Pin of the week!

My pinterest got a little makeover: I changed up all the board names! It was during a small moment of boredom that I started changing everything up, don't you think life is too short to be bored? When you really think about it, life is too short for a lot of things, so I'll go and have some carrot cake with my lunch, calories be damned! "Carpe diem", "live as if you'll die tomorrow" bla bla bla, I say that you should indulge a little every day. And maybe I will buy those neon shoes I've been eyeing at Zara... 

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Style Basics: Fashion Essentials

I love fast fashion, about half my closet comes from Zara. I've bought most of my neon-anything this season either at that store or at one of it's sisters, and I don't know what I would do without them because we don't have that many stores here in ES. However, last weekend I was cleaning out my closet and I felt so guilty for shopping there. I found that Stella McCartney inspired printed skirt I've only worn once, and a pair of killer high heel shoes that I only wear twice a year because they hurt too much. Those are only two examples of over a zillion ten items in my closet that only make it out no more than three times a year. I think this is probably why almost every weekend when I want to look nice, I stare at a closet full of clothes with "nothing" to wear.

Luckily, I do have a couple of items I know will always look good and I can't live without - favorite skinny jeans, a silk blouse, black pumps to name a few. These are my wardrobe classics: they always look great and because they're not trendy, will look great no matter the season. I still think I'm a couple of pieces short of a complete classic wardrobe (I'm currently on the lookout for nude pumps!), so whenever I stumble across a piece about the subject I'll always read it for inspiration. The articles aren't always good, some preach that you should get as many as 100 (!!??) items to have a classic wardrobe. Sorry Nina Garcia, I love you and you're fabulous, but 100?! I know that we're not supposed to rush out and buy them all at once, but I think that's way too many classics. 

So, how many should we have in our closets? I really don't think there's a magic number, but today I read this list of 21 items to get through your twenties and I loved it! 21 sounds like a nicer and more attainable number than 100. The people over at the EveryGirl seem to really understand that when you're in your twenties and have limited $$$, you really can't spend thousands of dollars on one or two items like others would suggest (I'm looking at you disapprovingly Tory Burch). So go ahead and read their list here, I bet you already own a lot of the things on it. 

Traveling on a budget part 2: spirit airlines

The ugly about coming back from vacation? No, not your credit card bill. That inevitable moment someone will mention it to you, or you will remember that "x days ago I was shopping at x". Today I didn't wake up with a shopping craving but with something much worse, munchies for a piece of Whole Foods carrot cake. I ate a cookie, but it just wasn't enough. The craving eventually went away, but it sucks to have that feeling that you want something you just had a couple of days ago! 

I'll probably have to wait at least a year to have a piece of that delicious carrot cake, but at least traveling up north lately has gotten a whole lot cheaper since Spirit Air started operating from our airport. I don't have the complete 411 about how airlines work here in El Salvador, but what I know is that the law makes it really hard for new airlines to start operating. That's why when last year the cheap airline started flying from our airport, I did a little victory dance! I had been hesitant about trying it, and even asked around if someone had flown Spirit, but nothing. So, like with airbnb, I just said carpe diem, bought my ticket and hoped for the best. 

Miami Beach

The good:

1. Those PRICES: 

Seriously, it's ridiculous. Even though I had to pay extra for my bags, my ticket including all of those zillion annoying taxes you have to pay, came up to under $250. The only thing that could beat that price is flying with frequent flyer miles. 

2. The schedule:

Some people might hate red eye flights, but I love them. You arrive extremely early at your destination, but you get to enjoy a whole day there the day you arrive. Nothing interesting is open before 9am anyway, so there's no wasted time if you sleep off your jetlag. When coming back, it's also great because you get to do other things other than worry about arriving at the airport on time. 

Sunny Weather :)

The not so good:

1. The delays:

Be warned, their flights are always delayed. This can be a problem if Miami isn't your final destination. My flight was an hour delayed from SAL to FLL, and a whopping two hours late when coming back home. I didn't have a problem with that, but it sucks if you are going to have someone pick you up from the airport. Have them check online if the flight is going to be on time before leaving to pick you up. Speaking of which...

2. Make sure there's someone picking you up at the airport:

There are no cabs at the time the flight lands here in El Salvador, the airport is basicaly deserted so make sure you have a plan for getting home when your delayed flight lands. 

3. Luggage fees:

Their flight prices are ridiculously low, so I guess this is why they charge for bags. Make sure to buy them online and not at the counter, because that way they are about $10 cheaper. I didn't have trouble taking with me a small (16 inch) wheelie without having to pay extra, so don't worry and think that you'll only be stuck with your handbag as a free carry-on item. Just make sure to measure your bag first, to see if it matches the dimensions for free bags on Spirit's website. 

One last tip, watch out for weight. Spirit only allows 40 pound bags free of charge, which is 10 pounds less than other airlines. All of this measuring and weighing can be a hassle, but you can get a ticket for less than $300, so I'm not complaining (that much at least). I would 100% fly Spirit again. 

pin of the week!

Starting this week, I'll be posting my favorite pin of the week every friday. This week, this gorgeous bouquet had no competition. I'm not a rose kind of girl, but who wouldn't love to be gifted these gigantic incredibly beautiful roses? Bonus for the fact that according to Pinterest, they're being delivered at a hotel in Paris. Lucky girl. 

Follow me on pinterest here :)

it's friday!!!

TIP OF THE DAY!

This is the summer of color, so try matching your bag to your jeans!

words of the day

traveling on a budget: airbnb

Aaaand we're back! What is it about certain kinds of vacations where you feel MORE tired after they're over than at the beginning? That is sort of what's happening to me right now, but even if my body feels more tired, my mind feels rested and happier :) So I went to Miami for an extra-long weekend vacation and it was great! I have been there before several times, but (at least from our country) Miami can't be beat price-wise as being one of the cheapest international destinations you can pick for a vacation. I want to share with you two new things I tried to make my 305-vacaction extra budget friendly (I will try almost anything if it means more money for shopping, ha!): flying with Spirit Airlines and staying with an airbnb host instead of booking a hotel.

from couches to castles: airbnb

If you haven't heard of airbnb before, it's an online service that matches people looking for vacation rentals with people in a ton of cities who offer from their couch, to private bedrooms or an entire house/apartment. You can even rent a freaking castle or an igloo on this site. I will admit, I was VERY hesitant about not staying at a hotel, most of all because of safety issues (I was a girl traveling alone), so I did do a LOT of research. I ended up booking an entire apartment, which was lovely and can't recommend enough if you're in Miami. 

clockwise from top: a castle in Britain, a luxe loft in Tokyo, an igloo in Slovenia 

and a private island in Fiji, all for rent on airbnb.com

why I would use airbnb again (and you should too!):

1. There are no fixed check-in or check-out times, which is great if you're traveling at odd hours. This worked great for me because I was arriving at 7am and leaving at 11pm. You just have to check with the host first to make sure there's no problem with the hours

2. The price - there are rentals available for every budget and the 3% fee you pay airbnb will always be lower than the taxes you pay for booking a hotel room. More money for shopping!

3. Access to the comforts of home - Having a fridge and a kitchen is very useful and budget friendly, because you don't have to eat out for every meal. If you don't like cooking or refuse to do it because you ARE on vacation, you can buy meals at the supermarket (loved everything from Whole Foods) and heat it up when you need to. 

a few tips:

1. Contact the host before booking! I can't stress this enough, it's very important to do the research and ask all the questions you might have before booking. Also, read the entire listing before contacting them, check if they will have everything you need (free parking, free internet, etc)

2. This is not a hotel (duh), so check with the host to see if they have a hair dryer, towels and toiletries.

3.  And also because this is not a hotel, try to clean up a bit after yourself. Don't leave trash all over the place or a pile of dirty dishes, be nice.

4. Do research on the location of the rental. Make sure it's in a safe neighbourhood and close to where you want to go. Google is your best friend for this.  

5. READ THE REVIEWS before booking your rental. Of all the tips, this is the most important one. Take the time and read every single one of them to make sure that your stay goes as smooth as possible. Safety-wise you just have to do this: make sure a masked axe murderer isn't waiting for you in your castle.

Full disclosure, I did find a couple of horror stories about terrible airbnb stays on google. However, I do get the feeling that they're the exception and not the rule for this site. I would 100% use it again, most of all for expensive cities like New York or London. Tomorrow I'll be reviewing Spirit Airlines :)

leaving on a jetplane

So I'm going out there and seeing more! I'm going on a much needed vacation (stress even landed me in the hospital last week, I thought that was a Hollywood fabricated excuse for celebrities to take time off work, but turns out it CAN happen, "celebrities, they're just like us!" boo hoo). 

Sooo I'll see you next week with pics from my trip, have a great week :)

Me voy en unas muy merecidas y necesarias vacaciones hasta la próxima semana (hasta terminé en el hospital por estres hace unos días, y yo que pensaba que esas eran excusas de actrices para no trabajar, resulta que SI es posible que pase ugh!)

Así queee las veo pronto con muchas fotos y noticias, que tengan una linda semana :)

why everyone should watch downton abbey

Now that all of my favorite shows have wrapped their seasons, I find myself with a lot of free TV time. I'm not a huge TV fan, but there are a couple of shows I watch loyaly every week: Mad Men, Gossip Girl and Revenge. During last winter's hiatus, I discovered the PERFECT show to fill my TV void, and now I want to share it with you: Downton Abbey. You've probably heard about this british show before. Lots of designers, from Ralph Lauren to Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton have shown Fall-Winter 2012 collections heavily influenced by early the early1900 fashions shown. But the gorgeous clothes are only a small part of why I love this show. 

For those of you who haven't heard of it, Downton Abbey follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the early 1900s (think Titanic era). I'm a sucker for english period dramas (doesn't everything sound prettier in a british accent?). I loved the Pride and Prejudice movie and watch it every single time I catch it on TV, and this show reminds me of it. It's like every Jane Austen novel rolled into one neat and pretty looking, well-dressed package. 

You know another reason I love this show? (I've said "love" about a zillion times in two paragraphs, sorry I'm a woman obssessed) THE CHARACTERS, especially Maggie Smith who plays the Dowager Countess: she is one bitchy lady and I love her for it! Among her best lines: "I'm a woman and I can be as contrary as I choose!", "Don't be so defeatist dear, it's so middle class!" (to her niece). Everyone, even the servants, are snobby on this show. I find their snobbery very amusing, because this is no Toddlers and Tiaras, this show is highbrow and complex and it almost makes you feel smart for watching it. It's full of historic references and accurate period information, from the sinking of the Titanic to World War I, think of it as a History Channel Lite. 

On the opposite end, the show is oh so telenovela. All of the characters have at least one dark secret, which conveniently for our amusement, always pop up at the most unconvenient times. There are love stories everywhere: from the rich girl who falls for her driver, to the servant who falls in love with the married buttler. The villains are beyond evil, and the insults are great! You can feel smart and guilty for watching this show at the same time! And I've never been on crack, but this is what it must feel like. You just can't stop watching it. One weekend, I was sick with the flu and watched an entire season in a day. It's just that addictive. 

So what are you waiting for??? Give this show a chance! The characters are fabulously wealthy, have great taste, live in gorgeous houses and have rich people problems. It's addictive escapism.

***note: sorry for not writing this post in spanish, but I think it would've been too long :)

party planning: bridal shower

Like I told you on thursday, I've been plenty busy making decorations for a friend's bridal shower. The party was yesterday and I loved how it turned out. The theme was pink, so I used several shades of pink and red paper to make the decor. I especially loved the pinwheels and flowers, all Pinterest inspired. I posted all the tutorials I used on my party planning board, in case you want to try any of them for your next party! I leave you with my fave pics of the shower, and if you want decorations for your next party, you can contact me and I'll happily work out something with you :)

Como les comentaba el jueves, he estado super ocupada haciendo las decoraciones para el te de bodas de una amiga. La fiesta fue ayer y me encantó cómo quedó el salón. El tema era rosado, así que ocupé varios tonos de papel en rosado y rojo para hacer als decoraciones. Me encantaron especialmente los pinwheels y las flores, todas inspiradas en Pinterest. He subido los tutorials que ocupé en mi party planning board, en caso de que quieran usarlos para su siguiente fiesta! Las dejo con mis fotos favoritas del té, y en caso quieran decoraciones para su siguiente fiesta, no duden en contactarme y con gusto puedo trabajar en algo para ustedes :)

happy weekend :)

FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST HERE! :)

quickie: SATC!

FYI, Sex and The City premiered today on HBO exactly 14 (YES FOURTEEN!!!) years ago. I still can't believe that number, the shock..! I was catching a rerun last night (the one when Miranda gets braces), and that episode along with a ton of others still feel so current to me! Here's BuzzFeed's take on the ways the show would be different if it were still on the air today. I couldn't agree more that Carrie would be a blogger instead of a newspaper columnist. Read all 28 ways here!

FYI, Sex and The City salió al aire por primera vez en HBO un día como hoy hace CATORCE años. De verdad que no puedo creer que este show que me encanta tanto sea tan...viejo. Justo ayer estaba viendo un episodio y siempre me siento identificada con el mensaje! La página BuzzFeed hizo un recuento de las 28 maneras en que el show sería diferente si estuviera al aire hoy. No puedo estar más de acuerdo con que Carrie tendría un blog en lugar de una columna en el periódico. Lean todo el artículo aquí!

be right back!

I'm planning (AND hand-making) the decor for a friend's bridal shower this weekend, so I'm rushing and using EVERY SPARE SECOND to do so! I'll be back on the weekend with pics and tutorials, see you soon :)

Estoy planeando (y haciendo a mano) la decoración para el té de soltera de una amiga este fin de semana, así que estoy corriendo y usando CADA SEGUNDO  para hacerlo! Regreso el finde con fotos y tutorials, las veo pronto :)

words of the day

Juno.

Designer Spotlight: Reed Krakoff

I think that the Longchamp Pliages are nowadays as ubiquitous as Coach bags used to be. Those monogrammed Cs where EVERYWHERE a few years ago, it seemed like everyone owned one, from our moms to every teenager at Envy. You could tell that some where the real deal, but some where obviously fake. Most didn't seem to care, the thing is that you had those Cs on your bag. I remember during this time taking a trip to the States, and noticing that everyone had caught the C-fever there too. Tiny Asian women carried armloads of them at the outlet stores, as if stocking up for a handbag apocalypse. 

The man behind the popular Coach monogram is Reed Krakoff, the executive creative director of the brand since 1999. In 2010, Reed launched his own line named after himself, and it is just gorgeous. I am in LOVE with his handbags. They are elegant, scuptural, modern and oh so pretty. No monograms on these babies, only colorful leather and and incredible attention to detail. No wonder yesterday he was named Accesories Designer of the Year at the 2012 CFDA Awards (the Oscars of Fashion). For now, these bags are out of my league (so expensive boo!), but I hope to own one someday. I think we're looking at the next Celine Luggage Bags, I admire that they're simply timeless. My imaginary hat's off to Reed :)

Creo que las Longchamp Pliages son hoy en día lo que las carteras Coach solían ser. Están por TODOS LADOS! Parecía como si todo el mundo tenía una, desde mi mamá hasta los montones de niñas en Envy.  Se notaba que algunas eran originales pero otras eran "chafa" como dirían pero no importaba, a todas nos gustaba andar el monograma de las Cs en nuestras carteras. Recuerdo que en este tiempo fuí a los Estados Unidos y no fue ninguna sorpresa para mi ver que allá también tenían fiebre Coach. En los outlets las asiáticas (si que están por todos lados!) las cargaban por MONTONES a las cajas, como que si fueran las últimas sobre la tierra. 

El hombre detrás de la popular Coach es Reed Krakoff, director creativo de la marca desde 1999. En 2010, Reed lanzó su propia marca bajo su nombre, de ready to wear y accesorios. No se parece en nada a Coach, cero monogramas, cero logos, solamente cuero de todo tipo y en todos los colores del arcoíris. Estoy especialmente enamorada de sus carteras, son todo lo que un accesorio debería ser. Son simples, elegantes, lujosas y se nota la atención al detalle en hacerlas. No es de extrañarse que ayer haya sido nombrado Diseñador de Accesorios del Año en los 2012 CFDA Awards (son como los Óscares de la moda). Por el momento, estas carteras están muuuuy por fuera de mi presupuesto, pero espero algún día tener una. Creo que son las siguientes Celine Luggage Bags, las admiro porque de verdad creo que resisten el paso del tiempo. Mis felicidades para Reed :)

words of the day

This is why I started this blog.

Check out my facebook page, there's more over there!

people I admire: The Pioneer Woman

Ree Drummond, better known as the Pioneer Woman is awesome. She lives in a ranch in the middle of nowhere with hey cowboy husband, her kids and horse and cow poop on her porch. She blogs about cooking, her family, and household chores. It doesn't sound very entertaining, but trust me, it is. The 23 million people who visit her blog monthly also agree with me. What makes her amusing is that she wasn't born in the country, she used to be a city girl who, after falling in love with a cowboy, had to move to the country: "from black heels to tractor wheels" as she likes to call it. Her life and cooking are seriously inspiring, it shows how you can still go after your dreams, no matter where, no matter how, under your own terms. Even Amanda Brooks, the former Fashion Director of Barney's has been inspired by Dree. 

I leave you now why my first ever Pioneer Woman recipe: Key Lime Pie. It's ridiculously easy, and all of the ingredients are cheap to buy, in case you don't have them on hand. I usually don't like tart desserts, but this made me lick the spoon. Check out the photos of my pie making bellow, and you can get the recipe for the pie here!

Ree Drummond, mejor conocida como la Pioneer Woman es lo máximo! Ella vive en un rancho en medio de la nada con su esposo "Marlboro Man" (por vaquero), sus hijos, sus caballos y sus vacas. Ella tiene un blog relacionado sobre todo a recetas de cocina, su familia y su hogar. Puede que no suene muy entretenido, pero créanme que lo es. Los 23 millones de lectores mensuales de su blog creo que estarían de acuerdo conmigo. Lo que hace divertida su perspectiva de la vida en la granja es que ella tenía un estilo de vida más parecido al de Lauren Conrad, pero se mudó a la granja después de casarse. Su vida y su cocina son realmente inspiradoras, demuestran cómo siempre puedes perseguir y alcanzar tus sueños, sin importar dónde y cómo. Incluso Amanda Brooks, la ex-Directora de Modas de Barney's se inspiró en Ree para cambiar su trabajo.

Las dejo con mi primera receta de Pioneer Woman: Key Lime Pie. Es ridículamente fácil de hacer, y en caso que no tuvieran todos los ingredientes en su casa, son baratos en el super. Como regla general, no me gustan los postres que tienden a lo ácido, pero con este me repetí. Pueden ver las fotos del pie abajo, y la receta la pueden conseguir aquí!

my favorite things

I love this movie

I've been sick these last three days, so my mood is a little bit off. I'm no Maria Von Trapp, but to cheer myself up I decided to play a game of what I would buy if money where no object. No raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens for me (sorry), but lots of pretty colorful dresses and statement jewelry! Looking at pretty things cheers me up... Happy friday everyone! 

ps. Want more pretty? Check out bloom's Pinterest!

He estado enferma estos últimos días, y para estas alturas no tengo el mejor humor. No soy La Novicia Rebelde, pero para alegrarme un poco el día, decidí jugar a qué me compraría sin importar lo que cueste. No serían necesariamente las cosas que canta María, pero sí me compraría muchos vestidos de colores y accesorios! Feliz viernes para todas!

ps. Para más cosas lindas pueden seguirme en Pinterest!

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