I See Snowmen!!

Well, not real ones anyways, but they are still super sweet!  Check out my little snowmen face cupcakes.  I was supposed to use some sort of coarse decorating sugar to make the top look like snow, but I couldn't find any in the grocery store.  So I instead decided to add some tropical flavor and dip the cupcakes in coconut.  They were quite yummy if I do say so myself.  I used chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth and an orange slice for the nose.  The hat was just an oreo cookie I jammed into the cake. 

My Timeless Joy

Sigh...

I must confess that I am a major Hello Kitty fanatic.  To anyone that already knows me, this is not a secret by any means.  But...I just love her.  I don't know what it is about that cute simple face with no mouth, but I adore it on anything from a duffel bag to....whatever you can imagine!  Any possible product you can imagine, there is probably a Hello Kitty version of it.  Don't believe me?  Then check out this website - on SECOND THOUGHT, omg, I'll pass on posting it for now.  There was some Hello Kitty drug paraphanalia that came up first on the list!  No, no, no, I like my Hello Kitty harmless.  Excuse me while I laugh at myself.  I was just thinking to myself before I went to check the link, "I've seen military tanks, I've seen Hello Kitty rifles, I would hate to see some illegal Hello Kitty type products" and bam, there's a cocaine straw! 

Some argue that Hello Kitty actually is a bad role model because she has no mouth.  This is supposed to symbolize that girls should remain quiet and passive.  While I did find that interesting when I read it, I just don't know.  I don't think she would be as cute if she had a mouth.  If anything, I always liked the fact that Hello Kitty doesn't force her emotions on anyone.  For all I know, she could be happy, sad, pissed off.  Damn, if she only had eyebrows!  Now it is just a mystery forever...though I am assuming that when she's a ballerina, schoolgirl, rocker, or dolphin trainer that she's pretty happy.  One would think at least.  I don't know if she's happy when her hot face is toasted onto my bread, but I sure am!

So, to combine my love of cupcakes and Hello Kitty, I attempted to make these cupcakes.  They were a pain in the butt and not nearly like I wanted them to turn out, but I think they still came out cute.  And to throw in an extra one, I made an American flag with cupcakes to celebrate one of my coworkers becoming a U.S. citizen.  Yum!

Beauty and the Beast.....wait a minute!

Image via Wikipedia.  I love this scene! <3

So I was watching my favorite Disney movie "Beauty and the Beast" today, just relaxing and singing my songs.  A scene comes up with Cogsworth talking to the rest of his enchanted clan and I'm thinking, "Hmmm, I don't really remember this part, but maybe I just forgot."  It has been awhile, but yet I have seen this film a million times so it definitely threw me off.  But then they busted into a brand new song!!!  I'll have to look up the title of it but I want to say it was called "Human Again" or something.

Don't get me wrong, it was super cute and catchy.  Dear Disney, you tried to be sneaky but I caught that.  You can't fool me!  Don't you realize that I spent many days during elementary school remembering all of the songs, especially my favorite "Be Our Guest"!?!

It will take some time, but I will get past the shock and learn to accept this new addition to my favorite Disney film....who am I kidding?  I'll probably know all the words by tomorrow... 

Pink here, pink there, pink pink everywhere!

Today I participated in the Central Florida Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure event at the UCF Stadium.  There were soooo many people there, dressed in all shades of pink.  It was a 5k walk, which equals approximately three miles.  I'm not a runner at all so it's a bit misleading for me to say it's my first "race."  I'd classify it better as a leisurely stroll.  I was strollin'.....But it was incredibly awe-inspiring.  I feel honored to have participated in such a great event that raises so much money for cancer research, in addition to raising general awareness about the issue to the community. 

There were cheerleaders lined up all the way throughout the route, cheering us on.  Once we crossed the finish line, we were given these cute pink ribbons with a "Race for the Cure" pin attached to it.  I'm definitely excited to participate in more of these events in the future! 

I love October....and not just because it's my birthday month!  It's a great month for good fun and good causes!

Sunday comics!

The Sunday paper.  I feel like I have not seen this magnificent collection of sales ads and full color comics in such a long time.  This weekend I had access to one and completely forgot how happy I become reading the Sunday comics.  Here are my top ten Sunday comic strips of all time:

#10 - Cathy - Did she ever shut up??  It was always amusing to see her thought bubbles develop into these paragraph long rants.  I'm assuming this is where the phrase "Chatty Cathy" comes from?  For some weird reason, I associate this comic with visits to doctor's offices...I don't know why.

#9 - The Family Circus - What's popping into my head is a circle with the little blonde boy saying something cute to his mom.  I think this comic tried to instill a lot of family values, sometimes to the point of being kind of annoying.  But I liked it.

#8 - Peanuts - How could any list be complete without this classic?  Maybe some would argue that it deserves to be higher in my list, but HEY, this is MY list, okay??  Don't make me throw the football out from under your foot....because I will!

#7 - Hagar the Horrible - Silly Viking family.  Hagar and Helga - pretty funny stuff, though I can't remember too many specifics other than that he was pretty barbaric...

#6 -Garfield - My favorite fat orange cat!  I absolutely loved Odie, even though he looked nothing like a dog and more like a balloon giraffe animal.  And poor Jon, he could never win.  I think my favorite Garfield comics are the ones involving spiders or of him in the backyard by the fence during the night.

#5 - For Better or for Worse - Now this one is a bit of a tearjerker, because you are literally growing up with this family.  When I read the last issue, I was like, "That's Michael?!  But he's big now!"  As if this family is real....But I remember when they lost their family pet dog - that was a rough couple of comics, but very sweet.

#4 - Mutts - Ahhh, I love Mutts!  Not only is the comic cute, but the creator does so much to raise awareness about shelter dogs and cats.  Love love love!

#3 - Rose is Rose - I totally forgot that Rose changes from her housewife role to her bad-ass alter ego biker woman with huge wild hair!  I love how this comic is drawn.  And her son Pasquale and the family cat, Peekaboo, have been great entertainment over the years.  This comic has lots of imagination and they are always escaping into new worlds and fantasies.

#2 - Calvin and Hobbes -  Need I say more?  This could easily be number one for me too.  The idea is so simple.  Calvin has a toy tiger who comes to life (in his mind anyway) and they get into lots of crazy adventures together.  There's nothing like Calvin's facial expressions!

#1 - Mother Goose and Grimm - But alas, this is my absolute favorite!  Grimm the yellow dog, living with his goose of a mom and cat sibling Attila.  Mike Peters is an incredible cartoonist, and I love that he randomly throws in one of his political cartoons. 

What sweet memories!  Maybe I need to order the Sunday paper...

Paws for Peace

In addition to October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month (represented with the purple ribbon).  Dating and domestic violence is an important issue that affects many families.  It affects women, children, and men.  Did you know that 1 in 4 women will become a victim of abuse?  Check out more statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (http://www.ncadv.org/).  It's a scary statistic and in my line of work, I see these situations a lot. 

One area that is gaining more attention is the issue of animal abuse and domestic violence.  This is important for two specific reasons, the first being that abuse towards animals often leads to human violence.  This is a major red flag, and one of the reasons why animal cruelty needs to be dealt with appropriately.  It is not enough to give someone a slap on the wrist for these heinous crimes.  If it is not enough to simply want to stop animal abuse because it is cruel, then it is imperative that we recognize this as a precursor to human violence and abuse. 

The second reason animals play a role in domestic violence is that many women (and men!) may choose to stay in an abusive relationship for fear of leaving their pets behind because most shelters do not accept pets. An abusive partner may attempt to retaliate against the other by trying to harm or kill the pet.  Not wanting to place their beloved pets at risk, abused owners are willing to sacrifice their own well-being.

Harbor House, the Orange County domestic violence shelter, is trying to do their part to solve this problem.  They are currently in the process of building kennels on their shelter property.  This will allow those who are fleeing domestic violence situations the opportunity to bring their pets along with them during their escape.  This will be the first program of its kind in Florida, and I am so excited!!

To further raise awareness about the link and the new kennels, Harbor House and the American Humane Association hosted 'Paws for Peace' at Lake Eola.  It was an awesome event.  I brought my dog, Jerry, along and he had a blast.  There were dogs of every size, shape, and color.  It was so great to see dogs wearing purple doggie bandanas to show support for domestic violence awareness.  It was a sight to see. 

If you're interested in donating to help Harbor House build their kennels, visit http://www.harborhousefl.com/give-help/help-us-build-a-kennel/

Jerry sporting his DV awareness bandana.

Hey Bullwinkle, where's Rocky?

I made some moose cupcakes for my friend Christey's dad's birthday.  Here's some pictures.  They took awhile because I had to melt chocolate to make the antlers and have them set in the fridge.  Then I had to attach twinkies to the cupcakes and then dip them in melted chocolate frosting and let them set as well.  So I didn't get a chance to make a whole lot of them.  They were one of the more difficult cupcake designs in my book.  I'm thinking I could change them up at Christmas time and possibly make reindeer. 

Tootsie Rolls were used for the ears

I'll have to try a squirrel cupcake next in honor of Rocky the flying squirrel from one of my favorite shows as a kid, "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle."

Cupcake Challenge

I love this new book I recently bought called "What's New, Cupcake?" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.  I am determined to make all of the cupcakes listed in the book.  I know it is a dangerous mission...having cupcakes around constantly can't possibly be good.  But maybe if I deliver and make them for enough people, I can become known as the 'Cupcake Fairy.'  These are two I've made so far.

Koi fish!

Marshmallow circus peanuts, M&M's, and Apple Jack cereal.



Cherry Pies!

I used Skittles, yummy.

Check back often as I'll post new pictures.  Happy baking!

Confessions of a Real Curly Q

By no means is this a hair blog, but the other day I just tried to search for some new products online and all of these zillion blogs and YouTube channels popped up!  I guess I shouldn't be surprised since I was trying to find a video on how to best section my hair for straightening.  Gasp!  Yes, I'm a naturally curly-haired girl that sold out for a few days...but it all got me to thinking about some hair memories from the back in the day and not so back in the day. 

Mullet Fiasco -  Honestly, when I was little, I didn't even really have curly hair.  I had thick, black, shiny wavy hair.  As a baby, I had a mop of black hair on my head but unlike what most people think, I did not have curls spiraling out of my scalp at that time.  It wasn't until I got to about pre-k that my hair's texture changed and it became what I like to call "POUFY."  Of course when you're little and getting ready for school, your mom usually does your hair, but in my case, let's go ahead and include my father and...what the heck, my brother that is only three years older than me.  Ah, what fond memories.  Let's see, mom usually brushed all the curls out and gave me a high side ponytail.  With hair down all the way to my butt, I just remember my head banging up and down and screaming "OWWW!!" like millions of other kids.  But oh, my dad was the king of the braid.  It never failed.  If my dad had to do my hair, it was a braided ponytail on the side of my head.  Or better yet, maybe two or three separate braids braided or twisted into one large braid!!  But the best story is when I got my bangs cut.  JUST FYI - getting bangs cut on someone with curly hair is a BAD IDEA.  But let me continue - I didn't get your average bangs, I don't know what the stylist was thinking but she basically gave me a hispanic mullet.  My hair was poufy on the top of my head and then my long hair was in the back.  It was awful, AWFUL I tell you (and no, I am not going to post a picture of it!)  So the only way to live through this travesty was to try and curl my already curly hair with a curling iron before school everyday.  One lucky day my brother got to do it for me when no one else was home.  I got burned about four different places on my head, ears, and face that day - just wonderful.  Don't call DCF by the way...I mean really, that woman that cut my hair should have had to pay suffer some type of consequence.

Hair = What are You? - Ahh, yes, my experience with having curly hair is that most people like to use it as a way to ask you about your race and ethnicity.  Not an issue with me at all, just that the automatic assumptions and responses I get make me laugh sometimes.  Going to the beach is fun - no really, I'm a 'let my hair down and get in the water' type of girl.  Problem is that when I get out of the water, my hair tends to resemble Diana Ross at its biggest.  Being a little girl with big hair at the beach made me look somewhat off-balance, almost like I was a little witch or a troll (but hopefully a really cute one!).  And for whatever reason, people would automatically just start guessing what I was, with Jamaican being a popular answer, mon.

Stop Crying!  -  Hands down one of the most superficially terrifying experiences I had in my life was when I accidentally used a regular brush (not a round one mind you) and rolled it up all the way to my scalp.  And it wouldn't budge.  It was freakin' stuck in that spot and I was about to call 911 to get some paramedics to come to my house and work some magic.  My dad actually was able to work the brush out of my hair by some miracle, but never again will I do that.  Never again.  I really thought it was going to have to be cut out of my hair and I was going to have to go to school with a big bald spot on the right side of my head.  Now if that had happened today I could just go to the mall and get an amazing wig or hairpiece from one of the little kiosks in the aisles, but alas, those were different days.

Rat Tail - In fourth grade, my teacher was Mrs. De'Esposito and she had this cute little short hair cut.  I went home one day to my mom telling her that I just had to cut my hair short like hers.  Didn't I understand that my hair was curly though?  Did I really want to take such a big risk (remember the mullet?)?  Yes, yes I wanted to do it.  So she took me and I specificially described what I wanted, including the...rat tail.  Now, I had (and still have) a habit of describing things incorrectly or using the wrong words.  Of course it wasn't a long rat tail, but more just the little shaved point at the base of the neck.  Thankfully, she knew what I was talking about.  And that is how I fell in love with shorter hair.  The correct term for it is the bob, which I currently have now, though not nearly so short that I would need a "rat tail."  The term for back then was more of a "mushroom cut."  But a cute bob now definitely makes the curls more bounc-AY!

Glamour Shots - Remember when you could wear red feathers in a red sparkly background, or a faux fur coat and feel like a real model?  In the Danbury Mall, my mother and I did it together and the woman curled and basically fluffed up my hair as big it would go.  This was Connecticut, not the South mind you, but whatever.  Well, guess what?  The pictures we ordered came in but the big, main picture we ordered was bent in the corner.  So we reordered and the picture actually got put up on the wall in the store.  It was one of the pictures in the fake film strip that lined the top of the wall in the entire store.  We'd walk in the mall and there'd it be like we were some real models.  It was up for over a year and although the thought makes me cringe a bit now, maybe my horrendous pouf actually inspired some misguided soul to do the same with her hair. 

Gel...A Lot, yo - Once I got to middle school, I decided that I could do my own hair.  All I needed was some gel and hair spray.  Ugh, my typical hair style was either half-up/half-down or a ponytail, with....ONE lone long curl on the right side of my face.  I just look back now and think how my hair probably felt like a helmet, and how that one curl in the front was really a major danger to me in Science class with all of the bunsen burners around...

Poodle Prom - If I could have a hair do-over for junior prom, I would gladly take it.  My brother's girlfriend at the time was supposed to do my hair but she got sick and was unable to come over.  The only place available for me to get my hair done was by Publix.  This woman made my hair look like nothing less of a bird's nest, and I am not exaggerating.  Too shocked to speak, we left the 'salon' and I rushed into the bathroom and quickly tried to fix the problem.  I ended up washing my hair and just slicking it back as best I could.  I tried to keep on a smiley face, but ugh, it was a terrible updo.  I learned my lesson for senior prom and did a run-through of my hair on a previous appointment.  Smooth sailing that year.

Over the years, my hair has also supplied me with an endless array of Halloween costume ideas.  And it has never failed to entertain my friends or rise to the challenge of crazy dares (walk out in the streets of Denver with it as big as it can go?  SURE! Let's go!)

I can only imagine the things I will have to say when I look back on the present.  But love it or hate it, I think I'll stay curly.  Too much time and hassle to straighten, plus this is me.  Poufy hair and all.  I love it even when it may not love me back that day.

TAFA Conference 2010

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the 2010 Taking Action for Animals Conference in Washington, D.C., which was hosted by the Humane Society of the United States. It involved two of my favorite things - animals and people that love them! It really was a great experience where I got to meet a lot of new people, attend a variety of different workshops on issues I care strongly about, learn about various organizations and new opportunities, and explore the wonderful, beautiful D.C. area.


There were some amazing speakers during the opening session. One of my favorites was Nigel Barker - yes, of 'America's Next Top Model' fame. He spoke of the Canadian seal hunt. It was pretty hard to hear some things that he said, not that I didn't already know what was going on, but when someone who's actually seen it says it again, it just makes you so upset. He actually went up there to film the seals and the seal hunt. At times, I did lose focus as cute little fluffy white seals appeared on the screens onstage, eliciting impromptu "Awwwwww's" from me during his speech. But Nigel was serious. Nigel meant business. I really admire all of the work he has done. It is so refreshing to see celebrities genuinely care about something, and you could tell that Nigel really cared about this seal hunt. He said something that I won't forget. Being a fashion photographer, Nigel really enjoyed being able to use his skills to photograph wildlife. He said that he could not always take a beautiful picture of a person, even if they were all glammed up and looked beautiful on the outside. However, he could always take a beautiful picture of an animal. I couldn't agree more. He took some great pictures and had them available in the exhibit hall for signing and a meet and greet. He signed one of the pictures for me and.....I got a picture with this beautiful person!


Most of the sessions I chose to attend involved animal cruelty and laws/prosecution. There are a lot of issues out there concerning animals (horse slaughter, farm animal welfare, animals in labs, etc.) Most of the issues I am most passionate about are ones concerning companion animals/pets. I'm very interested in the legal aspect of it all and making these animal abusers pay for the heinous crimes they have committed. If someone abuses or neglects an animal, how do you think they are going to treat their children or their spouse? It is all a cycle of violence and there is a solid connection between violence to animals and violence to humans. All of the presentations were excellent, including the one where a panel of animal lawyers spoke about different cases and laws concerning different species. I also attended a dogfighting and urban outreach workshop, which was just pure awesomeness. What these people are doing to stop this horrible practice is truly inspiring. However, I am really excited to start learning more in depth about all of the issues and I will be using this blog to post information.




I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit out of place at the conference. One of the biggest causes of my anxiety was that I am neither a vegan or a vegetarian. I love animals, but I do eat meat. Most of the people that I told this to were very understanding and were very kind and open to giving me suggestions on small steps I can take. I am definitely willing to participate in "Meat Out Mondays" but I honestly know (or at least I don't think so) will ever be able to stop eating meat. This doesn't make me any less of an animal lover. I am against factory farming and inhumane treatment of farm animals. I do want chickens to be able to spread their wings and be free of cages. I want cows to be free and eat green grass. I don't want pigs stuck in a pen where they can't move. But there is such a thing as humane slaughter. I know there are some that would disagree with this statement, but I believe it to be true. Temple Grandin is an autistic woman who has done some amazing work in slaughterhouses, identifying things that can be done to make cows more comfortable and less afraid. We should not subject them to needless suffereing and cruelty. There are things that can be done to make the process better and more humane. Temple's book, "Animals in Translation" is amazing. The information she has gathered about animals and how they experience and perceive things around them blew me away. And guess what I learned at the conference? Temple Grandin loves cattle yet she still eats meat, beef included.


Now I'm not saying that I don't agree with vegetarianism or veganism. I just think it is hard for some people to make that transition. I would love to try out some vegan and vegetarian recipes because all of the food served at the conference was vegan and I was never disappointed. It all was quite tasty. Small steps need to be taken and I fully intend to start buying more organic and free-range items. I actually look forward to blogging about new recipes I will try, ala Julie and Julia. But if someone tried to tell me that I don't truly care about animal welfare if I eat meat, I just might completely lose my composure.




Like I said, I am really interested in learning as much as I can about everything so that I can make others aware. It felt so good to be a part of a conference where people shared some of my similar views. It was also pretty awesome meeting other people who also became very excited when a random dog was being walked on the street. Ah yes, these are my kindred spirits.

While in D.C., I was able to visit some of the monuments. I made friends with a girl who also graduated from the same university as me. She was awesome and very passionate about whales and dolphins - my kind of person. We visited the White House (or saw it at least), the World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, the Washington Monument, Embassy Row, and others. It was a ridiculously hot weekend (as comedian Hal Sparks commented during the banquet, "Thank you for throwing this conference when the sun is closest to D.C....lol). There also were like a million Boy Scouts all over the district (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit there).




I also went to the National Zoo. My main concern was getting to two exhibits: the pandas and the gorillas. The pandas were asleep when I first sauntered my way over, so I left and went to see the goriallas. There was supposed to be a baby gorilla but I only saw the adult searching for insects in the grass. Too bad I didn't get to the see the baby. As I rounded my way back, I went to the pandas again and this time one was awake and walking around. I got several pictures and left the zoo feeling quite happy, especially since I had also gotten the chance to see red pandas, which look like a combination of fox, bear, and raccoon. They are super cute.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. No matter what, I will always be a voice to animals that cannot speak for themselves.

And so I left on a jetplane, back to the real world - missing the doggies

It's been exactly one week since I flew back from Puerto Rico. It was a great trip that was captured very well on my new camera. I'm very satisifed with my Nikon camera purchase. The pictures just came out so bright and vivid - I took plenty, which is fine by me. So to summarize the remainder of the trip....we visited El Yunque, which is the only rainforest in the U.S. Forest Service. I love this place so much. We hiked the Big Tree Trail that led to La Mina Falls. You could hear people in the distance so we knew when we were getting close to the waterfall. Once we got there though, I didn't realize just how MANY people were already in the pools of water and under the waterfall. It didn't matter though. My plan was to bring my bathing suit and find a possible changing place before taking off on the trail but there was no place to change. So I figured I would just admire the waterfall from a distance. But oh no, once I saw that waterfall there was no going back. I was going to get in that water - regular clothes on and everything. So very slowly I started to dip myself in the water. You have to realize that this river water is ice cold. But oddly enough, once I submerged myself completely, I acclimated pretty quickly (more so than when I've dunked myself in a cold ocean). I splashed around in the waterfall and this is what the vacation was all about. Waterfalls, relaxation.....peace. Once I stepped out, I felt so refreshed...so clean. I dried off quickly and it was definitely worth it. We hiked back, visited one of the Towers and the other waterfall, La Coca Falls, and ate at the only eatery. It was a great day. El Yunque will always be a destination I want to visit whenever I am in Puerto Rico.

Now let me tell you about the sato dogs of the island. These are basically the stray mutts roaming the streets. And they are everywhere. It makes me so sad, just seeing them all over the place like that. There aren't that many animal welfare/rescue organizations but they are slowly starting to appear. I had to restrain myself from trying to pet and save every dog (or cat) I saw. There was one light colored shepard mix that was roaming around the town square area in Ponce. It was the funniest thing. I would be on one street, he'd pass by and then I kept seeing him at random times just passing in front of this store, going down that street....we were just always crossing paths. He (or she!) looked happy though, which is the main feature of these dogs. They are incredibly friendly and well-behaved. I don't know why that is exactly. You would think having a rough life being dirty and having to scrounge around for your food and sleep under cars hoping someone's not going to kick you or shoo you away would make you mean or at least skittish. But they aren't, they are very friendly pooches. Though I must say I did witness someone do something unkind to a dog, though not cruel....I did get very upset at what I saw though and had to restrain myself from saying something to this OFFENDER, but this guy aggresively threw his entire bottle of water onto the CUTEST little black puppy for no reason other than that the puppy was sniffing out some food. So what did I do? I lured the puppy over to me and gave him some of my food. He had the biggest ears - he was genuinely so adorable. However, he ended up following us down the pier and towards the beach. We eventually lost him once another large crowd of people came across him. I would have taken him home if I could. Then there was another black puppy when we tried to visit the Camuy Caverns. The cutest little black puppy...people were feeding him cheerios. I eventually picked him up myself for a quick pet. I'm sorry but yes, I happen to pick up stray animals, call me gross I don't care. His mother eventually came around and the little one bounded towards her to start nursing. So sweet. One more dog story - while we were at the beach swimming in Rincon, I look over to my left and there's a big hairy...DOG swimming in the ocean next to me. I thought that was hilarious. The dog was also a sato but the owners of a local surf shop basically adopted him and another local dog so they hang around the beach a lot. When the owners of the shop left to take some people on a boat ride, the dog came over and sat in the sand facing the ocean, just waiting for his owners to return. Again, it was a sweet scene. It actually was in Rincon where I saw the advertisement for the local rescue group. There is also another site called http://www.saveasato.org/. It's really sad to see the amount of homeless dogs on the island. I also once read that there exists a Dead Dog Beach. I don't even want to know where that is. Maybe I'll go back to Puerto Rico one day and establish an animal organization. I love those dogs....

Sad to say though, it's time to face the real world and work again. Everything's good, just looking forward to the next refreshing adventure.

It was a great trip filled with fun and family, more stuff than I can remember to even write in my blogs.

Mayaguez, Rincon, and San Juan

This little sticker definitely sums it up for the city of Rincon, also known as the "City of Beautiful Sunsets." But before I talk about Rincon, let me back up a bit. After we left Ponce, we made our way to the west coast to Mayaguez where our hotel was located. When we got there, we started seeing all of these "Mayaguez 2010" stickers, t-shirts, and other kinds of products with an Olympic looking torch logo. Curious, we asked what was going on and this girl told us that the Olympics were being held here this year. Ummmm...I'm sorry, but I don't think that's right. But she insisted that it was indeed the Olympics. Not wanting to argue, we left knowing that that was not the right answer. We eventually left and found out that what actually was taking place is the Central American and Caribbean Games, which will take place later this summer. Well, that makes much more sense. If the Olympics were held here, I think the whole island would be taken over.


Part of the reason we stayed in Mayaguez was because it is relatively close to Rincon, a popular beach town known for its surfing and big waves. The city is really beautiful. We ate dinner, watched the sunset, and went down to the beach the next day. Puerto Rico will get random rainstorms that pass through and then let up, so there were a couple of times where we had to run out from the water and duck under some palm trees while it passed. We met a Puerto Rican surfer with long dreads and the whole relaxed surfer vibe. The world surfing championships have been held here on more than one occassion. Rincon is not your San Juan or Miami-esque beach resort town. It had a quiet and relaxed vibe. The beaches are lined with palm trees and other native trees, and there are many cliffs and rocky coves. It's the type of place you could see yourself just chilling and going to the beach everyday, letting the sun slowly turn your hair golden from all the seawater and sunshine. Ahh, Rincon...the road to happiness. You just have to visit to understand.

After two days on the west coast, we made our way over to San Juan for the last leg of our trip. We tried to go visit the caverns in Camuy but one of the trolleys down to the cave broke and it was going to be another hour we had to wait before we could go on the tour. So we got our money back and kept going. It was such a shame because we've been to the caves before and I was really excited to get some great pictures on my camera, but that was just too long of a wait. And it definitely is not easy to get to either. It is in the mountains so we drove through miles of winding roads that looked down the mountainside. Kinda scary at times, but mostly just awe-inspiring. Oh well, no 'Ferngully' moment this trip, but I'll always remember how pretty those caves were.

So now we are in San Juan. We went to El Morro, the main fort in Old San Juan. The streets are cobblestone and the buildings are different colors. You just feel like you're walking in another time. There is a huge lawn in front of El Morro and they sell kites for kids to fly since the ocean breeze makes it a perfect kite-flying kind of place. Got some great shots of the fort and the ocean overall. We ate at a restaurant and had some more pina coladas. Let me tell you - they just don't make them like this in the states. It was delicioussss......mmmmm. Then we get out of the restaurant and there's a sign basically stating that this restaurant was the birthplace of the pina colada with some other info. I would hope they aren't lying.....so that's pretty cool - no wonder it was so good.


Well, it's late. I feel like I am missing out on so many details of my trip but I can't remember everything as I type. Tomorrow we are headed to El Yunque, the rainforest. This is my favorite part and I'm looking forward to rivers, waterfalls, trees, butterflies....nature at its best. Goodnight!

Hola Ponce!

I made it safely to Puerto Rico on a red eye flight from Orlando to Ponce. Talk about a long day...I did get to sleep a few hours on the plane and I actually enjoyed flying at night with the cabin dark and quiet. We flew in to Ponce, which is on the southern coast of the island - "The Pearl of the South," rather than San Juan, which is in the northeast. There are plenty of mountains covering the whole island. It really is beautiful and I just had to start practicing my photography skills with my new camera!

On the first day, we went and visited the city's town center, where we immediately stopped by and got some delicious ice cream from this famous vendor. I had pineapple, and mmmmm....I have to admit it beat out Jeremiah's gelato's...I know, I know! There are plenty of sweets in Puerto Rico, from piraguas (which are basically ice and syrup) to limbers (more cool icy ice creaminess). Yummy....it's hard to control how many you eat when you are so freakin' HOTTT!!! Oh my goodness, I definitely took air conditioning for granted. I'm sweating bullets and then pass out for a nap just from the heat...ahh, island life. Anyways, we visited La Parque de Bombas, which is the first fire station in Ponce. It is quite the landmark and very unique. It's painted black and red and it's been one of the main fixtures of the city for centuries.

Next, it was off to visit family. Lots of family...I should have prepared myself for the questions: Do you have a boyfriend? When are you going to have babies? AAHHHHHH, note to self: next time I come to Puerto Rico, I need to come bearing children. Hahaha, nonononono, at least not yet. It is a little weird seeing most of my cousins who are my age or younger with their kids. I did have a moment where I got a little pang inside my chest like, "This could be my child." One day, one day....

We went to a pier near the beach called La Guancha. It was nice just strolling around eating empanadillas.....and being eaten by mosquitoes!!! I must say, it's really attractive walking around smelling like bug spray. "What am I wearing? Well, I must say it's this fabulous new scent...it's called 'OFF' and it comes in the most darling orange spray bottle!" No matter how many mosquitoes you swat away, they still find you. I can't even count how many bites I already have, but it's okay. There was the sweetest little black puppy that ended up following me around, but I will leave that for a separate posting because there are enough stray dogs in Puerto Rico to create a blog in and of itself. I feel very badly for these dogs and often am saving up my food and water so I can feed them whenever I get a chance. I've been taking their pictures randomly (for practice for my pet photography business, wink-wink). But man, that black puppy was a cutie.

Today we went and visited the Indian Ceremonial Park in Tibes. The Taino Indians of Puerto Rico built this and can you believe that a man that owned the property did not even know that it was on his land? It wasn't until a hurricane blew through the island one year did the ceremonial grounds reveal themselves under piles of earth and rock...pretty amazing. Got to take lots of pictures of the rocks and trees and rivers, but again, it was freakin' hot. I don't burn easily, but my shoulders are definitely red.

Tonight we went and spent the evening just sitting outside on the front porch of my aunt's house. Mosquito suicide, tell me about it. But it was nice just sitting out and talking, breeze blowing through the mountains, the sound of the coqui (small tree frog in PR) in the trees, dogs barking, cars racing up and down the street, and then some random people riding up the hill on horses, and OH YEAH...a random streetside sermon being delivered by someone that I think I am going to have nightmares about tonight. But just sitting out, being with family - all these little things make me realize how it's all the little things that matter. Doesn't matter how much money you have, how big your house is - if you surround yourself with love and family and good times, that's all that matters. It reminded me of how we used to spend time in Waterbury, always outside, always a party - big mouths, big appetites, big love. All in all, Ponce (named after Ponce de Leon - and the city mascot is the lion) has been wonderful. Now we are off to Mayaguez and Rincon for a few days before we head to San Juan. Peace and love.

Pictures above - 1: The Flamboyan - tree of Puerto Rico. It's really beautiful and I don't think this picture does it justice. The orangey-red flowers really look like flames. 2: This is Puerto Rico's national flower. I don't remember what the name is. 3: One of the many mountain views of the island.

Oh, the sweet anticipation!

My first "real" blog...how exciting! And by putting real in quotations, it just means that in my mind, my old MySpace ones simply don't count. So I've decided to try this out and just type and send out my thoughts to whoever may want to waste some time and read this. The anonymity of being able to just post my thoughts and let complete strangers from near and far possibly read it is quite refreshing.

So what should I write about in this first entry? Hmmm, well, I am always quite interested in seeing the different names of everyone's blogs. I tried several different things but everything was taken. But aha! 'Feathers in My Hair' was not! So why did that pop into my head of all things?  No, I'm not trying to make any type of Pocahontas reference, nor did I get into a pillow fight or tickle a bird to death.  I'm not sure, but it made me smile at the moment and here's why:


A friend of mine recently got married and had a beautiful church ceremony. I'm sitting in the pews quietly when I suddenly notice a huge division in my line of sight. Half of the church had women with these wildly wonderful feather things in their hair, and the other half didn't. My friend is from England so all of her female family members had these in their hair because apparently it is an English tradition to wear these to weddings. Oooh, I was so jealous. If only I could pull off such a unique and beautiful look. Granted, I was sitting there with my American version of a little tiny black feather in my hair, which only blended in with my already black hair. There I was...dreaming about having some crazy white feathers poking up all over my head when I asked what they were called. The answer: fascinators! Fascinators! Even better that such a fascinating thing (at least to me) be called just that. Again, this made me smile :)


Another reason I love feathers is simply because I love birds. Pets in all shapes, forms, species, breeds, and colors have lived with me in my life, but I have always had a very special bond with birds. They are incredibly smart and lovable - which I think most people do not realize.  I have a beautiful little kiwi fruit sized parrotlet, appropriated named Kiwi for her bright green color.  Then I have a cockateil who, well, is not friendly at all - and she's freakin' 18 years old or something.  Oh well, I still love her even if she only relies on me to give her food.


And lately, I have been thinking of getting a tattoo. I keep going back and forth with what I would want to get. Honestly, I am not sure that I would ever get a tattoo. It's just kind of an idea at this point, one that will probably never happen. But if I did, I would want a tiny feather. Feathers help birds fly (not all birds can fly though, I know) but the idea of flight always symbolized freedom, peace, and just pure joy to me. So if it were up to me, it'd be feathers, feathers everywhere! But alas, the feathers will just have to settle for some space...in my hair.