Parisian experience

Paris, France- The dream destination. 

Never did this seem possible to actually see the Effile tower!

As we planned our day, it hit me how silly it was to long so much to see this one structure. I've seen it in so many pictures, why was it such a big deal? Maybe I could go without seeing it... yet I couldn't resist! 

We set out for the long walk to see this one monument. And oh how glad we were! It was larger and just overall more glorious in person than ever imagined. As we stood underneath and stared up in amazement we couldn't understand why we were so fascinated!

After that spectacle, the whole of Paris looked more beautiful. Now, we saw this historical monument, the whole city was historic in our eyes. Even though the fashion designer in me wished to see a chic and fabulous fashion province, we got to see this historic city where so much has happened. This was why it was so beautiful! Society is built off of history. Mistakes and accomplishments. Betterment is only possible through learning from what has been done. This city is a prime example of all that has happened and continues to build upon that, not in place of it.

 Notre Dame! 

Sainte Chapelle  

 

 

 

  

Ultimately, the lesson learned here was that beauty is not in perfection alone. The beauty of Paris is not in all its glory, but the history, the accomplishments. 

So often we get frustrated and avoid taking chances for fear of not reaching perfection. But once you achieve your goal, there is always another one to strive for. In such a way, we aim for perfection and therefore slowly conquer our fears. Try to do one thing that scares you every day and see just how much you grow in a year! ~Mina

Satisfying the Wanderlust

Florence, Italy more commonly known to the locals as Firenze, is officially when I fell in love with exploring.

If you look at an overview of the map of this city you'll see the center becomes so intricately webbed with streets. It was so easy to get lost!

So that is exactly what we did. We rented some bikes, grabbed a map, then let ourselves get lost. It was the epitome of thrilling. Racing through winding, narrow streets, every other one crowded with people, no idea where we were, but enjoying every new discovery made.

Instead of being stressed about making plans and getting to see specific places, we went wherever. This is what adventure is. This was the satisfaction of wanderlust.

So easy it is to become entrapped in a schedule of everyday life that we often forget to open our eyes, breathe in our surroundings and find the beauty that's right in front of us.

Sure, Florence is one of the most beautiful cities, but it taught me my next greatest lesson.

Life is beautiful

This city will forever be dear to me for all it has taught me.

Here are some highlights of this beautiful city!

Starting off down the alleyways

piazza della signoria

I can officially say I've seen a ghost ;-)

Bridge over alley way

This was just too perfect

Overlook from Michelangelo Square

The Duomo, No shot could cove the majesty of this Church! 

If you haven't been here already, I hope you can one day experience this city too!


~Mina

Dreams Can Become Reality

Blogging was once again put on a halt, this time due to a European adventure including my two feet,
a backpack, and a camera.

 For six weeks I traveled through Italy, France, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and England!

I've heard stories of how this trip could be life changing, but always just assumed it was just something Hollywood made up, you know, like Eat, Pray, Love. 

Well, those six weeks were truly transformational!

Through the next few weeks I hope to share as much beauty and lessons that I experienced with you through this blog. Now that I am back and refreshed, you will also be included in the growth of Mina Designs and the new adventures that it's bringing!

To start off the adventure, my brother and I arrived in Rome.

Lesson #1-
       When traveling account for mishaps! Allow one extra day per city for adjustment/rest time.

We landed safely and smoothly in Rome headed for our hostel when... I realized my passport was still on the plane where I so thoughtfully put it on my seat. Hours later we tracked it down from information, to police, to information, to security, to information, to security, to police... Needless to say we slept well that night.

Then we enjoyed a full day of sightseeing around Rome!

 Sancta Sanctorum

 

Basilica of St. John the Latern

The Colleseum!

Roman ruins

Trajan Column

 The Vatican!

 Piazza della Repubblica

 Trevi Fountain still under construction :-(

 Day three was spent hiking with our backpacks searching for our Eurail passes which were being held by the carrier. We started at 11am and finally made it to the correct carrier by 6pm. By the time we made it to the train station there were no more trains out so we were left wandering the streets of Rome for our final night. We found a nice spot by the fountain to rest, thus the picture below :-)

Due to adjusting period being mixed in with the great adventures we had not planned for, we were excited to leave Rome. We saw all we wanted to see and learned our lesson. The rest of our journey had to be enjoyed, not just experienced. So we went through all the cities we had planned to see and scratched them down to the most important ones.

So long Roma! Thank you for the memories! Until next time ~ Mina

Impossible is Impossible

Have you ever thought about everything or anything that you wanted to do and then said to yourself, "oh well, it's nice to dream"?

I know I sure have!

   - Travel Europe
   - Have my own clothing line
   - Run a marathon

Why not do those things you only dream of? What's holding you back?

I guaruntee it's you. You are holding yourself back.

To quote Nike- "Just do it"

How badly do you want it?

• Prioritize your life
• Set the steps needed to accomplish it
• Tell yourself it will happen
• And most importantly: Trust in God

Something to ponder

     Your thoughts become your words

          Your words become your actions
               Your actions become habits
                    Your habits become your lifestyle
                         Your lifestyle becomes your destiny

Make your thoughts positive. Make your destiny an inspiration.

If we all did this, what an incredible world we would live in! Stop letting life go by. Make a difference every day of your life. Even the small ones matter. Together we can eventually change the world.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" --Phil 4:13

~Mina~

Long time, no post!

Ever have those times when doing every thing you want to seems impossible?

That's pretty much the summary of my life right now.

Solution?
      Simple: create a list of the top 10 attainable goals to make your life better.

I decided to make mine visible to me every day

- Yes, that is a chalk wall in my bedroom. It's pretty amazing. Especially if you like to change up your room often. No need to keep repainting or hanging me pictures, just wipe off your wall and draw or wrote something new! -

Always finding ways to love life!
~ Mina ~

Behind the scenes

What does a designer really do? Sketching out ideas doesn't seem like a career.
Well here's the inside scoop of what we really go through~

1) The inspiration: This was the inspiration for this particular project- Primarily the butterfly

2) To the drawing board! (No, this is not the first sketch)

3) Making the pattern...
    Further explanation will have to be another post entirely

4) Fabric time! This is the scary part, once you cut, you can't undo it. 0_o

5) Serging (This is my favorite part)
     It is a machine with four threads that sew the end of the fabric in order to prevent it from fraying through all the wearing and washing.

6) Assembly process

7) The fit and analysis

Voila! Now it's time to be worn and make some woman feel beautiful and confident!

Thoughts? Questions? Comments?

Is love to hear!

~Mina