I went to the ER and the verdict is...

Woe is Me

Hey all!

So, by now some of you already know that I have been at home sick for some time now. I don’t have health insurance and it seemed like I just had a common cold, so I didn’t go to the doctor’s. While I felt as if I were getting better (my voice came back much to the chagrin of others), I was still having sleepless nights and coughing up phlegm in a shade of green that doesn’t compliment my skin tone (tmi?). I consulted my dear friend Google, who’s a big fat “know it all”, and was informed that the shade of phlegm bestowed upon my tissues meant I had an infection. So, the next morning I hauled my bootie over to the emergency room hoping that I’d have a simple diagnosis of say, I don’t know, bronchitis, get given some antibiotics and be told that I’m clear to get my broke a$$ back to work the following day.

I had a great time at the ER I’ll admit, I didn’t want to leave. Aside from the constant coughing that had the 5 year old behind the curtain in the "room" next to me being more concerned about me dying as opposed to her mother’s car accident (so sweet,“Hey, are you okay in there Miss?”), I’d say I was all smiles, bursting with stars and sugarplums, and confident that I’d have medication and clearance to go back to normal living by the next day. I even thought I’d be better by 7:15 that evening to take a dance class I prepaid for (you know, because the magic cough medicine that I imagined they would give me would be that effective!). Well, the doctor’s attending me pissed in my cheerios when they came in with the news. They were so sweet, funny and smiley faced. So much, that when they told me I had pneumonia I laughed and said “Really, so even with that phlegm and coughing there’s nothing wrong with…wait, what?” So that’s why I felt like I ran a marathon each time I went down stairs to get something to eat and stock up on bedside fluids? 

Then the nurse came in, bearer of worse news. Discharge paper in hands, she says something about me (remember, broke and no health insurance) needing to go to a doctor in 5 days for a follow up and then I ask her: 

Me: “So, when can I go back to work?”

The nurse gives me a blank stare. 

Me: “Tomorrow? Day after? It takes like 24 hours for antibiotics to kick in, right?” 

Insert 5 seconds of silence that painstakingly feels like 5 minutes. 

Nurse: “Girl...you got pneumonia what do you mean when can you go back to work? People die from this, you got an infection in your lungs, you need to stay in bed for like 10 days.”

First of all, whoooooa mama. Second of all, 10 days?!?! I don’t get paid when I don’t go to work! I can’t stay in bed, who’s going to feed me?! Will I ever get better? 10 days?! Yes, 10 days. Maybe a little less, but still, what am I going to do, like, financially?

So, when can I go back to work again? Photo compliments of Zazzle.com

The stress over this little very big detail which looms over my head definitely isn’t conducive to the recovery process, so I need to try and let it go for now, but I can’t help but wonder why, at one of the few times in my life that I don’t have sick days or health insurance, would this happen? I’ve already made a few moves such as post a few easy things on Ebay and call my local Avon Representative to inquire about becoming a salesperson too. I mean, it's about all I can do for now to try and make money from bed and I’m even somewhat limited on the Ebay thing since I can’t walk around too much before I start having a cough attack.

I also need to find a way to keep productive and since I don’t have a TV in my room I’ve been wasting away online and I’m kind of bored of it. So, I thought, now is a better time than ever to focus on sharing with you all the issues I’ve had with my health and what I have learned about my conditions and ailments. I promised to do so in the past, but I get more excited about writing about the exciting people and food in my life. Since I am sick  and not at my best,  now is the time to write a little less about the totally awesome people and artists and food in my life since I most likely will not be writing at my best while my mind is all on my health. However, before I got really sick, I pulled together a photo album of some of my favorite works by one of my absolute favorite artists, Derek Santiago, and only haven’t posted because I promised to take a picture of an awesome book I bought from him to post on FB. Oh, yeah, and I have to write something too! The pics of me and the book will have to come later, but I can’t wait any longer to share my love of Derek Santiago’s work with you all! There will be plenty of time in the future for me to get all dolled up and look cute posing with Derek’s artwork, which will house the words I pen for my long lost love of writing poetry. Perhaps, I can do it for a Circle of Art Movement photo shoot and article.

Soooo, back on topic, now more than ever I realize how precious our health is, priceless actually. Our health is our wealth so take care of yourself! Pause. Ok, so I have prolactinoma. Prolactinowhat? Yup, prolactinoma. I’m not going to tell you all about it now, it will be the topic of conversation in tomorrow’s post so you’re not reading an essay today, but I’ll leave you with this: I at times easily overlook it. We should never overlook not one single detail of our health, no matter how mundane it seems, it can be linked to or contribute to greater issues with something else. When I checked into the hospital and they asked me if I had any health conditions I immediately said “no” and then followed by and “Oh yeah, I’m not sure if this is relevant but I have prolactinoma.” Prolactiwhat? Yeah, that’s usually the response I get. Anyway, I hope the information I type up while I’m home with pneumonia is of some interest to you and helpful for some and that I am able to be interesting enough to keep you engaged long enough to learn something new based on my experiences.

Well, for today, that’s all folks! Hope to see you here tomorrow!

Besos, Beijos, Filkia, MUAH!

Love,

Lisa xo

Got Time Management? Let's Start With Keeping Sane

Close to a month ago I put myself in the dunce cap, which I am still in by the way if anyone cares to know, because I was doing so horribly at balancing all the gajillion things I need to do. Well, one of my readers read my rant and has offered up some tips to share with me and the rest of you fab people who pay me some mind (thanks my love doves). I'm so excited, because I'm still a certified "Hot Mess" and could use all the help I can get (preferably a personal assistant, but that's not an option right now). I'm thrilled to introduce you to my first guest blogger EVER, Katia Suero, and her excellent article "Juggling Life".

Juggling Life
by Katia Suero

While scarfing down my lunch (this time, a very healthy salad and a not so healthy creamy chicken chowder), I pulled out my handy dandy notebook and jotted down all of the things I had “pending” for the weekend- YES! For the W.E.E.K.E.N.D! You may say, “but the weekend?” Long gone are the days when the weekends were used to relax, to watch movies, spend time with friends, SLEEP, get your nails did…and so on. The weekends have become (to most of us) the “catch up” series of our lives, where we try to fit in everything we couldn’t do during the week.  We squeeze in the laundry, the food shopping, the cleaning, the tedious bill payments, the rushed hour with our DVR’s, the time when we do our text catching up with mom or dad…yes TEXTING…we can no longer afford to call and hold a conversation as time is too scarce; it escapes from our hands and before we realize it Sunday night is before us and it is time to do it all over again.

I sat back and thought about my dear friend’s blog post about her journey back to wellness. I remembered how much those words resonated with me as I thought of the many challenges, I, she and the rest of us face when making an effort to live healthy lives; to eat the “right” things, to exercise, to simply live well. I can tell she struggles just as much as I do to maintain a balanced life style and if for me it means jotting down my pending businesses during my lunch hour on a Friday afternoon while to her it meant getting up every time after an injury and making sure she squeezed in the time to get moving and to remind herself how important it was to make the time for those fruit smoothies and 1 hour DVD’s.

It is an evident factor that in today’s society, we live in a constant rush to accomplish as much as we can in the shortest amount of time. If you, as I did, sit down and take one moment to think, you will realize your heart beats as if speeding in a race…a race against time. We want to make it all happen for ourselves and for others. We want to feel accomplished. We want to show our kids and spouse’s that YES WE CAN…but how much could we truly make happen in a day’s span that would truly make us feel good at the end of the day? Why, instead of feeling this huge sense of accomplishment, do I feel completely exhausted and without the energy to be able to think by the time my head hits the pillow? We are completely overly exerting ourselves and all we do about it is keep going just like the energizer bunny.  It’s like a vicious cycle we keep feeding and we keep hoping it will blossom into something someday soon. In the meantime, we down the java on the way to work, we carry around our daily planners, berries, nooks, and droids…we power up with energy drinks and we pretend to be unbeatable at the face of delayed LIRRS, PATHS and subway, grab a snickers bar on the way to the afternoon meeting, we try some green tea for sake of health, we overdose on vitamin C and Zinc at the sign of a sneeze…all we can do, to simply keep moving.

I am no expert.  I am another New Yorker trying to make it through the noise of the city that never sleeps. One that has often become one of its zombies. I try to remind myself to stop and breath. I use my writing as my time of meditation, as MY time to slow down and take a moment to look around me as life rapidly flashes before my eyes like lightening.

 I have gathered a few tips that I feel have helped me on some days, not ALWAYS, and want to share with the rest of you hardworking people trying to simply make it before the Friday night crash.


They are as follows:

• Take a moment to BREATH. Truly it works

• Disconnect your brain. As non-ethical as this sounds in the work place, it works wonders for me to think about that date on Saturday night or that take out I have waiting for me in the fridge while the CFO talks about revenue expectations (hehehe)

• If possible, disconnect from the net. We think of it as a tool always, but the web can very much be a source of tension and stress. Step away from the laptop. Practice this by 5 minute increments daily, you will see, it’s not as difficult as it seems.

• Give yourself something to look forward to. A yummy treat at the end of the day, a ½ hour with your favorite reality TV show, a Pinkaberry moment…anything that makes you smile!

These are simple enough, and you may say, “How can they help me balance my day?” BUT: The idea is that you have a moment to recharge, a moment to seize and re-program yourself, and an opportunity to prioritize… and for the sake of keeping your sanity, enjoy some of what the day can bring!

Stay well, smiling, and healthy,

Katia

Katia Suero is a Bilingual Freelance Online Content Writer. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Katia arrived in NYC at the age of 11 and has grown to become an energetic, multifaceted, and motivated professional who considers freelance writing one of her biggest outlets in life. In addition to writing, Katia has spent her professional career working for communities in need of support and help through organizations like The Partnership at DrugFree.org, Tiny Stars, American Red Cross, and others. Among many of her passions, writing and traveling are on the top of her list.

She enjoys staying active by practicing yoga and exercising.  Her inspirations include her family and desire to become an active participant in her community every day. She is strongly involved in spreading knowledge regarding Women’s Issues and Rights and educating the public about Human Trafficking campaigns. She has also used some of her time in between jobs to travel to places like England, Italy, France and The Czech Republic where she taught English and Spanish to children at the elementary level.

Before gaining all of her experience in the world of non-profits, Katia acquired a Master’s Degree from Pace University focusing on Public Administration for Non-Profits and a Bachelor’s Degree on Language Culture and World Trade also from Pace University. 

I'm baaaaaack, missed me? I'm sure you didn't with all this interesting info! I just want to close this off by thanking you all for reading and I hope this inspires you to take the steps necessary to lead a balanced life. Don't be hard on yourself, remember, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wasn't built overnight, so neither will be rebuilding our lives into such a masterpiece. That baby took nine months to bake in the oven boys and girls, so maybe, juuuust maybe, you can try and set yourself up on a monthly goal plan for the next nine months and see what you got in the end! And let's be original, start now, NOT January 2, 2012!

Now that you all are hopefully inspired and on a time management kick, you'll need to read Listen to Your Body, on Fun.Fit.Chic.

Besos, Beijos, Filakia, MUAH!

Lisa xo

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Contact Me: Adventures.of.a.NY.Gypsy@gmail.com 

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Something good comes out of everything, just have a little faith, life will eventually connect the dots.

This past Thursday I had the most supercalafradulistically wonderful day that I have had in the longest time! After almost a month of applying for jobs (probably hundreds which took almost all of my free time) I finally got an interview. One of the reasons I haven't been able to take a job in the city is because it will be a long while before I will have saved enough to actually move close to the city to work. My commute from here is no joke and will without a doubt interfere with job performance and therefore advancement. However, this job would require me to live on the premises as I would need to manage a lot of the work in the house and assist in multiple businesses, so I didn't feel like I was trekking out for the interview for nothing. Similar to the dating mentality, 400 applicants, around 25 interviews and only one job available, I know my chances are slim but it was the best.interview. ever...EVER!!! The interview conversation was very inspiring and my potential employer seems like one of the most genuine, diverse, interesting and down to earth people I have ever met on a professional level. Even better, the type of work I'd be doing is all in areas of business I enjoy; domestic, art, antiques and cars. Yes, I love cars, I love driving, so those who know me, shut the jaw I know I don't know much about them but I'll learn if I get the job and am blessed with the opportunity to get educated on it while on the job!

Anyway, although I didn't have that "I got this!!!" type of feeling when I left, I felt great and extremely happy. It was an inspiring interview conversation and was one step towards the right direction. Well, I took those steps back to the subway skipping. On the return trip to Astoria I was smiling, enjoying all of the people around me and even laughing all by my daaaamn self...which had absolutely nothing to with the cocktail I sucked up at the end of the interview. I swear on a wad of chewed up gum. Yes, I even got a drink at the interview, SHUT UP!! 

To make this day even luckier, not one, but TWO of my acquaintances were available to grab a bite with me before my long drive home. I'll skip all the major introductions since I don't have pretty pictures to entertain, but my two victims of the evening were the lovely Cindy, cousin of a long time friend of mine, and the other lovely was Delyana. It was the first time I had seen Delyana since we met almost two years ago in December of 2009 at the grand opening of Staykova Boutique. We picked up as if we had seen each other regularly for the past two years, just the same as the night we met. As if we've known each other forever. Without a doubt, we agreed, we are soul sisters.

Spending time with Delyana and Cindy was so much fun and so refreshing. The conversation was great, we laughed a ton and for the first time in awhile I felt like myself; these ladies are just AMAZING company and we had a great connection. Often times, well most all of the time and only since moving back to Long Island, I feel more reserved and somewhat introverted. I hold  back a lot of myself. I know it's partially because I mainly meet people in a "professional" atmosphere and partially because I just can't relate to this lifestyle, and then there is just a whole bunch of other things. I'm not going to get into psychoanalyzing myself now, but simply, I'm uncomfortable here. Yes, I am myself, but I am not all of myself. I miss the rest of me...

Throughout the laughter and jokes, we sprinkled in some major philosophical and spiritual topics that led to how we got to where we are today, where we'd like to see ourselves and what kind of people we want to be around. Naturally, because this is soooooo Lisa, we got into the topic of how everything does happen for a reason. I truly believe that it does and that, as the popular Spanish proverb among many Cubans go, no hay mal que por bien no venga...there is nothing bad that happens in which something good does not come out of it. It just sucks Shweddy Balls that sometimes it takes a long time to figure out why, but we have to have faith that life will "connect the dots", or the analogy I normally use, that the pieces of the puzzle will eventually come together ...and you must try that ice cream by Ben and Jerry's if you haven't already, it's a life changing experience (Shweddy Balls meaning. What did you think I was talking about when I said that? Sucios!). Just pray that you are never asked to take a breathalyzer test after you eat it.

So back to "connecting the dots", everything happening for a reason, having faith and the blah blah blah talk. When that was mentioned, Delyana did the whole "Oh my God!" hands to head, big bright smile thing that we girls do when a coinky dink occurs. Her quote went something like this: "You have to watch the video I posted of Steve Jobs making a speech at a graduation years ago, just watch it, it will change your life and be the best 1o minutes spent." Well, it was 15 minutes, but yes, it was definitely a speech more than worth the time and that we should all hear. And if you haven't already, wouldn't ya know it it's conveniently located at the end of this post?! And honestly, the reason for the post.

So amidst the laughter, Cindy coincidentally knowing every person I brought up that night (yes, we too did that "Oh my Gawd!" thing we girls do too), and the yummy cocktails and food at Fatty's Cafe in Astoria, I am SO happy that our conversation turned to more serious and somewhat spiritual topics. Without a doubt, the interview and time spent with Cindy and Delyana enhanced and changed the course of my week; it was refreshing, inspiring, fun and it brought me back to me and a much needed reminder that I'm still here. It's just that life is a little bit different now and for a purpose that is much needed for a better future. Steve Jobs will clarify all that I'm talking about pretty much in the video below in one of the most inspiring stories I've ever heard.

Thank you for reading and much love to my wonderful friends and Steve Jobs and his family, may he rest in peace as his legacy lives on.

Besos, Beijos, Filakia, MUAH!

Love,

Lisa xo
Twitter: Fab_Chitating
                CAM_Project

Fun Find for Salseras!

Tell the boys to keep the hand towels in their back pockets for us, we have additional things to worry about, like the upkeep of our lips and running eye make-up from all of that fun salsa dancing!

Olga Ayala is at it again! As many of you know by now, I'm a huge fan of her work and I just saw this handcrafted "Salsera" pocket mirror in her etsy store. Of course this made me think about more than 50% of my fabulous amigas who you can find occupying the salsa scenes of NYC weekly!

Olga is so incredibly talented (multi-talented I should add), and she puts a lot of work and passion into her products. This mirror is handcrafted and made of polymer clay. Check out the details on the design and colors! Olga also makes beautiful and unique jewelry that will really have you stand out in a crowd; I love one of a kind fashions!

Click on the image below to be lead to the fabulous shop filled with hand crafted jewelry, home decor, Puerto Rican, Latin & Salsa inspired products!

Thanks for checking out this find and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Besos, Beijos, Filakia, MUAH!

Love,

Lisa xo
Twitter: Fab_Chitating

Cluless in the Suburbs-Photo Editing Dramas...HELP!

So, last night I played around some with the header of my blog, and chose this picture from a photo shoot I did not too long ago. Of all my photos, it was most representative of my gypsy life; the big bag, me walking away (yes, in reality, it's more like 5 big bags and me sitting in the middle, legs half in air and flustered, but I don't have a photo of that yet and "flustered" is not the look I'm going for).

Anyway, to my annoyance, once up on the blog it looks blurry! And it's a professional photo :/ I did filter it with "Poprocket" on Instagram for iPhone, which may have altered it a bit and I don't like the black borders, and of course the blurriness. I am going to work on editing the photo again tonight, but in the meanwhile, does anyone have any suggestions? Did I do something wrong? What can I do to make it better? HELP! SAVE MY SHIP! DAMSEL IN DISTRESS!

Here are the pics, in original and edited format.

Love, 

Your overly dramatic friend Lisita (I'm utilizing my Cuban given name today in honor of Nicolita Swimwear and my Abuela bella) 

xo

 PHOTOS TAKEN BY ERIC MAYR OF EM PHOTO SERVICES, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK

Original Photo

After editing, filtering & cropping<--I imagine this may be why it looks less clear, but why such a huge difference?!?! 

What I want, but with a border that blends better with my current blog template and a pinkier and prettier font.

Photos edited on my iPhone with Instagram and captioned with Captions PM

"40 Seconds, 40 Pics" Video

 While an old dance friend and I were catching up at "La Lotería" Exhibit in the Brooklyn Observatory, we were kindly interrupted by another attendee who offered to take pictures of us. She said that she loved taking pictures, so we gave her the honor of catching our moment (reunions are always nice!). She was everything you'd imagine a fashion photographer to be! The only problem is that she took approximately 40 "snapshots" in video taking mode. However, where there's a will, there's a way, so why not share these shots in picture taking view?

 Thanks to La iPhone, here are some of my favorite screen shots I took to create a few stills

   

Hope you enjoyed my "pics", I have plenty more from the exhibit and my fun filled weekend

to share later this week once I finish editing.

Thanks for looking!

Besos, Beijos, Filakia, MUAH!

Love,

Lisa xo

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Ghetto Fab Way of Necklace & Accessory Repair

No boo boos when you do things the ghetto fab way!

 Hello Baby Dolls!

I don't know what you all were doing while Hurricane Queen Irene lightly strolled through our parts (comparably), but I ate a lot of veggies and enjoyed an excuse to eat all the ice cream in anticipation of a power outage that never came. I also had a chance to catch up on fixing a necklace that was in need of an artsy crafty hand. I had to be nifty and work with what I had in the house, but it worked out quite well and now my necklace looks 100% better. This same trick saved me this past weekend in completing an outfit with the perfect belt.

Click here-->CLICK ME! CLICK ME!<--- to view the "how-to" post on the Nifty Thrifty Stylist Closet blog, and to see the before and after pics of a beautiful vintage costume Egyptian necklace I inherited from my Cuban great aunt who lived in Egypt for many years. There are some pics of the belt too!

Thanks for reading and happy fixing!

Besos, Beijos, Filakia, MUAH!

Love,

Lisa xo

The Creative Process of an Olga Ayala Wedding Cake Topper...

I'm not the type of girl to fantasize much about my wedding day, particularly because I will change my mind a thousand times before I even find a suitable boyfriend. However, I've known for quite some time who I want to make my cake, and now, I know exactly who will be making my wedding cake topper. That person is Olga Ayala. For years she has been fascinating me with her endless creativity and multi-talents. As a matter of fact, I'm having a difficult time not getting distracted by my new Olga Ayala ring I am wearing as I type this! I must confess, after seeing this wedding cake topper, I have found myself fantasizing about what mine may look like. Though to most, it shouldn't be a surprise that I fantasize about anything food oriented and/or art and fashion related. If I were to marry now, I'm thinking that a white belly dance inspired wedding dress with aurora borealis crystal salsa shoes would be the ideal polymer clay sculpture to represent me (or my alter ego I should say). In my fantasy, it has a red base to match my dream cake design which I saw at a bridal expo that I went to for my baby sister's upcoming wedding.

Here are images of Olga's personalized wedding cake topper that I found on Facebook and the process of creation. I know that all of my salsero and rumbero friends will just love this one! Keep on scrolling to view the creative process of Olga's work with polymer clay and read the rest of this post caption style. I'll meet you again at the end of the photo journey! Keep on scrolling, keep on scrolling, keep on scrolling...

The beginning stages: You'll be amazed at what these wire and tin foil figures will be made into (forget that you saw the finished project at the top of this post please) ;)

Pictures of the bride to be at different angles, with various facial expressions doing a variety of things...

And to think it all started as a tin foil and wire figurine...(yeah, I have something to say for each photo, I love to "talk")

I love the details on the hem of the dress; a true bomba y plena wedding gown!

Without the veil, with the veil. Looks like she's about ready to dance down the aisle!

Getting the groom ready for his dancing bride...

and what's a dancing bride without music to dance to, provided by non other than the love of her life? Here you can see that Olga views the photos, not just to form the sculptures to the bride and grooms likeness, but also to capture their lifestyle and the things they enjoy doing.

So amazed! I love the detail on the instrument!

All done! Image 1

Image 2

With the hand of the artist.

A personalized wedding cake topper, made by the hands of a talented artisan is without a doubt a must for me now. It's also multifunctional piece of art; it will now undoubtedly be their favorite piece of home decor, reminding them of their special day and the love they share each and every time they look at it :)

Personalized Wedding Cake Topper by Olga Ayala=Best.Wedding.Cake.Topper.Idea.EVER!

You can tell by these photos that it takes a lot of work and talent to create this wonderful masterpiece. Olga never fails to impress me; I love her style and creative mind! Read below for all of her contact info. Thanks for reading!

Besos, Beijos, Filakia, MUAH!

Love,

Lisa xo

Read more »

Meet Olga Ayala, The Creme de la Creme of Artisans

Over the course of the week, and without a doubt throughout the course of our friendship, you will be hearing or reading about Olga Ayala from me. Whether through my blogs, my pictures, conversation, or conversational pieces (wearing her jewelry or neck warmers never fails at being a great ice breaker), I will be chit chatting about Olga and her work in combination of proudly wearing it. I may even be able to publish one of the two posts I have in drafts about her tonight, before the anticipated Queen Irene temporarily strips us of our electricity as predicted. Therefore, I'd like to publish this little post introducing you to this dear and talented woman. Please take a moment and read a little bit about her. Hopefully one day in the near future we will have an interview to share with you all!

Olga pictured above with her artwork

In the words of Olga Ayala: 

I'm a Nuyorican (Puerto Rican New Yorker) that grew up in the heart of Spanish Harlem in New York City, and I'm an alumnus of The High School of Art & Design in New York City.

While sitting on my mother’s lap as a very young girl while my mom made out the weekly grocery list, I saw her make a quick sketch of Mickey Mouse. I saw that my mom could draw better than anyone I knew and I begged her to teach me to draw too!

My father moonlighted as a Timbalero (Latin percussionist), and this gave me the life long passion I have for music, dance and Latin percussion instruments.

Growing up in the "rhythm section" and being immersed in my rich Puerto Rican culture filled with music, vibrant color, laughter and drama are themes that are often reflected in my work.

Olga creates an array of functional artistic pieces out of polymer clay. She also crochets beautiful scarves, purses and head pieces, each with a unique polymer clay accessory incorporated; Olga's signature finishing touch. From sculptures, to jewelry, to home decor, Olga creates unforgettable pieces of art that can be incorporated and enjoyed in our every day life in multiple ways. 

You can find Olga Ayala and keep up with her events on Facebook at Olga Ayala Handicrafts (Hecho a Mano) and visit her store at Etsy here to find more functional art in polymer.

Here are photos of Olga Ayala artwork that I own!

Olga Ayala Neck Warmer with a hand made polymer clay button closure finished in metallic paints. Photo taken by Paul Newland.

Crocheted Cowl Neck Warmer/Hood made by Olga Ayala. The bracelet I am wearing is also made by Olga, I used it for a photo shoot I was styling. You can find the above bracelet here. Photo by Eric Mayr

Pictured above is my first Olga Ayala purchase ever, my beautiful heart charm bracelet. I bought this for myself for Valentines Day :) Above the bracelet is a pair of earrings I had my eyes on for quite some time as well as the ring that says "love". I just wore all of them together yesterday and received so many compliments! The colors in the ring really pull together the bracelet and earrings, and the ring and bracelet create a more thematical look.

Beauty Beats the Beast, Numero V: The Many Ways to Enjoy the After Party like a Fab Chick

I recently typed about one of my favorite neutral colors, After Party, from Fab Chick by Harlem Diamond. Since I will be giving this color away later this week (an extra one, slow.your.roll. I'm keeping mine) I figured now would be a good time as any to show you the different ways I've been using this non-color color, as promised in a previous post. After Party is a whitish/gray color that looks great alone or as a base. I don't have the best hands for modeling, or the best camera for photos, so now that my disclaimer is out there I'll say, enjoy the ideas and it looks much better in person!

After Party from Fab Chick by Harlem Diamonds

"Electric Graffiti" crackle polish by Icing over Fab Chick's After Party. I had a hard time finding a base for this neon pink crackle polish, After Party is perfect with it, says the girl with 47 nail polish colors.

"Broken Glass" crackle polish by Icing over "After Party" by Fab Chick

"Shatter" crackle polish by Icing over "After Party" by Fab Chick. I like it. It looks like a cow...not really, but kinds sorta.

"Kaleidoscope" glitter polish by Wet n' Wild over, you guessed it, "After Party" from Fab Chick by Harlem Diamond (Ha, ha! Betcha didn't see that last part coming!)

"Shatter" by Icing over "Kaleidoscope" by Wet n' Wild, insert breath over "After Party" by Fab Chick. The Glittery Cow, lol.

I will be posting the details of the giveaway by midnight tonight. The giveaway will be for Fab Chick by Harlem Diamond After Party and Glitz and Glam glitter.  So if you love look #1 and look #5, stay tuned because I'm so excited to be offering it to one of you!

Thanks for reading!

Besos, Beijos, Filakia, MUAH!

Love,

Lisa xo

Adventures with a Wanna-Be (Gonna Be!) Personal Trainer: Numero Uno

I still remember how laughable my first fitness encounter with fitness addict Carolyn, aka #wannabepersonaltrainer, Olsen-Wunsch was. My friend Sevgi (Aliases: Turkish Warrior/Betsy Sophia/Gigi) decided to relax on the beach for a few hours before our next work shift. Enter #wannabepersonaltrainer, who lies out her beach towel, settles in and begins to do crunches. She wasn't kidding when she said we'd probably bump into her on the beach. Working out after her work out. In the blistering heat. That's dedication right there.

At one point during our beach party, Carolyn demonstrated a new crunch for me and I figured, that doesn't look too difficult. In the sun, in the heat and in the sand, oh no. Not uncomfortable at all. She made it look easy. Our conversation went lil' something like this:

Carolyn: Make sure your hands are under your hips, make sure you breathe, tighten up your abs and lift from the hip and slowly drop your legs without hitting the ground

*Lisa successfully demonstrates her ability to do so. Once. Lisa begins to show off just one more. Stops halfway and turns to #wannabepersonaltrainer and says...*

Lisa: Wanna go get some ice cream? *turns to man who is wandering a short distance away and is clearly the owner of the ice cream truck* Are you going back to your truck now?

Yup, yup. I am quite the challenge. While I have endured long periods of work out dedication, I have spent an equal amount of time not getting the proper amount of physical fitness in my life. This time around being the longest; 8 months. Not dealing with certain life changes well have totally put me off track and I definitely need some outside motivation. Someone whose love for fitness is stronger than MY love for food. That is a very rare breed, because no matter if fitness is someones entire life, I still probably love food more than they love fitness. Lucky for me I get full quickly.

Either way, I still have danced mostly all of my life and therefore have engaged in physical activity regularly up until now. My mind has been so swamped lately that I really need more motivation than I have had in the past to make time in my schedule for the things that keep me physically active. My lifestyle is so different now than it was before. As of recent, I work with Carolyn, and her energy and presence have provided a more constant reminder of how great it feels to be active. At work she encourages more physical fitness activities with our clients which has even inspired me to get busy and creative in the kitchen finding ways to make the meals on the set menu healthier in the least. Some of our clients have even joined me in creating simple recipes that fit into the menu that they are given, helping me to make something better, tastier and healthier with the tools we are provided! I love it when I have kitchen duty even more now!

I've been inspired to make assigned menu items healthier by adding fruits to them that our clients normally refuse. Above left  is chicken salad with apples, celery and turkey bacon added. Above right I altered the coffee drinkers beverage by filling less than a quarter cup of coffee, added skim milk, a dash of sugar free hot chocolate and strawberries on the side. They loved it.

A few weeks ago I visited Carolyn for our first work-out-hang-out together. In the past, I've always incorporated dance into my work outs mixed with toning exercises, so this was relatively new to me. No dancing, just working out like in the gym. First I told Carolyn what my goals were. The main thing is, I didn't really want to lose much weight. I was afraid of over doing it as I have in the past and getting thinner than I'd like to be. I wanted to get my stomach in better shape, build some strength and have a bootie so high that it can high five the sky (a girl can dream). Second, we discussed my health issues, ailments and any difficulties I've had with working out in the past.

This I what I think of when I remember that 4 floor walk up.

Then we started the workout. I really wanted to be a trooper and do it all, but I was never over pushed to do something that I felt I couldn't handle. I did a lot more than I expected and it was fun! We did a bunch of squat variations, crunches, some light weight lifting, balancing exercises and, get this...BOXING! Watch out for me fighters! I even tried negative push ups (the girl who can't do any kind of push up) We kept it just under an hour for this first session/hang-out, and I felt so great and energized afterwards. So great, that who would have thought that I was so out of shape that I wouldn't be able to walk the next morning?! I spoke a little about this is my post My Journey to Greater Wellness This Year. Thank God I no longer live in a 4 floor walk up in the Bronx anymore :/

Clearance Rack ^

 After the work out we decided to head out to the ocean close by. First we stopped by Religion Surf and Skate in Shirley. Believe it or not, it was my first time in a surf shop EVER! Carolyn went there to get a skim board and also snagged a t-shirt from the $5 clearance box outside. I had a lot of fun chatting with the dude and dudette that work there, and Carolyn, eh hem, #wannabepersonaltrainer, and I showed no shame in imposing our Twitter beliefs on them. Overall, great first-time-in-a-surf-shop experience! Hey Religion Surf and Skate Gods keep our Twitter selling points in mind (we'll be loyal followers!) and PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE get more of those "I Love To Pee In My Wetsuit" stickers in stock ;) I can't wait to return to Religion Surf and Skate on my next beach day!

The people at Religion Surf and Skate were awesome, funny and so friendly!

Next, we had to make sure our Yum Shaker's were satisfied. There are

like a gazillion 7 Elevens out here so we stopped at one to get ice and water and eats for the beach. Which leads me to my next topic of appreciation. Carolyn DID NOT TELL ME WHAT FOOD TO BUY. She gave me a chance to make a choice for myself. I understand that looking at a client's diet is necessary, but I never asked her to help me with my diet, so she did not impose. Talk about a woman who knows how to deal with a stubborn girl! No one can change me overnight, I don't do most things well by doing it cold turkey and I like being given the opportunity to make the right decisions on my own. Not to mention, there are a load of different diet lifestyles circulating, not all are suitable for every person. I love food, the only lifestyle I want to achieve is a moderate one and one that fits my health goals and needs. Which shouldn't be too difficult. I love veggies when seasoned well and served with meat, but I don't want to or feel the need to say bye-bye to other foods forever. I need to work out with someone who doesn't make me feel bad about that. So, are you wondering what I purchased to eat on the beach? Rhetorical question because I'm going to tell you anyway! I bought a turkey sandwich on wheat bread, strawberries and blue berries, apples with cheddar cheese and water. Not too bad for 7 Eleven and definitely among the healthiest options there. And it lasted me two meals. I think #wannabepersonaltrainer was relieved I didn't go straight to the Entemann's and candy aisle (I am seriously notorious for my love of chocolate and am exploring healthier dessert options. I'm in love with this new blog, Danielle the Dietitian, which offers and shares some great healthy eating advice and delicious looking recipes such as these Paleo Brownies). I honestly do enjoy better/healthier foods, but I am not willing to give anything up indefinitely (chocolate, cheese, bread, pasta, never fear, I'm still here...just not as often). I appreciate that #wannabepersonaltrainer focuses on what I want to and am willing to change right now while still encouraging me, not forcing me to eat better on a regular basis.

On our walk toward the beach we saw a beautiful deer running across the campgrounds toward the dunes. There she met her little ones and began nursing them. I was able to grab my camera out in just enough time to take a few snapshots and a video. I have never witnessed this before and it was surreal! And funny at the same time with Carolyn's narration (partially caught on video. She asked,"That is a female, they're nursing I hope?". Lol)

That, ^^^, is where I busted my bootie.

Finally, we made it to the beach. I LOVE the beach. The sound of the waves crashing, the sound of the seagulls, the aroma and the feel of the sand in between my toes (and only there). Emphasis on the word sound. I'm not much of a wave runner (perhaps yet) so I left all the skim boarding fun to Blondie #wbpt, while I opted to bust my butt sliding down a sand hill, take pics and videos, an go partially in the water. Running away from the big waves. Hmm, can that qualify me as a wave runner (figuratively speaking of course)?

And this, ^^^, is where she busted hers.

  Last but not least, no beach trip is complete without being able to create your own clothing line on the back of your vehicle for your clothes to dry. Lucky for #wannabepersonal trainer, she has a vehicle like Big Red over here to make that convenient!

I'm still trying to talk her into at least a blog, so one day you may click here). Bare with me while I work on getting this crazy, fun, & fit lady to share her world with us!

 
To bring some of the pictures to life,you can check out snippets below of the deer nursing, the sounds of the waves crashing and Carolyn busting her butt skim boarding at the very end.

Til next time my loves!

Love,

Lisa xo
Twitter: @Fab_Chitating
Email: Fabulous.Life.of.a.Senorita@gmail.com

P.S.  Just one last pic (and a mini rant) before I go.

I met Mr. Propane for America on the Long Island Expressway on my way to my workout and boy did he almost bring on that fiery temper hiding out deep inside of me. This is the closest as I will get to a Shame on You submission right now: Dude had to be driving at least 90 miles per hour because I was driving somewhere close to 80 and he sped by me so quickly he made my head spin. Yup, ratting myself out so I can properly rat someone MUCH worse out :p