Liliana's personal blog

I've told you about Elisabeta and I going to boot camp? Well, we are right in the think of it.... safe at home on my very cozy bed!

The first Shakespeare play I read was Henry V, then Two Gentlemen of Verona, and just yesterday, the Merchant of Venice, which I really enjoyed.

How I did the Two Gentlemen of Verona and the Merchant of Venice was, I found a production on youtube and then played it while following along in my book. So much easier to understand when you do it that way, you should definitely try it out!

Oh, and here are the links to the videos in case you want to do the same:

Two Gentlemen of Verona And holy cow the actors do a good job! Especially whoever it is who played Julia... just wow!
Merchant of Venice One problem here? They totally skip the last scene! Which is a really important scene! So make sure you read the rest of the play as well... if you read it aloud it's way easier to understand that if you read it in your mind.

And today I'm going to do Antony and Cleopatra.

I made more doll shoes! Again! Already!

Last night, I made three pairs.

One of baby blue, one dusty pink, and one navy blue.

Only one worked. That's fine though, because I identified WHY they didn't work so now I know what I did wrong.

So here are pictures of the pair that worked:





And so let me explain why the other pairs didn't work:

So the navy blue pair, I accidentally made one of the shoes inside-out because I wasn't paying enough attention to what I was doing, and I only realized that AFTER I had finished the pair, using up all the trim in the process. So, I couldn't redo it. It was even my favourite pair!

And the pink pair? Well I cut them to have a fringe, except, it's impossible to get the shoes ON without all the fringe ending up wedged in so you can't even see it! Other than, of course, the odd tuft here and there making it look like these shoes are in the middle of falling apart.....

But I am not deterred. I shall continue to make doll shoes until I have mastered the craft.

A while back I said that I wanted to learn how to make doll shoes. Well I finally got around to making my first two pairs. I was super bored last night, so I just sat down and made them. It was sorta stressful but also super exhilarating.

I drafted my own pattern (because why not?) and used this tutorial.

First I made a maroon and baby-blue pair, then a cream and blue pair.

They're not perfect but I am very proud of them (these are my very first and second tries, after all).

Nothing is pure good or pure bad.

One event, one action, can lead to another, which leads to another, creating the beautiful and somewhat unpredictable web of life.

And while we can't exactly plan the web, or even our own lives out, we can do The Next Right Thing.

We do not need to fret about yesterday or tomorrow, last minute or the next minute. If we focus on the present, if we keep asking ourselves and the Supreme Being what the next right thing to do is, and then do it, we'll be fine.

Even when everything seems against us, when it seems impossible, we must remember that nothing is impossible, only improbable, and get to work doing The Next Right Thing.

While the web of life might not be perfect, it is beautiful. It is a tale of challenges, heroes, and purpose. It is, of course, the story of life.

So why fret about what has happened or will happen?

All we need to do is focus on The Next Right Thing.

So while reading Henry V, I found the following tidbits of wisdom:

"They would have me as familiar with men's pockets as their gloves or their handkerchers: which makes much against my manhood, if I should take from another's pocket and put into mine... I must leave them, and seek some better service." (Act three, scene one.)

Lessons as follows: 1) the sum of adulthood is not just of age, but of wisdom, knowledge and application of right and wrong, and following your conscious; 2) that we must be brave enough to see the truth; and 3) seeing the truth is not enough, we must use it to improve ourselves and the lives of those around us.


"O hard condition, twin-born with greatness..." (Act four, scene one.)

Lessons as follows: 1) greatness comes from conquering hardship; 2) those who are favoured are those who are tried (In other words, God gives trials to his chosen people to purify them to be better servants).


Shakespeare is a bit hard to read, but it's so worth it!

So I mentioned earlier that Elisabeta and I were going to go to a bootcamp this summer.

Well, that's sorta true and sorta not true.

Here's the scoop:

Even though school is, technically over, it's time for me to sit down and really focus on reading those classics. I had this great idea to make a "boot camp" where I read a Shakespeare Play every school day! A mentor who I respect and admire very much suggested using one's summer break to do a big simulation. I decided to do a 'Shakespeare play a day.'

This will last two weeks, so by Monday the 8th, I'll have read at least nine Shakespeare plays.

I'm so excited!

The play I'm going to read today is "Henry V."

About two hours ago, I finished summer top four. This one, I have mixed feelings on, and I might end up altering it and taking out the cuffs. I don't really know yet, so we'll see.

Anyways, it's in the gorgeous pink fabric........... about three years ago, I made myself a pleated skirt with this fabric and it was my favourite thing ever until I grew out of it... and then I wore it a lot more... and then I finally had to admit that it was way to small and I needed to give it up. But guess what... I found some more of that fabric, and used it to make this shirt!

I have a few things to share in today's post:

First, I finished another summer top.
Second, do you know how damaging it is to be quarantined like this?
Third, school is officially over! LAU is done for the school year... so it is time for my studies to begin!

Okay, let's go through this a little slower.

School is done... so it's time for my studies to begin in earnest. Mark Twain once said, "I do not allow my schooling to interfere with my education." AMEN! So now that school is out, it is time for me to really dig deep into the classics. I'm so excited! You'll get more book reviews and thoughts-on-books!

And my second thought, quarantine is super damaging to the economy! Do you know how much businesses are struggling to survive? CoViD19 is harsh on people, but our response to it is even harsher on people. Businesses=money=necessities of life. And besides, quarantine does little to 'stop the flow' of any disease, really, because people do have to go outside to get groceries and other necessities. Besides, families exist. You see people everyday (unless you live alone), you breathe the same air they breath, etc.

But enough about all that! Let's get on to the real reason I'm writing this post... Summer Top #3!

It's in a denim-looking cotton, with contrast-piping and ties in the back. It took a long time to work up but it was so worth it!





It's the first time I did piping. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Also, did I mention it ties in the back? That means adjustable waist definition! And I love my close-fitting shirts; tailored-ness is so comfortable, I just can't stand baggy clothes!

And the ironic thing? I am writing this blog post while wearing my VERY BAGGY pajamas. ~frowning~

Guess what I just finished! Okay, maybe it was 36 hours ago... but, you know. A summer top! Oh My Goodness, I'm so proud of it!

It took me about three hours in total to make... one hour to alter my pattern... (I used as my base my blouse pattern that I drafted for my 1950s blouse) an hour and a half to put it all together... and a half hour to do that button loop. Which is kinda ridiculous, but hey, that's the first time I've ever done a button loop before.

Holy cow, it's been a crazy week! I've had my last classes of the school year and I'm just finished day one of two of finals. And I still found time to read, so yay me! Oh, and I made myself TWO shirts! One is already blogged about; the other not... but it's coming!

And yes, this time I actually got a good book for my #newwaytoread challenge (Rivers of Wind, book 13). Sadly, I again only read one, because I was very busy reading Be Obsessed Or Be Average and No They Can't: Why Government Fails -But Individuals Succeed (which was a pretty good read).

But here it is...

~Knowledge opens up new worlds
~Be open to intuition; logic isn't everything

In other words, love learning and learn as much as you can (check!) but know that sometimes, you just have to trust your instincts and get to work.

So here is what I am going to do:
~Despite school closing this week, I'm going to keep on reading and learning, and, as I learned in another Guardians of Ga'Hoole book, discussing what I learn.
~I'm also going to do more than learn; for example, I'm going to spend more time with siblings, keep designing and sewing clothes (and learning new techniques!), eating and cooking yummy (but healthy) foods, biking and rollerblading, and keeping an eye out for new adventures and opportunities for growth.

In a past post, I mentioned that I made some clothes for my 9 yr old sister's two Springfield dolls, Abby and Mia. Well, I finally got around to sharing pictures of them! Yay me!

I made four shirts (two for each of the dolls) and one skirt (for them to share).

So like I have said before, thanks to quarantine, I do not have very many summer clothes and am in dire need of shorts and short-sleeved tops.

And also like I have said before, I decided to make some short-sleeved tops because I'm sick of waiting for quarantine to end. Also, it'll be something fun to do.

Well, guess what... the first one is done! I am so proud of it!

I had this gorgeous fabric that I'd been holding onto for forever, just waiting for that perfect project... and, well, this project was THE ONE.

I decided to use my dress pattern. Except, since this is a shirt, I drastically shortened the skirt, so now it's a pretty peplum top!

I decided not to do the darts on the front, which I kinda regret, but also kinda don't regret...

But over all, I really like it and am so proud of it!





Also I made a matching scrunchie... because why not? ;0

On Monday, I read this uber inspiring book called "Be Obsessed or Be Average." It's legit the coolest book I've read this year... so far (You can find it here)

Published in 2016, best selling author Grant Cardone lays out his secret to success- being obsessed. In other words, finding what gives you satisfaction and meaning, and then chasing it!

If you do decide to read it (which you totally should!), I highly recommend doing all the activities therein. It will make your experience 10x better... (get it? that's a pun... Grant Cardone also authored The 10X Rule.... which is going on my to-read list).

And you know what, it's a very liberating read! The idea that I can live with passion and totally not listen to anyone who says other wise is, while not new to me, still exciting.

I think this is one of the most important books that Gen Z's and Millennials can read. If everyone read (and applied) it, it would completely revolutionize our educational system, our families, and our culture.

My sixth grader sister recently introduced me to Who I Really Am. It's a super cool website filled with music, stories, and inspiration. It's aim is to help one discover who one really is.

They have a cool story about the journey of discovery, music about the guides of the journey of the discovery, and honestly, it's really cool. And... it's free!

I SUPER recommend it.

Not that sewing, crocheting, and all that other awesome stuff is boring, but I feel like it is time to master a new craft.

But what craft?

Perhaps making doll shoes?

Oui, oui!

So I found four cool tutorials on YouTube about making doll shoes, and I'm totally trying it out!

Tutorial for No Sew Janes
Tutorial for Basic Shoes
Tutorial for Ballet Flats
Tutorial for Sandals

So yeah, I'm excited! My first pair are probably going to be horrible, but I'm still pumped! Now Elisabeta will have millions of shoes in addition to millions of pieces of clothing. She's so spoiled...

But it's fine... she's going to boot-camp this year(more about that later! )