Browsing Tag:

Handmade

Outfit, Travel

Soaking Up The California Sun

July 14, 2014

Photos by Laura Nolan

Outfit:

Crocheted Vest (Handmade by my Grandmother)

Forever 21 Cropped Top in Polka Dot Print (Similar)

Topshop High-Waisted Bikini Pants

Linen Skirt (Handmade by my Mom)
Dolce Vita Zen Flat Sandal (Available in Black)
Crocheted Bag with Bottle Caps (Also handmade by my Grandmother)

This weekend I drove down to Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano to hang out with my best friend Laura. As you may already know from some of my previous posts, Laura and I live two hours apart, and Orange County is our halfway meeting point. Since Laura will soon be moving to China for a year, lately we’ve been making a serious effort to see each other more often.

Since neither of us had ever been, Laura and I decided to visit the San Juan Capistrano Mission while we were in the area. The mission is a place that is very rich in history, and it was wonderful to spend part of our day touring the monument and learning about the people who first lived there when it was built. It was such a beautiful and serene place to visit, and it reminded me of why I love living in California.

As you may have already noticed, many of the items that I wore this weekend were handmade by my Mom and Abuela/Grandmother. I love receiving gifts that are handmade, because I feel like they are much more unique and personal. This vest and handbag are two of my most favorite items because they were made by my grandmother. They are particularly special to me because my grandmother has C.R.E.S.T., a disease that makes it hard for her to use her hands–it’s so astonishing to me that, despite of her disability, she puts in the time and effort to crochet items like these and is also able to achieve such intricate detail.

As usual, I was in charge of taking Laura’s yoga photos, and I snapped a couple of outfit photos as well. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again–I can only wish to be as strong and graceful as Laura is one day. She always carries herself with such poise, and her photos look like they belong in an Anthropologie catalogue.

Before going down to the mission, Laura and I spent a couple of hours lounging and soaking in the sun at the beach. I’ve been making an effort to go to the beach more often this Summer, since I feel like I need to start taking more advantage of one of the most wonderful activities that California has to offer. I’ve also invested in a swimsuit for the first time in years, so I no longer have that as an excuse to not make my way down to the beach. While I’m on the topic of swimwear, I have to say that I’m so glad that high-waisted swimsuit bottoms are back in style; I feel like they make it easier for girls like me, who don’t like showing too much skin, to go out and have fun in the sun.

I feel like I’ve been going at full-speed this Summer. There isn’t a weekend that goes by where I don’t have anything to do. I’ve been having so much fun, but I do feel the need to slow down and spend a weekend just focusing on myself. I think that it’s always important to set apart time to focus on self-care and recharge. Doing that definitely gives you energy to get back out there and take over the world.

How are you enjoying your Summer? Do you have any goals or activities you would like to accomplish before it ends?

xoxo,

Helen Grace

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Follow my adventures in real time on Instagram

Outfit, Travel

San Diego: Day II

May 5, 2014

Photos by Laura Nolan

Outfit Details:

Forever 21 Fedora Hat (Similar here)

CottonOn Tank

CottonOn Chiffon Blouse

H&M Jeans

H&M Strappy Sandals

Crocheted Tote (Handmade by my Grandmother)

I’m super excited to share with you my last few pictures from my trip to San Diego. I was so happy to get to spend some much needed time with my best friend, and to just get out of Los Angeles for the weekend. Looking through these pictures gives me the opportunity to kind of relive our time together.

Browsing through these pictures is also fun because I’m wearing a hat that I bought about two weeks ago, when I was going through my extreme moody phase. On a particularly bad day, I decided to put it on and was surprised of how it instantly boosted my mood. It’s really funny how something so simple like putting on something that you like, drinking a cup of coffee or doing something that you enjoy, can positively impact the way that you feel. Some of my coworkers and I even talked about how it would be fun to have a hat day at work in order to have a fun activity to break up the week.

Food & DIY

D.I.Y. Floral Fascinator

April 9, 2014

Photos by Sarah Veyna

Outfit Details:

Free People Lace Dress
M.A.C. Lipstick in Rebel
D.I.Y. FascinatorAs promised, today I’m bringing you a D.I.Y. post and teaching you how to make a floral fascinator. Whenever I think of Springtime fashion, some of the things that come to mind are floral prints and accessories. This fascinator is a great way to add a bit of life to your outfit. Plus, it is very easy to make, and makes for a great accessory for an easter or wedding outfit–or any outfit, really. If you’re interested in adding one to your wardrobe, here’s instructions on how to make your own:

Supplies:

1 Hair Clip, 12 Glass Beads, 1 Stiffened Felt Sheet, 3 Fake Flowers in 2 different colors (1 big, and 2 small), 2 Feathers, A Needle, Thread, and Scissors

Step 1:

First, you are going to start off by cutting a square piece of stiffened felt in a rectangle that is 3″x 5.” You can experiment with a bigger size, but keep in mind the size of your hair clip if you do, because you don’t want the fascinator to be too heavy and fall off.

Step 2:

Place the clip against your piece of felt, and make sure that the grip of the clip is facing the outside end of the rectangle. Sew on the hair clip to your piece of felt. I recommend criss-crossing your stitches so that your clip is better supported and doesn’t slip off later. If you want, you may also use glue to add some extra support.

Step 3:

Once you have sewn on your clip, turn the piece of felt around and sew your feathers on the opposite side. You will sew a feather on each corner of your rectangle. You want to make sure that you sew your feathers on the end opposite of the hair clip, otherwise your fascinator will be inverted.

Step 4:

Separate your fake flowers from the stems, and get rid of any pieces of plastic in the flowers. You will only be using the fabric petals for this project.

Step 5:

Next, you are going to sew on a flower over each feather. To do this, first pull a needle through the felt and all of the fabric petals.

Step 6 and 7:

Before you pull the needle back through the felt, pull your needle through two glass beads. After you’ve sewn on those two beads over the fabric petals, pull the needle through the felt and fabric petals again, and repeat. This will be the center of your flower.

Step 8:

Repeat Steps 4 and 7 on the opposite side.

Step 9:

Finally, after you have finished sewing on your two small flowers, you’re going to take your bigger flower and sew it right underneath them, creating a “triangle.” Make sure to repeat steps 4-7 as you do this, and you’re done making your floral fascinator!

I hope that this floral fascinator tutorial was easy enough. However, please let me know if you have any questions. I’m still learning how to develop these posts, and would appreciate any feedback on how to make this tutorial better and more clear. I will make sure to update this tutorial based on any questions that you may have.

Thank you for stopping by my blog, and have an amazing rest of the week! I hope that I have inspired you to get crafting this weekend.

Much Love,