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 

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!