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Outfit

    Outfit

    Pastel Polka Dots

    April 6, 2015
    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Maison Jules Dress (Similar here and here)
    Madewell Bag
    Franco Sarto Pumps (Similar)
    Urban Decay Naked Palette (Eyes)
    I wore this navy and pastel pink polka dot dress on Easter Sunday. I thought it was the most appropriate thing to wear on that day since the pattern and colors tend to remind me of a decorated Easter egg. Instead of accessorizing, I decided to put a bit more effort into my makeup and played up my eyes. I followed Keiko Lynn’s Urban Decay Naked Palette Tutorial to achieve this look since I’m still a newbie to using eyeshadow. I have to say that Keiko makes it seem so easy to put on makeup and use the Naked Palette, but I think I did pretty well for my first try. Wouldn’t you agree?
    In other news, I’m going to be flying out to Portland next week. This trip is very last minute–I just booked my flight a couple of days ago–which makes it even more exciting. This trip isn’t exactly a vacation since I’m making the trip up to Portland so that I can check out a grad school, but I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and drinking copious amounts of coffee while I’m there. If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you might remember that I applied to grad programs earlier this year. Well, as it turns out, it looks like I might be moving to Portland this fall. This big change in my life is what has been causing me so much anxiety lately, even though I’ve been working towards this goal for almost an entire year. I’m hoping that visiting the city for a couple of days will allow me to feel more at ease about everything that’s coming my way.
    xoxo,
    Helen
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    Outfit

    Denim Jacket

    March 30, 2015

     

    Photos by Ale Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    Old Denim Jacket
    H&M Shirt Dress
    Thrifted Vintage Bag (Similar here and here)
    31 Bits Bracelet (Similar)

    Lately I’ve been going on and on about my goal of investing in classic pieces that will remain in my wardrobe for years to come. I thought I’d switch it up a bit this week by featuring an item that has already survived the test of time; I bought this denim jacket when I was in high school and it’s been in my wardrobe for more than 10 years. The most obvious sign that this denim jacket was acquired during my teenage years is a patch with the word “Angel” located on the top right pocket, but that’s a detail that can easily be covered up with a pin or brooch to give it a more sophisticated vibe. Of course, no matter what I do to make myself seem like an adult, people are sometimes still going to mistake me for a teenager instead of a 26-year-old woman.
    Speaking of being a 26, my friend made me realize the other day that I’m getting closer to turning 30! I’m not really ready to discuss this in full detail, but there are some really cool and exciting changes happening in my future. Despite my enthusiasm about what the future has in store for me, I’m really bad at dealing with change. I was discussing this fact with a friend and she made me snap out of feeling anxious by turning to me and saying, “Helen, just look at this way–you’re almost going to be 30!” I don’t have a fear about getting older, but putting things in that perspective made me realize that I should start embracing change and looking for ways to move forward with my goals.
    In other news, I’ve finally started to recover from feeling burnt out. I decided to take it easy last week and felt so much more energized this weekend. Even though I’m on my way to becoming my old cheerful self again, I realize that I need to start taking better care of myself. That is why I decided to plan out a vacation this weekend and booked a one-night stay at the Madonna Inn during the month of May. I’m very excited about my getaway because I’ve wanted to visit the hotel for a while and I’m really looking forward to spending time relaxing by the pool. Plus, having this trip all planned out will definitely serve as motivation for me in the next few weeks.
    xoxo,
    Helen
    Outfit

    Black and White Gingham Top

    March 23, 2015

    Photos by Sarah Veyna

    Outfit Details:
    Handmade Gingham Shell Top (Similar top with sleeves)
    ASOS Trousers (Similar)
    Madewell Loafers (Similar)
    MAC Lipstick in Russian Red
    With a great amount of help from my mom, this weekend I made a gingham top out of leftover fabric from when I made this skirt. I wore it with trousers in this set of photos, but I like that it also looks great with skirts and jeans. I even paired it with a blazer later in the day, since it was a bit chilly, and it made for a great “professional” outfit. I’m planning on making most of my clothes this spring/summer since I’m feeling uninspired by most clothes in stores, and the pieces I do like are out of my budget. I’m probably going fabric shopping next weekend and hitting the ground running from there, so be on the lookout for more handmade pieces on the blog.
    Aside from various sewing projects, there are other long-term creative projects that I want to work on in the next few months, such as improving my photography. For that reason, I’m only going to be posting on this blog once a week. Although I love documenting the process of making things for this blog, what I really enjoyed about making this top was that it was a project that felt more personal and I didn’t have to finish it by a certain time in order to post it on this blog. I’ll definitely keep posting DIY tutorials and recipes on this blog from time to time, I just don’t want to get into the habit of only making things for the sake of blogging. What I envision right now is that I’ll rotate between DIY tutorials, recipe and outfit posts from week to week, depending on my mood.
    Another reason that I want to dedicate less time to blogging is because, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times, lately I’ve feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. I slept for about 12 hours Saturday night, if that gives you any idea about how exhausted I’ve been feeling lately. Although my feeling of burnout does not necessarily stem from working on this blog, I realize that I’ve been treating it like another job instead of the creative outlet it’s meant to be; the added workload that I have created for myself hasn’t necessarily allowed me to rest. I feel that cutting back on this particular activity will enable me to make time for self-care and have more balance in my life.
    I really hope that I didn’t sound too moody in this post. I just wanted to discuss how I’ve been feeling lately. I’m also curious to know if any of you have ever dealt with burnout, and what steps you took in order to overcome it. Any suggestions are deeply appreciated.
    Have a great rest of the week!
    xoxo,
    Helen