wiww

Welcome to another edition of WIWW. WIWW is an acronym for What I Wore Wednesday. It's where i re-cap what I wore the whole week. I do it in an effort to get me out of my comfy PJ's on a daily basis.

I gotta make this post short because I'm off to the LIFE fair so here we go!

tee: from NYU! I had to make a pit stop there while on my NYC trip. I'm glad I went. I saw a fight at a park nearby. It was definitely a trip highlight. 

jeans: old navy

tennis: nike shox

whole outfit from gap!

shoes, made by me!

tee: forever 21

jeans: old navy

scarf: limited

shoes: dillards

tee: designed by me for a trip with my girlfriends to the theatre to see SATC the day it came out. 

we looked so cute wearing them. there were 6 of us. definitely a memory. 

jeans: old navy

shoes: nike shox

hair pulled back everyday with a Blossom Band!

if i look tired its because I was probably very tired. these pics were taken at around 9pm all 4 days. 

thank you so much for stopping by to read today's post!

i look forward to seeing you at the LIFE fair :)

XOXO, 

right now...

watching: the E! live from the red carpet. I love to see the beautiful dresses. 

eating:  waiting on some delicious brisket cooked by the hubby.  

drinking:  PEPSI! my favorite. no ice, just really cold. 

wearing: totally mismatched lounge wear. cost pants and a long sleeve tee in shades of gray. 

I TOOK A BREAK! The BFF called and that means PAUSE. 41 mins talking. YIKES! Just finished dinner and now I'm back!

avoiding: getting a haircut and dying my hair. i don't want to but i know i have to. you can really see my white hairs. 

feeling:  blessed and happy! 

missing: ...

thankful: for work. 

weather: such a beautiful day. opened all the windows and let the wind come thru the house. 

praying: morning and night, just like my facial cleansing routine. 

needing: some new tennis shoes. and i need to order large prints of our family photos just don't know who to go with. so many good choices online. 

thinking: i'm going to have busy weekend of TV viewing next weekend. This week's TV shows will get DVR'd. 

looking forward to: the LIFE fair, a weekend trip with friends, my birthday, a trip to the spa and some warm weather! 

loving: the hubby. today he left for work early, came home to cut the grass, made some BBQ, and is now welding. what energy drink does he gulp? man, he never stops. HE's THE BEST! 

what i need to finish tonight:

18 colors, 90 yards!

when done they will join all their little buddies inside the BIG silver bowl! (below)

I want to do a contest to see who can guess how many bands are in the bowl but i don't have time to count. 

Next time I promise! 

All this is for the LIFE fair. 

Hope you can make it!

HUGS!!!!

thanks for stopping by! 

wiww...

i'm back for another WIWW edition. i was able to snap 1 pic and that's because sophie remembered and she caught me in the middle of working.

tunic: target

jeans: gap

scarf: gap

shoes: dillards

super simple and super comfy. i was wearing a head scarf but this pic was taken late and i had a headache so the headscarf came off early. 

now, i found some really cute outfits on polyvore that are very inspiring. 

the bracelets...ahhhhh, I LOVE!!! i found and I'm so tempted to buy!

i love those boots. they scream badass!

i'm loving the tee, scarf, jeans, nail polish.

purse and jewelry not a fan of. 

shoes are alright. 

i want this whole outfit. i wish it was in my closet. 

everything except the shoes.

that handbag, i LOVE!!!!

i am ADDICTED to polyvore. its very distracting. 

but it really is a place for inspiration. 

notice all the outfits include a scarf. 

i have a scarf addiction. 

my favorite are lightweight, prints and silk. 

i'm not a fan of those chunky ones with too much hanging from them. they're so distracting. 

the more simple, the better. 

so that's this weeks WIWW. 

i've got to get back to work. 

i'm done with over 500 blossom bands. thank you to the hubby who sat with me for about 10 mins to help me complete them. after ten minutes he complained his fingers hurt. what a baby!

coming up: some mod money party printables and a sweet flower 

and butterfly invite for a super cute 1 year old! 

have a great day!

XOXO, 

right now...

i'm feeling very well rested. i kind of have to. so much to do.
sophie and i had BLAST at the CheerPower competition. i absolutely love being a cheer mom. and i was very much inspired to get on the ball about my weight and lose some of it. cheerleaders have these perfectly toned bodies. i want that. i was a very proud mom at the competition. i was beaming.
big smiles and lots of words of encouragement.

yup, that's me. and my spirit shirt!

now that we are back and i'm well rested i MUST get back to work. 

there's so much to do and prep for. next week i will have a booth at the LIFE fair. 

i'm excited for that event. 

so...

watching: nothing. the today show is on my tube but in order to get me moving in the AM i listen to music. currently my iTunes is on shuffle. just listened to frank sinatra and now some guns n roses...

eating:  nothing.  

drinking:  extra bold, dark roast coffee! my favorite is the emeril k-cup

wearing: dark gray PJ's. but i want to be wearing this. 

this is my fashion inspiration for the day. 

avoiding: nothing really.  

feeling:  happy, excited. 

missing: ...

thankful: for work. 

weather: beautiful. 

praying: morning and night, just like my facial cleansing routine. 

needing: a haircut, new tennis shoes, to go get the puppy's food...

thinking: of the beach. also i think its time to dye my hair. i really don't want to but clearly the gray hairs on my head leave me no choice but to cover them up. 

looking forward to: the LIFE fair, a weekend trip with friends, my birthday, a trip to the spa and some warm weather! 

loving: our family photoshoot pics. 

clearly, i'm a proud wife and mom. never knew love and heartbreak til i met this man. 

heartbreak? yes. its complicated. well it was. 12 years ago when we first met. 

now, no heartbreak. my heart is very content, full of warmth and comfort.

this pic...because 2 people fell in love and are still very much in love. 

so, what are you doing right now?

XOXO, 

right now...

i'm tired. very very tired. i need a massage. a facial. an eye treatment. and somehow i feel that maybe taking a run will help me feel better. with the help of a friend i was able to complete a HUGE order. biggest order in paper passion history. the invites came out beautiful but my fingers do hurt and my brain is fried. i'm happy that it is over and done with and i'm ready to tackle on more work. but first can i go to the spa?

right now:

watching: the today show. matt might get replaced with ryan seacrest. but matt demanded more $. let's see if he gets it. 30 million a year. INSANE!!!!! 

eating:  nothing.  

drinking:  extra bold, dark roast coffee!

wearing: PJ's. 

avoiding: folding some laundry. i wish it would fold itself. 

feeling:  eh, tired. but no time for that. i have to finish 2 more orders and pack for a FUN wknd of cheering with Sophie! Tonight we are decorating her megaphone :) 

missing: my mom. we shopped on saturday for an hour and it was the best hour i've spent with her in a long time. i foresee some more fun hours with her this wknd. 

thankful: for work. 

weather: yea, I'm done with the cold. i want warmer weather. swimming weather.  

praying: morning and night, just like my facial cleansing routine. 

needing: a haircut, new tennis shoes, and SLEEP!

thinking: vacation. but in reality the next couple months will be hectic. major plans in the works. 

looking forward to: these next couple months and some warm weather! 

loving: the hugs and kisses from my little ladies and the hubby this AM before they went off to start their day. 

so, that's what happening right now! 

what are you up to right now?

much love,

instaFriday (2 weeks worth)

i'm convinced i need the new iPhone because this old 3G isn't cutting it anymore. it doesn't have flash, pics aren't crisp, and geez everyone has the new one except Sel. i know, i know, be grateful for what you have. i know. and i am. but i would be even more grateful if i had the new one, just saying'!

instafriday. it almost didn't happen. bed, comfy. but i really do have to get my day started. no time for sleep.  i made a collage for this instafriday. the pics speak for themselves but i'll gladly explain.

starting left-right: (i know two of the shots on the right hand side don't fully appear. simply click on collage for full view).

exhibit a: journal, abby's 7th birthday planning. clean sheet. i love a clean sheet. remind me to take a pic day after party. messy, messy sheets.

exhibit b&c: NSYNC, who doesn't love those boys. REUNION, REUNION, REUNION! so happy my girls love their music. and so happy XM plays it all the time.

exhibit d: Abby monkey at gymnastics. first time there. she gets her uniform today. she's excited. awe, my little annoying monkey.

exhibit e: a pastry shop opened up like 1/10 of a mile from my house. and it also happens to belong to a great friend of mine. so guess what Sel does. she visits often and sometime during the visit Sel buys cupcakes acting as if the world is going to end, gets in the car, eats one, and then waits 1 min to eat another, kidding. i only eat ONE, per day! that's my weakness, cupcakes. cupcakes and expensive purses, shoes, scarfs. valgame!

exhibit f: pretty chair. i want. i need! customers would love to sit here. if i buy it would you come, sit and chat? i promise not to take a pic of you sitting on it. wink, wink...

exhibit g: crazy amiga (Countess) and daughter. well not really daughter but i treat her as if she was. no looking at boys. no talking to boys. wait is he hot, ok go! hurry!

exhibit h: coffee! seriously just stick me with an IV full of it.

exhibit i: i told the countess i would go with her to a Kenny rogers concert, don't even know if the old man tours, but only because she said she would join me for a neil diamond concert. i know for a fact neil, yes old man too, still tours.

exhibit j: daddy! awe :) he joined us at a tejano dance so Sel had to be on her best behavior. well not really.

and last but not least, exhibit k: DO NOT TOUCH THIS EXHIBIT! mr. george. tickets for his roping. not real into roping except for the ropers, oops, did i just type that. well its that truth and i don't lie. cute ropers and the only time i can get super close to mr. george and shake his hand and tell him i love him. ok, i don't tell him that but i want to. so excited to go. we have the best time. me & my comadre. oh yea, the hubbies go to. daughter is joining us this year. her one chance all year to find herself a real cowboy. let's see how that goes. biting nails.

so that was instafriday, pics taken with the instagram app on my shitty iPhone.

see you sunday for "right now"!

thanks for stopping by.

P.S. the whole exhibit thing, totally PeeWee Herman inspired. you know the one where they steal his super cool bike.

besos,

Blossom Bands

So, this AM I went back to sleep after the girls got dropped off at school. This is the 2nd time I do that since paper passion & Blossom became my "full-time" job! I was so tired from yesterday's rush of Blossom Bands and also tired from Monday and Tuesday. And so because I fell back asleep and woke up in time for lunch with a friend, I am posting on this gloomy Thursday evening. 

Today's post is all about the Blossom Bands!

It is simply a hair tie. Like the Goody black ones they sell at the supermarkets in the hair accessory aisle. Except the one I make and sell is made from a super stretchy elastic and it comes in a rainbow of colors! 

my two models. the top pic is a Blossom customer wearing hers in a long loose ponytail. The bottom pic is my daughter, Abby, sporting one in her favorite color, purple. 

As you can see, all ages can sport them. 

Now, after several weeks of wear it will look like this:

That's mine. I've worn it for several weeks already.

Now, to get it back to it's original shape you simply run your hot iron through it. 

Like up above. 

end result: a flat Blossom Band, looking new :)

These ties will last a long time. 

The material is very soft so it won't break or damage your trends. 

Best part, you can wear it all day and when you want to let your hair loose there is no ugly mark. 

Another, best! they come in a ton of pretty pretty colors. 

You must stop by my workshop to look thru my huge silver bowl that is full of them. 

Check the Blossom FB page daily for specials. 

thanks for reading! 

tmrw, 2 weeks worth of instafriday :)

XOXO, 

WIWW (polyvore edition)

I'm back for another WIWW. Except this time around I'm posting WHAT I WOULD WEAR and its all Polyvore inspired. A lot of people are addicted to Pinterest but I've had my share of pinning. I was introduced to Pinterest over 2 years ago. Now, Polyvore is my addiction and it's all about fashion which I love. If you have never visited Polyvore you MUST. Like I said it's all about fashion. Everytime I see an outfit I LOVE I save it and then go back for inspiration on a daily basis. I like to save pics that are composed of items I have in my closet. Here is a set of 7.

Those shoes! I created my own. Mine are better of course!

That ring, necklace. I love the coral/nude combo. 

Yellow! I love that bag. I have shoes very similar to those. Deborah Lippman polish. I wish it was gel polish. It's all I'm wearing these days. 

AHHH! The scarf, handbag, chunky sweater. I NEED THAT SCARF!

I love the set of rings and the color of that skirt. I would never wear a skirt like that but I could probably find it in a shorter version. 

I have those TOMS and I cannot wait for sring/summer to wear them with shorts. I love that messenger bag. And those bangles. And of course that SCARF!

The shoes! Yo quiero. I love the casual look of this. I could definitely work in this. Then head to the backyard for a swim. Not a fan of the purse and the tee. 

Aqua/tangerine!!!! I have these pants. I have that polish. I need tangerine flats. That SCARF, so pretty. But I LOVE those earrings. I need!

The best thing about Polyvore is that it tells you exactly where to get it all. In a way its good AND bad. Because with several clicks those items can be in your hands in a couple days. 

This is very me. I'm not a heel girl. I am a simple, scarf loving, color GIRL! 

Now, go get on Polyvore! You'll be there for a while :)

XOXO, 

hello monday

i love mondays. and fridays. i used to dislike sundays but now i love them. just knowing i don't have to actually get dressed so early and head to work to work for someone else the next day makes it all better. 

so hello monday and all the wonderful things that come with it. 

hello to baby shower chick invites. 

hello to christening invites for a special baby girl. 

hello to more blossom bands. got even more colors & prints. 

hello to this weather that should hang around all week, which means it is no longer is bi-polar. 

hello to a new print that's going on the fridge, 10 best healthy foods out there.
salmon. need to eat more of that. 

hello the RHoBH Reunion part 2 and RHoOC Season Premiere :) Tuesdays are about to get even better. 

hello to making a pit stop at hobby lobby this AM for some inspiration.
there's something about fabric that i find very inspiring. 

speaking of fabric, hello to getting my hands on the perfect fabric for abby's 7th birthday party. 

hello to the new paper passion & blossom fans on FB. thank you to those for the sweet compliments. 

hello to finding vendors for stationery. this is exciting. 

what are you saying hello to on this gorgeous monday AM?

hope you have a great Monday!

XOXO,

right now i am…

watching: episodes from last weeks young and the restless. my favorite soapie!

eating:  just finished breakfast. eggs with bacon and lots of coffee. made by the hubby. 

drinking:  mucho cafe!

wearing: basic long sleeve tee, jeans, and jack purcell's. super comfy :)

avoiding: nothing really. the house is del kept. laundry is up to date. work is getting done. 

feeling:  like SuperWoman! I had the best night's sleep. 

missing: nothing. 

thankful: for today. and thankful to have woken up in my hubby's arms. 

weather: COLD! and wet. and perfect for indoor snuggling. 

praying: morning and night, just like my facial cleansing routine! 

needing: a haircut. and some color because i'm not liking the gray hairs. the hubby loves it. what a strange man he is ;)

thinking: and then writing down all my thoughts. is it bad to drive around with my journal on my lap and a pen in my hair? 

looking forward to: movie date night with my BFF. we're going to see The Vow. movie date nights with her are the BEST. we buy almost the whole menu and we eat, laugh, cry, get spooked. she knows my scary movie routines and isn't embarrassed when i put my sweater over my head and take off my eyeglasses so i can't see the movie screen. so this Vino Viernes I will be indulging on popcorn and pickles with my BFF :) so, The Vow. we both love Channing Tatum. i'll have to take some kleenex, maybe 2 boxes because the BFF is PG and i know there will be lots of crying and eating. mucho FUN!

loving: my husband more and more each day. i can't let go somedays. i just want to hold on to him and never let go. he thinks i'm silly but deep inside i know he feels comfort and very loved.

so, that's what happening right now! 

what are you up to right now?

much love,

DIY (birthday party edition)

if you know me but at all then you know that i love to throw parties. if i could i would celebrate the puppies birthdays but they don't have friends so then who would come :( remind me later that i need to get them to socialize.

so like i said Sel loves to celebrate. and i love to do it big. and it all started with sophie. she had a big 1st birthday. over 100 invites were passed out. and i made them myself. so since then, over 9 years go, i have been a bit of the party planner. and over the years i have learned that the sooner you plan and prepare for the party, you won't feel the pressure day of or days leading to the celebration.

for example, abby's 7th birthday is in may but i knew since september 2011 what the theme would be. she wasn't too fond but i finally got her to accept the fact that MOMMY plans, DADDY pays, and CHILD shows up! SIMPLE!

let's rewind back to October 2011. Sophie's Peace Sign Party. Months and months went into planning this affair. I thought I was going to lose my mind but I kept my cool almost the whole party planning process. About 6 months went into planning. Sketches of the dessert/candy table were drawn up. Vendors were contacted. Tshirts were made. Fabric was purchased. Printables were made. BuildABear was booked. ChickFilA was called in for catering. Photographer was booked.

Here are pics (over a 1000 pics were taken)!

with her school friends!

with her little sister!

with the crazy people that paid for this affair parents!

now, here come the pics that show all the effort that was put in. 

tablescape

cake topper

first time i was able to use my Martha Stewart Cake Stands! 

party food! each in it's basket for easy serving. 

Sophie admiring the goodies

cupcake toppers

banner

prepping to sing Happy Birthday!

it was an AMAZING MEMORABLE experience. she said it was her favorite party EVER. she thanked us, gave us big hugs, fell to sleep and i proceeded with some wine. 

she truly deserves it all. she's a great kid. 

her sister abby is the same. she's great. we cannot wait for her party in May. Abby is known for her swimming parties. we built a pool just so we can celebrate her birthday with a huge splash. 

is that love or what?

in all honesty, planning this was not stressful. it took time but if you want an outcome like this then you MUST plan. and the best part is that anyone can do this. seriously? yes! it's so easy. 

currently, i do not offer party styling services. i really do not want to spend my weekends working. and that's the truth. and many have asked me to re-create this same table. while i will not recreate the exact same thing, i would be more than happy to help you plan. i can tell you where to shop for it all. and soon, paper passion will be offering almost everything that you see in the pics, well except for fabric and the candy. i have done my research, have spent countless hours online and on the phone trying to find the best vendors out there and i have already started working with some.

so that's the DIY birthday party edition.
 DIY because I did it all myself. and i won't tell you how much i spent but i did not spend too much.
what cost a lot more was the trip to the BuildABear on the PARTY BUS!

please contact me for any questions.

thank you for stopping by this AM.

peace, 

wiww

and welcome to another edition of wiww. some of you readers may be new so let me explain wiww (so that you won't think that SEL just loves to snap pics of herself). wiww (acronym for what i wore wednesday) is the post i do every wednesday basically to keep accountable for me getting out of my PJ's. By the way I blog in my PJ's then I go shower and get ready for my day. what happens: my oldest daughter takes a pic of me everyday, either i remember or she remembers. she takes a pic of me, preferably in my work studio, then i gather up all (the most i've done is 3/week) pics and post about them once a week. it's fun, especially on days when i don't know what to wear, i simply go back to older posts and just copy the same outfit. yes, i cheat in that way. sometimes i just don't have time to pull an outfit together.

let's get started:
oh and if you're out there commenting that Sel takes pics of herself and consider this post a joke then please do me a favor and stop reading, then get a LIFE! sorry, had to share...

 top: Gap

jeans: New York and Co

Shoes: Gap

Scarf: Gap

 Cardigan: New York and Co

Tank: The Limited

Jeans: Old Navy

Tennis: Nike Shox

Sweater: New York and Co.

Jeans: Forever 21

Scarf: Target

Boots: Uggs

As you can see it's all about keeping it comfy and casual. Not glamourous whatsoever. I'm excited to fold up all my sweaters and cardi's and put them away til next winter. I'm so ready for shorts and sandals. However, I will miss my scarfs. I love them all.

So new to the shop this week are more Blossom Bands in even more colors!
I'm working on a Dukes of Hazzard themed party! FUN!

Tmrw I will post on Sophie's 9th Birthday Party! I keep getting many requests and questions regarding this party. Full-blown post tmrw all about it. Stay tuned!

HUGS, HUGS, HUGS,