Category — style & beauty

(Ivanka Trump heels, Lush Harem Jumpsuit similar)

This harem jumpsuit has officially become my outfit for the summer. Not kidding when I say they have served me well in a pinch. Sure, they’re not easy to wear and they require a belt so I won’t look like a hefty bag. And they absolutely need heels … Otherwise, I look like a cross between Aladdin and MC Hammer with flats. But for BlogHer 14 parties, Latino Fashion Week and last night’s Beyonce and Jay Z’s concert – They’ve been beyond perfect. They’re comfortable, chic and too legit to quit (OK. I’ll stop now).

After declaring that I was going to do Friday recaps, I skipped last week and opted for . My little sister lives in Ecuador and flew in to stay with us for the rest of summer so it’s been very busy. She’s 11, and I can’t wait for you to meet her all. She will make her appearance on the blog soon enough. In the meantime, I’m working on a two week recap, which is turning out to be the mother of all blog posts but I love capturing moments and sharing them all.

I hope your week is a fantastic one! Mine is starting off with a lot of coffee. I’m so not used to getting all Bey and HOVA on a Sunday night.

(Tua top, Gracia pants similar in chiffon, Banana Republic clutch but love this wristlet one, Zara heels and love these)

I have to say I’m pretty lucky to have a guy who goes shopping with me and helps me pick out pieces to wear. I tried on these pants for fun and he said “yep, you’re getting those.” I joked and said I felt a bit like Lisa Stansfield but, hey, the 90s are back. I think I pretty much took my last palazzo post to whole other level with these. But they’re super perfect for making the waist look small and the legs long.

I wore this look over the weekend when I headed over to the Los Angeles Convention Center to the National Council of la Raza conference. Afterwards, we stopped by MoCA to see the grounds and then checked out their Mike Kelley show at the Geffen location. No shortage of inspiration was had this weekend. It was definitely needed. Life can throw curve balls to distract you but when you fill your mind with good stuff, you see how silly most things are … maybe it’s age. Speaking of which, I turn 41 tomorrow!

Hope you’re all enjoying your week. And if you’re in LA, you must check out the Van Gogh to Kandinsky exhibition at LACMA.

I decided to bring my week in pictures posts back. There are so many in between moments that I capture and would love to share. I think Fridays may the day I take a moment to reflect on all the fun things life throws my way and the moments we create for ourselves.

My son is back from visiting family in Philadelphia, which was one month full of grandparent fun and food. Lots of it! Whenever he goes east, he can’t enough of hoagies, pizzas, cheese steaks and so on. This week, I’ve been trying to get some greens in his system with different types of green juice. It’s not his favorite but he really likes this one I make for him – Kale, banana, coconut milk, a slice of avocado and a dash of cinnamon. I also add a scoopful of Vitaforce. It’s definitely teen approved. But he’s asked me to never tell him what’s in it.

I stopped by Ann Taylor this week and wracked up on their jewelry. I always love a good sale. Their transitioning into Fall so now is a good time to get a few pretty pieces for your jewelry box. I really love their statement necklaces and earringsand their clutches as you can see here, here and here.

After a busy work day, I attended Urban Decay’s Perversion Mascara launch party this week at Sayer’s Club with my guy and a few friends for some much needed social time. Great people, great food and great products, of course! I haven’t tried my goodies yet but looking forward to a sexy eye look for my birthday. Yep. That’s coming up next week!

Whew. I’m still full. Last night, my partner in crime Ana and I were invited by the Four Seasons to have dinner at Culina Restaurant while my guys spent some QT together ala Planet of the Apes. Oh my goodness, the food was so delicious. Expect a blog post shortly with their menu options. We were served several amazingly creative and rich dishes. If you’re in LA, I really hope you’re taking advantage of Restaurant Week. There are so many amazing places to eat, and Culina is definitely one of them. You have to try their olive oil cake. It’s that good! I may do a few more #DineLA things this coming week, which will require very comfy clothes. Looks like I may be wearing this jumpsuit all week long.

I hope you have an awesome weekend, muses!

(Only Hearts , Ann Taylor clutch, Zara heels but love these ankle strap heels too), Mary Kay Sunny Citrus Creme Lipstick)

Since it’s not appropriate to wear pajamas to go out (although I’ve seen people do it), I’m all for dressier jersey-type one piece situations. I typically walk into stores looking for head to toe outfits that don’t require a lot of work or thinking. If the shirt and pants are attached, even better. Yeah, I sound like the laziest dresser on the planet. That’s probably because I am. No shame in it. I love clothes, makeup and all things girly but it must be fuss-free.

I love palazzo pants for that ease, especially this jumpsuit from Only Hearts. They’re chic, flattering and oh-so-comfortable. They were actually part of my staple look back in the day when everyone was wearing them. I’m talking early 90s, house music, Roseland, Marshall Jefferson’s Move Your Body days. Minus the chunky black house shoes, I’m happy that they’re making come-back. I can wear them now like a grown-up with heels and a purse. And if they have a high-waist, even better. I have a very high waist as it is, so it works well for my body type. They also give the illusion of longer legs. Win, win all around.

(Ann Taylor top, Zara clutch similar, Jarbo skirt but love this one too, Zara heels)

Pencil skirts flatter my figure the most. They cover those little problem areas and highlight the curves. I think they’re a definite must-have for a woman’s closet. I found this fun denim one at Jarbo – A designer I love for their basic pieces that are a bit offbeat. Oh, and their clothes are so comfortable.

Speaking of comfort, I was actually off from work all week long. In fact, the whole company took the week off. We found that there really was no vacation day for anyone on the team when we’re open so it was best we all just go under the radar. The internet doesn’t sleep and, as a social media director, I’m always plugged in checking on campaigns. The team flew around the world pretty much, except for me. My TMJD had a bit of a set back so I did the unthinkable – I relaxed, napped, went for walks, took yoga classes, grubbed on LA cuisine and indulged in an hour and half long myofascial and massage treatment. I even turned on this huge box we have here called a TV. I rarely watch anything because I don’t have the attention span for it but it was actually nice to relax with a snack and flip through the channels. It was a quiet time as my beau was in Florida and my son is still in Philadelphia with family.

My guy is back, my son flies in tonight and work starts up on Monday. I will be back up and running, so expect lots of great news and updates. Hope you’re having a great summer so far!

Hello July. You’ve made your way back into my life again with another birthday. Last year, you brought on the big 4-0. And let me tell you, it has been quite a year. As I’ve mentioned before, I knew things were going to change. I was even told by my astrologer that something major was about to happen. I know, I know, not everyone believes in that stuff but something in me does. Call it a connection to my Incan and Taino ancestry, but I’ve always felt a mystic presence in my life that can’t be explained .. or maybe it’s just that I grew up watching too much Walter Mercado. Who knows. Either way, in that life-changing conversation, I was told that I would face the past again in a different way, and that it will include my current relationship. Except this time, I would handle it differently when faced with the challenge. Of course, a million scenarios popped into my head. None of which came to fruition except for the TMJ disorder issue that I dealt with in 2006. Back then, I had no idea what was wrong with me and what was going on with my body. I was scared. Practically bed-ridden for close to 5 months, my mother came out to help me. While grappling with debilitating symptoms that impaired my vision and hearing, the disorder came with a huge message and helped me “see” things clearer. I learned what love was and what it wasn’t, and what I needed and wanted in my life. Having the senses you took for granted every day compromised will do that to you. As I got better, things came to light and I started a new journey. But I honestly can’t say I truly learned the lesson that my body and the universe was trying to teach me. I blindly embarked on a path with lots of different doors lined up hoping to find the right one. Some of those doors welcomed me with beams of light while others were deceptively beautiful with an agenda to teach me valuable life lessons. But being a risk-taker, I opened each and every door. And I have to say that what I learned in my 30s has been extraordinary. However, my work-a-holic ways still remained, and I fell ill again with TMJ in February. This time, I knew what it was and took the necessary steps to heal my body. While doing that, I upped my yoga and meditation practices, and did not ignore the universal signs that kept appearing every day. Once again, my vision and hearing became impaired (in addition to new symptoms of vertigo and excrutiating pain) and I learned another lesson in love and acceptance. All those things that once plagued me started to wither away. The noise in my mind got quieter. I listened to my body and I lived in the world as an observer. I was fortunate to have a son who gave me amazing hugs and a beau who spent many evenings making me power soups to reset my body. It’s all I needed, and as I recalled what the astrologer (or shall we say messenger) said about the past resurfacing, I realized – That was it. There I was bed-ridden once again and scared. Except this time, I received an overwhelming amount of love and care, and I was ready to take it all in. I saw God’s work before me in every small loving gesture, and felt extremely humbled. He blessed me with these beautiful souls. My heart was filled with gratitude and, in turn, I got better. Love heals.

And that, my friends, sums up 40. So thank you dear 20s and 30s for making me wiser. Today I feel more beautiful and alive than I ever did, and these things cannot be felt if you don’t go through those necessary pains and losses in life. When you recover, happiness is that much greater. Here’s to 41! Looking forward to meeting you on the 23rd.

Consider this my official Happy Birthday post to the brilliant woman who has been a source of inspiration my entire life. I was about 5 or 6 years old when my mother took me to the Museum of Modern Art to experience the worlds of surrealism and cubism in all their glory. I distinctly remember not being able to take my eyes off of Frida’s portraits. Who is she? Why does she look so sad? Why is she dressed that way? Her work was embedded into my young, impressionable mind and must’ve lived in me subconsciously, as my own work resembled much of her style no matter how many “old masters” painting classes I took.

I’ve said this before, but it was always my dream to go to Mexico, visit La Casa Azul and take painting classes. In fact, that was the idea when I graduated college but … life had different plans for me. However, I will go one day. I must take these books beyond their pages.

In celebration of Frida’s birthday on July 6th, as you can see in the pictures below. Just apply your makeup, braid your hair and add as many flowers as you’d like. Frida’s beautiful style is so striking, as she lived, breathed and adorned herself in culture and tradition. Thirty five years later, and I’m still in awe. Happy Birthday, Frida!

Want to read more about Frida? You can see more from my Women’s History Month post and one of my visits to LACMA!

This post is a paid collaboration with Crest and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are mine.

These pictures were taken the day before the World Cup games began, which was also the day before my son was scheduled to leave to Philly to be with family. Needless to say, we didn’t get to watch the games together but there have been plenty of calls, texts and Skypes filled with disappointments and cheers alike. Soccer is really the only sport I enjoy so it’s awesome that my son can tell me about games and players, and I actually know what he’s talking about!

The games have been a nail-biting and exciting experience, but what I love the most is how countries and people have come together. I felt so much pride when Ecuador played their hearts out with Alexander Domínguez leaping to stop those goals. However, I have to admit that my overwhelming joy was accompanied with a bit of sadness. You see, I grew up with a lot of tradition brought down to me from my grandparents and great aunts and uncles. And after moving to LA, a lot of that was lost. My son will never know the beauty of seeing grandparents talk over a cup of cafecito, going to la iglesia con los hermanos y hermanas and knowing what it’s like to be surrounded by tías and tíos at Sunday dinner. Sure, I’ve tried to pass down as much as I could to my son but being second and first generation myself from each parent – It’s simply not the same. It was through fútbol that I realized this needed to change, and that I had spent too much time trying to adapt to my new circumstances instead of working harder to make sure my son truly understood where he comes from.

Right now, Crest is at its peak of the Celebrate Closer campaign, which includes posts like this one illustrating that the further your team goes, the closer you get. You definitely want to make sure you’re nice and minty if you’re watching games with family and friends. We have Crest Complete Multi-Benefit Deep Clean toothpaste here at home, and it will definitely do the job.

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