The Joy Of Enjoying: Blogosphere

Showing posts with label Blogosphere. Show all posts

Answer to the previous post's comments

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

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Tagged!

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!

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 :)

Quick Hello

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

Another Award!

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

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!

The rules:
1. Share 7 things that your readers don't already know about you.

2. Name 7 other blogs to receive this award.
3. Leave a comment on each of the blogs you nominate.
4. Thank the person who gave you the award.

Have a lovely evening everyone!

images 1, 2, 3

Blogosphere & 1st award!

source

Last Friday ended happily; Miss Moose surprised me with a 'One Lovely Blog' award. I was very glad when I read that because it's the first award I've been given... there is always something special about 'first' things. So the rule is to pass it on to 15 lovely bloggers! I am sure some of the bloggers I will mention have probably received this award already, but I think they deserve it... besides who says you can't receive it two times!

No particular order:

1) I'd like to say hello to Alpha Buttonpusher (I absolutely love that alias) from Simplify. Her blog is always inspiring... she will always find amazing quotes/poems and pair them with moving images. It's like a little magical corner in the blogosphere.

2) Katie from Color Me Katie is probably busy reading the hundreds of comments she gets, but once she gets to the one I'll post on her blog soon, she'll know that there is a little award for her here. Her blog is pure creativeness! She gets inspired so quickly, so randomly, so magically... and every one of her posts makes you smile from ear to ear.

3) It's always nice to check what Michelle from Oh, Mishka has to say... whether it's some Monday inspiration, thankful thoughts, ideas for the weekend, or any other of her cute posts. She's one of the first bloggers I started following, and her site has helped me get inspiration for my own post-ideas.

4) Hi Sierra! from Ocean Dreams. She is probably going to see this soon because she is one of those lovely visitors I'm lucky to have. When I found her blog, I was instantly delighted by the theme Ocean Dreams... and when I saw her side bar with words like true love, music, interiors, Disney, fairytale... I knew I had to follow her. I'm glad I did because she's also a very sweet person.

5) Nicole from My Teacups in Peony, who doesn't know her? I always enjoy reading her blog. She has this amazing section called "Love Stories" which I am sure you'll love to read. She also introduces us to other awesome bloggers all the time by having them as guest writers. I don't know her but she seems to be a cool person too!

6) I mentioned the Missed Connections blog from Sophie Blackall the other day. I can't wait for her next post... a beautiful piece of art inspired by the Missed Connections sections on Craigslist. Sophie also answered an e-mail I sent to her, with lovely words on how to improve as an artist. Thanks Sophie, this award is for you!

7) Mart & Lu from Teddy Loves Lu Loves Teddy. Just visit their main site and notice how cute they are... this is also a blog that makes me smile. One of the reasons I probably like it is because they also write about finding joy in the simple things in life. Aside of that, there are lovely pictures, fun how-to's, and cheerful messages all over.

8) Nina from Naturally Nina. There is a reason why all her readers seem to connect with her... Nina is very simple and... natural! I don't want to sound too repetitive, but her posts are always cute too! She's shares one of the most important journeys of life with us: being engaged and getting married. Along with that, I visit her site to see what she has to say about the world's simple pleasures.

9) Toni from Little Suitcase always writes posts that leave you thinking and that make you appreciate something different every day. I recommend her '30 ways to make your life more beautiful.' Everyone could use those wonderful advices.

10) Jennifer! a.k.a The Novelista Barista... she's cool because she's an aries like me :) (kidding) Jennifer has a section in her blog similar to Nicole's 'Love Stories' but hers are "The Broken Hearts Files." She's one of those ladies that always interact with her readers through comments as well as posts like Interactive Thursdays. In fact, I found her because I used to see her name everywhere! Every blog I visited had a comment by Novelista Barista.

11) The Spohrs Are Multiplying. I can't skip any of Heather's posts. This is a different type of blog from all others ones in this list. This is a mother's blog, a mother that lost one child and who is trying to find strength to raise her new baby on the way. All her posts are filled with love, and many times they make you cry. All her readers have learned to love not only her, but her angel Madeline, her husband Mike, her puppy Rigby, and the new princess on the way currently known as Binky. More than cute, her blog is touching...

12) Heidi from Word Gardening, the girl that gives sweet comments to many bloggers. I like reading about her life and waiting for the next quote she'll come up with. She also has very mature opinions on different subjects. Thanks Heidi for being the top commenter on this blog! hehe

13) I found Janice from J thanks to Heidi. I love the images she uses and what she tells us about life. She's just an ordinary person like many of us, and many times blogs like hers are the ones you enjoy more. She was having a difficult day earlier so I hope this cheers her up!

14) City of Dionne. An amazing aspect about Dionne's blog is that she draws an illustration for every post!-- at least that's what I see so far. But her blog is special for many other reasons; she constantly makes us go back in time with cute posts like "nursery rhyme giveaway' or 'mixed tapes.' I also find I have many things in common with her, especially since she's so positive about things like candy, breakfast, and dessert. :)

15) Whitney from A Cheery Disposition, who probably has this award already. I'm giving it to her again because she's just sweet... thanks for making our dashboards more entertaining with stories about you and your guitar hero, about the things that inspire you, about your fun weekends, and more. Your bubbly personality is always refreshing.

There are many other amazing bloggers out there, but today I tried to include some that are not well known yet and that deserve the award. And wow, that took more time than I thought. I guess I'll write more about my weekend and stuff tomorrow :) Hope you have a very joyful start of the week!

Missed Connections- What a wonderful idea...

I'm sure many people have already mentioned this on their blogs, but I had to do it too.

Has your curiosity ever led you to scan through the messages from the Missed Connections section in Craigslist? You probably know about it... people write messages with descriptions in the hope of finding someone they saw or met for a short time, or just to tell someone something {good or bad} when--for various reasons-- they can't say it directly. The thing is, this artist has a magnificent blog with drawings depicting what the messages say. She imagines the characters and creates lovely artwork based on them. Here is an example:

- m4w

We shared a bear suit at an apartment party on Saturday night.

I asked for your number and you gave it to me, but somehow I don't

have an area code written down. I had a great time talking with you,

and I don't trust Chance enough to wait until I see you in the elevators...

When will I come up with an idea this brilliant? Here is the article on her blog for you to check it out and also take a look at the other drawings. You'll love all of them!
Oh! And look at her website... I think I'm jealous now.

Rainbows & Smiles,

Marcela

Love Is...

Hello dear readers,

I hope you had a wonderful start of the week. Before heading home today, I wanted to comment on a wonderful post written by Sierra from Ocean Dreams. She talks about her first love and how heartbroken she was after such unforgettable experience ended; but she also talks about finding love again and discovering a whole other meaning to it, and something that I really loved about the post was the second to last paragraph, where she reminds us of something extremely important that everyone should remember:

"[...] love is not desperation, is not always fireworks, is not sacrificing everything, is not materialism, is not becoming a weaker person. My haunt managed to make me feel inferior and not good enough, no haunt or person for that matter should ever make you feel this way Ocean Dreamers. Instead love is mainly loyalty, cherishing someone, not leaving them, consistency not manipulation, improving someone and encouraging them to be an even better person, having the same goals, and trust [...]"

I had an argument with my boyfriend recently, and sometimes when that happens I get sad because things are not perfect. But once in a while, we need a reminder that that's how love is supposed to be... not perfect. We need difficult moments to learn, to grow as people. We need 'tests' for our love to be stronger [the distance, in my case, is an excellent example]. Next time I have an argument with him, I want to remember Sierra's words; I don't want to try to manipulate the subject. I want to understand him and for him to understand me, thus helping each other become better. Sometimes we all forget to do that... and sometimes we may not notice it, but the very own roots of the problems are the clues that that person cares about you and loves you in that 'perfect' way you desire.

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