April 30, 2012

Off topic: Visions

 Have your visions ever become real, years later?

When I was very young there was a Puerto Rican boy band, which was quite popular among school girls. I had this vision [or an eager imagination] while my brother and sister and I were playing in the yard in front of our house.  Sometimes we would climb up the trees without any shoes, and make out shapes from clouds or throw stones at the ground.  One day while I was up on a tree, and an unspoiled view of all the rooftops and neighbors' backyards sprawled before me, I had a vision of the boy band on one of the roofs.  The boys were wearing black and were joking at something.  I yelled for my brother and sister to come up and look and when they did, they couldn't see anything.  Strange. And while the world below seemed more real, as I could see the leaves piling up in a corner, or our shoes carelessly scattered about on the ground, I knew that this vision was undeniably real and genuine. I was always having visions and yet, my visions were never taken seriously.

Where am I going with this?  Well, just the other day I was walking Piki and when I looked up at the rowhouses  in our neighborhood, I noticed tree guys on the roof of one of them, wearing black and joking and laughing among themselves. I couldn't believe it.  Emotions came rushing in and I felt a serene wave engulfing me.  My mind's eye had never forgotten that vision. All I wanted to do, and could do, was simply to watch, because this time, it was real.

{Images from Atomic Atrocity, Andrew}

April 27, 2012

Have a lovely weekend



So the weekend is already upon us. These April days are flying by, between our playground excursions and the daily tribulations of life. We're excited because our family is going down to Florida to spend time with our families and friends.  We are planning a small family birthday celebration for Emilu, who turns one on May 8th.  I can't wait to soak up the sun, the beach and the good Latin food that awaits us in Miami.  This is a well deserved vacation for ALL of us, including my old good pal Piki.  So this weekend we are just going to relax, watch movies and do some grilling.  Tonight, a good friend of mine and I are going to the movies to watch The Five Year Engagement, apparently is a good laugh. How about you, lovely friends, any exciting plans?  How about these links to inspire your weekend. See you back Monday!
 




































 wall bars that are perfect for tiny spaces







this sacramento house is exactly my style

 it seems like time stood still in Myrtle Beach

want to read about my most memorable romantic moment?

have you heard of the great pacific garbage patch?  sadly is not that great

this movie looks so witty; can't wait to Netflix it

love this practical modern jewelry organizer

this shrimp asparagus risotto

i heart London (it's one place I wish to visit and know before I die)

an igloo made of books!

i can't wait to visit this newly formed beach during our upcoming vacation(see below)


{Photos via Select Caribbean}

From baby food to toddler meals

We have transitioned.  Left behind the baby food and embraced real meals for my growing, soon-to-be one year old. This stage of eating is involved and requires creativity. Watching for nutrient rich foods and at the same time, tasty enough that she'll want to eat them. Gone are the days of breast-milk, formula, and liquid foods.  She now wants to hold the spoon, eat with her hands, and chew down her food.


Recently she stopped desiring the cereal-formula mix I gave her for breakfast everyday. She slapped that dish down and splashed everything around her. She did the same with her fruity, spoon-fed, liquidy afternoon snack (smashed fruits watered down). No more, mom. I want food that I can chew, and touch! So I listened.

We have finally reached the stage where we all sit down for dinner/lunch and eat the same meals.  Hallelujah!

April 26, 2012

DIY gold tipped flats

Have you seen this trend lately?  I, usually, am weary of trends, but since I love flats, this one is definitely right up my alley.  As a busy stay at home mom, I don't have time and money to shop for every whim out there, so I decided to convert a new pair of shoes into some trendy classic new flats.

I don't remember where I saw this DIY, it was long ago.  However, I'll go on a limb here and say that I first may have spotted this on Say Yes to Hoboken.  It was simple and it cost me nothing, because I didn't have to buy anything (my mom got me the shoes for Christmas).  You can do this with any pair of shoes, really.  Here's the step by step in pictures.





April 25, 2012

My French affair

When I dream of things French, these images, often pop into my dreamy head. My favorite French author, my fave French actor, my fave French herb (lavender), the perfect French breakfast, dining al fresco at a French cafe, walking in these French inspired flats and eating yummy French macarons. Oh la la! It would be a dream vacation. Who knows? Maybe next year.

Spring shoes at Target




So I want to Target yesterday to buy some weekly products and I happened to go to the shoes section, which I rarely do, and I found some really nice looking shoes, perfect for Spring and very nice for your pockets. I'm actually a flats kind of gal, but sometimes the right kind of wedge or strappy sandal comes along, and I have to look (and sometimes shop)

April 24, 2012

Color blocking your bookshelves

By now you already have a clear idea of how much I love bookshelves. Our bookshelf is located in our very narrow entryway, it was the only place for it. You can see a better view here.  On Sunday I reorganized the books by color, but couldn't give you a frontal shot of the whole unit because of the space issue. I can only shoot each square to show you how the project turned out. But I really wish you could see it as a whole. It looks stylish, and most importantly eye-pleasing.








April 23, 2012

Happy Monday

Hi friends! I hope you had a nice relaxing weekend. Ours was very domestic. We went out on Saturday to do some errands, took Piki with us, and came back early. Then a dear friend of ours came over, and we cooked dinner. I made risotto, it was my first time making risotto, because I was honestly very intimated by the involved process, but it turned out delicious. You have to start with good ingredients. We got our shrimp from the Potomac fish market, the asparagus from the greens market, and the block of aged parmesan from Whole Foods. My friend brought this amazing French white wine. It was delicious. Next time I will remember to take pictures.  Sorry!

On Sunday we stayed home the whole day doing basically nothing. Even Emilu slept in (until 9:30 a.m.!)I also cleaned and re-organized my bookshelves and did some DIY projects which I will show you this week. We also discovered that our baby, who's not such a baby anymore, recognizes us in pictures. She points, babbles, and says papapapapa when she holds a picture of us together. That really made my day!


April 20, 2012

Have a beachy weekend














Hello friends!  Now that the week is finally over, how about some sun, beach and sand to brighten your weekend?  Have a wonderful beachy weekend, and see you back Monday!
{Photos by me}

Ideas for planning a party