I Can See a Winter Wonderland

I've been getting inspired by my good friend. It's a really good thing. Girl has got some great style! And is always working on a tight budget. She also LOVES to decorate for all the holidays. I always tease la Chiquitita, and tell her to start a DIY YouTube channel. She'd be so good at it!

Instead, she shares all her great ideas. With all of her friends. We're so lucky! When I asked her about some holiday decorating ideas, she told me to pick a color. Then she'd show me how to decorate with it. Since I'm trying to broaden my color spectrum a bit, I picked white. I know! But I could have picked yellow! :)

Then we sat and talked. Talked about so many ideas. Yes, I was going 90 miles an hour, writing down ideas. Then we took a trip to the Dollar Tree. I can't wait! We're planning a DIY evening next week. To work on our holiday decorations. And I can't wait! So I went looking for some more inspiration online. This is what I found.

Isn't this so elegant? I love it! Pine cones and nuts? So inexpensive. But with a splash of color, isn't it just beautiful?

This whole table is so gorgeous! Simple. But so pretty. I never thought of painting a bunch of natural things, just one color.

I can imagine some of these beautiful, glass containers, lining our fireplace. I'm so excited! Is it crazy that I've been hunting down sticks and pine cones? I've even picked up some pecans. Around here, there everywhere! I'm going to continue to dream of all the possibilities. It's gonna be good!

Oh Dallas!

I'm a Texan, through and through. My hubs and I have moved slightly out of the state line. But we're both very proud Texans. Born and raised. This week, my husband is working some crazy hours! Teaching from 8-5, Wednesday-Friday. Plus, he's performing every night. Pretty much, I get him for about 6 hours. When he sleeps, showers, and eats. Did I mention the rehearsals Monday and Tuesday. All the shows this weekend...

I've been left, to just hangout. Enjoy my days. All our friends are either playing/teaching with Gabe, taking their kids to these classes, or waiting on new babies. I'm at home, going slightly nuts! While I was having breakfast and folding some laundry, I found Most Eligible Dallas. When did this show start???

I totally got sucked in. I don't know why. These people are like the next reality train wreck. Isn't that how it works? Reminds me of Dallas Divas & Daughters, Big Rich Texas, or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team. I wish we could get a more "family oriented" show about Texas. We are a good group of people. But other people, I'm sure, have no idea.

Anyway that you put it, I watched for 2-3 hours. I'm a little embarrassed by that fact. But what can you do? You know, sometimes those things just happen. But it was a pretty entertaining show. Far from reality. But good to soak up a few hours of your time.

20 Babies

Have you heard the news? I about fell out of my chair when I heard. 20 babies! For who? These guys...the Duggars!

Have you ever watched their show? 19 Kids and Counting. I have. It's one of my guilty pleasures. Watching every week. They're just a wholesome family. An inspirational family. But 20 kids? Wow! I just don't know what to say. Do you know what I mean?

Gabe and I, both want kids. But 20. No way! I'm not saying that the Duggars are right or wrong. I read this article, and it left me more confused than ever! It's their decision, to have as many children as they want. I just hope that everyone stays safe. This family has so much love to share, you just hope for the very best for them.

20 kids is way more than I could ever handle. 3 seems to be as many as we want. But we have a different belief system than the Duggars. Not completely different. We believe in family. And love our family very much. But  just couldn't imagine having that many children. Whatever the Duggar Family is doing, must be right. Because all their kids seem to be healthy, happy, and well taken care of.

This is a wonderful picture of the family. A family that seems to be so incredibly close, and loving. I just pray for the best, for all of them. Like Michelle says, there's always room and love for another precious gift from  God.

My Dream Room

You know how I LOVE the color combo, yellow and gray. Well, I just about jumped out of my chair, when I saw this picture!

This is different from my "normal" attraction to yellow and gray. I'd never thought of yellow and black. And I feel sorta dumb about that. But it's true.

I really love the center print. It reminds me a lot of these curtains that my friend has. I'm thinking, this would be a nice color combination, for our bedroom. I've seen bedding like this, at a few different stores. Then I'd love to add some fun yellow pillows. And those curtains, are my absolute favorite! I need to figure out a way, to recreate them. Yes, I'm falling in love, with lots of things, on this picture.

A Joke of a Wedding

Whether we've wanted to hear about it or not, the Kim and Kris Wedding was shoved down our throats. I didn't care about it. I watched Keeping Up with the Kardashians for a season. That was it. I couldn't handle that nonsense. Yes, nonsense! Why do these people think they are so amazing? They're just people. Honestly, they sicken me. As they seem, to not have many values and such. But whatever. To each their own.

But this wedding coverage was everywhere! Apparently, millions were being spent. It was supposed to rival the Royal wedding. Um, hello! You are not Royalty. You're just another person. Getting married. From the beginning, I thought this has to be a joke. But, Khloe and Lamar knew each other much less time. And they seem to still be happily married.

The couple seemed "happy" on their wedding day. But was all that staged? I think Kris was happy. But Kim? I'm thinking, that she was just "acting."

I do have to say this, the dresses are beautiful! I think it's a little odd that everyone has the same bouquet, and are all wearing white. But hey, that was her color scheme. But seriously, these dresses are so pretty!

Again, the couple seems happy. But was it all a shame? From the beginning, was it all for their reality show? Was the couple ever happy and in love?

With all the expense of the wedding, all the people who would love to get married, but can't, and the complete shame, will anyone ever believe Kim K again? I already had a problem with those whole clan, and their constant drama. 72 days! They were married 72 days. And now, it appears that they are headed for divorce. Shame on the entire family, for thinking that we're stupid, to not see this was all done for attention. Shame on you!

Elegant Halloween

It shouldn't be a shock, to people that know me. I'm not too good at all the decorating stuff. Especially holiday decorating. It's the truth. My mom always decked out our house, when we were young. It was so special to grow up there. You ALWAYS felt ridiculously LOVED.

I wanted to be a good neighbor this year. Totally decorate our house for Halloween. Buy lots of candy. Be one of those houses, that the kids enjoyed trick-or-treating at. I went out, and bought a bunch of decorations. Even those plastic bags that are made to look like pumpkins. Only thing, the leaves hadn't fallen yet. So I got a bunch of plastic bags, to fill up the pumpkin bags, and a few bricks. OK, I didn't do that. I'm not that smart. This mujer did it for me.

Not only did la Chiquitita do that, she hung all of my decorations for me too! The fake spiders webs, and spiders. By the way, I HATE the way they feel! All my decorations were definitely store bought. But the house looked so fun and festive. Better yet, the kids enjoyed it. :)

Then today, I came across this picture. Hello! It's beautiful! What an elegant way to decorate for the holidays. Similar to the way my dear friend decorates. My friend also decorated the outside of her home. With decorations in the trees, lights around the front of the house, and lots of other spooky things. Music included! But the inside of her home, is so elegant. Next year, I think I'm going to skip the plastic spiders and paper pumpkins. I want to have decorations more like this. :)

Such An Inspiration

We've seen so much coverage on Gabby and Mark. Before the horrible tragedy, I didn't know them. I didn't know about them, or their story. But since that horrible day in Arizona, we've learned about these 2 amazing souls.

They have written a book. And I want to read it. Such an amazing and inspiring couple! If I cold just learn 1 thing from them, I'd be so happy. I'm really happy that Gabby is making such a progress in her recovery. And I pray that their life forward, is filled with nothing but happiness.

What a Fun Dining Room!

Yes, I'm a big fan of yellow and gray. If I had my way, I'd probably decorate our entire house, with variations, of this gorgeous color scheme. But I'm positive that my husband, would exactly be "on board." He wouldn't say anything, but I think he might go a little crazy.

That has meant, I've gone looking for some inspiration. I'm thinking, I need to mix the yellow and gray with other colors. Mix it up. Say navy and a deeper, mustard-y yellow. Or gray and black. Something slightly different. But it needs to include my favorite colors. I found this picture, and it is just inspiring me!

First off, it's gorgeous! Everything about this room, is so fun. And so us! I'm LOVING the idea of yellow chairs. Somehow, that yellow becomes the "neutral" in this room. The modern chandelier is just perfect! Turquoise? Really? I NEVER thought I'd LOVE turquoise! But I do! Especially with the navy. I'm so ready for this. And when I showed it to Gabe, he just smiled. I knew this was a winner!

The Evil Queen

I've desperately been trying to catch up on life. Not going to lie here, being a Newlywed, I'm finding, there's not enough hours in my day. I'm behind on every thing. It's a good thing, that we have automatic bill pay. If not, I think we'd be late there too! Oh, I never thought my life would change this much. I mean, Gabe and I have lived together for a few years now. But it's different now. We're married! And totally preoccupied with our time. ;)

Slowly, I've been catching up on life. Reading lots of blogs. My friend's blog. Catching up on our favorite TV shows. Did I mention my friend's blog? That's when I learned about the upcoming Snow White movie! What the heck? I'm so excited! This is the same feeling I got when Red Riding Hood came out! And guess who's going to be the "Evil Queen."

Julia Roberts! I was reading all about it here. And I can't wait! Can I start a countdown? Did you notice that gorgeous costume? If we hadn't already bought our Halloween costumes, I'd want to somehow recreate this look. It's just fabulous!

Pretty

I found this picture on google. The colors of these lipsticks are so pretty. Rich. Perfect for fall! All I know about them, is that they're MAC lipsticks. I'm going to take this picture, to the makeup counter tomorrow. I hope I can find them. Especially the reddish color.

Inspiration

Now that Gabe and I are back from our Honeymoon, I'm ready to start decorating our casita. Gabe and I have lived together, for a few years now. We bought our house a couple of years ago. Back then, we were more concerned with making payments. Then I was trying to pay for school. Pretty much, our money has been all ties up. Then came our wedding. For the last 3 years, we've been saving for a big wedding.That turned into a destination wedding.

Our house was neglected. We've kept it clean. Other than some paint, we didn't get anything new for our casita. Nothing! Gabe and I know this. We've also been planning for this day. When we wouldn't have any other big things. Besides our regular bills, house payment, and car payment.

This has allowed me to plan a bit. I've spent hours googling, online window shopping, and searching for picture inspiration. Thanks to all our wonderful friends and family, we've got tons of new things! Don'tcha just love wedding presents? I've got plenty to work with. I've just got to get a plan going.

In case you've missed it, my favorite colors are yellow and gray. We got lots of things in this color scheme. Gabe and I are picking up some paint tonight. Looks like we're going to be a bit busy. I can't wait! I think it's going to be fun to making our casita a real home. For just the 2 of us.

What He Wants

This morning, Gabe asked me if I could make stuffed bell peppers. Not tonight. No, we meet our friends, for church and dinner, every Tuesday and Thursday night. But for tomorrow night. Stuffed bell peppers. It should be easy. Stuffed bell peppers are a basic, here in the southwest. Have I told you before? I don't cook.

Immediately, I called my mom. Then I panicked. She gave me 2 hours worth of instructions. Never fear. I called la Chiquitita. She had a quick recipe. I know that it will be good. I've never had anything that she cooked, that wasn't absolutely delicious!

Pray for me. I'm going to try out my new recipe tomorrow. I'm pretty sure, Gabe is going to enjoy his dinner. I just need to get it cooked!

Emotional

Yesterday was a very emotional day. On one hand, we remembered our dear friend, B. It's been 6 years. It feels like yesterday. When she went to her final resting place, with our dear Lord. You can't help but remember. The pain is still strong. It just kills all of us, to see Big O, struggle the way he does.

On the other hand, there is Sarita. Gorgeous little girl. Her first birthday party. 6 years old, and it's her first! Hard to believe. But pretty amazing. She was so excited. Looked so healthy. After all those years of being sick, she's finally getting to enjoy life.

Life is just like that. It keeps on moving forward. No matter if we want it to or not. It just moves forward. Leaving us with memories and emotions. Lots of emotions. The pain is still there. The love has grown. It's hard to believe how much life has changed, in just 6 years. It doesn't seem like that long. But when you stop, it's a very long time.

I'm glad to be a part of this group. This group of friends, that have become a close knit family. People from all over, that came together over music. Bringing their families along for the ride. Opening up their hearts. When I married Gabe, I didn't just get him and his family. I got this group of friends, who are just like family. It's a nice group to be a part of. Yes, it is!

We're Back

Yes, Gabe and I are home. We had a wonderful honeymoon. Oh, in a whole other lifetime, I'd LOVE to live in Hawaii! It was absolutely breathtaking! We enjoyed everything about our honeymoon.

During the 10 days that we were there, we did so much! Explored much of the area. Saw so many things. Including all the wildlife. So fun! Then we went to Dole Pineapple plant. We had a ton of fun there.

Our days were definitely filled with lots of adventure. Our evenings were full of romance. ;) Gabe planned many dinners on the beach. At sunset. Oh, my hubby is AMAZING! Gabe was also super smart. He made sure to plan 2 days of nothing. Those were the days that we just hung out. We spent hours in our bungalow. And took long walks on the beach. It was heaven!

Two big things that Gabe took care of, wedding wise, were our honeymoon and our first dance. I hope you can tell, we had an AMAZING, MAGICAL, and FUN HONEYMOON! Our first dance was also pretty amazing. Gabe picked the best song!



Yes, our wedding was amazing. Everything we dreamt up, and so much more. It was so nice, to have so many people, travel for our wedding. We definitely had fun. I don't think Las Vegas has ever seen a wedding quite like ours. But it was so much fun.

Honestly, I'm happy to have our wedding behind us. Now for the next chapter in our lives. Enjoying life as a married couple!

Almost Here

Tomorrow is the BIG Day! Gabe and I are getting married!!! I don't think I've ever been this excited. Ever in my life. All of our friends and family are here. Everyone is ready for our important day.

It's been a challenging few days. This has been a busy week for Gabe. Work wise. I've been trying to get all our wedding details finished up. Which may have lead to me being a little mean to Gabe. Because he forgot the monos. My bad. I didn't mean to be so horrible to him. But we've worked past that. Only good stuff is to come.

And with that, I'm signing off from the blog. At least for a few weeks. While Gabe and I get married. Oh, and there's the HONEYMOON! We're going to be in Hawaii.

I'm going to enjoy my last day, as a single mujer. I'm going to watch Gabe and his friends perform tonight. Tomorrow, I'm going to enjoy every second. Every second of our WEDDING DAY! I can't wait to be Mr. and Mrs.

Bridesmaids

In the midst of all this wedding stuff, I'm taking a bit of a break. When Bridesmaids came out, all of my bridesmaids and I, went to watch it. Just for fun. We LOVED it! It made us all laugh. The kind of laughing, that makes your belly hurt. It's that funny! Just what I need right now.



When does this movie come out on DVD? I could really use a good laugh right now. Maybe another night with my close friends. Just us, a good movie, and a lot of junk food. :)

Never Forget

We can never forget those people we lost on September 11, 2001. All those innocent people. Going about their day. Working. Traveling. Getting killed, just because of some heartless terrorists. But today is not about that. Today is about remembering. Remembering the innocent lives that were lost. We'll never forget.

Woke Up to This...

This morning, Gabe was in the best mood ever! I woke up to him singing. Went to go find out what was going on, and he was singing and dancing to this song! :) He is the best. I also got breakfast. Yes, just a few of the reasons why I'm going to marry him.



Do you see that dress? Gabe wants me to get one like that. Funny! I do like the top. But it is WAY TOO SHORT! This was not a bad way to wake up. Hopefully we have many more mornings just like this.

2 Broke Girls

Do you ever get excited about a TV show? One that you've never seen. But all the previews look hilarious! Well, 2 Broke Girls is that show for me.



I can't wait to see this show. When does it start? I'm almost positive, this is going to be one of my new favorite shows.

Fun!

Look at what I just found! Isn't it so fun? I like to dress casually. Especially, since I'm not working right now. With all this heat, I'm a t-shirt and shorts kind of a mujer. This necklace just screams fun to me.

I'm not at all crafty. Forget DIY. But my friend, has offered to show me how to make this necklace. I'm so excited! All I have to do, is venture to the craft store. By myself. This should be fun!

New Friends and Inspiration

Today I had my final makeup and hair consultation, with the beautiful Mrs. Manders. She is such a fun woman. I met her through la Chiquitita. I'm so glad that I did!

A little background on my fabulous new friend. She trained and got her license in all things beauty. Right after she was licensed 2 states, she met her hilarious husband, BB. Manders pretty much stopped working, they were married 4 months after they met! Now they have 3 beautiful kids. Including almost 18 month old twins!

Manders still works. On occasion. Her husband is the director of a Country Western band. This is were things get interesting. La Chiquitita is the lead singer, and fiddle player for the band. When they work, Mrs. Manders does her hair and makeup. How cool is that? Your best friend gets to travel with you, get paid to do what she loves, and you get to chat for hours at a time. I think that's a fun job!

I was searching for someone to do my hair and makeup for the wedding. Not only mine, but the entire wedding party. Including Gabe and I's moms and grandmas.  In stepped Manders. She is wonderful. Reasonably priced. Willing to travel. Complete score!

When we got to talking, I told her that I didn't want to be completely made up. I wanted to look like me. But more polished. More elegant. Secretly, I want to look like Manders. Every single day of my life! She is a timeless beauty. Her makeup isn't too much. Just enough. Well, she suggested taking some inspiration from Kate Middleton.

I had never thought about that before. But it was exactly what I wanted. Just look at Kate! Perfection! Natural, polished, and elegant. Today, I played dress up. It was so much fun! We played with all sorts of ideas. And came up with the best look ever. A little inspiration from Kate, a bunch of talent from Manders, and we have my perfect wedding day look. I just can't wait for our wedding!

Bus Stop

The other night, Gabe and I were searching for something to watch. There really wasn't anything on TV. Isn't it weird? You have 300+ channels, and there's nothing interesting on TV. We found a new channel. You get it with the converter boxes. Anyway, Bus Stop was on. Marilyn Monroe is in it.



It was such a cute movie. One that we've never seen before. But we really did enjoy it. Funny. Usually we don't agree on movies. But this one was a winner. Isn't that what classics are though. Good for everyone that watches. Yes, we'll be watching this again.

Gorgeous

Yellow flower necklace. Fun. Elegant. Dainty because of the lace. Masculine with the metal. I'm pretty sure it's handmade. Probably from Etsy. I can't help but love this piece!

I spent 5 hours, looking for this necklace. On Etsy. On eBay. Anywhere I could think of. I came up empty handed. Sad. This is one of my favorite pieces, that I've come across. Just gorgeous. Where can I find it? Where is the seller?

1 Month

In 1 month, we'll be husband and wife. It's a scary, exciting, fun, blessing. Gabe and I have planned for this day, for a very long time. We're finally going to be married! Nothing is more exciting!

I came across this picture. It's everything that makes me smile. If Gabe was in there, it would be PERFECT! I've used this as inspiration for our wedding. I know it's going to be a special day. A fun day. One that we'll never forget. One month. I only have to wait one more month!

Real Talk

Over 3 years ago, Gabe and I got engaged. Almost immediately, I started to plan our wedding. Gabe had 5 requests. That the guys wear trajes. The mariachi suits. We have a church wedding. Good food. His friends HAD to be in the wedding. Lastly, we have the mariachis play. All were easy. I was all about those things too. We were on the same page.

Like every other woman, I've been planning my wedding, since I was 4 years old. I knew every detail that I wanted. How I wanted everything to play out. I just knew what I wanted. I found my dream dress, saved tons of money for it, and bought my favorite wedding dress.

Gabe and I had a special dinner, and we invited all of our friends, to be in our wedding. We asked 4 very special people, to be our Maid of Honor, Matron of Honor, and Best Men. Gabe told the mariachi our wedding date. So they wouldn't be working.

There was all the pre-cana, booking the church, booking the ballrooms. Creating a menu. Picking out invitations. We picked out everything. Ordered it all. Planned the perfect wedding. Yes, Gabe and I were ready. Fall 2010 couldn't come quick enough.

Then, my world was shaken. I almost lost my dad. Suddenly, that perfect dress didn't matter. I didn't care if there were yellow cocktails, and the perfect cake. The bridal shower didn't matter. None of it was important. The only thing that mattered, was my dad getting better.

Gabe stood next to me. He supported me. Gave me strength when I needed it most. I left my job, to help take care of my dad. Gabe worked for both of us. He provided. He was my strength. Gabe was everything I needed. He took care of me. Let me cry. Gabe told me that everything was going to be OK. To have faith in him.

We tried again, to reschedule everything. But something just wasn't right. And then, I got the idea. Why not make it a destination wedding? But with a lot of meaning. With the people we love. The mariachi always goes to Las Vegas in September. It's not that far from our home.

We booked the perfect chapel. We convinced our priest to travel with us. All of our friends were already going to be there. Perfection! Our families and friends found good travel deals. Yes, we have planned everything. Maybe it's not what we had originally planned. But it's perfect. Life changes. We change. Change is not always bad. Yes, change can be very good.

Button Necklace

What can I say? This is the cutest necklace! In my favorite colors. So fun! If only I knew where it came from. Where I can buy it. Yes, I want this necklace.

I found this picture, googling jewelry. I followed the link, to a broken page. Insert sad face. I want this necklace. How fun would it be to wear. If you know where I can find it, or a similar one, let me know. I'm off to google some more. Maybe I'll find my fun necklace. Somewhere!

Cooking

It's no secret, I'm not a great cook. I wish I was. I wish that I could whip things up like our friends, GM and la Chiquitita. Yum! I'm getting hungry, just thinking about their cooking. :)

Knowing that I'm going to be married in less than 6 weeks, I need to start getting these things in order. Being a wife. Married life. You see, I'm not working anymore. Soon, wedding planning will be over. I'm going to be a wife! A Housewife. That stays home. Is supposed to take care of her hubby.

It doesn't hurt, that we've been getting many of our wedding presents. See, we're getting married in Las Vegas. Many people don't want to haul the gifts out there. Thank goodness! So we've been getting presents early. With friends and family, that want us to open them. Let me tell you, we've gotten so much kitchen stuff. It's totally a good thing. Now I just need to learn how to cook.

I'm going to spend a little time with my mom, while Gabe is working. Hopefully I'll pick up a few tips. Maybe I can convince this mujer to give me a few lessons too! Cooking is a basic. Something all wives should now how to do.

Makes Me Dream

Way back when we first started planning our wedding, yes it's been a process! But back then, I got the idea of wearing yellow shoes. Something different. At the time. Something fun. With yellow being my favorite color, it just seemed right. Then I found this picture.

Then I knew, I HAD to get some yellow shoes. My favorite color combination is yellow and gray. Our wedding colors are yellow and gray. My Bridesmaids are wearing gray. My Maid of Honor, and Matron of Honor are wearing yellow. I'm thinking yellow shoes. For all of us. I think it could be fun. All of our Groomsmen, and Gabe are wearing their gray trajes. We had some yellow monos made. In case you're wondering, they're Mariachis. And those are their suits.

I think this is going to be fun. Our wedding is going to have a lot of Gabe and I's personality in it. Just like we want it to. Lots of personal touches. Reflections of our heritage. Tons of fun. I can't wait. Just over a month to go!

Welcome to Our Blog!

What better way to start a new week, and a new month. I got inspired by my friend, to start blogging. I think it's a nice way to get things out. I'm positive that Gabe, my fiance, doesn't want to hear every single thought in my brain. You know what I mean? What man wants to hear about my latest makeup purchase?

Talking about Gabe, he's my fiance. Soon to be hubby! We're getting married September 18th. We're so excited. Gabe and I have been together for a long while now. We've lived together. But something feels so different. Marriage just seems to make all of this, better. Know what I mean?

I'm not completely sure what I'll blog about. Probably wedding stuff, until our wedding. Then who knows. Married life? Probably things that I just enjoy. Anything yellow and gray that I see. I just love those colors together! I guess you'll just have to come back and see! Welcome!