La vie en rose

When I choose a theme, I reeeeeeally like to run with it.
Pink is one of those colors I didn’t appreciate until my 30’s. And now, needless to say, I’m tickled pink with it.

Dress: Realisation Par, Boots: Steve Madden, Coat: Club Monaco
Photos taken at Flower Vault pop up in Houston

Starbucks Mermaid Costume / Disfraz de la Sirena de Starbucks

Whether I’d like to admit it or not, this costume idea was a natural fit. The coffee obsession is real, y’all.

As soon as my husband came up with the idea for me to dress up as the mermaid who graces my coffee cups every day, I took to YouTube to see what tutorials were out there. And while I appreciated the 2D looking options that were out there, I wanted to do something a bit different.
If the Starbucks logo were just a cartoon of an actual creature, what would she actually look like?

This is what I came up with. Although now that I think of it, the tails make absolutely no sense. And they’re as 2D as can be, aren’t they?

Well, I did my best.

Hope you guys enjoy!

Hey guys!! After almost 2 years I'm FINALLY doing another tutorial! It's October, and I felt inspired to dress up as a certain mermaid that I see almost every day and everywhere ... the famous Starbucks Siren. Here I'll show you guys everything I did to create the costume, from the crown to the tail, the makeup, and the final touches.

Liquid Copper + Philosophy

The other day I was asking myself: Why do we as humans have such a tendency to talk about superficial stuff rather than diving into deeper things? After much thought, what I came up with was simple: it's a starting place. And it's a much easier one than politics, religion, existential questions, core values, or overarching philosophies. It's a much less divisive starting place as well; superficial things we can usually all agree on, and even if we don't, it's more of a "huh" moment than an "it's the end of the world (or this friendship)" one. But ultimately, I believe we hope that these matters of the physical world will eventually lead us to matters of the soul, mind and heart. The matters that really matter, if you will.

With that being said, I have decided that from now on I will only wear LUXURIOUS fabrics (only slightly kidding). No but seriously, life's too short to don that scratchy polyester sweater! Wouldn't you rather be enveloped in buttery silks, comfy cotton blends and sumptuous cashmere? This (admittedly somewhat superficial) philosophy was only confirmed when I received this highly anticipated dress in the mail and touched it for the first time. HEAVEN! The feel, the fit, the dramatic draping, all of it. Truth be told, I had been on the hunt for it ever since I saw a random tourist wearing a similar-looking dress (in a stunning rose gold silk) at the White Temple in Chiang Rai. I was simultaneously trying not to stare too hard at her and kicking myself for even thinking to appear at such a magnificent place wearing something that resembled pijamas (alas, waking up at 5am to get to your destination will make your fashion priorities go out the window). I didn't build up the courage to ask her where she got it but THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET! It's not the exact same but it'll definitely do.

Anyway, that's pretty much it. Oh, and the park Ben and I went to on Sunday was a very cool study in mosaic art. I like to think it somehow relates to the Kintsukuroi philosophy (one of my favorite philosophies of all time), where a vessel is that much more beautiful for having been broken, for having what some would consider imperfections.

Isn't that all of us at the end of the day?

---

El otro día me preguntaba: ¿Por qué los seres humanos tenemos esta tendencia de hablar de cosas superficiales en vez de profundizar? Después de analizarlo un buen rato, se me ocurrió una respuesta bastante sencilla: es un punto de partida. Y es uno mucho menos espantoso que lo que podría ser la política, la religión, preguntas existenciales, valores fundamentales, o filosofías de vida.  Es un punto de partida mucho menos divisivo también. Con las cosas superficiales es fácil que todos estén de acuerdo, e incluso si no lo estamos, no es el fin del mundo, ni de la amistad. Pero al final creo que lo que esperamos es que estos asuntos del mundo físico eventualmente abran camino a asuntos del alma, de la mente y del corazón. Los asuntos que realmente importan.

Dicho esto, he decidido que de ahora en adelante solo usaré prendas con texturas de LUJO (ok, quizá exagero un poco). No pero en serio, ¡la vida es demasiado corta para ponerte ese suéter de poliéster áspero! ¿No preferirías estar envuelto en sedas suntuosas y suaves mezclas de algodón? Esta filosofía (ciertamente algo superficial) sólo se confirmó cuando finalmente me llegó por correo este vestido altamente anticipado y lo pude tocar por primera vez. ¡QUÉ DELICIA! La textura, el corte, el drapeado dramático, todo. Para ser sincera, lo había estado buscando como loca desde que le vi uno semejante a una turista en el White Temple de Chiang Rai. Corte sencillo, tela de lujo (seda), y uno de mis colores favoritos (oro rosa) — ¡la perfección en una prenda! Mientras me le quedaba viendo intentando no ser demasiado obvia, me estaba arrepintiendo de haberme puesto prácticamente pijamas en un lugar tan majestuoso (la moda/belleza pasa a ser ultima prioridad  cuando te paras a las 5 de la mañana para llegar a tu destino). No me atreví a preguntarle dónde lo consiguió pero, ¡BENDITO INTERNET!  No es exactamente igual, pero igual me emociona.

En fin, eso es básicamente todo. Ah, y el parque al que fuimos Ben y yo el domingo nos presentó con una hermosa colección de arte de mosaicos. Me gusta pensar que de alguna manera se relaciona con la filosofía kintsukuroi (una de mis filosofías favoritas de todos los tiempos), donde una pieza es mucho más hermosa por haberse quebrado, y por tener lo que algunos considerarían imperfecciones.

¿Y no es éste el caso de todos nosotros?

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The "Silverlake" of Houston?

It appears that we've found the "Silverlake of Houston" (at least, according to Ben). As we were driving around in search of the famous #GorillaArt mural (my obsession with colorful walls as backdrops for my outfit pics doesn't seem to be dissipating), we came upon a neighborhood that appears to be as hip as it is chill and unpretentious. Love how no matter how well you think you know a place, there will always be more to discover. Kinda feeling that way about my closet right now. I always find that after a little digging I can come up with a cute little combo that I've never worn before, often made with pieces I didn't even remember I had. The beauty of having been an adult for so long, I guess? 

---

Aparentemente hemos encontrado el "Silverlake de Houston" (al menos, según Benjamin). Mientras manejábamos en busca de el famoso mural de #GorillaArt (mi obsesión con estas paredes coloridas como fondo de mis fotografías sigue a todo lo que da), nos topamos con un vecindario que parece ser 100% cool y 0% pretencioso. Me encanta cómo uno puede seguir encontrando cosas nuevas en un lugar que cree conocer bastante bien. Algo semejante me está pasando con mi closet. Siempre encuentro que si le rasco tantito puedo encontrar una combinación de prendas que jamás en la vida me he puesto. ¿La belleza de haber sido adulto por tanto tiempo ya, quizás? 

sweater & pants: BCBGeneration, boots: Ann Taylor, watch: swatch, sunglasses: stolen from Ben 

He's the real model!

90's grunge + obsessions

As I proudly sported this ripped sleeveless Nirvana shirt knowing only snippets of maybe four or five of their songs, I became quite aware that I'm the ultimate poser. I mean, are you allowed to wear a shirt of a band you're not obsessed with?

But, come to think of it, that's kindof my signature across the board. I've never been all out, balls-to-the-wall, nutso-obsessed about anything.

I like radio, but sometimes radio made me want to run for the hills and hide in a tin-foil-covered cave. I love YouTube, but sometimes it makes me cringe and I find that I often need some space from it. I enjoy advertising, but I could never and would never want to become obsessed with it. What is wrong with me? Is it OK to not have an obsession?

Well, now that I think of it, there might be a few things I'm obsessed with: laughter, my family, genuine human connections, mouth-watering food, music oh my goodness MUSIC, traveling and learning and reading something WELL WRITTEN. Whew! I feel normal again!

---

Me sentía como toda una rockera mientras portaba mi playera noventera de Nirvana, y me pegó que en realidad soy la clásica poser: ni siquiera me sé una canción entera de la banda. Cuando mucho me sé un par de coros. O sea, ¿es válido ponerte la playera de una banda si no estás obsesionada con ella?

Y, pensándolo bien, esto viene siendo algo muy típico mío. Jamás he estado desenfrenadamente obsesionada con nada. 

Me gusta la radio, pero cuando trabajaba de locutora me entraban ganas de salir disparada hacia una cueva cubierta en papel de aluminio. Amo YouTube, pero a veces siento la necesidad de alejarme de ese mundo. Me encanta la publicidad, pero no puedo ni quiero llegar a obsesionarme. 

¿Qué me pasa? ¿Será que está mal no tener una obsesión?

Bueno, pensándolo bien, es posible que si existan unas cuantas cosas que me fascinan a nivel obsesión: reír a carcajadas, las conexiones humanas genuinas, la comida que te hace agua la boca, la música POR SUPUESTO LA MÚSICA, viajar, aprender, leer algo BIEN ESCRITO. ¡Uffff! ¡Me siento normal otra vez!

500K Subscribers!?

There's no doubt about it, I am a woman full of contradictions. I always say I don't like monologues (because I truly do prefer conversations), and yet I worked as an on-air-personality for years, and now I record monologues in front of a camera in my spare time and share them on YouTube for the world to see. But for me, there's one thing that not only enriches the experience but makes it all worthwhile: the comments you guys write to me. Through these comments, my monologues miraculously turn into dialogues, and I get the chance to read you guys and find out just who I'm talking to, how you think, and how you're reacting to what I attempt to express in my videos. This is where ideas are exchanged, where debates spring up, and where anecdotes, knowledge and insight are shared. We raise important (and not so important) questions, and sometimes, we even find answers. Thank you guys. Thank you for surprising me. For making me smile, laugh, appreciate, reflect, and even get frustrated, why not? Even that has become a learning experience of sorts for me. Thank you for this crazy unexpected facet of my life that you have inadvertently given me.

Thank you to 500,000 individuals that have somehow found your way into my heart.

---

Indudablemente soy una mujer llena de contradicciones. Siempre digo que no me gustan los monólogos (por que en realidad, prefiero las conversaciones), sin embargo me dediqué a ser locutora de radio por años, y ahora a dar monólogos en YouTube en mis ratos libres. Pero para mi, hay algo que no solo enriquece la experiencia sino que le da todo el sentido, y esos son los comentarios que ustedes me dejan. Aquí es donde mis monólogos reciben su muy ansiada contraparte que los convierte en diálogos, donde al leerlos me entero con quién estoy hablando, de cómo piensan, y cómo están reaccionando a lo que expreso. Es aquí donde se intercambian ideas, se desatan debates, se comparten anécdotas y conocimiento... Nos hacemos preguntas importantes (y no tan importantes), y a veces hasta encontramos respuestas.

Gracias por sorprenderme, por pintarme una sonrisa, por hacerme reir, apreciar, reflexionar, y hasta enojar, por qué no, porque de eso también aprendo. Gracias por esta faceta loca e inesperada que me han regalado sin querer.

Gracias a 500,000 individuos que ahora ya están de alguna manera en mi corazón.

Photos by: Benjamin Vargas

Do you remember when…. Over the years, I’ve made a few videos highlighting landmarks in my channel’s progress. You can watch them here:

Winter? What Winter?

Ben and I were thanking our lucky stars we're in Texas this weekend! Perhaps it was the 80 degree weather when we know that throughout the rest of the country people are bundled up in parkas, perhaps we're just inspired by all the recent Super Bowl love, or maybe just maybe, Houston is growing on us. We're feeling rather proud after successfully hosting our first Airbnb guest last weekend. He was a ton of fun--a Patriots fan, and his enthusiasm about the game was contagious! Not gonna lie, I felt my first twinge of excitement about football and couldn't believe what was taking over me. After so much hulabaloo last weekend, and a crazy work week complete with filming and editing Youtube videos for hours on end, it was really nice to just chill out today and enjoy each other's company.

---

Ben y yo pasamos un fin delicioso; creo que finalmente nos sentimos en casa aqui en Houston. Quizá sean las temperaturas de 80 grados cuando sabemos que en el resto del país están haciendo muñecos de nieve, o a lo mejor nos inspiró todo el amor que ha recibido Houston ultimamente por el Super Bowl, o tal vez sea posible que ya nos estemos encariñando con esta ciudad.

El fin pasado hospedamos a nuestro primer invitado de Airbnb--un fanático de los Patriots, ¡y su entusiasmo por el juego nos contagió! A decir verdad, fue la primera vez en mi vida que el fútbol americano me genera algo más que ganas de comer y ver los comerciales. Después de tanto relajo el fin pasado, y una semana ocupadísima en el trabajo (incluyendo 6 horas sin parar de filmar y editar videos para YouTube), no tener plan alguno y pasarla de flojos disfrutándonos mutuamente fue una bendición.

jumpsuit:BGBG Generation, boots:BGBG Generation, bag:Nordstrom sunnies:H&M

Photos by Benjamin Vargas

DIY Star Tree Topper

The current selection of readily available tree toppers is saturated with specimens that are a) too heavy and b) too expensive. Leaving our tree without one wasn't something I was willing to do, so I busted out with my craft supplies and created this one. Check out pics of the process or scroll through to the video tutorial at the end! And enjoy your Christmas decor days, one of the most wonderful times of the year!!

---

He notado que dentro de la selección de adornos para la punta del arbolito de navidad que encuentras en tiendas, existe una gran cantidad que a) son demasiado pesados, y b) son demasiado caros. No estaba dispuesta a dejar nuestro primer árbol oficial de toda la vida sin su corona, así que me dispuse a crear la estrella perfecta. Enseguida podrán apreciar fotos del proceso, y si quieren crear uno en casa, verán el tutorial detallado al final del post. ¡Disfruten estos días de decoración!

Materials needed for the Star

12x12 White Cardstock  

Elmer’s Glue

Krylon Metallic Copper Spray Paint - Amazon or Michael’s (cheaper than Amazon if you can buy it in person)

Krylon Metallic Brass Spray Paint – Amazon  

Silver Glitter

Paint Brush

Also needed: Scissors, old newspaper or magazine paper

start with a square sheet of cardstock paper / comienza con una hoja cuadrada de cartulina

the intersection of these two folds will help us get the perfect angle for a 5 point star / la intersección de estos dos dobleces nos ayudará a encontrar el ángulo perfecto para una estrella de 5 puntos

fold the right side over to meet in the middle / dobla el lado derecho para encontrarse con el doblez del lado izquierdo

ready to cut! / ¡listo para cortar!

cut at any angle you choose / corta el exceso (puedes experimentar con el ángulo)

trace your star on another sheet of cardstock paper / traza tu estrella en otra hoja de cartulina

cut the star out with 1cm extra along the outside / recorta la estrella con 1cm extra alrededor

fold the edges over and tape the two pieces together / pega las hojas de cartulina con cinta

apply strips of paper dipped in a mixture of elmer’s glue and water / fortalece la estrella aplicando tiras de papel con engrudo (resistol mezclado con agua)

when your paper mache dries, your star should be stiff / cuando se seca el engrudo, la estrella debe estar dura y resistente

metallic spray paint and glitter to finish the star up! / pintura en aerosol metálica y brillantina para terminar

gold + rose gold = yaaassss / oro + oro rosa = ❤

apply a thin layer of elmer’s glue / aplica una capa ligera de resistol con un pincel

smother that star in glitter / ¡atasca la estrella con brillantina!

wait for your star to dry / espera a que se seque

done! / ¡terminamos!

now top that tree! / ¡coloca la estrella donde tiene que estar!

star of wonder, star of light! / ¡la estrella de Belen!

Ursula making waves!

I tackled Ursula, tentacles and all, and I must say I'm rather pleased with the outcome! I documented the costume creating process in a 4 minute YouTube video so check it out, you POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS! Complete list of items needed and links below!
Hope you enjoyed your Halloween! x0x0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me aventé el disfraz de Ursula, con todo y tentáculos, ¡y me ha encantado el resultado! Documenté el proceso en un video de YouTube de 4 minutos; échenle un ojo. Una lista completa de los materiales necesarios con enlaces abajo.
¡Espero que hayan disfrutado su Halloween!xoxoxo

Materials for the Costume:
 

I compiled the amazon links into my Ursula Costume Idea List, though not all the materials are available on Amazon.  Please look at the whole list below for all of the items you'll need.

1.5 yards black satin fabric (Craft or Fabric store or Amazon) 

1.5 yards lavender satin fabric (Craft or Fabric store or Amazon)

1 bag of sea shells (Craft or Fabric store) 

1 leather cord (Craft or Fabric store)

yellow & purple acrylic paint (Craft store) orchid http://amzn.to/2wRDodR lilac http://amzn.to/2vqSy9P

Satin acrylic white paint

yellow acrylic paint

gold for shell

Earring posts

Poly fill for tentacles

1 belt with double grommet holes

14 gage wire (Hardware store)

Also needed: A needle and thread, good scissors for cloth, wire cutters, brown paper to draw pattern of tentacles, a plate to mix paint. 

Makeup

1. Forever Primer

2. Ben Nye MagiCake AquaPaint Light Lavender

3. Ben Nye MagiCake AquaPaint Cloud White

4. Ben Nye MagiCake AquaPaint Royal Purple

5. Urban Decay Primer Potion http://amzn.to/2wICYGt

6. Kryclan Eye Shadow Turquoise

7. Mac Eye Shadow Blue Edge

8. Liquid Eyeliner

9. Huda Beauty Eyelashes- Carmen #9

10. Becca Highlight Champaigne Pop

11. Clinique Quickliner Rich Red

12. Cover Girl Lipstick Garnet Flame

13. Ben Nye Final Seal

14. Reel Creations Blue Aqua Sealer

Hair:

Rave Clima Shield Baby Powder

The DRESS

I couldn't find the dress online, but here are a few that might work:

Plain Strapless Bandeau Padded Skater Dress http://amzn.to/2xTTYta http://wheretoget.it/link/2410940

Tube Top Stretchy Skater Dress http://amzn.to/2xVWf7u

Check Out My Other Costumes!

DIY Starbucks mermaid

Sugar Skull for couples

Maleficent Transformation

Full Face of Glitter Challenge

Cruella DeVille, Corpse Bride, and Barbie

Carli Bybel x Missguided x Downtown Houston

Spent my Sunday strolling and shooting around downtown Houston with my lovely friend Erika, who is on the brink of launching her own lifestyle blog. As a native Houstonian, she knows that this place is cooler than its reputation. As we explored the colorful semi-permanent art installations commonly referred to as the Art Blocks and the delightful urban park that is Discovery Green, I believe I coined a new phrase (or should I say heavily modified an old one):

"Don't judge a book you haven't read."

Unless said book is 50 shades of gray. In which case judge the hell out of it. But my point is, you must know something in order to have an opinion on it. You can't say Houston isn't cool if you rarely leave the house. I plan on leaving the house more often.

Speaking of leaving the house, I may never do so again wearing this silk mini dress from Carli Bybel's Missguided collection. I love the moss green color, but the cut is all wrong. It's too short and too square. I must say, though, being completely monochromatic to the point of absurdity–nails included–was a really fun thing to do for a day. And I'm all set up to do it again with this same basic outfit but in rose gold. A bit excessive, I know. We will see if that ever comes to pass. (Check out my try-on haul video if that sort of thing interests you!)

---

Pasé mi domingo paseando por el centro de Houston y sacando fotos con mi bella amiga Erika, que está a punto de lanzar su blog de lifestyle. Como Houstoniana ella sabe que este lugar es mucho más cool que su reputación. Mientras explorábamos las coloridas instalaciones de arte en el área conocida como los Art Blocks y el parque urbano llamado Discovery Green, se me ocurrió una frase nueva ( o más bien, un a modificación a una frase existente):

"No juzgues un libro que ni siquiera has leído."

A menos que dicho libro sea "50 Sombras de Grey", en dado caso júzgalo todo lo que quieras. Pero mi punto es que tienes que conocer algo para poder opinar sobre él. No puedes decir que Houston es aburrido si rara vez sales de casa. Mi plan es salir de casa más seguido.

Hablando de salir de casa, no creo que vuelva a hacerlo con este mini vestido de la linea de Carli Bybel para Missguided. Como te explico que me gusta, pero el corte está todo mal. Demasiado corto y cuadrado para mi gusto. Eso si, me encantó ser exageradamente monocromática–hasta mis uñas se unieron a la fiesta–por un día. Y tengo todo listo para hacerlo de nuevo con las mismas piezas pero en oro rosado. Excesivo, lo sé. Veremos si se materializa en algún momento. (¡Checa mi video donde me pruebo más prendas de Missguided si ese tipo de cosas te interesan!)

dress:carli bybel x missguided, bomber jacket:carli bybel x missguided, shoes:vans, sunglasses:madewell

photos by: Erika Marcial

WIFEY!

I figured I'd like it, but I didn't anticipate just how much I'd love being a WIFEY (I suspect it has something to do with whose WIFEY i am). I saw this lovely T on Aspyn Ovard's recently-launched online store and knew I had to get my hands on it, in the name of supporting YouTubers and celebrating one's stage in life, naturally. Singlehood, you were a good time, but I am not mourning your departure.

In other notes, what do you think Ben and I should do about the last name situation? Should I take his, should he take mine, should I tack his on with a 'de' in the middle, Mexican style? I love that he's as open to the possibilities as I am, but ultimately that leaves us undecided.

---

Me imaginaba que me iba a gustar, pero no pude predecir cuánto me encantaría ser ESPOSA (supongo que algo tiene que ver el hombre que se encargó de convertirme en una). Vi esta linda playera en la tienda recién lanzada de Aspyn Ovard, y sentí que fue hecha para mi. La compré de inmediato, bajo la premisa de apoyar a YouTubers y celebrar mi etapa actual en la vida. Me encantó vivir la etapa de mi soltería, pero no siento ni una onza de tristeza al verla partir.

Pasando a otro tema, ¿qué opinan de la situación de los apellidos? ¿Será que tomo el de el, o que el tome el mío? ¿O añado el suyo al mío con la palabra 'de' de por medio, estilo México? Me encanta que ambos seamos flexibles y estemos abiertos a las posibilidades, pero al final del día significa que seguimos indecisos.

"Marble" Desk Transformation!

My Home Office is where I spend most of my daylight hours, and this behemoth of a built-in desk just wasn't doing anything for me visually. Even with the fresh coat of white paint, it was feeling sad and outdated, so I decided to roll up my sleeves and do a little pseudo resurfacing. Although actually swapping out the desktop with a slab of marble would have been ideal, with about 7 home improvement projects on the back burner, this one was no financial priority. Marble contact paper turned out to be the quick fix I was looking for. I set out to order 3 rolls online (I severely over calculated how much I would need, mostly due to my fierce aversion to half-finished projects and my deep desire to avoid them) and, guided by an Amazon review, discovered an incredible tool to help with a perfect application: Windex! (See my full tutorial for details.) As a finishing touch I removed those heinous staple replica handles with a set in a thicker smoother rose gold.

Overall I find the space to be refreshing, and I foresee it will make a nice backdrop for crafty tutorials I do in the future...

---

Ya que he estado trabajando desde casa durante este último año, paso la mayor parte de mis horas de luz dentro de las cuatro paredes de esta pequeña oficina. Este enorme escritorio que vino integrado a la casa, aún con una capa de pintura fresca, carecía de personalidad. Así que me puse las pilas para ver qué opciones tenía para actualizarlo. Lo ideal hubiera sido reemplazar la tabla principal con una losa de mármol o granito, pero siendo que tenemos otros 7 proyectos para mejorar el hogar pendientes, las finanzas simplemente no lo permitían. El papel Contact de mármol resultó ser la solución que estaba buscando.

Aprovechando mi membresía con Amazon Prime, ordené tres rollos (mucho más de lo que necesitaba, pero por aquello de no querer dejar un proyecto a medias, y el hecho de que hay más cosas que probablemente querer cubrir en un futuro, valió la pena). Gracias a una reseña en la página donde las compré, descubrí una herramienta sumamente útil para facilitar una aplicación perfecta: ¡Windex! (Checa mi tutorial en Youtube para los detalles.) Como toque final, quité esas horrendas manijas que parecían grapas y las reemplacé con unas con más cuerpo en un tono oro rosa.

El resultado me ha encantado... se ve fresco, moderno y glamoroso. Ustedes, ¿qué piensan?

The perfect Wedding Dress!

So here is the big reveal, guys... Presenting... MY WEDDING DRESS!!!!

I get giddy and smiley and starry-eyed just thinking about it! I'm going to go with a cliché on this one: when you know, you know.

One of the first things I did last September after getting engaged was book an appointment at a local (can you call 20 miles away "local"?) bridal shop. I called on Kristin and Ari, two good friends, to have brunch with me and help me 'feel the whole wedding dress situation out'. My expectations were to be overwhelmed with options and have absolutely no idea what to do. Never did I imagine that I'd stumble upon THE ONE.

It's lacy and airy, and has a dreamy, almost frothy feel to it. Needless to say, the train/skirt will blend in perfectly within the backdrop of the ocean waves. I can already see it in my head.

The stats on the dress:

They style is Jodie by Enzoani. It's a classic mermaid cut, there are no embellishments other than the lace, and it's available in white white and a cream (I went with the cream). I got it fitted as tight as possible to make sure I'm not that bride that's constantly hoisting her dress up at the bosom, but at this point I'm concerned I won't be able to eat, drink or breathe. Wish me luck with that!

If you'd like a little more about my exhilarating experience finding a dress, check out my latest YouTube video.

---

Presentando... ¡Mi vestido de novia!

Solo de pensar en el me emociono (Benjamin también, pero en este caso me refiero al vestido). Me voy con lo más cliché para resumirlo: cuando sabes, sabes.

De las primeras cosas que hice en Septiembre justo después de que me comprometí fue hacer una reservación en una tienda de novias aquí en Houston. Invité a Kristin y Ari, dos buenas amigas, a acompañarme, "sólo para darnos una idea de lo que se trataba". Yo esperaba una inundación de opciones y cero claridad. Jamás me imaginé que dentro de la primera hora me toparía con el que era para mi.

Está hecho de encaje y capas abundantes de tul que se mueven como la espuma de las olas. Siento que combinará PERFECTO con el mar de fondo. ¡Ya me puedo imaginar todo!

Más acerca del vestido:

El estilo se llama Jodie de la marca Enzoani. Es un corte clásico de sirena, no tiene mayor adorno que el encaje (lo quería sencillo y romántico) y está disponible en blanco o color crema (yo opté por crema). Les pedí que me lo dejaran lo más apretado posible, porque no quiero ser esa novia que constantemente se esta ajustando el vestido, pero a estas alturas me pregunto si voy a poder comer, tomar, o RESPIRAR. Si. me queda como guante. ¡Deseen me suerte con eso!

Si quieren saber un poquito más acerca del proceso, échenle un ojo a mi video en YouTube!

Costa Rica travel blog

“Oh isn’t it just paradise?”, exclaimed the woman next to me as i shuffled around uncomfortably, jamming my bursting backpack under the seat in front of me. A middle seat. Not the aisle, not the window. No view, no freedom. Just the middle. “You mean Costa Rica?” I asked, taking longer than I should to put two and two together—we were flying out of San José, it was the only thing we had in common at this point. “Yes, oh my goodness, it’s just GORGEOUS, my daughter and I are already planning a trip to come back!” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I envisioned a side-by-side of what both she and I had experienced during the previous few days. On her side, tour-guided volcano visits, lush waterfalls, exotic wildlife, delectable gourmet food, secluded yoga resorts. Zip-lining over tropical jungles, enjoying the view without stopping to risk an actual mosquito bite. On my side… oh on my side. Suffice it to say, “winging it” doesn’t always play out the way you might hope.

Lauren, my beautiful friend of years (decades at this point) had told me last summer that she would be getting married in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, and I immediately told Ben that this was something we couldn’t miss. Before he could say no I had found a pair of tickets to San Jose we simply HAD TO BUY (try arguing with Holly in travel mode). Yes, they were to a city that was hundreds of miles away from the actual location of the wedding, and yes, I somehow managed to convince him that it would all be for the best. “We get to see more of the island this way”, I said. “It’s not an island, is it?” “Riiiiiight.”

I’ve always considered myself to be pretty good with maps. I am fearless behind the wheel, have a good sense of direction, am pretty accurate with estimates, and can handle practically anything that comes my way. Plus, technology, you know? So when google told me that it was a 3 hour and 46 minute drive with no traffic from the airport to the resort, I didn’t flinch at all. (I also knew that Ben is a fantastic driver and happens to actually enjoy it, so win-win, right?) We would arrive two days before the wedding and explore some towns and beaches, I thought. The non-touristy ones. The places the locals go. The real nitty gritty of Costa Rica.

Well, I guess you can say we got what we wished for. And by “we” I mean “I”.

Here are a few take-aways from our 4 1/2 day terribly-planned trip to Costa Rica:

1. THOSE ROADS!

Oh, to be a bird. As the bird flies, it looks to be a relatively easy country to get around (especially coming from the magna-state of Texas). But do not be deceived, my friend. If you are planning on renting a car, prepare your guts, your wits, and add a loved one to your will. We found nothing but narrow, crooked, bumpy, over-run, run-down, downright torturous roads. Ok, so they were one lane each direction with no shoulder and lots of curves. But seriously. Try dealing with that for 8 hours straight with sluggish semis appearing in front of you ad nauseam. A ripe combination of frustrating and terrifying.

1. THOSE SIGNS!

Ben and I could not get over how many times we saw signs by the side of the road for bars, restaurants, hotels, gyms, cafés, you name it, with, wait for it… NOTHING ELSE IN SIGHT. As in, you’re literally in the middle of NOWHERE and you’ll se a sign that reads “Bar Pura Vida” surrounded by absolutely nothing but trees. For miles. Un-freaking-believable. Other highlights:

• Soda el Camarón
• Pipa Fría
• Lubricentro ‘El Coyote’
• Aqui hay pianguá

What even is happening? We felt like we were in some sort of twilight zone where nothing quite made sense.

1. THAT NATURE!

To be fair, we weren’t totally bewildered as to why people flock to Costa Rica. Little glimpses of the beaches, the mountains, the sunsets, the wildlife—all provided a welcome contrast to the treacherous trails we’d traversed to see them. In the province of Guanacaste, a significant portion of paradise has been snapped up by the big resorts, but we were able to find a few pockets (through severe trial and error) that were wild and unclaimed. Bahía Salinas and Playa Rajada certainly deserve an honorable mention.

1. NO MATTER WHAT, TRAVEL IS ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE

Our first night we drove all the way out to Puntarenas, a beach town on its own little peninsula (the map showed that it was secluded which in our minds translated to exotic). We soon realized why it isn’t much of a tourist attraction. It’s less a beach and more of a port, with the water coming right up to the concrete of the city without so much as a grain of sand in between. Although I will say, they make a MEAN ceviche at the restaurant that everybody recommended, if I could only remember its name. Our next stop was Tamarindo Beach, which had a lot more going on, but we had driven about 7 hours to get there, and were feeling the pressure to go further north to Guanacaste for the wedding the next day. Didn't do much more than stop to wet our feet. From there we attempted to just “drive up the coast”, imagining it to be something similar to Pacific Coast Highway in California. Mistake. There is no such thing. And so, we found ourselves driving inland once again, our frustration seeping out in the form of laughter that slowly mutated into exasperated yells and heated rants.

The night before the wedding as we drove down a desolate dirt road, unable to find a place to lay our heads for the night, Ben’s eye caught a shimmering light and he drove toward it (I had given up all driving at this point, for everyone’s safety). “Blue Dream Hotel”, the sign said. And lo and behold, there was an actual hotel there! And despite the fact that I was in one of my less pleasant moods, we were greeted with such a sweet, cheery smile by the girl at the front desk that we knew this was our place. She proceeded to tell us all about the kite surfing school that they also run, and Ben immediately made plans to kite surf the next morning at the crack of dawn.

Yes, he did it, and yes, I lay on the beach like a slug without sunscreen for the entire duration. Hence, me being fluorescent pink by the time we arrived at Lauren’s wedding. But we arrived!

Nothing in Costa Rica managed to stop us from making it, and nothing in the world could replace the joy of witnessing my friend tie the knot. Seeing her shining, beaming face as she recited her vows and shared a kiss with her husband. Enjoying an intimate candle-lit dinner as we celebrated Lauren and Frank and laughed the night away, telling stories of our past, and dreaming about our future.

My birthday happened to be the next day, and I must say, life truly is a choose-your-own-adventure book! Ben and I enjoyed a relaxing time on the beach (although it took about 3 U-turns to finally find it), and contemplated the wonderfully humorous ways in which life allows us to co-author our own story. Sure, we could have planned things better, but then how would we have truly learned how important planning actually is? And how would we have proven to ourselves that we can come out smiling on the other side of what some might have categorized as a catastrophic trip?

Also, somewhere during our 8-hour trip back to San José, God gave us the biggest, brightest, most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen.

DIY light switch cover

I've yet to see a light switch that ups the aesthetic value of a wall. And don't even get me started with blinged out decorated switch plates. It's like wrapping a toilet: just NO. That's not to say that light switches bug me, per se. But when they're smack dab in the middle of a wall that I am trying to spiff up, you'd best believe I'm figuring out a way to dress them up and teach them to play nicely with others. I'd say it turned out right nice. Check out how i did it.

---

Enséñame un apagador que le aporte algo estéticamente a una pared. Dale, aquí te espero. ¿Que no encontraste uno? Ya somos dos. Y ni hablar de las plaquitas decoradas que sólo atraen más atención al area en cuestión. Es como forrar una taza de baño con florecitas y corazones: es un NO por donde lo veas. Y no creas que realmente me enfadan los apagadores; me dan igual por lo general. Pero cuando uno está localizado justo en medio de una de las paredes de mi mini-oficina, por supuesto que voy a encontrar la manera de disfrazarlo para que aprenda a jugar con el resto de la decoración.

Yo diría que no me salió nada mal. Checa cómo lo hice.

We found a wedding venue!

YES! YES! YES! We found a wedding venue!!!! Let me start by coming right out and saying it: Ben was right. And I’m so glad I followed his advice.

As soon as we decided that the Riviera Maya was our top wedding location pick (approximately 10 minutes after we got engaged), he said our best bet would be to take a short investigative trip. Although we’ve been many times, going with a mission in mind ended up being incredibly productive.

Here are the top things that I believe greatly contributed to us finding a place we are really excited about. I’d recommend anyone planning a destination wedding to follow as many of these as possible:

1. Knowing the language

(Or having a friend who does and letting them be your voice)

Let’s face it—If you are a rich foreigner, the assumption will be that you can afford more than your average local, and you will be charged accordingly. Therefore, the goal is to camouflage your foreignness to the best of your ability. Weddings are expensive enough without someone pulling the wool over your eyes!

In our case, Ben handled most if not all of the initial emails/phonecalls. In Mexico, you are less likely to be overcharged if your last name is Vargas than if it’s Tuggy. We even conducted our Google searches in Spanish, looking for sites that weren’t geared toward tourists. It takes a lot of scratching, but it’s worth it!

2. Going physically

(Having a friend who lives locally and lets you stay with her and use her car is a HUGE bonus—shoutout to the amazing Vania! We love you!!)

Clearly, nothing beats being able to see a place in 3D before committing to it. But it’s not just about the places; it’s about the people. Being able to shake their hands, to establish a rapport, to ask them questions, show them you’re legit and make sure they are too. Ben had a contact from one of the many phone calls he’d made prior to the trip (a DJ/light/sound guy), and he ended up being a goldmine of resources! He put us in contact with all the people in the wedding industry he worked closely with, and even calling them for us and telling them his “friend” was getting married so they’d give us the best deal possible! WOW, was that a relief, which brings me to my next point.

3. Keeping an open mind.

I had initially fallen in LOVE with a spot in Tulum that does gorgeous wedding packages, but it ended up being way out of our price range ($4000 dollars just for MIXERS for our guests, not including the alcohol! $3000 to rent the place but you HAVE to hire on their wait staff of 40, and oh, you wanted the sand on the beach as well? That will be another $3000. And let's not get into the cost of dinner, tables, chairs, sofas, flowers, a dance floor, you get the gist). Keep in mind most places are going to throw out crazy numbers. Why? Because people are willing to pay them! They know it’s one of the biggest days of your life, they know you’d rather not be bothered with the details and are likely willing to pay good money to have someone take care of everything for you. I was overwhelmed with what Ben was proposing—the idea of just renting a spot on the beach and being in charge of coordinating all the details ourselves. But somehow, miraculously I managed to stifle bridezilla and open my eyes to something I would have never thought of.

4. Opening your eyes to new horizons

This is basically an extension of my previous point. What I’m trying to say is don’t be rigid with decisions you’ve previously made. Be willing to look outside your original zone, and be flexible. I was dead set on Tulum. We both were. It’s a magical place, really. But the thing with magical places is that you’re never alone in thinking so. Demand goes up, prices go up, and this affects not only you, but your guests. We had completely ruled out Cancun on the sole fact that it reminds us too much of Vegas, but hadn’t thought of exploring the coastline a little further north. That’s when Ben’s contact came in: he suggested a sweet little place he had just done a wedding at a few weeks prior. Ample space? Check. Private beach? Check. Reasonable price? Check. No crazy rules or obligations? Check. (It's called Villa Chenera, for those of you asking.)

We think we made the right choice.

Vania was a wonderful host! / ¡Vania fue tremenda anfitriona!

We loved spending time with Vania & her mom / Nos encantó pasar tiempo con Vania y su mami

Ben the hopeless romantic / Benjamin, el romántico empedernido

We’re a little crazy together / Somos unas loquillas

We drove all over in search of the perfect spot! / Manejamos a muchos lugares buscando el ideal

Ben asking all the right questions / Ben sabe a quien hacerle preguntas para conseguir lo que quiere

Picked up some awesome people who were hitchhiking from Tulum to Playa del Carmen / Paramos por estos dos personajes que pedían ride en la carretera… ahora son nuestros amigos 🙂

Shrimp cocktails every day = obligatory beach behavior / El coctel de camarones como Dios manda! Comimos mínimo uno al día

It all started with our love / Todo empezó con nuestro amor

Isla Blanca is a kitesurfer’s dream! / ¡Isla Blanca es ideal para hacer Kite!

Nico, the guy we picked up, was a kitesurfing instructor. Ben didn’t let the opportunity slide. / Nico, el chico que conocimos en la carretera, resultó ser instructor de KiteSurf. Ben no desaprovechó la oportunidad.

The dirt road leading to Villa Chenera, our wedding venue / El camino a Villa Chenera

I can only imagine this with lights and tables and all our favorite people! / Me imagino el lugar lleno de luces, mesas y nuestras personas favoritas y me emociono.

*sigh* I could stay here forever / En verdad me quedaría mil años aqui.

Letting out my inner gymnast / Dejando salir la gimnasta que llevo dentro

Magazine collage duct tape wallets

Like many young girls before me, and hopefully many more after (the digital age isn't going to take over COMPLETELY, is it?) I discovered the magic of magazine cutout collages when I was but a wee lass. I also, like many young adults, went through a phase where I thought duct tape might be the answer to 67% of the world's problems. A couple of years back, I had created, mostly by accident, a perfect marriage of the two. I started making magazine collage duct tape wallets and selling them on my Etsy Store. I made so many, in fact, that I completely fizzled out and didn't even touch my gigantic box of duct tape for 3+ years. Well, I picked it up the other day, and decided to give the ol' wallet-making process another try. Not gonna lie, I kinda thought I lost my artistic touch there for a minute as I leafed through the stack of GLAMOUR mags and struggled to find inspiration. But alas, I had not. I told my brain to go back to those early years where it was all just child's play, and suddenly my imagination was telling me exactly what images to select and how to arrange them. Magic, I tell you.

Check out pics of the process, or hop on over to see my video tutorial.

---

Como muchas antes de mi, y, si Dios quiere, muchas después (no es posible que TODO se vuelva digital), descubrí la magia de los collages hechos con recortes de revista cuando era una jovenzuela. También, como muchos, pasé por una etapa en la que pensé que la cinta adhesiva probablemente podría resolver el 67% de los problemas en el mundo.

Algunos años atrás, se puede decir que había encontrado la unión perfecta de ambas cosas. Empecé a crear carteras de recortes de revistas y cinta adhesiva y a venderlas en mi tienda de Etsy (¡un saludo para todas las que llegaron a comprar una! xx). Hice tantas, de hecho, que mi espalda me dijo “no más” y dejé mi cajita de cinta adhesiva abandonada por más de tres años. Bueno, pues resulta que el otro día tomé dicha cajita y decidí darle al proceso de creación de carteras una nueva oportunidad. Me estaba costando trabajo al principio encontrar inspiración en las hojas de revistas GLAMOUR. Hasta pensé que había perdido mi toque artístico. Pero no. Claro que no. Le dije a mi cerebro que regresara a aquellos días donde no había de qué preocuparse, cuando mi único problema era ver como me iba a entretener. Y de repente mi imaginación tomó las riendas, dictándome exactamente qué imágenes usar, y cómo colocarlas. Te digo, pura magia.

Checa fotos del proceso, o sáltate a ver mi tutorial.

A clean slate

A fresh start, a blank page, a clean slate—they’re idioms that have come to be practically synonymous with this time of year, to the point where one might shy away from using them to avoid being too predictable or cliché. But in this case, the concept of a clean slate is all too fitting for me to pass up expounding on it.

During the last few months, Ben and I have been undergoing the intense and relentless rollercoaster ride that is purchasing a home. After countless hours discussing deal-breakers, searching listings, checking out properties, making phone calls, answering emails, producing papers, crunching numbers, and all but being driven to a fatigue induced coma, we finally closed at the beginning of December.

We’re homeowners, guys! (cue celebratory conga line)

As we toured the house, we knew it was far from where we wanted it to be, but, as they say in those home improvement shows, it had great bones. Two stories (Ben and I—and Agustina as we found out—are quite fond of stairs), three large bedrooms, a little office that’s PERFECT for the new job I’m starting on January 4^th (speaking of clean slates, eh?), a nice little patio, hardwood floors, and… what’s that I see? Dark wine and mauve colored walls throughout the ENTIRE HOUSE?

Eeeeek!

Okay, to be honest the color was the first thing we noticed as soon as we stepped in the door. How could we not?

“Empezar en limpio”, “una hoja en blanco” – son modismos cuyo uso se ha vuelto casi casi obligatorio en esta temporada, tanto que uno hasta duda en usarlos, por aquello de evitar ser demasiado cliché o predecible. Pero en este caso me van a tener que perdonar: el concepto de una hoja en blanco es demasiado perfecto para lo que está pasando alrededor de mi.

Durante los últimos meses del 2015, Ben y yo hemos estado pasando por la inevitablemente turbulenta y emocionante experiencia de comprar una casa. Después de pasar un sinfín de horas buscando casas, evaluando prioridades, haciendo llamadas, contestando emails, produciendo papeles, haciendo cálculos, y arrancándonos los pelos, finalmente firmamos a principios de diciembre.

¡Oficialmente somos dueños de casa! *aplausos, chiflidos y gritos*

La primera vez que exploramos la casa por dentro, sabíamos que le hacían falta muchos cambios, pero lo importante es que tenía potencial. Dos pisos (evidentemente tanto a Ben como a mi como a Agustina nos encantan las escaleras!), tres recámaras grandes, una oficinita que es perfecta para mi nuevo trabajo que empiezo el 4 de enero (hablando de empezar en limpio), un patiecito, pisos de madera, y… ¿qué? ¿No habrá aunque sea UNA pared que no está pintada de color guinda?

Bueno, siendo sinceros, el color fue lo primero que notamos. ¿Y cómo no notarlo?

And though we believe every color under the sun has its time and its place to shine, this was downright overwhelming. Like a gargantuan grape juice stain, a tidal wave of “too much”.

Y aunque creemos que cada color bajo el sol tiene su tiempo y su espacio para brillar, este definitivamente no era ni uno ni el otro. Como una mancha gigantesca indeleble, un tifón de vino tinto. Supongo que todo en exceso puede llegar a agobiar, no?

So, for our own sanity, as a prerequisite before we moved in, we made the executive decision to have the entire home painted white. Clean, crisp, stark, blank, open, airy white. We may choose to go with other colors in the future, but being totally surrounded by wine was so nauseating we couldn’t even begin to visualize another color scheme. (I mean, try to imagine the smell of your favorite perfume while standing in a dump. NOT happening!) Ultimately we knew that the best place to start was with a clean slate.

And isn’t that always the best place to start?

Pues no el blanco. Puro, fresco, ligero y limpio, el blanco no cansa, no acapara, no hostiga. Asi que, para nuestra propia salud mental, como requisito antes de mudarnos, decidimos pintar la casa entera de blanco. Quizá después incluiremos otros colores, pero era imposible pensar en eso estando cegados y sumergidos en vinos y púrpuras (o sea, trata de imaginar el olor de tu perfume favorito estando cerca de una alcantarilla). Sabíamos que lo mejor era empezar en limpio.

Y es que, ¿no es así siempre?

So cheers to new places, to new spaces, to new ideas, and breaths of fresh air. I hope that the turn of this New Year has given you a chance to reflect, reassess, and reevaluate your life, your goals, and the actions you’re taking to achieve them. To make deliberate choices about what you want to keep working towards and what you want to change.

Out with the old and in with the new!

Así que, salud por lugares desconocidos, espacios nuevos, por arrancar de cero, aprender a acostumbrarnos y familiarizarnos. Espero que este año nuevo hayas podido reflexionar y reevaluar tu vida, tus metas, y las acciones que estás tomando para lograrlas. Tomar decisiones con tenacidad acerca de lo que te importa, lo que quieres seguir haciendo y lo que quieres cambiar.

¡Pa’fuera lo viejo, y venga lo nuevo!

The city of eternal spring

Never have 48 hours felt more like a week. I’m so proud of us. We don’t have many more days off this year, so we decided to squeeze every last drop of juice out of our weekend and hit up yet another wedding (this time, a beloved childhood friend of Ben’s). Did I mention that it has been wedding season since I was 23? I kid you not.Our destination was Cuernavaca, known in Spanish as “the city of eternal Spring”, not as in “the spring of eternal youth” but as in “not fall and definitely not winter”. Believe me, whenever you’re offered a ticket to run away from your least favorite season, you should take it.

On the day of the wedding we somehow squeezed in a tranquil morning coffee, an authentic mayan brunch (thank you, Jesus), getting lost courtesy of google maps, sightseeing in a taxi, and still having time to get ourselves spiffed up for the ceremony.

It took place at a gorgeous old-world hotel, decked out perfectly with elegant modern details. It’s different going to a wedding with your own in the forefront of your mind. We were definitely taking notes.

Highlight of the night: being placed at a table with two of the most interesting guys we’ve met in a while. I’m serious, the four of us just hit it off, to the casual observer we must have looked like long lost friends trying to catch up. They were such colorful characters, so inquisitive and appreciative and full of zest for life. They are also the first people in a long time to ask us about our love story and keep coming back to it even when we’d get interrupted. Most people find out we somehow met through the radio and then we trail off into realizing we are telling our story to ourselves. Needless to say, we think we’re inviting them to the wedding ;) It is worth nothing: interested people are always interesting.

Also, flying from Saturday to Monday is a lot less expensive than Friday to Sunday. #traveltip

To Xareni and Adrian, thanks for letting us be a part of your special day. We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fueron 48 horas  con sabor a una semana. Pero, ¡qué forma de aprovechar! No nos quedan muchos días libres este año, asi que decidimos exprimirle hasta la ultima gota de jugo al fin de semana lanzándonos a una boda más (en este caso, de una querida amiga de Benjamin). ¿Les mencioné que ha sido ‘temporada de bodas’ desde que tengo 23 años? Fuera de broma.

Nuestro destino fue la bella ciudad de Cuernavaca, o “La ciudad de la eterna primavera”, como le dicen los locales. Creéme que si la vida te ofrece un boleto para escaparte de la estación del año que menos te gusta (solo por eso del frío, discúlpenme pero NO es de mi agrado), debes tomarlo.

El día de la boda logramos tomarnos un cafecito mañanero, disfrutar de un desayuno auténticamente Maya, perdernos cortesía de google maps, turistear en un taxi un rato, y de alguna manera tener suficiente tiempo para arreglarnos para la ceremonia.

Se llevó a cabo en un hotel hermoso con una arquitectura rústica que contrastaba perfectamente con las decoraciones modernas. Es diferente asistir a una boda cuando traes la inminencia de la tuya en tu mente. Te aseguro que estábamos tomando notas.

Sorpresa grata de la noche: nos tocó sentarnos al lado de dos hombres súper interesantes. En verdad hubo química entre nosotros cuatro; empezamos a platicar y nadie ni nada nos podía parar. Eran personajes tan coloridos, tan inquisitivos y apreciativos. También son las primeras personas en mucho tiempo que nos preguntaron de nuestra historia de amor, y cada que parábamos o nos interrumpían, querían regresar adonde nos habíamos quedado. Generalmente lo que pasa es que nos preguntan, se dan cuenta de que nos conocimos de alguna manera gracias a la radio, y Ben y yo terminamos platicándonos nuestra propia historia de amor ya sin audiencia. Estos chicos nos preguntaban cada vez más por detalles y no solo por preguntar. Había un interés real. Sin duda, están invitadísimos a la boda. :)

Cabe recalcar que las personas que se interesan siempre son interesantes.

Tambien, viajar de Sábado a Lunes es mucho más barato que de Viernes a Domingo. #tipsparaviajar

Para Xareni y Adrian, gracias por invitarnos a ser parte de este día tan especial, ¡les deseamos toda una vida de felicidad juntos!

Otra vela en el pastel

Benjamin, Para ti es un año mas de vida, en el que sigues sorprendiendo al mundo con tu carisma, tu sinceridad, tu sabiduría y tu forma de ver la vida.

Para mi es un año mas a tu lado, en el que he podido disfrutar de tus ideas que me inspiran, tus manías que me encariñan, tus detalles que me encantan, y tu corazón que me enamora. Te aprecio, te admiro, te ADORO, y le doy gracias a Dios y a las vueltas locas de la vida por ponerte en mi camino.

¡Que sea al mejor año de todos toditos hasta ahora!

❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben, Today marks one more year of life for you, one in which you continually surprise the world with your charisma, your candidness, your wisdom, and your perspective.

For me, it's one more year here by your side, one in which I've enjoyed your inspiring ideas, your endearing quirks, your sweet gestures and your loving heart. I appreciate you, I admire you, and I'm ever grateful to God and to life's winding and unpredictable paths for bringing us together.

May this be the best year so far!

❤️