Outfit Details:

Handmade Gingham Shell Top (Similar top with sleeves)

ASOS Trousers (Similar)

Madewell Loafers (Similar)

MAC Lipstick in Russian Red

MAC Lip Pencil in Brick

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