"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 Even with the fresh coat of white paint, it was feeling sad and outdated, so I decided to roll up my sleeves and do a little pseudo resurfacing.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...

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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?

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

DIY Cloud lamp

Making a cloud lamp isn’t exactly simple, but I’d say the enjoyment-to-effort ratio is pretty high, (especially considering that if you want to buy one of the original Richard Clarkson cloud lamps, you’ll be shelling out a couple of hard-earned G’s).

Think about it: a sunset happening LIVE within the confines of your house! Color-changing clouds casting enchanting shadows that dance across your down comforter and into your dreams!

Who could resist it? And why would they want to?

Here's a blow by blow of how to make a cloud lamp of your own:

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No diría que crear una lámpara en forma de nube es fácil, pero la proporción entre la alegría que te va traer y el esfuerzo que requiere es bastante alta (especialmente teniendo en cuenta que comprar una lámpara de nube original de Richard Clarkson, le va a exprimir mas de tres mil dólares a tu cartera).

Imagina conmigo: Una espléndida puesta de sol, ocurriendo EN VIVO y en directo dentro de las 4 paredes de tu habitación. Nubes de colores mandando ráfagas de luz que bailan por tu colchón y se insertan silenciosamente en tus sueños.

¿Quién podría resistirse? ¿Y por qué resistir?

He aquí los pasos a seguir para crear tu propia lámpara de nube:

cloud lamp supplies

click here for the supplies you'll need

Puse aquí la lista de materiales necesarias.

DIY lámpara de nube

extension cord

step by step cloud lamp

hanging cloud lanterns

LED lights in cloud lamp

hanging extension cord

Hiding extension cord

DIY cloud lamp

Sitting under cloud lamp

Bedroom with cloud lamp

English DIY cloud lamp tutorial: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyIeDKZOqbk[/embed] Tutorial en español: DIY Lámpara de nube: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4490XlETIs[/embed]

find lanterns HERE, HERE & HERE, cotton stuffing HERE, and LED lights HERE

encuentra linternas AQUIAQUI y AQUI, relleno AQUI, y luces LED AQUI

DIY Sunglasses organizer

Projects that involve wood are intimidating—way more intimidating than they should be. But after creating this gorgeous sunglass storage solution, I realized that once you buckle down and do it, it's actually quite simple.  I find myself inspired to choose a different pair of sunglasses every morning, and, wonder of wonders, I get excited about putting them back in their place at the end of the day! If only I could get that excited putting my clothes away… *sigh*

Here’s how you can make one too:

Materials:

1 piece of wood measuring 6 feet by 5½ inches by ¾ of an inch 2 pieces of wood measuring 6 feet by 2½ inches by ¾ of an inch 2 types of sandpaper (extra coarse and medium grit) Electric screwdriver & screws Hammer Pencil Hook for hanging Stain (optional) Premium wiping cloths

Steps:

Cut the wider board in half lengthwise so you end up with 2 pieces of wood each measuring 3 feet by 5½ inches by ¾ of an inch. Cut the narrower boards in 5½ inch pieces so you end up with a total of 22 pieces measuring 5½ inches by 2½ inches by ¾ of an inch.

Sand every single piece. Start with the rougher grit and move on to the finer one.

Space the 11 little blocks evenly across the board. Lay blocks on their sides to measure the exact space between each one.

Flip the board over. Place blocks under the marks and drill a hole straight down. Make two holes for each mini-shelf.

Follow up by putting screws in place. Do this for all of the boards.

Hammer in the hook.

You’re done!!!!

Click to see the video tutorial! And do share if you end up making one of these yourself!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7jJp6PFx1c[/embed]

Tutorial en español

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C32p3oprD7o[/embed]

DIY lavender hair

So now that I’ve been lavender on and off for about a year or so, I feel that I’m capable (if not qualified) to write a tutorial on how to obtain this coveted color. There have been periods of trial and error, but if I can’t learn from my mistakes and use them to help somebody else out, I am really not mastering this thing called life, am I? So, here in a nutshell, is an effective and fool-proof way to dye your platinum blonde hair lavender. If you are more into watching videos than reading and looking at pictures, I’ve got that covered as well. Enjoy! And remember, nobody decides what works for you except for YOU yourself.

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Hace más de un año ya me teñí el cabello lavanda por primera vez. A estas alturas finalmente me siento capaz y quizá hasta capacitada para hacer un tutorial al respecto. Por supuesto que he pasado por periodos de ensayo y error, pero de eso se trata ¿no? Y si no puedo sacarles provecho a mis errores para ayudar a los demás, ¿como se supone que voy a avanzar en la vida? Asi que, aquí les presento, en resumen, los pasos para obtener cabello de color lavanda. Si te late mas ver videos que leer y ver fotos, no te preocupes, también pensé en ti. ¡Disfrútalo! Y recuerda, nadie decide lo que te queda bien mas que TU.

1. For best results, start with the lightest possible platinum blonde hair (you'd best let a professional do this) / Para los mejores resultados, empieza con cabello decolorado (este paso es mejor dejárselo a un profesional)

2. What you'll need: latex gloves, conditioner, semi-permanent hair dye, mixing bowl and brush, hair clips, and a brush / Lo que vas a necesitar: guantes de latex, acondicionador, tinte de pelo semi-permanente, recipiente y brocha para mezclar, clips, y cepillo

3. Three dyes that I recommend: Ion color brilliance in rose, Ion color brilliance in lavender, and pravana chromasilk in violet / Tres tintes que recomiendo: Ion color brilliance en rose, Ion color brilliance en lavender, y pravana chromasilk en violet

4. Lightly tint your conditioner (the pink is mostly to keep the blues at bay) / Tiñe tu acondicionador ligeramente (el rosado es para evitar tonos azules)

5. Mix well / Mezcla bien

6. Section off you hair and start from the neck up / Separa tu cabello en secciones y empieza a pintar de la nuca para arriba

7. It doesn't have to be perfect, but try to make it as even as you can / No tiene que ser perfecto, pero trata de distribuirlo lo mejor que puedas

8. Saturate your whole head with the mixture / Satura todo tu cabello con la mezcla

9. Put all your hair on top of your head and wait 30 to 45 minutes / hazte un chongo y espera de 30 a 45 minutos

10. Get in the shower and shampoo and condition your hair / Métete a la regadera, y lávate el cabello con shampoo y acondicionador

11. Feel like a mermaid! / ¡Siéntete como una sirenita!

DIY Rose Money

An opportunity to give a gift is an opportunity to show someone what they mean to you. No pressure, right? It's always difficult to find that balance between something practical and useful and something that you put some thought into and spent some time creating. Enter these gorgeous origami roses. They are unique and beautiful, they represent love, they liven up any space, and they will become extremely useful when they die. Check out my 3 minute video on how to make them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEf__gYoTVE

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Una oportunidad de dar un regalo es una oportunidad de mostrarle a alguien lo que significa para ti. Nada de presión, ¿verdad? Siempre es difícil encontrar ese balance entre algo práctico y algo que demuestra que le invertiste tiempo (un cheque no es muy memorable que digamos). Es aquí donde entran estas rosas de origami. Son hermosas y únicas, representan el amor, embellecen cualquier espacio, y serán muy útiles al final de su vida. ¡Checa mi video de 3 minutos para aprender a hacerlas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si61UR0VuLs

I <3 Coconut Oil!

The secrets are in nature. They really are. I mean, we humans could spend millions of dollars trying to concoct something as perfect as coconut oil and not even come close to its multifaceted goodness. I made this video about ways you can take advantage of coconut oil’s amazing health and beauty benefits, do check it out so you can see why I'm so excited about it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=473qm9Dsdwg

I've tried many brands, but this is my absolute favorite—it's 100% organic tastes SO good!

Also, if you are interested in reading more about the incredible healing properties of coconut oil, I highly recommend this book:

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Los secretos están en la naturaleza, no cabe duda. Nosotros como humanos podríamos gastar millones de dólares intentando crear un menjurje tan perfecto como el aceite de coco sin nisiquiera acercarnos a sus beneficios multifacéticos. Hize este video acerca de los beneficios de el aceite de coco para tu salud y tu belleza, ¡échale un ojo para que te enteres por qué estoy tan emocionada al respecto!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15T1dGJIMAk

He probado muchas marcas, pero esta es mi favorita—es 100% orgánico y sabe delicioso!

Si te interesa leer más acerca de las increíbles propiedades curativas del aceite de coco, te recomiendo este libro, ¡es excelente!

Get those shoes under control!

I'd like to offer some helpful insight: one of the main reasons getting organized is so difficult for many of us is that we do not have a designated space for things to go. It is our job to a) get rid of some of the things we don't have space for, or b) clear a space somewhere in our house and designate said space for said things.

Some serious executive decisions need to be made, my friends.

I personally favor clearing the space (I have the things i have because I actually LIKE them!), and I actually find joy in making that space as organized as possible.

I recently came to terms with the fact that not all of my shoes fit in the custom-made rack I brought from LA. They certainly couldn't be left in a pile, and I feared that if I put them in boxes they would fade into the background of my memory never to be used again. I needed another solution-- one that allowed the shoes to enter my peripheral vision at least once a day. Enter the SIMPLEST SHOE RACK EVER! I tend to be a little intimidated by 'carpentry projects', but having been around my boyfriend and his brother so much lately (those two are fearless and super creative!) I felt invincible and inspired. And it came our pretty darn good, if I dare say so myself!

Here are the steps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UUcMQegCMA

Algo que he notado: una de las principales razones por las que nos es tan difícil organizarnos, es que no tenemos un espacio designado para poner nuestras cosas. Tendríamos que a) deshacernos de algunas cosas, o b ) liberar espacio en algún lugar de la casa y designar dicho espacio para dichas cosas.

Hay que tomar decisiones ejecutivas, mis amigos.

En lo personal, prefiero encontrar o crear un espacio (Tengo lo que tengo porque ME GUSTA!). Aunque suene raro, organizar es terapéutico para mi.

Recientemente me di cuenta que no todos mis zapatos caben en la zapatera que traje de LA. Desde luego que no los podía dejar en un montón en el piso, y guardarlos en cajas sólo haría que me olvidara de ellos. Necesitaba otra solución. Y aquí me entró la gran idea de crear LA ZAPATERA MAS SENCILLA DEL MUNDO! Para serte sincera, los “proyectos de carpintería” me intimidan un poco (bastante), pero el pasar tanto tiempo con mi novio y su hermano (ambos super creativos y buenísimos para los proyectos) me inspiró. Y salió bastante bien, creo yo...

Aqui están los pasos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8d6OQ61FNY

How do YOU organize your shoes? Y tu, ¿cómo organizas tus zapatos?