At the Ballet!

This weekend... I'm crossing off a BIG to-do from my bucket list, New York City must-do list and things to do with Jose list. Yeah, lots of lists but it's so true! We are about to share a dreamy day in the city at Christmastime [my favorite time in Manhattan!] and all while one of my biggest dreams is coming true...

We are seeing the Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet!!

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the Nutcracker. My mom and aunt brought me to a performance of it in a local theatre when I was maybe 5 or 6 and since than I have been in love with it. I listen to the music all year long but even MORE at Christmas and have always dreamed of seeing a professional performance! What is more professional than The New York City Ballet?? At the gorgeous Lincoln Center [which I visited earlier in the summer to see the Philharmonic!] No matter what - when you visit NYC, put a visit to the Lincoln Center on your list of must-dos! And see a performance! I'm all about the Arts so I love it there :)

me in front of the opera house earlier this summer :)

Not only that - but just enjoying New York at Christmas time is the greatest. I'll be making a few trips to NYC in December and in all different parts of the city too! This weekend I'll be checking out Uptown Manhattan at Christmas :)

I'll be sharing more of our day next week! [but follow me on Instagram for LOTS of pics the day of!] WHOO!!

Have a fabulous weekend!! :) 

Hot child in the City!

How was everyone's weekend? Hope it was a good one. Besides have a terrible stomach virus on Saturday, my weekend was nice. Friday night was spent with my mom in Manhattan to see the Philharmonic play at Lincoln Center. It was SO nice to do something so different and out of the box! Seeing a live orchestra perform in front of you is great and I HIGHLY recommend it if you travel to NYC and want to do something unique! I've never been to Lincoln Center and was in LOVE with it! I am now DYING to take engagement pictures there! Before going to see the Philharmonic, we took a few photos - sadly not with my DSLR. Another reason I hope to go back, get better pictures next time! 

you can't tell by this picture but it was DISGUSTINGLY hot out

 I was too overdressed for the Philharmonic but oh well! :)

my adorable mom - and the metropolitan opera house behind her!

inside Avery Fisher Hall. So pretty!

and a closer look - mostly cos of my new bauble bar necklace! It was my first time wearing it and I got 5 compliments from strangers that night! 

Senorita Margarita!

Happy new week!! Hope you all had a great weekend - and Mothers Day. We spent Mothers Day very simply - at home, relaxing, enjoying the gorgeous day it was outside and mixing up some impromptu margaritas [my mom's favorite drink!] It was a nice casual day home - which is great considering how insanely busy I am the rest of this week! 

mama and her margarita and the sun blaring in her face lol

1 shot of silver tequila [we used avion], some minute maid cherry limeade and a lime to garnish - voila! 

me and my one fur baby - the others wouldn't pose for shit [oh and MY HAIR'S RED!!]

terrible picture of my mama, fabulous picture of Riddle! lol 

How was your weekend?? 

The Real Royal Wedding: Up in the Bridal Suite

My photographer is apparently mad old school because I felt pretty silly taking these "bridal portraits". But whatever! Here they are 

I loooove my earrings and my flower head piece [from etsy!]

Than I took pictures with each of my girls. I'm glad I did because these are really the only pictures I have of just me and each girl. 

[me and esther, my sister in law and best friend]

 [me and wendy, my close friend]

[my little sister and maid of honor, Nicole]

Than it was me and my mom's turn

When I was younger I used to love staring at my mom's hands and holding them. I thought her hands were beautiful and so soft. So I seriously love this picture of her hands. Silly I know but true. 

And one of my absolute favorites of the entire day...

Soon it was time to cut the crap and get down to business. I wanted to see my man! While my mom and ladies fixed my bustle, I took one big breath 

There actually are TONS of pictures of me the day of the wedding breathing in lol 

My Mom, The Hero

Today is my wonderful mama's birthday! Here's my wonderful mama [and dad] back in the beginning of the 80s!



This is one of my all time favorite pictures of my mom! Her style is so amazing and this picture sums it up perfectly! She loved her curves [and taught me to love mine as well] and she loved showing them off. I've been searching EVERYWHERE for a shirt like the one she's wearing [it seems to be green and black stripes] And the glasses! lol i LOVE those glasses! AND I love the hair! I remember when I was younger my moms hair was HUUUUUGE! Now she straightens it :( lol i miss my mama's fro!

So happy birthday to my hero. My romodel. The woman I hope to be one day. My mama.

I LOVE YOU MAMA!

Mama, I Love You!

My mom is my life.

 I can not explain how this statement is beyond what I'm saying. My mom means the world to me and I don't know what I'd be without her. My mom is my hero and my role model. She's gone through so much negative shit in her life [with herself and my family] and yet she's the most positive and upbeat person I've ever met. She has MS and with only one good knee, it sure as help don't stop her from traveling everywhere she wants to go. I hope to be the mother my mother is to me.

OKay! So now that that's out of the way... let me explain what that was all about. My mom basically covered our entire wedding. We were shocked at how much she gave us and she gave us the money that she would have used to fix some rooms up in her house. So we decided we wanted to take care of the first one she wanted to do. Her Dining Room. She hates her dining room so much - she dreams people coming over! We told her about a month before the wedding we'd completely do it over for her and buy everything and pay for everything. She was shocked and sooo happy. But there was a catch! She couldn't see ANYTHING. :D

She doesn't know the paint color, she doesn't know what any furniture will look like... and she's nervous! lol I don't blame her but at the same time, my mom and I are like the EXACT same person. My mom completely trusted me with this project and I KNOW after buying everything last weekend with Jose, she will LOVE this room! So here's my little room board I made of what exactly we're doing.

The point of this is to show my mom you can have a beautiful room completely spankin new for under $2,000 [which was our set budget AND we're under! what!?] and that it can be done with most rooms. Most of this furniture is from IKEA. One, because it's cheap. Two, because it all really did fit the "vision" I had for this room. And it'll tie in well with the living room right next to it. On Saturday we start fixing it [and we have TWO DAYS!! AND the pressure is on cos my moms having family over on monday for MEMORIAL DAY!!!]

did I mention this is a birthday gift for her, which is on FRIDAY!! WOO WOO! So we shall see what happens :) But let me show you the befores so you REALLY know what I'm dealing with!

BLAH! Everything here is just BLAH!

[The only thing staying from this room is the piano!]

[the messiest corner in this house... it's been like this for YEARS!!]

[the second messiest]

[looking into nice looking living room]

Does ANY of it make sense?? No!! lol I don't know why it's been like this for so long but hellll no! I made my mom go through all of this shit this weekend and Jose's car is now FULL of shit that we have to bring to goodwill. I'm so proud of her for not being a dining room hoarder anymore :)

My mom is the cutest!

My mom recently was in her first piano recital EVER!

It was so funny! She was the oldest person there, no one was over 16 except her but she did great! She has been taking piano lessons for a little over a year from her friend from work and is always so nervous playing in front of just me! So i was sooo proud of her playing in front of a whole room of people!
My sister and I could not stop laughing [thats how our family is, we all have great senses of humor and make fun of each other non stop] but I was also really happy for my mom! We got her flowers and took her out to her favorite restaurant so she loved it :)


And here she is with her "piano teacher" lol holding her certificate!
Way to go mama! Love Ya! :)


OOh and tomorrow if my mom's 50TH birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!