Liliana's personal blog

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."

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~

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.

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

My charter school requires four leadership credits for graduation. So I've been taking leadership... and really enjoying it. It's been transformational. Now you might be wondering what on earth this has to do with the title of this entry. Well, in the leadership courses, students are required to use the Best Self Journal, which has one set and the achieve 1-3 big goals over the course of thirteen weeks.

For one of my goals (I set two), I decided to design, draft patterns for, and sew two 1950's outfits.

The first step was, of course, finding inspiration. VintageDancer was HUGELY helpful with this. Great historical articles, and images. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in fashion from the 1900s to the 1970s.

So after I gathered all my inspiration (and spend way too much time on the computer), I analyzed my 'data' and figured out WHY I liked each dress/outfit.

After I did that, I sketched a lot of ideas... picked my favourite three (a blouse, a skirt, and a dress), and started drafting patterns.

This was my first time drafting a pattern for a piece of clothing made from woven material (other than my doll...) and so I had a lot of struggles there.

But I finally got the patterns right... went shopping for fabric and other sewing 'notions' (going to JoAnn was the weirdest thing ever thanks to CoViD19 ). The trip was actually pretty stressful... but it went well.

Then I started sewing! Inserting the invisible zipper was a new skill for me, so that was super stressful, but it went well!

Oh, and then I made matching scarves, because in the 1950s, everything a women wore had to match perfectly... dress, shoes, gloves, belt, scarf, underwear... all of it.

And then I got to wear them! And here are some picture of me... because I'm cute and I'm so proud of the two outfits...

Yay for mothers!

Today is May 12. In other words, Mother's Day. And here in Cache Valley, it's an absolutely gorgeous day.

So here is how I have celebrated Mother's Day so far:

-I made her a card the Wednesday before
-I woke up at seven to make breakfast for her with my oldest (but still younger than me) sister.
-I said "Happy Mother's Day!"

And that's about it!

But to get a little more serious, mothers are amazing! They kiss your ouchies better, they make you breakfast, they clean your laundry... and all along, they are there with love, a smile, and a bit of fun.

Mothers are amazing. Matriarchs in their family, they lead and teach with love and compassion.

Their ability to influence others for good and nurture them can literally change the world -for better or for worse. Motherhood is power!

So hooray for mothers! And don't forget to tell them thanks for all they do, not just today but every day.

Guess what, guys!

Today, I have officially lived in my house for ten years! Holy cow, I've spent two thirds of my life in this house!

May 8th, the anniversary of our moving to Cache Valley, is a family holiday for us. We eat pancakes at IHOP, sleep out in the living room, and listen to our parents telling us the story of how we came to live here. Moving Day is definitely one of my favourite holidays.

This year, Moving Day is going to look a little different thanks to quarantine.

We're going to have pancakes at home... extra big ones... with eggs and sausage... and whipped cream (with dairy-free coconut milk whipped cream)... and lots of real maple syrup... it's going to be delicious!

And geez, I'm so glad I live in Cache Valley and in my awesome house with my awesome family!

And for a whole decade.... wow. I'm getting old.