains.

See you again at:  http://teashell-times.blogspot.com/

Gloves

I enjoy wearing gloves, and wear them in both the summer and the winter.  When I was thinking about the subject of my blog, I thought at first that it should be about gloves.  The need is out there for a fashion- oriented glove blog.  Whenever I looked for sites on gloves, I always got sent to fetish sites.  I actually like gloves as fashion accessories.  One can find fashion sites devoted to shoes or purses, why not gloves?

I also strongly believe that gloves should once again become a summer accessory, not only a winter accessory.  I want to be able to wear gloves in summer and appear normal, and NOT like a hypochondriac, thank you very much!

There is not much I can do to change fashion.  But, I can add to the interwebs photos of my very small collection.

At the time this photo was taken (January), these were the gloves that were in my car:

From left to right: 1) Black velvet 40 gram Thinsulate insulation by Croft&Barrow, 2) Animal print with fleece lining by Isotoner, 3) Periwinkle cotton equestrian by Foxgloves (enlarge to see the gripper nubs).

Gloves that were in storage at the time (summer gloves) :  

(I thought I'd include my embroidered hankies, too) Top row: Double knit nylon gloves, in white, cream, and white again, all by the same unknown manufacturer

Bottom row, L to R: 1) Unlined black leather by Preston &York, 2) Black leather, cashmere lined, by Grandoe, 3) vintage wedding gloves

Here is a closeup of the vintage wedding gloves, so you can see the lace detail on the side and the folds along the wrist:

Today (September), the three gloves in my car are the unlined black leather, one pair of the white double nylon, and the vintage gloves.  I've really loved the vintage gloves this year.  The nylon gloves are slippery, plus they catch and run.  I bought 4 pairs of the nylon gloves last summer because you rarely see summer gloves, and they were on sale.  The pair I wore last year I threw out at the end of the season, due to wear and tear (hence only three pairs of nylon gloves in the pictures).  The vintage gloves are holding up well.  They'll last another year, hopefully two.  It is a little sad though: I'm taking someone's wedding gloves, and demoting them and wearing them as everyday wear.   

These are the gloves I purchased at the end of the winter sales last year.

L to R:  1) Brown suede with silk lining by Guder Gloves, 2 & 3) Ruffled wool gloves by Talbot's

All three were purchased with the idea of wearing them in the summer.  The long gloves would be worn with a tank top that has a brown paisley print on it, and the wool gloves were light colored enough to wear with summer fashions.  Wool, afterall, is moisture wicking and breathable.  I ended up not wearing any of these gloves this season.  I was too timid to wear the long gloves out--it's something of a statement to wear long gloves with a sleeveless outfit, even if you're going to an opera or a fancy dinner.  Wearing long gloves with just a t-shirt and shorts--I'm not sure I'm ready to go there yet.  I think it would be a good look--long gloves look good with sleeveless/strapless dresses, so it should be fine with a sleeveless shirt, too, but I am afraid people will look at me.  As for the other two gloves, I just preferred to wear the white gloves I had in the car, rather than dig out the Talbot's gloves.  

Here are my winter gloves.  I typically wear one of these pairs when there is snow on the ground (Nov - March)

L to R: 1) Archangel by Manzella, 2) LL Bean down gloves, 3) GORE-TEX Thinsulate (150 grams) gloves by Cabela's.   

Finally, my coat gloves.  Each coat or jacket that I own gets its own pair of gloves.

Top, L to R: 1) Brown velvet, 40 gram Thinsulate by Cejon, 2) Black leather, Thinsulate lined, by Wilson's Leather, 3) Lavender washable suede gloves, fleece-lined, by Isotoner

Bottom: Navy Isotoner fleece lined gloves

So there they are.  And if anyone out there reads this and decides to start a glove fashion glove blog, let me know!  

Cleaning a leather handbag

Last April, I purchased a new leather purse.  I mentioned it here.  It was purchased off ebay, and it was in worse condition than I felt it was represented.  I decided that I should revitalize it.   It was a new project, and I was eager for a new project.  As I mentioned then, the cost of the repair materials was more than what I paid for the handbag.  I feel good about the whole thing, though, and still have no regrets.

BEFORE

(click to enlarge any of the photos)

The handbag photographs well.  Here it is, after I received it:

What is not clear in the photo, either the one above, or the original ebay photo, was that it was covered in a yellowish haze that could be seen in real life.  Here is a picture that shows the haze a little better:

As you can see from the photo above, the leather had small white scratches and little black marks, too.  Below are more photos of dirt and/or wear:

The color was also wearing off on the top of the trim:

There were also pen marks on the strap:

DURING

Products:

For cleaning, I used Leather Rejuvenator and Prestine Clean by Leatherique.  The Leatherique brand was well recommended on online automobile restoration forums.  I figured that if it worked on old BMWs, it would work for me, too.

Step 1:  Prep

The handbag had a fabric lining.  To protect it, I covered it with masking tape.

I then put the bag in a dishpan to prepare for step 2

Step 2: Leather Rejuvenator Application

In most leather cleaning kits, you use the cleanser first, and then the oil, to put the moisture back in the leather.  With Leatherique's system, you apply the oil first.  The oil is supposed to work itself into the leather, pushing all the impurities out, so that the leather cleaner will be more effective later.

I applied the Leather Rejuvenator using a sponge brush:

The leather went a little underneath the edge of the back pocket.  I put a large mason jar in the back pocket so prop it open, so I could apply the Rejuvenator.

Per the instructions, I covered the tub in plastic wrap to help prevent evaporation, and I let the oil sit overnight, to work itself into the leather.  (I left the jar in the back pocket to keep the pocket open.)

Step 3:  Clean with Prestine Clean

After letting the handbag sit overnight, I sprayed it with the Prestine Clean, and wiped it off with a paper towel.  It really helped to remove the yellowish haze:

Step 4:  Remove oil stains from lining

Since I did not put masking tape on the inside of the back pocket, the lining did get oil on it:

I removed it by dipping a Q-tip into a bottle of carpet cleaner (I had Carbona), then dabbing the wet Q-tip  on the stain until it got moist.  After that, I took a dry paper towel, and dabbed the stained area until it was dry.  If the stain was not completely come off, I repeated the application of Carbona and dabbing it dry.  

The oil stains came out perfectly.  

Steps 5 thru X:  Getting the tough spots

I don't have clear step by step documentation of the rest of the cleaning process, because it really was trial and error.  You know the white, faded spots, I photographed earlier?  I tried several methods of restoring the color.  First, I ordered Angelo leather paint.  That didn't work--it looked much to bright, and looked painted on.  I tried to tone it down with regular acrylic ink.  The color match was better, but it still looked like a painted spot.

Next, I tried colored shoe polish.  I had to order it online, of course, as blue shoe polish isn't something you get at the store.  I used Tarrago polish, which comes in 95 colors.  I also painted it on, using another sponge brush, then buffing with a microfiber.  That worked a little bit.

Finally, I purchased pigment stamp pad.  I used the eraser end of pencil to stamp the pad, and then stamp the leather.  I found that, the stamp pad ink, covered with a layer of shoe polish on top, worked the best.

Additionally, I had a terrible time with the ink stain on the strap.  Basically, I ruined the color on the purse strap with all the stuff I used to get the ink out--the Prestine Clean, rubbing alcohol, acetone and damage from scrubbing it using a toothbrush, and with a fingernail brush.

It took a while to figure out how to repair that.  I ended up using a very thin layer of leather/acrylic paint mix, + the ink pad + shoe polish.  At one point, I used a metal file to roughen up the leather to get everything to adhere.  The strap ended up looking pretty good:

AFTER

I'm happy with the end results:

Here is the full spectrum of products used:

Achievement unlocked! Novice Leatherworker 1

Appendix:
Products Used, Notes, and Mistakes:


1)  Leatherique Rejuvenator and Prestine Clean:
Purchased at http://www.leatherique.com/, but available in other automotive detailing outlets.

I can get a little fanatical when it comes to cleaning.  The people that shared this fanaticism about getting their leather *perfect* were the guys on the auto restoration blogs.  That's why I focused on auto leather, rather than say, shoe leather, or saddle leather, although there are cleaning products targeted for these markets, too.  I was happy with the Leatherique, and in fact, I'm bringing it out again to clean the purse before I store the purse for the fall.  For other leather cleaner options, however, I encourage you look at autogeek.net, or, if you are set on using only purse cleaning products, www.lovinmybags.com sells cleaners and conditioners.

One thing I learned from my research is that saddle soaps should not be used--they were fine for the 1800's, but the technology for both tanning the leather and for cleaning leather has much improved since then.

Something I learned from experience: do NOT use a toothbrush to scrub either the oil or the cleaner into the leather.  It will darken the leather.  (After my application of the oil and the cleaner, the ink mark on the shoulder strap remained, even though it was lighter.  I tried scrubbing the mark to try to remove it.  I should not have done so.)

2) Angelus leather paints:
Purchased from turtlefeathers.net and available elsewhere


The paint is favored by those painting their leather sneakers, so I thought I'd give it a try on my handbag.  Like I said earlier, it didn't work for me because I was trying to blend the faded spots on my purse, but this left a paint spot.  One thing to note, the "Neutral" color is actually colorless and it makes the color thinner.  I had purchased it thinking that it would make the color lighter, as in, it would make the blue a more pastel blue.  This was NOT the case.  Mixing the neutral with the blue resulted in the same color intensity, it was just a thinner paint.  If you want to make your colors lighter (more pastel), buy the white paint.


3)  Folk Art acrylic paint: 
Purchased from my local Michael's 


It adhered surprisingly well to the leather.  I was even able to mix it with the Angelus leather paints, even though I'm not sure that it is recommended.  Using a mix of the Folk Art acrylic with the Angeuls paints in light blue and the neutral to thin it all out, I was able to make a color that matched my handbag very well.  Even though I was able to get the color match, it still looked like a painted spot when applied. 


4)  Color Box pigmented ink:
Purchased from my local Michael's 


Since paint was not working out for me, I tried ink.  It worked so much better.  I was able to blend it into the leather.  This is what I ended up using to cover the white spots.  


Something to note is that this is PIGMENTED ink.  Pigmented ink sits on top of the surface.  The alternative is dye ink.  Dye based inks sink into the surface. I was really interested in dye ink, but Michael's didn't have dye ink in the color that I needed, and I didn't want to go online to buy it.


Now that it's been some months since the leather buying frenzy, I think I might buy some dye ink.  After a season of use, some of the white spots that I covered using the Color Box ink have started becoming visible again.  


5) Tarrago shoe cream:
Purchased from shoeshineexpress.com and available elsewhere

The shoe cream got good reviews on the Purseblog forums.  It is a shoe cream, so it does need to buffed into the leather very well, or the color WILL rub off on your clothes.  

6) Rubbing alcohol:
Purchased at Wal-Mart

I used this in an attempt to remove the ink mark from the shoulder strap.  It worked a little bit, but it also took the color out of the strap.  I would not recommend it.

7)  100% Acetone:
Purchased at Wal-Mart

I purchased my bottle in the health and beauty department, near the nail polish removers.  You can also purchase a can of it in the hardware department, next to the cans of paint thinner.

This is serious stuff.  I used this to get the ink mark out of the leather strap.  It removed the ink, stripped the leather dye, stripped the oil out of the leather (the leather became stiff and dry).  I would NOT recommend it for removing ink marks, due to how damaging it can be.

Niagara Falls road trip! Part 3

Niagara Falls State Park, NY

The next day we checked out of our hotel, got free cookies (we stayed at the Doubletree hotel in Niagara Falls, ON and one of Doubletree's signature amenities is free cookies at check in.  They had run out when we checked in the day before, but we were given vouchers and told that they would be available fresh the next day. ), and had breakfast at Tim Horton's.  Tim Horton's, as far as I can tell, is Canada's version of Dunkin' and is something for which Canada is known for.  They call glazed donuts "honey donuts".  

We crossed back over to the US, and were one of the first people in Niagara Falls State Park when it opened.  Here is a bad map of the park:  http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/destination_PropertyMap.aspx

We walked over to Goat Island, the island in the middle of the map above, and waited about an hour for the Cave of the Winds attraction to open.  At one point the Cave of the Winds was once an actual cave at the base of the Bridal Veil Falls--but it has since collapsed.  The attraction now just takes you to the bottom of the falls, where you get drenched with a generous amount of spray.

The entrance to Cave of the Winds is near the Nikola Tesla Memorial.  I had no idea that he was Yugoslavian.  (Click to enlarge all pictures)

After getting tickets, you are allowed into the building where you are given a yellow plastic poncho, and a pair of foam sandals.  You are also given a plastic bag to put your shoes and socks in.  You leave the ticket building and wait in line in front of the elevator building.  When we were  there, one of the two elevators was still broken.  The elevator takes you down to the bottom of the falls, where you exit via a long hallway:

 And end up on a wooden walkway at the edge of the Niagara River:

The area also happens to be a seagull rookery (and smells like it):

(All those white 'spots' on the ground and in the water are gulls)

The walkway takes you towards the falls:

See all the banana people!

Until you can stand right next to them:

This would be where the ponchos come in handy.  

And then up to the Hurricane Deck:

I think the "No Smoking" sign is supposed to be ironic...

Because THIS is what it's like to stand on the Hurricane Deck:

Or this:

(This lady has a blue poncho because it is from the Maid of the Mist boat ride...see later)

The walkway then curves around and takes you back to the elevators.  Here is a view of the Cave of the Winds walkway from above:

We put our ponchos in the large recycling bins at the exit, but kept our sandals, because they were surprisingly comfortable for cheap foam sandals (and mine were two sizes two big).  Our next destination was Maid of the Mist.

First, however, the trolley took us past Terrapin Point, which overlooks US side of the Horseshoe Falls.  We got out for a look:

It was then back to the visitor's center for the Maid of the Mist!

The Maid of the Mist is the boat that takes you to the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls.  Once again, an elevator takes you down to the bottom of the falls level.  Unlike Cave of the Winds, however, these elevators are fairly new, and there are 4 of them.  Once you get out of the elevator, you are given a blue poncho.  

We were lucky.  We got to the dock right as one of the boats was pulling in.  There are at least 2 Maid of the Mist boats on the river at a time.  One boat leaves from the US side, and one leaves from a dock on the Canadian side.  

The boat takes you up past the American Falls:

And then into the middle of the arc of Horseshoe Falls:

Before turning back to the starting dock:

Once again, ponchos were collected in a large bin at the exit.

There was an overlook in the Maid of the Mist area called the Crows Nest:

(This is the American Falls)

Here is the American Falls (foreground), and the Horseshoe Falls (background), as seen from the observation tower above the Maid of the Mist dock, before you go down the elevators:

It was a little after lunchtime at that point.  We took the trolley back to Terrapin Point, where we had lunch at the Top of the Falls Restaurant.

It wasn't a bad restaurant.  It offered a beer and wine list.  My husband had a veggie wrap, which looked delicious, and I had fish and chips.  There was a gift shop on the 1st floor of the building (the restaurant was on the second floor), and I got some souvenirs: a magnet for me, a pen for my brother, and a postcard to mail later.  

It was nearing 3 o'clock at that point, and we were expected at my husband's grandmother's house that evening.  It would have been nice to stay longer, but we had seen the two major attractions (Cave of the Winds and Maid of the Mist), so it was not too much of a loss.

There were lots of vineyards on the way to Grandma's house as well.  

[The penny remains.]