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Outfit

    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

    Outfit

    Army Green

    March 20, 2015
    Photos by Ale Veyna

     

    Outfit Details:
    Forever 21 Fedora Hat (Similar here, here and here)
    H&M Army Green Shirt Dress
    H&M Trouser Shorts (similar here and here)
    H&M Sandals

    The heat has arrived to SoCal, which means that I’ve officially stored away my winter wardrobe. I’m trying to keep a capsule wardrobe for each season and storing away things I don’t use during certain times of year. Doing this reduces clutter in my closet and keeps my wardrobe feeling new and fresh. Since I haven’t worn certain pieces for a couple of months, the process of bringing out my spring/summer clothes made me feel like I came back from a huge shopping spree.
    I wore this outfit about two weeks ago on a day that was particularly warm. This army green top is actually a dress, which you’ve also seen me wear here. I love pieces that are versatile and can be worn in a variety of ways because when you’re on a budget, like me, they can help maximize your wardrobe.
    —

    What are your weekend plans? I’m still trying to fight off this feeling of fatigue, so mine will probably be filled with tons of sleep. I’m determined to not be at home all the time, however, so maybe I’ll do something that I haven’t done in a while, like going out dancing in Echo Park. I used to go out to shows and dancing all the time, but I’ve become so lazy that I never do things that involve me going out past 10 pm anymore. Maybe this will be the weekend that I finally break out of my routine.

    xoxo,
    Helen
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    Outfit

    Clothing Exchange

    March 10, 2015

    Photos by Ale Veyna

    Outfit Details:
    Floral Dress
    Crocheted Bag (Handmade by my grandmother)

    One of my goals for this year is to focus on being less materialistic, save money and make mindful purchases that will enhance my existing wardrobe. One of the first steps that I have taken towards this resolution is to get rid of clothes that I just don’t wear anymore. It is so much easier to make a list of pieces you need to add to your wardrobe when you have a clear perspective of what you’re actually wearing on a daily basis. Since I tend to be a bit of a hoarder and have had many items for years, cleaning out my closet took a bit of work; I sent a bag of clothes to thredUP last December, and just filled up a second bag this weekend. Even though I have been mostly working on getting rid of things instead of adding to my wardrobe, it’s much easier to find things to wear now that my closet is less cluttered.
    Another thing that I did this weekend was participate in a clothing exchange with my sister Alejandra. If you’re looking to add a couple of pieces to your wardrobe without spending too much money, clothing exchanges are a great way to do that. Since my sister was also in the process of getting rid of some of her clothes, it was the perfect opportunity for us to look through each other’s piles one last time and take whatever we wanted. Both our piles were filled with clothes that just didn’t fit either of our styles anymore, but I was lucky to find this floral dress in Ale’s. I can’t understand why she’d want to get rid of it, but I’m glad it’s now mine!
    I plan to talk about my own process of building a conscious closet in future posts and am working on a summary of my winter purchases for next week.  However, if you want to get a sense of what other people are doing to build a more conscious wardrobe, I would suggest that you check out the #ConsciousCloset series on In Honor of Design and Un-Fancy Blog.
    As always, thanks for reading!
    xoxo,
    Helen