Dear 2017: Let there be love.

At the beginning of 2016 I wrote a post about the inner-work goals that I set for myself. They were:

"Forgive, forgive, forgive, starting with myself.

Face the things I fear and trust that everything will be all right in the end.

Do whatever I need in order to be happy and not give a fuck about what other people might think.

Cut off anything and anyone that is a constant struggle in my life.

Let my family and friends know how much I appreciate having their love and support.

Boldly, colorfully, and fearlessly live and enjoy my life and the gifts I've received from the Universe."

While this indeed was one of the most challenging years I've faced in a while, every hardship I went through allowed me to attain every single goal I had made for myself. 

If you haven't realized it yet, whatever you put your focus, time and energy into is what you will end up with. Whether they're healthy and productive projects that bring happiness and compassion into your life, or vindictive and demeaning endeavors that bring you suffering, it is up to you to choose what you dedicate yourself to.

I firmly believe we are born with an innate power--some more than others--that can be seen in the way we choose to face adversity, loss, and love. Although we can't exactly control what happens to us daily, we can control the way we react (or choose not to react) in certain situations. I used to wish for everything to be perfect all the time, but now I simply wish for wisdom. I've learned that not everything needs to be addressed in the moment, while at other times we need to ask questions immediately for clarification so as to avoid incorrect assumptions and unnecessary suffering. I am far from mastering this wholly, but the beauty is that every difficult moment in life essentially allows me to keep practicing that same wisdom that I keep searching for... all the while realizing it's been within me the whole time. Life truly is precious and divine for giving us exactly what we need at any given moment; it's really just on us to be aware of all that we are blessed with, both internally and externally.

I am also aware that letting go of control and allowing things (and people) be what they are is easier said than done. It can get so frustrating when something doesn't turn out the way you want it to, or when something you thought you were prepared for ends up being more challenging than expected, but we have to take risks sometimes. For the sake of self-growth and progress as human beings, we have to keep stepping out of our comfort zones and tackling the issues and conversations that seem too painful to have. Like a wound that hurts when we cleanse it so that it can heal, this pain isn't really anything bad--it is just your higher power telling you that you're growing, and you're exactly where you need to be in order to become even stronger.

In tracking my progress and self-awareness, I realize that my own path will always fluctuate, just like life itself. This is because we are life, and every moment we have to live is ours to learn or run from. If we outgrow others or if certain people aren't on our same evolutionary frequency anymore, we can only hold onto them for so long until we accept our different paths and let them go. It hurts so much at times, but that's because we attach ourselves onto things and people without realizing the damage we're actually doing to ourselves. That's why it's crucial to trust and be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and accept yourself as you are, because you are love itself.

I wish you pure love and light in 2017, and in all your years to come.

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A Quick 2016 Holiday Gift Guide

Let's be real: it's the most wonderful time of the year for half of us, while the other half of us cringes at the thought of joining the long checkout lines to buy gifts for loved ones. In the past I've been in between, but lately I don't mind trekking it to a decent deal at my favorite stores. While I'm mainly a Cyber Monday kinda gal, I have been doing some pre-holiday shopping and found some fabulous goodies recently. So, I compiled a list of gift ideas that you can use as a guide for the lucky ones on your Nice list--or even just for yourself!

For him:

I was ecstatic to find so many wonderful items in the last hours Black Friday at Old Navy. I loved this men's textured henley shirt in heather grey, which looks so good on any skin tone. Old Navy also has a excellent selection of sleepwear; these flannel patterned sleep pants came in so many great patterns!

Traditional gifts for guys also include cologne, so I recommend the long-lasting, clean, and classic scent of Jean Paul Gaultier.

Urban Outfitters also has the BEST random/quirky gifts for the hipster of your heart. Check out this guitar pick holder keychain, this Polaroid zip mobile photo printer, this Herschel wallet, this Pacman handheld, and this Pokemon Kanto Edition Monopoly board game.

For her:

While Gap and Old Navy usually have the sweaters of my dreams, I can't help but buy this basic sweater at Zara in almost every color. I also fell for this belted, floral printed skirt that I wore on Thanksgiving with my favorite BCBG pumps, and this velvet, lace trim cami by Who What Wear at Target.


Those sweater knit, pom-pom beanies are inexcusably adorable, so I must suggest this one I found at Old Navy. For the athletic lady of your life, check out these awesome steel water bottles also found at Old Navy--I loved the rose gold one!

Two perfumes that I recommend are Chanel No. 5 or Decadence by Marc Jacobs, which you can get in a gift set that includes the fragrance rollerball and body lotion.

The following are some quick stocking stuffers for her:

Clinique's pop matte lip colour in Clove Pop (goes on smoothly but stays with a matte finish!), Sugar Lip Polish and Rose Face Mask by Fresh, the Phase 2 Set by Glossier, and SoulKu's Gemstone Essential Oil Aromatherapy in Calm.

Bonus makeup gifts: I really liked this Extravagant Eyes set by Sephora, which includes eye makeup products like this Excessive Lash mascara by Make Up For Ever and this NARS dual-intensity eyeshadow in metallic finish.

Bonus gifts for anyone: Check out this Game of Thrones Monopoly Collector's Edition game; this compilation of Humans of New York stories; this owl eyeglasses holder; this silicone glass wine set; this Amazon Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader; and this digital item tracker to find your missing keys/phone/wallet/bag by Tile.


Happy shopping!

xo

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A simple post on personal growth

Hi! It's been a busy, busy month but I am overjoyed if you've been checking the blog regularly for a new post... so here it is!

Friends, I had the most wonderful birthday celebration last month. I know I mentioned the thrill of knowing that I'd have a brand new year in my last post, and honestly, 26 has already been treating me SO well. I have more time and opportunities now to really step my game up at work, especially with my students. I have some extremely rough days, make no mistake; public education in Chicago is not what it used to be, it's true. Despite all the chaos, I get there every morning with the goal of trying my best, and accepting that my best will change depending on what the day has in store for me--be it my moods, others' moods, the weather, things going on in the world, etc. All of that (and more) inevitably has a role in how each day plays out, but doing my best depends on my effort alone... and effort means everything.

I am also delighted to say that the self-love movement I recently began in my life has also proved fortuitous. I mentioned that the incredibly profound book that I read, The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz, has helped begin a transformation in the way I think, feel and act. I recently finished reading The Four Agreements, another truly miraculous piece of literature from Ruiz. Much like Mastery of Love, The Four Agreements is full of advice that is so simple to understand, yet difficult to implement daily in order to achieve personal freedom. To be truly free is to be free of doubts, illusions and fears that plague our minds--a task that most humans can seemingly never achieve. Each of the four agreements has its own chapter in which Ruiz explains how they can essentially save yourself from suffering internally. They are:

The second agreement, for example, is to never take things that people do or say to you personally. I could not understand at first how this could ever be possible; if someone does something or says something awful or hurtful TO you, how could it not be about you?

But he goes on to explain that according to the Toltec, an ancient civilization from which these agreements came from, this disposition is only hard to carry out because from the moment we are born, we are taught to think, speak and be a certain way that limits true self expression, or the ever-elusive idea of freedom. This is no way means that we should blame our parents or our ancestors; it's what they knew and passed down over the years, so we were taught to be part of the communities/society that we are now. But using the four agreements when people blow up in our faces, or when particular people have a constant negative vibe surrounding them, can bring us some peace of mind in knowing that everyone is just living in their illusions, in their own dreams. We have the choice, however, to make that dream our personal hell or our personal heaven.

I've been trying my best to implement these agreements not only at work, but also in the relationships that make up my life. However, it is MUCH harder to practice these daily than I anticipated.... and that's okay. Our society isn't as simple as it was for the Toltec--could you imagine these spiritual shamans staying zen in the line at Target on a Sunday? There are many, many distracting factors telling us what the definition of love, beauty, and happiness are anytime we turn on the TV or scroll through our timelines on social media. Additionally, we are all born with the tendencies to feel comfort in anger, jealousy, or sorrow, because as humans we are addicted to suffering. Thus, I heed strong warning to fans of instant gratification... though, funnily enough I was always a fan of getting what I wanted, when I wanted it.

What makes me want to uphold these four agreements is that I never really practiced self-control; I gave into instant gratification for most of my life, and hardly anything that I got so easily lasted because I didn't appreciate it enough. More so, I couldn't really understand why I let the inner judge or the pitiful victim that we are all born with run my thoughts until I focused on actually practicing forgiveness, impeccability with my word, and constant self-love. It's easy to take things personally if you are used to having it your way, so this is a reality check that some of us are afraid of admitting we need because we're so set in our ways. Some of you might not really have a need for a frame of mind like this, and that's awesome. I admire your strength. But for those of you who are interested in checking out quite possibly the most honest words I've ever read, I implore you to help yourself grow and flourish into the best person you could ever be.

Again, the hard days are still going to be hard; given the recent political turmoil, society is pretty messy right now, so people are much more angry, confused and sad than normal. But I think it's just part of the ebb and flow of humanity, because if you look at our past, the good times don't last--and thankfully, neither do the bad times. So even though we will be dealing with more wretchedness around us for the next four years, that doesn't mean you can't create a dream in which you love and respect yourself while others are busy hating themselves. You can either give in to the lies and the fear that weak people wish to spread, or you can be secure and happy with yourself so much that you spread the love and honesty that this society so desperately needs. Before you wish to change the minds of others or save the world, first take care of your needs: follow through with your word, stay true to yourself, and you will see that everything else falls into place the way it needs to.

xo

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Kicking off fall with fashion, friends & fun!

Fall is undeniably the BEST season to see emerge in Chicago; there's just something so satisfying about crunchy leaves, crisp air and the notion of Mother Nature wrapping up another glorious year of beauty. But let's be honest: fall fashion is pure bliss. I get a genuine thrill starting the season off with the right boots, scarves, and dark nail polish (my go-to is usually Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI).

For this post then, I wanted to share some fabulous events that I was lucky to attend as the leaves began to change colors. Be warned: there are a lot of pictures!

Latino Fashion Week was hosted at Block 37 from September 29 through October 1. Arabel Alva Rosales and Cesar Rolon--the masterminds behind Global Runway--succeeded once more with their 10th annual event that featured celebrity emcees and models--including Vinicus Machado from HBO's "True Detective" and Ruth Diaz from Azteca Chicago. Each night of LFW had a different theme; guests were encouraged to wear white on Thursday, lace and velvet on Friday, and to channel their inner black swan on Saturday. Although I wasn't able to attend the lovely tea party hosted on Friday during the day, I still enjoyed just about everything provided by LFW. The food was catered by popular restaurants like 90 Miles Cuban Cafe, Nando's Peri Peri, La Havana Cafe, La Bomba Restaurant and Cesars, while music was played by Czarina Mirani, 5 Magazine, and Bear Who. I absolutely loved the live performances by David Guevara and Ricky Luis as well!

The beauty about LFW is that, in accordance with their slogan "By Latinos, For Everyone," the mix of fashion designers, emcees, models, sponsors, and additional talents all helped the event thrive. My personal favorite fashion designers of the event were a collection of local and global innovators: designers like Moi Soli, Iridium and Catterina Rose hailed from Chicago, while Willfredo Gerardo from Miami, Yirko Sivirich from Peru, Edgar Lozzano and Benito Santos from Mexico and Royal Black from Puerto Rico all added stunning glamour with their creations.

Here are some snapshots of all fabulous nights!

A Night of Opulence

My photographer for the night, the handsome Zubair.

Ricky Luis doing his thing. Such a great performer!

My favorite, Ruth Diaz.

Iridium's models and head designer.

Memories de la Moda

Willfredo Gerardo

Willfredo Gerardo

Willfredo Gerardo

Willfredo Gerardo

Willfredo Gerardo

Willfredo Gerardo

The beautiful Heather and I.

Snapchat fun with Alex and Eric.

Black Swan Soiree

Too pretty to eat?

Ruth Diaz interviews Arabel. FYI- Arabel designed that dress herself!

Arabel and Cesar closing out the night.

After party shenanigans with amazing new friends and social media moguls, Tornu and Jennie. We were so photobombed by our bartender at Latinicity!

As you can tell, there was SO much to see, eat, and do at LFW. I'm so grateful and honored to have gotten the chance to attend as a special invite blogger. Shout out to Shantallah Hagerman and Nailah Simpson for the hookup!!

My friends and family have also been on the forefront of my social life. No matter how busy work may get, I still strive to make time for the people who make me laugh and smile the stress away. Below are some pictures from the birthday party of a good friend of mine, as well as the notorious Applefest at Ravenswood. Applefest had a variety of goodies, food, live music and activities for the family. I was a little bummed that The Chopping Block stopped selling whole apple pies on Sunday, but I managed to get a slice and cup of hard cider from their tent.

Enjoy!

Lane Tech grads gather round ye Anthony for his birthday.

Simple is the name of my style game.

The Chopping Block's menu at Applefest

Delicious.

Hi Aaron!

Also, how 'bout those Cubs?! This is IT, this is our year! Go Cubs go!!!!

Are there any fall activities you've done already, or can't wait to do? Comment and share!

xo

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A late September reflection

Next month I will turn 26 years old. Yet, I never really stopped to think what my 25 years of life on this earth fully entailed.

Here is my attempt at summarizing what I do remember.

I already talked about my childhood in my first post, so I'll just say that being a kid two decades ago was completely different from what it means now to be a kid. And that's fine, because that's the way things go. I'm glad I grew up without a smartphone or constant connection to the Internet, because the sweeter, simpler times are what help us cherish the past every now and then. Working with teenagers also really puts into perspective how high school was both insignificant and important at the same time. Insignificant because things like cramming so much information in one day (most of which you honestly will never use again after graduating), worrying about not having a date to the dance or getting into a fight with your then-boyfriend/girlfriend will NOT matter after you leave that place; but it's important because the people who do stay in your life after leaving will continue to make memories with you and grow with you as long as you both allow it. That being said, my teenage years were a mixed flurry of joy, confusion, pain, and lots and lots of awkwardness and hilarity. Mainly, I think I just wanted to have as much fun as possible while trying to stay on top of my shit. My parents gave me just enough freedom to do all that, and with the right people by my side I graduated with tons of insight gained, but even more unanswered questions.

College was even more fun. I found myself answering many of those questions, all the while searching for more meaning in my life--in any capacity. I was hungry for knowledge and incredibly impressionable, open-minded, idealistic, and adventurous. It was a whirlwind of emotions again, but this time I felt my feet planted in the ground just a little bit more firmly. This was also the time I had to make the big decision of what I would dedicate my studies to, so that I could choose a worthy career and do my part to contribute to society. My idealism got the best of me at times, and I thought I could do it all to save the world. But there was just too much going on at any given time, so I opted for a career that would give me the time to help the younger generation learn from my experiences.

In the past couple years, however, there were definitely times when I doubted myself and the choices I made as a newly titled "adult." I am known to over-think pretty much every aspect of my life, so I got used to criticizing myself about everything. Strangely, though, I felt more and more confident in who I was after each setback. When I realized that I had to fully trust and forgive myself in order to let things and people go, I also realized that the situations that seem so vicious in the moment don't control my life.

Don Miguel Ruiz, the author of my personal bible The Mastery of Love, is completely right when he says that we are Masters of creation. We are creators of the images/thoughts that we come up with in our minds, and those things really do manifest in our waking life--whether they be good or bad. It's only when we shower ourselves with self-love that miracles happen. After reading his book, I wished for things that I never thought about wishing for as I turn another year older: I wished to strengthen my ability to accept myself for who I am entirely; to remember that I am not my mistakes nor my situations; to love myself completely before I can give love to others; and to forgive myself and others to reach true happiness.

I think 25 was by far the toughest year I've faced so far in my life, but I have a really, really wonderful feeling about 26. I will be constantly challenged to grow every day at the new school I teach at, but these experiences and the people I am surrounded by are shaping me to be the best teacher and person that I could be. My family continues to also help me become a stronger and kinder daughter and sister. My friends are my soul mates, guiding me, accepting me, and embracing the person that I am. It's truly an amazing feeling to be genuinely happy with who you are, and I am blessed in having another year to manifest the most beautiful dreams into the reality I know I deserve.

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Global Runway: A Combination of Cultural Couture

Hello all, and happy Friday!!

Yesterday, I had the profound pleasure of attending Global Runway, a unique fashion show hosted by Chicago's very own Latino Fashion Week and The Chicago South Asian Film Festival at VenueOne. With the intention of combining Latin and South Asian cultures, the event was a tremendous hit; appetizers served exhibited delicious flavors from both cultures, and ranged from ceviche, to sliders and fried artichoke (which I could not restrain myself from eating!). As the DJ spun his mixes, guests hung out by the cash bar and mingled before taking their seats.

The night's emcee, Bollywood star Manish Anand, charmingly hyped up the crowd and presented the first featured designer, Raaz. Beautiful evening gowns and Indian designs graced the runway as Raaz's stunning models walked to all the right beats. Here are some of my favorites!

Manish Anand

Co-founders of Latino Fashion Week, Arabel Alva Rosales and Cesar Rolon Jr., joined Anand onstage and mentioned the upcoming Latino Fashion Week days: Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2016. Keep an eye out for tickets!

Also, Brazilian singer Cecy Santana sang a couple of songs with her guitarist before the night's last featured designer.

Rosales, Rolon and Anand.

Cecy Santana

After the performance were the extravagant cocktail, evening, and bridal designs by Elda de la Rosa, a local Chicago designer of Mexican descent. De la Rosa plans on opening her new boutique in Wicker Park, and trust me when I say you will want to check it out--especially if you're shopping for bridal dresses! All the dresses below are handmade and were absolutely gorgeous in person.

My absolute favorite design of the night!

Elda de la Rosa accompanies two of her models.

The night wrapped up perfectly as designers, models, and hosts--joined by The Chicago South Asian Film Festival's president and co-founder Amit Rana--closed the show on the runway. (Not featured: Anand's sweet, Bollywood dance skills.)

It was such a fabulous and refined night that felt way too short, but I cannot wait to see who's featured next at Latino Fashion Week next month! Hope to see you there!

xo

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