How to resize a shirt [Tutorial]

It's pretty common to have some ill-fitting shirts in our wardrobes, which usually consist of garments bought without trying them on, or a gift from someone who clearly wasn't familiar with your size. Instead of stuffing these in the abysmal depths of your closet wondering if we'll ever get to wear them, there is a more appealing solution to this problem: resizing your shirt with this easy and quick method.

Below you will find a simple tutorial on how to resize a shirt. Hopefully it will help you recover some clothes that you thought you'd never use again. Please note that this tutorial focuses on reducing the size of a shirt, not increasing it.

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Easter is the season of pastels

Every time that Easter comes near, it seems as every store fills its shelves and shopfront with colorful pastel tones. Chocolates and candies, balloons, flowers, Easter egg baskets and candles are only some of the products offered in these hues. However, we can also easily find season-appropriate kinds of clothes, shoes and accessories tinted in powder blue, baby pink, light yellow, aqua, lavender, lilac, pale orange, mint, or other pastel colors.

For example, I recently came across these beautiful wedges at Payless Shoe Source, especially designed for this brand by Christian Siriano. They are everything you could wish for when searching for an ideal Easter outfit: the braided wicker platforms that remind you of woven baskets, the exquisite floral pattern reminiscent of Spring, the use of pastel tones like cream, lavender, light blue and lilac, and lastly the evidently fresh and delicate strap design, again resembling a slight weave.

I chose these shoes as the base for my Easter ensemble. The next item I selected was my "A hint of Spring" skirt, which I confectioned out of an old fabric rectangle that my aunt gave to me. Naturally I chose the skirt because of its nice volume, colors and flower pattern. The difference between this skirt and the other gathered skirts I've sewn is that this one has no zipper. Instead, it has a completely elastic waistband which provides it with a better fit and comfort (plus, it can size up or down on its own).

To complete the look I went with a 3/4 length sleeve unicolor shirt made of lavender tinted cotton. The piece has a small pocket on the left, and decorative button straps on the edge of each sleeve. This shirt is perfect to balance out the floral patterns and match one of the most prominent colors of the wedges.

I also accessorized the outfit with a heart-and-pompom pendant hanging from a golden chain, a floral-printed ball bracelet in pastel hues, and a second bracelet with real tiny flowers covered in resin (a perfect finishing touch for Spring!). Finally, I used some cool pastel-colored hair twists (by Avon) to weave my wavy hair into a fun and easy hairdo.

Spring has always been one of my favorite seasons because it's the time when flowers bloom with beautiful colors and textures. For some reason I feel a deep admiration for flowers and can't hold myself from contemplating these beautiful beings. So, seeing as it's a perfect occasion, I want to wish you all a happy Earth Day!

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Star Wars 40th anniversary inspiration

The Star Wars Celebration wrapped up this weekend after four glorious days of commemorating 40 years of this amazing saga. The event took place at Orlando, Florida, and featured fantastic panels of guests, live interviews, behind the scenes and screenings, autograph signings, and a touching storytelling tribute to Carrie Fisher. Visitors could also tour around the Star Wars art show, explore movie props, costumes, life-size replicas and scenery, and shop for Star Wars merchandise in over 200 stands at the exhibit hall. 

My take for this 40th anniversary Star Wars celebration came in the shape of two heart-warming dresses that I was able to purchase in my last visit to Walt Disney World. Featuring two of the most beloved droids in the galaxy, BB-8 and R2-D2 respectively, the outfits fit perfect for the occasion. These belong to a collection of four Star Wars dresses sold by the DisneyStore, which also include a C-3PO model and a galactic Star Wars logo version.

DisneyStore®

All four dresses have a cotton t-shirt-like top printed with the droids' icons in color and glitter detailing, with a gathered detail on the sleeves. My two dresses come with a white top attached to a soft two-layer tulle skirt with polyester taffeta lining. Both are presented with a silver stretch band placed just over the waist, where the top meets the skirt. While R2-D2's model has matching dark blue tulle and lining, BB-8's version has a droid icon printed over white lining, which peeks out through the tulle's orange mesh.

The other two dresses are made with yellow and black tops with color-matching skirts. The BB-8 and C-3PO models are out of stock already, and apparently won't be restocked again. I had seen these dresses on the DisneyStore webpage, but got to try on the R2-D2 one at the Legends of Hollywood shop in Disney's Hollywood Studios. I bought the artoo dress straight away, but was able to snag the BB-8 one exactly my size after the clerk told me it had been sold out everywhere, and suggested to give it a shot online.

The bright colors, the fresh fabric, the full tulle skirts, the comfortable fit, and of course the timeless and memorable characters pictured in each dress make these outfits my top picks for this week and pretty much any other moment in life.

Although I was sadly unable to attend the event, I watched most of it through live stream. Gladly, I was able to watch several surprises being unveiled, such as a new poster and a movie trailer for The Last Jedi, a sneak peek of Star Wars Rebels season four, hints about new characters and storylines, and a debut appearance at Star Wars Celebration by Harrison Ford. Guest speakers included directors George Lucas and Rian Johnson, LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy, executive producer Dave Filoni, music composer John Williams, actors Warwick Davis, Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Ian McDiarmid, Billie Lourd, Billy Dee Williams, and other incredible panelists.

LucasFilm / Disney

So after this thrilling experience, don't forget to set your countdown clocks for eight months from now, as we brace ourselves for the premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on December 15, 2017. I will definitely start preparing a special outfit for such an important day, and of course, I will be sharing it with you in due time.

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A late Valentine's date

Two months have gone by after Valentine's Day festivities, but I'm still celebrating because love is everywhere! To commemorate this lovely day, I'm sharing the pics of my chosen ensemble for the day.

Naturally, just like Aerosmith's song says "Pink is the color of passion, 'cause today it just goes with the fashion", I chose a bright pink princess dress that I confectioned a couple of years ago, but I never had a good opportunity to wear it.

 

The dress is made of a slightly heavy and somewhat shiny synthetic fabric in an almost neon pink hue. It features a bodice with puffy sleeves and a square neckline, complete with a gathered skirt. To add a finishing touch, I added a light pink ribbon to the waist. I also wore light pink heels (by Zabumba), a small red heart-shaped hair clip, a tiny silver heart-shaped pendant necklace, and a combination of different white and pink bracelets in different tones and shapes.

What I love the most about endowing my dresses with full skirts is the flare and movement they provide to them, allowing the skirts to swing freely when you dance, move or walk. Adding a petticoat underneath makes them even puffier, and the dress feels like a small version of a princess gown.

Keep celebrating love with tiny details every day. Hooray for pink!

Stay tuned for more fashion and crafts posts. 

Cinderella goes back to her castle

"Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a tiny kingdom..."

Lots of little girls dream about walking into Disney's Magic Kingdom, all dressed up as Cinderella, and live the story themselves by visiting the beautiful castle in the middle of the park. Sadly, we (grownups) are not allowed to enter the park in costume, but this time I decided to do something about it.

Right before the release of Disney's live-action Cinderella film, Hot Topic (always so avant-garde) presented a collection inspired by this romantic Disney classic. The collection consisted in five items: a peasant sweetheart dress, a striped knit top, a high-waisted skirt with graphics, a Victorian waistcoat, and of course, one of the garments was an adaptation of the iconic blue dress worn by Cinderella herself.

The dress has a marvelous construction. It has a semi-boned corset bodice (with a functional lace-up back) attached to quite a full skirt, which is lined with two layers of thick tulle. The light blue fabric is soft polyester sateen, delicately stitched with a shiny damask print that features two memorable details: the glass slipper and the pumpkin carriage. This garment is incredible soft and light, making it super comfortable to wear.

The dress also has two chiffon sleeves, which you can wear on or off-shoulder. The volume and movement of this dress make you feel like you're sporting your very own small version of Cinderella's exquisite ball gown. Naturally, strolling around Cinderella's castle and Fantasyland's attractions was a must for this outfit.

Nowadays it has been discontinued, and it's only available in plus size.

Undoubtedly, this has been one of my best catches from this store. Hot Topic has been among the top 5 in my "favorite stores ranking" since a very, very long time ago. They have such a magnificent array of merchandise, but this particular dress definitely raised the bar!

My next stop is Hot Topic's Belle Ball Gown, inspired by the new live-action film Beauty and the Beast.

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