Dubai Christmas 2013

Hi everybody!

Long time, no see! My uncle was in for a week over Christmas break, and my family took this opportunity to do all sorts of touristy things.

One of our first stops was the Burj Khalifa. In my three and a half years here in Dubai, I had yet to visit its greatest attraction. The tour only goes to the 124th floor out of 160. The first photo here is not from the bottom, but from the observation deck on the 124th floor. The view was phenomenal, the skies weren't too cloudy, and not a single sandstorm threatened to ruin the sights.

From here, you can see the shadow the Burj Khalifa casts on the rest of the puny buildings.

Our next adventure was dune bashing. As always, it was a really good time and I had a lot of fun. The desert got much colder than I expected, and by the end of the night I was chilled to the bone (I'm actually just a wimp - the temperature couldn't have dipped below 60F). A flat tire also set us back a good half hour, but luckily we didn't miss the evening feast!

Christmas Eve rolled around much faster than I anticipated. We spent the evening with good friends and good food. I loved our tree this year, it was our first one here in Dubai! Unfortunately I don't have photos of the gift unwrapping. Our tradition is to open them on Christmas morning in our pajamas, and nobody needs to see me like that!

One of the perks to living in a Muslim country is that stores don't close for Christmas. We were able to score awesome barbecue, and catch the amazing fountain show at the Dubai Mall.

We also ate at Samad Al Iraqi, this amazing Iraqi restaurant, the day after Christmas. You know a restaurant here is good when it's filled with locals! This photo is of the traditional end of meal Moroccan tea. It comes in very small glasses, and is usually pretty sweet. I'm not great at capturing food photos - we always seem to inhale the food as soon as it arrives! 

After eating some great food, we all stopped by the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. They had the cutest little Christmas market going on! It's amazing to see Christmas being celebrated here when as recently as 1995, Christmas decorations were supposedly illegal here. It's crazy how the times change.

I hope you enjoyed! Happy holidays!
<3 Lucero

DIY Sweater Beanie

Hi everybody!

I'm back with a DIY tutorial! As I was going through my winter wardrobe, I noticed that there were a few sweaters I hadn't worn in a while. Instead of throwing them away, I thought it'd be fun to transform a plain old sweater into a cute beanie!

What you'll need:
A sweater to cut up
Scissors
A ruler
Needle and thread/ fabric glue

This is an old tan sweater I've had for ages from Zara. I think it was on sale in the kids' section, but it's only been worn a handful of times. The color is rather yawn-worthy, and I honestly never want to wear it again.

To start off, cut straight across under the armpit. This doesn't need to be perfect, you'll be doing additional cutting later. 

Wrap the waistband around your head, and measure out how long it'll need to be. Instead of creating an entirely new edge for the hat, we'll use the bottom hem of the sweater.

Next, fold the sheet of fabric into thirds or quarters. It's your call. Then cut a dome shape at the top.

 Now it's time to seal the edges in. Either sew, or use fabric glue to close it up. If you're using glue, wait a 10-15 minutes before attempting to wear it.

Finally, flip the beanie inside out, and you're ready to go! Done! 

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson

Halloween 2013

Hi everybody!

This year for Halloween, my brother and I went trick-or-treating. It's been our tradition to go out solo while our parents hand out candy, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't look forward to the occasion. My brother went as the grim reaper, and even let me do his eye makeup for an extra frightening effect. I've been indecisive about my costume the entire month, but yesterday I finally decided to go as Minnie Mouse. I had the ears, and the signature red skirt, so I was good to go! We had a really good time, and it's been awesome seeing more and more kids in our neighborhood participate every year.

Also, this is the last day of Blogtober! It's been a great time, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the month. It went by so fast! I'm definitely looking forward to this next year.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: This is Halloween from the Nightmare Before Christmas

Bold in Burgundy

Hi everybody!

Today's outfit is something I'd wear out shopping. It's stylish and comfortable to wear, which is the perfect combo! The lovely burgundy skirt is actually a dress, I chose to throw a knotted tee over top of it. I like the dress because it is really silky and single layered, so there isn't too much fabric floating around. The accessories are almost all black, because when in doubt I elect to go dark.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

new grunge top - Zara | burgundy dress - Forever 21 | bracelet - Baublebar | black oxfords - Aldo | black bag - Forever 21

Song of the Day: Blue Monday as sung by Flunk

Bad Hair Day

Hi everybody!

Do you ever have one of those days where your hair flat out refuses to cooperate? Usually, I just begrudgingly stick my hair in a ponytail, but today I decided to switch it up and throw on a gray knit beanie. It keeps everything in place, and is really comfortable to wear. I kept the rest of the outfit really casual, since I didn't want the cap to look too out of place on my head. I also added red lipstick, to distract from my hair failure.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

knit cap - Banana Republic | oversized tee - American Eagle Outfitters | jeggings - Express | sandals - Target | bag - Louis Vuitton

Song of the Day: I Believe by Simian Mobile Disco

Black to the Fuschia

Hi everybody!

Today's outfit, besides being pun riddled, makes for a nice transitional autumn ensemble. It's not quite cool enough yet to really need a sweater, but a scarf can now be added as a complementary piece. I really like this scarf, because the bright hue means the rest of my outfit can be laidback and muted. It also pairs perfectly with my favorite messenger bag!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

gray V-neck shirt - Target | black pants - American Eagle Outfitters | black flats - Zara | fuchsia scarf - Armani Exchange | pink bag - Rebecca Minkoff

Song of the Day: Bruises by Chairlift

All Dolled Up With Nowhere To Go

Hi everybody!

Today I pulled out a lovely old dress I haven't worn in ages. I think it's only been worn to one or two events, such a shame it hasn't seen more action! It has a distorted paisley print that uses lots of autumnesque colors. I really like the cut, because it hits right at the floor and makes me look much taller than I am. Any added height I can get, I will take! I added dark accessories, but nothing too bold. The dress is stunning in and of itself. Also, this is my 100th post on this blog! Here's to 100 more!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

floorlength dress - Kohls for Girls | bag - Louis Vuitton | beaded necklace worn as bracelet - Target | black sandals - Target

Song of the Day: Sleepyhead by Passion Pit