Fabulous Friday Sugarcoat giveaway

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

what i wore wednesday!

hello!

once again, another wednesday has arrived. boy, does time travel fast. especially when you're busy! i'm linking up with lindsay, over at The Pleated Poppy. in an effort to get me out of my jammies and super comfy robe, i've been participating in WIWW. basically what happens is i get dressed everyday and take a pic of myself. no one wants to look horible in pics so i try my best to get put together and look decent. no made up hair or makeup, i simply pull my hair back and dust on some bronzer, gloss and mascara. and YES, i was bad once again. not that many pics...boooo! so at this point i wont make any more promises. here we go!
top: old navy
jeans: old navy
shoes: nike shox 
basic work, errands!
home all day, work!
top: old navy
jeans: old navy
shoes: TOMS 
top: Under Armour Texas A&M
bottom: Nike running shorts
shoes: Nike FreeRun
I dress like this for motivation. Sometimes I think, "well i'm already dressed for it, might as well work out". However, that didn't happen that day. TOO. MUCH. WORK!
top: old navy
bottom: Gap torn jeans. Posted about these before!
shoes: Gianni Binni, Dillards 
scarf: Gap
shoes: Gap, worn below
Currently, on the hunt for a pair from Steve Madden that apparently no one has. They're tiger print, lots of jewels...ahhhh! I really want them.  
jacket: don't know brand, Dillards
cami: old navy
jeans: old navy
shoes: Gap 
with the hubby at Bass Pro Shops!
top: old navy
jeans: gap
purse: LV
sunglasses: Tory Burch
necklace: my favorite from Lisa Leonard Designs. It's very special to me. It doesn't have any diamonds or other fancy stones but it has the name of my girls and my hubby and it's worn close to my heart. I want to be buried with it on.

That's it folks!
Hope you have enjoyed WIWW!

Getting things ready for a show I have this wknd at a local school. Almost done prepping, however I dont think one can ever be ready. Thank you to my hubby who made my backdrop and several other items that i will have for sale.

Monday, November 28, 2011

hello monday...

the start of a new week!

hello to lots of work. i take a couple days off and when i return i suddenly have lots to do. FYI: this saturday at december 3 i will be at the Clark Middle School Jamaica. i will have a booth will all my goodies, including thirty-one gifts, which make great Christmas presents. Hope to see you there :)

hello to Christmas preparations. I was able to purchase several Christmas gifts on Black Friday. Now it's time to wrap them and put them under the tree for Cupcake to chew on.

hello to packages that arrived over the wknd. i have loads of headbands to create. got some new elastic, embellishments, flowers, felt! exciting stuff :)

we spent the thanksgiving holiday with my family in SA! it was fun. my allergies kicked in as soon as we got there. and then came black friday. we shopped alot, even had to refuel at IHOP. we got home at 7. on saturday we took our girls to see santa at bass pro shop. the setup for santa is gorgeous at this beautiful store.

what else am i saying "hello" to this monday AM?
hello cold weather, that i hope will hang around.
hello to my jeans, fitting a little tighter this AM because I ate way too much this past week/weekend.
hello to jogging at least 3 times a week. wish me luck!

so, what are you saying "hello" to on this beautiful day ?

XOXO,

Monday, November 21, 2011

hello monday...

hello to a new day, a new week

hello to waking up a little later since my girls don't have school all week, YAY!

hello to christmas decorating on Wednesday!

hello to new creations:



hello to watching the movie BIG like 10 times this wknd. Sophie's new favorite movie.

hello San Antonio for a couple of days.

hello to Thanksgiving with my family!

hello to all the turkey and stuffing for one day.

hello BLACK FRIDAY! Sophie and I have been preparing. You should see her spreadsheet! Am I creating a monster or what? Nah, just starting a tradition that I hope will last forever. We're not even going for any Door Busters. We just like to have FUN. And sleeping after Thanksgiving dinner is not fun. We're going to hit a couple stores. Shop for Christmas presents. Drink lots of coffee. I'm excited to spend time with my mom and my little "mini-me". My mom & I have been doing Black Friday since I was a teenager. Except Mom was a bit crazy. She would stand in line at Best Buy for TV's and computers. Yea, well this Mom, ME, ain't doing any of that. I would like a new computer or a new TV but I'm not a fan of sitting on the floor in the cold with a ticket in my hand. Never done it but have heard stories.

hello to being so blessed and grateful and thankful for this wonderful life that i lead. i wouldn't have it any other way.

what are you saying "hello" to on this new Monday AM?


Friday, November 18, 2011

friday love {instagram}

crazy.hectic.week.

too much going on all at once. Sophie, my oldest, is involved in many activities/clubs/organizations at school. it takes up alot of her time and mine as well. kudos to sophie! when i was 9 my after school activity included alot of time at home riding my bike, watching TV, hanging out with my BFF. At times I feel she takes on too much, has too many responsibilities and I just want her to be the kid that I was or still am, LOL.

didn't get to take as many insta-shots as i wanted but this is what i was able to snap.
the fireplace. plenty of cool nights and chilly mornings keep this baby on for a while.
i wish we had a real fireplace though. in my next life i will have a real fireplace. my parents are so lucky to have one in their home. it's so comfy and cozy.

Sunday afternoon, Dallas Cowboys football. That's Mr. Neal McCoy singing the National Anthem. Tribute to all Veterans and to those who serve our country. My eyes got teary. Very emotional tribute.

Texas Rangers Stadium! It was a gorgeous day. I love this shot.

Coffee! The mug is cute. Looks vintage.

I hope everyone has a great wknd.
I have way too much work on my hands to rest.
It's all good.

No blogging on the weekends so I'll see you Monday for hello Monday :)
XOXO,

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

wiww~what i wore wednesday

It's wednesday again! hard to believe. the days seem to fly by. i'm linking over with Lindsay at The Pleated Poppy. Check out her blog while you're at it. She sews. That's her specialty. She makes the cutest items. I'm thinking of ordering some of her goodies to give out as Christmas gifts.
Back to WIWW. Its a fun way of keeping me accountable for getting out of my robes and putting on some clothes everyday. Hope you enjoy!
Top: Old Navy
Tank: Can't really see it but it's a brown color, Gap
Jeans: Old Navy
Flats: Gianni Binni, Dillards
Scarf: Gap
Trying to figure out how to wash this scarf, other than hand wash.
Cardi: NY&Co
Tank: Gap
Jeans: Forever 21
Tennis: Jack Purcell's
Cap: Cowboys Pro Shop 
Top: Gap
Jeans: Old Navy
Flats: Target
Blossom Bloom in Chocolate

Three pics, I KNOW super BAD! Hopefully more than 3 pics for next weeks WIWW.

Just noticed my trash can comes out in all 3 pics. Got to move that out of the way. And please disregard the quality of the pics. Sophie is 9 and right now her biggest worry is studying 900 words for the school spelling bee. Taking fabulous pics of her mom kind of gets in her way of studying.

Hope you week has been great! It's almost Friday. Busy wknd planned. Mostly work. Getting ready to host Small Business Saturday here at home. I hope I can get the support from my family and friends. Fingers crossed...

tight hugs,

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

not a big sports fan...

but i do love attending sports games! it may be the delicious stadium food or it could be because that's how i enjoy spending time with my hubby.

yesterday I was not able to post "hello monday" :( I was recuperating from a long weekend of fun with friends! We spent the weekend in Arlington, TX at a Dallas Cowboys football game. And they won! Yea, we couldn't believe it either. We were their lucky charms!
BIG, beautiful Cowboys Stadium! The food was delicious. I figured I would be invisible to the hubby, afterall he was in heaven, but he managed to squeeze in some kisses on my cheek a couple times. Awe, he's so sweet.
Me and my girlfriends! The 3 of us together=lots of laughs, shopping & eating. We managed to get some shopping time. The boys shopped at the tool store and we shopped for snacks and clothes! They're FUN chicas.
That's us again. Waiting outside PFChangs! Can you believe we waited over an hour to eat there. But it was so worth the wait. Sweet & Sour chicken, my new favorite from there. We were so full but we still managed to have some vino afterwards :)
So, back to me NOT being a sports fan.
This has got to be my worst picture EVER. This was at a Yankees Game, at Yankee Stadium. I know, who sleeps at Yankee Stadium? ME! I believe I had just had a hot dog and it was our last night in the city so I was extremely tired. But Sel went and the hubby had a good time.
And here we are at Minute Maid Park! Houston Astros! I was not sleepy at this game. We go every summer to an Astros game. They're FUN!

And there we are. Sel, not a sports fan but a fan of going to pretty stadiums and eating some yummy stadium, ballpark food :)Oh, and I can't forgot all the eye candy! Let's see where the car takes us next. I have a feeling it will be to a TX Rangers game.

XOXO

Friday, November 11, 2011

instafriday

it's instafriday! i'm going to share what i've been up to all week using cell phone pics and the instagram app. here we go!


Monday was a great start to my work week. I gathered all my pretty Blossom headbands and headed out the door to drop off my beauties at a local boutique.


I've been able to lunch with my hubby & friends more than before. Tortilla chips and 2 very delicious, spicy salsa's. YUM!


I purchased my car on July 9, this pic was taken on Nov 10 and already I have over 5000 miles. Obviously I drive too much. I'm everywhere! Time for the free oil-change. THANKS, TOYOTA!


The American Flag! Very proud to be an American. Happy Veteran's Day to all those brave heroes that fought for our freedom. I thank you.


Sophie, being silly, wearing her penguin sleep mask while in the passenger's seat. Yes, the car was at a complete stop! I can already hear my mother, "Sel, no taking pics while driving"!


Abby, also being silly! My girls love penguins.


Fall wreath! Of course I made it. Foam wreath covered in yarn, added a couple of flowers, a burlap bow to hang and TADDAH!

So that was my instagram week.
I'll be traveling this wknd with my gal pals & our hubbies to watch the Dallas Cowboys get their butts kicked
kick some butt. Looking forward to a wonderful wknd with my man.
No posting on wknds! Have a great weekend!

See ya,

Thursday, November 10, 2011

print wall & a $2 valance

Thanks for coming to visit!

earlier this week i said i would post about my print wall. a portion of a wall in my craft room dedicated to my favorite prints. currently, i have 5 prints. i have a list of others that need to be put up. hopefully soon!
i absolutely love what they each say but my favorite was my first print. "she believed she could, so she did". it's my wall for inspiration/motivation.

and now on to my $2 valance. now normally i'm not the type to go to goodwill for anything. i've heard stories of ppl finding "great finds" so i decided to check it out to check if they had glassware that i needed to style an event. it was a pleasant shopping experience. i found lots of items for the event, specifically glassware. i also found a red valance for $1. its from Target and it was perfect for my craft room. using some leftover fabric i made it pretty and fun. look!
it's amazing what a $1 valance, some leftover fabric and some fabri-tac can do!
the leftover fabric is from this.
this is the invite board! all it is, is a long piece of cork covered with fun fabric and taddah! im supposed to hang it on the wall but for now it works. when clients come to place orders they are fascinated by the invites on the board. i still have yet to place several invites that i've done in the past but i just can't seem to find the time to place them on it, you know bc things like blogging and Facebook get in the way.

so there you go! fun ways to make a room come to life. easy peezy! have a good one :)

besos y abrazos

Monday, November 7, 2011

hello monday...

hello time change! i loved that extra hour of sleep.

hello new headbands added to the shop and more being added everyday!

hello to handwashing Sophie's cheer uniform (not thrilled about the hand washing)

hello new Thanksgiving party printables! working on this collection is making me hungry for turkey and stuffing, wonder why?

hello to trying a new recipe from my new cookbook. i purchased the PDF file, it's been in my iPad since September and now that I have time, I will choose a recipe to cook this week. Read up on this cookbook, whose proceeds benefit the American Red Cross to help the many people who have been affected by recent natural disasters around the world. Best $10 I have spent in a while. My goal is to try every recipe.

hello monday: full speed ahead!
what are you saying hello to at the beginning of this brand new week?

XOXO

Friday, November 4, 2011

thing i need & {heart} ~ craft room edition

i've been wanting to do this post for a while now. only because often people ask me for advice on tools to use for their paper crafting. here's a peek at the wonderful tools i use for inspiration and creativity. believe me, it's not all up there. at times, i have to go thru all my paper crafting magazines.

i'll start with my favorite print that's hanging on my inspiration wall. a wall that has been dedicated to prints. i'll post a pic of that next week.
~she believed she could, so she did~ i absolutely love this. i own it in red.
i'll continue with the upper left corner!
~canon printer~ its alright. it does its job. the ink is constantly being refilled but i believe that has to do with all the printing i do. it was a gift from my hubby.
~fiskars fabric scissors~ you only see the middle of the scissors. best scissors ever! i only use them for fabric.
~zebra print glue gun~ i own many glue guns but this is my favorite because of it's print. it just makes it that much more fun to use.
~martha stewart scoring board~ i use it obviously to score paper and make envelopes with patterned paper. it's FUN to use :)
~EK paper punch~ i have several, including this one, but i've tried other brand and nothing works as good as an EK Success. Hobby Lobby carries them but their selection is minimal. I shop for them at eksuccess.com, especially when they offer free shipping.
~XACTO retractable knife~ in pink of course! it's a craft knife and it's wonderful.
~Sizzix Big Shot~ one of my 3 Sizzix machines. I use the original red Sizzix machine more than the other 2. The red machine was a gift from my mom about 5 years ago. I purchase almost all my Sizzix dies thru their website. The local craft stores just don't carry a good variety.
~Craft room workstation~ my hubby has been informed that I need this table and he will start working on it very soon. So I don't actually own this yet but once it's ready I will post pics. Currently, I work on 3 foldable table that are up against the walls. Not very fun. I need a BIG space and I know this will work!
~Martha Stewart Circle Cutter~ I just purchased this great tool several weeks back and immediately I thought, how did i ever live without this! A great tool to have. Martha and her crafters are so bright.
~Martha Stewart self-healing mat~ i use this to work on esecially when i use my glue gun and Xacto knife.
~The Craft Collection adhesive~ super easy to use and the adhesive is permanent, keeps my paper crafts stuck to each other FOREVER!
~Cricut Expression 2~ my 4th, yes 4th cricut machine. The other 3 are long gone, but only because there's no space, so this baby is the only one in the craft room. this machine is genius. i've used it everyday this week. every craft room needs this! i'm also currently looking into the Silhouette machine. i've heard its better than Cricut. OMG, better? I'll have to do my research.
~Cutter Bee scissors~ scissors with sharp bent-tips. they're so precise for those really precise projects that regular scissors just won't do.
~XACTO paper trimmer~ awesome tool. cuts several sheets of cardstock at once. it's fun or at least i make it FUN!
~Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate Magazine~ the pic came out too small. But that's what it is. When this comes in the mail, i literally skip into the house to start reading. filled with inspiration and lots of ideas for all seasons.
~Epson r1900~ my dream printer! it's #1 on my "things to buy list". crossing fingers i will be able to find it on sale on black friday!
~Dell Inspiron 530S~ so this was a present from my hubby after i had started online classes and needed a dependable computer that wouldn't crash everytime i tried to get online. it works absolutely great. however, i did mention i NEED a laptop and he said "put it on your things to buy list". it's gonna be on the list for a while because this Dell is working just fine and dandy.
~Adobe CS5~ a huge investment and i'm currently taking an online class on how to fully use this because it did cost me a very shiny penny. i put this on my "things to buy" list and it took over a year to get it. if only i had majored in graphic design in college and not on psychology.

ahhh, so there they are! it was a bit long. this took 2 jumbo size coffee mugs. i'm ready to start my day!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

i'm back...& things i need and {heart}

well, i was never really gone. finding the time to post had just become difficult because something called LIFE got in the way. and since posting had not been a priority, i never made time. but i'm back and even more excited than ever and from now on i will be posting, maybe not everyday but at least several times a week.


and on Nov 1 I began my new life. several months back, along with my husband's blessings, i made the decision to leave my career to stay home and raise my girls and put more time into what was a hobby and now is a successful small business. and even though i may not be using my Master's in Library Science, i will say that those classes are what has helped me in technology. i did not even know what a blog was until i started with the LS classes. So in a way, i am using the knowledge i learned.

so enough with that!

i am working on several projects to keep me very busy while my girls are school. aside from paper passion projects, i have kept busy re-organizing my closet and master bathroom.

i decided to do a little collage of my current must-haves! things i need and heart...
let's take a close look!
~middle picture: hubby (mr. sanchez, sanchez, david, daddy) and our girls!
~yankee candle in autumn wreath: every year, and the only YC purchase i make all year, i purchase this great scent. currently, this scent is 25% at bed, bath and beyond! it just smells like comfort :)
~Gilmore Girls! I cannot live with this show. I watch it on a daily basis. I have to get at least one show in. Perfect mother-daughter duo. and it's funny too!
~I swear by Smashbox Cosmetics, especially their hydrating foundation. it works for my skin. and the foundation brush is just as great!
~Longchamp tote: when i traveled to NYC this past summer i noticed that a Longchamp was the "bag" to have. i mean it was all over the streets, in all colors, even in Chinatown. So of course, there goes Sel into Bloomies and there comes Sel walking out of Bloomies with her own Longchamp tote in a hunter green and Longchamp cosmetic bag in a dark purple color. The tote is awesome because its so simple to clean. You just wipe with a wet cloth. SIMPLE! And from the inside, well i just put a bunch of stuff in it. Books, planners, my overflowing cosmetic bag...!
~momAgenda:because i like to be organized with style. it's rather messy from the inside but there's plenty of space to write notes (i'm a big note-taker). i see something, it can be a plant and i simply jot down that i want to plant one in my garden. or i think of an idea while driving so i take it out of the Longhchamp and jot it down. kinda pricey but well worth it!
~Celazome moisturizer:pic is blurry but i CANNOT live without Celazome. i get mine at Target at the pharmacy. it's a facial moisturizer with SPF30. i refuse to let the sun age me especially my face so i do what i need to do to prevent it :)
~Chanel lipstick in MYTHIC! First, i love this product because it doesn't dry my lips like MAC does. Second, the color is just perfect for everyday wear. Yea, it hurts my wallet a bit but again, so worth it!
~Smashbox Primer:Sometimes i put this on by itself and it just maked my skin so soft. But usually I put this then top it with their hydrating foundation for a flawless look. Really, they should pay me for advertising it!
~Matrix Sleek: I've been using it for over 5 years. it works. no more dry, brittle hair :)
~OPI:because their collections are awesome! the colors just work with the seasons. i usually go for the light pinks and nudes but during the holidays i go bold with either red or burgundy!
~Keurig-OKAY, i dont actually own of these but i love it. it's on my christmas list, along with a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer! I just love coffee and i know this brews excellent tasting coffee.
~PURPOSE facial cleanser! Why this brand? Because its inexpensive and does its job. And every year it lands on Allure's Best Products List!

there you go! tmrw i will post my must-haves in my craft room! This may be a bigger collage.

Toodles and make it a great day!
XOXO