Monday, June 12, 2017

My Surprise Birthday Party!

Hello friends!

I don't even have the words to describe my gratitude and appreciation to my sisters (and dear friends) for surprising me with the most wonderful birthday party I could have ever asked for. So much of my favorite people all in one place and the thought and careful planning that went into each detail: It makes my eyes tear up! The feeling of #blessed is real, guys! The people in our lives are so much greater then all the s t u f f. It's hard to step back sometimes and see the blessings. Hope you all hug and love on those blessings around you today. Text those forgotten friends a sweet message. Reach out to a family member that you haven't heard from in a while. Don't lose those people in your lives! They are worth more then money can buy.

If you have been following me for a while, you know my sisters and I love to party ;) meaning, we love throwing parties, planning parties, decorating parties. (The coffee sipping, eating and chit-chatting kind of parties) This time my sister asked Tania from Lavender Dreams to come photograph the party decor (and US!) and I just really had to share the images! She is just magical. (GO CHECK OUT HER PAGE! If you are in central Virginia or Northern VA, you must book a session!) She also photographed me with the poppies last spring which is my favorite photo session ever. See it here!

Hope you enjoy the photos! Thanks again to all my family and friends that made this birthday so special and memorable! Love you guys!

The cutest "tea" station complete with little baggies to make your own tea. Loved it.


And thanks again to Tania for these wonderful pictures! So happy to have these memories and little details to remember forever. 

With love, 
Viktoria

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Ruffled and Striped Wrap-Skirt Tutorial (& Best Way to Shop for Sunglasses!)



I am so happy we are in the stage of maxi and midi skirts. It is so feminine and girly! I have wanted to do another play on the wrap skirt but in a more flowy shape this time (See my structured mini wrap skirt here!). When I found this lucky stripe fabric at the thrift store (3.5 yards for $3.50! YAY!), I knew it'd be perfect.

Unfortunately some of my photos got deleted but do not be intimidated! It is an easy skirt to make!

Since I wanted the stripes to go down (not across) I had to sew two pieces together. It also added length to the skirt. (mine was 29 inches long but you may choose to make it longer or shorter)

Sew together your two squares that should equal around 70 inches.(Or double the measurement of wrapping the measuring tape around you in a wrap skirt way).

Fold on your sewn line and cut the side of the skirt in an curve from the top sloping smaller down. This will create the ruffled open effect in the front of your skirt.  There is no template: just make sure your curves aren't too sharp. You want it to go smoothly from the bottom to the top in an arch curve.

Sew a baste stitch on top and pull gently on one of the thread to create a gather. (Make sure one end is back-stitched and secure so you don't lose your ruffle!)

Make a waistband. (See here for picture)
Mine is 130 inches long / 6 inch thick strip, folded in half
(This will get smaller when you sew to the top of your skirt so keep this in mind not to make it too thin)
You will want it super long so you can wrap it all the around your waist and tie to the side.

Attach waistband to the top of your ruffle part (hiding the seams) by laying it down on top of the ruffles and sewing, then flipping it up and iron down to keep it in place. Place the waistband off center so that one side is longer (To wrap around behind your back)

At this point, measure the skirt around your waist, wrapping the front over, making sure the seam is in the middle of your butt and around to overlap the front piece. You will see the arches you cut- are they where you want them to be? If not, cut them a little higher/shorter before adding your ruffle.

To create the ruffle:

I used a large dinner size and a small saucer for my template to create larger ruffles. Cut 6 (double layered) circle cut outs


Pin and sew the edges together to make a looooong ruffle (right side to right side)

Hem the outside edge of your ruffle (longer part) by folding and sewing slowly down, folding as you go. This part is tricky because the fabric wants to go crooked. Just take it slow. If you have a serger, I envy you! ;)
Pin the short side of ruffle to the edge of your skirt all the way around the skirt/ edge of your fabric. 



To finish the ruffle, I went all the way up to the waistband and attached it there (As pictured below)


Iron down the ruffle and your skirt and you're done! Wrap around a simple tee or tank and wear with sandals or heels! This will be your summer go-to skirt! 




Also, I have discovered the best way to shop for sunglasses! Have you heard of Warby Parker?? They allow you to pick out any 5 pairs to try out at home for 5 days! Shipping is free for delivery and returns! This will take out the stress of finding which pair really suits your face. (honestly, this was very helpful especially for prescription glasses! I have been ordering my glasses online for a while now and it's always a bit of a guessing game/surprise when they come in. I am excited to order a pair now that I know how they will look before fully committing) 

Try them out! But beware- picking just 5 is the hardest part. SOO many cute styles!!






Thank you so much for reading and if you have any questions, Id love to answer them!!

With Love, 
Viktoria