Viva la Vida by MJ

Valentines

2012-02-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

For all of you amiguitos, wishing you a happy Día del Amor y la Amistad!

I have a day filled with school work! Which has been the case since I started my Master's program, that's why I've been MIA.

We usually don't celebrate Valentines, I think we've only done cheesy cards since we got together 5 years ago, but my fiancé and I are "celebrating" on Friday... he's taking me on a shopping spree <3

What are you doing today?

Mucho Love,
MJ

"Meeting" Frida...

2012-02-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

"Allá cuelga mi Vestido" by Frida. My favorite painting by her!

You only have to look at my blog header to know I'm a Frida Kahlo fan. While I've been a fan for years, this Friday I saw a Frida Kahlo painting in person for the first time ever!!! The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), is showing a few art pieces by Frida as part of their exhibition called "In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States".

Just imagine how excited I was! When I saw Frida Kahlo's "Las Dos Fridas" my heart felt like it was coming out of my chest... I'm not exaggerating! Even my fiancé sent me a text saying "did you cry?" jeje I knew this was the only chance I'll have to be a bit "closer" to Frida, well...that is until I get to visit her house in México ;) But it still felt like I was "meeting" her. Seeing the the paintings in person, all those details and passion, was a great experience. They also featured another amazing mexican artist I love, Maria Izquierdo, (born in my hometown by the way!)

"Autoretrato" by Maria Izquierdo

The exhibition is simply amazing! I got to see in person a few of my favorites and discover another great artists. If you get a chance to go, do it! You won't regret it! The exhibition ends on May 6th...I'm already planning to do a second visit before then :)

It's Julian's Birthday!

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Someone please tell me how, oh HOW, is my kid a TWO year old boy already!!?!?!??!?!?!?
I'm feeling very sentimental today, well, actually I've been feeling like this for weeks! I can tell my little boy is so grown up already and it kills me to think time just flies. I wish I could just pause moments and enjoy them forever.

Julian is learning so much! He knows his ABC's, can point to the letters and tell you what they are. He's a pro working any computer, iPod, iPad, or phone. His favorite hobby, besides watching Sesame St., is to take photos of himself on photo booth. Every time I check there are about 10 new pictures of him.. he even poses for the camera! silly boy :) He is sooo close to his daddy and I, loves snuggling with us and half of the time he's hugging us and kissing us. I really hope he's always, ALWAYS, this close to us. The day he doesn't hug me, I'm going to cry myself to sleep for a month...

I still can't explain myself what I did to get so lucky and be Julian's mama. He is such a blessing! I never knew I could love so much and I'm very thankful for him <3

On endings and new beginnings...

2012-01-19T22:17:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my last day at work, a job I've been doing since college, a place that gave me lots of opportunities, but where I don't feel happy anymore. This past year I was feeling tired of being at work, I definitely didn't enjoy it anymore. So I decided to quit, even if I'm scared to death thinking we'll run out of money or something. And I will start my Master of Arts program in Spanish Literature next week, simply because it's my passion and it makes me happy.

I'm truly thankful that my fiancé fully supports any decision I make. When I told him I was quitting he said, "about time", when I told him I wasn't feeling Law School and was putting it on hold for a while, he said "take your time"... and when I got into the M.A. and turned in my two week noticed, he cheered for me... and when I was having second thoughts about everything, he reassured me that everything happens for a reason and there were many other opportunities coming my way... He's a wonderful man, I tell you!

Yesterday I went to pick up my new school I.D. and met with the Graduate advisor. Later during the day I met with some former professors and I was offered a job! It won't pay as much as my old job, but it will allow me to make my own hours, it's on campus, and I would have weekends and holidays off. Most importantly, it would give me tons of experience in different areas and I help my future career immensely!

I'm starting to feel like all these changes were necessary, meant to be... still unsure about the future but things are starting to look brighter! I do not know if this post makes any sense, I just felt like the need to tell someone even if no one reads this. Anyway, gotta go to bed early, I have a big LAST day tomorrow :)

5 Things Monday: LOVING RIGHT NOW

2012-01-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

It's been ages since I wrote a 5 Things Monday post!! So I thought it was a good idea to do one as my "come back" after a bit of an absence.. .planning Julian's 2nd Bday party requires all of my free time!

So here you go, 5 things I'm loving right now:

via

1. This printable "mini planer" Found this free printable while going through some blogs. I usually have too much in my head and too many things to do, so if I don't see it written down chances are I am going to forget and it won't get done. And while I do have a planner, it is no very portable. This printable keeps all my to-do's, appointments and notes.. and most importantly: it fits in my back pocket!

2. Eating Breakfast. One of my goals for 2012 was to take better care of myself, and the first step was to get used to eat breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day, and before I wouldn't eat anything until Julian took his nap (around 12pm!!) I was always cranky, tired, and had the worst headaches! I'm doing pretty well for the most part. I think I've only missed 2 days since the year started. My usual breakfast is a wheat bagel with peanut butter and honey or a bowl of oatmeal with nuts and raisins. I also make a simply smoothie every morning with whatever fruit I have, like bananas and strawberries, almond milk, and some chia seeds. Now, if I could only get used to taking my vitamins!

3. My new engagement ring. The engagement ring my fiancé originally gave me was too big for me, so we sent it back. He surprised me on Christmas eve with this gorgeous light pink ring! It's just perfect!!

4. Philosophy's Purity and Hope in a Jar. I started using these products a few years ago and my skin looked amazing! even people were telling me how great it looked. But the products are a bit pricy so I stopped using them for about six months. Not only did my skin get dry and ugly, I also wasted way more money looking for cheap skincare products. So I went back to these two! You only need a little bit of each, they last me about 5-6 moths, so when you think about it is not that much!

5. Pinterest. This page is my dream come true!! A place to "pins" ideas, images, and more from around the web! I used to to bookmark what I liked but sometimes I would never come back to those bookmarks. This is a great way to keep them all in one place and easy to access. Also, it is quiet addicting ;) If you're already on Pinterest, follow me!

What are some things you're currently loving???

Noche de Reyes- Part 1: El Zapato

2012-01-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the day of the Reyes Magos, aka The Three Wise Men. Won't bore you with all the history, you can always google that if you're interested! ;)

Anyway, many people in Latin America and Spain celebrate the day of the Reyes Magos, others different than other of course! Growing up, I remember my mom telling us to leave our shoe out since the Reyes would come by to drop off a small gift. We usually got something small this day since all of our bigger presents were brought to us by the Niño Dios on Christmas Day. So on January 5th my sister and I would leave our shoe under the Christmas tree and go to bed super early, hoping the morning would come fast so we could open our presents!

We never got fancy gifts or anything on Reyes Magos day... Most of the time we got a few pesos, sometimes school supplies, and when my mom, I mean Reyes Magos, had a better job I got purple contact lenses!! It was awesome!

So when I learned I was having a baby I promised myself I would teach him about all the traditions I grew up with, either big or small like this one. And even though my pocho americanized and atheist fiancé shakes his head at me many times, I put Julian's shoe under the tree just like I used to do with mine.
He's to little to understand yet, when I told them he had to leave his shoe under the tree he thought I was asking him to look for it and kept repeating "Dónde está shoe?" jeje But I know he'll be delighted tomorrow when he finds his little presents!

Growing up I would always ask the Reyes Magos for three gifts since there were three of them: Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar lol They always brought me one, of course!! But I decided my boy will get three little gifts! Two at home, and one that the UPS guy, I mean Baltasar, dropped off at grandma's house ;) It's something small but it would hopefully remind him of his culture and family when he gets older and when he's celebrating the day of the Reyes Magos with his own kids!

The New Year: Propósitos and reflections

2011-12-31T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here we are again, waiting to welcome the new year!! Is it me, or the older you get the faster time passes by?? It's still a few hours 'til midnight. I'm at home waiting for my fiancé, wearing PJs... We both worked today and also work tomorrow, so no crazy celebration for us. There's some yummy dinner in the oven, champagne chilling in the freezer, and some chocolate lava cake with ice cream for dinner! I even bought some grapes so we can eat the 12 uvas at midnight! We can always start the diet next year, right?? LOL

It's been a great year so far, I can't really complain :) I feel like I've matured a lot and learned many valuable lessons. I have great plans and hopes for this 2012!

Every year I write down a list of propósitos and probably forget them a few months into the new year. So this time, I wrote down a list of "GOALS"... maybe if I feel like it's a to-do list I will actually accomplish all of them! The list has like 25 goals, some are vague aspirations others are more "tangible" things... Here are just a few of them:

* Take a better care of myself
* Get organized! (This is probably in my list every year!)
* Create & follow a routine (I need some structure in my life)
* Create more
* Eat/cook healthier
* Get my U.S. Citizenship
* Find a job I enjoy
* Work more on my Rosa Mexicano business
* Spend more time "off line" (including TV and phones)
* Have more "family time"
* Get married!! (although, I wouldn't mind if that's until next next year... as long as we actually PLAN it this year!)

How many of my "goals" can achieve?? we shall next in one year!!

I wish you a GREAT (and safe) New Year!!!

MJ

A bit about our Christmas...

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

And so Christmas came and went... it always goes by fast whenever you're having fun!! We ate lots of food on Noche Buena, and recalentado on Christmas day, of course! All of us got everything we wanted and more... we're pretty spoiled!

Julian had more fun with the wrapping paper than the insane amount of gifts he received. His grandma bought him a pair of cowboy boots and he wore them for a while before he begged me to take them off :P

While most of the people here in the United States are starting to take their decorations down, for us the season isn't over!! Día de Reyes is next month!! Time for rosca, hot cocoa, and more presents ;)

Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas!

MJ

Mañana es Noche Buena y luego Navidad!

2011-12-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

No quiero oro, ni quiero plata,
Yo lo que quiero es romper la piñata.
Ándale Juana, no te dilates
Con la canasta de los cacahuates.
Anda María, sal del rincón
Con la canasta de la colación.
(Traditional Mexican song sang during the Posadas)

Just taking a brief moment to wish you all a very happy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!! I'm ready to eat, eat, eat... and watch my baby's face of excitement when he sees his presents!!

From my family to yours, wishing you all the best!

MJ

Ponche Mexicano

2011-12-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

[via]

One of the things I really look forward to during this season is Ponche Mexicano!!! A hot and fruity mixture so delicious that my mom usually makes a whole pot just for me ;) It brings back memories of my childhood when I used to go the posadas in México!! I'm not really good with recipes but I thought a would share how I make ponche with you guys... All the quantities aren't really "exact", I just put in as much as I feel is right!

Ingredients:

- 1.5 gallons of water
- 4 apples
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 piloncillo or brown sugar will do!
- 1/2 lb of tejocotes (Crataegus mexicana) They're usually very expensive around this time so I use just a few to get the flavor.
- 3-4 tamarindos
- 1 lb of guavas ( I freeze when they're in season)
- About a feet long piece of sugar cane peeled and cut in small pieces. I've also seen bags of peeled caña at some latino markets.

The preparation is super easy! Simply wash and slice all of your fruits and bring all the ingredients to boil. Serve warm. For the grown ups, you can add a piquete of tequila or rum! Enjoy with a warm buñuelo or pan dulce!

MJ

Happy Birthday Tonantzin!

2011-12-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

Another year celebrating the birth of la patrona de México, our morenita, nuestra madre...
Happy birthday Tonantzin, thank you for all your blessings!

DIY Christmas Cards 2011

2011-12-06T14:48:00.001-08:00

Our handmade Christmas cards last year were a hit! But they were also a lot of work... so this year I decided to do a simple photo with a message. Something that can just be printed out and sent. I wanted a cute picture of Julian laughing or something that would look good in black in white, but like always he wasn't cooperating! So I used a photo I already had and thanks to the awesome program gimp I had both a Spanish and an English card in less than 30 min!! I still don't know if I should print them at home or send them to kinkos... I'll have to compare prices! The cool thing is that I can also email them ;)

Have you sent your Christmas cards yet?

Homesick

2011-12-03T22:32:00.001-08:00

Every year during this season I feel very nostalgic, missing my two other homes...

My hometown in Mexico, my family, the people, the posadas, the air...

And Madrid... the beautiful city that adopted me! My friends, the awesome Christmas lights, its perfect winter weather...

Se me hace el corazón pedacitos every time I think of my two other homes... If only I could be in three places at a time!

Christmas!

2011-12-02T20:41:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe it's December already!!! This year flew by super fast!! I've been trying to get in the Christmas mood, but it's been difficult here in So Cal where we are still having 80 degree weather! I can't wait to wear my boots, scarfs and coats... seriously, Christmas is supposed to be cold, que no?

So we put up our Christmas tree today! We're also almost done Christmas shopping yay! I was planning on wrapping them and setting them up under the tree but we have a very curious boy.

Julian "helped" put on the ornaments and kept saying "wow" :P I can't wait 'till he opens his presents, his face is going to be priceless!

Are you ready for Christmas??

Los Heroes Del Norte

2011-11-29T12:44:00.001-08:00

I was youtubeando, like always, about a week ago when I stumbled upon the first episode of a TV series called "Los Heroes del Norte". I'm not a fan of banda music at all so I was going to just change videos when I noticed two of my favorite actors, Miguel Rodarte and Armando Hernández, were in it. I was laughing so hard throughout the entire first part that I kept watching!! It tells the story of Zacarías, a grupero star wannabe, that recruits other musicians to start "Los Heroes del Norte" Their journey to become a super famous banda grupera is hilarious, melodramatic, and will have you hooked!!! You can watch the entire first season on youtube. Click here to watch the first episode.

Mi Abuelita

2011-11-28T17:55:00.001-08:00

My abuelita and Julian

My grandma just went back to México yesterday after spending three amazing weeks with us. My grandparents raised me, and when we came to the U.S. leaving them was the hardest thing to do. So these past few weeks I spent as much time as I could with my abuelita. Even though I was sick most of the time, it was still amazing! We spent hours talking, we let her cook once (she was on vacation so she couldn't do anything), and she played with Julián every day. It was so hard saying goodbye to her yesterday, I wish I could just walk down to her house whenever I felt like it like when I was a kid. Hope I get to see her next year.

Día de los Muertos

2011-11-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

‎"Para el habitante de Nueva York, París o Londres, la muerte es la palabra que jamás se pronuncia porque quema los labios. El mexicano, en cambio, la frecuenta, la burla, la acaricia, duerme con ella, la festeja, es uno de sus juguetes favoritos y su amor más permanente"- Octavio Paz

Today is Día de los Muertos, my favorite day ever!! Which you may not know due to the lack of posts around here... I'm crazy busy with work!! October and November are the busiest months for Día de los Muertos' artists and crafters as we get ready to participate in different events, I still have 3 more to go!!

Every year I make an altar de muertos and decorate my little home. This year, however, my almost 2 year old decided we wouldn't have any of it. I started taking out all my Día de los Muertos decorations and he went straight for them. I had to rescue a bunch of sugar skulls from being eaten! No matter where I tried to put the altar, he would find a way to get to it :( So instead, I prayed last night and lit a candle for all my loved ones. I still missed having my catrinas and colorful skulls out, oh well, there's always next year and hopefully Julian will understand better by then! I'm going to my local bakery to buy some pan de muerto later tho, it's so good with hot chocolate! yumm!

So the best I can do is give you a few links to help you celebrate Día de los Muertos!! Ready? Here we go!

1. Read all my Día de los Muertos' posts from last year here. I have tons of info and other cool things!
2. My friend Tracy made a beautiful altar for her dog, Ginger.
3. This is a great book to teach kids about DDLM.
4. Leslie made Pan de Muerto!!! Read her recipe here.
5. Spanglishbaby has a tutorial on making paper flowers to decorate your altar.

And, if you're around Long Beach, CA. Come tomorrow to CSULB for a night full of Día de los Muertos fun!! There will be free food, entertainment, and vendors like Rosa Mexicano ;)

Feliz Día de los Muertos!!!

My Día de los Muertos make up- 2011 edition!

2011-10-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Every year I attend one of the biggest Día de los Muertos celebrations here in L.A.: Hollywood Forever! And I always do my sugar skull make up for the occasion! This year I had planned something completely different, but was running a bit behind ( I did my little sis' make up as well), so this is what I came up with:

For all of you who would like to know, the white color was obtained using NYX Jumbo Pencil in milk, the rest of the colors were painted using eye shadows, and the mouth and the borders of the flowers by using a liquid eye liner.

I still liked how it came out!! Will post more pics about the event soon ;)

If you also rock sugar skull make up for the festivities, show me!!!!!!! I would love to see it :)

MJ

Our Sunday!

2011-10-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely Sunday at the first Día de los Muertos Festival of the year!! My booth look pretty awesome and I got to meet tons of cool people :)

Go to my Facebook to check out more pics and like the page while you're at it ;)

What Día de los Muertos means to me:

2011-10-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

originally posted 10/20/2010

Growing up in a little town of Jalisco, México, El Día de los Muertos was the celebration I looked forward to each year. During the last week of October and first week of November the city dressed in beautiful colors with papel picado, Calaveras, and tons of sweet treats and flower shops on every corner. I would save my lunch money for months just so I could buy Calaveras de Azucar (sugar skulls), other day of the dead sweets, and paper mache Calacas to add to my collection.

Every city in México celebrates El Día de los Muertos in a different way, adding their own traditions and uniqueness. In my hometown the preparations started during the first weeks of October. I remember being assigned Day of the Dead craft and art projects at school to decorate the classroom and the school’s altar. Every school and government office would set up it’s own altar and organize a mini celebration (such as skits, dances, etc.). On November 1^st instead of having class, we would go around the city visiting the different altares and asking for Calaveritas, or candy (trick or treating anyone?).

November 2^nd is the main day of the dead celebration in my hometown. I remember waking up at 6am to go and clean our family’s grave. We would spend most of the day at the cemetery, sitting by my auntie’s grave. The cemetery was a couple of blocks away from my house so it was easy for us to stay there most of the day. Some people take their food and have a “picnic” right there on their family’s graves, sharing their meal with their loved ones. It is believed that during the first two days of November there is a “door” open that allows the spirits of our loved ones to come and visit. Family members prepare an “altar”, with offerings for their muertos, such as their favorite meal, so they can come and enjoy it for that one day. Either to eat at the cemetery or for the altar, people usually prepare the favorite meals of those who have passed on in remembrance.

My family never had picnics at the cemetery, mostly because we would divide our time between my auntie’s grave and my great grandma’s, which is at another cemetery on the opposite side of the town. However, in other states of Mexico it is customary to eat at the cemetery that day, accompanying those who come to visit us from the other world.

The family would take turns visiting the cemeteries and taking colorful flowers to decorate the graves, and we would all go to mass together in the evening. I loved hearing stories about my auntie or my great grandma from family members, it was like they never left. We also got to see several family members that lived out of town, something that only happened a few times a year.

I remember buying a small bouquet of cempazuchitl (marigold) each year and going around the cemetery leaving a flower on the graves that no one visited. It always made me sad to think that the spirits of those people were visiting that night and they were going to find their grave empty!

In the last few years, my hometown has been organizing parades, altar contests, and guided tours of the cemeteries at night! It is a wonderful way to get young people and kids are to learn about our traditions.

I wish you could get inside my memories just so you could see the cemetery full of life, colors, and smell the aroma of the cempazuchitl and all the other flowers. Many people get a bit scared when I tell them about Día de los Muertos, I guess it is because when they think of “spirits visiting” the first thing that comes to mind is a scary ghost movie. The holiday, however, is a celebration of life! It’s a day dedicated completely to those who have passed on.

I don’t know for sure if they “visit”, if they eat the offerings left out by their family, if they hear them talking about them and the prayers…

But for me, every year when I put up my altar it’s a reminder to myself that I was lucky enough to have met those people or to be part of their families, or simply because I’m inspired by their amazing life story (even if I never got to know them personally). They’re always in my heart, but that one day they also have a special place in my home. I light a candle for my tia Maricela, for being my mom’s accomplice when they were kids and giving her the best childhood memories. For my great grandma Natalia, because she gave birth to my amazing abuelita, and thanks to her I’m here. For my tío Luis, because he raised four wonderful children that remind us every day that no matter what, you need to smile to the world. For my tía Mariela, because she fought cancer for so many years and still managed to raise a happy little boy. For my tío Arturo, my grandma's brother, because my childhood memories are filled with him playing with us. For the Women of Juarez, hoping that one day their murders are going to be solved and there will be justice. For Frida Kahlo, because her art makes me happy and inspires me each day…

That for me is the real meaning of El Día de los Muertos.

The First Día de los Muertos Event!!

2011-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Rosa Mexicano will be at this event in uptown Whittier, CA. If you're in the area stop by and say hi!!!

Happy Columbus Day!

2011-10-10T08:16:00.001-07:00

2 de Octubre NO SE OLVIDA

2011-10-02T20:02:00.001-07:00

Originally posted 10/02/2010

My grandma keeps my tío's picture by the door,
"Por si acaso", in case he comes back and we don't recognize him.
He was only a freshman in the University of Mexico,
and one of thousands of students that were demonstrating in 1968.
He was never found after the massacre that October 2nd.

According to the authorities only 30 bodies were found,
and no more than a dozen were injured.
People that were there can't hold back the tears when they remember,
they saw the streets covered in blood, their compañeros, children, women, abuelos.... all dead.

Thousands of mothers keep crying for their children,

praying for answers that they would never get.

The government ignored it, the media didn't mention it, they want us to forget.
But we won't,

NUNCA OLVIDAREMOS!

Hispanic Heritage Month: Julio Cortázar

2011-09-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

Another one of my favorites and a huge influence in my life, the Argentine Julio Cortázar. Read anything by him and I promise you won't see the world the same way ;)

About the author: Born in Belgium to Argentinian parents, Julio Cortázar is known as one of the founders of the Latin American Literary Boom. He became an elementary school teacher at 18, and later became a college professor of French literature. In 1938 he published a book of sonnets using the pseudonym Julio Denis, and in 1949 he published his play "Los Reyes" which showed his magical writing in style. In 1951 his collection of short stories "Bestiario" was published which included his famous short story, "Casa Tomada". He has also published novels and poetry.

About his writing: Julio Cortázar writing is characterized by magical realism and his unique way to introduce fantastic elements in the story. His unique writing style is also described as surreal and supernatural.

Must read: His short stories "Casa Tomada" and "Instrucciones para subir una escalera" and his novel "Rayuela"

Hispanic Heritage Month: Rosario Ferré

2011-09-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

The second writer for this literary Hispanic Heritage Month celebration is one of my personal favorites: the Puerto Rican Rosario Ferré.

About the author: Daughter of the former governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Ferré, Rosario Ferré was raised in one of the wealthiest families of the island. She attended prestigious schools in Puerto Rico as well as the United States. At the age of 14 she began writing articles for the Puerto Rican newspaper, El Nuevo Día. While working in her Master's degree at the university of PR, she founded the journal Zona de Carga y Descarga, which not only published new writers but also promoted the independence movement. She has published short stories, novels, essays, and poetry in both English and Spanish.

About her writing: Ferré was influenced by cuentistas such as Julio Cortázar. She's considered one of the most important feminist writers of Latin American since she usually explores the lives of women in patriarchal societies in her writing. Her works also offer political criticism and advocate for the independence of PR.

Must Read: Her short story ¨La Muñeca Menor" (The Youngest Doll) part of her collection of short stories "Papeles de Pandora".

Hispanic Heritage Month of writers: Gabriel García Márquez

2011-09-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

What abetter way to start this Hispanic Heritage Month celebration than with one ofthe most famous Latino writers? Idon’t want to present to you a full biography of the author, my intentions arefor you to add a few names and books to your reading list ;)

About the author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born inColombia in 1928. He was raised by his maternal grandparents and grew uplistening to their stories. His career began as a journalist, working forseveral of the most important newspapers of Colombia. La Hojarasca, his firstnovel, was published in 1955 and he soon became one of the most notoriouswriters of Latin America. In 1982 he was awarded the nobel prize of literature "for his novels and short stories, in which thefantastic and the realistic are combined in a richly composed world ofimagination, reflecting a continent's life and conflicts".

Writing style: Gabo’s writing style ischaracterized by “magical realism” where magical events are treated as real.Other works by Marquez simply explore reality, presenting a traditionalapproach to the story.

Must read: “Cien Años de Soledad” (One HundredYears of Solitude) is one of Marquez’s most famous books. My favorites are hisnovel “Del Amor y Otros Demonios” (Of Love and Other Demons) as well as hisshort story “Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes¨” (A very old man withenourmous wings)

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

2011-09-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

From September 15th until October 15th, the United States commemorates the Hispanic Heritage Month in an attempt to recognize all the fabulous things our people have contributed to the American society. Personally I think that the contributions of minorities shouldn't be recognized only one month a year, (I also have an issue with the term "Hispanic"), but I'm leaving all those politics and personal feelings aside this year. I wanted to do something special on my blog and at first I thought about cooking different Latin American foods, and while it was a yummy idea, I asked myself this question: What's the main Hispanic contribution that has affected ME? The answer was easy, LITERATURE!!

Since I learned how to read I developed a love for books. My mom would work many jobs at a time when I was growing up, so I spent most of my afternoons at our tiny local library reading as much as I could. The first book I remember reading is Don Quixote, (a kid friendly version, of course!), and I was drawn to the beauty of Spanish literature. Our librarians, whom I knew personally from spending so much time there, noticed this and recommended tons of book by Latino writers, mainly cuentos and Latin American legends. When I moved to the U.S. I would go to the library and check out whatever book I liked from their Spanish section; in part because I was struggling learning English and I just wanted to read something I fully understood, also because my childhood had obviously affected my taste in reading. When I entered college I knew I wanted to major in Spanish Literature, I wasn't sure if it was the career I wanted to pursue but I would get to do read what I loved!

I majored in three different subjects, took approximately 50 university classes, and my most favorite college class until now has been in Spanish literature! It's my passion! I may not read as much as I used to anymore, but I'm always reading something either in Spanish or by a Latino author. Even if it's just a newspaper or magazine article!

So in celebration of the Hispanic Heritage Month I made a list of about 30 Hispanic authors and I will blog about a different one every day! I tried to include one from every single Latin American country (although I haven't read any from Haiti) as well as Spain and Hispanic-American writers. I should warn you, I'm fascinated with cuentistas and the "Boom Latinoamericano" so they might dominate the list ;) I chose the first writers that came to mind and in no particular order. After finishing the list I realized that most of the writers are well known, maybe that's the reason why I thought of them first?? I wish I could tell you about all the writers I love, but it would probably take me forever!

So starting this Thursday September 15th, visit my blog for you daily dose of Hispanic writers! Any writer you like? Feel free to share in the comments! Celebrating this month? Also let me now!

Mucho love,

The new fashionistas: Mexican rag dolls.

2011-09-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

I think every little girl growing up in Mexico had at least of of these typical Mexican rag dolls (AKA Mazahua dolls). These dolls are usually made by the indigenous communities of Mexico and sold on the streets. I don't really know the history of these dolls and when I tried to look for it online I got tons of different versions. I had a few and must confess that I preferred my barbies. My mind still believed in the western idea of beauty, you know, tall, skinny, mostly blonde... But don't worry, I've changed ;) I appreciate these dolls so much more now and actually have a few around the house! I was spoiled as a kid, my family that lived in the US always got me the newest barbie models and I had a big box of barbie clothes and accessories.. and I couldn't do dress my Mexican rag dolls with the fancy dresses... or so I thought!

I saw these pictures today, Vogue in Mexico invited a few fashion designers to dress the Mazahua dolls with their fancy garments. This was the result:

I don't know if I love them or hate them... A part of me wished I had seen these as a kid and maybe I would've played with them more. Maybe is also spreading the idea that fashion is for everyone. On the other hand, changing the the indigenous clothing of these dolls reminds me of the Conquistadores trying to "civilize" indigenous communities by dressing them as them. One problem I do have is that the artesanas that made the dolls are not recognized like the designers. It would be nice if they had their name in big bold letters too!

What do you think, are they fun or offensive? maybe a bit of both??

Spanish Friday: Habla como Mexicano

2011-08-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

¿Alguno de uds ha visto la peli El Norte? Es sobre dos hermanos Guatemaltecos, Rosa y Enrique, que dejan su país en busca del sueño americano. Hay una escena donde el coyote que los va a cruzar les dice que en caso de ser detenidos por la migra, tienen que decir que son Mexicanos y usar la palabra "chingado", y así evitar ser deportados a Guatemala. Así que aquí les dejo solo algunos coloquialismos Mexicanos, no por que necesiten aprenderlos, pero por que nunca es malo aprender algo nuevo ¿verdad?

- ¿Qué pedo/onda?: What's up? What's going on?
Ej: ¿Qué pedo con Helena? ¿Qué onda con la tarea? (What's going on with Helena? What's up with the homework?)
- ¡Chale!: many meanings!! like ok, alright, no way, hell no, damn...
Ej: "Chale, ni creas que voy a ir contigo" (hell no, don't think I'm going with you)
- ¡Órale!: Come on
Ej: "¡Órale María! Tienes que ir con nosotros" (Come on Maria! You have to go with us)
- Pelar: pay attention to, notice
Ej: "Miguel no me pela" (Miguel doesn't pay attention to me)
- ¡No manches!: No way!
Ej: "¡No manches, Lucía se ganó la lotería!" (No way! Lucia won the lottery)
- ¡Simón!: Yes
EJ: "¿Tienes clase mañana?" "Simón, a las once"( Do you have class tomorrow? Yes, at 11)
- Guácala: Gross, Yikes.
Ej: ¡Guácala, esa fruta esta podrida! (Yikes, that fruit is spoiled)
- Varo/s: money
Ej: "¡Chales! Ya me gaste el varo para el almuerzo" (Damn, I spent the money for lunch already)
- Tener hueva: Be lazy, feel lazy
Ej: "Hoy no quiero ir a trabajar, tengo hueva" (I don't want to go to work today, I feel lazy)
- Fregarse
- Morra/o: kid
Ej: "El morro se calló de la bicicleta" (The kid fell off the bike)
- Chamba: Work, job
Ej: "Tu hermano esta chambeando" (your brother is working)
- Chingón: Badass
Ej: "Luis se cree muy chingón porque aprobó matematicas" (Luis thinks he's a badass because he passed math"
- Güey: Dude, guy
Ej: "Ese güey se parace a mi primo" (That dude looks like my cousin)
- Perrón
- Chido: Cool
Ej: "Esa película esta súper chida" (That movie is very cool)
- ¡Rayos!: Shoot!
Ej: "¡Rayos! Se me olvidó la tarea" (Shoot! I forgot the homework)

Espero que se diviertan con estás palabras! ¿Sabes algún otro coloquilasmo Mexicano o de tu país? Dejalo en los comentarios!

You know you're in a Mexican home when:

2011-08-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is just for fun! I'm not generalizing, just talking about our home. A friend came over the other day and said: "Wow, your house is so Mexican" And that's what inspired this post! :D

1. There's more than one hot sauce bottle on the table. Tapatio isn't enough! Valentina, Cholula, El Yucateco, even Sriracha, we like them all!! (Maybe not Tabasco tho, that stuff tastes like ketchup gone bad). We don't put chile on our food, we have food with our chile ;)

2. There's at least two Virgencita de Guadalupe images around. Obviously, this may only be true about catholic mexican families. These images may or may not be surrounded by candles...

3. You see an extensive collection of favors (recuerdos) from weddings and quinceañeras on display. My grandma still has the recuerdo from that one girl's baptism AND her quinceañera...

4. If you get a lavender smell. Purple fabuloso all the way, baby!

5. When you see the calendar from the panaderia, the one with the picture of the aztec warrior. Panaderias, carnicerias, lavanderias, why do they all use the same image?

Like I said, this is just for fun! We're all different and I know not all mexicans can relate to this! It's cool if you do, tho, mexican or not!

MJ

On Wedding Dresses...

2011-08-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

The wedding plans are coming along slowly... basically all we need are the fund$ LOL
I've said before that I don't want the white puffy princess dress; a día de los muertos theme wedding calls for a non traditional dress obviously. So I've been looking online for inspiration, and fell in love with Aida Coronado's Mexican dresses! (But not so much with the price tag)

When I showed them to my mom, she wasn't as impressed. She told me they look like "beach" dresses and that I needed something more "especial". So I googled every single traditional dress of Mexico, yep, all 27 states! I particularly love the dress from Chiapas, it's so colorful and lovely! Don't you think??

And just in case I want to keep it a bit traditional, they also have it in white:

I might not even choose either of them but one thing is for sure, I'm skipping the bridal shops!

Spanish Friday: Los peregrinos de agosto

2011-08-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Losperegrinos visitan mi pueblo todo el año, cientos de feligreses manifiestan sufe y gratitud a la virgen de San Juan de los Lagos. En agosto sobre todo, elpueblo se llena de peregrinos para celebrar el día de la virgen milagrosa, lasegunda más visitada en México después de la Virgen de Guadalupe. Crecí viendolos peregrinos cada año, entraban en la madrugada cantando alabanzas a laVirgen, marchando lentamente hacia la basílica. La casa del abuelo, donde pasábamosla mayor parte de “las fiestas,” esta justo en la calle principal que lleva ala virgen, las peregrinacionespasaban justo debajo de la ventana al lado de nuestra cama. Para los turistas ogente que no vive en el centro, las peregrinaciones pueden resultar molestas.Para mi que prácticamente nací escuchándolas, llegaron a ser parte de mi vidadiaria, el sonido de fondo de mi niñez. Ay, lo que daría por escuchar la gentecaminar y cantar a las 4 de la mañana!

Siempre me sorprendió la fe de la genteque venia a visitar el pueblo, algunos caminan por más de dos meses, otros entran de rodillas o descalzos,cualquier sacrificio que pueda pagar algún milagro cumplido. No se tiene queser religioso o creer en la virgen para apreciar la fe con la que estosperegrinos visitan a la Virgencita de San Juan. Escuché tantas historiasmientras le ayudaba al abuelo a vender maquinas para hacer tortillas, la gente mecontaban de algún hijo que sobrevivió un accidente fatal “gracias a laVirgencita”, venían caminando desde estados lejanos porque habían prometido unamanda de rodillas, y así llegaban hasta la virgen. A pesar de tener lasrodillas desechas o la plantas de los pies ensangrentadas, nunca escuché anadie quejarse. Bien dicen que la fe mueve montañas.

Hace unpar de años mientras visitaba a mis abuelos en México note una cruz justo enmedio de la calle. Me contaron que una señora caminó desde la ciudad de Méxicohasta mi pueblo en los altos de Jalisco para pagar su manda. Con todadificultad llego hasta la iglesia a demostrar su agradecimiento, y justo cuandoiban de regreso en camino a la central de camiones la señora se desplomó enmedio de la calle. Cuentan que lo ultimo que dijo antes de morir era loagradecida que estaba por haber llegado hasta la Virgen. Nunca me deja deconmover la fe de los peregrinos.

Y no esque sea religiosa ni que mi fe sea tan grande como la de los peregrinos, sinembargo la Virgen es parte de lo que soy. Creo que toda esta nostalgia seagranda cuando uno deja su tierra, como que pesan más en el corazón esas cosasque antes no tenían importancia, como las fiestas de la Virgen en agosto. Ysiento aún más nostalgia al ver reportajes como este que Univision acaba derealizar sobre San Juan de los Lagos. Resulta que mi adorado pueblito recibe más visitantes que elmismo Vaticano! Espero muy pronto marchar hasta la basílica, quizás no derodillas ni descalza, tampoco planeo caminar cientos de kilómetros… solo quierollegar…

Paralos interesados, les recomiendo este video.

Update on the shop!

2011-08-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly adding products to my shop, Rosa Mexicano Handmade. I lost hundreds of pictures when my last computer died and I have to re shoot many of them. Hopefully I will have all of the items added by the end of the week! I will be offering free shipping for the grand opening and possibly a giveaway as well...stay tuned ;)

Spanish Friday: Las historias del abuelo

2011-08-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Miabuelito tiene 87 años, pero una hora hablando con él y pensaras que ha vividoel doble. Bien dice que más sabe el diablo por viejo!

Surepertorio de historias es digno de las mil y una noches; desde la revoluciónmexicana cuando la familia albergaba revolucionarios en casa, hasta los eventospolíticos contemporáneos. Pero si yo fuera tú la política ni la menciono, queno hay otra cosa que le moleste más. Llevo más de veinte años escuchando sushistorias, las mismas una y otra vez, como aquél libro que no me canso dereleer. Mi favorita es cuando mis abuelitos se hicieron novios, me encantaescuchar sobre la mítica pelea entre dos hombres enamorados por el corazón demi abuela. La historia suena como si hubieran sido dos guerreros peleando porsu doncella en la época medieval entre dragones y espadas, cuando en realidad fue entre dos chicos concopas de más en un baile de rancho. Se le llena la cara de orgullo cuando me dice “Tú abuela era unviejonon! Bueno, aún lo es… y yo me la gane!” Con los años le ha ido agregando detalles, pero así es Don Juan, ya te acostumbrarasa esa mente creativa.

Dileque te cuente como se convirtió carpintero, le encanta presumir lo rápido queaprendió el oficio y como ha sido galardonado como gran artesano por suscreaciones. Trata de no preguntarle sobre la temporada que trabajó en Estados Unidos,al menos que estés listo paraescuchar un monólogo de varias horas sobre como este país capitalista es lopeor del mundo.

Deltema que más le gusta hablar es de su madre, el cariño que le tiene se leescucha en la voz, y es posible que se le rasguen los ojos al recordar sumuerte. No te preocupes, tu bisabuelo es fuerte. Mira como se levanta cadamañana a trabajar aunque le cueste caminar. Siempre viene alguien a escucharlo, se sientan en la carpinteríacon él por horas… Mi abuelito puede hablar por horas!

Peromejor ya no te sigo contando, no quiero robarle sus historias. Estoy segura queél mismo te las contará, todas y cada una de ellas.

Window Shopping: Rocker Mama!

2011-08-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a fashionista, but I do enjoy pretty clothes and accessories! Before my kiddo was born I would never leave the house without makeup, and I swore that wouldn't change after the baby. Well, here I am, it's 11am and I'm still wearing PJs, (I'm waiting for Julian to nap so I can take a shower)... My mama uniform nowadays consists of messy hair, first pair of pants I see, a boring shirt, and a bit of eyeliner. No more planning my outfits the night before, no more 30min makeup routine. I take my time doing my makeup only when I work, I go out, or daddy is home to watch the baby. I know that once I start grad school I'm going to include at least 20 min of "mama getting pretty" time to my routine, until then this is the best I can do:

Rocker mama by joshelyn4 featuring wrap jewelry

Well, hey there blog...

2011-08-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's nice to see you again ;)
YES! I finally have a new computer and can go back to posting! We also got the insurance this time to make sure we are going to have a laptop for the next 3 years. My last computer died on me after 9 months, and we bought it refurbished so we couldn't really get the insurance or return it. You definitely get what you pay for...

I'm so happy to be here again, I missed blogland! You'll be seeing a lot from me, I have to make up for like a month of not blogging so make sure you stop by, I'll try to at least post 4 times a week :)

Anyway, here are bits of my life lately:

We went to see one of my have bands, Zoé, just last weekend. I hadn't been to a concert since I got pregnant so it was nice to remember the ol' times! I can't go to a different gig every weekend like I used to anymore, but hopefully I can go to at least two more this year. They're definitely fun!

Have I told you about my nail polish addiction? My name is Maricela, and I'm addicted to pretty nail lacquers. Back when I was in junior high I used to sport a different nail color every day. I was that cool, lol.

I'm too busy now to change my nails that often, but still try to do a different look every week. Every time we go to Target I have to walk by the nail polishes and almost every time at least one of them comes home with me. At least is a pretty addiction, right?

I started reading this book last week and I'm really enjoying it! It's fresh and fast reading, and very hard to put down.

The little Fridita you see there is one of my latest creations. I lost all my pictures that were ready to be uploaded to my shop, but hopefully I can finally get it open in the next week or so! Also I've been sketching all my ideas and it's really helpful! Before I would use scrap paper and my molds and original sketches would often get lost. This way I can keep all of them in one place in case I need to go back. It also helps me visualize my ideas better!

This was our dinner today, lentil hamburgers and zucchini fries. Lately we've been more conscious about what we cook and eat. All of our meals this week are vegetarian and we love them so far. I was a vegetarian for 8 years and have never been healthier. We are thinking of cutting our meat to twice a week and have a vegetarian week every month. I think we are so used to see vegetables as a side meal that we think a vegetarian meal won't be enough. But let me tell you, it's more than enough!

Lastly, this little guy keeps me busy. He wakes up around 6am and doesn't stop ALL DAY! He does take a short nap and that's when I try to eat breakfast and do whatever I can before he wakes up and demands I hold him or sit with him for hours. He is very lucky he has those lovely brown curls, how can you say no to that??

What have you been up to lately?

Feliz cumpleaños Frida Kahlo!

2011-07-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again, Frida's birthday! Posting fom iPad is hard, but read my post from last year here!

Macs are letting me down...

2011-06-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

My MacBook pro died today... It's less than a year old! And the 5th time I've had some sort of problems with my macs. The worse part is that I had all my edited pictures ready to be uploaded to my shop. I don't even know if I will be able to recover all my files!
I regret not backing up anything! After the last time this happened I swore I would do it but just got too lazy!
Now I'm just hoping that the fixing is not too expensive :(

Julian & Daddy: A love story

2011-06-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Julian and his daddy have become the best friends in the world. They love spending time together, and one can't live without the other...

They love taking naps together...

And watch T.V. together...

And eat together...

And play together...

They're perfect for each other!

Julian is so lucky to have the best dad in the world!!!!!

Happy Father's Day my love!

30 songs game (day 8-14)

2011-06-14T22:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA, I haven't had much to say so I'm trying to enjoy this rare quiet time. But I thought it was time to stop by and continue with this music game before I forget! so here you go, the next 7 songs:

Day 8 - una canción cuyas letras te sabes perfectamente (A song you know perfectly) Not only do I know the lyrics, I also know the dance. My sister and I would dance and sing it in the middle of the street while my mom sold tacos outside my grandma's house in México lol

Day 9 - una canción con la que puedes bailar (A song that you can dace to) Pretty much anything Pitbull does! I hate regeatton but love the rhythm of his music ;)

Day 10 - una canción que te ayuda a dormir (a song that helps you go to sleep) I LOVE Austin T.V., their music is pure genius and helps me relax when I need it! Whenever I can't sleep this song is a must!

Day 11 - una canción de tu banda/intérprete/músico favorito(A song from your favorite band/singer/musician) My fave band is Cafe Tacvba!!! And this is my favorite song by them.

Day 12 - una canción de una banda/intérprete/músico que odias (a song from a band/singer/musician you hate) I HATE Jenny Rivera. Personally and musically, she's my worse nightmare! I hate her music so much that I won't even bother to look for one of her videos on youtube.

Day 13 - una canción que te gusta en secreto (placer culposo) (A song you like secretly, a guilty pleasure) I don't like RBD but love this song, and the lyrics are actually pretty good.

Day 14 - la canción que más veces has escuchado en tu vida (The song you've listened to the most in your life) This is the one song I remember my dad playing when I was little. I have heard it countless times ever since.

DIY: A cheap and cute earring organizer/display!!!

2011-06-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today I'm going to show you how to make a very cute and simple earring organizer using things you can find at the dollar store or probably have at home already!

This is what you need:
- 2 Wooden frames (mine are 8x10, but they can be as big as you want)
-2 Hinges
-Tulle or lace
-Glue (white glue worked for me but you can also use a glue gun)
-Colored paper or scrapbook paper
-Paint (optional)

I got my frames and hinges at the dollar store, I had the tulle spool and the rest of the stuff already.

First, decorate your frames!! This is an optional step, I thought mine were a little boring so I decided to paint them. Also, if you know you're going to paint them try to find some unfinished wooden frames. Mine were finished and I had to use a sealer so the enamel wouldn't peel off.

While your frames are drying glue some color paper or scrapbook paper to the cardboard backing that comes with the frame. I'm using some hot pink card stock paper I already had.

I put a thick coat of glue around the edges, pressed the paper against it, and trimmed the excess off when it dried.

forgot to take a pic after cutting the extra paper off!

Then glue the tulle to your cardboard by adding a thin layer of glue around the edges. If you're using lace, you might want to use hot glue or a stronger adhesive.

Make sure your tulle or lace is a bit bigger than your cardboard!

My tulle wasn't wide enough to cover the whole cardboard, so I had to use three different pieces. I used a bit of glue where the pieces met to keep them together.

Once the front is completely dried, glue the extra tulle to the back.

While the glue dries, add the hinges to the sides. Make sure the frames are facing each other and screw a hinge at the top and the other one at the bottom. I had my fiance to help me with this LOL

It should look like this:

Now put the cardboard panels back on the frames (you don't need the glass!). You can always add more frames and make it longer if you need more space!

And it's done and ready to display your lovely earrings!!

I was supposed to sell my handmade goodies at a conference this Saturday which is why I looked for a cheap and cute way to display earrings. Unfortunately they canceled on me at the last minute, but I thought it was soo cute I had to share!!

Easy, cheap, and cute!

El reto: 30 días 30 rolitas (DAYS 4-7)

2011-06-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy, it usually is on weekends because it's when I have to go to work. So, here are the songs for days 4-7 enjoy!!
By the way, I hope someone else plays this game! I've been discovering tons of new music on FB thanks to this ;)

Day 4- Una canción que te recuerda a alguien (A song that reminds you of someone). Remember how I said I didn't like banda music? Well, there is only one banda you will find in my ipod: Intocable. And this is thanks to my lovely college roommate, Maggz!! (love you Maggie!). We played this song too many times, cried with it, sang to it, danced to it.. you name it!

Day 5- Una canción que te recuerda un lugar ( A song that reminds you of a place). This song reminds of Spain. I was living there when they chose this song for the Eurovison contest. And yes, I know the dance too...

Day 6- Una canción que te pone contento ( A song that makes you happy). I have choreographed this song in my head so many times!!! it just makes me want to get up and dance lol

Day 7- Una canción que te recuerda un momento especifíco (A song that reminds you of an specific moment). This song reminds me of a concert in Madrid. Many bands played and along them Jarabe de Palo and Coti. Coti sang a cover of this song. We were right at the front and I got very hmm... excited?? and yelled "Coti te amo!" LOL

El cuento más corto del mundo...

2011-06-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hoy quiero compartir con ustedes el cuento más corto del mundo, llamado El Dinosaurio y escrito por el gran maestro guatemalteco Augusto Monterroso:

[via]

Apoco no es génial? Cada vez que lo leo o veo alguna adaptación de este cuento no puedo evitar sonreir! Es una de las obras literarias más reproducidas en el mundo, además de ser la inspiración de cientos de videos, dibujos, y más.

[via]

Con tan solo siete palabras este ingenioso escritos ha logrado lo que novelas con cientos de paginas nunca logran! También se dice que este cuento tiene la coma más importante de la literatura Latinoamericana ya que se puede dejar en su sitio o mover para cambiar totalmente el cuento. Les invito a que lean algo más de este maravilloso autor, es uno de mis favoritos y estoy segura que les encantara!

MJ

El reto: 30 días 30 rolitas (DAY 3)

2011-06-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Read more about this game here.

Day 3: una canción que te pone triste ( A song that makes you sad)

A song that tells the stories of many people in Latinoamerica that live in poverty. Can't even start talking about it without crying.

El reto: 30 días 30 rolitas (DAY 2)

2011-05-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

So the game continues!

Day 2: la canción que más odias (The song you hate the most)

The only type of regional Mexican music I like is Mariachi, the rest I dislike but can listen if I must. BUT when they have like one song every month that is overplayed to the point where it becomes hate. This is the song that I hate the most right now:

El reto: 30 días 30 rolitas (DAY 1)

2011-05-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

There's this musical game on Facebook and I thought it would be fun to share it with you. It's a list of 30 songs, a different one every day. The FB page is in Spanish, but I'll be posting the questions in both English and Spanish in case you want to play along!

Day 1: Tu Canción Favorita (Your Favorite Song)

This one is a tough one, but if I had to choose it would be "Luna" by Zoé (unplugged version). I know it's pretty recent but it's the first song in a long time that gets to me in so many ways!

Mal de Empacho

2011-05-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

La semana pasada nuestro pequeño Julián parecía no tener apetito. Nos extraño mucho ya que si hay algo que le gusta hacer a este niño es comer. Su papá me dijo preocupado, "Y si esta empachado?", pregunta que me sorprendió ya que él es muy "Americano" (pocho!) y casi nunca cree en el folklor mexicano. El empacho es una enfermedad intestinal que causa la perdida de apetito y también puede causar fiebre. No estoy segura de que lo causa, recuerdo que mi abuelita nos decía que si algo se nos quedaba pegado en el intestino o comíamos algo podrido nos enfermábamos del empacho. El remedio es "tirar" los pellejos de la espalda hasta que estos truenen, algo que mi suegra se ofreció hacer, pero Mr.S y yo decidimos no dejar que se lo hicieran a Julián ya que es algo doloroso! Afortunadamente Julián recuperó su apetito y sigue siendo el niño comelón que conocemos.

Jalar el pellejo para curar el empacho (via)

Pero esto me hizo pensar en aquellas enfermedades arraigadas en el folklor latino americano y sus remedios alternativos. Por ejemplo, "el mal del susto" que es ocasionado por un episodio terrorífico que nos haya dejado con ansiedad y miedo. Otra enfermedad más conocida es el "mal del ojo", que afecta sobretodo a los niños pequeños cuando alguien los mira de mala manera. Se cree que la energía negativa afecta a los más débiles y puede ocasionar hasta fiebre. Mi mamá me cuenta que yo padecí mucho del mal de ojo cuando era pequeña, así que siempre me ponía un brazalete rojo con una semilla de ojo de venado ya que se cree que este absorbe las energías negativas.

Pulsera para prevenir el mal de ojo (via)

Otra enfermedad de la que sufrí mucho, según mi madre, es la caída de mollera, enfermedad que afecta a los bebes cuando se caen. Se dice que la coronilla, o ese hueco que tenemos ahí, se mueve de lugar ocasionando dolor al niño. El remedio es presionar el paladar con los dedos, luego voltear al niño de cabeza mientras se le sopla en los pies, y después soplar en la mollera para que esta vuelva a su lugar. También es algo doloroso, ya que recuerdo a mi hermanita llorar cuando la curaban.

Todos estos males no son muy bien aceptado por la medicina ortodoxa, son más bien tratados por curanderos y con remedios alternativos. Es parte de nuestra cultura popular y que se dice estar perdiendo en las nuevas generaciones. Alguno de ustedes a escuchado de estos males y sus remedios??

Date Night

2011-05-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Mr. S and I are going out for dinner tonight! There's a mexican restaurant 5 minutes from our house that has gotten great reviews and we can take the bus there (save gas!!!!). This is what I plan on wearing:

date night by joshelyn4 featuring flower jewelry

Well, not necessarily the items above but something similar. I cut the neckline off an old grey top, I'm wearing some old distressed jeans, my Toms that my love got me for my birthday, this necklace, and a bunch of my colorful bracelets. I bought a yellow clutch at forever 21 many years ago that looks just like the one in the picture. On my nails I'm wearing a minty color I got at Target for $1, and on my lips I'm wearing mark's nudie sheer lipclick.

I'm having too much fun digging into my closet and putting together "new" outfits with the stuff I already have! I hope it looks as pretty as I imagine when I put it on. maybe I'll take some pics and show you?!?!?!?!

What are you doing tonight??

MJ

The boy of my life

2011-05-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Julián is going through this phase where he just wants to be with me ALL the time! It makes it impossible to do anything, even go to the restroom!!! The house is usually a mess because of this, I don't really do anything until his daddy takes over or he takes nap. I get really desperate sometimes. I can't even eat breakfast without him screaming or crying because he wants to be held or eat what I'm eating (even though we usually have the same food). Motherhood seems a bit more overwhelming now, even more than when he was an itty bitty tiny bundle.

Today while I was on the couch trying to wake up Julián jumped on top of me and gave me a kiss. (He started kissing us again!) And my heart just felt so warm and fussy even though this kid woke me up too early! It's amazing how I've memorized all his facial expressions. I love the way he arches his eyebrows when his drinking his milk, the way he smiles when he knows he's in trouble, and how his face brights up when I come home from work. There isn't a single day that his dad and I don't say out loud how freakin' cute he is. We love him more than anything in this world and we tell him every day.

We would do anything for this kiddo!! The lack of sleep, the messy house, the sore arm from carrying him all day... nothing is enough for our boy! He deserves the world and the rest of the planets out there <3

MJ

10 things that saved us money!

2011-05-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

My fiance and I decided that I will stop working at the end of the year so I can focus on my career and finally start a graduate program. I'm not crazy about my job, but it pays really well. Just the fact that we are going to have a few hundred dollars less each week when I stop working makes me very nervous! So we know that we have to save money like crazy this year, which means we have to make MANY sacrifices... no more careless spending!

I added up all of our monthly expenses and was amazed at how much money we ~~waste~~ spend! So I started looking for ways to save us a bit of money, and these are the things that actually worked for us (in no particular order):

1. Record your expenses/income- writing everything down has allowed me to see where I'm spending more money and cut unnecessary expenses. Also, part of my paycheck gets directly deposited in my bank account every two weeks and I get the rest in cash every week. One mistake I used to make was put all the cash in my wallet and since I didn't keep a record of what was coming in and going out, I would spend too much! Recording my expenses and income allows me to control them!!

2. Making a budget- Once you record your expenses and income, you can figure out how much you'll need to put aside from your pay checks. I also have a grocery budget now and it has changed my shopping habits so much! I have a menu plan and make a grocery list with only the things I need, if there's money from our budget left after buying what's on the list I'll get something extra like a box of triple chocolate chip cookies! :P

3. Couponing- Now I don't go to the extreme like those people in that TV show, but using a few coupons every week saves me a few bucks. Even if it's only $5, that's a gallon of gas!!

4. Change grocery store!- This one was really hard for me! I got used to doing our grocery shopping at Trader Joe's since it's right accross the street from my job and it was convenient to just go there. But even though I LOVE their stuff, I was spending too much money! Another reason why I changed grocery stores was because at Trader Joe's I can't use all the coupons I'd like, since they don't carry many of the products. I really miss my TJ food, but it saved me about $100 a month! (And I'm still making the same type of food).

5. Low income programs- My utility bills are reasonable except for my gas bill!!! I was paying at least $50 a month, which is way more than what my mom pays for a family twice as big as ours. So I called my gas company, they checked for leaks and also told me I qualified for a low income program. The program I applied for saves me at least 30-50% every month!

6. Downgrade- I also realized that I was paying too much for our internet. It turns out that since my contract ended a few months ago, my internet company switched my plan to a more expensive one! I downgraded the plan and saved $10 a month.

7. Shop at the dollar store- The 99cent stores carries tons of groceries nowadays! I even found organic asparagus there once!! You could easily buy half of your shopping list there for half the money!

8. Change shopping habits- Whenever we go to Target we spend too much money!! so we decided to go there only once a month instead of our weekly shopping trips. I'm sure this will save us at leas $100 a month!!! yeah, we kinda go crazy every time we get to Target! lol Also, our dates consisted of movies at the mall, which meant there was some shopping around after the movie. We are going out on dates only twice a month and for dinner only! No more mall= no temptation to buy! Lastly, instead of having "Sushi Sunday" every week, we are doing it every other week, that's about $60 savings per month!!

9. The envelope method- I use this to keep my grocery budget. I put $60 in an envelope every week, if there is anything leftover it goes back in the envelope so we have a little extra just in case we go over budget! Also, I make sure this is the only money I take with me, which forces me to keep my budget!

10. Use what you have- This applies to many things. I make sure I use things I already have in my kitchen when planning our dinner menu, this means less things to buy! Also, we love movies and used to buy at least one every week we went to Target, but now have decided to wait until they are available on Netflix (unless it's one that we really want to buy). We already pay for Netflix, so we might as well use it! And lastly, I know I won't be buying clothes any time soon, so I make sure I go through my closet at least twice a month looking for those things I haven't worn in a while. The whole "I didn't remember I had this!" feeling never gets old :)

We will be saving about $250-$300 (hopefully more!) a month if we keep this up!! Which will hopefully allow us to have a good savings account by the end of the year!

How about you, what are some ways you and your family save money???

MJ

Mi abuelito

2011-05-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Mis abuelitos

Ultimamente he estado echando mucho de menos a mi abuelito. Siempre lo recuerdo pero estos últimos días esos recuerdos han sido más nostálgicos. Mi niño encontró un pequeño alacrán de plástico que mi abuelito le dio mientras estábamos en México y en cuanto lo vi me puse a llorar. Y hace un par de días mientras preparaba un caldo de verduras para la cena, saque un chayote para partirlo... y también llore. Mi abuelito se come dos chayotes hervidos todos los días, ya que las enfermedades que tiene lo obligan a comer pocas comidas. La verdad es que no se porque me ha pesado mas no estar con el estos últimos días, mi abuelito es como mi papá y fue muy difícil dejarlo cuando nos movimos a Estados Unidos, pero ya había aprendo a vivir sin él cerca. Quizás ahora que tengo mi propio hijo me doy cuenta de la importancia que mi abuelito (y mi abuelita también) tienen en mi vida.

Muchas personas que conocen a mi abuelito dirán que es un hombre de carácter muy fuerte, y muy duro. Pero no saben que cuando estaba pequeña nos perseguía a mis primos y a mi por toda la casa. Jugaba a las escondidillas con nosotros y nos dejaba jugar en su carpintería de vez en cuando. Además de tener un sentido del humor muy divertido. Tampoco saben que se deja abrazar por todos sus nietos y que hace cualquier cosa por alguno de nosotros. Para mi abuelito su familia es lo mas importante. Y se llena de orgullo al decir que tuvo 19 hijos, casi 50 nietos, y 10 bisnietos. Dice que si tuviera dinero haría un pueblo solo para nosotros.

A los 13 años se hizo cargo se su familia cuando murió su padre. Y aun sigue trabajando con 87 años... He aprendido tantas cosas de mi abuelito, ha sido mi padre y mi gran amigo. No me imagino una vida sin él, sin hablarle para que me cuente sus historias divertidas.

Lo hecho mucho de menos y no puedo esperar a volver a verlo. 6

A different type of post...

2011-05-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

[via]

To express my support to all my friends occupying the Plaza del Sol in Madrid right now. The movement that started on May 15th in Madrid has extended to the rest of the country as well as several european countries, and several protests are going to take place in NY. I'm extremely disappointed with the government that has condemned the people that are expressing themselves, but extremely proud of el pueblo that hasn't let this keep them from expressing their discontent. EL PUEBLO RESISTE!!!!!

Un abrazo muy fuerte desde acá y todo el apoyo del mundo! Animo!!

MJ

Hola México Film Festival

2011-05-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

If you are in the L.A. area this week check out the third annual Mexican Film Festival! They're featuring 12 amazing films this year. These are my picks:

I really wish I could go see all the movies, but I'm trying to squeeze at least one into my schedule. It's very important that we support these type of events that promote and celebrate our culture! México and the rest of Latin America have been producing high quality films the past few years, films that unfortunately don't receive the attention they deserve. So come out and support! Let's show the world that our community fills not only soccer stadiums, but also cultural events such as this one!

MJ

When Things Don't Go as Planned

2011-05-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

My abuelito always used to say: "Si quieres hacer reir a Dios, cuentale tus planes!" (If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans). It completely makes sense now. I've always had my life planned in my mind: I would finish college, go to law school, get a good lawyer job somewhere, and have a happy life ever after. Well, I had Julián right after college so I had to take a time off before applying to law school, which I didn't mind because it gave me time to study for the admission's test and get my applications ready. I applied to 6 law schools, so far I've heard from 4 and haven't been accepted. I feel like I'm simply not gonna go to law school after all, and to my surprise I'm okay with it. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and now I just have to wait for that reason.

The only thing that brings me down is that I don't have a plan b, I don't have anything to do if I don't get into law school. I was thinking of applying to a Spanish Lit. Masters, because it's one of my B.A. degrees and I love it! I had amazing Spanish Lit. professors in high school that changed my life and I would like to do the same. However, there isn't a good program around me. The university I attended unfortunately lacks good professors, which is why I went to Spain to finish my literature degree. The couple of schools with great M.A. programs require an extensive preparation and works published, and I was so focused in law school that I didn't do anything in Spanish.

I want to go back to school already, I miss it more than I thought I would. Unfortunately my B.A. is not enough to take me where I want to go. I don't think like I've failed because I've accomplish many things, I just feel stuck, like I can't move forward, almost feeling desperate... Hope God stops laughing so he can't send what's next to me soon, very soon please!

Tinto de Verano

2011-05-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Una de mis bebidas preferidas durante mi estadía en Madrid era el Tinto de Verano, una versión simplificada de la Sangría a mi parecer ;) Es la única forma en la que me puedo tomar una botella de vino tinto enterita, (jeje) además de ser una bebida muy fácil de preparar! Como cualquier otra receta, cada quien tiene su modo de prepararla, este es el mío que quizás no sea el correcto pero igualmente delicioso!

[via]

Ingredientes:

- Una botella de vino tinto

- Sprite, 7-up, o cualquier otra gaseosa sabor limón (mi favorita es la gaseosa natural con saborizante lima limón de la tienda y marca Target, le da un toque dulcecito)

- Hielo

- Trozos de limón o lima

Preparación:

- Muy simple! Se sirve una parte de vino tinto y una parte igual de gaseosa, ya sea que se prepare un vaso o una jarra! Un poco de hielo y una rebanadita de limón o lima, y ya esta! (Una de las cosas que más me gusta del Tinto de Verano es que puedes preparar un solo vaso).

Pues aquí lo tienen! Una de mis bebidas favoritas no solo durante el verano pero todo el año! Espero que alguno decida prepararla y ya me cuenta que tal les salió.

Un beso y que tengan un excelente fin de semana!

¡Salud!

The Creative Process

2011-05-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

INSPIRATION:

Mujer Zapatista shirt I wore today

{via}

IDEA:

I bought these tiny lovely hoops yesterday and wanted to do some cross stitching, so I made some patterns and gathered my materials!

STARTED WORKING:

AND THE (ALMOST) FINISHED PRODUCT:

I just need to add some pellon fabric to the back, trim the excess and glue the hoop & fabric together! And voila! I have a a beautiful cross stitch piece of art! =D

I'm on creative mode right now, I was invited to sell at another conference in a month! YAY!! I'm happy people start recognizing my stuff and inviting me to their events... my goal is to have enough vending events throughout the year so I can quit my day job :P Well, that's far from happening, but for now I really enjoy the occasional craft fairs/conferences I go to!

We'll be running errands all day! Hope your Thursday is not as busy!

Mucho love,

My LéaLA Goodies!

2011-05-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Finally!! Here are all the goodies I got at the Spanish Book Fair LéaLA!

These are the books I got:

- Leonora by Elena Poniatowska

- El Sueño del Celta by Mario Vargas Llosa

- Travesuras de la Niña Mala by Mario Vargas Llosa. (The guy helping me, Carlos, suggested this book)

- La Tregua by Mario Benedetti (Also suggested by Carlos lol)

- La Isla Bajo el Mar by Isabel Allende (I'm almost done with this book! And I'm truly loving it. Review to come later)

- Aura by Carlos Fuentes (If I had to choose I would say this is my favorite book ever. The first copy I bought is so worn out that it has pages falling out already, so I decided to buy me another copy!)

- Me Llamo Rigoberta Menchú y Así me Nació la Conciencia by Rigoberta Menchú (I read a few chapters of this book for a class on women in hispanic literature and wanted to buy it ever since but didn't have the chance until now)

Also, one of the booths had a section of $3 books and I got these two there:

- La República de East L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez

- De Todo lo Visible e Invisible by Lucia Etxebarria

And for the kiddo:

- La Vendedora de Nubes by Elena Poniatowska (Sweetest book ever!!! I LOVE it! I was gonna get it signed by Poniatowska but I left it home)

- Fonchito y La Luna by Mario Vargas Llosa

- Las Leyendas de Xico by Cristina Pineda (This book is amazing! So colorful and beautiful. It has several legends about México illustrated by different artists. The best part is that it is bilingual!!!)

Other stuff:

I'm always looking for fun Spanish books I can use with my students! This one has some very useful exercises to teach the accents.

The magazine Mexicanísimo was selling their past issues and I couldn't resist to buy these! Their articles are super interesting and well written, I'm sad I didn't subscribe :(

A puzzle of Diego Rivera's famous mural: Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda. Which will eventually be framed once we get it done!

My goal is to read most of these books by the summer, wish me luck!!

Mucho love,

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

my mom and I

Just taking a few moments to wish all of you wonderful mothers out there a happy day! Unfortunately I have a busy work schedule until Tuesday, but hopefully I can celebrate my wonderful mom during the week. It's my second year as a mom and I just feel really blessed to have my little boy. He's the best part of my life and I wouldn't change it for anything! Even if he's becoming a very independent boy that pulls me away when I want to kiss him *sigh*

Anyway, enjoy your day, and celebrate your moms for all the little and big things they do for us!

mucho love,

Celebrando el Español!

2011-05-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

We got to write our favorite Spanish word!

Like I mentioned before, the first Spanish book fair LéaLA took place this past weekend! It wasn't as big as I expected but the program was great and I had a fantastic time.

My little sis and I walking around!

We got there Friday morning right before the inauguration speech, but we mostly did some shopping. I met with one of my college roommates and had so much fun visiting each booth! My boyfriend couldn't understand why we got so excited when we saw the new edition of the RAE Dictionary... we're nerds like that lol I actually had a pretty long list of books I wanted to buy but some of them were way too expensive so I decided not to get them. I still shopped until my cash was all gone and the plan was to buy the rest on Saturday. Well, when we got there the next day most of the books I wanted to buy were SOLD OUT!!!!! Which actually made me really happy since that means the event was a success =)

On Saturday Isabel Allende and Elena Poniatowska (two of my favorite authors) were presenting their newest books... so our day was spent mostly in line waiting to get into their presentations and book signings!!!

That's me waiting in line. My lil sis was pointing at a conchita bread she saw lol

Isabel Allende talked about her new book "La Isla Bajo el Mar". She was really amazing! She talked about her favorite characters in the book, the writing process, and another book she's releasing this summer. The line to get into the presentation was insanely long and I heard many people didn't get in.

Isabel Allende talking about Zarité, the main character in her newest book.

When we got to the place where she was going to be signing books the line was even longer. We seriously waited an hour and a half to get my book signed. They were very strict and had tons of security, only ten people could go in at a time, you could take pictures of her but not with her, and she was surrounded by tons of assistants. But Isabel was really sweet! She greeted us with a smile, even asked my little sis some questions, and looked super calm even though she had signed like 500 books already!

We were talking about the big age difference between my lil sis and me!

Now my favorite moment of the day was meeting Elena Poniatowska! She's the most humble, adorable, and funny author I've ever met! She also has the best sense of humor ever!!! We were in line waiting for her presentation to start when she just walks by us. One of the girls in line tells her: "Hay una cola larga esperandola!" And the lovely Elenita just smiles and says: "Ay sí, pero yo primero voy a mear!". haha

Elena Poniatowska on her way to the restroom LOL

The presentation of her book "Leonora" was amazing! The whole audience was laughing and delighted at the amazing stories she shared with us! She had a book signing right after, and since she was only going to sign 50 books my sisters got in line while I was listening to her presentation. Yes, they waited another hour and a half in line just for me! (gotta love 'em!) I was like the 5th person in line to get my book signed and as soon as she saw me she said: "que bonita!" and that's what she wrote on my book: "A Maricela que es muy bonita" =D

With the amazing Elena Poniatowska!

She never stopped smiling and just gave lots of love to her fans! I've liked her books forever, but now I can truly say I'm in love and deeply admire the author ;)

It was an amazing weekend! The best pre-birthday present ever!!! I'm really looking forward to next years!!

P.S. I'm thinking of writing a special post to share with you all the awesome books I got, what do you think???

Reading this Month: "La Isla Bajo el Mar"

2011-05-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's about time I go back to my old self! And while I do not have the time to read four book per week like I used to, my goal is to at least read one every month. Here's what I'm reading in the month of May:

"La Isla Bajo El Mar" By Isabel Allende. (by the way, I met her yesterday!!! but more on that tomorrow!)

I will post a review by the end of the month when I finish reading it. Feel free join my little "book club", it'll be good to have a discussion about it with someone else ;)

I had an amazing weekend at the Spanish Book Fair: LéaLA! Chisme and pictures tomorrow!

Until then, have a great night/morning!

Spanish Friday: Día de los Niños!

2011-04-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

mi hermanita y yo de niñas

Cada 30 de abril en México todos niños teníamos el día libre en las escuelas en celebración de el Día de los Niños! La ciudad organizaba varios eventos, y mi favorito era el que tomaba lugar en la plaza de toros. Siempre tenían algún tipo de entretenimiento como payasos o artistas infantiles, juguetes para todos, y comida!! Recuerdo que una vez nos dieron la mitad de un melón con una bola de helado de vainilla justo en el centro, estaba delicioso! El Día de los Niños es una de mis celebraciones preferidas, dedicar todo un día a las personitas mas importantes del mundo, la generación que mantiene la esperanza viva en todos nosotros, y la que nos recuerda lo importante que es reír. Así que el día de mañana hay que recordar lo divertido que era ser niño y valorar a los niños de nuestra vida!

Feliz Día de los Niños!

MJ

On Eventful Weekends!

2011-04-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a busy one! Saturday I was thankful to be a vendor at the CSULB Chicana Feminisims Conference! All the mujeres there have always supported me and for that, I'm really thankful.
Here is a pic of me at my little crafty booth.

You can't really see my stuff, sorry! I forgot to take my camera and my sister was too busy helping out at the conference that she forgot to take good pictures lol I had lots of fun and sold like half of my invetory so you know what that means: time to get crafty! I also got to me other artesanos y artistas and we all connected, bought and traded art from each other, and really felt the warmth of our community!

And next weekend is also going to be full of adventures! Starting April 29th until May 1st the Spanish Book Fair Léa LA will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The entrance is free and the place will be packed with tons of Spanish books and authors... oh my! I can't wait!!! The last time I went to a book fair was back in 2008 in Madrid, and I think I bought at least 10 books. And that was because I knew I couldn't bring a lot of stuff back to Cali, but now that the fair is taking place in my hometown I might go a little crazy :P I printed out the map and circled my favorite publishing companies and browsed their new titles online. I'm ready!

The best thing of all is that one of my favorite authors, Isabel Allende, will be presenting her new book "La Isla Bajo el Mar" which I picked up last week at Target! I'm trying to finish it before Saturday and hoping to get it signed. They also have tons of activities for kids, so you can take your entirely family and celebrate our beautiful language and heritage with them.

Hope to see all of my angelinos at the book fair this weekend!

mucho love,
MJ

Framed memories!!

2011-04-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have boxes and boxes filled with tons of keepsakes I collected while studying in Spain. The plan was to make a scrapbook but I've been procrastinating it for tooo long! Well, I have some shadow boxes I bought last year during black friday, so I decided it was time I did something with my Spain memorabilia and the boxes.

It was really hard to pick only a few things since everything I have has its memories. But in the end I was able to put something together and I'm very happy with the result!

The background is a map of the Madrid metro system and the peineta, fan and castanets are from a doll clothes set I got at a little shop in Plaza del Sol. I also included a beautiful postcard of a flamenco dancer and a few cardstock stickers I got a scrapbooking store.

The sepia postcard is my favorite Madrid postcard ever! I used to walk by that very same street every week on my way to the law firm where I interned. Funny thing is that I bought that postcard a few days after arriving in Madrid, before I was offered the internship!

I also have my student I.D. and a picture of my roommates and I, my second family!

Excuse my crappy pictures and trust me when I say that it looks beautiful in person! I like the fact that I can look at it and remember some of the happiest moments of my life. And the best part is that those memories are not hiding in a box.

I have a few shadow boxes left, maybe I should do one with the baby's things next?? ;)

Hope you're having a great day!

Mucho love,

HBO's Habla Series

2011-04-18T21:49:00.001-07:00

I came accross these clips today and had too much fun watching them! They're from like 3 years ago and I really don't know how I didn't see them before. I love how they talk about the growing up bicultural experience from many perspectives, and I can relate to all of them in a way or another! These are my favorite:

Little things like these make me feel warm inside, proud of who I am, and confident that I can be what I want!! Que rico es ser latino!!!

mucho love,

Working at home today!

2011-04-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

I've been creating little things in the few free moments I had today. I know I said that I would open my Etsy shop in March, but I was invited to sell at a Latina Feminism Conference on April 23rd so I've been stocking up for that instead! I'll upload the rest to Etsy after the conference!!

I will have to turn into factory mode as the date approaches, but I'm glad I completed a few pieces today :)
And the kiddo went to sleep early, so I'll probably make some more after I do the dishes!

I bought these cute little virgencitas while I was in México and I simply LOVE them!! They're handmade and simply adorable!

They come in different sizes and styles but I started working with the small ones. Aren't they cute?

I also played around with some feathers I had planned to use in my hair, but instead made some awesome single earrings with them!

I made the earrings for myself but I might make a couple to sell ;)

By the way, visit my facebook page to see my other handmade accessories!

Mucho love,

An awesome Monday!!

2011-04-11T22:07:00.001-07:00

That's the best word to describe today: AWESOME!! After a bad weekend I was drained and all I wanted to do was stay home today, but I'm so lucky I didn't!

Nov. 1, 2010 Julian reading "Rosita y Conchita" with grandma

My sister dressed as Rosita for Halloween!

Last year for Day of the Death I bought Julian a book called "Rosita y Conchita" at an event here in L.A. Well, today at work this guy walks in wearing a jacket with the picture of Rosita and I was like "hey I have that book" and it turns out HE WAS ONE OF THE AUTHORS!!!!!!
I was so excited to meet him because I really love the book! He was super cool and even gave me a pin of Rosita!

My super awesome Rosita pin!!!

I really recommend the book to all of you!! It's bilingual and a really fun way to teach kids about Día de los Muertos. You can find more info about the book here.

Enjoy!!

MJ

Spanish Friday: Buscando mi lugar...

2011-04-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

Desde hace tiempo hay algo que no me deja en paz: ese sentimiento de no estar en el lugar adecuado. Es un hueco en el corazón que en días se llena de dolor y me recuerda que no he encontrado mi lugar. No se cual es ese lugar al que pertenezco, quizás nunca lo encuentre, quizás es este y no lo he podido ver… lo que se es que llevo el alma llena de recuerdos que quiero volver a vivir. Me muero por recorrer las calles que tanto echo de menos, esas calles que me vieron crecer, que viví mil y una vez, solo yo y mis pensamientos.

Quiero volver a sentir ese viento que me acompañaba, se colaba por mi ventana y me recordaba que estaba viva. Quiero compartir con mi familia esos pequeños placeres que descubrí en las cosas mas simples, tan simples como un café con leche en una tarde de verano y caminar sin rumbo fijo. Quiero escuchar esos sonidos tan familiares y extraños al mismo tiempo, sonidos y melodías que relatan mis ayeres.

Estas ganas de hacer las maletas e irme con mis dos amores a mi lado me están matando. Pero mas me mata el miedo, el pensar en las responsabilidades, el saber que estoy atada a una rutina que poco a poco apaga esa luz que había en mis ojos.

Mi cuerpo esta cansado y mi alma no puede mas con la monotonía. Solo espero que resista un poco mas hasta que consiga volver… solo un poco mas…

Happy Birthday to my partner in crime!!!

2011-04-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

An amazing father, great friend, awesome partner, and love of my life!
Hoping you have a fantastic birthday!
Love you!!!

winner winner chicken dinner!!!

2011-04-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

(via)

I rarely enter blog giveaways, mostly because I never win anything and then I feel bad.. :(
But when it's something amazing, I can't resist!! Well, I won this super awesome stamp set by Danita Art!! I got them yesterday and haven't had time to play with them yet, but I have oh, so many plans!!!! I love the theme, the fox and owl are my favorite!!

Danita is super talented and creates the most amazing things! She has the most beautiful art journal I've see so far! I actually own a Frida print I bought about a year ago from her etsy shop. I left it at my mom's house until I find the perfect place for it! I also own her Frida Kahlo "Viva la Vida" stamp set, it's my favorite and have used it on presents, cards, etc.. I was planning on buying her new stamps anyway, so I feel soo lucky I won them!!!

Thanks Danita!

mucho love,

MJ

Cinco cosas en mi mente de las que me gustaría escribir pero no tengo la energía necesaria para hacerlo…

2011-04-01T21:06:00.001-07:00

La necesidad de “CREAR” algo todos los días. La monotonía, rutina, y responsabilidades me dejan seca y desmotivada. Tengo unas ganas de pasarme todo un día diseñando un par de aretes o bordando.
Por fin hemos empezado los planes “serios” de la boda. Es increíble todas las cosas que tenemos que hacer!! Ay ay ay!
No puedo creer que tan bajos están mis niveles de energía!! Llego de trabajar y lo único que quiero es tirarme en el sillón el resto de la tarde. Ojala y pudiera hacerlo… sin que Julián brincara encima de mi!
Que onda con el calor demoníaco de California?? Hace apenas unos días estábamos con tormentas y no se que mas… si esto es ahora no quiero ni pensar en el próximo verano.
España. Quiero regresar ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ojala mañana este un poco menos cansada para escribir mas… lo único en lo que pienso ahora es en mi camita!! Buenas noches!

Remembering a hero

2011-03-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.”- Cesar Chavez

Beautiful Spanish Word Tuesday!

2011-03-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's super late but a friend on Facebook inspired me to write this post :)
He's learning Spanish and posted a beautiful word he recently learned: AMANECER (dawn). The more I said the word, the more I fell in love with it as well! So I thought it would be really fun if I post a Spanish word ever week that sounds beautiful to me... And all of you are welcomed to do the same! either posting it on your blogs or leaving comments here. I would love to see all the beautiful Spanish words you come up with!!

So, my beautiful Spanish word of today:

LLUVIA (rain)

I love how it sounds!! There's something about it that me endulza el oído ;)
It's simple, clean, and it flows so beautifully!

If I ever have a baby girl I might just name her Lluvia hehe!

mucho love,
MJ

"vintage" shopping, or what's the same, domingo de "Swami"

2011-03-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed how all of a sudden "vintage" is in?? You see all this young people searching for cool "vintage" stuff at goodwill and flea markets. For some reason I find this very funny! I remember my mom buying "vintage" things for as long as I can remember, of course we didn't call it that though! It was "segunda mano" and all my mom could afford. My momma got me tons of clothes and toys from "la segunda" we got new things only when she came to the states and for christmas, otherwise "vintage" it was...

Well, my mom LOVES thrift stores and flea markets, she can afford new things if she wants but being the frugal woman she is, she prefers thrifting. I'm pretty sure she goes to one or the other (or both) on a weekly basis. (I have a hipster mom LOL )Thrifting can be a hit or miss, sometimes you find great things others there's nothing worth your money. But what I love about buying segunda mano stuff is that you will have something unique and fashionable at a bargain price! And you all know I'm all about bargains!

This past Sunday we all took a trip to a flea market close to my mom's house, or what we call "el swami" (swap meet). To be honest, I only went because there are these shops that sell mexican candy and tostilocos; and I can't say no to potato chips with sliced mango, cucumber, jicama, peanuts, cueritos, chile, chamoy y limón! (yes, all together...I want some now!!!!!!) Like usual, my mom went to the tents with the tiliches on the floor. I usually go to the ones that have the things nicely arranged on tables and that cheap dollar jewelry, but since I was busy eating my tostilocos I went with her. Long story short, I look at the ground and see this old Scrabble box, possibly 50s or 60s, and I got it for $1!! oh yeah baby. After that I knew it was going to be a good day.

This is what I came home with:

50s/60s Scrabble game, complete!! $1

A guy had a box full of these type of huaraches. Couldn't find anything online, all I know is that they were made in Mexico. $5

Old clutch. $1

I LOVE Russian nesting dolls!! This is just the big one but it's beautiful!! $1

Beautiful silver brooch $1. Also bought a leather cuff for a $1, but the kid hid it somewhere.

A vintage wooden train set for the kiddo. $3 It comes with tons of pieces! We disinfected everything before giving it to Julian, of course.

And my coolest find of the day:

A 70s fisher price record player!! It was a bit pricey, $20 but I LOVE it!! it plays 33 and 45 rpm records and it came with a Disneyland story disc. I've been in love with the vintage 33 rpm disc and story books that Disney released and have been wanting to get some for the kid since the longest. This one is for the kiddo as well, unless I find a LP of Mecano LOL

And that was it!! Love all my findings, it definitely makes me want to hit the flea markets and thrift stores more often. Now, if only I could find a place where they sell Spanish records?????

and don't forget to enter my super awesome mark. giveaway!!!

mucho love,

MJ 4 mark. GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-03-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I became a mark. sales rep! So I decided to make a blog to share with you mark. sales, inspired looks and product reviews. And to kick off the new blog I'm doing a small giveaway!!

So please visit my mark. blog and participate!!

mucho love,
MJ

Sabores of my childhood!

2011-03-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

[via]

When I was a little kid my grandma had lots of different chili plants. So for dinner, I would go upstairs to the roof where she kept them, and get a few to eat. My favorite one was the green chile de árbol, (like the one in the pic above) so delicious and spicy!

The other day I found some at our local market and I couldn't resist to buy a bag. Tonight I eat a couple with some creamy chicken enchiladas, and each bite brought so many childhood memories. My mouth felt like it was in fire but I was so happy at the same time =P

Are there any foods that bring you childhood memories?

MJ

love, love, love...

2011-03-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

When the kiddo was born the only lullaby I knew was the classic "duermase mi niño, duermase ya". So obviously I sang to him some of the songs I knew. Our favorites are Just like Heaven by The Cure, and Love by Zoé (above)... He was a bit fussy last night so I laid him down right next to me and sang Love until he fell asleep. This morning he woke up singing "oooove, oooove"!

Needless to say, I'm a proud mama!!
=D

Mexico Part Dos!

2011-03-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

So I’m finally back with my Mexico posts!! During our vacation we celebrated Julian’s baptism. It was very important to me that my abuelitos were there, so I decide it to do it in Mexico even if Mr. S had to stay here in Cali working =(

My abuelitos were my baptism godparents and I’m so happy they were there with us! The church where it was held is the same one I used to go to for Sunday school. And my grandpa made the doors, which makes it even more especial!

My comadre was my best friend ever, who lives in Mexico, and the padrino was my step-dad cause the kid loves him! It was fun, we made some carnitas and all my family had a great time. And the kiddo was super happy, even though he had a bad throat infection and fever the two days before. He was asleep during the mass, (thank God), it was seriously the longest mass ever… almost 2 hours!!! Right after the mass, the baptism ceremony began and that lasted 45 min more. I jokingly said to my grandma that since it was so long I didn’t have to go to church for the rest of the year. She just laughed! LOL

Julian woke up just before the priest started to put the holy oils on him, and cried a little with the water. But overall he was a good kid!

Ok, enough talking, here are some pics!

A sonrisa for all of you :)

2011-03-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to upload my pictures from my vacation in Mexico like a thousand and one times...but it looks like blogger has decided not to let me upload them tonight :(
So, I'm off to do some cleaning before going to bed. I need time to organize my thoughts and nothing works better than listening to my ipod and keep my hands busy. And to keep positive thoughts, Ana Torroja's "Sonrisa"... Enjoy!

Un “Spanish Friday” en cinco!

2011-03-11T21:23:00.001-08:00

…Cinco puntos, sin orden ni concierto, pero por lo menos es algo!

La nostalgia vacacional sigue!! Estoy echando muchoooo de menos el estar en México, sobretodo ver a mis abuelitos todos los días ya que son dos de las personas mas importantes para mi. Había creado una rutina durante mis vacaciones que ahora me aburro como ostra y no se cual es mi lugar! Quiero regresar!!
Tengo el corazón muy triste por la situación en Japón. Esto de los desastres naturales siempre me da mucho miedo porque aunque queramos nunca estaremos preparados para algo así. Vivo a unas pocas millas de la costa Pacifica y esta mañana amanecimos con una alerta de tsunami, consecuencia del que afecto Japón. Varios negocios cerraron al igual que carreteras, y la universidad cancelo varias clases. Afortunadamente no hubo peligro alguno, pero seguimos en alerta y rezando por los afectados.
Me esta costando mucho trabajo aceptar que mi pequeño Julián no es tan pequeño ya. Cada día nos sorprende más con las travesuras que hace. Esta creciendo demasiado rápido y todavía no me acostumbro a que mi bebe quiera estar corriendo y subiéndose en los muebles de la casa antes que estar con su mami.
Ando de empresaria! Al final de este mes por fin abriré mi tienda de manualidades en etsy! Además he empezado a vender productos de belleza, que pronto les presentare. Y estamos planeando abrir otra tienda por Internet de antigüedades. Ahh! Estoy muy emocionada y ojala todo salga bien.
Sabían que nunca he jugado Scrabble en mi vida? No tengo ni la menor idea de cómo se juega. Pero hoy compre la versión en español del famoso juego de mesa! El “mister” no sabe escribir muy bien en español y mi fuerte no es el ingles, así que hemos decidido romper un poco las reglas del juego y lo convertiremos en el “Espanglish Scrabble” LOL

Y bien, se que no he estado escribiendo tanto como debería. La verdad es que no se a donde se me va el tiempo, pero tratare de guardar un poco de tiempo para mi querido blog!

Mucho love,

5 things monday!!

2011-03-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

I'll be posting more about our trip to México soon... but I thought it would be fun to do a 5 things monday post! I haven't done one in a while. So without further ado, here are 5 things I'm loving right now!

1. Nescafé's Café de Olla. While in México, I went to my aunties house one day and as soon as we walked in the door a delicious aroma of coffee and cinnamon greeted us. She makes a fresh pot of Café de Olla every single day, and it's by far the best one I've ever had! Once we were back in the states, I tried to imitate her recipe (coffee, cinnamon, and piloncillo), but I couldn't find all the ingredients at our neighborhood market. I found Nescafé's Café de Olla's instead, and while the flavor is not as rich as my tía's coffee, it is still pretty good. I've been having a cup almost every morning and I rarely drank coffee anymore!

2. Tax Returns!! oh yes, I got mine just time to get something I've been waiting for: the iPad 2!!!!! I'll be up online this friday at midnight to order mine!

3. MTV Tr3s' Niñas Mal. Has anybody else been watching this novela?? I loved the movie it was based on, but I'm loving the novela even more! Our tv doesn't get any channels, but luckily you can watch all the episodes online! ohhhh, I'm addicted =D And the soundtrack it's pretty cool too!

4. Julián's new "talking" phase. I can't understand half of what he says, but I love how he babbles all the time! We're "understanding" each other more now, and he tells us what he wants or what he doesn't like his own way. He learned how to clap while we were in México after seeing my grandma making tortillas, now he says "bravooooooooo" and claps all the time! soo adorable.

5. This song!! Can't stop playing it!

what are you loving right now??

México Lindo y Querido: Part 1

2011-03-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my vacation in my beautiful and beloved México!! Well, we got back last week and are slowly readjusting to our lives here. Julian and I visited my hometown: San Juan de los Lagos. Time flies whenever I visit my homeland...as soon as I leave I can't wait to go back, and when I finally get there it's time to pack up and say goodbye again. Oh well, at least I have something to look forward to!

Anyway, traveling with the baby and like 100 lbs. of luggage by myself was a total nightmare!! The kid had the worse time of his life on the way over there, crying, screaming, and being a berrinchudo! He fell asleep during the last hour which I'm sure everybody on the plane appreciated. The flight back was easier, he fell asleep most of the flight and woke up just when we were landing; and from that moment on he did not stop crying, screaming, and kicking until we left the airport! I think the immigration guy felt bad for me cause he only asked me like 3 questions... And back to the luggage, I had a carryon full with the baby's clothes, a stroller and my bag (plus the bag I checked in). I was lucky to find some nice people that helped me carry it but I was surprised at how rude other people are!! One guy got upset when I asked him to get my bag from the carousel even though I had a sleeping baby in my arms!

As from the actual vacation, Julian decided I HAD to be with him every single moment while we were in México... If I even dared to move 5 inches away from him or put him down for a minute to go to the restroom, he would cry his lungs out. Eventually he felt more comfortable with the familia and I was able to have some free moments to at least take a shower!! Im pretty sure he was just homesick and missing his papá! He also got a terrible throat infection, poor thing had fever two days before his baptisim... fortunately for me, my mom, stepdad, and sisters were in México by then and helped me out!

Aside from Julian and his berrinches, I loved visiting my hometown! I love walking the streets where I grew up, see all of those familiar faces, feel the family love, wake up and see my abuelita, and playing jokes on my abuelito. And I love the food too, of course!

My hometown is beautiful!! and I wish you can all visit it some day... in the mid time enjoy these pictures!

*picture credit to my awesome sister!!!

Taking off...

2011-02-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

I'm off to Mexico tomorrow, for a much needed vacation and family time. See you all in two weeks!

Mucho love,

MJ

"Window" Shopping

2011-02-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

I love shopping!!! sometimes a bit too much... Before Julian was born, I used to go shopping all the time and shopped online as well. Now that we have more financial responsibilities, I've become more frugal :P
I'm thankful my fiance and I have good jobs that allow us to splurge on unnecessary things sometimes. But chances are that if what I want is not on sale or too pricey for my taste, I won't buy it. Thankfully I can "window" shop online, it's free and I can bookmark as many items as I want (just in case we win the lottery... ha!)
I use Polyvore to keep track of the items I like. I can be all day there, coordinating my "dream" outfits and feeling all glamourous! LOL

I seriously live in jeans, scarves, plain tees, and a good pair of comfy boots. So this is what I came up with today:

nudes and browns by joshelyn4 featuring skinny legging jeans

Zine Girls V-Neck Pocket Black Tee : PDP
$11 - zumiez.com
Black tops »

Jeans, Skinny Jeans and More for Juniors from Kohl's
$30 - kohls.com
Skinny legging jeans »

15DOLLARSTORE.COM - 2 LIPS TOO Liberty Lace-Up Ankle Boots (Brown)
$15 - 15dollarstore.com
Browning boots »

Christopher Kon 396
$48 - lorisshoes.com
Shoulder strap handbags »

Chan Luu Rose gold-plated and leather wrap bracelet
$195 - net-a-porter.com
Leather bangle »

Stackable Wooden Bangle Bracelet - Set of 7
$29 - urbanoutfitters.com
Wooden jewelry »

Forever21.com - Accessories - Jewelry - Earrings - 1062097916
$2.80 - forever21.com
Forever21 jewelry »

O.P.I. Nagellack
19 EUR - conleys.de

Forever21.com - Accessories - 1088152337
$7.90 - forever21.com

New! Urban Decay Naked Palette - Product Girl
product-girl.com

Best Nude Lipstick & Lip Gloss
squidoo.com

In case you were wondering, I didn't get any of the items above. Although those booties are really cute and only $15!! I REALLY want the scarf though! sooo cute! But I have way too many scarves, maybe if I find it at the store I'll buy it, but I don't want to pay shipping :P

The Urban Decay Naked Palette has been on my wish list since it came out. Luckily for me, it's been sold out everywhere and I couldn't get it. I say luckily, because last week I found out that NYX released a very similar palette for half the price so I got that one. It's actually better because it comes with more colors and a set of lip glosses too!! yeah, I'm cheap like that LOL

I think I might have to watch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" tonight just to stayed focus ;)

Mucho love,

MJ

Ni de aquí ni de allá

2011-02-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

I came to the U.S when I was about 13 years old, and needless to say I went through a lot of identity issues. I became an outsider, marked with a "different" label along with a bunch of stereotypes and perceptions. At first I tried to assimilate, "blend in" as best as I could. Then at one point during my high school years, I accepted who I was, embraced and loved my differences. I adapted, but kept my culture close to my heart. I changed those labels to "Mexicana and loving it! deal with it". Those feelings of not belonging seemed to have disappeared, but it didn't last forever.

I started feeling like an outsider within my own culture! That if I'm too blanquita to be Mexican, that I dress "white", that I'm not Mexican enough because I don't listen to banda or regional Mexican music, blah, blah, blah... I've heard this from many people, even family, and surprisingly several college educated people! I mostly get it from Mexican Americans, chicanos born and raised in the U.S. that have this image of "Mexican" , and if you don't fit into it you're not one of them! They think that they're Mexican just because they listen to corridos (that sometimes they don't understand) and wear Tejanas and botas piteadas. They dare to doubt my "Mexicaness", even though some of them have never been to Mexico and I was born and raised there.

Truth is, I didn't even listened to regional Mexican music when I was in Mexico. I've always liked the spanish rock and indie Mexican music. If you ask me about "bandas" I'll talk about Cafe Tacvba, I don't know what "white" people dress like, I wear what I feel comfortable wearing and that doesn't include botas and tejanas! And if my skin is light is because I'm from a region in Mexico where Spanish and French conquistadores settled, killing or kicking out most native indians that lived there. I'm mestiza, like any other Mexican, with Indian, African, and European blood. And I love every single one of them!

At first, it really upset me. I felt like the India Maria, ni de aquí ni de allá. But I know we have had different experiences, I know why they feel they way they do and it doesn't bother me anymore. I know who I am, I love the person I've grown to be, and I'm completely confident with my culture and heritage. I respect every single Mexican in them, no matter how different they are! Because like my abuelito says, "pa' gustos están los colores!" or what's the same, "different strokes for different folks"

Super Bowl???

2011-02-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

[via]

ohhhh, you mean a big bowl for my chips right?
And I take like mine with a little bit of lemon and lots of Tapatio on top, please!

hehe
enjoy your Sunday!

MJ

Zoé makes everything better!

2011-02-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up today with a sore throat and no voice. I couldn't go to work so I'm home with the baby hoping he will take a nap soon so I can rest. Thankfully, one of my favorite bands, has just released their first video of the unplugged session they did for MTV. I'm in love!!!! Can't wait until March when the album comes out!

Also, the girl singing with him is the lead singer of another one of my favorite bands Hello Seahorse!

3:54 minutes of heaven!

Mucho love,
MJ

Biutiful

2011-02-03T22:22:00.000-08:00

Last night we had the chance to attend a free screening or Iñárritu's latest film, Biutiful. It tells the story of Uxbal (Bardem), a criminal facing his harsh reality after he finds out he has terminal cancer. I don't want to give too much away because everyone has to go see it!! It's simply amazing! Let's just say it's a mixture of Amores Perros and The Sixth Sense. ;)

I'm specially glad that Iñárritu had the courage to portray the poor living conditions and exploitation of immigrants in Spain. I worked at non-profit organization in Spain that provided free legal aid to immigrants, and I heard and saw many stories like the ones in the movie. Many faces came to mind while watching the movie, and my heart felt really heavy today.

Anyway, I won't get into politics... The movie will be in theaters nationwide this Friday. Please make sure you go see it! you won't be disappointed. It has been nominated as Best Foreign Film and Javier Bardem as Best Actor for the Oscars. His character is simply breath taking!

Another masterpiece by the mexican Iñárritu that you can't miss!

Mucho Love,

LIBERATED!

2011-02-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

After four extremely hectic months, I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

My schedule is almost back to normal at work, no more crazy extra hours.

The holiday season is over!!!! As much as I love the holidays, I'm glad there's no more cooking or shopping.

The kid's party is over!! No more organizing, making decorations, and dealing with all the stress.

And, more importantly, all law school applications have been submitted! I had all the materials ready since November but it was just impossible for me to sit down and submit the damn applications. I was super busy, but I know it has to do with fear, avoiding the fact that they might reject me. Now I only have to wait, but I'm trying not to think too much about it.

There is still one more application I need to do for a Masters Program on Mexican American Studies I'm also contemplating in case law school doesn't work out. But I should have that one done by this weekend!

Oh, and the financial aid application needs to get done... which means I have to get my taxes done this week... right after I go to church and get the stuff ready for the kid's baptism at the end of the month... which, by the way, is taking place in Mexico so I only have a week and a half more before I leave...

ok, ok.... what was I saying? oh, yes! the light at the end of the tunnel...almost there...

Mucho love,

Julián's Luchador Birthday Bash!!

2011-02-01T23:37:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we celebrated my little Julián's 1st birthday with a Luchador theme party! Since the theme is kinda.. well, unique.. I had to make most of the stuff, including the invitations. The party was absolutely perfect! At first we were worried that no one would show up but slowly many family members and friends came to celebrate with us! Including friends I hadn't seen in YEARS which made it really special <3

Here are some of the pics:

Banner and cupcake picks I made

We had a jumper for the little ones and we played "pin the tail to the donkey" Also both kids and adults got to decorate their own luchador mask! they were a hit!

^ you can kinda see one of the centerpieces I made

We had one piñata for the kiddos and one for the grown ups. Julián was more interested on tearing the paper off the piñata! Also, you can see a luchador felt brooch I wore which I made years ago!

We have very generous friends and family, our kid got tons of presents!! I seriously think we need to get rid of the couch just to make room for all his new toys.

A dear friend made some delicious cupcakes for us! And Julián loved them as you can see:

The kids, (and some adults lol), got these awesome star goodie boxes! We also gave out star shaped suckers to all the wonderful people that brought my little one gifts!

The menu, (not pictured), was Nachos for the appetizer, Pozole as the main course, and pizza for the little ones. Very delicious!!

Julián had so much fun! He laughed a lot, ate a lot, and was held by many loving arms that came to celebrate this important milestone with him. I won't deny that organizing a birthday party can be very stressful, but just looking at this face I know it was well worth it ;)

The last picture of the night!

Like I said, it was simply a perfect night! I can't wait for next year =D

mucho love,

My 1 year old!

2011-01-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

Julian Jan. 26th, 2010

As of 2:09pm, my Julian is officially 1 year old!! I still can't believe it's been this long, time just flies by!

We are a couple of young parents and when we were expecting we were told countless times that our lives were "over". But to be honest, we've never felt so alive!! Mr. S and I were talking about this a few days ago, about how even though our life has changed completely we're happier than ever. We might not go to out three times a week like we used to, or sleep until noon, but we're the parents of a wonderful boy and wouldn't change that for the world!!

Our 1 year old!

Julian had his 1 year check up today, (and also got some shots =S ), and fortunately everything is fine. He's a small boy, he weights 20.12 lbs. and is 27 1/2 in. tall but he's healthy so that's what matters. After his doctor's appointment we went out for breakfast and he enjoyed some yummy apples, apple juice, eggs, and toast. We also got him some new sippy cups because he can't let the bottle go!!! And some yummy "toddler" snacks and meals.

I will miss my baby but I'm very excited to see what this new stage brings us!

We're having his "lucha libre" birthday bash this Saturday! yay! Will tell you all about it after, of course!

Mucho love,

Mother to a 1 year old...

2011-01-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

My little baby turns 1 tomorrow!! ONE YEAR OLD!!!! wow, I can't believe I'm the mother of a toddler now!
And as he grows, I know his meals also have to change. I've been looking online for healthy recipes for toddlers but I'm not really liking them! Sooo, I'm turning to you bloggers... do you know any quick healthy meals for 1 year olds???
Please share and help this new mama out!!
very muchas gracias =)

MJ

Things Mr. S says

2011-01-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

Mr. S and I after he saw the inspiration boards for the wedding:

Mr. S: "A burro?, we're having a donkey for our wedding?"
Me: "hmm.. sure, it's a mexican wedding so I don't see why not!"
Mr. S: "you're not the virgen MJ!"

LMAO

Wedding inspiration boards!

2011-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

We don't have a wedding date yet, but I've been looking online for inspiration!
I want a mexican-day of the dead-Frida Kahlo wedding... yeah, weird, I know! We're definitely non traditional, so theme really suits us! There will be no white fluffy princess dress, no black and white tuxedos, no rose petals, and definitely no pastel colors! I want lots of bright colors, handsome guys in guayaberas, a beautiful dress hand embroidered in Mexico, and a bunch of sugar skulls everywhere! Fortunately, I'm not alone since I've been finding amazingly beautiful inspiration boards online with all my wedding themes, yay!

Some of my favorite are:

[source]

ohhh so pretty!! I decided we're going to DIY as many things as we can. Mainly because we want a low budget wedding, but also because I know that it'll be unique and very special!

Can't wait!!!!!

Organizing Diaries: Like, really??

2011-01-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

So... that whole waking up early plan thingy?? hmm.. didn't work! It turns out my phone was on silent so I didn't hear the alarm, ha! REALLY????
(note to self: always make sure that the alarm actually works!)

Fortunately the kid woke up 15 minutes before his usual waking up time so I didn't wake up that late... and I managed to get to work 5 minutes before =D

I didn't get to do that "to-do" list; I managed to write down some stuff at work when it wasn't busy but I will have to do it right now. That list is getting done TODAY!
I'm exhausted, wish I could go to bed now but I have to pick up some stuff and get staff ready for tomorrow...

Hot dogs for dinner...

MJ

Organizing Diaries: Will I make it??

2011-01-14T22:49:00.000-08:00

I used to be an organizing freak. My schedule was done a week in advance, I never missed a deadline, and my college work was usually done a few days before it was due. And my room was always organized and clean, all neatly labeled and color coded... oh, how beautiful it was!

Since Julian came into my life, counting the months I was pregnant, my life turned 360 degrees... During the pregnancy I was alway too exhausted and sleepy that I started procrastinating and being disorganized. Now the kid, my job, my school, my hobbies, my home, everything keeps me too busy to get back on track. My life is hectic and chaotic. I've missed important deadlines, I can't find anything, and I even sent a payment TWICE to a credit card because I totally forgot I had send it already. And I won't even tell you how many times I've been late to work, or how much time I've wasted looking for my keys... it's pretty embarrassing!

I want to be the organized person I was before, I want to enjoy my day stress-free and have extra time to enjoy my family and myself... I want my life back!

My boys are already sleeping, and here I am, browsing the internet for the "perfect" organizing tips that will bring me back up to my feet. But I think it's all another excuse to procrastinate more, thinking that if I don't find what I'm looking for I can't never do it. Truth is, what I need is right here, I need to stop looking for excuses and just get things done! I think I'm too scared of facing all the work because I know it'll be overwhelming at first. But it's about time I stop whining and start acting. I decided to blog my "organizing diaries" as an attempt to have something to look back to and see what's working and what's not. I would usually use my personal diary or planner for this, but God knows I won't read it again or even get motivate it to keep writing.

Take a few moments and remind me I need to get organized, will you? It would help so much! and if you have a few tips feel free to share them! I'm desperate and will try anything right now!

My alarm is set up 45 min before than my usual wake up time, I plan to use that extra time to write everything I have to do down so I can see what has to be done when and all that jazz... Wish me luck, the snooze button is too tempting!

MJ

Spanish Friday: Nuestro Día de Reyes

2011-01-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

Ayer celebramos el Día de los Reyes Magos en familia. Lo que más me gusta de los días festivos como este, es el compartir con la familia. Charlamos y nos reímos por horas, acompañados de una buena taza de champurrado y rosca de reyes!

La rosca de reyes estaba deliciosa! Por lo general, las que compran en casa son muy secas y sin mucho sabor, pero esta estaba rellena de crema que complementaba los sabores de los frutos secos encima. Dentro de la rosca se esconden muñequitos de plástico que simbolizan al niño Jesus. Cada miembro de la familia parte un pedazo de rosca y al que le toque el niño tiene que preparar un cena para el Día de la Candelaria (Febrero 2). También se dice que encontrar el niño Jesus en la rosca significa un año lleno de bendiciones y buena suerte. Mi mamá y mi hermanita fueron las afortunadas este año!

Después de partir la rosca, cenamos unos deliciosos tamales!

Pero por supuesto, la estrella de la noche fue mi Julián que se persiguió a Leo (el perrito de mi mamá) por toda la casa solo para darle un beso!! Este niño cada día me sorprende más!! Por alguna extraña razón Julián esta obsesionado con Leo, en cuanto llegamos a casa de mi madre lo único que quiere hacer es jugar con él. Al parecer a Leo no le gusta tanto la idea como a Julián... hmmm...

Espero que todos hayan tenido un excelente Día de Reyes!
Y si no lo celebran, pues que su día haya sido muy exitoso!

Hasta pronto!

MJ