Casablanca: 75th anniversary and timeless fashion inspiration

Today, the three-quarter century anniversary of the film Casablanca is a cinematic celebration around the world, commemorating its world premiere that took place back in November 26, 1942. Becoming one of the most beloved Hollywood classics, this romantic melodrama has transcended generations with its incredible settings, complex characters and fascinating storyline. Personally, this film ranks in my all-time top 5 favorites in no other than place number one.

Casablanca wasn't actually released until January 23rd of the following year. The film was nominated for eight awards at the 1943 Academy Awards, out of which it won three: "Best picture", "Best director" (Michael Curtiz), and "Best adapted screenplay" (Howard Koch & the Epstein brothers). Moreover, in 1998 the American Film Institute selected Casablanca as one of the movies in their "100 years, 100 films" list, featuring 100 of the greatest films of all time, and setting Casablanca in the second spot.

This film's plot perfectly combines action, drama, history and romance, taking us on an exotic voyage to the bewildering city of Casablanca. The characters have amazing personalities that entwine throughout the story, and you have pretty much everything you could expect from a movie: Beautiful scenery and costume design, good guys and bad guys, thrills and excitement, love scenes, scapegoats, a great soundtrack... You name it! The melody of "As time goes by" has been playing in my head all month long just thinking about those 75 years of the world being blessed with this movie.

While Rick Blaine is mysterious and captivating, it's easy to develop a love-hate relationship with his counterpart Ilsa Lund, essentially because of a frustrating feeling for what she did to Rick, and for how she approaches him throughout the film. However, she's still quite a charming woman, with an impeccable taste for fashion. Ingrid Bergman, the Swedish actress who portrays this character, did a wonderful job bringing Ilsa to life, but she was also able to deliver her a sense of elegance and poise. Not only are her outfits delicately chosen; (I'm surprised the film wasn't nominated for "Best costume design"); they are exquisitely flaunted by Bergman's enchanting figure. Below you can find a selection of Ilsa's beautiful wardrobe from several scenes pictured in Casablanca.

Taking her outfits as inspiration, and honoring one of my all-time favorite films, I put together a couple of ensembles to recreate Ilsa's divine and adorable looks. I am wearing a vintage white button-up blouse paired with a dark gray skirt and a black belt. I also added a head scarf, a gray-ish hat and a black trench coat (by Exotik) to complete the look and encompass a broader glance at her style. Also, following the black and white pure aesthetic of Casablanca, the photos were taken with B&W selective color. I've wanted to do a Casablanca homage since a long time ago, so what better moment to do it than today?

If you want to join the celebration of Casablanca's 75th anniversary, remember to tune TCM during November for TV screenings of this timeless film. If you haven't watched Casablanca yet, today's the day! I promise you won't regret it.

Come back later for more posts about fashion, crafts, and other curiosities! 

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice costume

This Halloween was not my typical Halloween. I couldn't decorate my house from top to bottom. I didn't throw or attend a party with my friends. I didn't even really prepare anything special for the occasion. It was quite depressing and discouraging not being able to celebrate my favorite season in a grand fashion, so I decided to at least dress up as a character I'd always wanted to portray: Beetlejuice!

I'm not gonna lie. I'd already started to put together the outfit since August, knowing that most of my clothes and stuff would be out of reach due to us moving away. I'd packed a black and white striped dress for the costume, but when I took it out and put it on last Tuesday (October 31st), I realized it didn't look quite right. The stripes were horizontal which, despite having that B&W striped look, didn't feel so Beetlejuice-y. I remembered packing my self-made B&W striped strapless dress (with vertical stripes), so I quickly searched for it on the package list and took it out of the correct box.

Doing my makeup was so much fun! This was the first time I ever did a full-face makeup, cheers on me! I used white base makeup paint to look paler, different tones of green and brown eyeshadows to depict Beetlejuice's decaying appearance, purple eyeshadows for his notable eye bags, and dark shadows every here and there. Recreating Beetlejuice's looks in a glam style turned out to be a killer idea, paired with a girly dress, a black leather jacket (from Stradivarius) and knee-high boots (from Splash Shoes). Of course, I couldn't leave out wearing a cool green wig to complement the look. I believe this costume was the best idea for a Halloween-saver. What do you guys think?

As a side note, I went for a walk on Halloween evening sporting my eccentric outfit. I think Beetlejuice is a very identifiable character because of his distinctive color scheme and rotting appearance. After all, didn't we all point at Robin Thicke in the VMA's for his "Beetlejuice suit"? But I don't think anyone recognized the character I was channeling! We need to turn on the juice and see what shakes loose and give Beetlejuice some more love!

Rumors have been going on since last year about an upcoming sequel for Beetlejuice, though nothing has been confirmed. Apparently, this past October Mike Vukadinovich was hired to rewrite the script for the film. Both Michael Keaton and Tim Burton have stated a couple of times that they would love to take part on a new Beetlejuice movie. Apart from the animated Beetlejuice series and the now defunct Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue at Universal Studios Orlando, both of which I love, this cult character has remained untouched. I would personally love to see this happen, especially if that means living new adventures with the old, endearing characters. 

Keep yourself updated by following me on social media! 

Haul-oween: Hauls from the past

There's absolutely no doubt that Halloween is my favorite celebration -and I dare call it season- on the planet. I love everything about it: the color palettes mixing orange, green, purple and the classic black & white, the spooky and eerie ambiance, all the ghost and monster stories that come alive, dressing up in creepy costumes, and of course, decorating my home from top to bottom with Halloween ornaments. If it were up to me, I'd have my home Halloween-themed 24/7 and throughout the 365 days of the year.

Given that my love for this October celebration is too broad to measure, it's really hard for me not to melt away at the sight of Halloween decor. I admit it's always been one of my weak points, and I'm  even prone to purchase spooky knick knacks at any time of the year. So, I've decided to make a series of Halloween Haul videos on YouTube to share all the decor that we've gathered and continue to add to our collection. I really hope these videos inspire you and give you some ideas for decorating your home, or simply entertain you if you're not that into decorating.

You can find the first video on the series below, or by following this direct link to YouTube. Enjoy!

Follow me on social media to keep yourself updated on my video tutorials, blog posts, photos, and more! 

Instagram: @edu_and_joy

YouTube: Joy Casas

Pinterest: Joycasas

Twitter: @joycasas

Facebook: Joy's Paradise Cove

Disneybound summary: August & September

New month, new Disneybound summary! I've combined August & September's Disney-inspired outfits into one cool post, showcasing bounds from four different animated films plus one iconic treat. Every single bound has been a new and exciting challenge, where I dare myself to put together the most fashionable and creative combinations. Now, let's talk about each ensemble.

Wendy

Have you noticed how most Disney princesses and some other characters tend to wear pastel colors? I'm completely in love with these color hues, but I scarcely have any pastel garments in my closet. Wendy is a great example of an iconic baby blue base, and I was lucky enough to have this old Zara dress in my closet. To make it a little bit more romantic I added my favorite cream cardigan from Doll Me Up. Finally, I accessorized the outfit with blue ribbons for the waistband and hair, silver star earrings and a thimble necklace... all winks to icons present in the film.

Note to self: sew more clothes in pastel fabrics.

Pongo & Perdita

Seeing as this doggy couple has a similar look between Pongo & Perdita, I decided to create the same aesthetic for both and switch the secondary color from red (Pongo) to blue (Perdita). It was a total win because I had the skirts, ribbons and headbands in both colors, so it felt like the outfits were meant to be. The base is a black & white spotted button-up by Jonathan Z, paired with inherited tennis skirts from Ellesse. I also styled my hair in two high ponytails to simulate dog ears.

Gaston

My, what a guy, that Gaston! This bound came to my mind as soon as I was given the scarlet polo shirt. I've never liked polo shirts, but I knew this one would serve a beautiful purpose for the outfit. Paired with a cropped mustard cardigan tied around the shoulders, and a vintage black skirt with a big silver belt buckle, the appearance it casts is phenomenal. To complete the look, I styled my hair in a high ponytail and a pompadour.

Joy

Joy as Joy. Nothing more to say. Since many years ago I've been dreaming about dying my hair, but I've never decided on finally doing it. That's why I recently purchased some bright-colored wigs to satisfy my whim of having colored locks. Portraying Joy through Disneybound was a perfect opportunity to wear this royal blue wig for the first time. I paired it with a yellow speckled cocktail dress (digitally altered to make it look slightly greener), royal blue eyeshadow and a ball pool ball I just randomly happened to have around my house. Doesn't the glow make the outfit pop?

Strawberry Minnie lollipop

Who says Disneybounding is only about characters? Trying out a new kind of bound was both challenging and thrilling. Truth be told, I'd had that lollipop inside my freezer for about three years, so I decided it was the right moment to experiment with it. This time I wore an old pink striped Zara shirt to recreate the lollipop's swirls, and a pink pencil skirt from French Connection. To top off the ensemble, of course I had to hold the strawberry lollipop itself!

Check out my Instagram account for more Disneybounds and other outfits! 

Wake me up when September ends

September has been a month of big changes and transformations for me, although I haven't yet felt a dramatic whirlwind of difference. The transitions have been slow but steady, with most events being planned ahead of time. I've always thought that planning and getting prepared can go a long way, even when things don't actually go as planned. Anyway, the blog has rarely seen an entry in this period of time, due to the fact that I've been busy as a bee. But now it feels good to be back. Let's hope I can get back to my semi-regular posting schedule!

Hopping onto the "second-quarter" wagon

I would really appreciate skipping this topic, since I've decided I won't be aging anymore, but I do feel the need to talk about something related to growing old. Some people say that age is not a number, and that's absolutely true. I couldn't agree more with Walt Disney's famous quote that reads:

"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional"

Keeping a young spirit can go on forever, no matter how old you get. It all depends on how you live your life and stick to your authenticity. But now that I've surpassed the "first quarter of a lifetime" I've come to understand how adults feel when they see their kids, nephews, grandchildren, and other younglings growing up. You can't really put a finger on how it is that time goes by so fast. After all, once you develop as an adult you'll probably remain pretty much the same during two or three decades... but the truth is that kids can make you feel old. In fact, kids WILL make you feel old, and there's no escaping this. My advice is to let it sink in for a while and accept the circle of life.

Reaching our first year of civil marriage

Again with the thing about time, but seriously though: Does anyone have any secret to make time slow down? It has already been a year since my husband and I exchanged our vows at the local civil registry, and a little over half a year since our memorable wedding day. To this point, we've been together for more than five years, which is basically a fifth of my life. I'm really looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together but, c'mon life, take it easy!

Both the tiny matters and the big things a couple does together will bring forth chances for them to become stronger or drift apart. Being kind, flexible, respectful and loving are some of the most important stepping stones in a relationship. I've only been married for a year, but I've realized that knowing when to yield and when to stay put can make a great difference in any given situation with your couple. It's all about finding balance and complementing each other almost rhythmically... like ice skating. And whenever you lose your stability, working as a team to get back on track and finish your course with grace.

Moving into a different and wonderful city

Last, but not least, moving away from home for any reason can feel frustrating and depressing, but it also opens up a whole new range of possibilities for you. Finding an apartment to rent has been especially annoying, but we've got our hopes up that once we get past this we'll have our own little love nest to start sprouting together properly. I'm thrilled about living in a different continent now, reaching out to fresh perspectives and a new lifestyle. Since I was a little girl I've always felt like I don't really belong in my home country, so switching it out for European ways feels like the fresh start we were desperately in need of.

"Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it".

-Rapunzel (from Tangled)

So here we are with only but our feet on this land, a mix of courage and excitement, and the best of us to give to the world! We've definitely pushed ourselves outside our comfort zone, and it feels good.

I know this post falls out of the ordinary, but after the short moving hiatus it was necessary to publish something more personal.

Stay tuned for new fashion, crafts and sewing articles, videos, tutorials and much more through my blog and social media. Follow me if you don't already! 

Twin floral sun dresses

Some women usually change their wardrobes following fashion seasons and trends, disposing or donating what they don't see fit to use anymore and rotating their clothes completely by the end of the year, or at least every once in a while. On the other hand, some other women tend to simply keep all their clothes even when they don't use them, because you never know when they might come in handy and, after all, trends tend to come back. The latter is the case of my mother's closet.

Throughout the years I've received a few vintage clothing inheritances from my mom, some of which have become quite useful and precious to me. One of my favorite pieces is a rayon sun dress printed with a tropical pattern of flowers and leaves in blue, green, purple and black. The garment is made by Kosi Bali, an old clothing brand which specialized in rayon clothing. The sole fact that it's made of rayon makes me love it immensely, since it is one of my all-time favorite fabrics to wear and work with.

I had to make a couple of alterations to the dress in order to fit me properly. One of the spaghetti straps was loose and had been shortened, so I let go the other strap and used them tied up halter-style. I also added two side pleats to the midriff area to make it tighter-fitting, since it was a size L. Other than that, the dress was (and still is) in incredible shape. Thank God for rayon being quite a durable fabric! I'd dare say this dress is among the ones I use the most, since I find it very versatile. It works well-paired with a fancy jacket, a button-up shirt or a basic cardigan. Throw in a pair of heels, sandals or flats and they'll look amazing together. Wear them with leggings or pantyhose and it's a hit. Accessorize and comb your hair accordingly... anyway it fits!

For these particular reasons, and because I found a beautiful and similar rayon fabric stuffed in our old fabric stash, I decided to clone the dress and give it a twin brother. Perhaps the cloning technique that I used was a bit crazy, but then again I hadn't sewn too many things yet. Thankfully, everything turned out OK. I cut out two pieces: one for the front and one for the back. I split the back piece in two in order to insert the zipper. Also, it seemed like the fabric wouldn't be big enough, but I managed to work well with it and make the dress fit within its limits. This twin dress also features side pleats and halter-tied spaghetti straps.

When you look at both dresses side-by-side, they truly look like they come from the same fashion brand, but little do people know that one of them is a clone. Not only are these dresses versatile, they're also really girly, comfortable and flowy. Rayon is quite a soft fabric, not too sheer, but not too heavy. It's also both warm and fresh. That's why I love rayon fabric so much! In addition to these features, rayon usually comes in beautiful prints, like the ones seen in these dresses. I really think this fabric was meant to turn into a twin dress to the first one, because they're so, so similar. For a relaxed beach style, I paired both of them with black flats, a stingray barb necklace, dry petal earrings and a high side hair braid.

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Strolling through Sea World in my colorful squares skirt

Whoever knows me very well can tell you how enormously fond of theme parks I am. It might seem shallow to some, but I think there's no greater feeling than walking into a magical land filled with excitement, thrilling rides, beautiful settings, scrumptious food and an overall mood of joy. It might be one of my favorite feelings in the world. Sometimes I feel sad and nostalgic when it's been a long time without me going to a top-notch amusement park, especially because such a wonderful place makes me feel at home.

The last time I visited Sea World was during our honeymoon, last March. I'd never really taken much care for what I wore to the parks, but with it being a special occasion and given that I'm really into sewing and fashion, I decided to pack better outfits for our adventures. In this case, I chose to wear a gorgeous black tee with a blue macaw (a gift from my husband) with my colorful squares skirt. You might find this skirt familiar because it is precisely the gathered skirt that I show how to make in my YouTube tutorial. Since the weather was quite cold, I paired the outfit with my favorite sweater: a cozy Jack & Sally reversible hoodie from Hot Topic. I also threw in a very loyal and comfortable pair of sneakers from the ever-fabulous Payless Shoe Source store.

First of all, I want to say that I didn't really plan the outfit. I just knew our honeymoon would be the perfect moment to debut this gathered skirt. While I was choosing what to wear to Sea World, I rummaged through the pile of black and white tees that I'd packed, until inspiration hit me as soon as I saw this macaw one. What I loved the most was that the colors of both garments were practically meant to be together. Actually, that's also my favorite thing about the skirt: the color palette. Greens, yellows, blues and black are all combined into a very well-thought squared pattern decorated with animal icons and names. The cotton fabric literally looks like kids' blocks tiled far and wide across a solid light blue background. This adds an element of fun to the skirt, and it sure looks curious!

This was certainly not the first gathered skirt I made. By the time I confected it I already felt confident enough to make it out of thin air, and that's why I used it to film the tutorial. I've received lots of positive feedback for it, encouraging me to make more sewing tutorials... Which I will make in due time (or when I actually HAVE time). For now, I just love to wear this colorful skirt knowing that maybe, just maybe, one day someone will recognize it.

Making a gathered skirt is not a very complicated project. I can tell you it's much easier than creating a dress or a jacket. However, when you're new at sewing you might find it to be a daring task, especially with the gathering process and inserting the zipper. Fortunately, this wasn't the case with my skirt, albeit the Slytherin and Gryffindor inspired skirts that I posted previously in the blog were totally the case. Featuring three meters of hand-gathered fabric, a medium waistband and a back zipper and hook-and-eye closure, this beautiful skirt falls into a girly-comfortable clothing category. It was delightful to wear it on a promenade through Sea World, hauling no complaints from yours truly. And, oh surprise, my outfit also matched the park's colors!

Naturally, I came to the conclusion that my colorful squares skirt deserved a spotlight with a review in my blog after being the protagonist of what has been my most popular YouTube tutorial so far. So here it is. We walked around the whole Sea World park. We rode Manta, Kraken and the newest Mako roller coaster. We were stranded for ten minutes in front of the penguin window inside Empire of the Penguin. We had to run and seek shelter from the rain. To my worst regrets, we did not get a chance to ride Journey to Atlantis because they decided to do maintenance that same day. We watched dolphins, turtles, sharks, rays, belugas, walruses and sea lions swim. I enjoyed the whole park in my incredible skirt and felt fabulous all day. I think I've found my staple clothing item for amusement parks!

I must say I already miss the enthusiasm and the adrenaline rush from being at the parks. Hopefully we'll get to visit one soon, and I'll have some more gathered skirts awaiting their debut at a theme park too.

Thank you for reading! Remember to follow our adventures on Instagram @edu_and_joy 

Disneybound summary: July

We're back with a new late edition of monthly Disneybounds! It seems like I've kept a somewhat steady pace posting at least four Disney-inspired outfits per month (one for each week of the month), though my goal is to increase this kind of post and, at least, double it. Let's see how I do in August!

In the past few weeks I incarnated four different Disney characters through fashion, portraying their personalities with cool and beautiful ensembles put together by yours truly. Belle, Duchess, Jasmine and Minnie Mouse (girl power!) were my characters of choice this time. My favorite one was definitely Belle, whose outfit I tried to match with the live-action movie ensemble. And in case you were wondering: the floral underskirt is actually a tactically-positioned scarf! You can also see me holding a vintage Chip cup from the 90's. The blue ruffled dress I wore is one of my favorite clothes ever (made by Super Dry). I'll make sure to review it later in another blog post.

There's a short story behind the Minnie-inspired skirt that I'm wearing in one of these pictures. During a Disney trip I made with my family years ago, I saw a little girl walking through the park sporting a skirt just like this one. I immediately fell in love with it and proceeded to look for that same skirt in every single park shop and Disney store, but it was nowhere to be found. I can only assume that her mother made it for her, so I decided to make one for myself. I believe it was the first skirt I ever made from scratch, since I was only beginning to get serious with sewing. Since then I've had lots of people complimenting me for it and even asking me to lend it to them.

Duchess was the easiest one to put together, keeping it classy and simple with a white dress, golden accents, and an elegant hair up-do. Contrasting with my previous "The Aristocats" Marie Disneybound, this white dress is more formal and graceful, while Maries's is playful and juvenile. Fun fact: I wore this white dress to my civil wedding! Finally, Jasmine was quite a challenge since apparently, I only own a couple of clothes in teal/turquoise shades. However, they matched perfectly and fit wonderfully with the vintage golden accessories that I was able to borrow from my mother, gather and combine with the outfit. I was especially impressed with how the shirt looked with the belt. It has been my most popular Disneybound so far, and I'd even add that it's one of the best-looking of all!

If you haven't already, follow me on Instagram @edu_and_joy to keep track of my Disneybounds, sewing projects and other adventures. See you later! 

Mer-made with love

There's something bedazzling about magical creatures that makes them the objects of our desire. Perhaps it's precisely due to the mystery behind their stories and whereabouts, or because of the legendary background and symbolisms that they carry, that dragons, unicorns, mermaids, monsters and other mythical beings are able to captivate us in such a romantic way. I think the fact that we're not able to see or interact with them is why we try to recreate these enchanted beasts through art, literature, music and even fashion.

In my case, I've always felt specially attracted to dragons and mermaids. Their mystique, beauty and delicacy blend almost perfectly with a strong presence, spirit of adventure and daring attitude. Particularly during these past years the "mermaid trend" has become evident in fashion through several different elements: pastel color combinations, the inclusion of seashells, corals and pearls in accessories and clothing, colorfully dyed hair, mixing and layering different shades of green and blue,  and the so-called mermaid-inspired makeup. We can also experience the love for mermaid styles of thousands of Instagram users through the popular hashtag #MermaidMonday.

And what better way to incarnate a walking-on-land-mermaid than wearing a mermaid-inspired dress? In these pictures I'm wearing a "Molly Mermaid Swing Dress" purchased from the fabulous online novelty clothing store The Oblong Box Shop. I was lucky enough to score this beauty before it vanished from their stock, even though I had to settle for a size M because they had run out of S. It was a tricky fix, so I ended up sharply taking it in on the sides. Still, just like a singing mermaid, the dress captivated my attention entirely and set me in a trance, magically ending up pressing the "buy" button.

This dress is made by Retrolicious, featuring a pleated halter top and a long circle skirt. The hem of the skirt hits quite modestly under the knees (frankly a little longer than I had expected), and the best part is that it has side pockets! The bodice is lined and has a circular neckline that holds it upright both in the back and front, without showing cleavage on the back despite the halter look. It has a long back zipper closure, allowing an easier fit. The garment doesn't have much stretch since it's made of 100% lightweight cotton, printed with the most fabulous mermaid-inspired pattern. This beautiful fabric is the main course of the dress itself. Designed to look like hundreds of small fish scales in about 10 different shades of blue and green, it becomes a perfect sea-worthy statement piece. Also, the alignment and combination of these scales create the effect of movement (especially on the skirt), resembling the waves of the ocean rippling above a playful mermaid's tail.

Needless to say, the dress fits nicely and gives you a pretty silhouette, while staying comfortable and fresh. It's also a perfect match for you if you love to go dancing, after all, it is a swing dress and it comes out magnificently as such. It would only be fair to show the dress' splendor by wearing it without accessorizing too much. That is why I only paired it with simple white peep-toe heels (by Qupid), six color-matching Chinese bead bracelets (which I was super joyful to find out that matched the shades perfectly), and small starfish-like silver earrings. I don't think a necklace is in order because of the delicate pleating on the top. It seems unnecessary to interrupt such a fine and symmetrical design just for the sake of including jewelry on the outfit.

I can't imagine not having this dress in my closet after wearing it and falling in love with it, in addition to getting lots of amazing compliments on it. I confess I'm completely entranced by the fabric, and feel very fortunate to have purchased this garment before it was discontinued by Retrolicious. If you like it, you might be able to find it at Amazon and Ebay from resellers.

It would be fairly interesting to see a similar dress with a dragon scales pattern, printed in a blend of fiery red, orange, yellow and gold shades.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more posts! 

Tropical Hawai'ian sarong dress: A sewing challenge made from scratch

It's been several years since I've become a super Hawai'ian addict. I'm not certain about where my deep love for Hawai'i and everything related to it comes from, but it has shaped my taste and driven an important part of my style toward tropical themes. I even decorated my room, celebrated my last birthday, themed our wedding and planned on setting part of our new home with a Hawai'ian design.

Following this trend, it's natural that I feel quite attracted to tropical patterns (especially on fabrics because of my seamstress instincts). That is why as soon as I spotted this light blue and pink hibiscus fabric, I knew it would be perfect for a new sewing project. It wasn't that hard to imagine what kind of garment could work nicely with it: I pictured a classical sarong dress almost immediately.

Since I didn't own a sarong dress it would be a great addition to my closet. The problem was that I couldn't find any sarongs or similar dresses among my pattern stash. After taking an online tour through some of my favorite but few shops that sell sarong dresses, I realized that most frocks featured faux wrap-around skirts. I really wanted a real wrap-around model, so I finally decided to take a leap of faith and create my very own pattern from scratch.

Drafting a pattern off the top of one's head is quite a challenging task, especially if you have no guidelines to help you do it. With a little imagination, calculating, a somewhat bold combination of two different bodice patterns, and a blend of hope and luck, I traced out a complete sarong dress pattern tailored to my measurements. After analyzing it for a while checking for imperfections, I crossed myself, began cutting out the pieces from the fabric and hoped for the best. There could be no room for big mistakes, since I always tend to buy only the necessary amount of fabric in order to reduce costs.

When all the pieces were cut, I proceeded to do everything the way most of us sew our garments. First I matched the edges and pinned them down, and then I basted everything in place. This was a specially tense moment because it became the first time I tried on the dress. To my very good luck I only had to perform some alterations to size it down and make it fit more snug. Then I sewed all the way until the dress was finished.

In the pictures you can see me wearing the completed dress, paired with a pink flower hair comb,  a white puka shell necklace, a pink Chinese parasol (which I got from the China pavilion at Epcot), and black sandal wedges (I forgot to pack more theme-appropriate shoes). The dress is made from lightweight printed cotton, with a light blue background covered in pale pink hibiscus and palm leaves. As I mentioned before, the garment is fully wrap-around, featuring a small side buttonhole that allows the inner belt to tighten the fit, wrap the open dress, and come forward to make a nice frontal bow with the other end of the belt. The bodice is made with two overlapping panels connected by a halter strap, also forming a sweetheart neckline. You can appreciate some subtle pleats in top half of the skirt, neatly draped forming a curve over the other half.

I have to say that the most challenging part was creating the pleats of the skirt without making it look bulky, as well as making sure that the wrap-belt was tight and strong enough to hold the whole dress in place. It is definitely one of the most daring sewing projects I've ever pursued, but after taking the risks I was extremely happy with the final results. I think I'll be making a couple other sarong dresses when I find the right tropical fabrics, which of course I shall be sharing in a future blog post.

Thank you for reading and keep a look out for more articles in the near future! 

Disneybound summary: June & May

I'd been wanting to join the Disneybounder community of the world since some time now. So, I've recently started to prepare and post on our Instagram my very own Disneybounds with regularity, and my goal is to keep that same rhythm. For those of you that the term "Disneybound" doesn't ring any bells, it all goes back to the year 2011, when blogger Leslie Kay began posting Disney-inspired outfits in a Tumblr account. In her own words, Disneybound is "a way of showing your love and appreciation of Disney through fashion". 

This idea has since become a trend and thousands of Disney fans have joined in the fun, sporting creative outfits resembling their favorite Disney characters and harvesting a broad community of followers. Disneybounders should guide themselves by their chosen character's color palette and style, but may tweak their look following special holidays (like Halloween, Christmas, Dapper Day, etc) or add in particular themes to achieve festival looks, dapper fashions, summer styles, and others.

Disneybounding is a great idea for those who love Disney but don't feel comfortable or simply dislike wearing costumes and cosplaying characters. The good thing about Disneybounding is that you can be as subtle as you like or as obvious as you can, without hitting the road to costuming. From your shoes to your head, it's your job to choose what clothes to wear and which accessories to add that suit your Disney style. The picture below features all my Disneybounds from the past two months. Can you name them all? (The answers are hidden in the tags by the end of the post).

The most natural Disneybounds that came to me were Snow White and Esmeralda; I didn't even have to put much thought into their outfits, as I had mentally imagined them a while back. In fact, I even once dressed up unintentionally like Snow White and got quoted for it. Ariel was also easy because I'd recently purchased the green tie dye dress and thought it reminded me so much about the Little Mermaid. I struggled a little bit finding the right fit with the cardigan, but managed to make it work. Moana, Boo and Zeus were very fun to put together because I had the perfect meant-to-be accessories for each of the outfits, and it seemed like all the clothes were waiting for me to use them for Disneybounds. Finally, Pegasus and Marie followed a white hue with different contrasting colors and accents. I really love how the spunky blue wig added a bit of craze to Pegasus!

If you want to know where I get the clothes for each outfit, go ahead and skip into my Instagram account. Likes and follows are quite appreciated! I'll be posting a monthly summary of my Disneybounds by the end of each month, but you can still see them regularly through our account.

Follow our Instagram @edu_and_joy and stay tuned for more Disneybound summaries and other cool blog posts! 

Bold colors and polka dots (or how Minnie Mouse would thrive with Ixia dresses)

Polka dots seem to be a timeless pattern for different kinds of garments; from casual frocks to formal attire. When paired with dark colors, polka dots look quite elegant and refined, especially when the dots are smaller in size and cover the piece like freckles. Just imagine a lady in a long navy wrap-up dress with white polka dots, wearing dark sunglasses and a straw sun hat with a matching navy scarf tied around it, sporting a big white handbag and peep toe heels of the same color... You just got yourself a true chic ensemble!

But today I want to focus on the other side of polka dots. The "fun side" of polka dots. Like when you see any kind of red clothing bathed in white polka dots and you immediately think about Minnie Mouse. In fact, Minnie's signature red polka dot dress could, in fact, be one of the most iconic polka dot gowns in history. We've seen her wear the same dress in pink less often, and more recently in blue during this year's "Minnie Rocks the Dots" event. Just in case you missed the cue, Uniqlo and Minnie have teamed up to launch a new clothing collection this year named "Minnie Mouse Loves Dots"; and guess which pattern will become the new trend? You got it!

Definitely Minnie's signature red polka dot dress cannot be overrun by any other gown, but one of my personal favorite brands might just be the thing you're looking for if you want to look as chic as Minnie Mouse. These yellow and pink polka dot dresses that I'm wearing in the pictures above and below are manufactured by the incredible clothing brand Ixia. They are comfortable, well made, light but sturdy, and they fit like a glove. Both models are swing dresses, with very nice movement in the skirt when you, well, swing and dance. Each one features a different bodice: the pink one has a simple fold over top, with straight shoulder straps and a built-in belt attached at the waistband for you to tie it back in a pretty bow. The yellow one came with an adjustable and removable halter strap and a pleated top. Nevertheless, both follow the same sizing chart.

The dresses are somewhat stretchy, since they are made with 97% cotton and 5% spandex, and they also have an elastic backing to help accommodate a perfect fit. You can wear them with or without a bra since the bodice is padded. Both the pink and the yellow models feature a zipper on the back and a circle skirt, though the description might deceive you because they usually tag them as A-line dresses. Dare to wear the dress with a petticoat and you'll get yourself a very nice volume in the skirt. Don't worry, if you don't exactly dream about full dresses, you can simply sport them as they are. But coming back to the main idea behind them, these bold colors turn polka dots into a really fun and fresh way to wear them. The combination is perfect for young and young-at-heart ladies who are into the 50s era fashion with a modern twist. You can find these dresses and other models in a wide array of colors, including jade, black, lavender, white, coral, fuchsia, navy... and red too! I'm sure Minnie Mouse would approve these dress collections, and perhaps even get a few for herself.

It's not very common to know Ixia unless you've casually stumbled upon it. The reason behind it is that Ixia has neither a physical store nor an online shop, webpage, or social media channels. However, you can find Ixia dresses at Amazon or Ebay, or even through retailers like Modcloth, LA Showroom, RetroGlam and others. I was lucky enough to come across this exquisite clothing brand while rummaging through a random clothing store in my neighborhood, which sells garments from random wholesalers. The first dress I spotted was the pink one, and I just had to have it. It was like love at first sight. The store only had medium and large, but I couldn't care less and decided to purchase it anyway. The next time I went by the store the yellow one caught my attention through the window.

I love these Ixia dresses and am proud to have them as part of my wardrobe. Every time I wear them I feel like channeling Minnie Mouse and I pair them with classic heels, just like Minnie! So if you feel like these are the right choice for you, go ahead and get a couple of them. I currently own four Ixias and I'm planning to get my hand on a few more. *evil laughter*

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PS: Please note that both garments are "dry clean only", but soon I'll be uploading a tutorial on how I take good care of them at home.