While experiencing an extreme fit of 'matchy-matchy', I made a pair of stretch velvet undies to go with my brown stretch velvet outfit. Using Jan Bones' "Smoothie" pattern, and some scraps, along with 1/4 inch elastic and some powerdry for the inside crotch lining, I created this: The only change I made to this pattern was to add a bit of extra fabric at the lower 'cheek' above each leg. One time, I was shopping in a lingerie boutique, and I queried the staff, asking them why so many underwear

Check out this video of people plunging into polar waters at the beginning of the annual Harbin ice festival (thanks to folks at Shanghaiist.com blog). Harbin is China’s northernmost major city, and every year around this time they have an ice and snow sculpture competition. It draws large crowds but I have yet to attend. Here’s more about the festival from the chinatravel.net website: The focal point of the festival is Zhaolin Park, located next to the Songhua River. During the festival

So this season MTV decided to head back to New York for their 3rd time in The Big Apple, settling the new cast in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Considering that they went with 8 strangers, rather than 7, this time, we have increased opportunities for one of the cast members to get mugged. After all, the introduction of an IKEA next to the Gowanus notwithstanding, this is a neighborhood that in the 1990s was referred to as one of the worst neighborhoods in America and the “crack” cocaine capital of the US.