Back

Top: Nectar via Marcas
Skirt: Gap
Booties: Aldo
Belt: came with a blazer
Earrings: gift from sister-in-law

So, my mom was here last week, which is why I pretty much didn't touch the computer. And I'll be honest, I'm kind of having a hard time bringing myself back to the blog. But! I've got all these pictures sitting around! And I have to do something with them, right? So, here I go....


So, my mom's suitcase didn't arrive with her, which meant that we ended up going to the mall to find clothes for her. We ended up stumbling into this store called Marcas (that translates to "Brands") which basically sells seconds from stores like Express, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Hurley.... So, US stores. Y'all! So. Stinkin'. Cheap!


My mom got this top, and I immediately borrowed it because I loved the pattern and the color. It's an XL, which, you know, isn't my size, but I figured I could make it work. And I think it did. The lesson? Sizes mean nothing.

Not my favorite

Shirt: Gap
Dress (worn as skirt): Ann Taylor
Socks: Target
Boots: Nine West
Belt: Target
Earrings: Target

You win some, you lose some. I wanted to like this outfit more; maybe it's the hair that's throwing it off. Either that, or the fit of this shirt.


So, I'm ambivalent. But, it's done, it's worn, and it's on the Internet. Let's not do this again, Frances, okay? Okay.


The end.

Friend Friday: Gratitude

Hey, look, y'all! It's a Friend Friday post! Remember when I used to do this? Yeah, me too. This week, we're celebrating the one-year anniversary of Friend Friday - started by Katy of ModlyChic, and that kind of coincides with the day that I realized that I'd missed my own blogiversary. I'm lame like that. I guess it's due to the lack of Internet access, general busyness, and planning for my mom's arrival (Tomorrow, y'all. Don't expect me to be around.)

So for this week, we're being grateful and filling in blanks.

1. When it comes to me personally – I owe a lot of who I am to: my parents and extended family. I get my sense of humor and love of music from my dad, my sense of style and sassiness from my mom, my love of travel from my Army brat upbringing, my need for sun from my Puerto Rican heritage.... You know, all of those fundamental things. So, thanks, family.

2. When it comes to be professionally – I owe a lot of who I am to: again, my parents for being models of hard work. Also, Mission Year for giving me a framework for combining my love of justice and service with my faith in my everyday life, because, yes, that's professional. Oh, and Dr. Zuffi, my college advisor who gave me some amazing opportunities and saw more potential in me than I saw in myself.

3. When it comes to the art of blogging, I’m grateful to these people for helping me through some rough spots: First, B, of course. Then, my bestie M and my mamita who secretly and not so secretly read and enjoy. Finally, all my blogger friends. Y'all are such an inspiration.

4. One blogging challenge I’m grateful happened because it made me stronger was... my first experience with blogger burnout, because it taught me just to roll with it and move on with the blog my way. And now I feel better equipped to deal with the same.

5. To my readers, I’d like to say… a million thank yous. Mil gracias, en serio. Thanks for sticking with me through patchy internet connections, a drastically limited wardrobe, an international move, three jobs, and all the craziness that has been the last year and one week of blogging. Y'all are the best.

Oh, is that the music? They're telling me to wrap this up, so....

Lots going on

Top: Apt. 9 via Kohl's
Skirt: Target
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: ???

I. Love. This. Look. I thought it might be too much, but I was going to a quinceañera and I figured that this was the occasion to go all out. So, studs on my shoulders, booties, and leopard print it is.


It felt so rock star, y'all. The purple eyeshadow helped, I think.


The eyeshadow or the exposed zipper. Can I also confess that the zipper is why I even got this shirt? I'm not usually into exposed zippers, but it just seemed to WORK on this top and I fell in love with that little detail.


So, yeah, I wore this to a small-town quince. And the whole town was there. And most people wondered who the girl dancing with the tall gringo was. The tall gringo was B, just for the record, and they were also probably wondering who invited the gringo, too.


And this outfit reminded me of how much more confident I feel about unorthodox outfit choices. Because, honestly, there's a lot going on here, especially in this rural, traditional environment. But you know why I think it works? Because I feel amazingly confident in it and I love it.