3 pictures!!

I'm back with Everyday in July Blogging Challenge. I haven't been very good at it, which I'm sad about, because these ladies had fun and cool prompts. Click here for all the ladies prompts.

Today's prompt is:  3 pictures  1 of anything, 1 you took and 1 selfie.

The picture I always look for motivation, that one day I hope to travel to Santorini, Greece. {source}

My tattoo and my reminder to love myself and offer love to everyone every single day!!

I'm bad at selfies!!! 
What are your favorite three pictures?

Sunday Social

Hope you all had an amazing weekend!!! Here's to starting a new week, and wishing that the weekend gets here fast again!! :) 

1. 3 Favorite songs right now I love summer songs!!! They can just hold so many memories. The ones I'm obsessing over right now are. 

Bailando by Enrique Iglesias

2. 3 Favorite movies that remind you of Summer Summer Catch, 

Dirty Dancing  and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

Bridemaids

3. 3 Favorite articles of clothing you own Black Maxi skirt that I got at Old Navy. Any of my scarves!! My brown boots!!!

4. 3 Items on your wish list New iPhone!!

New Laptop!!
New Wardrobe!! ;)

5. 3 Books you would recommend to someone These are my top favorite books that I've read this summer: The One & Only by Emily Griffin After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid {Summer Reading Challenge Review}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Title : After I Do

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

From the author of Forever, Interrupted—hailed by Sarah Jio as "moving, gorgeous, and at times heart-wrenching"—comes a breathtaking new novel about modern marriage, the depth of family ties, and the year that one remarkable heroine spends exploring both.

When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.

Quotes:

"That was always the way it was with us. The I love yous and I'm sorrys, the I'll never do that agains and the I don't know what I'd do without yous always eclipsed the thing we were fighting about in the first place. " - pg 23

"We had plenty of time to decide what we wanted. We were still young. And yet I couldn't help but feel a type of disappointment that I'd never felt before: a sense that the future might not turn out exactly the way we pictured it." - pg. 40 

My Take: I've been anticipating reading this book. The book has been all over the place, and I just couldn't wait to read it. 
And it did not disappoint. I got sucked in to the love that Lauren and Ryan had for each other. I feel in love at the same time they feel in love. I was happy when they were happy. And at in those moments when they fought and their relationship started unraveling, I was heartbroken.
In today's world, sadly the divorce rate is higher than it was generations before. And Lauren and Ryan's marriage seems to be heading toward divorce. They have been arguing over little things more often, getting mad at each other. 
Lauren and Ryan soon enough realize that their marriage was not working. They decided to separate. They wanted to use the time apart in order to find a way to fall back in love with each other. During that separation they both learn a lot about themselves and their relationship. 
I loved this book because Taylor Jenkins Reid, doesn't put a blame on one person in the relationship. Instead this book paints a realistic picture of a relationship that is real to a lot of couples a days. I loved it. It was full of emotion, good and bad. It's a book that will make you smile, laugh and maybe even tear up. I highly recommend it!!!  

My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick The One and Only by Emily Giffin The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmeiri The Revealed by Jessica Hickman The Walk-In Closet by Abdi Nazemian Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

Customized Dress from eShakti {Fashion Thoughts}

This post has been sponsored by eShakti. I was given a customized piece for an honest review. 
 Let me begin my just saying that I love love this dress!! It fits perfectly!! And I love it.
. 
Here is eShakti's story:

eShakti believes that all women have the right to wear affordable fashion that is made for them and makes them look their absolute best.

Our Story: eShakti began as a small website offering basic cottons and modestly embellished pieces. As we grew, we were tasked with providing design and fit solutions to meet our customers' needs. Today, we are an international fashion design company making custom clothing. Offering both style and fit customization for women size 0 through 36 is the heart of our business.

eShakti is a company who customizes clothes at an affordable cost. And at least for a body shaped like mine, it is hard to find clothes that fit perfectly. With this dress, I found that eShakti hit the nail on the head it is great.

Make sure you visit the esShakti at their website eShakti, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

The Walk-In Closet by Abdi Nazemian {Summer Reading Challenge Review}

This post is sponsored by BookSparksPR in honor of their 

4th annual Summer Reading Challenge. Check out all the details here.

Title : The Walk-In Closet

Author: Abdi Nazemian

Publisher: Curtis Brown Digital

Release Date: May 21, 2014

Summary from GoodReads:

Kara Walker has never found much glamour in her own life, especially not when compared to the life of her best friend Bobby Ebadi. Bobby, along with his sophisticated parents Leila and Hossein, is everything Kara always wanted to be. The trio provides the perfect antidote to what Kara views as the more mundane problems of her girlfriends and her divorced parents. And so when the Ebadis assume that Kara is Bobby’s girlfriend, she willingly steps into the role. She enjoys the perks of life in this closet, not only Leila’s designer hand-me-downs and free rent, but also the excitement of living life as an Ebadi.

As Kara’s 30th birthday approaches, Leila and Hossein up the pressure. They are ready for Kara to assume the mantle of the next Mrs. Ebadi, and Bobby seems prepared to give them what they want: the illusion of a traditional home and grandchildren. How far will Kara be willing to go? And will she be willing to pull the Persian rug out from under them when she discovers that her own secret is just one of many lurking inside the Ebadi closet?

My Take: While I was reading the book, I thought I was watching a TV show. You the ones that your don't want to admit you watch, your guilty pleasure shows, that you can't  miss. I liked it. It kinda reminded me of the Shahs of Sunset, anyone else watch it? It was such a fun read. 
I really enjoyed reading it mostly because of the characters. They were each intriguing, and I was wanting to know what was going to happen with them. Kara Walker gets swept off her feet by the lavish lifestyle that her friend's family live. She gets so swept up by it, that when her friend's family assumes they are boyfriend and girlfriend neither of them contradicts it. Kara likes being Bobby's "girlfriend" because she gets to go to lavish parties, and gets pricey hand-me downs from Bobby's mom. Bobby, uses the so-called relationship to his advantage, and uses it to hide one of the biggest secrets from his conservative, wealthy Persian parents. 
I really enjoyed reading it, and it's a great book for the summer. It was wit, and humor, an inside peek of cultures you might not otherwise read about, fun characters, and great plot twists. 

Rating 4 out 5 
My other Summer Reading Challenge reviews: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick The One and Only by Emily Giffin The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmeiri The Revealed by Jessica Hickman
Find my other reviews here: Book Thoughts

Sunday Social

1. What is the most difficult thing you have been through? I think one of my most difficult things I've been through would be my anxiety. During college I was so overwhelmed and stressed out that I struggled with anxiety. I had a few panic attacks during college, which were horrible and scary, and I would not wish that on anybody. You just feel so helpless, at least I did. After graduating, I'm happy to say that I haven't had any more panic attacks, nor have I felt much anxiety. But it was one of the worst time of my life so far. 
2. What was your best birthday? My birthday is on Christmas, and although I used to hate it when I was younger, as I got older, it became my favorite day ever. All of my mom and dad's siblings get together at my house and we celebrate Christmas, and sometimes we have a birthday cake, so I'm able to say that my birthday's have all been awesome.  One of the one's that I do remember is my Quincenera party. Oooooh that was almost 10 years ago. I feel old.  It was fun!! Lots of people and dancing!!

3. What has been your favorite thing you’ve done in your own city? I'm so bad at exploring the city. I've lived in Southern California my whole life, but have not gone to any of the touristy places that people think of when they think about LA. 
4. What is your idea of the perfect date night? My perfect date would be a nice dinner,  with some wine Talking about everything! With the sun setting in the background.. a girl can dream right?
5. Have you ever been to a blogging conference?  No I have not. But ever since blogging became a serious thing for me, I've been wanting to go to one. I've heard they are amazing places to network with other bloggers, to meet new people, to get great tips. I want to go to one. Any good ones, that you would suggest?
What did you do this weekend?

Literary Junkies {July Edition}

It's time for Literary Junkies!!! wooot!! I haven't done one of these in a long time!! :) I totally missed it yesterday. :) 

1. What are you reading? Tell us about it!

I'm reading a couple of books right now.. *cough cough* Totally guilty of #5. eeek. But one of them is Elly in Love, which I will be reviewing on Friday!! :) 

The much anticipated sequel to the bestselling novel, Elly in Bloom, is finally here!

Curvy wedding florist Elly Jordan has had quite a year. First, she had to design her ex-husband’s wedding to the mistress who split them up, and then she broke up with the hottest musician this side of St. Louis. Three months have passed since then, and now Elly is primed for what promises to be the best wedding season of her life.

Helped by her loyal friends, Elly is on the verge of opening a chic flower boutique uptown when BlissBride, a popular wedding reality show, asks her to design the wedding of a famous—make that infamous--celebrity. Elly is about to get everything she’s ever wanted, when a stranger shows up at her store with a request that changes every aspect of her life--including her budding relationship with deli owner Keith. As she struggles to stay calm in the midst of growing chaos, Elly will learn the true meaning of love and sacrifice. 

Filled with the heart, humor, and horticulture that made Elly in Bloom a bestseller, Elly in Love welcomes readers back to Elly’s big, beautiful, and messy life. - from GoodReads

2. Do you find yourself reading more of a particular genre during the heat of summer?
I do find myself reading more during the summer, but as for a particular genre, no. I just like any books that are super easy to read, and that I can devour in a couple of hours. hehe

3. Who are your favorite book villains (either to love or to hate?) Gahhh.. I don't think I have a favorite villan, even though I  might not like villans in most books, at the same time I love the idea of them. It makes the plot so much interesting.
4. If you could choose one author’s writing powers to harness, who would you choose and why? Soo many amazing authors, how can I just choose one!!! gaaahhh.. I think if I would choose one, it would be F. Scott Fitzegerald. I loved the Great Gatsby, and just the way he wrote that books, the scenes, the emotions, it was awesome. One of my all time-favorite books. 
5. Do you read one book at a time, or read multiple books at once? Yes I'm definitely guilty of reading multiple books at once. I really try my hardest not to do it, but sometimes there are those books that catch your attention at the exact same time, that your have to read them both. 
6. What are some of your favorite non-fiction books? Gahh, I'm not a big non-fiction reader at all. I think the only non-fiction books I've read would be the textbooks throughout my school years.. eeeek. :/
What are you currently reading?

Sunday Social {Family Edition}

Gahhh.. Sunday is almost over!!! Here is my post!! better late than never right? I hope everyone had an amazing weekend. :)  1. Tell us about the family you grew up in, parents, siblings, grandparents. I grew up with my parents and my two younger brothers. One of my brothers is 1 year younger than me and the other one is 4 years younger than me. 

My grandparents, my mom's parents, also lived with us ever since I could remember until a 7-8 years ago when my grandpa retired, and they back to Mexico to live. 

2. Tell us about your husband, fiancé, boyfriend, significant other. I'm still looking for that man in my life. I'm single and ready to mingle. ;)

3. Tell us about your children. If you don’t have children, talk about your fur children. I don't have kids or any fur children. But my kids are my nieces and nephews!! I love them!!

4. Tell us about your best friends. How long have you known them? How did you meet? My besties are the best!! I have one best friend that has been in my life since high school. And since moving back home after college we have become closer. 

And then I have my college friends. Deborah, Gina, and Brenda. The girls that have been there through thick and thin since college. We met in college, all separately, and then just somehow we all came together and everyone just fit together, like a puzzle. We have all lived with each other at some point throughout college, whether it was on the couch or in the next room. We've had a couple of arguments, but what group of friends don't, but we have bounced back from them, and I think it has made our bond stronger. After college, we each went our separate ways, and now we try too plan an annual trip to just be together, and have fun. They are all amazing, beautiful, strong women, and I admire them for always following their dreams. 

5. Tell us about any other special people in your life. I'm very lucky to have a big family, when it comes to cousins and uncles and aunts. Some people might see negative things of having a big family. But I love it!! I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. There is always someone there I can talk to, someone I can relate to, someone I can look up to, and someone I try to be the best role model for. My dad had 9 siblings, and I have about 30 cousins, and now 10 nieces and nephews, and we have grown up as siblings, always getting together. 

Pinterest's funnies...

It's FRIDAY!!!! wooot!!!! And today's Blog Everyday in July prompt is: Pinterest Funnies.  

I became an expert on Pinterest Funnies last night and by that I meant I de-stressed myself by spending hours looking through the humor page.  There are some pretty good ones there. Here are some of the ones I like the best. 

This is exactly how I feel like this morning!!! :) Can't wait to get out of work already. 


Another good representation of how I have been feeling like lately!! hahahaha.. Where's the pool?

Is this for real?? This is awesome, I want to try!!! lol

I've been obsessed with Jenna Marbles forever!!! 

This would be awesome!!!! :) 

And finally this GIF which lead me to this article, which is hilarious!!! boys!!

Summer Life....

Yeah its Thursday, which means tomorrow is Friday!! Which means that the weekend is almost here!!! YAAAY!!!

I'm bringing you another Blog Everyday in July post hosted by these amazing ladies Faith, Allie and Juliette. So head over here for the blog prompts.
Today's prompt is: Favorite Things to do in the Summer. 
Listening to Music. I listen to music year round, but in the summer, music old and new acquire memories of summer. And I love it!!! 
Beach Bum I love being a beach bum. The beach is about 20 mins away, so sometimes we plan a big beach day trip with my cousins, and nieces and nephews, and its fun. We haven't had one of those yet this summer. 
Water Baby We don't have a pool at our house, and neither do any of my family members, but going to the pool is always a must in the summer. 

Travel

So it has been sort of a tradition for me and my friends to plan a trip together. We rarely see each other anymore, so our annual trips are always something to look forward to. We have gone to Vegas and Palm Springs and San Diego.

Bucket List Wishes:

There are always things to do in the summer, but I never end up doing them. Here are some of the things that are on my bucket list for the summer. 

Summer Concerts/Festivals

Outdoor Movies

Rooftop Bar

Bike Ride along the beach

Wine Tasting

What are some things you like do to in the Summer? What is your Summer Bucket list?

One of my embarrassing moments...

Hi! Okay so here is my second prompt for the Blog Everyday in July challenge.  With

Today's prompt is: The Most Embarrassing Story

Gahh I have my share of embarrassing moments. I hadn't realize how clumsy I really am. But one of the moments that will always stick in my mind is the one time where I was left on the platform when catching the subway. 

Me and my friend were on our way to San Francisco from Berkeley, for one of her college class trips. We were running a little late, but we figured that we would have time to catch the next subway trip heading to the city. But as we were walking down to the platform we realized that there was a train was already there, so we ran down the stairs and as people were getting out from the train I lost my friend. She ended up getting on the train right before the doors closed, and I was left on the platform. I was literally just standing there like dumbstrucked. And I heard some snickering. 

I just couldn't believe that I wasn't able to make it inside the train. My friend had to get off on the next station to wait for me, and we ended up missing her field trip. It was so embarrassing. I felt so bad for my friend, but we ended up going shopping instead. 

And my experience with BART (the subway) was never the same. hahah

What is your most embarrassing story?

When I'm alone..

Hi everyone, I hope you all are having a great week so far.  I know its a little late for a blog post. But I came home and saw this awesome blog challenge for July!! And I thought it would be perfect for me this month. And I know I'm a little late on it, but its okay. 

This blog challenge is hosted by Faith, Allie and Juliette. So head over here for the blog prompts.

Today's prompt is: Things You Do When You Are Alone!!

So here are some things I do when I'm alone.

Read Aloud

I love reading!! But when I'm alone I like to read aloud. 

At night, I turn the lights on

When I'm alone in my house at night, I like to turn on all the lights on all the rooms and make sure that all the doors are locked. I'm a huge scaredy cat.

Pinterest

Pinterest! Pinterest! Pinterest! All day.

Watch TV

I also watch TV in bed, possibly in undies, all day. One Tree Hill is my favorite show to watch when I'm alone.

Door Open

When I was in college, I used to pee with the door open whenever my roomie was not there. 

Watch movies and cry

Sometimes I like to watch cute, sad, sappy movies, and cry.

YouTube

Watch funny videos on Youtube, which always ends up leading me to something weird.

Karaoke

Have a karaoke session on my own.

Sunday Social

Hi I hope you all had an amazing holiday weekend!!! HAPPY SUNDAY!!

1. Favorite Genre of Music? I will listen to all kinds of music, except for maybe hard rock. But I would say my go-to genre would be Pop and Spanish Pop. 
2. Favorite Genre of movies? Romantic comedies are my favorites!!! And I also like watching action movies.
3. Do you watch Reality TV? If so what was the first show you remember watching. Reality TV is my guilty pleasure!!! shhh!! Kardashians, Real Housewives, anything MTV!! But I think the first one I ever watch would be either Survivor or American Idol. I rooted for Kelly from the beginning. :)

4. Actress you’d want to be BFF’s with? Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone!! They are just so beautiful, fun and I feel like they are down-to-earth girls. 

{Source}

5. Actor you’d be happy to be stuck on an island with?  Ohhhhh.. Let me see.  Michael Ealy for sure. YES please!! And then can I have Ryan Gosling and the Hemsworth brothers be dropped off in the island too!!!

{Source}

What are you doing this perfect Sunday afternoon??

Vegas - Family Style

Hi everyone. So life is still hectic from my new job. But its getting better, I'm getting the hang of things at the office. 
I've been so blessed this year, with taking weekend trips. This past weekend we went to Vegas!!! It is a cousins trip, and I think our first trip together besides going to Mexico when we were younger. And I had lots of fun. 
Friday night we had planned to go out, but it turned out that that place had been closed for over two weeks. So we spent most of the night going from place to place trying to find somewhere to go. 

On Saturday, we spent the whole day at the pool. We all chipped in to get a Cabana!! VIP status, and spent the whole day in the water. It was amazing.

Saturday night we went out to see Deadmau5, which was very claustophobic. There was just really crowded.