HOW TO : ADJUST A DRESS TO FIT

Hello! So today i'm blessing all you wonderful people with a 'How to'. It's pretty basic but I thought it was a good place to start. I don't know the level of sewing ability that you guys have so for those of you with little to no knowledge of sewing, this might come in very useful. 

I am an opshop lover and that is where this dress is from. I loved the colour and the fabric is super stretchy so I thought it was perfect for a knee length body con dress. There was only one problem, the shape was awful and it did not fit me right. Never fear, I was about to fix that.

Side note: If the dress does not have a zip or button closure and is not a stretch fabric, it may make it difficult to get it on if you make it skin tight. so there's a warning my friends.

You don't need a lot for this how to:
Pins
Scissors
Fabric pen
Sewing machine

It's so simple it's crazy.
Put the dress on inside out. Pull the dress evenly on both sides to your desired fit at four main points.
    1: Armpit
  2: Waist
3:Hips
 4: Hem
Mark these with a fabric pen.

Once you've marked those points connect them up, making sure it tapers smoothly from each point.
All you need to do now is sew to the new size and cut the excess fabric off.
DONE.

Now that i've written this, it seems too easy to have made a post about it, but hey, it's done now.
Hope you didn't roll your eyes at the simplicity of this how to..

Love, Elvina xox

MY WINTER GUIDE : TOP HALF EDITION

Hello wonderful readers. Today, I thought I would do a winter essentials guide. I have been living in London and it felt like there was a never ending streak of bad weather and I left just in time to come home to New Zealand to, you guessed it, winter. I feel like I am an expert on dressing for cold weather now.

Although I don't own all these essentials they are all things that I have learnt are perfect basics for every winter outfit, and I will soon own them all. 

#1 : LEATHER JACKET

It is number one for a reason. First off, they make you look and feel so super cool. Whenever I chuck a leather jacket over my outfit, it instantly adds and edge to what i'm wearing. I've never been able to pull off the 'punk' look, but in a leather jacket, i'm the closest I will ever get to it.

Second, they are practical. They'll keep you warm and they are so so diverse.
Third, if you invest in a decent one it will last you forever!

(more here and here

#2 : TURTLENECKED SWEATER

You can absolutely never go wrong with a turtleneck or a knitted sweater, so put them together and you're a winner. I'm not going to lie to you, I have a slight obsession. Practically every sweater I own has a turtle neck and I love them all like crazy. I promise they're all different. One major bonus of a turtleneck sweater is the fact that it keeps your neck nice and warm on those days when you don't feel like wearing a scarf. Definitely a must have.

(more here and here)

#3 : RAIN JACKET

If you've even been to auckland, you will know that it rains all the damn time. If you live in place that doesn't really rain, then this piece may be void, but here, it is an essential. You can get some really awesome rain jackets these days. I love the look of the one above and it reminds me of Paddington Bear (although not yellow). With a cool rain jacket like that, you'll want it to rain, just so you can wear it!

(more here and here)

#4 : STRUCTURED DUSTER COAT

When it gets really cold, it can be hard to get away with wearing just any old jacket, and that is where the trusty old coat comes in. The duster style is a favourite of mine, plus it offers extra warmth as it covers more of your body. I found that when I was in the worst of the winter you wear the same coat everyday, so it makes sense to invest in one warm, super chic coat. This is the one thing i've been lusting after. All through winter I wore my Kathmandu jacket, which I really don't like. I feel like it took the sophistication out of my outfits and made me look so casual, which is not a look I tend to go for. Whenever a saw someone in a duster coat they just looked so fab. Top of my list of things to buy.

(more here and here)

I would love to know what your winter essentials are!
Kisses, Elvina xox

HEY HI HELLO

Welcome lovely people. It is time for a bit of a blog make-over.

Ever since I started this blog, I had no idea what direction I was going to go with it, and it ended up being in no direction at all. I'v fluffed about and barely posted anything, but i'm going to try and change that. 

I'm going to post things that people might actually want read. Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to post my outfits and experiences but I'm going to add in a bit more variety. I'm currently in limbo, I'm not working and i'm trying to move to Melbourne so i've got a lot of free time that I can use to focus on my blog.

I'm planning on studying fashion next year so this will be a great platform for me. I'm so excited about what's to come in the future and I hope you are too!

Love, Elvina xox

LAST DAYS

There is so many things that I never did while overseas because I thought I had all the time in the world. After I decided to come home I was left with a week to do what I could. It turned out to not be enough, mainly my time was used for packing, seeing friends that I wanted to say goodbye to and having meltdowns. I was, however, able to do one very special thing before I left. 


I was able to visit the area where my mum and all her siblings grew up. Me and my Aunt went on a little adventure. We trespassed on occasion but it was so cool to see the places that mean so much to who they all are. We found the spot where my grandmothers ashes were spread. Chime cottage was the tiny little house where my mum was born before they had to move because it was not going to fit a family of eight.


The coolest part was visiting the littler street called Lawrenson Mews. This was named after my grandfather and his brother who had owned a few shops in the area. It was amazing, because people always come across streets with their name in it but this one was actually about my family, not just coincidence. 


I wish I had of had more time to do all the travelling i was desperate to do but being able to visit Billingshurst was super special.


Love, Elvina xox

CEAD MILE FAILTE (ONE THOUSAND WELCOMES)

I just got home from a trip to Dublin. The whole time i've been here, i've been desperate to go to Ireland. I was originally planning to go for St. Patricks day but that didn't work out. However, I now believe that it was probably a good thing.

I had roughly 2 1/2 days to spend in Dublin so had to try and fit in as much as possible into those few days. I was told, before going to Ireland, to visit the Cliffs of Moher but due to the lack of time I was unable to fit that in. No panic though, just gives me a good excuse to go back.

The trip was filled with a lot of walking. We started off with a walking tour around Dublin. It was the first tour i've done in a country where the tour guide was actually from the place I was in. The following day we went to a fishing town called Howth. Overall, we walked about 10km. We walked to the top of a mountain in order to get an amazing view back into Dublin. We then continued on and walked along the edges of the Howth cliffs. 

To experience a bit of Irish culture we went to an Irish pub called The Celt. Obviously, we had to get a pint of Guinness and tried Jameson Whiskey. We were also provided with entertainment from a little Irish man with a guitar singing Irish classics. 

It was absolutely freezing there, hence the little amount of photos of me because my whole head was wrapped up in a scarf. Despite the cold, I had an amazing time away. Everyone in Dublin was so friendly. It's very different to London. Very refreshing.