Secrets Don't Make Friends, but I Do.

Sew What.

With the exciting discovery that you can make a whole dress out of one XL tshirt, Em and I ran out and stocked up on all of the really cool (and by really cool I mean really awful) thug XL shirts that have surprisingly interesting patterns.

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I'm disappointed with the current state of the two I sewed Wednesday night, but I plan to come back to them and add more elements. The first was this green one. I loved the leaves and boxes, but was a little frustrated when I realized how similar to camo it appears. I'm not exactly a camo-clad kinda gal. As well, the straps (or lack thereof) need some resolution. But, here it is as a work in progress:

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Please ignore that the photographs add a rather unflattering few inches in shadow.

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This tshirt was exceptionally big and ended up being a long dress somehow. I ripped open the sleeves and then sewed them onto the top to create the v-neck and sleeves. The hem of the original sleeve is actually the hem of the v-neck now. I think I'm going to shorten it or something; the full-length thing doesn't work so well on a 5'3.5" frame :)

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Shhhh....

Now for the fun part. I was asked not to post about this, but everything I did last night has been added to the running "must do when you're in DC" list, so I can't resist. But I apologize that it is shrouded in secrecy; regardless of my desire to have an accurate log of my experiences in DC, I don't want to get anyone into trouble. So here's a partial account of an evening that had me smiling and repeating "that's so cool!" the whole time...

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Despite his best attempts to pare-down his friends, my efforts to meet more people triumphed and I hung out with Something-Chowder (I forget the pseudonym he wanted for anonymity on here) last night. On the agenda: more exploring of Capitol Hill and Eastern Market. It ended up completely changing my impression of the area. Most of Capitol Hill that I have experienced has been the interns who work in government buildings; toting their ID passes as badges of importance and points of stuffy conversation. It gets old very quickly. And I had only seen a smidgen of Eastern Market and it was a bit...dingy. Sketchy actually. Some place I didn't think I would want to spend much time.

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I was utterly wrong. It hit me as we were walking towards Union at the end of a great night, down a tree-lined street with interesting townhouses on each side, the street lights emitting a gentle light that created a peaceful ambiance. This place is pretty cool.

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But lets start from the beginning. After being drugged by the crazy woman at Conrad's, we wandered in a haze to 18th Amendment. A place Chowder accurately described as in the midst of an identity crisis. Half dive-bar, half trendy lounge, it is a cozy spot with friendly inhabitants and a jukebox (which always bumps a venue up a few notches in coolness.)

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Next we sampled the best pizza I've had in DC, at Tunnicliff's Tavern. I thought I was a Comet girl, but I think Tunnicliff's has now taken the lead in the pizza category. Comet still wins for chicken wings and ping pong.

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I'm sworn to secrecy about the next chunk of the evening (which is KILLING me). Exploring places you aren't really supposed to be is always cool. But this was really really cool. I'm heartbroken to say that my camera was dead, so I don't even have any visual documentation.

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I did walk away from the evening with a copy of Absurdistan, which I am eager to delve into after I finish Eat Pray Love, possibly usurping Lust for Life's current on-deck-position. And 3 pieces of the best Salt-water Taffy I've ever tasted.