Say What??

The fact that I'm getting married in 2 days, seems to have gotten lost, somewhere in my brain. Yes, it's November 1st. And instead of stressing about my wedding dress, shoes, and the last minute details.....I was decorating for Christmas!!

I know. I swear to you, I probably, should have gotten married, closer to Christmas. But I spent my day decorating. Manny and I scored the best Christmas tree last year.....for $15!! Originally $200 at Hobby Lobby. :)

And I remembered these little gems. From last year. I dug it out. And made my way to Target. Picked up a few things. I'd already scored a HUGE container, of red and white ornaments at Wal-Mart. I know! But they were only $10.

 

I have a beautiful white angel. And striped stockings. All 'After Christmas' scores. :) There are a few things I'd like to pick up. But that will have to wait. You know, until I'm a Mrs. :) That 'Love' sign.....I ordered one on Etsy. Months ago!! For our wedding. I'll put it up, in our home, after the wedding.

This time of year, just makes me so happy inside!! Tomorrow, I NEED to focus on wedding stuff. But it feels so good, to have part of our home decorated, for Christmas. :) Now I just need to learn how to bake. That would be perfect. All in due time!

Bridal Inspiration

Last week, one of my favorite blogs had a post that hit home for me. :) It was all about 'Bridal Accessories.' This mujer was quite pleased!!

I'm still getting all my things in order. I know!! Let's not talk about it. But when I saw these earrings, I about died. With a big smile on my face!! Oh, and those shoes. Gente, do you see the shoes??

 

I have personally been hunting down the last minute details. I have a gorgeous pair of red heels. But now that I see these flats, I feel like I should have a pair of red flats, for the reception. I don't want my feet hurting. When I'm supposed to be dancing the night away!! :)

About a month ago, I order the perfect little clutch. In the most perfect shade of red. I sorta wish, that I had seen this picture first. Could you imagine this bag, in red?? It would look like roses. Oh, so pretty!!

If my budget allowed, I'd be all over 5 of these items. The shoes and bag, in red. Those breathtaking earrings. But honestly, I needed this shot of inspiration. You know, to get me out of the house. To pick up those last minute details. The ones that will make our day so special!! Thank you The Perfect Palette!!

I NEED Some!!

Pretty sure, most people know, I'm not too great in the cocina. I try. I really do. But it's definitely not my forte.

There is just something about Fall, that makes me crave warm, homemade food.....in my belly. No lie! I dream of soups, stews, roasts, fresh bread, and all things in those categories.

On top of warm, comfort food, I crave sweets. All. the. time. Right now, it's a little ridiculous, just how much I want homemade, baked goods. It's really not good, that Chiquitita is out of town. Come home please!!

On Friday, I was doing this marathon of blog reading. Finding new blogs. Enjoying old ones. Then I found this lovely recipe. All I could think about, were these bars. I even went out and bought all the ingredients!!

I'm 100% certain, that I've said this before. I'm sorta in love with Mix and Match Mama. Shay has some good recipes. I MUST make these bars. Wedding diet or not. I NEED these in my life. ASAP!! Mostly because, they just shout Fall to me. :)

On another note, Manny and I seem to be buried in wedding stuff. Less than 2 weeks until our big day!! And I certainly can't believe it. We've been looking forward to this day, for an awfully long time. Now we're just trying to enjoy every minute.

2 Weeks!!

In just 2 weeks, I will become a married woman.Where has the time gone? No really, where has it gone?? Manny and I have dated, for what seems like a lifetime. Because there is really little, that I can remember before mi amor. He's changed my life, in so many ways. In ways, that only God could make possible.

Manny and I have looked forward to this day, for a long time. For over a year, we've talked about marriage. And for that past 10 months, we've been preparing. Preparing our hearts, souls, and minds for this day. Now, it's just around the corner. :)

I sit here, a little in shock. Not knowing what our future will bring. But excited to begin the journey. My 'hubby to be' is working. Working hard to provide for us. He's always taken amazing care of me. And I've spent my day, finalizing tons of wedding details.

It also makes me wonder, just how Anita and Ignacio pulled off their beautiful wedding. But I am a true believer, that God walks with us. Every step of the way. Making things possible. Things like love, friendships, and families.

2 weeks. 2 weeks until I'm a Mrs. There is not a thing, that could make me happier. Nothing! I'm just ready, to pledge my love. To the man I love. The man that God made, for me. To share with all of our friends and family. To celebrate the love, that God created and made possible. Just 2 more weeks!!

Inspired.....

Tonight, Manny is working. It shouldn't shock anyone. It's part of being a musician. You work almost every weekend, night, and holiday. I'm still not used to it. But I'm getting better.

I guess I could have met up with some of my friends. You know, we all share the same schedule. Our hombres work, we stay home. Wondering how to pass the weekend. Looking forward to Monday morning, the way most look forward to Friday night. :)

Instead, I'm curled up on our couch. With a bowl of my favorite ice cream. Tin roof by the way. :) And episode of 'International Mysteries' is on. I'm catching up on my favorite blogs. All of which, is making me smile. But I know, I should be doing some last minute wedding stuff. Tonight, I just don't have it in me. But I am enjoying 'Blogland' very much!!

Part of which, is because I'm reading a ton of 'Fashion Blogs' tonight. One of my favorites, is xoxo, Trina. Yes, she is a doll! And I do love her style. Something this thirty something can relate to. :) And after tonight's post, I have a little shopping list going on.

Oh yes! Manny might just regret, his full day of work manana! Because I want to recreate Trina's look. Perfect for our Fall weather.....it's still incredibly hot here. Target is calling my name! Sweet heaven, if I wasn't in my pjs right this minute, I'd be strolling through Target. Looking for these pieces! What are you doing on this Friday night??

Full of Life

I don't mean to get all 'preachy' on you. But there are a few things that slapped me in the face this week. And I just wanted to reflect on them.

Manny and I, are just over 2 weeks away, from getting married. There are still a lot of details to sort through. Yesterday, was just one of those days, that I swear was never going to end. We left the house before 7am. By 4:45pm I was done! Manny and I, still had an hour drive ahead of us. And I personally was not looking forward to it.

An hour to church. To the church, and people that we love. But I was ready to go home, put my pjs on, and go to bed. Yes, it was only 4:45pm. But it was 4:45pm. On a day that was kicking my butt!!

Manny asked me if I wanted to go. Half of me was screaming inside, 'Let's go home.' We were less than 10 minutes, from our home. Manny looked exhausted too. The traffic was building. And I was losing hope, that we'd make it to church on time.

But something pulled and tugged at my heart. And I could tell Manny wanted to go to church. I don't think I've shared this before. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we drive an hour to church. It all started with our friend. Years and years ago, she started going to church on these evenings. When her church got a new priest. From our sister city, just across the border. An AMAZING priest!!

Then she encouraged this guy, to go too. At the time, he was going through a tough divorce. And they got this guy to go too. He had just lost his wife. Before long, they'd encouraged many friends to join them. During Lent, we go almost every day. Sundays, we all head to our 'regular' churches. But honestly, this church feels like home.

After mass, we all head to Mems' house for dinner. He cooks for all of us. The house is full of friends, kids, and love. It's the place, we head to fill our souls. Even our priest joins us, from time to time!

This day, as tired as we were, we headed to church. As we sat there, listening to the readings, and the priest, it was like God was talking directly to us. In this cathedral, that was maybe a third full, I felt like God was talking to me.

It turned out to be a nice evening. Refreshing. I got encouragement from other friends of ours. That have recently been married. Thank you!! And we headed home. Straight to bed, with full bellies. We slept like 2 rocks. Bright and early, Manny headed out to work. And I reached for my bible.

I have to say this. I was raised in a Catholic 'church going' family. But it wasn't until I met these friends, that I've really become close to God. Feel him, in my daily life. Rely on him more. After reading my bible passages for the day, I felt more 'full of life.' The readings touched something inside.

Then I headed to my blog. Ready to share my new favorite nail color. Instead, I read the 'Daily Scripture' and 'Weekly Wisdom' that I have on my blog. Do you see it? That's some good reading people!!

What stuck out to me was the 'Weekly Wisdom.' 'If you're too busy to spend time with God, then you're simply too busy.' How appropriate for this week. No matter how busy we are, we need to turn to God. Not away from him. You can NEVER be too busy!! 'Are you so hungry to own more money, that your money owns you?' Sometimes I feel this way. We're so busy wishing and wanting, that we don't appreciate what we have.

I sent Manny a text with that last one. And it just got me thinking. Manny has been so busy working. So we can have a nice home, wedding, and all the things we want. With all of that, he's been working long and hard hours. Maybe it's time for us to sit down and re-evaluate this. Items, trips, luxuries.....are not that important.

God works in mysterious ways. He sends us to the people we need most. He shows us his words, through our own actions. When we're not too busy to listen to him, he practically spoon feeds us, these amazing words. I need to slow down. To remember what's important in life. These little things, are great reminders. Reminders that I'm grateful for!!

She's My Gal!!

I'm not going to lie here. Growing up, we didn't have luxuries like cable tv. It just wasn't possible in our home. To be quite honest, I never missed it. Until I got to high school. And realized there was such a thing as MTV. :)

We honestly didn't watch much tv. It wasn't part of our lives. My parents watched the 10 o'clock news, religiously. Saturday morning cartoons were very important, until I was in middle school. And PBS, was a staple in our home. That was about as much as my parents let us watch.

My grandparents lived with us. And you just didn't mess with grandma, and her novelas. But on Saturdays, she was all about PBS. Something that we've all grown to love and appreciate. When I moved away from home, I was also pretty broke. PBS quickly became my BFF.

A few things I've neglected to share. I worked until Manny and I moved in together. Somehow, I always managed to have Saturday mornings off of work. I don't know how that happened. But it did. My love affair wit PBS, really deepened during this time.

Every Saturday morning, I'd pour a bowl of cereal, some coffee, and watch PBS. Watching many cooking shows, gardening, home improvement, there was a local real estate show, and a general 'home' show. I'd call my grandma, and we'd talk about the recipes. I'd beg her to cook something for me. Because I didn't know how to cook. Heck, I still don't really know how to cook.

But I'd watch those shows religiously. That's where I originally saw Rick Bayless. Loved his approach, to my favorite food. I watched a vegan show. Even though I'm not a vegan. It was so interesting! Many of my favorite shows, have sadly been cancelled. But PBS always has something new, in the 'cooking world' to share.

About a year ago, my friend shared this little show with me. Pati's Mexican Table. She told me that I'd love it! To be honest, I'd sorta neglected my beloved PBS. Why? I now lived with Manny. And we have like 500 channels. Saturdays have become much more hectic. That sorta thing.

I kept meaning to watch Pati's show. Things just kept coming up. Before I knew it, they stopped showing it here. I'd caught 2 shows. And guess what? I LOVED it! Stunk for me.

Since then, I've searched for the show. Even called our local PBS station. Which assured me, that sometime in Winter 2012, it would come back. Guess the heck what? Today, I got to watch Pati cook!! :)

I probably sound a bit 'stalker-ish.' But there are not many shows, that feature a Chicana. That makes food, that I grew up on. Pati is very talented. Her show is so enjoyable to watch. And her recipes, are easy and delicious!!

Hey, Food Network. You are totally missing out here. No offense to Ingrid, but Pati is your gal!! Don't forget about us Chicanas. I adore watching your shows, but you are forgetting about us. And Pati would be wonderful on your channel. Good job PBS, for remembering us. I just wish that there were more episodes of Pati's Mexican Table. You know, more than 2 months worth. :)

What a 4 Year Old Teaches You.....

This past week, has tested many of our friends. In ways, that I'm sure, only God would do. Just to make sure, that we still believe. One of our good friends, broke his foot. While doing some good deeds for his grandma. During his vacation. Looks like his vacation, just went from a few weeks, to a possibly a few months.....

Then on Saturday morning, Marissa came down with something. While she was trying to 'nurse her uncle back to good health.' Her words, not mine! It was so serious, that Marissa landed herself in the hospital. For 2 nights.

It was tough. Being that her daddy was working. Over an hour away. He's in the same mariachi as Manny. Selena was home alone, with 5 kids. For most of Saturday. Well, we all jumped in, when Sals decided to take Marissa to the ER. Everyone offered to take a ninito. Or in Jels case, 2! I happened to be in the area. So I met up with Jel, and took Miss Mariella. I figured, we could handle her for the night. She's only 4. What could go wrong?

Not much, when I spent the evening with Jels, Baby Jelly, Maribel, and Mariella. We ordered in pizza. Called the hospital, to check on Marissa. Assured Sancho, that things were going ok. There may have also been a little Disney Princess movie action going on. :)

Mariella and I headed home. She fell asleep on the way. Who would blame the sweet girl? It was a 45 minute drive. In the dark. After an exciting day. Manny knew that I had Mariella. On the way home, he picked up a few toys for her. Since we don't have any at home.

It was a fairly easy night. Mariella slept all night, in our spare room. She insisted that she could sleep on the 'big bed,' without falling off. :) I made a quick call to Sals, to make sure. Who knew she was such a big girl?

In the morning, Manny and I decided to make the 45 minute drive, to our friends' regular church. That way, Mariella could see her sisters. And hopefully, feel a bit more comfortable with the situation. A complete bonus, we ran into her grandparents. It made her day!

But before church, girlfriend got up, before the sun. Sign numero uno, that we're not quite ready for kids. I just couldn't believe it!! The thing about Sals' kids is, they have their routine. 'A well oiled machine,' as our friend calls it.

Mariella was up before the sun. In her pjs. Ready for 'cereals and toons.' Madeline to be exact. And preferably anything sugary. Because as I learned, they don't get those sort of treats at home. :) I put the coffee on, got a bowl of Lucky Charms for our guest, and went about trying to find Madeline on tv. Yes, we have Lucky Charms on hand. We're still kids at heart!

I was unsuccessful with finding Madeline. But Mariella went and found it for us. On This TV. Have you ever heard of that channel? I hadn't. Well, she found 'Emily of New Moon' first. Had never heard of that show. But it was cute. Something like PBS's 'Anne of Green Gables.' I thought it a bit old, for my 4 year old friend. But she enjoyed it. Ate up 2 bowls of cereal. Not even dropping a single piece of cereal, or drop of milk. She eats better than Manny and I!!

After watching Madeline, Mariella sat back and told me just how happy she was. When I asked why, she told me, 'Cause Madeline has a family. She doesn't have a mom, or dad. But those girls are her family. I'm happy for her.' She sat there, so happy for Madeline. It made my heart smile.

I remember Madeline, from when I was small. I don't remember this cartoon. But I remember the books. Very well!! They were one of my favorites to check out from the library. Deep down inside, I think I wanted to be Madeline. :)

After watching our shows, and me finally waking up, with the aid of 3 cups of coffee, I remembered those toys. The ones Manny brought home. I went and got them for Mariella. 'Tia I think I'm going to save them. To share with my sisters. My brother can't play with Barbies. But I'll hug him. Thank you!' Girl was so happy! We might have sat and played with 2 Barbies, until Manny woke up. :)

In those few hours, that we had Mariella, it taught me a lot. How kids just soak up everything. How incredibly smart they are. Just how much, I want kids. How we're not quite ready for kids of our own. And how much responsibility, goes into raising good kids. With good hearts, and morals. I applaud our friends, for the incredible job they are doing.

Turns out Marissa ate something bad at school. She traded her lunch, with a friend. Most likely, peanut butter. But she was able to go home today. Her parents are relieved, her sisters and brother.....are so excited!! All of us, are just happy for our friends. Sancho is relieved, that he had nothing to do with Marissa's illness. Despite the fact that the 2 of them, polished off a pie Friday night. :)

Oh My Apples!!

Manny had an early morning gig.That's why I'm up and blogging this early, on a Saturday. I got up, and made him some breakfast. I'm trying. Although, I've never in my life, seen eggs that looked so.....well 'cooked!'

Now that I can't sleep, I decided to get some blog reading in. The Perfect Palette has the most perfect post up!! Two things you should know, red is my favorite color. And I LOVE Fall!! That's why are wedding color is red. And we're getting married in the Fall. That and it's better for all our musician friends. :)

With that, I just about died when I saw this post!! Peeps, I don't know what I love more!! Those shoes, I just want them. Just to wear, all the time. Like when I'm home, doing the dishes. :) The cake.....wow!! It's perfection!! And cider. We just might have to add that to our special day.

I sorta wish, that I had seen these pictures earlier. Our invites are gorgeous. And red. Of course! I'm glad we agreed, to have them addressed in red too. :) The idea of adding apples to the wedding, just makes me smile. I should have thought of this. Who knows, I might go with a little bag of apples, as a gift too. I'm sure our guest will enjoy them. You know, with our M&Ms. :)

Sweet Spring

If we were getting married in Spring or Summer, this would be the inspiration for my wedding. No lie!! The second I laid eyes on these pictures, my heart was skipping a beat!!

I would have never thought that poppies, could be a wedding flower. Or that you could incorporate yellow, with red. Or have darling bridesmaids dresses, like these. I'm 100% positive, that you could wear these pieces, long after the wedding.

Poppies, polka dots, and delicious fruit. I couldn't think of a more appropriate way, to wed. In warm weather. Oh, it would be lovely! It almost, almost makes me want to change the date, of our wedding. And now, I want some nectarines and cherries. :) Thank you The Perfect Palette!!