Kid Birthday Party

I recently attended my nephew's 2nd birthday party and wore another homemade skirt. I was a little overdressed, but it was fun to dress up and show off my growing skills in the sewing department. It took over 12 hours of labor over the course of a couple of weeks (I wasn't able to work on it for days at a time), but I finally finished it last week. I sewed a zipper, y'all! I made pleats! And I successfully trimmed the pattern to accommodate my short legs. ;-) The thing is, the pattern I used, McCALL'S M5856, says "Easy" on the package -- but that is not true! Not for true beginners, in my opinion. I mean, besides the zipper and pleats, I had to learn how to slipstitch and tack. I didn't even know what those things meant. That's partly why it took me so long: I had to do research in the midst of piecing and sewing.

But anyway, I'll stop complaining. It was a good learning experience in the end. Despite all the mistakes and an embarrassingly-heavy reliance on my trusty seam ripper, I think the skirt turned out nicely. :-) It did end up too big for me at the waist even though I was worried during construction that it would be too small, but a belt helped out with that. Such pretty colors and pattern! (I just need to wear it with a more flattering top next time. And hello, where is my neck?!)

Top: LOFT; Skirt: Made by me; Belt: Kohl's; Shoes: Fluevog Barkerville (GetUp family)

Bonus photos not just of my neck, but more importantly of a one-year-old girl wearing an adorable German-inspired dress hand-sewn by her aunt! Look at the mushrooms on her skirt! And the lace! This girl's mom also found the coordinating leggings via eBay. Perfect pattern- and color-mixing. I'm inspired!

xo, Gladys

Recent Haul

So if you're not aware of it already, ModCloth is having a HUGE end-of-season sale they call the Last Hurrah. Items are up to 70% off and they go very quickly (I mean, so quickly that they disappear from your cart before you get the chance to check out!). You might still be able to find some gems. The only thing is, all sales are final which means no returns or exchanges, so be sure to know your measurements and read through the reviews for more sizing info.

I recently made a relatively large purchase, and I couldn't believe the final price. Sweet! Here are some of the items I bought. I tried to buy with fall in mind, so while there are lots of sleeveless dresses here, I chose blues, browns, and creams that should look wonderful under cardigans. I can't wait to wear them out; I'll post photos when I do.

xo, Gladys

House Hunting

I didn't mean to start a new blog while house hunting. I had been planning the blog for several months before I actually started posting, and indeed I could have kept it in the planning stage indefinitely while we worked on finding a house and then moving. But I suppose, since fall for me usually signals the return to industriousness, I subconsciously felt it would be perfectly fine to load my plate with big projects simultaneously. Hence the following outfit photos in which I am in the process of looking at houses.

Dress and top: Old Navy; Shoes: indigo by Clarks via Amazon ("Bordeaux" sandal); Purse: TJ Maxx

I really like this simple outfit. I love the way the skirt flows around my legs, and these indigo by Clarks sandals turned out to be my favorite go-to summer shoes. It's an easy casual outfit to throw on after a quick shower, but I think that the low-cut back of the top gives it an edge and makes it dressy enough for a birthday party in the park. Or for looking decent while house hunting. :-)

(While we saw four houses that day, it turns out that these photos are of the same house. My husband didn't happen to take any usable photos of the other houses with me in them. By the way, we passed on this house. Although it's situated in a very nice neighborhood and has some very nice details like the stairs leading down to the pool, there were just a few too many things that made us uncomfortable about the house itself that couldn't be fixed in an affordable manner, the privacy of the backyard being one of them: anyone walking on the sidewalk outside can peek in through the wrought-iron fence and watch you swimming in the pool! Eek!)

xo, Gladys

Summer Outfits

Although it is still quite hot out here in the Southern California desert, fall is just around the corner (only two more weeks!). I wanted to share some of my favorite summer outfits before the season got away from me.

Dress: A. Byer via Amazon; Belt: ASOS; Shoes: Fluevog Believe (Hope family)

Top: Banana Republic outlet; Skirt: Made by me; Belt: Kohl's; Shoes: indigo by Clarks via Amazon

Detail of my DIY skirt -- I bought two yards of fabric for $4 on sale, and I used the very easy skirt pattern here

Dress and belt: ModCloth ("Charmed to Meet You Dress in Delight"); Shoes: Fluevog CBC (Radio family)

Top: Vivace via Amazon; Skirt: via Amazon; Shoes: indigo by Clarks via Piperlime; Lip color: MAC

Dress: J.C. Penny's; Bolero cardigan: Old Navy; Shoes: A2 via Kohl's

I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day! Mine was spent with family and friends over kiddie pools, yummy snacks, horchata, and an amazing end-of-day meal. Ah, I love summer.

xo, Gladys

Fluevog Everest T-strap

So the first item on my "I Want List" this summer? Got it! *doing a happy dance* The gorgeous 1920's-style Fluevog Everest t-strap (Wonder family):

While still full price at Fluevog stores and online, they were heavily discounted on Amazon because of the end of the season, and I got the only pair in my size.

Sweet babies. They make me want to dance at a jazzy nightclub...in a 1920s flapper-style dress. Like any of these:

Silent Passageway Dress

Amaretti Biscuit Dress

Hail a Cabaret Dress

Have I mentioned that I love ModCloth, too? No? Well, now you know. ;-)

xo, Gladys