In Country Mode

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

Missing math (funny!)

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

It's a rainy day...

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

Last week's weather in pictures

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!

Sometimes Brave, Sometimes Not

I really like scary/suspense films, but not the ones that have blood all over, pure gore, or a silly plot. It has to be a good story! My last favorite suspense movie was The Orphanage; I thought it was great in many ways! My last scary one was... I am not sure! Many somewhat-interesting movies have come out but not one that I remember being exceptionally good. This weekend I went to see a film, about which many have been talking about: Paranormal Activity

It was good!! It worked, it made me be scared to the point that I had to cover part of the screen with my fingers sometimes <-- yet again I am like that in many movies. But! this film really had something! Unlike Hollywood latest movies, this one doesn't try extremely hard to make you jump with common things like a sudden image in the mirror along with a loud sound, or someone closing a door and something appearing behind it. On the contrary, it is a very simple movie-- with little sound effects. And it is precisely that that makes you connect with the characters more, since it feels like any other home video. If/when it plays in your town, you should go see it, sometimes it's fun to get a little scared. And it's fun to scream and watch people scream... and then laugh out loud.

On a side note, I may be brave for movies [most], but not to go to a Haunted House--one of those they open for Halloween month. Every year I wonder how scary they must be... but that's all, I just wonder. I'm a chicken when it comes to actually going to one. I am very vulnerable to people saying "BOO!" while jumping out of a dark area. [I base this on how I react with my brother... can you imagine someone in a costume?]

Have you been to one? How was it? If you tell me it's not that bad then I might try it out... who knows. But for now, I'd rather stick with movies. :)

For Girls: That Time Of The Month Again

This is a post written for all you girls out there. Let's talk a little about those "days of the month." 

Do you feel that they are sometimes impossible to enjoy? Why? Yes, they can be annoying; we have mood swings, cramps, bloated sensations, and so on. So, in order to make them a little more bearable, I made a list of the things I do to soothe those symptoms.  

• I try pretend those days are no different than any others (if you think "I have my period, therefore I am moody," or things like that, it's more likely you will react that way to things. 
• I just let myself go with the flow, meaning I do what I feel like doing and avoid doing what I don't feel like doing. For instance, sometimes I plan on going to the gym, but then I change my mind, and I go home to relax instead. 
• I like getting cozy, especially during those days. I try to use soft/warm [if the weather allows it]/comfortable clothing. If I watch t.v at home, I cover myself with a blanket, etc.
• Eat/drink something you love-- but be careful, apparently there are some things to avoid too [see below]. Get a yummy dessert, a nice warm coffee or tea, or your favorite sandwich...
• For cramps, I either drink hot oregano tea or-- for faster results-- I take two Advil tablets. But if you don't like taking pills, try the tea :)

Here are two articles that have some other good tips!

PMS Worries: 8 Tips to Beat Those Days of the Month

6 Tips For Controlling Menstrual Cramps

Before I finish, let me tell you quickly about one more website: MyMonthlyCycles.Com

It helps you track your periods, symptoms, ovulation days, average cycle length, etc. You can set up reminders for next periods, fertile days, and more. You can plan a pregnancy due date better. Check it out here! 

I hope you're "special days" are a little bit brighter from now on :)

 image source

Thanks Radar!

I miss the rain when it hides for a looong time. I think the best part is before it starts, when you hear thunder in the distance and watch as the sky gets darker.

Yay for rain! How's the weather where you are? Regardless of how it is, find something positive about it! :) And if you have rain on your forecast, check out my tips for rainy days!

A Little About Venezuela

Hello!

I'm back from Venezuela. I was there only 9 days but I think

I made the most of my time. Although Venezuela can be a very dangerous and crazy city

(robberies, kidnappings, horrible traffic, lines everywhere,

bad customer service in some places), one can still have

a good time, learn about the culture, admire the mountainous

surroundings in Caracas, go to nice beaches, and

experience a different lifestyle.

Despite the problems it may have, I think every city

can offer many adventures. I wish Venezuelans took more advantage of

the natural beauty of their country. Unfortunately their government

is not in the best shape right now; and the services they provide (in hotels, restaurants, shops)

can leave one a bit disappointed (not always though).

Here are some facts about Venezuela and things I noticed:

- their oil is extremely cheap

- their traffic is extremely bad

- women LOVE to be in the beauty salon

- cars make a lot of noise in the morning

- their shanty towns don't look as unsightly as

in other cities thanks to the green mountains all around

- their shanty towns are called "ranchos"

- some houses have female names instead of numbers: Berta, Alicia, Joanna...

- streets in Venezuela are crazy! They don't follow any type of grid or anything. But

one can usually be oriented again by looking at the "Avila," a national park-mountain.

- 10% tip is many times included in restaurant bills

- apartments have gates on the windows and at the entrance (not the building entrance only,

but the apartment one) ; houses too. All for security

And those were some of the things I remember most.

In Venezuela you can find:

over 1860 miles of white-sand beaches fringed with coconut palms lining the Caribbean coast

South America's largest lake, Lake Maracaibo as well as

the third-longest river, the Orinoco,

and world's highest waterfall, Salto del Angel.

Let It Rain!

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. ~John Ruskin

A lot of people enjoy the rain, but there are few others that don't. It makes them feel sad and melancholic. Well it's time to change that! Rain is amazing, not only because it's good for our environment, but because one can feel inspired to do things that we forget to do on other days.

-It's a perfect excuse not to worry about make-up, hair, good clothes, etc. You can put on some pjs and just relax!

- Take advantage of the darkness, close your curtains, and sit/lay, close your eyes, breath slowly. Try releasing any tensions you had that day. I love taking naps too!

- Lay down and listen to the rain outside; the thunder, the alarms that sometimes go off, the way the winds affects the sound of the rain.

- Sit in an area where you can see the rain clearly and just grab a cup of tea, coffee, milk, etc.

- Cuddle! Cuddle with your love, your pet, your pillow, your blanket. Feel cozy and listen to the rain fall on the roof :) (try to enjoy nature without distractions on the computer/tv, at least for a bit).

- Read a good romance novel or science fiction book!

- Do things that you put aside during sunny days. Maybe a little bit or organizing, cleaning, making a dessert, completing a puzzle, writing a letter, etc.

- If you are a bit lonely at home, go somewhere relaxing. Get a pedicure, a manicure, watch a movie with a friend, go to a cafe!

- Do something crazy... like dancing in the rain (with someone would be better). Sounds akward, but it can be fun and become a very special memory.

Just enjoy it! I am from Lima, Peru and we never have rain there! If we do, it's pitiful... tiny droplets like a subtle mist while the temperature feels cold and yucky. So when it rains here, I love it, even when I'm at my office. Today the front door (where my desk is) opened by itself due to the wind, and it scared me! It felt like a scene from What Lies Beneath. The only thing missing was a ghost. Luckily I did not scream.

... And to end this post... just like the song says: have you ever seen the rain coming down on a sunny day? :)

1st image via Photobucket

10 Fun Things To Say To Telemarketers!

It's cool when you have take something that frustrates you and make it fun!

Who hasn't been bothered at least once by telemarketers? Whether they call us at home or at the office, they don't seem to understand our need for privacy/time/concentration/...

Let's see what we can do in order to avoid feeling annoyed next time one of them calls. Why not have a little fun, right? You will probably end up smiling instead of losing patience. Here are some of the funnest tips I found:

1) If you have a small child, say to the telemarketer: "Speak to the man/lady of the house." Hand the phone to him/her and let the fun begin :)

2) If they try to sell you something, try to sell them something as well. Interrupt them by saying: How about I offer you this product? Would you like to buy (...)? You got the idea.

3) Act as if you are an answering machine. Say: "Hello." (Wait on them to start talking.) "I'm sorry we can't come to the phone right now. Please leave a message. Beep."

4) You can answer by saying the name of a random company. For example, an insurance company. You can then ask questions like, "What if something happened to you?" or "Are you sure your final needs can be met?" They will probably hang up.

5) Answer the phone in a pretend foreign language.

6) A not-so-subtle one: "I'd love to hear more about why you are calling me, but I'm in the middle of dinner right now. Why don't you give me your home number so I can call and irritate you in the middle of your meal?" Or claim that you need some time to think, and that you'll get back to them.

7) Act as if you thought you won something. Talk continuously without letting them, and ask them things like when and how your prize will be sent.

8) Say: "Sorry to interrupt you. I really want to talk to you, but can you hold on for a few minutes? I just need to finish up the call from the last telemarketer. He called me about an hour ago." Or, put them on hold forever :P

9) Tell them you charge for listening. "Before I listen to your pitch, there are a few things we need to cover. My minimum rate for listening is $35 an hour. I have a deluxe package for $55 per hour that offers a 2 percent chance of purchase of what you're selling. (...and so on)

10) Say, "This phone line is for emergency use only. Do you have an emergency?" If they so no, then you can tell them goodbye; if they say say you can ask them about the emergency and insist it isn't one.

Try not to be mean, guys. This is just for fun! Don't get frustrated over a person you don't even know :P Turn the situation around and have some fun!

Enjoy talking to a telemarketer!


For more, go here:
source 1
source 2

Just Another Manic Monday!

At some point during a Sunday, many of us quietly say to ourselves, "I can't believe tomorrow is Monday again!, I don't want to go to work!" Next weekend seems so far ahead that it's depressing, and especially for those of you who may have an irritating co-worker and/or a lunatic boss. But Mondays can be pleasant days too! It pretty much depends on what you do to make it that way :)

So here are a few tips to try:

1) First of all--before we even get to Monday-- try to enjoy your weekend as much as you can. Don't forget to relax too, especially Sunday night-- that will make it easier for you to start the week off.

2) Try not to be negative when it comes. If you feel tired or lazy, brush those thoughts away by having a delicious breakfast, or choosing a nice outfit for the day, or watering your plants... (whatever you DO like doing during mornings).

3) On the other hand, if you'd rather not do things so early, shorten your list by taking care of things Sunday afternoon/night.

4) Have something to look forward to on Mondays. Make it your dessert day, your cookie day (I go and buy m&m cookies sometimes), your shopping day (wait, not all Mondays though!), your girlfriend/buddies-afternoon day... etc.

5) Don't concentrate on how many days left of work there are. Don't you realize that time passes by so fast anyway? Make the most out of each day then, including Mondays.

6) In the afternoon, do something relaxing... go for a walk and listen to nature, take a hot bath while you listen to your favorite music, drink a glass of wine while you listen to a cheesy radio-show, etc.

7) While at work, think of a nice memory from the weekend to cheer you up. Also try thinking about cool plans coming up soon and make them an incentive to be in a happy mood.

8) This is not my idea, but I thought it was funny: Put up a picture of your boss in your room and practice throwing darts at it – it’s a great stress-buster and you’ll feel much more cheery at work.- www.ehow.com

Enjoy your Mondays :)