The Joy Of Enjoying: November 2009

I'm Back!

I didn't go anywhere, but I haven't blogged these past few days because I've been doing one thing after another. How was your thanksgiving? I hope you all had lovely times with your families and lots of yummy food! Today I'm just going to make a list of the highlights of these days. There are plenty of little reasons to smile and also plenty of ones to be thankful for! (I'm not trying to write a late-Thanksgiving post; one can should be thankful all year round!

On Wednesday night, a friend and I went to Ihop and had fun conversations. It was a nice way to start the long weekend.
On Thursday, my family and I went to lunch at this restaurant we like downtown called Carmelo's. They had a Thanksgiving special, and almost all of us ordered it. Then me and my brother shared a Creme Brulee. Yummy!
That same night, I ate some more turkey, rice, potato salad, and dessert at a friend's house.
On Friday, I finished the wood project I mentioned last week! (see below).

On Friday, my mom and I checked out some stores for sales. I just bought a shirt and a hat, and my mom bought me a cute yellow coat at Arttie's (a store I love)!

We also had a nice sushi dinner and rented My Sister's Keeper. My mom fell asleep :s but she woke up on time to see the ending!
On Saturday, I had my first Etsy sale! I was really really really really excited! The first buyer at my shop was going to have a free print; but I was so happy that I sent her two sizes of the extra picture she wanted.
On Saturday, I saw my cousins after several months; one of them lives in Minnesotta so it was nice to see her. All of us played Charades and Apples to Apples. Fun!
On Sunday, my mom and I decorated the house with Christmas stuff! We still need to do the outside.
Today I listened to radio and was happy to hear one of my favorite Christmas songs 'Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.' Radio this time a year makes me smile all the time...

Today some dummy in front of me backed up and hit my bumper at a stop light; nothing happened to my car :)
Tomorrow an awesome month begins.

What if... Wednesdays: A real one this time

<-- that picture is peculiar because 1) my hair sort of looks like that. 2) The middle of my day felt something like that. 3) My brothers gave me a sister-card with that same girl on it once.

Guys, today's 'what if' is going to be influenced by my day. The good thing is that some of you may relate to it, the not-so-good thing is there is no daydreaming involved in this one :(

What if your mind and your attitude can actually influence everything that happens throughout the day? You know how they say "it's all in the mind..."A few things have gone wrong today. Not terribly wrong to be sad about it... just one of those days when many little things accumulate.

Let's review those things...

I woke up with two pimples{still}in between my nose and my mouth.

It looked like I was going to have a third one on my upper lip, but it hasn't happened yet.

Horrible area... I'd rather have them on my forehead where I can camouflage them.

I was going to be at work only for like 3 hours today, but I ended up staying all day.

It was a good cause; I had to help a friend with some computer issues so that we

could finish a photography project by Friday. But I was losing patience due to my inability to

explain him things combined with his inability to understand me.

After that, I went to Whole Foods and tripped in front of the registers.

Very convenient; everyone saw that girl with the yellow sweater walking in a fast pace,

so confidently, and suddenly plaf9(*&&*^*^&!!

"I'm ok!!"

Later I hit that funny-nerve on my elbow and almost got a paper-cut.

Minor happenings to add to the rest...

Then I kind of felt everything had to do with my attitude...

I bought some ice cream at Whole Foods to start the positive half of my day; and

the fact that the person served me a lot was the first highlight.

Later I went to Walmart to print 2 images. I asked if they had other sizes

besides 4x6, 5x7, 8x10...

The man said no. I said, "oh, so I can't print a 6x6 then?" The man said,

"oh, actually we do print 6x6 for scrapbooking" I got my prints :)

I am sure the rest of the night will just fine! It's all in the mind, right? :)

I'll leave you with an image that makes me laugh:

Colors On a Cloudy Day

Hello all!

As usually on Tuesdays, I am happy to show you what me and

my Canon 30D have been doing together lately.

Last Saturday we stopped by the railroad tracks. I was constantly looking from

side to side to make sure the train wasn't nearby

There is something about the perspective of rails... I love it!

As I was about to get into my car, I saw a tree whose

top I decided to photograph

I edited the images in two different styles

Once back home I decided that, despite not having many colorful

trees nearby (you know- those Fall-looking ones), I would at least

capture the colors of some plants in our front-yard

And here is a watercolor effect on one; I usually

avoid applying these because they are

not real paintings! But I really liked how it looked:

Oh I almost forgot! This one is called 'Alone'

Thanks for stopping by; it means a lot :)

A Tribute

Dear Enjoyers, today I'm in Queen-mode (see bottom right of sidebar). 18 years ago my favorite singer, Freddie Mercury, passed away. So today I want to share a song that the band wrote to honor him. It's a beautiful song, one of my favorites, and I think you'll like it too. I want to dedicate this to all of our dear loved ones who have left us too soon. My uncle also died in November: Nov.28 of 2001. He was one of the first people to show me songs from Queen, so this goes to him, to Freddie, and to all those angels we miss:

-A hand above the water
An angel reaching for the sky
Is it raining in heaven
Do you want us to cry?
-And everywhere the broken-hearted

On every lonely avenue

No-one could reach them

No-one but you
One by one

Only the Good die young

They're only flying too close to the sun

And life goes on -

Without you...
-Another Tricky Situation

I get to drownin' in the Blues

And I find myself thinkin'

Well - what would you do?

-Yes! - it was such an operation

Forever paying every due

Hell, you made a sensation

You found a way through
One by one

Only the Good die young

They're only flyin' too close to the sun

We'll remember -

Forever...
-And now the party must be over

I guess we'll never understand

The sense of your leaving

Was in the way it was planned...

-So we grace another table

And raise our glasses one more time

There's a face at the window

And i aint never, never saying goodbye...
One by one

Only the Good die young

They're only flyin' too close to the sun

Cryin' for nothing

Cryin' for no-one

No-one but you

images 1, 2

Kentucky Fried Cockatiel and Randomness

Hello everyone!

Wow this weeks is going to go by so fast...

How was your weekend? Mine was sort of uneventful but relaxing.

- I slept late (my mom will look at this and frown)

- I organized my room a bit

- I went to Hobby Lobby to buy some things for a mounted picture

project I want to make. I spent quite some time there looking

at things and imagining all the projects I could come up with if I had those materials at home. I also spent time looking at other things I don't work

with (like candles, fabrics, etc) and wondering if I'll

ever become skilled in those areas [is that how you say it?].

- I went to Petco to buy bird seeds and saw some cute doggies,

but not as many as I would have liked.

- Time went by so fast... living in the suburbs is not too exciting sometimes :P

- I took some more pictures, which I will post tomorrow,

but you can see some at my Etsy shop.

- I realized a few more people marked me as 'favorite' on Etsy;

I smile every time I see that.

- I laughed at Paulie going inside a Kentucky Fried Chicken bag and having so much fun inside. Too bad I only had my phone camera at that moment:

And not much to add... I have to go meet a friend now, but let me leave you with a picture to show you how ready and excited I am for Christmas!

Fabulous Fridays: Brothers

source

Quote(s): There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother. ~Astrid Alauda

A brother is a friend given by Nature. ~Jean Baptiste Legouve

It was nice growing up with someone like you - someone to lean on, someone to count on... someone to tell on! ~Author Unknown

A sibling may be the keeper of one's identity, the only person with the keys to one's unfettered, more fundamental self. ~Marian Sandmaie

Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the shore. ~Hindu Proverb
(my dad would love this one, he always tells us to help one another and make sacrifices if it's necessary)

C.M.D

things that can apply to me:

The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble. ~Clara Ortega
After a girl is grown, her little brothers - now her protectors - seem like big brothers. ~Astrid Alauda (don't they look older? they used to NOT! they're younger)

Song: He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother by Gotthard
{The road is long
with many a winding turn
That lead us to who knows where,
who knows where
But I'm strong, strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go; his welfare is my concern
No burden is he to bear; we'll get there
For I know he would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother}

my handsome brothers (not as mature as they look- joking. actually I'm not)

Thought: This past week was my brother David's birthday. This Friday I want to dedicate the post to him and to my other brother Cesar. We've always had a good sibling relationship and I hope that remains like that forever. We have so many memories together and many to look forward to. They are still annoying boys, one still has to be looking out for them and their decissions in life, but I love them very much. I miss when they were little dwarfs next to me. Now they are giants.

I hope you have an amazing weekend! :)

Christmas (and Panettone) Lover

I don't want to sound too repetitive, but I am one of those people who's favorite holiday is also Christmas. I don't care about crowded places or congested roads... I love Christmas season, I like singing the songs, I smile when I hear the first Christmas song on the radio (which hasn't happened yet), I adore Santa, I love how colorful everything becomes, etc. But there is one particular thing I am completely obsessed with...

PANETTONE !!!!!

It surprises me when people don't know what this is; I guess it's because here in the US it is not too much of a tradition. The other day I was desperately looking for one. The guy at CVS looked at me a little confused, until I said "a bread... a sweet bread they make for Christmas." Luckily Walgreens had some :) And hey, they have Panettone in several other stores... so I am sure many of you know what I'm talking about. Here is a Wikipedia definition for those of you who right now are thinking "what on earth is that?": Panettone is a typical bread of Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year around Italy, and one of the symbols of the city.

Anyway, continuing with the post... let me introduce you to the most delicious Panettone in the world: Panetón Donofrio

Guys, I am not exaggerating, please believe me. Also, I swear it has nothing to do with the fact that Donofrio is from Peru :D Seriously... it's the best panettone. Even the box is amazing. I just found out that they sell it at a store here in Austin and I have decided that, since life has given us that opportunity, we need to buy at least 5 before the end of the year :)

Look at that delicious thing...

The other day, a friend wrote me a text message while I was driving. It was an invitation for hot chocolate and Panetón Donofrio. I had no other choice than saying: yes!!!!!!! Do you know what it feels like to have a piece of Donofrio after more than a year? (maybe even two; last Christmas we had another brand I think). It's... ahhhh... wonderful. Anyway, just after a few minutes the Panetón looked like this:

(the head is gone)

There is a reason why my friend gave me the nickname "panettone's nightmare." If you have an international market near home, I recommend you go buy that this Christmas :)

image 1

What if... Wednesdays: Mythical Creatures

You know those amazing stories when you were little, full of magical places

and mythical characters? What if they were real? What if you were

by yourself one day and saw a mermaid, or a fairy, or a dragon.

I always wonder how the people who wrote about these creatures got

the inspiration for them... were did they all come from?

The mythical world is wonderful; there are times when I wish

some of those characters could exist; I mean nature is incredibly magical too,

but how awesome would it be if you could say "today I am going to go

walking in the woods, I hope I see a fairy." People would hope to come

across one of those magical creatures all their lives,

and only the lucky ones would see them!

Any one you particularly like? I think I'd love it if there were unicorns.

I like horses! so imagine an angelic one with wings and a horn.

Maybe just the horn... but how beautiful they would be, right?

And what if mermaids existed? They could take you to

the most secret and beautiful places under the sea :)

Fairies... or a fairy godmother like Cinderella!

At least butterflies look a little like them :)

*sigh* imagination is so wonderful

images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Dear Pretty Readers, Meet My Canon 30D

Happy Little People,

Yesterday I could not show you the weekly selection of pictures because I did not have the ones I wanted with me at my desk. Today!, however, I do. I want to show you the pictures I've taken during the past few days with my newest toy, the Canon 30D. I am very pleased with it; I knew I would be... I just needed a good-but-not-too-pricey SLR to continue my Photography Journey. So, for now, this camera is great great great. Let me show you some pictures...

During lunch at Whole Foods, I couldn't resist taking a few pics, among which was this one of chairs:

My cockatiels are my camera-victims many times. This is Paulie:

I also went outdoors on Saturday and took pictures of a small wind chime:

... tiny flowers (these grow because I blow my birds' seeds outside in order to leave them the fresh ones)

... more flowers from my front porch ( sometimes I pass by without admiring their beauty):

... a wooden bench we have. The wood has been affected by weather, but I think it makes it more beautiful:

Back inside! This is Harriet, my other cockatiel:

Despite being less mischievous and charismatic than Paulie, he actually posed nicely for this picture:

Thank you for stopping by today; I'll be back later :)

Rainbows & Smiles,

Marcela

Happy Monday

Hellooo. It's a sunny Monday here in Austin and so far it's been a good day! Last week I said there was something special about a first blog award. Well, there is something special about a second one as well, it must mean you're doing something good!

Today I am going to write 7 things about myself, because guess what! I received another blog award from lovely Cristina at because I amuse myself. Also, I am not going to write just any 7 things... I am going to write 7 funny things. So here they are:

1) At 23 years old, I still consider myself a kid in many ways. I could watch Sailor Moon for hours; I like anything related to Disney, even singing the soundtracks out loud. I smile when I think of sweets, I like key chains from Claire's, and I think I would rather be wearing pajamas and socks rather than fancy clothes and heels.

2) I still prefer CDs over Ipods... who knows why. I don't mind having to pick one or two before driving somewhere. I give my mix- CDs album names, usually based on the songs inside. For instance, there is one that has the Bittersweet Symphony song, so the CD title is "I am a bittersweet symphony, but you can call me RANDOM." It really is random.

3) I have a major (and quite silly) trauma in life: throwing up. I am not sure what triggered it, but the good thing is that it hasn’t happened in years! I don't look forward to the day it will happen again. I plan on using special cleaning equipment with goggles and mask included for when I have a kids…unless I get over my trauma before that. Recently I read about another brilliant idea: using cat litter.

4) I love eating! Restraints on food like “only vegetables,” or “only organic” are not for me. I love meat, dairy products, sweets, pasta, Chinese food, salads, desserts (creamy desserts especially), carbohydrates, etc. I will suffer greatly the day I need to diet.

5) I can be very patient with most things. For instance, I enjoy travelling since the moment I step into the airport...I don't mind baggage claim, hour changes, or delayed flights. A few things, however, can drive me crazy veeery quickly: slow computers, traffic, more than 2 consecutive red lights, and people that try to steal your money with tricked phone calls, letters or any method. What do they get? --> jammed fax machine due to Marcela’s angry messages [written in big letters with black marker so they can notice I'm mad]. This doesn't happen very often.

6) I always wonder weird things...like how much trash humans generate each day and how unnoticeable it can be... or if Hummer owners are all somewhat superficial, or how are we supposed to see each other in Heaven, with what age? my mom like my mom or my mom like a young person? same with my grandparents, etc.

7) I don't like pulling up directly beside a car when I stop because I just feel weird when they turn around and stare at you; and I don't like being in a public restroom with someone else in the room. It kind of halts the process... mainly numero dos. In college I once spent like 15-20 mins waiting for everyone to leave.

These are 7 blogs that are I either consider creative for the different types of posts they write or for the main theme their blog has:

1000 awesome things what things do you love in life?

awful first dates these are funny!

children of the 90s always makes you say "I did that too!"

color me Katie I mentioned her blog before, impossible not to put it here

the memory of rain pictures with lovely titles
moose tea party isn't that the cutest blog name? she seems like a sweet person
and for spanish speakers: Carlos Dulanto's blog un excelente escritor!