It must be (so)... liberating

feeling crafty: felt birds

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:24:00 +0000

feeling crafty: diy cute lace candle holders

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 12:25:00 +0000

feeling crafty: felt animals

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:53:00 +0000

As I told you on my last post, I decided to dedicate some of my time to crafting. I started with the cute lady bug you can find on my blog button. My husband loved it :)

Here's the image, in case you're interested.
I've also found lots of cute patterns such as this one, but I decided to simplify it a bit.

This is the cat I started yesterday. I haven't had the time to finish it yet. I pretty much googled for images of cats - and as you can tell, it's not that difficult to use any kind of drawing as a pattern. I embroidered its face so it'd look exactly like the cat in the drawing.

source: cat

getting ready for fall - part two

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 23:03:00 +0000

3. Start some craft projects. I've decided to dedicate some time during this week to start some craft projects, including some things I saw on Pinterest that absolutely inspired me.

I love the idea of decorating my baby girl's bedroom with these cute butterflies. Aren't they beautiful? I just love butterflies...

And what about these cute baby owls?? I found them here. It looks perfectly doable, doesn't it? Oh, and I love that you can download the template which makes it a lot easier for us beginners. I have already started this one. I'll be posting pictures soon :)

These are some other stuff I'd love to try sometime soon:

source: images

getting ready for fall

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 13:53:00 +0000

You know the weather has changed when one day you go off to work in the morning only to realize you have drastically underdressed. That happened to me about two weeks ago and, though there were lots of hot days in between, now I guess I can say this new season has finally come to stay.

I love cold weather - and as much as I'm a huge winter fan, I also love fall. Chilly weather, woolen blankets, beautiful colors and... rain. Who doesn't love rain? Ok, I know many people who hate it, but I personally find it invigorating, cleansing and romantic. And maybe sad, but a good sad. It is raining outside right now and I love that smell. I opened the window and it left me shivering, wishing I was wearing something a little warmer. I'll have to make sure to enjoy these few days (maybe a month) when you can still leave the windows open for a while and not freeze instantly.

So, now I know that I have to start preparing for this new life as a mom. I guess the nine months of pregnancy are probably nature's way of telling you to prepare, but many of us end up choosing not to. I was still going to work until very recently and the only thing my husband and I actually did was to prepare the home for the baby - including clothes, of course - which is no easy task, if you ask me.

Anyway.. with this new autumn baby in the house, this brand new mom will have to learn a hundred thousand different things in the first few weeks, one of them being the ability to relax under the all-so-new extreme stressful circumstances. And that's why I felt the urge to finally start preparing for this new season in life. And I found these things might as well help:

1. I've learned in prenatal classes that exercising with a gym ball is a great way to get your pelvic floor muscles back into shape after giving birth. If that's true, it's pretty awesome because I've already bought one to help myself relax and try get back into shape sooner than later. And I find it extremely relaxing to simply sit on the ball and move my hips while watching tv. And it's nice that there are so many easy exercises you can do with it later on as well.

2. Buy different scented candles. My husband and I love them and we often light candles on the weekends after cleaning up and while having dinner. I personally love the ones we can find at Ikea. They are beautiful as decoration and they smell great (and they're so cheap!) - it is amazing how you can change the atmosphere of a room just by lighting a candle. It gives it such a welcoming feel. I often buy the pink and red ones that smell like flowers and he prefers the white vanilla scented candles. In addition to the ones we already buy, I made sure to bring some different kinds this time as well.

to be continued...

my newest obsession

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 20:07:00 +0000

nails and nail polish.
these are my most recent purchases. i desperately want to move towards something a little bolder, though, like light blue and appley green, but it's still hard for me to feel comfortable wearing these colors. does it happen to anyone else or is it just me?

these are some of the looks i love.
what do you think?

source: images

once upon a fall...

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:52:00 +0000

I must say I don't really know what to expect after giving birth in terms of clothing, but I'm hoping to buy lots of it as soon as possible. My baby girl is due in three weeks and I've probably bought more clothes for her than she will ever be able to wear before she grows out of them.. but the thing is I NEED to do some serious shopping for me. I desperately need to buy myself some new clothes since my fall/winter closet is pretty much empty and/or outdated. I have already started from scratch by putting away all the items my husband and I are going to donate so I can rebuild a new wardrobe with some nice stuff that works best.

So I've been looking up photos in order to inspire my mind.

I've been looking up clothes, styles, accessories... anything to help me shop accordingly. Here are some wonderful things I found that I think could definitely work. What do you think?

source: images

36 weeks pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:28:00 +0000

being pregnant is exhausting.

no, i'm not complaining - it's just a fact. doctor appointments, shopping for baby clothes, diapers, bottles, etc. and when you finally think you have pretty much everything taken care of, there's always something else to do like packing a hospital bag which i promise is NOT easy. i mean, why can't everybody just agree on what is really necessary? i can't imagine needing everything on these lists while we are at the hospital. but, since it's our first baby, well.. i guess we'll have to trust them, right?

anyway.. now i'm doing a little prep to get birth announcement cards out as soon as possible before baby arrives. i'd never thought it'd be so hard to pick out a design - there are so many cute ones online that it is so difficult for me to narrow them down.

we're so excited and hope our little girl comes soon.

this might be just what i was looking for

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I thought this might be just what I was looking for—definitely new and different. What a great idea!

Source: weheartit.com via luisa on Pinterest

if i lived in rome...

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:57:00 +0000

... this is where you'd find me.

and i would speak with my hands.
purple curtains. the boldest thing ever.

source: rome

this is me, ladies and gentlemen

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:27:00 +0000

Well, I was raised with certain beliefs that I once dared to completely rebel against only to eventually end up failing miserably [oh, those bittersweet teenage years...]. But don't worry: I am not going to discuss different political viewpoints on anything right now: I hardly ever miss an opportunity like this, though. But just for this once, I think I'll just pass.

Anyway, with the current discussion that has been going on all around for the past few weeks now, in terms of political debates, finances and all, I have come to notice how unbelievably shallow ~~people~~ conversations have become. And because I've always tried to come up with a solid basis for every political thought I think, I've also decided a long time ago to leave the superficial critical road for the less dangerous and (proven to be) more delightful path of common sense.

See, I have this weird idea that we are responsible for our own well-being; that we are responsible, as fully grown and capable human beings that we are, to take care of ourselves and our own. And I have come to despise some of these everyday whiny speeches that ramble on and on about how miserable we all are because of what our politicians did or did not do. I mean... seriously, people: I am now old enough to say I've turned out alright in spite of every single president and their administrations. Of course there are a few things here and there they can do to move the needle, but at the end of the day, we are the ones to really do something with our lives or not.

Some of you are waiting on the current government to fix your life, or maybe the removal of the these guys to fix your life. But it’s not gonna happen. And you know that, don't you? But you call that 'being politically engaged'. And you think you’ve got this thing all figured out... yeah, right. Seriously! I, on the other hand, feel like some people have become so incredibly indifferent to their surroundings that they seem to not be able to think and process information anymore (and often whining becomes their only intelligible form of communication). These people have no genuine opinions on anything. And it is mostly because, at the end of the day, they simply don't care. They think they do, but they really don't. And though they may think their speech is actually going to cause everybody to think they're sooo deep, it's not. Politics is no different than real life.

And I really believe we all should have a lot more in common than we do right now...

It's never been wise to wait on a small number of people to decide upon your future. You wouldn't let your parents do that, so you certainly should not wait on some strangers on a suit to do that for you. And I am aware of the fact that the recession has had an impact on most of our lives. It has happened many times before and we'll get over it. I'm not saying you have no right to be mad; of course you do. I am! But what are are you going to do about it? Are you going to wait for the government to fix your household? Are you really going to wait for them to send you a check? Or maybe you're waiting for them to cut some taxes and then you will become rich.

Don't get me wrong: I strongly believe it's a good thing when good people are in Office. I appreciate that and I want them to do a good job. But I hate it when politicians of both parties start acting like they're in touch with the little men when all they do is talk and no action... Sometimes I feel like all they do is focus on developing talking points to argue with each other, to position themselves. Their job is to govern but we all know it is all about lots of campaigning and just a little governing.

So please don't learn to accept and live to wait for them to do what you should be doing anyway. And don't instantly discard stuff that somehow doesn't match your beliefs. Our human nature is always looking for somebody to blame.

the best way to start the day

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:11:00 +0000

breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day. i read here that there's something to be said for waking up slow over cheery striped napkins and a simple breakfast just a few blocks from home. and i absolutely agree.

actually, this is pretty much what our saturday morning breakfast looks like (minus the striped napkins, of course, since you should know here in spain our very best coffee shops are also the cheapest):

but there's really nothing like a nice hotel breakfast...

a word on blogging (and blog jealousy)

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:46:00 +0000

i have always been a blog reader. and i really love blogs; i love everything about them. and some people... well, they're just so talented!

sometimes i wish i was a better blogger. i wish i could find enough time to just sit down and write. or maybe not - actually, i wish it would all come so freaking naturally to me that i wouldn't even have to find the time to update this blog more regularly. it would be just another daily routine like taking a bath or brushing your teeth.

the thing is i'm almost never completely satisfied with what i write. i guess i have always been so overly judgmental about my own work ~~(and everyone else's work as well, but especially my own)~~ that i end up discarding a whole lot of great ideas because they might not be good enough.

i am the only reason i haven't enjoyed blogging in a very long time.

if every time i had an idea for a post, i would just sit down and share it, i would probably be one of the most active bloggers in the blogosphere. during these past three months, i must have thought about a hundred million things to say. but i was always tired (blame it on the pregnancy!) and, to be honest, i didn't feel creative enough to even log in and start writing.

i have been comparing my non-existing blogging skills to those of the superb.loggers out there and it is so frustrating... i know i probably shouldn't do that, but it's pretty damn hard not to! talk about blog jealousy!

yet, i bumped into an amazing quote by ira glass this morning.

it made my day.

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take a while. It’s normal to take a while. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
― Ira Glass

some news!

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:04:00 +0000

i'm back!
oh, I know. i've been absent for quite some time... 3 months and 5 days. give or take :)

i never planned to completely neglect this blog (or at least not for 3 months and 5 days), but hey.. it happened and i can only apologize for being so slack. and i haven't been reading my favorite blogs either.

but now i'm back.

and pregnant.
18 weeks pregnant! which means the baby is probably going to arrive by october.

valentine's day

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:06:00 +0000

I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.

Brian Andreas

i have a date tonight with my husband.
we've decided on frozen pizza & wine. (and a movie)

i really can't think of a better way to spend valentine's day.

it's freezing cold outside.
i love it.

source: old couple

i've always loved sad stories

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:03:00 +0000

i am not a sad person. maybe a little bitter sometimes. but definitely not sad.
sad stories are pretty much irresistible to me, though.
and you should probably know i don't really care for happy endings.
[only in real life.] but never in movies.
they seem quite fake to me.
sometimes i feel like i need to tell people what happy endings are really like.

for happy endings to be truly happy, they often carry a little sadness within.

and i enjoy a little sadness in life.
for it is expected and imperative.
and it also has this inevitable binding force
that makes you notice the good side of life.

and i have such an ambivalent attitude when it comes to feelings.

art comes from sadness.
grace in the form of rain that washes the soul.
la tristesse vient de l'eau.

losing something you never really had can be truly heartbreaking.

and it's harder coming to terms with this kind of loss.

source: image

i love you like...

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

the sound wisdom of a gradma
the precious innocence of youth
the kind words of a teacher
the slow, not-so-sad blues

a nice, crackling fireplace
and sleepy afternoons
the freezing cold winter days
and those hot summer nights

unpaved roads
breakfast in bed
lazy, rainy mornings
the life of a newlywed

our weekend through the lens of Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:03:00 +0000

is there anything better than...

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:27:00 +0000

... spend the entire weekend in pajama pants?

it's freezing cold outside right now. winter is our favorite season and we always make sure to feel cozy and warm at home.

newlywed life is awesome! we're so lucky we don't have to work weekends. and it's even better when we have the whole weekend to ourselves.

pizza, wine and movies. seriously, what more could i ask for?

it was about time

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:39:00 +0000

i was talking to a cousin the other day about this blog. and he was all like: why don’t you write more often? and why don’t you write about this and that..?

it made me think about how limited our time is.

and how i always used to come up with thousands of new year’s resolutions... i used to start with some nice, attainable goals. then, well...

i don't know. maybe it's just that i'd get a little too excited and my list would end up something like this:

- go out with my friends more often

- read more

- join a book club

- go out on dates with my husband every week

- actually send real Christmas cards this year (yeah, i always regret not having started it earlier - oh, and now it's too late and they won't be getting it before Christmas anyway.. so what's the point?)

- work out on a daily basis

- start a business

- take up an old hobby (like photography)

- writing lots of emails to my long distance friends every week/month

- visit my in-laws once a week

- work extra hours to save for a car upgrade

- sleep more hours

- volunteer at our local church

- take an online course on applied finance

- start a blog and post regularly

- pay off the house

- completely change my eating habits

- have a baby

- learn how to play the guitar

- help with advertising my husband’s business

- write a book

- learn French

- run my first half marathon

- travel around the world in 80 days...

and you know me.. i am all for those things, really. i am.

and i guess when we all think about new year’s resolutions, we normally go for the 10+ list of things we must add to our regular (and most likely already full) schedule without leaving our current responsibilities unattended.

but let’s face it: there is not enough time to do everything we want! i mean.. seriously, i’d love to be able to accomplish every single thing I want in life, but there just isn’t time to do them all.

i don’t know about you, but i used to do that. i used to write these 10+, 20+, 100+ lists before the new year came and surprise, surprise!, i didn’t even remember most of what was in there by February! so, what are resolutions good for anyway if you don’t even know that you can actually commit to doing them after all?

i have been doing things differently for the past few years, though, and it has been working fine for me. i'm sure some people would think i don't feel extra inspired or maybe that i aim too low to avoid disappointment. but it's definitely not it - i guess am a lot more focused now than i have ever been and i'm proud to to say that i am actually getting things done. ~~less things.~~ important things.

i have learned to prioritize.

and frankly, i am getting pretty damn good at it :)

i have come to realize that wanting too many things done at once is probably the best way to get absolutely nothing done. and it is such a waste of time to think anyone could multitask to that extent...

i’m not a huge expert on the matter, but when playing darts, i've been taught to aim the dart point to the area i wanted to hit. that's because when you’re not sure where you wanna hit, you get distracted and focus on many places at the same time... which will, more often than not, cause you to completely miss the target. i guess the same thing happens in life.

and i am sure we can all relate to it at some point in our lives.

we've all been there.. there's always a season in our lives in which we can’t seem to fully commit to anything.. we start new projects with lots of enthusiasm and end up quitting almost as fast as we had started.

until i decided i didn't want to keep making the same mistake over and over again.

and i guess it's all about understanding that when we choose something, we are inevitably forced to say no to something else.

[just in case you were wondering why i don't write on this blog all that often]

2012

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:56:00 +0000

i have been neglecting this blog for the past few weeks, i know.. and i'm sorry.

the month of December was pretty hectic at work - and i really, really need to de-stress right now. with the beginning of a new year and lots of resolutions to take care of, i'll leave you with three links i'd like you to visit, so you may get to know me a little better:

old-fashioned marriage

men are all the same

success .: the making of :.

or simply keep track of my thoughts here

happy new year! feliz año nuevo! bonne année! glückliches neues Jahr! godt nyttår! gott nytt år! feliz ano novo! buon anno!

anticipation

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

christmas is right around the corner.

and my heart is filled with anticipation.

i love this holiday season and it's always exciting to start a brand new year.

now it's time for new year's resolutions, new projects, new life.

it's easier for me to make changes happen when a new year is about to begin.

change the course of life. press reset.

the dull will say what's so special about it anyway- it is just another year. and it doesn't really change anything.

and they're right. it doesn't change anything.

we do.

just like the sun that rises every morning, i guess our minds need this psychological resetting of time every now and then.

weeks, months, seasons, years, decades. what would life be like without them?

a series of countless days

an endless night

an everlasting winter

... some people hate the cold, but everybody smiles to the first snow of the season.

a world

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:53:00 +0000

i love this painting.

(click to enlarge)

1929! can you believe it?
isn't it amazing?

i took this picture during my latest visit to the Reina Sofia Museum here in Madrid. oh, and people are allowed to take pictures there - just in case you were wondering :)

Ángeles SANTOS TORROELLA

Portbou, 1911

Un mòn

Un mundo

A world

1929

Óleo sobre lienzo

Oil on canvas

is it just me or does this painting also remind you of a particular animated movie?? :)

thanks... giving

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Britta asked me to guest post for her and this is what she got (i really hope she liked it!) :) I thought I'd also share this post here, since it's Thanksgiving and all.. well, she had told me that would probably be a good thing to write about. And she was right.

See, I have never celebrated Thanksgiving and I don't know much about this holiday. We don't celebrate it here in Spain. I wish we did, though. It is such a beautiful thing to set aside a day to make us remember to be thankful for everything we have. It may sound stupid, since I'm a Christian, but sometimes I feel like I need a reminder so that I can stop and think about the things that I should be thankful for.

gratitude doesn't come naturally to me sometimes.

And, most of us.. well.. we have so much. I mean, we don't think we do - you know, considering how bad the economy is right now and especially if we compare ourselves to richer people, we may come to the conclusion that we don't have enough or even that we are just plain poor. However, if only we changed the perspective and compared our lives to the lives of millions of people that can't tell when their next meal will be, then we are rich. Seriously, if they could see us right now living our everyday lives (paying a bunch of bills, worrying about our jobs, about our family, even our health), they would think we're all millionaires. Most of them would trade with any of us in a heartbeat.

I was listening to a radio show the other day and they were talking about this survey in which they had asked many people if they thought they were rich. People with low income obviously said no, and people with average and higher incomes also said they didn't think they were rich. Then they were asked a second question: "how much money would you have to make to feel 'rich'? "And the average answer was "I'd have to make double what I make now".

Therefore, people with low income would feel rich if they made what an average person makes. An average person would feel rich if they could at least double their income; and so on..

The truth is no one is ever satisfied. Because - they said - rich is a moving target. The more you have the more you realize how much more you need.

I don't know about you, but I'd have easily answered that question the same way. But there is always somebody better off, isn't it? This is crazy!

And isn't it sad that we are never content with what we have? That even if, right now, my income was way higher than it is, I'd think that I needed more so I could feel good?? I mean, that's pretty unreasonable, isn't it? Because if we really think about it (and this is mind-boggling stuff), if we set our happiness meter to measure contentment by success, by what we have or by the things we can afford, we're basically screwed! It's probably wiser to have some perspective and be thankful for everything we have, even if it doesn't seem much to us.

Gratitude is a learned behavior to most of us and it requires practice.

See, I remember when I was younger I used to think that by this time in my life

1. I'd be married

2. I'd be living in a big city

3. I'd have a job [and I'd love it] and

4. I've become financially independent and have lots of money

Isn't it amazing that I now have pretty much everything I wanted then? Not that I am loaded with money, but I can pay all the bills and still enjoy some of what is left. Maybe rich really is a moving target - and it sucks!! I feel like our culture has been cheating us all out of confidence and satisfaction.

So I've decided to do something about it.

i am breaking that circle.

I am going to give more. Giving breaks the power of money in our lives and it helps us get our priorities right. My husband and I often buy some extra food, along with our own, to give to people that have too little. But we had never made it a commitment. Until now. So we have agreed on a number, based on an percentage of our income, that we'll dedicate to helping people every month. I encourage you to take the plunge and start doing something for somebody you don't know. Not only because of the good it does for other people, but for the good it does to us. It feels great [and it's definitely humbled us].

I guess Thanksgiving won't be coming to Spain any soon, but maybe we have just found our own way of celebrating it.

***

Read success .: the making of :.
If you're cool, you'll follow this blog. :)

look, mom! i'm guest posting!!

noreply@blogger.com (Luisa Rodríguez) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:43:00 +0000