1 top, 4 ways - Second edition

Hi!

I have been eyeing a top with peepholes for quite some time now and I finally got around to making one. It was so very challenging!!! After a few failed attempts with using bias tape on the peepholes and 3 failed attempts at setting the sleeves, I was about ready to give up, but I am happy I didn't.

This top is not as versatile as the chiffon t-shirt, but it can still be used in several different ways.

Here are some tops that have a similar vibe: BCBG in purple, or this BCBG dress with a similar neckline and beautiful color, this Trina Turk Women's Linnet Blouse, or this Kenneth Cole Bright Print Top. You can check the whole selection here.

Love these black earrings!

And I really adore these shoes!!!

Aren't they a-m-a-z-i-n-g?

Love,

Sam

DIY Weekend - A headboard in 7 easy steps

Hi!

Our bedroom was looking a little sad, so I decided to create a headboard for us. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Materials:

• Wood - cut to the size at the Home Depot or Lowes
• Brackets - to attach the headboard to the wall. 
• Foam - sold by the yard at Joann
• Batting - also sold by the yard at Joann
• Fabric - a ton of choices in fabric stores
• Decorative nails
• Staples

Tools:

• Hammer
• Staple gun
• Screwdriver
• Drill

These are 7 steps to DIY headboard heaven:

1. Measure, measure, measure! Everything - from the size you want your headboard to be to the trunk of your car - I ended up buying smaller pieces of wood, so that they would fit in the car.

This meant I had to attach the pieces of wood with brackets before hand. Also, make sure to measure the fabric and batting, to leave enough of an edge to fold back and staple.

2. Layer! Create layers with the fabric at the very bottom, followed by the batting, then foam. Make sure they are all squared away and there are no gaps on the foam pieces.

3. Set the wood plank! Again, make sure everything is centered and that the fabric is straight and there are no folds.

4. Pull tight and staple! 

5. Add your trim! 

6. Attach the brackets to the back of the board and to the wall. Again, measuring here is paramount!

7. Hang it to the wall!

And voila - Here is our new room!

Have you ever done a headboard? Share your pictures here!

Love,

Sam

Dealing with the stress of moving...

Hi!

Moving is no fun. And it is even worse that I miss Josh, who is already in Austin. There is packing, shipping, selling, throwing things out, cleaning. Another 12 days of this and then unpacking, more cleaning and organizing.

Most of the stress has come from trying to sell things and having it not go as planned. It is breeding a lot of bad emotions towards Sao Paulo. However, there have been some very kind souls along the way and I am very grateful for them!

Today was rough with leaving work early to wait for someone who was very happy to just to make me wait. After waiting, then driving through rush hour Sao Paulo traffic (in the rain),  I decided I needed a DIY break from all this madness. (okay - I will admit that not having that pesky distraction called TV helps me find time for all kinds of DIY breaks)

So, inspired by the pretty collars for Spring and Summer , in particular Louis Vuitton's, as seen here and here, I used a broken necklace and an old shirt that wasn't working anymore.

I am pretty happy with the result. And got two outfits out of it!

Dress: by me
Shirt: Banana Republic
Jeans: Joes
Shoes: Corello (very old)

Let me know what you think!

Love,

Sam

Cobalt Blue Shoes - Doing it Yourself

Hi,
After the very successful attempt with shoes + spray paint and all the blue accessories becoming the next trend to follow, I decided to go through my pile of clothes to give away and fire away the spray can once more.

I had these great suede shoes, that had some bad stains and I was told they couldn't be fixed. I also picked a purse that was not working.

 The I cleaned them ...

 And wrapped with tape.

 Even the inside of the shoes...

 Then started painting.

After the first coat, I realized it would take several more.

 But the end result is a pair of bright blue shoes and a nice purse.

 Check out the flowing hair!

Jeans - the Gap
T-shirt - Banana Republic
Necklace - Kendra Scott
Shoes - Enzo Angiolini
Purse - unknown

The twenties

Hi!

This outfit was inspired by the great fashions of the 1920's that have been popping up everywhere (and also here). I have always had a crush to this era: the rich fabrics, the prints, the embroideries. It looks feminine and daring!

So I have made this crushed velvet t-shirt. It is very basic and it can be styled in a multitude of ways.

 I used an old dress that no longer fitted my style (or body for that matter) and for a pattern, I used  regular t-shirt and added some ease.

The good thing about starting from a finished dress is that I was able to keep it simple and use the hem of the dress as the hem of the top, so one less step to do.

Jeans: Banana Republic
Sandals: Nine West
Hair pin: BCBG
Necklace: BCBG

I love it, because it took me one hour to do the whole thing!

I hope you enjoy the final look!

Love,

Sam

In Memorian

Hi!

This is a very emotional post for me. On September 13th 2011, my grandfather Plinio passed away. He was 85 years old and lived a great, very fruitful life.
When I was growing up, visiting him was one of my favorite adventures. I got to visit the big city, hear his stories, and be creative! As I grew older, I went to see him when I needed to advice or when I wanted to escape from my angry world. He would always see me, lend a shoulder, pour some wine or some mate.

In my memory, he was always very elegant, charming, and an amazing storyteller - a mix of Don Draper and Big Fish. So, when we were trying to figure out what to do with his clothes as a family, I asked to keep one of his tweed jackets, which I intended to fix.

The process was pretty interesting! I had never seen the insides of menswear before and, boy, is it complicated!

I manage to really only open the lining and work in a few darts and tightened some seams, to keep a pretty boxy, menswear look. I think he would have approved.