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! 

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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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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St. Paddy's green and polka dots

It's been forever since I last posted, given that I was incredibly busy with our wedding plans. But now that we've come back from our honeymoon (at Disney World, by the way), I'm getting back on track!

We spent two amazing and well-deserved weeks at Orlando, and were lucky enough to spend St. Patrick's Day at Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure. Following the "pinch-those-who-don't-wear-green-during-St.-Patrick's", I chose to wear this green peasant dress from Doll Me Up. Since the weather was pretty chilly, I paired it up with a black cardigan (also from Doll Me Up) and a pair of nude stockings. You might also spot my new grey slip-ons (from American Eagle) and my loyal neon pink fanny pack.

The dress is incredibly comfortable and form-flattering, and the fabric is quite sturdy and stretchy. It fits like a glove because it has a conveniently smocked waist and elastic sleeves, which allow it to stretch up one or maybe even two sizes. I normally wear dresses size S but I could only get my hands on the size M, which still fits perfectly. I bet even the L could fit me properly. The skirt is longer than I expected, but it still has a fresh enough length to walk around the parks, dance, and do other activities. The dress also has a flounced edge sewn with the same fabric. It's a very nice touch to make the skirt even prettier.

Since the fabric is quite elastic, this garment features no zipper, buttons, or velcro to open and close. You can get it on and off conveniently. The white polka dot pattern printed over the bright green makes this dress pop out and adds some details to an otherwise simple green dress. I'm not a die-hard fan of monochromatic dresses, but I'm sure that having this dress in solid colors would be a fantastic idea. Doll Me Up's peasant dress was my first and obvious choice when it came to choosing an outfit for St. Paddy's.

By the way: Do you know why people pinch you if you're not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day? This tradition dates back to the 1700s, when people thought that anyone who wore green would become invisible to leprechauns. According to the legend, these Irish creatures typically pinched humans, so people jokingly pinch those not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day to remind them about it.

Doll Me Up sells this dress in different colors with white polka dots (yellow, red, lime, burgundy, black, coral, and kelly green) and in floral prints (blue, pink, and aqua). I went with the kelly green one because it's one of my favorite colors, but I really had a hard time choosing only one to add to my wardrobe. After giving it a test drive and being extremely satisfied with it, I think I will definitely purchase it in other hues.

Lastly, here's a picture of myself soaking wet from our last park day after riding Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls, with my green peasant dress and a life-saving fleece Bubba Gump hoodie.

Check out my previous posts and be on the lookout for newer articles! 

A convertible pinafore dress/skirt

Continuing with one of my previous posts where I wrote about wearing uniforms, one of the new items I sewed back when I started my job as a school teacher was an incredibly handy, comfortable and convertible pinafore dress/skirt.

 I have always adored overalls, and some time ago I discovered how nice they look with a gathered skirt bottom. That's why I decided that making a pinafore dress would be a wonderful addition to my uniform stash, especially because I would still be abiding by the dress code while wearing a unique piece.

 

Made with khaki stretch gabardine, this overall dress was originally intended to be one piece, but I had the brilliant idea of turning it into a convertible outfit before attaching the skirt to the top overall part. I used five snap buttons on the front and one pair on either side of the zipper to attach a removable strapped piece to the skirt, allowing it to be used as a gathered skirt or as a pinafore dress.

In these pictures I'm wearing the pinafore dress with a long sleeve white shirt from Fru Fru, a shark tooth fossil necklace and Frankenstein mary janes by Dark Chocolate Design. I'm also wearing the gathered skirt with a pair of lavender sneakers by City Sneaks, a white flying geese printed tee by Retro Republic, and a silver filigree heart locket.

I remember that when I studied at school, teachers wore a wider variety of khaki bottoms: from layered skirts to capri pants, and from overalls to flared pants. Sometimes I wonder what happened to that amazing diversity, since now every teacher at my school wears pretty much the same kind of outfit: plain khaki jeans and a plain white tee. I've had many students express they really like that I wear "unconventional" uniforms, and I guess it's because they are used to seeing their teachers every year wearing the same old outfits. I just hope I'm being a good role model teaching them about expressing and respecting individuality. :)

Stick around for more posts about my outfits! 

Swimsuit sizing: nightmare or blessing?

There's something quite particular that I've come to realize starting some years ago, after I actually started caring about my swimsuits and decided to buy my very own pieces: I own swimsuits ranging from size 14 (kids' size) to XL (women's size). So... What is this about?

Sometimes people choose to go one size up or down, depending on the fit of a clothing item, its stretching properties, its junior or non-junior sizing, and other elements to consider. However, I would have never guessed that someone could make such enormous leaps between sizes! But, alas, I have the living proof packed inside my closet.

I currently own around 30 swimsuits, counting bikinis and one-pieces, and even reversible suits. It's funny because I'm not a real fan of going to the beach or the pool, but I have a weakness for swimsuits that hook my mind and bother it for weeks and weeks. Anyway, it's very interesting to compare the fit and sizes of all my swimsuits: (14, 16 and XXL kids) and (XS, S, M, L and even XL adults). I think there's absolutely no logic to be found in this lot, and that's why now I'm always faced by an existential doubt whenever I want to buy a new swimsuit and the seller asks "which size are you looking for?", especially if it's an online shop. My conclusion can only be one: never deny trying on a swimsuit before buying it; and if you're buying online... good luck.

 

Now, about my outfit. The swimsuit that I'm wearing is from a fabulous small business from the Venezuelan seamstress Sussy De Pieren. I actually own several swimsuits from her brand, Tuqueque. Since I first found out about her, I've always admired her exquisite taste in creating innovative, fresh and creative new swimsuit styles. The very first swimsuit that I owned from Tuqueque was a birthday gift from my mother, and it's definitively one of my favorite swimsuits that I've ever owned.

This particular swimsuit came in a size L (mistaken for an M), but it still fits me well enough. Not many people know this, but you can actually tweak some features of a swimsuit to wear it in different ways. For example, this swimsuit is too big for me if I wear the straps crossed on the back; but with one simple move to the front... voilá! I love the printed fabric of this swimsuit, combining a snakelike purple pattern with green leaves. It's very exotic and glamorous at the same time.

I will definitively be posting more about my swimsuits and showing them to you. Meanwhile, feel free to follow Tuqueque on Instagram at @sussydepieren.

Stay tuned for more fashion posts! 

Pastel green in the '50s

Since I started sewing seriously and more frequently, I have felt really inclined towards fashion styles from the '50s, and especially attracted by the dresses. They are a perfect combination between girly, elegant, comfortable and sexy, and they can be styled for casual occasions or for more formal events.

After creating two  patterns out of my beloved Ixia fold over pinup dresses, I decided to start experimenting by altering the silhouettes. At first I still stuck to the original shape, but then I went ahead and created the pastel green dress seen in the picture below, which features a narrower skirt and a separate waistband from a different material.

I made this dress using a soft cotton fabric that had been lying around for several years. The only problem that I found was that the fabric is a little see-through. I don't usually line my dresses on the inside because the fabrics I use tend to be sturdy enough, so this was the first dress ever that I lined up, and whenever I wear it I necessarily have to put on a slip underneath the skirt. The waistband is made from a recycled satin waistband from a party dress that I hate, so I felt no regrets when I took it down and cut it into a new one.

My favorite part of this dress, apart from the exquisite color palette, is the bow. It is made out of the same material as the waistband and when I made it I couldn't decide whether I should sew it to the waistband or in the middle of the bodice. I liked both options so much that I finally sewed a safety pin to the back of the bow, making it easy to move it around and stick it wherever I liked the most. I normally wear it as shown in the pictures.

In this case my shoes are black wedge sandals by Vic Matie, my necklace is a key-and-heart matching "Best Friends" necklace from Claire's, and I also paired the dress with a black bolero by Exotik.

Come back later for more posts about fashion and crafts! 

Nude colors & a touch of purple

Uniforms usually bring together mixed opinions. Some say they're fantastic because you don't have to waste a whole hour each morning choosing what to wear. Others say they're a blasphemy because they suppress your identity through endless matching outfits for everyone. Debating this argument, there are people who state that uniforms are a way of showing equality and not discriminating anyone for what they wear. I personally think two things:

1. There are beautiful uniforms, normal uniforms and ridiculous uniforms. (Have you seen some of the prettiest stewardess uniforms?)

2. If you ever wear a uniform, you should definitely find a way to pump it up while sticking to the dress codes.

My daily uniform consists in a white shirt and khaki bottoms. I personally dislike it because these colors do not match with my skin tone (especially khaki, beige or whatever... yuck!). So from day one I started off by asking if it was allowed to wear skirts instead of pants, seeing as no one ever wore khaki skirts. I was told YES, so I immediately proceeded to buy khaki gabardine to make myself a jumper and a skirt/jumper (or pinafore dress). I also found a pair of old khaki jeans stashed in my crafting room, which belonged to my brother a long time ago... and guess what I turned them into?

In these pictures I am wearing an a-line skirt made with old khaki pants. You can even see some fading in the fabric caused by the sun. As I was saying before, I like to pump up my simple uniforms. In this case I chose to combine it with a plain white long sleeve tee (by Fru Fru), my favorite purple and black scarf (it was a gift from my boyfriend's sister, who bought it somewhere in Spain), my "The Haunted Mansion" bat key necklace (from Disney's Magic Kingdom park), a pair of palm-printed slip-ons (by Refresh), and I also threw in some Leia buns to improve my hair game.

 Stay tuned for more fashion posts! 

Halloween party decorations (2016 edition)

Last weekend we had a blast celebrating Halloween with our traditional gathering near October 31st. This year my mom allowed me (finally!) to decorate way beforehand; with almost two weeks of spare time before the party date. Usually I can only decorate one or two days prior, so I was in awe because I started to breathe my beloved Halloween air before even choosing my costume.

I really wanted to invade my home with Halloween supplies, gadgets and decorations, so I went on a shopping spree to a local store that had amazing discounts and low prices on their Halloween stock. I was lucky enough to get there on their first day of spooky findings without even knowing; but just so you get an idea: when I got in, it was pretty full of Halloween merchandise. After I made a really long line to pay and got ready to leave with my three bags, there was practically nothing left!

Among the settings that I created this year, there was a science lab, a pirate locker, a zombie zone and a graveyard. Some of my decorations are from Dollar Tree, where it's incredible to get fantastic objects to decorate in Halloween; I recommend it 100%.

My husband and I prepared a Mexican taco self-serve bar for our friends, which was a huge hit! As a desert, we baked and decorated Halloween-motif cupcakes. We also had some snacks and sangria to spend the night.

Meat and chicken tacos for our guests

Super cute cupcake liners, decorations and colorful frosting! 

Stay tuned to watch my "2016 Halloween Haul" video to find out everything that I got this year for Halloween. I will also be posting past year hauls to show off my entire Halloween decorations collection.

Remember to follow me in social media and may it always be Halloween in our hearts!

My first serious dress

My passion for fashion started to develop when I was very small, possibly due to the fact that I owned a lot of Barbies and loved to dress them up with an enormous variety of doll-sized clothes. I started crafting clothes for them with fabric and silicone, until I taught myself how to hand-sew. After that, I made some other clothes sewing by hand, until my mother showed me how to use the sewing machine. Some time later, my grandma helped me make the Dorothy Dress (check out my previous post). Even later, I dared to make my first dress from scratch and completely on my own. 

Crafted from an old fabric that my mom had kept within a fabric stash since many years ago, the dress follows almost the same pattern as one of my Ixia dresses. I traced out the pattern directly from a dress and adjusted it to fit some seam allowance and zipper space.

It is made from some kind of white and blue printed curtain or tapestry fabric. It holds up nice and firm, but the fabric is still still somewhat soft. Even though the seams are not perfect, it still has some pencil markings on the reverse side, and it has some fitting mistakes, I am very proud of my first serious dress. I wear it with pride, knowing that it was the start of what has been a wonderful progress as a self-taught seamstress.

Here’s a collage with several shots of the complete dress-making process.

Keep an eye out for more fashion posts!