Addicted

I have a bad habit of starting books and never finishing them. I love going to Barnes and Noble, just being in the ambiance of other readers, checking out the new literature tables, and all the cool knick knacks they always have. I like the aesthetic appeal of stacked magazines-so much so that I move them around the room periodically: beside my bed, by the door etc. I have a collection of magazines I have skimmed through and True Blood comics still untouched and unread. Among the books that I have started and haven't finished are:

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer (an Eclipse novella: a short novel about the life-and afterlife- of a character from the Twilight Saga).
My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler (a chapter by chapter memoir of her sexcapades).
The Science of Single by Rachel Machacek (the author's quest to put herself out there in the dating world and the crazy stories and and characters that ensue).
LEFT Neglected by Lisa Genova (although a good story-about a busy wife and mother who loses track of herself and her family values and a horrific accident puts everything into perspective- it started to abate for me at the 1/4 mark).
The Liar's Diary by Patry Francis (the only thing I remember about this book is that it is borrowed-oops!- and that I based my interest for this one on the alluring title and cover-oops?!).


I have been a little preoccupied with grad school and The Hunger Games but I am still only on Catching Fire (and not quite half way through yet); I'm looking forward to the summer when classes are over and the beach is calling my name to relax, soak up some sun and catch up on all this literature.

Nylon (favorite magazine), Country Living (great for craft and interior design ideas), True Blood comics from the HBO store.

True Blood is one of my favorite television shows and one of my favorite series that I have read. I stopped half way through book seven: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris. This is really a problem, think I need UBA (unfinished books anonymous)!!!

Live*Love*Laugh*Read
xoxo Chris

flower arrangement

About two weeks ago I posted paper flowers I made with a friend for a dinner party. While making them (and even  after they were made) I had no idea how I was going to incorporate them into the table decor/centerpiece. Originally I thought about having the runner down the center of the table but then when we decided to serve dinner buffet style it seemed frivolous.


This display literally came to fruition piece by piece: I pushed the runner (and the table) to the wall, laid out the paper flowers, four votive candles, and two little glasses with pink baby's breath. The table looked good, but unfinished; I used-what was going to be-serving glasses, since it went so well with the floral theme. I lined them up against the wall with a rose in each glass and balanced it all out with the wine bottle I used  to make white sangria and two green vases at each end with flowers.

In the end the look was complete with the balance of real and paper flowers and the colors were consistent throughout. Not only was the table a success but so was the night: paella, white sangria, ice cream cake and camaraderie.

Now what to do with the paper flowers?

Live*Love*Laugh*Color (your world)
xoxo Chris

Alpha

The word alpha means to start something; the beginning; genesis.
The word alpha pertains so much to bullying, you only need one person to start and others usually follow their lead or are passive witnesses.

The movies Bully (2001 version) and Alpha Dog (2006) really perturbed me.They were violent, graphic and emotionally disconcerting. Considering the release date of these films-11 and 6 years ago- I was even more impressionable then.

I really empathized with Anton Yelchin and Brad Renfro's characters in these biographical depictions of true horrific stories with bullying at its core.

These stories show that we have to keep in mind what our roles our as adults and what we can do to help and prevent thinking from spiraling downward for the bully and the victim.

Teach the child to stand up for themselves, most bullies will back down in the face of confidence and lack of fear.

If reacting confidently is hard to act or pretend, a lack of response is just as powerful. A bully will not persist for long if they don't get a reaction. They thrive off of an audience.

Running away will help in the moment but the bully will get pleasure from seeing the person run away and assume they are in fear of them and pick up where they left off the next day.

Journaling is an effective method for healing and will be useful to show a teacher or guidance counselor (or any adult) in the future. Most kids are embarrassed or afraid to speak up but there will come a day where they will have enough and that is when the reaction could be dangerous to themselves or those around them. Journaling, writing poems or thoughts is a cathartic way to vent.

Live*Love*Laugh*Encourage

xoxo! Chris 

not unfortunate souls

Ursula: The Little Mermaid

We are so desensitized from oppressing figures we have seem them as early as 1937-the original release date of Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. It's amusing and cathartic to see these themes reenacted differently through art and animation. I'm not trying to berate these films, because I myself identified with many of them on a subconscious level (especially Cinderella).

 Queen: Snow White

Scar: The Lion King

If you look carefully at these villains/bullies you will see they all have their own personal reasons for choosing the defenseless and passive victim: Snow White, Ariel, Mufasa, Aladdin etc.

Jafar: Aladdin

So what did The Queen, Ursula, Scar, and Jafar have in common?
They were jealous of their (unbeknownst to them) competitor.





*Snow White was the fairest of them all- little did the Queen know maybe she was insecure for being so fair. She was also friendly, charming and had a wonderful voice that even pleased the forest dwellers.

*Ariel had a beautiful voice and her youth! Unfortunately for her, she was just a pawn in Ursula's grand plan to dethrone her bigger threat King Triton. She was coerced and badgered into signing a contract to get what she really wanted. Ariel was too passive aggressive but Ursula knew how to get what she wanted.

*Mufasa...ah sibling rivalry at its best. Scar missed his golden opportunity and was so jealous of his brother's reign he was blinded by jealousy until it lead to homicide.

*Aladdin in love. Poor (literally), poverty stricken Aladdin just wanted to win the heart of the girl from the opposite side of the track, Princess Jasmine. So did Jafar but to also dethrone her dad, the Sultan, to become one himself. Ulterior motives!! And Aladdin was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the right place at the right time!

WHAT DID ALL THESE POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS HAVE IN COMMON?

Luck, optimism, determination and a fairy godmother! and dwarfs! and a genie! and fish friends! and a strong herd of lady lions!....YOU are the fairy godmother, the dwarf, the genie, the flounder or crab or the lioness for these youth who are constantly struggling to identify themselves and often too afraid to seek help. Pay attention to the signs. In the words of Lady Gaga's intelligent mama "insert yourself" into their lives.

BIBBIDI, BOBBIDI, BOO!

Live*Laugh*Love*Inspire hope
xoxo! Chris

Antagonize, Pester, Coerce, Torment (BULLY)

this photo embodies what the individual must feel like emotionally.

I've been dubious about what is inevitably going to be my theme of posts this week.
I would waiver the idea of changing the tone of the blog-which right now I feel is whimsical, cheery and at times entertaining (thanks Lexia!)-but the more I thought about it, and the foundation of the blog: to be about life, day to day events and things that affect and inspire us, the more I felt it appropriate to stray (for a week) from what has become the common thread.

Bullying is a subject that is close to my heart, and even though we may not work in schools or with children we need to know that it is very much prevalent today as it was ten years ago. What we have to know and understand about bullying is that often times no one will come forward that they are being bullied or know someone who is; we have to understand there is always a reason why the bully is bullying; therefore we have to help the bully as much as the victim.

Bullying leaves emotional scars on its victims and those are-for lack of better words-the lucky cases. Other cases lead to the victim harming themselves, becoming violent towards others and suicide. A kind word to just the right person can do more than you can imagine.

CHANGE.ORG is petitioning for this new and raw documentary film to receive a PG-13 rating so school-aged children can see a film that could potentially change their behavior and outlook on life and their peers. You can advocate and virtually sign this petition here.

I hope you will see this movie. I know it may be uncomfortable at times but that is the raw and realistic perspective I am looking forward to seeing.


Live*Love*Laugh*Change
xoxo! Chris

French Moons

In an effort to recreate the chic half moon nail style I managed to contrive a hybrid of the two. Starting a little further than the 'half moon' point (the natural half moon whiteness of your nail) and having the 'moon' appear less rounded at the sides, created more of an extended french manicure look-with a twist!

I'm loving the colors together: black and silver, and the aesthetic appeal of the color blocking. A third color towards the top would even be cool for a fun, innovative look.

I will be honest, I didn't try to free-hand this, even though it did cross my mind-I had the foresight to know better. Lacking paper reinforcements I searched (and searched) my apartment for the next best thing....tape!











Not sure if you can make it out in the photo but I cut strips of tap and taped them down horizontally across my nails-after the first color was polished. I painted over the tape and the nails with the second color and let them dry for about 6 minutes. The bonus to the tape was less clean up on the cuticles.

Voilá!
French Moons!



Living*Loving my French Moon nails* Laughing

xoxo! Chris 

Paper flowers

Here's a sneak peek of a decor project I'm putting together. It's for a small dinner party with a Spanish theme (Paella, Sangria etc). Originally I wanted to keep it limited to red and yellow but it was so much fun (and at times tedious) to see the flowers come together. After an intense three hour flower-making session I have about 20 roses and carnations. Hopefully the final decoration piece comes together just as easily and beautifully. Can't wait!

Loving this craft!
xoxo! Chris

Dippin' Dot Nails

I originally found this idea on Pinterest but it was originally pinned from All Lacquered Up (not sure where the paper trail leads to from there). I am ecstatic over the innovative, fun and abstract nail styles sweeping the globe. I have tried so many different colors, prints and decals to the point where I have had two to three new manicures a week! Luckily I paint them myself; I'm carefree as to whether they chip, peel, crack or the final product is exceedingly below my expectations.

Bangle Jangle by Essie:: Plum Seduction 917 by Revlon:: Domestic Goddess-Matte by Sephora by OPI:: Rojo Mágico by Vogue (made in Colombia):: Minted #85 by Revlon:: Jessica's Wedding Bells by Brucci:: Peach color by Ruby Hammer gift set. 

For my dots/confetti I used a variety of colors from Essie, Revlon, OPI, Brucci and some other companies (abroad: Colombia, England).

I enjoyed the fleeting party on my nails. It made it that much more fun to do things, get crafty and watch 'em at play!

Today it's back to basic red (Rojo Mágico) which is a nice change from the color before that (Minted by Revlon), which makes my (yup!) third manicure of the week. They chip so quickly!!! 

Happy Friday! Enjoy a weekend of inspirational and creative endeavors! 

Live*Love*Laugh

xoxo! Chris 

A Few of my Favorite Things...

Music is a very prominent part of my life for too many reasons to tell in one sitting… but whether it’s a playlist on the IPod or a station on Pandora {or the soundtracks in my head }... I’m always jamming.

For the past two weeks “We are Young” by Fun has been my early morning-energy providing anthem… and I do mean EVERY morning.  Combined with “We Found Love” by Rihanna {which happens to be THE song for the weeks prior}… I had a winning duo.  A bit later, while listening to a friend’s playlist {you can learn SO much about a person from their music selections} , I found that last piece... “Beautiful People” by Chris Brown.

After realizing that my triplet only made up only about 10 minutes of tantalizing entertainment, I reached out for MY Pandora {And yes… it is MY Pandora because I genuinely believe it was created for ME}... I created a “We Found Love” Station and added “We are Young” and “Beautiful People” as variety and I am... in LOVE!   The tempos have me going up and down like an EKG machine except it KNOWS when to {temporarily} flat line. And on top of all of that, I’m experiencing new artists and a mess of new songs!

With my “We found love, We are Young and Beautiful People” station blasting in the background, I got ready to go to the Movies, for an advance screening of Silent House.  Going in, I knew it was supposed to be a scary, action packed thriller… Coming out… {Though fun time out with good company}… it was good to know I didn’t pay for it.

    
    Starring Elizabeth Olsen {who knew Mary Kate and Ashley had a sister? }, Adam Trese and Eric Sheffer Stevens wasn’t  all that. Sarah, an older- than-17-but-younger-than-25 year old, is at an old lake house with her father and her uncle fixing it up to sell it. Right off the bat you sense there is something off either with the characters {or some serious bad acting from the actors} until the inauspicious happenings begin.


       Though the suspense and the element of surprise had me at the edge of my seat { at the beginning }, I chalk that up to my new-found cowardliness trying to creep in and an awesome soundtrack with poor lighting on the side. With a Cloverfield type of taping {in other words a shaky camera right up the actors’ nose}, Silent House wasn’t more than darkness, a few spontaneous moments, a splash of blood, the overused-cliché creepy kid flashes, a gunshot or two, a few thuds and footsteps, mixed in with a few laughable moments, typical victim bad decisions, and an obvious secret {ha,ha}.   


!!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!

After a while of running around the house from a supposed intruder and having her father rendered unconscious, Sarah finally makes her way out the house. Only to run into Uncle Peter who comes to the rescue {way to calm after learning his brother is badly hurt, if you ask me}. Not long after, we lose him too!  And it isn’t until almost the end of the movie we find out that she has the “Hide and Seek” syndrome, where she’s clearly having some psychological issue/battle with multiple personalities and she’s been the attacker all along. Turns out she was getting revenge on her father who sexually abused her as a child and her uncle who would watch. 

Just like her previous debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene, Elizabeth Olsen left me with a “What the …?!!”

Silent House.. in theaters this today. March, 9^th.

On my way home, the night was COMPLETELY salvaged by the last pages of my current read… Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane. When I get into a book.. I get INTO the book! And with Stupid and Contagious it was so easy to get lost.

 

    Told from each of their points of views, the novel follows Heaven, a quirky 26 year old who has been recently fired from her career job as a PR executive and cheated on by beau that finds herself stuck working as a waitress. And then there is Brady… a 29 year old who owns a label which is slowly going bankrupt and is being ‘stalked’ by a crazy obsessive ex-girlfriend that forced him out of his rent controlled apartment and into the apartment next door to Heaven. These two strangers have absolutely nothing in common but after a few bizarre encounters an underlining bond starts to form.  With his charming intrusive neighbor tagging along, Brady chases after a quick get rich idea; a trip that shakes everything in to place for these two opposite souls.

      This book was a good read, It was relatable and I found myself cheering for our protagonists on their personal adventures towards success and inner satisfaction. And what sealed the deal for me was the fact that  Heaven and Brady have this witty banter all book long that it had me laughing out loud { in public!!}. 




Music, movies and books.. these are a few of my favorite things.
I absolutely love getting lost in the creative minds behind them. In the thoughts provoked, the extents my imagination reaches, the emotions that result from these three mediums...Amazing.


Pump up the volume, make the popcorn, and turn the page..
Enjoy!

Lex { ♥ }

From drab to fab

before

I came across this bird-cage beyond randomly. When I saw it it was hanging with a fake bird and fake eggs all in a fake bird nest, lonely in an empty apartment. I, in no way, shape or form needed another item in my bedroom but my mind was flooding with cool ideas for this sad and neglected bird-cage.








I deliberated for some time on color options (white, gold, silver, bronze). In the end I knew I needed a color that would bring joy and happiness when I looked at it. I chose pink, which also gives a nice pop of color to my otherwise warm and neutral room.

after 2 coats of spray paint

I bought some soft colored and white artificial flowers and a birdie from the craft store. The flowers will never wilt and my birdie will never go hungry.

                             They say caged birds sing, I guess this birdie will only chirp! 

Live in color, Love your passion, Laugh til there is joy in your heart. 

                                                                                           -Chris

A {squared} = A guestbook for two

'I’ve been gone for a minute, now I’m back at the jump off…'

Stay with me, this’ll be fast like a slight cough! {Oh! }

Okay, so I’m no Lil’ Kim {Can’t blame me for trying though! J }, but in all seriousness that WAS the soundtrack, or one-liner that accompanied my thoughts as I started this post.  It’s been a while, I know, BUT I promise I was living in what I deem a very blog worthy few weeks, AND I promise to share. {Pinky promise! }

At the risk of sounding like a tease, I just wanted to stop by to share a few pictures of a not-so-recently completed {yet finally delivered} project:

It’s a mini-album style guestbook for a 2^nd birthday party celebration for two of the sweetest twin girls I know, Alana and Alaina.

Thinking I was clever, and struggling with the limited space, I chose to keep the title simple: A²

A play on the fact that there are two of them, their names begin and end with the letter “A” and that they were turning 2.  

It was a Dora the Explorer and Ni-hao, Kailan themed party. Very colorful and super sweet.

I tried to give the book a sense of individuality within its uniformity. It was in fact ONE party for TWO very different personalities.












I helped their Mami plan and decorate the party {and had an awesome time doing so, I absolutely LOVE planning events! } and helped their Papi host, so in between all the busy work, I managed to get ZERO pictures of the event.

Except for this one {cut off} picture of the cake!!
This was the bakery's interpretation of my {very specific}design.













But it’s okay, there HAS to be pictures somewhere {Note to self: STALK those pictures!! }.  And this guestbook was fun {and easy} to make:

I had a template which I used as stencil; I cut the two cover sheets out of thick chipboard for sturdiness {and covered them with paper to fit the theme} and used regular slightly girly and exceedingly colorful and happy themed card-stock.  Made two holes with a regular paper whole puncher and used two 1-inch rings to bind it.

Because of time constraints, the guestbook at the party was solely the pages bound by the rings and guests signed it to their liking. It wasn’t until later that I added extra pages and embellished around their messages. 

{Which I must say wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, because some guests had pretty large handwriting or somehow couldn’t figure out which way was upright.}











All in all, I was very pleased with the end result, and their Mami “loved loved loved the book!”

::Phew:: With all that said, I bid you adieu my lovelies...

but please.. "Don't cry for me Argentinaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."
{I swear, its my mental shuffle button! It gives Pandora competition! }

Live Creatively!

Lexia { ♥ }