The Joy Of Enjoying

In Peru

2010-08-24T00:47:00.002-05:00

Hi all! How have you been?

Well, I'm finally in Peru. That's why I haven't been able to write here. I was packing and trying to enjoy my last days in Austin. I miss it very much, and I know I'll always have reasons to go back there again or at least visit.

I also have a new blog in spanish, where I will post pictures I take in Lima. That blog will be mainly about Lima and how I am able to capture it with my camera. If you're interested in seeing/reading it, click here.

In the meantime, I'll show you some of the things I've been photographing lately...

the flowers my boyfriend sent me the morning after I arrived

some things you see around here,

like people who hang clothes outside :P

many buildings nearby

a picture taken on the only sunny day I've had so far

and something one of my most awesome friends in Austin gave me: L

(he's my second favorite anime character)

To whoever keeps reading my blog, thank you :)

Two funny pictures from the World Cup

2010-07-09T17:39:00.002-05:00

Hey all. It's been soooo long. You can now tell I'm pretty busy these days, huh?

Well, I not only have a trip coming up but also my parents' 25th anniversary, for which I'm making a little video and stuff. The World Cup has been keeping me a little busy too! I really enjoy watching those soccer games. My dad and my brothers love soccer, so I've liked it since I was a little girl, but the World Cup is definitely when I watch it the most. The other day my favorite team Germany, lost. I can't believe they played the way they did... it wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't their best. They didn't show what they had shown to the Argentinians... oh well. I guess I'll be rooting for Spain this Sunday.

Anyway, look at these two pictures. Isn't the technology in photo and video amazing today? I'm always stunned by the quality of the slow motion videos that they show in game repetitions. And the cameras that photographers use? Have you all noticed those lenses? Wow...
Well, here we go:

haha I had to circle that guy's emotion.

hahaha and what's this? something like "damn you Germans"

I loved this game, and I was pretty excited about the results.

Last victory for them though :(

Well everyone, have a great weekend! Enjoy the weather, go relax, have fun

and thanks for being patient with me these days =D

Marcelina

* Pictures from soccernet.espn.go.com

Cotton In The Sky

2010-06-17T23:45:00.002-05:00

Yesterday when I went back home from work, right before

I went inside my house, I noticed how beautiful the clouds looked.

I thought to myself, "jeez Marcela, you get off work

and you go directly home on such pretty day... why don't you

enjoy the sky a little?"

So I did. I grabbed my camera and went along this pretty road

nearby, taking pictures along the way.

The clouds were puffy, gigantic, and they made the houses look tiny

They also made this tree look more isolated and peaceful

I used my other lens to see the difference. How awesome would it be

if we could sleep on them...

*sigh*

On the way back home there was a small hill to pass and, with the clouds above,

it was too magical for my camera to skip

Finally, when I thought I didn't need more pictures, I looked at my house, my room

on the right, and the sky behind. Lens cap off, camera on, click!

Updates Updates

2010-06-09T19:06:00.000-05:00

source

Days are passing really fast and I already started preparing for my trip to Peru. So far, I know I will need three suitcases at least; my mom will probably help me with one of those when she visits Peru this July. I already made that suitcase; it's full of winter clothes (the ones I don't need in Austin AT ALL right now).

I've also started to re-organize my room, area by area, to make sure that I'm taking everything I need and that whatever stays here is in order. Of course, right now my room looks like a hurricane went through it (maybe I'll show you a picture...). But I tell my mom not to worry; it's only temporary because the purpose is 'total organization.'

I'm still thinking about the type of job I want to find there... maybe something related to urbanism? urbanism and photography? something that requires English skills? a business started by my friend and I? Who knows...it's going to be an interesting time, I believe.

And what will happen with my blog? Should I rename it 'the joy of enjoying

life in Peru'? Because, trust me, it's completely different, with many problems as well, but with many things to enjoy! Yes, maybe I should do that... as long as I have a blog,

the name could change according to my location. I kind of want to have

a Spanish one too... hmmmm...

Anyway, I'll be telling you more about that as time passes.

On another note, guess what, my Etsy shop has 9 sales already. The last

three were relatively close. It made me happy. Slow period again though.

I do have a sale going on!

¸.•*¨)
*♥* SALE SALE SALE
Buy 1, get 1 50% off (equal or smaller price)! Convo me before adding the second one to your cart! Sale ends 6/30

I swear if I had more readers I would do giveaways!

But I'm afraid the comments would be so few :/

Ok, that was all today. I will come back as soon as I can;

I hope you're having a fantastic week!

In Country Mode

2010-05-28T16:45:00.002-05:00

source

Guys, I like Country Music. For some people country might be annoying and perhaps cheesy,

but I think it's because they haven't given that genre a chance.

Recently, I compiled many of my favorite country songs into one CD

so that I can listen to it when I'm in Peru and remember Texas. I have lost count on

the number of times I've listened to this cd in my car already.

I'm telling you, it's genious! haha, joking, but you might actually like it!

If you're already a country fan, then I am almost sure you'll like my little compilation

(as I have old and new)!

If you don't like country, then I think you should click below and listen to

some of the songs; maybe start with number two... such cool beat.
(note: # 14 is hilarous--he's talking about his Willie Nelson CD FYI, #3 is sad but beautiful)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! And enjoy your Memorial Day :)

source

here it is:

Two songs missing (were not available in that site):

Fool Hearted Memory - George Strait

If You're Thinking You Want A Stranger - George Strait

Apologies & 2 Pictures

2010-05-20T01:06:00.000-05:00

Dear Enjoyers,

I have to apologize once again for not writing as often as I used to. In only three months I will be traveling and there is sooo much stuff I need to take care of before leaving. I am going to be writing about it eventually. Today I actually wanted to tell you about an old friend from college, but I am here in my room trying to organize some things and I even have to go wash some dishes because I don't want my mom to see them in the morning! So, instead of hurrying and writing my post rushed, I thought I'd share with you two pictures that I sold within the last 5 days on Etsy (how exciting!!!):

This picture was taken with my Canon 30D here in Texas.

I really love railroad tracks, so I

was pretty excited to find this elevated one.

This picture was taken with my little Nikon CoolPix in Vienna, Austria.

Three years ago (May 22nd) I was in that beautiful city.

Wow, time passes by so faaaast.

Anyway, I'm glad two people found them pretty

and decided to support my little shop :)

I will come back to tell you the other story! :)

Haha

2010-05-12T18:13:00.000-05:00

This is just a short post (the longer one I'm saving for later because I need a few images).

Don't you just love those pictures that you take on accident while trying

to figure out camera settings?

This is one of me, the day I went to 'One Night of Queen'

and posed with a mustache.

My friend named it 'The Evil Mexican Midget"

My hair is so light in there, that it looks as if I was wearing a blonde wig

My nose just looks too funny. Oh well

Fabulous Fridays: Mothers

2010-05-06T23:55:00.001-05:00

source

Thought: Today I want to dedicate this post to my mom as well as all

the other wonderful mothers of this world (the ones with us

and the ones watching over us). This weekend it's their day.

I can't believe they only have one a year... there

should be more Mother holidays, don't you think?

My brothers and I are going to give her a card and

some other little things (she reads this, so shhh).

But today I want to dedicate two songs to her and

show you a few wonderful quotes I found.

Mothers are special, everyone. Tell her how much you love her,

kiss her, hug her, go with her somewhere special. Sometimes

we take time for granted, and then later regret not spending

enough time with her. So do it! and not just for her special day, but

everytime you can.

Two songs I dedicate to my mom:

Thank You For Loving Me - Bon Jovi

[...Thank you for loving me

For being my eyes

When I couldn't see

For parting my lips

When I couldn't breathe

Thank you for loving me

You pick me up when I fall down

You ring the bell before they count me out

If I was drowning you would part the sea

And risk your own life to rescue me...]

You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker

[...You are so beautiful to me

Such joy and happiness you bring

Like a dream

A guiding light that shines in the night

Heavens gift to me

You are so beautiful to me...]

source

Quotes: M is for the million things she gives me

O means only that she's soft to hold

T for the things she tries to teach me

H is for her heart of purest gold

E for her eyes with love light shining

R means right and right she'll always be

Put them all together they spell Mother,

A word that means the world to me

- Author Unknown

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

For those of you who may not have your mama here anymore,

remember that she will always be in your heart, and from wherever

she is, I'm sure she continues to love you and care for you in a

way the only mothers can. The love they give is so strong, that no

physical change could ever take it away. God bless them <3

ACP Contest

2010-05-04T14:36:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! How have you been? It's been a few days since I last

wrote here, I know :( I hope everyone's days have been great.

Mine have been a little busy as I now have a

weekend job too. But here I am, dedicating some time to my blog today.

So, last month I entered this contest held by the Austin Center for Photography

(website here) called "Two."

The interpretation of this theme was up to us; we could submit a maximum of 5 images.

I wonder if they already saw mine, I wonder what they thought of them,

I wonder how many chances of winning I have. We'll see!

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you the 5 pictures I submitted.

I hope you were able to see the theme 'two' in each of them :D

Missing math (funny!)

2010-04-23T18:31:00.004-05:00

It's Friday! I hope everyone's week has been a good one. I'm doing good, still at the office with the song 'Benny and the Jets' stuck in my head. I just love that man so much...

Anyway, today's post idea came to me when I logged on Facebook and saw that a friend had a funny math picture as her profile one. It reminded me that I do miss Math sometimes. Every time I do silly simple additions or subtractions in my head or when I use the calculator at the office, I go back to the times when I did math exercises way harder than those. I actually liked math... I always had great teachers, both in school and in college. I liked geometry and algebra the best. I still remember the first time I saw '(a+b)^2 = a^2 + 2ab+ b^2' I was sooo confused and mad to discover math also involved letters. But then I liked it. The only thing I don't miss at all is calculus... I can't even remember how to solve those problems. But anyway, I found these cool funny math pictures that will make you laugh and smile. Can you imagine being a teacher and finding some of these on the tests your students take? Hilarious! I thought it would be a good post for a Friday. Enjoy!

and a few silly equations:

(it's funny; I actually made this comment once and got that response)

Hope you're smiling. Have a great weekend everyone :)

photo

images 1-5 found here

images 6-9 found via weheartit.com

Indecisive?

2010-04-21T18:02:00.001-05:00

The other day I was creating a treasury on Etsy with pink and blue items and I came across

this video (while thinking of a headline) of one of my favorite Disney scenes. So, today I

want to dedicate this post to all of you who may be indecisive about anything at all.

Will you go out with that guy or not?

Will you open a private blog or a personal one?

Will you have coffee or milk or tea this evening?

Will you become a doctor or a nurse?

Will you buy that dress or save as much as you can?

Will you travel to Europe or South America?

Whatever it is I hope your decision makes you very very happy :)

While you think about it, here's a video that always makes me smile (don't you

miss these movies?)

It's a rainy day...

2010-04-15T19:12:00.003-05:00

Hello dears,

How are your weeks going? Fantastic? Great!
Not so fantastic? Hmmm, hang in there!

Well, it's raining here. I'm not going to go drive out there because that will result in me going insane inside my car stuck in traffic. Traffic is one of the things in life that can irritate me veeery quickly :) at least when I'm the driver. Does that happen to you?

So instead (and I do this often, not only when it rains) I decided to stay at the office longer and do something I enjoy much more: Sit in front of the computer as opposed to my steering wheel and look at neat things online.

In view that it's all rainy outside and that I'm a mess right now --I had to go buy some groceries for the office and take heavy stuff out of my car with rain coming down-- I want to share these cute rain-related items I've found on Etsy and forget about the way I look:

Can someone please buy me these cloud earrings? They're perfect for rainy days and I just love their uniqueness!!

Summer rain earrings by joojooland

Oh puddles, you mess my shoes and I don't like you. Maybe I would if I came across one with a cute toy fish:

Fishy Fishy by aptrickphoto

back to jewelry... I love this necklace. I really want it. But I'm good at ~~always~~ abstaining from spending money in things I don't need right now. One day I might get it though...

RAINY DAY WITH MY UMBRELLA by LycheeKiss

Here are two more lovely images:

Rainy Night abstract photo by goggla

Fade by ErinTyner (gorgeous macro photography!)

Let's not forget other artists who draw or paint amazing things:

Fishing in Oregon by AlexWijnen

Late for Dinner by jennyschultzdesigns

Anyway, after sighing 7 times, let me just wish you a lovely evening. Wouldn't it be cool if all rainy days ended up with these colors?

Tiny Drops of Light by ShadedMemories

***~~~~Hugs~~~~***

Oh no! Almost forgot! Guys, whoever has an Etsy account, could you vote for my Recycled binder in this Etsy Voter?

It would be awesome! It doesn't matter if I'm not the winner, I just want to be on the top half, or better even, the top 12 in case they decide to put them on the front page :)

Alrighty bye now! Thanks for reading :)

Marcela

Mom, Blue Bonnets, and Me

2010-04-12T18:26:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was great! I saw Elton John in

concert this past Saturday; it was awesome

(if the pictures from my cell phone are clear enough,

I'll share some later)! On Sunday I spent the day with my mom and one of our activities

was to go photograph some Blue Bonnets. Blue Bonnets are Texas' official flowers.

Once spring is here, Blue Bonnets bloom all over! It's wonderful to be driving

and seeing "blankets" of them next to highways and all over suburbia :P

I need to take seeds of this flower when I go to Peru (more about that soon).

I'm going to miss them sooo much.

Of course, not near as much as this important person:

(My mom is not convinced about her hair in the pictures because her highlights

are fading... but I think she looks beautiful <3)

here's one she took of me:

What a lovely day. Hope your week started beautifully!

PS: I lost one reader! I wonder who it was. I knew this would happen eventually, as my writing habits are a little bit affected by this year's activities. But the truth, everyone, is that it might continue being a little bit unbalanced; however, I won't stop writing. My blog style might even change later in the year with an upcoming trip... and I might even start a Spanish [separate] blog (?) Who knows... I'll notify you of all of this when the time comes. But whoever decides to continue reading, thanks a lot for your patience and support :-)

Oh, Sweets...

2010-04-07T18:03:00.001-05:00

I love sweets. I don't think I'll ever be able to exclude them from my diet :) I believe that a person can eat anything they want as long as it's with moderation and with some exercise included. Life is too short to live on restrictions!

Having said that, sometimes it is hard for me to limit the intake of sweets, and I can always come up with silly excuses to defend myself on that matter.

Let's review the past 5 months...

December: "Oh it's Christmas season... everyone indulges in hot beverages, panettone, casseroles, etc."

January: "It's officially Winter, I need some creamy lattes to keep me warm and happy :)..." and what better thing to have with that than a cookie or a brownie.

February: "It's still cold... and it's Valentines month, let's keep the sweets coming." "Let's go to Whole Foods!"

March: Birthdays and more birthdays this month! Perfect excuse to buy cakes and other pastries!

April: "Spring is here; it's so nice outside that we should go have some gelato!" "It's still a little chilly at night sometimes, coffee anyone?"

Summer is around the corner, I can already taste those gelatos, bubble teas, cupcakes, and what not...

sources 1, 2, 3

A Night At The Carnival

2010-03-31T18:28:00.002-05:00

Why is it taking me so long to write about my weekends lately?

To whoever reads my blog; I hope you know that I will always write,

even if sometimes it takes me days...

if one day I decide I can't dedicate enough time to it at all, I would let you know. :)

This past weekend my friend and I wanted to go to Austin Rodeo... a festival they have every year. But after some of the people who were going to go with us informed us they wouldn't be joining anymore, we spent a few hours trying to decide if we still wanted to go... at the end we did. And I'm glad!

Today I just wanted to post some of the pictures I took that day. It's funny
how excited I get sometimes with photos of ordinary things like...

balloons

silhouettes of people with lights in the background

someone's jeans

a token machine... etc

I am still editing some of my pictures, but let me share these with you:

I do wish I had gotten there earlier to see Whiplash the cowboy monkey!!

source

But at least I had fun riding the ferris wheel and taking pictures :)

That's it for now! I'll show you some more later :P

Remember most of these are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Hasta pronto my dears

Boyfriend's Homework

2010-03-26T10:43:00.002-05:00

This post is dedicated to my boyfriend. Every now and then I remind

him how much I like flowers and how romantic I think it is

when a man brings flowers to his girlfriend. Since we are far away right now, he hasn't

had many opportunities to do this, and when he has had it, something

always interrupts the process. It's ok, though, he shows me love in countless other ways.

Anyway, I told him there is a list I wrote with the flowers I like the most.

I also told him a good idea would be to bring me each one of these, and

by the end of the list, I'll know which ones were my favorites and he'll bring me

those from then on.

Now I have another idea. Maybe, by the end of the list, I can choose

three types of flowers and he can give me

a certain kind in the following situations:

1) Just for being romantic/ anniversaries/ for me to spoil him after

2) After we've had a fight (and he's guilty)

3) When I'm sad/sick/ and need some uplifting moments

I think that's a much cuter idea, right? Here are the nominees:

Pansies

Anemones (blue ones would be lovely)

Orchids (Dendrobium)

Daisies

White Lily

Daffodils

Tulips

Yellow Roses

Sweetie you have to look for the Spanish translation on some of these.

Homework for you :)

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Things I loved about my weekend

2010-03-24T00:46:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

How are youuu? Hope your weekend and first days of the week have been fantastic!

This weekend was a happy one. Usually all weekends are, but this one had several highlights.

Let's begin with Thursday night...

I saw my friend Teri (she is currently in Houston so I don't get to see her that often) and we had dinner and gelato. We caught up with our lives and had a fun time :)

On Friday, as early birthday present, my other awesome friend Josh took me to see the Phantom of the Opera (this is my 3rd time watching it). I always love it. It's a fantastic play with an amazing soundtrack and a powerful love story that will undoubtedly captivate you!

isn't Gerard Butler a great Phantom? *sigh*

Someone wrote this review and I couldn't have said it better: "...the phantom is arguably the most intriguing character ever written. Every song in the musical is powerful. The sound of the church organ infuses your blood with ten emotions at the same time. It energizes your brain and each muscle of your body. Absolute must see!"

On Saturday I stayed home for most of the day, but my friends came to my house at night and we made some Pisco Sour (a yummy Peruvian cocktail), some egg sandwiches (lovely combination, huh?), and then we celebrated 12:00 o'clock (my birthday on the 21st). After that we watched "Princess & The Frog" It was a lovely story, I miss that type of Disney Movies.

And on Sunday:

Birthday! 24... wow, that's it! now it's time for time to slow down... no more years flying by :(

Oh well, let's just enjoy them, right?

Here are some cool things from Sunday:

* my dad called me very early (he's in Peru) and it was a nice way to "wake up"

* I talked to my dad and grandma and cousin through skype videochat

* I had many friends write me online

* my parents and brothers gave me wonderful cards

* my mom gave me a jacket I had seen a few months ago and liked very much at Arttie's

* my mom gave me a lovely grey wallet, thank you mamita

* mom and brothers gave me giftcards to this store I hadn't visited yet, but I totally loved: Charming Charlie, an accesories store organized by color :)

I can get lost there for hours...

here is a small pic I found (purple area):

* we went to a few other stores including Goodwill, where we donated some items and Plato's Closet, where they gave us $8.50 dollars for two old purses. :P
* we ate yummy sushi. Restaurant was a little slow but it was worth the wait.
* we bought a cake that had chocolate mousse and it's already gone (it was small!).
March is definiltey cake month for me... if all my family was here, it'd be worse. Grandpa's birthday, aunt-grandma's, uncle's, etc.

Good excuses to indulge. See you later dears :)

sources:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

March

2010-03-17T17:02:00.003-05:00

Who's birthday is in March?

Well let me tell you, mine is too! The 21st

The other day I was reading Etsy's blog about the various things happening in

March and I realized what a wonderful Month it is.

So what's to love about it?

Well, let's start with the month in general:

March is known as National Craft Month, National Poetry Month, and

was named for the Roman god of war, Mars!

It's Spring time! Flowers are blooming, weather is marvelous,

students take a break from school, some

workers take a brake from the office (not me this time :P), etc!

In the Southern Hemisphere, the wonderful season of Fall begins!

It's St. Patrick's Day month. Although I don't

celebrate that because I didn't grow up here, I still

see how much fun people have with it.

New season! New fashion trends come out. Even for home interiors.

"Channel bright and pastel colors paired with neutral and muted hues,

light textured fabrics, references to nautical and scholastic styles,

showing some skin and embellishments." -Etsy

Mother's Day is celebrated in the UK

Easter season begins. Time for chocolate eggs, cute bunnies, pastel colors, etc!

International Earth Day and Earth Hour are celebrated in March.

Time to be green! Well, we should try to be green always.

Speaking of green,

I made a project the other day with recycled binders.

The office where I work out throws away binders so I came up with the
idea of turning them into key-chain holders!

Here's an example:

Available here!

The weather is perfect for gardening and being outdoors!

A lot of weddings are celebrated in March

March's birthstone is Aquamarine. Well, turquoise

is my favorite color, and aquamarine is not too different.

*sigh* they're both so refreshing :)

Anyway dears, I hope you enjoyed all this March loveliness...

images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Goblins in my house!

2010-03-10T16:45:00.002-05:00

Guys,

Have you ever had experiences so weird that you think "how will I tell this story in order for people to believe me?"? It happened to me yesterday/today!

Let me explain...

Yesterday, I went to my mom's bathroom to pick up my brush and other things. I noticed there was a hair tie on one of the rugs close to the sink and I said "Ok I'll remember it's there so if I need one tomorrow, I'll pick it up" (how lazy of me not to pick it up and put it in the drawer or something!).

So today I needed a hair tie. I knew there was one in the bathroom so I went to grab it. When I got there, the hair tie was gone. I was like "weird... I swear I saw it yesterday" I even stared at the rug for several seconds and even rubbed my foot on it in order to detect if it was there... but no it wasn't. And the rug pattern is not even too dark, so my eyes weren't being fooled--at least I don't think. Then something in me said... what if I look again and it's there again... as if a goblin took it and brought it back again (someone told me goblins supposedly take items from homes and that's why sometimes you don't find the pair of your earring)...

Suddenly, I look down again, and THE HAIR TIE WAS THERE. I was in shock!! I almost jumped back. There it was... laying still... very clear to my eyes... the misterious hair tie.

I left the room because I wanted to see if it was going to disappear again when I came back... but this time it didn't. And plus I had to go to work. But... seriously guys... the most awkward thing that has happened to me so far this year.

images 1, 2, 3

Today

2010-03-09T23:46:00.005-05:00

Today is (or was since it's almost over!) my mom's birthday.

I wanted to dedicate this post to her and tell her she deserves to have an amazing day with all the people who love her. She deserves that every day, actually. But today in particular. Thanks mom for giving me incredible values and always supporting me unconditionally. <3 We may have our arguments sometimes, but you know I love you a lot lot LOT.

The other day I went with her to a Restaurant. As you can imagine, I took some pictures there! Many of them involve my mom, so I wanted to share some here.

My mom's hands reflected on the table:

Her sneakers in nice contrast with the carpet.

Mommy enjoying her meal

The funniest thing happened that day! While my mom was eating;

her hands got a little messy!

At one point, when my mom moved her hand, I saw what it

appeared to be a little face

on her thumb. She agreed that it looked like a little guy. It was cute!

seems like he's tasting what's on his face.

Happy Birthday, mami!

I'm getting sleepy now, lame :(

Etsy Etsy Etsy, I love you

2010-03-04T18:28:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd do a little advertising on my blog :) not
just for me but for other talented people on Etsy.

So here are some of my favorite items. Amazing artists out there...

Etsy
Buy Handmade
TheLittleRooster

This would be my photography shop. Come visit sometime!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
TheLittleRooster

I have 4 sales so far, but eventually I am sure I can reach more people

and also improve as an artist.

This is a picture I took with my phone before shipping one of my sold items.

Whoever buys from my store gets a note from me, a nicely-wrapped print protected from all hazards! and who knows, maybe even more surprises :) Also, I'll probably have a sale at my shop this month because my birthday is coming up!

Now go and check out some Etsy stores!
And if you make anything you feel you're good at, open one! Who knows who might be waiting for your art out there.

Want to vote for Paulie?

2010-03-02T17:47:00.002-05:00

Are you a pet owner?

Are you an animal-lover?

Are you someone who donates to animals often?

Well, today you can do it through the SpayDay 2010 photo contest!

If you often donate to animal organizations, then I invite you to do it here, just for this time!

I have a cockatiel named Paulie:

He is sweet and spoiled and funny!

He is also ~~a bit~~ quite mischievous. I took these pictures of him

grabbing the fridge magnets and dropping them

Paulie is in the contest; there are two categories. One of them is based on the actual

photos of your pet. I liked the idea, so I have more than one entry for that.

The other one is the fundraiser, and the pet with more donations in his/her

name wins. I know I'm not going to win that one, but I still think it's important

to ask people to donate for animals :) so that is why I have this

post today; it's dedicated to our pets! One day I want to have a dog again,

but for now, I'm very content with my little rascal.

Click here if you would like to vote/donate ($5 minimum):
Voting ends Thursday, March 4, at 10 p.m. EST

"Paulie"

Thank you, guys (for donating or reading my post)

Last week's weather in pictures

2010-03-01T15:40:00.000-05:00

This is how one of last week's days started for me:

it is unusual here in Austin to open the door and see this:

As I was getting ready to go to work, I couldn't help but

keep my eyes on the window... the roofs were white!

Before getting in my car, I had to remove some

of the snow from my front & back windows

When I got to the office, the deck looked like this:

it wasn't snowing as much as in the area where I live,

but it was still noticeable!

Some minutes later, it was magical outside:

I think Winter is saying goodbye...

And in such a cool way... hasn't snowed like this in like

12 years from what I heard.

I can't believe it's already March!

Memories That Make Me Giggle- # 6: Every time I eat m&m's...

2010-02-24T18:03:00.001-05:00

February is not over yet, so I want to write something related to love :)

It also has to do with m&m's (today I ate some and it reminded

me that I wanted to share my cheesy story).

m&m's became special to me after the year 2001, right before my

boyfriend Mauricio and I started dating.

It was the year of 'quinceañeros' like we call them in

Latin America (15th birthday celebration) when

my girlfriends and I couldn't wait to wear our formal dresses to one

party after another. It was also the time

when Mauricio discovered he liked me and I discovered I liked him as well <3

Part of his 'flirting' strategy was bringing m&m's to me when

we went to these parties as a group.

I immediately knew, or someone may have helped me realize it,

that what he wanted to imply was

m&m -- marcela & mauricio

So every time I eat them... I remember that <3 :)

Speaking of m&m's... have you ever become an m&m?

Yes, I know, you're like "what???"

but what I mean is...

have you ever become an m&m?

Yep that's me :P, those are my freckles, that's my camera,

those are my glasses, that's my brown hair!

And yes, I'm a bit random :P

image sources: 1, 2, 3

What the Winter Olympics should remind everyone...

2010-02-23T19:32:00.000-05:00

Everytime I watch the Winter Olympics I hear stories of athletes who sometimes have

all odds against them and yet they still manage to fight for their

dream and achieve their goals. We should all be like them...

It's impressive how far they go... many of them fracture a bone,

undergo a lot of physical pain, and then they're told by doctors that they should forget about training. And what do they do? They just go back for the gold medal.

Some of them don't get hurt, but they do really bad in a competition and that inspires

them to come back and show everyone that they can do much better, that they too can be champions. So, I really want to learn from those

athletes and apply their passion to whatever mine are.

Everytime we 'fall' we have to stand up up again :) ...

Hope your weeks have started well! I've got more to tell you! I'll be back later!

Images sources:
1, 2, 3, 4

A Little Greeting

2010-02-19T00:42:00.001-05:00

source

Happy Birthday to my cousin Melany!

Primita I know you'll see this... hope you're

having an amazing time :)

Week Goals Update// One Night of Queen

2010-02-18T18:53:00.005-05:00

Hi lovely people!

Remember my goals from Monday? Let's review them together and see the results...

- write back to at least two people whom I owe e-mails to: Yes! I have; I wrote back to more than 3 people. I am not the best e-mail responder so this felt good.

- not get back into bed with the alarm clock (my cell phone) in my hands: Partly fulfilled. It has been cold these last mornings so I wanted to get back in bed immediately... but I did manage to stay awake and get out shortly after.

- read more pages from my current book: You bet! I've read more... I'm reading The Lovely Bones.

- ignore the guy that passes everyday with his extremely loud motorcycle in front of my office: hmmmm I haven't heard him lately... just once. I did get a little annoy still.

- go to the gym: Ok, failed. But I have excuses again!! Had to meet a friend on Monday, went back home late on Tuesday, and yesterday was One Night of Queen!!!

I had a lot of fun, guys. I told my friend we needed to pretend we were back in the 70s/80s and going to a real Queen concert. We might have been two of the few people in the mezzanine who sang to the top of their lungs yesterday and screamed all night long, but we were told that we were 'inspiring' by a couple sitting near us. The One Night of Queen tribute is performed by Gary Mullen & The Works. You know what? If there is one person in this planet who can move, talk, walk, act, and sing very similar to Freddie, it's him. Unbelievable... he must have watched millions of Queen's concerts and documentaries because I heard/saw many things I remember having watched before... he could probably be in a Queen movie. From were our seats were--not to close not too far-- I decided to go back in time and pretended the real Freddie was on stage. Anyway, before you decide to stop following me because I talk too much about Queen, I'll leave you with some pictures of me and my friend preparing for the concert:

(yes I'm wearing a fake mustache!)

A love note and goals for tomorrow

2010-02-16T02:07:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!

How was your weekend? Mine was great; I saw my cousin, saw my friends, cooked with my mom, watched the winter olympics, and relaxed. It was neat. I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines day in company of your sweeties and/or friends.

I want to leave a message in here for my Valentine. His name is Mauricio. As some of you may know, he lives in Peru ( I don't put many pictures of him here because he's one of those personal-life-privacy fanatics. I try to be obedient :P). He does visit my blog often. Next time he reads it, he'll find a little love note...

Have you heard the saying "Absence is to love as wind to flame, it extinguishes the weak and feeds the strong"?

I believe in it. Just wanted to tell him I love him and that the sacrifice we've made for nearly 6 years, I feel, is going to be worth it. :) I'm so thankful for having him in my life <3 even with 5000 miles between us.

Ok, and now I need to write something and make myself do it! For example, I've been skipping the gym ~~lately~~ since before the holidays using excuse after excuse, one of them being the cold weather. Go back to the gym Marcela! Image above depicts it all very well... sweets, coffee, daydreaming, all except exercise. I also need to be a better e-mail responder. Let's just see what my short-term goals, more specifically tomorrow ones, are:

- going to the gym

- writing back to at least two people whom I owe e-mails to

- not get back into bed with the alarm clock (my cell phone) in my hands

- read more pages from my current book

- ignore the guy that passes everyday with his extremely loud motorcycle in front of my office

That's all for now. :) I'll let you do if I improve in anything else!

See you tomorrow loves...

images 1 and 2

Fabulous Friday: Not for Jason

2010-02-12T19:55:00.000-05:00

This week I actually want to dedicate a 'fabulous Friday' type of post to Love.

But I want to do it cute and all. So I will try my best to have it by tomorrow.

Right now I have to meet my cousin,

whom I haven't seen in a while! Prima I'll be there shortly!

My days have been filled with smiles

and I want to tell you why soon... just simple things.

That's how it should be though... be happy by noticing the simple

beautiful things around.

Anyway, you're probably wondering about the title. Well, here it goes. I am not sure who created it, but I came across it and I think it's 'cute.'

I actually found it in December or November. I told my friend "I

have to find a Friday 12th on the calendar next year!!" he said "oh you probably

won't remember to put the picture on..."

So, to Dustin, who's in France having a great time, I remembered!! :P

Have a wonderful Friday dears!

'The kayak man' and some news

2010-02-10T18:21:00.002-05:00

Hi dears :)

I'm sick. Yesterday I went to bed feeling a little congested, but it became worse at night.

I woke up like three times to clear my nosey and throaty. My boss told me to

stay home today and rest. I think my inner-self was really hoping I would receive

that suggestion. One actually needs those days once in a while.

I haven't posted pictures in a while! But first I have three things to say in terms

of photography :)

# 1: I had my second Etsy sale!! I know... such a small number. But really guys,

it makes me happy. Etsy, to me, is only the first step in realizing

whether it is possible to make people love your images.

Two sales is enough, for now, to know that.

#2: I finally made a Facebook fan page! I would love

it if you joined! It's still under construction, as I only

have a few pictures, but I will be adding more and more.

click here to join!

#3: A very sweet person wrote about my pictures on her blog. I loved what she wrote,

and I felt truly honored to be chosen for that post

out of so many wonderful artists on Etsy.

Today I'm going to show you pictures I took of a man kayaking two weekends ago.

As soon as I saw him approaching I started clicking that shutter button!

He just smiled, talked to my friends and I for a few seconds, and then

continued his 'journey.' Since all of these pictures happened so close in

time to each other, I could only think of simple names such as:

'Here comes the kayak man'

'There goes the kayak man'

'I can see the kayak man'

'Witness Of A Magical Journey'

Untitled (any ideas?)

and this is one from that same day called "Dancing for the clouds"

Have a wonderful afternoon kidos.

Dopplegangers

2010-02-03T18:04:00.001-05:00

In view that many people are posting their 'doppelganger' pictures

on facebook as well as on blogs, I thought I

would do something similar here. I often compare facial features of people

to those of celebrities anyway.

Here are a few things I wanted to show you today... first, the closest

matches for myself:

Remember Alex Mack? My dad said one day "look Marcelita, she looks like you..."

And maybe I sort of did when I was younger. Larisa Oleynik

Will I look like that at her age? I wouldn't mind :)

That is Holly Hunter. I don't think I've seen any of her films yet.

I do know someone who looks a lot like a celebrity.

In fact, he looks a lot like two celebrities morphed.

My boyfriend. He looks like a mix of Paul McCartney and Jim Sturgess (first picture).

He's my peruvian Beatle.

And do you know anyone who looks like an animated character? I do!

When I saw the film 'Up,' which by the way is very beautiful, I couldn't help but to

think of my grandpa the whole time. Not just because they have the same chin, nose, glasses (my grandpa has them on his hands), and peculiar head, but also the cute grumpiness, the adorable pants, and most importantly, the love they have for their wife.

I gave my grandpa a mug with that drawing above... the real 'Up' character has hair;

I edited mine in Photoshop.

That's all the dopplegangers I wanted to show you dears.

xoxo ~*~ Marcela

Nite Nite

2010-02-03T01:54:00.001-05:00

Hello pretty people! I wanted to post something about dopplegangers today but

forgot one important picture at my office, so I guess it will be tomorrow.

I also have pictures to show you from the weekend! But today... today I only wanted to

say goodnight. I am going to bed now. Sweet dreams to all of you, and

have a lovely day in case you're in an area of the world where it's already morning.

I'll leave you with a picture that makes me smile (and laugh a little bit too).

I love silly dog costumes.

See you tomorrow!

source

Answer to the previous post's comments

2010-01-30T15:41:00.000-05:00

I thank you guys for all for the comments! Lissa and Laura, that helped with feeling positive about following anything I want! Thank you very much ladies, it was nice to come back home to that today. Morgenstern might have the wrong idea however; while his comment is supportive, it still sounds like he misunderstood some things. So, to him:

First of all, I am extremely happy with what I have and with my life. I see the news, I know how the real world is, I know there are people suffering in other continents; I always try to apply that to when I feel down for silly things. What that post was about was me being confused. I don't want to look back one day and say "I could have done more with my talents" that is all. And actually, you are wrong about me wanting more. I actually don't want to be rich. I don't even want the most expensive camera. Maybe, yes, one that's a little more expensive than the one I currently own, but nothing outrageous. And the rest of things I listed, I am not sure why you say most people never have them. I am a big believer in metaphysics. I think whatever you want to achieve you can have it; and I also think that whatever attitude you put into things influences the outcome greatly.

I can assure you that as long as I have what I listed, I will not desire anything else. But don't blame me for wanting to live my life to the fullest. I was not whining. I was just saying that I'm scared of being confused for a looong time (I've been questioning this for a while now). You ask me if I am happy... and what things make me happy. Well, the answer is, A LOT of things make me happy, and that is part of the reason why choosing something to dedicate my life to is so hard. I also don't want the best job in the world... in fact, I want to live more for my loved ones, dedicate a lot of my time to them. But it would be awesome to leave my little mark on the world, whether it is with pictures, art, architecture, or whatever. I don't think I was complaining, and in fact, all my friends know me and can tell you how positive I am. I always thank God for all he has given me; and I try not to take things for granted. So, as you said, "I do feel privileged, humbled, and joyful that life has no other problems for me to solve." I hope it is the same case for you. Thank you for your advice,

Marcela

image

Confused-- Hope the length doesn't make you click the x

2010-01-29T20:01:00.005-05:00

I need a sign from God. Ever since I was a kid I thought I wanted to become an architect one day. When I finally applied to College, I didn't get in the University of Texas' Architecture School, only to the Liberal Arts School. I was sad, as I didn't want to go anywhere else (I also couldn't afford to) and wanted to stay close to my family since we had just moved to Austin. I decided to pursue a degree in Urban Studies and do Architecture as a Master. A lot of people said that was a good idea.

After graduating, I was able to get a job at a small Architecture firm (where I work now). I was thrilled. I wanted to learn stuff, interrelate with architects, and perhaps even design something small with the help of my very basic AutoCAD and Sketchup knowledge. Months passed, and for some reason, all my excitement began to fade away. I am not sure why... maybe it was because I discovered I was in love with photography, maybe it was because I read that architecture is one of the most overrated careers, maybe because I thought about my future life and decided I didn't want to live for my career-- I want to be able to have time for me, for my family, etc-- or maybe it was because one of the architects in the office told me he would choose another major if he could go back in time. I am not blaming him... each person goes through different experiences in life. Anyway, the point is that I woke up one day and said "I don't want to be an architect anymore, I want to be a photographer-- a popular one."

Well today, I talked to one of the new architects in my office. He used to be a T.A for one of the classes I enjoyed the most in college. He talked to me about the positive things about the career. He said there are firms that still do hand drawings and models, that in South America architecture has a high demand, that he absolutely loved architecture school. Unconsciously, he awoke some curiosity in my brain again.

I don't know what to do. I don't know when to do it. I will probably go to Peru for a few months in the middle of this year and I wish I could go knowing what I want to do with my life, so that I can prepare myself further while I am there, whether in photography, or architecture.

A few months ago I discovered a Masters Degree that sounded very exciting to me. "Photography & Urban Cultures." They offer it in London only, though. Maybe I should just go to London? Why is it so hard to decide what I want to do? Why am I so indecisive? Some say I could do Architecture because photography can be a hobby. That's the thing... I wish it wasn't just a hobby. If I do architecture, then I won't be able to study photography and pursue it 100%.

I seriously need one of those rays of light they show in cartoons, when people suddenly know what to do.

All I want in life is:

- To have a job that I LOVE

- To be somewhat 'popular' with what I do, at least in the town I live in

- To have extra time for me, for my future husband, for my family, always

- To earn a good enough income

- To never feel I wasted any talents

- To enjoy life, places, people, nature, etc. You only live once...

Any suggestions? I know... crazy huh.

images 1, 2

Memories That Make Me Giggle- # 5: Backstreet Boys & Blonde Guys

2010-01-26T18:53:00.002-05:00

Today during my lunch break, I was driving and suddenly thought:
"I want to listen to the Backstreet Boys."

Has that happened to you? You keep singing an old band's

song for some reason

and eventually you just play the CD. I miss the 90s...

During that time, I was also-- who knows why-- a little obsessed with blonde guys.

I guess it's not too hard to guess who my favorite Backstreet Boy was...

There was another band (from Ireland) that came out, with 3 blonde members!

I fell 'in love' immediately. I wanted to listen to them, see them live someday,

buy their cds, etc. None of that happened; just the first thing.

This band was Westlife. It wasn't as popular here in the U.S, so you may

not be familiar with them: Westlife

In this case, I was in love with the second and fifth guy. *sigh* funny memories.

Their songs are not bad actually :) I recommend 'My Love' and 'Fool Again'

cheesy? maybe

cute? yeeeees

The alarm clock is my enemy!

2010-01-22T20:23:00.017-05:00

Source

Anyone out there who actually likes alarm clocks? The poor objects are the unlucky first things we touch smack in the morning after their sound brings us back to reality. Well, at least the two that I use I don't have to smack--> Yes, lately I've been using my cell phone and another alarm clock that was in my brother's room but that used to be mine. And now that I think about it, I should put it back in his room because it's making me wake up later! Since I know there is another alarm coming, I let myself sleep 'a few more minutes.' Also, since I am still in that weird realm of sleep-awake, I confuse the two and I press one a million times only to find out that that's not the one sounding! So I guess I'll just stick with my cell phone. My boyfriend laughed when he realized several alarms were set: one for 7:30, one for 7:35, one for 7:38, and probably one more after that.

So speaking of alarm clocks, today I came across an interesting article about creative alarm clocks. Here are some:

Pillow Alarm Clock The pillow uses an LED fabric substrate below the surface to wake the user using light. This substrate also functions as display, showing the time on the surface of the pillow.

Very innovative! But who knows if it would work with me... I can sleep with anything, even lights on.

Smash Alarm Clock The alarm is switched off by punching on the top of the alarm clock.

I like it! And you don't have to feel bad for smashing it :)

Gun Operated Alarm Clock Old NES light gun was modified with tilt switches to control a vintage digital clock radio. When the alarm wakes you up, grab the gun and kill it off!

Interesting concept! But I don't think it would fit in my tiny night stand. Plus hmmm I would feel like Tomb-Raider or something with an object like this in my room.

Here are three alarm clocks that work for Marcela:

Clocky Alarm Clock Unusual alarm clock that jumps 3 feet from your night stand and runs away beeping to get you up. You can only snooze once.

Probably very ideal for me. Once I am up, I probably wouldn't get back into bed. I would have to get used to this object jumping from my night stand though...

Carpet Alarm Clock If you want to turn the alarm off, you have to get up and step on it.

Anything that makes me stand up is great! I know I could put my current alarm clock far away in my room, but if I had this carpet, it would be much easier to obey.

Puzzle Alarm Clock doesn’t let you drift off so easily thanks to an alarm setting that requires some quick puzzle skills, and more than a little coherence, to shut it off.

How neat! I like those colors.
For now I guess I just have to keep hitting the snooze button many times. I need to be able to wake up after the first time, though, like I used to! One day... :)

Have a lovely weekend everyone!!

Film suprises with a few effects...

2010-01-20T18:22:00.007-05:00

Remember when I said last week that I was excited to develop some film photos?

Well, I already have them! In fact, I've had them for a few days,

but today seems like a good day to share them finally.

I also wrote a little list of the ones I really wanted to see. Well... here they are:

- me at Whole Foods

- my friend Adrian at Whole Foods (I had to make it b&w)

- my dad standing in front of my car

- pictures of cars and the sky

- a picture of my mom in the kitchen

- pictures near UT

and here is one more that I liked. Two great friends and I at a restaurant:

I really enjoyed using that camera.

I think one day I want to have a collection of them...

The Lovely Bones

2010-01-19T18:56:00.001-05:00

Hi lovely ones,

I hope your week started beautifully!

Today I want to talk about a movie I saw yesterday: The Lovely Bones

It's very interesting to me to look at the reviews after I watch a film because no matter how good (or for that matter- how bad) a movie is, there will always be people who love it and hate it. People indeed have the right to have their own opinions, but I really dislike it when they 'attack' a movie [especially an awesome movie] with all kinds of insults just because it didn't meet their expectations. I also want to quote a woman who left her review and said, "just because the movie doesn't include everything from a book, doesn't make it a terrible movie." This is exactly what people should keep in mind. A movie will never be a book. The writer and the film-maker have different visions in their minds. They are different types of artists. And to those who complaint about the murder scene being too short/coy and about the sadness not being shown deeply, maybe try thinking that this director wanted to show people a not-so-dark side of such horrible situation.

I do wish we could have connected with some of the characters a bit more (mother, sister, etc), but overall this movie is excellent, in my opinion. The acting is incredible! Seriously... you end up hating this rapist guy (who by the way is Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada) and feeling all the innocence, love, and even heartbreak of this beautiful 14-year-old girl. I seriously had to stuff some pizza in my mouth in some scenes in order not to cry.

I also loved how the director portrayed the in-between. It makes you want to stay there instead of going to heaven :) (as if it was like that... hopefully!)

I recommend it! Let me leave you with the trailer!

From the director: "I have no interest in filming a murder and rape. I have zero interest in filming it and zero interest in watching it. It wasn't even a decision that was hard. It does intrigue me when there is a review that criticises us for being gutless for not showing the murder and the rape - and I think "did this reviewer look forward to that scene and we haven't delivered?" And it's usually a male reviewer

What if... Wednesdays: Dreams

2010-01-13T17:20:00.001-05:00

Pretty People,

what if you could choose one dream you've had

in the past and make it come true? Have you

ever woke up wishing you were still

dreaming? Many times probably!

Tell me about one of them :)

I think one of my coolest dreams ever

was one in which I could breath underwater.

At first, I was scared and thought I was going to drown (who knows why

I was in the middle of an ocean to begin with). Then, when I

was about to give up-- since I was so deep and thought I

wasn't going to make it to the surface-- I suddenly realized

I was breathing! And so I swam more...

and more...

Now imagine how fun that would be! I could stay underwater as

long as I wanted to, talk to the fishes

and other silly things...

At least I know I wouldn't look like I'm chewing a lemon:

(me like 4 years ago)

I chose this theme today because I had like one or two bad dreams
these past days. Shoo!

images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Film Camera Surprises (+)

2010-01-12T17:17:00.003-05:00

Hi all!

I'm excited! Today I am going to take the roll of film I used with my boss' Nikon FM Film Camera to the lab to be developed. I haven't used one of those cameras since a long time, and I really want to see how the pictures turned out. I want to mention the ones I am interested in, so that when I get the prints, I can show you the results!

There are pictures of:
- me at Whole Foods
- my friend Adrian at Whole Foods
- my dad at a car dealership standing in front of my car
- pictures of cars and the sky
- a picture of my mom in the kitchen
- pictures near UT
and more!

Anyway, more on that coming soon!

Speaking of pictures, there is a sale going on right now on my Etsy shop! It's buy one print, get one (same prize or lower) for free! Click here to go to my shop!

And before I go today, here are a few pictures I took of Musical Instruments! I hope you like them :)

Thanks for reading! Come back soon

Tagged!

2010-01-11T13:06:00.007-05:00

http://weheartit.com/entry/1290853

Dears,
I've told you a few things about me before. Well, it's time for more!
I was tagged by sweet Heidi at Word Gardening. Here are my answers!

1. What is your current obsession? Etsy and Photography!

2. What are you wearing today? Black corduroy pants, a beige thin sweater, and a mustard coat.

3. What’s for dinner? Too early to know that :P

4. What’s the last thing you bought? A taco and fresh orange juice!

5. What are you listening to right now? Nothing, right now my office is silent.

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you? Heidi: Very mature and sweet girl. Always comes up with good quotes and post-topics.

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? Wow I think maybe Greece or one of those popular and gorgeous beaches/islands. This is a hard question, the more I think about it, the more places I come up with.

8. One thing you wanna change about yourself ? I want to finish the things I start! Sometimes I get excited about a new project but end up leaving it half way through!

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Grab my camera and go somewhere wild in Africa.

http://weheartit.com/entry/876788

10. Which language do you want to learn? French! I love how romantic it sounds!

11. What’s your favourite quote? Another hard question, as I love so many. But here are some: "They laugh because I'm different; I laugh because they're all the same."

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly"

12 . Would you cook for me? sure, why not! Or let's make a dessert!

13. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you? Ignoring them... they'll get tired eventually(?)

14. What are you afraid of the most? Same as Heidi: dying. The unknown of that is just really frightening. Also, seeing my parents get old.

15. Who do you want to meet right now? My best friend Veronica, whom I haven't seen in years.

16. What is your favourite color? Turquoise. It brings life to things :)

17. Give us 3 styling tips that work for you. 1) If your hair has static, use one of those laundry dryer sheets and rub your head with it. Static goes away. Try to use one that doesn't smell too strong, though--or you will be smelling like laundry sheet :)

2) For volume, after applying products and blow drying, hold some hair (especially the one on top), and with a comb, pull down near the roots. Here is a picture (not a flattering one):

3) Accessories: Use either earrings + necklace, or earrings + bracelet, but not the three things. It becomes too cluttered. I read this long time ago.

18. What is your dream job? Full-time Photographer earning good income.

19. What’s your favorite magazine? I don't read magazines that often. I do like to see some innovative houses on Dwell.

20. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on? If savings is not an option, then probably shoes. I need to replace a few old pairs!

21. What do you consider a fashion faux pas? Very long hair for guys, like in the 80s. That's all I can think of right now.

22. What's a little quirk of yours? I talk weird things when I'm in between sleep and being awake. My boyfriend loves to ask me questions at that moment because he knows my answers won't make sense.

23. What brings a smile on your face instantly? Cute animals, cute elderly couples, rainbows, songs I like, seeing a picture on my computer screen with surprising results, my cockatiels, and so much more.

24. A word that you say a lot? interesting!

25. What kind of haircut do you prefer? I haven't decided yet. My hair drives me crazy often.

26. What are you going to do after this? Continue working!

27. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed? I talk to family, I call my friends and try to get out and distract myself. I love time on my own too when that happens, and I just do relaxing things, like watching t.v., getting a nice drink at Starbucks, or if I have some money, a pedicure always works!

28. What makes you go wild? Latin Music, oldies (dance-able music), creamy desserts, Queen.
Wild in a not-so-good-way: rude people

29. What are your favourite movies? Crazy question! The Notebook would be one for sure, The Orphanage for its beauty and suspense, Man on Fire- Denzel is just great, The Karate Kid, and so many more...

30. What inspires you? Nature, family, animals, people's generosity, friends, talented artists, etc.

31. What do your friends call you most commonly? My friends in the US, Marcela, Marcy. My friends in Peru Marcela, Marce, Marcelita

32. Would you prefer coffee or tea? Coffee most of the times. I really like Thai Tea.

33. Which other blogs do you love visiting? So many! See 'blogosphere' tab to read about them.

http://weheartit.com/entry/1257664

34. Favorite Dessert/Sweet? Creamy ones! Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse are the ones that I always look for in menus.

35. How many tabs are turned on in your browser right now? 8. I always have many tabs opened!
(Photography, Urban News, Gmail, Weheartit.com, etc.)

36. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? ugh, I have a pimple and my smile lines are still there!

37. Favorite Season? Depends on where I am. If there are lots of trees, probably Fall. In a place like my hometown (Lima), probably summer :)

38.One wish that you really want to see come true? Having a very successful career and marriage. Being a good mother, and for my parents to be proud of all three of us.

39. What breaks your heart? Animals being abused and neglected. It depresses me to think about it.

40. What's one thing you really want to do in life? Travel a lot and see an Aurora Borealis.

http://weheartit.com/entry/1131340

41. If you could 'revive' a celebrity, who would you choose? Freddie Mercury. I'd love to see one of his concerts.

Thanks for reading, dears! Today, I tag:
Sierra from Ocean Dreams
Jennifer from Novelista Barista
Lu from Teddy Loves Lu Loves Teddy

Melissa from So About What I said
Alpha from Simplify
Eliza from Restless Hearts
Nicole from My Teacups In Peony
Miss Moose from Moose Tea Party
Toni from Little Suitcase
Claire, from InTransit

http://weheartit.com/entry/92479

Rules for those who are tagged :-

1. Respond and rework – answer these questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own, and add one more question to the list.
2. Tag eight or ten other people. (Please answer all questions!)

Slowly Updating You - Blogger Santa!

2010-01-06T20:56:00.003-05:00

Hello dear readers!

Wow, I think I got a few more followers while being a little absent; how funny. Thank you though!

I have so many things to say. First of all, happy new year to all! I really hope 2010 brings you lots of happiness and many blessings. I also hope your holidays were wonderful and that you enjoyed the time with your families.
Today I want to write about the awesome Blogger Santa- Gift Exchange that Jennifer (Novelista Barista) organized. I loved it when my mom asked me if I had ordered something when she saw there was a box for me. And it wasn't too small either. I was excited; someone from who knows where had sent me a Christmas gift!

Well, that person turned out to be a lady named Lisa. She sent me something she had bought while visiting Hawaii! This is what I saw when I opened the box:

Now let's take a closer look. An awesome hula dancer mug! I used to collect mugs in Peru.

I had forgotten about how cool it was to have different designs.

I think I will continue my collection!

I am a coffee lover. She knew this. Someone take out the coffee filters please! (so far I've tried

one of them, and it's delicious!)

and the best element a gift could have... a card with lovely words from her. Thank you, Lisa!

And just to make this post a little longer, let me tell you whose Blogger Santa I was! Her name is Kim; she loves accessories, music, photography, among other things. Since she told me she loved earrings and necklaces the most, and that she liked bright colors, I chose this for her:

bright yellow origami earrings!

and

this cute necklace with a cat listening to music. I love wearing

unique silly things sometimes. I hope she does too.

I'm so glad to be back! Now I just have to read your blogs and I'll be caught up :)

Little Note

2009-12-29T18:13:00.002-05:00

Hi all!!

I am sorry I've been so absent! Too much going on (and boyfriend here from Peru!), but as promised, I will return soon! And if I can, I will post something later! Kisses for all!

At The Office

2009-12-23T02:45:00.002-05:00

Hi! Oh, and welcome new followers :) (albarbou, Rhianna, sweetwyo, Zhan Hunter, Jade)

I am going to start acknowledging you like this because I really liked it when another blogger did that for me and others. Thanks for adding me to your dashboard's reading list!

These are pictures from inside my office. I love photographing ordinary spaces or objects and trying to make them look more interesting and pretty.

Quick Hello

2009-12-22T19:20:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

Wow this month has been hectic. I haven't been able to blog as much as I like. I think I will get back to my normal rhythm once the holidays are over. Oh but I will post a selection of pictures I want to show you later when I get home. There are a couple of interesting things to mention:

- my boyfriend is going to come see me for New Years (from Peru!)-- I'm so excited

- one of my best friends got a puppy. He also lives close to me so I will be able to see it often and play with it. I miss having a dog, and I haven't been at the shelter for volunteering lately :(

- I won my first giveaway!! I never win anything! So I was very excited when Rhianne from For The Easily Distracted told me I had won a pair of earrings with a matching hairpin from Nicole Addison's lovely shop. :) Thank you both!

- I participated in a bloggers' Secret Santa gift exchange and already received mine. It was lovely to be part of that. More about it soon!

- I have absolutely no idea what I'll do for New Years, but my boyfriend will be with me, so I don't care!

- My boss let me borrow his old Nikon film camera (70s-80s...) and it's so exciting to take pictures with it without knowing how they will turn out.

- We had a nice office-lunch today, as Christmas celebration.

- Before going to that lunch I tripped while walking to my car. We don't have smooth asphalt outside. We have a rough parking lot. My pants teared open; they are stapled right now. I hit my knee, I scratched my foot and my elbow. Not good. I do think I probably looked funny while in the air.

Anyway, that's all going on right now. I guess this wasn't just a quick hello :)

Thanks for reading, lovelies.

images 1, 2, 5

The Sparkly Teddy Bear

2009-12-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I grabbed one of my favorite stuffed toys and took a few pictures. I was also trying to accomplish a bokeh effect (you know, those nice blurry circles in the background), so I included them here as well. I've decided that for the weekly picture selection, I will do it anyday, not necessarily Tuesday. Sometimes I want to show you something and don't want to wait "until the day comes." Anyway, here they are:

(Teddy did not want to pose anymore)

Another Award!

2009-12-16T17:38:00.005-05:00

I recently received another blog award (the Happy 101) from Claire at In Transit. I already thanked her but I thank her again; I love those things! This award comes with rules that I like:

List ten things that make you happy, try to do at least one of them today, and tag ten bloggers that brighten your day. Link back to the blog that gave you the award

So, dears, here are 10 things that make me happy (no particular order):

1. My daily yummy hot fresh latte in the morning when I get to the office.

2. When my dad arrives every couple of months and we all catch up (he currently works in my home country).
3. Family time, always. The more the better.
4. Listening to Queen in my car and singing out loud.
5. Doing simple things with friends and laughing 'til we cry.
6. Traveling. Experiencing a different culture as best as I can.

7. Visiting Peru and seeing family, my dear boyfriend, friends, etc.
8. Coming home and getting cozy when the weather is bad, the day has been tough, or after I have been absent for some time. Getting cozy with my <3 counts too :)

(nope, not my house)

9. Photography. Taking pictures and then seeing reactions to them. Also viewing them on my screen for the first time and noticing people's emotions.

10. The beach, the mountains, any kind of getaway. I love getting inspired by Nature.

Here are 10 of my favorite blogs (no order either). Enjoy!
Children of the 90s
Color Me Katie
My Milk Toof
Awful First Dates
So About What I Said
Restless Hearts
The Spohrs Are Multiplying
Word Gardening
Ocean Dreams
My Teacups In Peony

images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5