Corsetry & the tightening of life

Some moments in life you feel yourself expanding, exhaling and growing. Other times you feel yourself contracting like you're inhaling and holding your breath. Recently I've been feeling the latter - like someone getting a grip on you and squeezing tighter and tighter. You feel your insides squish and there's no room to move. When this happens I realize that I've become closed & have prob'ly come across a fear. All it takes in these moments is the acknowledgment that what you need now is courage and an openness to let life unfold.

A few years ago I took a course on Corsetry and learned how to make one. It was a very long BUT fun and interesting process. All the steps taught were very important to creating an actually corset, fully boned to give it structure. We took precise measurements from our own bodies and adapted it to our corset for the perfect fit & added a waist stay to ensure that it would give full support to accentuate our waists. Oh my god, was it ever structured!

The fun part was putting it on until I realized I couldnt breathe. lol*

To put on a corset you clasp it from the front & then from there you tighten it in the back with the strings. The back edge pieces are stabilized with metal bones(they used to use WHALE BONES back in the day yikes!) so you can pull as much as you want without worrying about wear and tear. Just when I thought it couldnt go any tighter, it did. I started off with a 25" waist which became 22". I honestly dont know how they did this everyday. I couldnt last 5 mins in it & doesnt it look a bit wrong to see how tiny my waist got?

I am intriged by corsets bcos of how they are made. Some corsets are soo beautiful & the craftmenship is just something to see - so intricate and elaborate! If you ever get a hold of a well made corset you'll know what Im talking about. Besides that I am not a supporter of the body being deformed and altered into such an uncomfortable, very unhealthy and disturbing way.

Corset vs Bustier

A lot of ppl get corsets and bustiers confused so FYI, the difference between a corset and a bustier is that a corset is more structured and made from heavier material. It alters & transforms your body drastically while a bustier just shapes it. A corset accentuates the waist and hips while a bustier accentuates the bust. Got it? hehe well im no expert but those are the major differences.

I love these 2 embellished corsets. Sooo beautiful.

Go nude!

credit { ban.do }

Nude is one of the hot colors right now. Which is excellent bcos you can make your legs appear longer by wearing a nude shoe. And who doesnt want that? It's also quite elegant if you ask me and easy to match your outfit to. So if you're planning to spend money on shoes, Id say go nude! =)

♡ Nude Makeup. Less is more. True or false in your books?
♡ See how Kim Kardashian wears nude. Very classy I'd say.
♡ Wearing neutrals without looking washed out
♡ I love Posh's Loubs. 5 inches!! The highest heels I have are 4. And this dress Taylor Momsen's wearing.

Do you feel comfortable in your own skin? I think its time to stop obsessing over how we look all the time but instead focus on how we feel inside our bodies. Do we treat it well? Do we feed it well? Being comfortable in your skin starts with loving it so instead of trying to cover it up & adorning it with things just take a moment and ask yourself what it feels like to be in it. Just let yourself BE.

Free Palm Reading. Limited time offer

Hello my friends. Would you like to get your palm read? I have always been intrigued by the ways of a gypsie. I supposed its expected since I am a free spirited woman. I think that's what drew me to this Talula shirt I got from Aritzia which I wore under a cropped Wilfred top.

Tarot cards, tea readings, palmistry, astrology...name it and most likely I have touched on it. I mean, I have 3 decks of tarot cards all given to me as gifts lol* Even though these things entertain me, I believe that we have the ability to create our future. These things are just here as tools if you choose to believe in them or not. Anyways, lets not take it too seriously. Life isnt meant to be lived that way. So today, find a way to cast your spell.

My Wilfred top again tucked under my bra

Source { Talula }

♥ Try a LOVE SPELL
♥ I think this is the best horoscope readings that I have come across online. Very in depth esp if you know your birth date and birth time
♥ Light pretty candles everywhere
♥ Learn more about your chakras
♥ Figure out how to time travel

every morning something surprises me

this morning i woke up from heart shaped lullabies and i thought to myself, today i will write. today is a good day to write. i will write about my dreams as i swim around in my soft cotton sheets. not yet fully awake. mornings are my favorite time of day bcos dreams and reality exists as one. everything is quiet. i can count my soft heartbeats.

i was prepared to describe my dream but im slightly amused by the fact that i seem to have forgotten. faded like Polaroids in reverse. Why is it that the more you try to remember, the harder it is. Reminds me of how I used to live life. Lesson #129: Sometimes you just got to let go

what are your first thoughts when you awake?
what is the last thing you think about when you go to sleep?

My favorite things to wake up to:

♥ the smell of coffee
♥ sunshine peeking thru the blinds
♥ the sound of waves, if im on vacation
♥ a whole bed to myself hehe. but sometimes its nice to share it
♥ kisses. but then again im usually the one who wakes up first
♥ breakfast in bed
♥ little birds chirping
♥ a tidy room

My LEAST favorite things to wake up to:

♥ a hangover
♥ the sound of zippers. Then you know you're in a tent camping
♥ the realization that you fell asleep with your contacts on
♥ crows cawwing. damn things are so loud
♥ snoring
♥ alarm clocks. im lucky i have an internal one

Links of the Week

I havent posted links for a while so here you go guys

♡ Fear vs Love. An article written by Amy Fabulous and I think its definitely a good read.Check out some of her other posts as well.
♡ i love Becks' hippie inspired look
♡ Wanting what you can't have
♡ Dramatis Personae has a 4 part series on Developing your wardrobe palette
♡ feel like daydreaming? these are such lovely photographs
♡ experiencing wanderlust? check out these city guides at Design Sponge

My sister's bridal shower

Hi guys. Sorry for the lack of updates. My sister is getting married in Aug so there have been many wedding planning events going on. First of them is her bridal shower. She wanted to do a "Spring in the Hamptons" theme so it was a lot of fun putting everything togther. the decor...the food..the outfits.

The tissue paper pom poms were so much fun to make. If you want to learn how to DIY click here. I think it would be pretty cool to make them out of newspapers too for an interesting effect

I thought it would be cool to incorporate eggs into the spring decor. But instead of having them sit there and just look pretty I turned them into jello molds. My mom used to make these for me and my sister when we were kids. Here's how:

DIY Egg Jello

♥ Gently tap the top of an egg on a hard surface. Make a hole big enough so you can shake out the yoke
♥ When you get the yoke out rinse it out with water and let dry
♥ You want the jello to be more firm so use less water to make it and add gelatin
♥ Set the jello in the fridge like you normally would
♥ Now for the fun part. when its all ready crack the egg open like you would do with a hard boiled egg
♥ Peel the shell off and enjoy the jello =)

DIY 'Cup'cakes

♥ For these cupcakes I used espresso cups but you dont have to limit yourself to these. You can use little teacups, your favorite mug or anything that tickles your fancy. Just make sure that it is oven safe
♥ Choose your favorite cupcake recipe and mix it up. The cupcakes I made were chocolate devil's food cake with cherry filling, almond flavoring and some chocolate chip cookies. If you guys are interested in this recipe let me know. I will post it
♥ I ended up a little short of the mix so i filled the cups about 2/3 but you want to fill it up at least to 3/4 full
♥ Bake as per your recipe instructions. While it's baking, make the icing and add your desired color of food coloring. For our I decided on baby blue and baby yellow
♥ After they are finished baking let it cool and ice it. Sprinkle with coconut shavings

DIY Butterfly straws

♥ I thought this would be a cute accent to go with our spring theme. I went to Micheals and picked up some scrap booking paper. You can even find a selection of choices at the loonie store
♥ Start out with a main stencil you'll use to trace the other ones. Fold a piece of paper in half and draw one side of the butterfly. Use this as your stencil to trace the other butterflies on your patterened paper. It easier to cut them out on the fold. It saves you time.
♥ After you cut them out cut into the fold 2 horizontal slits about hald an inch. When you open them up this is where you will slip in the straws

♥ love you dodo ♥

LuShae Jewelry

I got a little package the other day from LuShae Jewelry. I was so excited bcos I love getting things by mail...well except for bills of course. But then again who ever likes getting bills. Anyways, the item I received was their Ribbon Ring. It's like a blinged out version of one of those ribbons ppl tie on their finger to remind them to do something. I think this ring will symbolize a reminder for me to trust myself. I very much like the design of this ring, as it is very unique and suits me perfectly. I like how dainty it is and how its just the right amount of sparkle so i can wear it on more than one occasion. The only thing I cant figure out is which finger it looks best on =P

♥ Go and check out their website: LuShae Jewelry. They have quite the variety..from rings, to bracelets, pendants and earrings ♥