My wish list...

I've been a good girl and with the holidays lurking I have started to think about some of the things I would want to appear under the tree this xmas...or appear right now!! Normally I don't make "wish list" but these toys would make me a very, very, VERY happy girl! Most of these items have to do with my love for photography...it's a passion that keeps growing, and I can't wait to play with these cameras!!!! We all deserve to indulge in our WANTS and surely I will cross off each of these items from my want/need wish list! 


~Girl With The Rouge Lips

all images via here

Words to live by.

How amazing that a few words can make everything all right, because in the end life is about being 'happy'. Things have a way of falling into place, but nothing will ever be right if we are not happy in our lyfe! 


~Livin Lyfe

Red Bottom Shoes....Worth it?

Carrie Bradshaw never met a high heel shoe she couldn't strut in! In fact, I think it was SJP's infamous character that put Mr. Manolo Blahnik on the pop culture map. Honestly, while I have a love affair with shoes, Manolo's were never my style; they were pretty to look at but I could never see dropping $500 on a pair that didn't suit my boho-chic style.

Now, in the last couple of years I have noticed a new name coming out the lips of fellow shoe-whores. It's not even a name, it's more like a statement! Christian Louboutin, Loubou's, Red Bottoms. Regardless of how you refer to them, they are the missing pair in every shoe lover's closet! This is quite a statement but I  think that every woman can find a Louboutin that will fit her style, they are more than just stilettos!

These babies don't come cheap and I am sure they ARE the missing pair in a lot of shoe lovers closet {I know they are missing from mine}. I tend to treat shoes the same way I treat bags...as an investment in my closet. The one question I always ask is "What is the cost per wear?" If it's a bag or a pair of shoes that will live more in my closet than ON me, then it doesn't make sense to part with the green paper in my wallet!! I had yet to encounter a pair of Loubous that will push me to the insanity of dropping some major $$$ on them...UNTIL I saw these beauties...

This, my friends, is LOVE at first sight!!!! Christian Louboutin Super Domblase Leather & Cork Platform Sandals. And they also come in these styles...

















I am not even kidding when I say I want a pair in every style! These are the type of shoes that you make a statement with, the type of shoe that you wear something simple with so that you don't take attention away from them! They say "Look at me, don't you wish you could look this fierce!" Christian has made a shoe for me...BUT... Love Hurts!! $695.00 worth of hurt that these beautiful shoes can bestow upon me. Can I really think of 695 ways I can rock these babies?? Maybe, but I can't help but wonder if I could find a similar (exact) style from another label that won't cause my wallet to go empty for the next 695 days!!!! Of course I was able to find a few pairs that came pretty close in style but way down in price! Like these...

These are from Steve Madden, a brand I love and a brand that is known for duplicating styles from top designer brands! This style is called the Shazzam and they are almost the exact replica of the Loubous, they also come in a variety of styles. Even though they are almost the exact same shoe...the price is no wear near shock status!! At $149.95, these babies won't leave me hungry for the next few months!! Gotta love Steve Madden, his shoes are not cheap, but compares to Loubous, they are pennies! I also found these...

These are from the Jessica Simpson Shoe Collection. Super Cute right!! The girl can't sing or act for shit, but she has a great eye for style! These are not exact as my Loubous but they are similar in the heel and the platform, and they come in different colors. The beauty about these shoes, called the Prinnce, is not just the shoe itself, but the price of them...$98.00 will have me looking cute and stylish!! Jessica should stick with shoes and bags, and leave signing and acting for those with the actual talent to do so! Her collection has a lot of designs that I would add to my collection...and way to go on the price!!!

SO...as much as it was LOVE at first sight for these Christian Louboutin Super Domblase Leather & Cork Platform Sandals, could I really pay the not-so-love-at-first-sight price of $695.00??

Maybe I can wait for a sale!


~Yenifer

From Maria's diary, two days after everything had returned to normal.

Passion makes a person stop eating, sleeping, working, feeling at peace. A lot of people are frightened because, when it appears, it demolishes all the old things it finds in its path.

No one wants their life thrown into chaos. That is why a lot of people keep that threat under control, and are somehow capable of sustaining a house or a structure that is already rotten. They are the engineers of the superseded.

Other people think exactly the opposite: they surrender themselves without a second thought, hoping to find in passion the solution to all their problems. They make the other person responsible for their happiness and blame them for their possible unhappiness. They are either euphoric because something marvelous has happened or depressed because something unexpected has just ruined everything. 

Keeping passion at bay or surrendering blindly to it---which of these two attitudes is the least destructive??

I don't know.  

From Eleven Minutes.

Someone Like You...

I discovered Adele through reading a blog that had this video featured. I had heard her name a few times before but never really thought much of her...until I saw this video!! There is so much passion in these lyrics, melancholy in her expression. I love "Rolling in the Deep", but this song takes me to a familiar place, I have felt that loss of a relationship a few times in my life. Her expression captured in the video is so raw! It is true what she says, "sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead."

~Yenifer

In the Closet!

There is something to be said about a woman's closet! I believe that if you love fashion, your closet is treated like the holy grail of your home. Many times i've said that my closet if full of nothing to wear {of course that is a lie...but sometimes I need a reason to OK a sporadic shopping trip}.

I am big on "spring cleaning" my closet...it makes room for more goodies!! I have become good at keeping my closet looking good and I know where EVERYTHING is!!! I am proud of my little closet, I have invested in hangers, shoe holders, scarf & hat hangers...the only problem is...that slowly it is filling up...especially with SHOESSSSS....what's a girl to do?! {not buying shoes & accessories is NOT an option!!}

Even though I have a pretty large wall-to-wall closet, deep down I yearn for a stylish walk-in closet. Nothing too big a-la Mariah Carey on cribs {too much!} just an awesome walk-in that could showcase who I am as a fashion lover!!!

                                                        {How amazing is this closet!!}

                                           {This is an example of a stylish small walk-in}

                                                    {LOVE the glass shoe case!!}

                                                  {Love the simplicity of this closet!}

{These pics are from the fashion blog DulceCandy.com, her closet/office is a work of art...LOVE!}

AND how could I forget to mention the infamous closet of the fashionista Ms. Carrie Bradshaw!!! Her whole apartment in SATC is quintessential "Single Girl in the City"....it might be fictional but stylish nonetheless!!

~Yenifer

A CLEAN CANVAS - thebeautydepartment.com

A CLEAN CANVAS - thebeautydepartment.com

Ode to Photography

There is no hobby I love more than Photography!! My friends and family know that I am absolutely in LOVE with this art form! I have been learning and practicing this art for the last 3 years and sometimes I can kick myself for not picking up a camera sooner. I guess some people discover their talents at an early age, and others (like myself) discover them later in life, almost by accident!

I have always loved being in pictures...capturing moments in life with friends and family. Whenever a camera has been pointed at me I just smile big and pose...it's so natural for me! But only until recently have I become the person behind the lens capturing LYFE...and you know what...I am addicted and I am so happy that I have been blessed with this gift. I never leave my house without a camera...NEVER! And my friends know that when my camera comes out, great images will be captured! I have even discovered how to use my iPhone to capture great pics, through app like PictureShow, Instagram, and Pudding Camera (this one is in Korean...but it's a fun one). I can take pics from my phone and turn them into great images!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!

                                                                 Instagram Pics

                               

                                  Pudding Camera (I wish the text was in English not Korean!)

                                                                PictureShow Pics

I am a Canon girl and I think I will remain a Canon girl...they are so easy to use! The camera that is always by my side is the Canon G11, it is not a Dslr but it is a camera for people who are serious about capturing great photos! Plus, it's compact so it fits in my purse :) My next camera will definitely be Dslr...maybe a Canon EOS Rebel T3i...I am really looking forward to my first Dslr!

I hope to continue getting better and to never stop learning about photography!!! I know that even though I discovered this art later in my life, I will continue to capture LYFE through the lens!!!

~Yenifer

My L.O.V.E obsession...S-H-O-E-Ssssss

Happy Thursday! 


{I don't know if it's a good thing that the days seem to be passing by really fast! Maybe it is a good thing...that way I can get to a "better place" sooner!!...enough rant!}


So, if you know me, you know that I love fashion...I love everything about personal style...and that my own personal style has evolved throughout the last 10+ years (thank gawd!)...non-the-less, I love fashion {except fur...NO fur EVER!}. One of my major obsession with fashion are those things that go on your feet....yes...SHOES! I am a shoe-gal...forever in love with shoes.


Lately, I am obsessed with Jeffrey Campbell and his AMAZE designs!!! I love platform shoes, and even though I am already 5'7", I love strutting in shoes that make me taller! Specifically, I am in love the LITA. I want a pair in every color!!! Let's hope I get to a "better place" soon so I can indulge in some beautiful decorations for my feet!


~~@ Yenifer

".. its not so much about the shoes, but the person wearing them"


**images taken from shopnastygal.com

Extract from Maria's Diary...

Today, while we were walking around the lake, along, that strange road to Santiago, the man who was with me- a painter, with a life entirely different from mine- threw a pebble into the water. Small circles appeared where the pebble fell, which grew and grew until they touched a duck that happened to be passing and which had nothing to do with the pebble. Instead of being afraid of that unexpected wave, he decided to play with it.


Some hours before that scene, I went into a cafe, heard a voice, and it was as if God had thrown a pebble into that place. The waves of energy touched both me and a man sitting in a corner painting a portrait. He felt the vibrations, and so did I. So what now?


The painter knows when he has found a model. The musician knows knows when his instrument is well tuned. here, in my diary, I am aware that there are certain phrases which are not written by me, but by a woman full of "light"; I am that woman though I refuse to accept it.


I could carry on like this, but I could also, like the duck on the lake, have fun and take pleasure in that sudden ripple that set the water rocking.


There is a name for that pebble: passion. It can be used to describe the beauty of an earth-shaking meeting between two people, but it isn't just that. It's there in the excitement of the unexpected, in the desire to do something with real fervor, in the certainty that one is going to realize a dream. Passion sends us signals that guide us through our lives, and it is up to me to interpret those signs.


I would like to believe that i'm in love. With someone I don't know and who didn't figure in my plans at all. All these months of self-control, of denying love,  have had exactly the opposite result: I have let myself be swept away by the first person to treat me a little differently.


It's just as well I don't have his phone number, that I don't know where he lives; that way I can lose him without having to blame myself for another missed opportunity.


And if that is what happens, if I have already lost him, I will have gained one very happy day in my life. Considering the way the world is, one happy day is almost a miracle. 

"One" Does Not Have To Be A Lonely Number

I have been absent! 


I have no excuses or explanations as to why I have somewhat abandoned my blog...but I have missed it. I feel like this blog is a DIY project, almost like redecorating my room; I want to work on it, I need to work on it, but at times the motivation is not there. I'm not going to lie, sometimes I lack motivation....LYFE happens! There is tons on my mind at the moment but sometimes it's hard to put to put in in ink. I have been journaling since the age of 13 and I never want to lose that gift. Blogging is something that I recently discovered and I have tons of ideas to turn my precious little blog into something I truly enjoy and into something other people can enjoy!!! I hope that the motivation never leaves but I am sure that lyfe will give me moments where I just need to...BE.


I came across this video titled "How to be Alone" by Tanya Davis. For me it's a reminder that my need to spend time on my own is not a bad thing! Sometimes I just want it to be Me and my Thoughts. Alone.

HOW TO BE ALONE by Tanya Davis

If you are at first lonely, be patient. If you've not been alone much, or if when you were, you weren't okay with it, then just wait. You'll find it's fine to be alone once you're embracing it.

We could start with the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library. Where you can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books. You're not supposed to talk much anyway so it's safe there.

There's also the gym. If you're shy you could hang out with yourself in mirrors, you could put headphones in (guitar stroke).

And there's public transportation, because we all gotta go places.

And there's prayer and meditation. No one will think less if you're hanging with your breath seeking peace and salvation.

Start simple. Things you may have previously (electric guitar plucking) based on your avoid being alone principals.

The lunch counter. Where you will be surrounded by chow-downers. Employees who only have an hour and their spouses work across town and so they -- like you -- will be alone.

Resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone.

When you are comfortable with eat lunch and run, take yourself out for dinner. A restaurant with linen and silverware. You're no less intriguing a person when you're eating solo dessert to cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your finger. In fact some people at full tables will wish they were where you were.

Go to the movies. Where it is dark and soothing. Alone in your seat amidst a fleeting community.
And then, take yourself out dancing to a club where no one knows you. Stand on the outside of the floor till the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like no one's watching...because, they're probably not. And, if they are, assume it is with best of human intentions. The way bodies move genuinely to beats is, after all, gorgeous and affecting. Dance until you're sweating, and beads of perspiration remind you of life's best things, down your back like a brook of blessings.

Go to the woods alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you.
Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, there're always statues to talk to and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute and these moments can be so uplifting and the conversations you get in by sitting alone on benches might've never happened had you not been there by yourself

Society is afraid of alonedom, like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements, like people must have problems if, after a while, nobody is dating them. but lonely is a freedom that breaths easy and weightless and lonely is healing if you make it.

You could stand, swathed by groups and mobs or hold hands with your partner, look both further and farther for the endless quest for company. But no one's in your head and by the time you translate your thoughts, some essence of them may be lost or perhaps it is just kept.

Perhaps in the interest of loving oneself, perhaps all those sappy slogans from preschool over to high school's groaning were tokens for holding the lonely at bay. Cuz if you're happy in your head than solitude is blessed and alone is okay.

It's okay if no one believes like you. All experience is unique, no one has the same synapses, can't think like you, for this be releived, keeps things interesting lifes magic things in reach.

And it doesn't mean you're not connected, that communitie's not present, just take the perspective you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it. take silence and respect it. if you have an art that needs a practice, stop neglecting it. if your family doesn't get you, or religious sect is not meant for you, don't obsess about it.

You could be in an instant surrounded if you needed it. If your heart is bleeding make the best of it. There is heat in freezing, be a testament.

...from Maria's Diary, one night when she lacked the courage to go out, to live or to continue waiting for the phone call that never came:

I spent today outside a fun fair. Since I can't afford to fritter my money away, I thought it best just to watch other people. I stood for a long time by the roller coaster, and I noticed that most people get on it in search for excitement, but that once it starts, they are terrified and want the cars to stop.


What do they expect? Having chosen adventure, shouldn't they be prepared to go the whole way? Or do they think that the intelligent thing to do would be to avoid the up's and down's and spend all their time on a carousel, going round and round on the spot?


At the moment, i'm far too lonely to think about love, but I have to believe that it will happen, that I will find a job and that I am here because I chose this fate. The roller coaster is my life; life is a fast, dizzying game; life is a parachute jump; it's taking chances, falling over and getting up again; it's mountaineering; it's wanting to get to the very top of yourself and to feel angry and dissatisfied when you don't manage.


It isn't easy being far from my family and from the language in which I can express all my feelings and emotions, but, from now on, whenever I feel depressed, I will remember that fun fair. If I had fallen asleep and suddenly woken up on a roller coaster, what would I feel?


Well, I would feel trapped and sick, terrified of every bend, wanting to get off. However, if I believe that the track is my destiny and that God is in charge of the machine, then the nightmare becomes something thrilling. It becomes exactly what it is, a roller coaster, a safe, reliable toy, which will eventually stop, but, while the journey lasts, I must look at the surrounding landscape and whoop with excitement.


From Eleven Minutes

My Beauty Essentials.

I LOVE red lipstick and this one right here is thee BEST!! M.A.C Ruby Woo is a matte rich lipstick that I layer on, depending on how much coverage I want. I've had this stick for about two years and it is well worth the $14.50 price! It is the perfect RED.

This honey dust is something I decided to add to my list of essentials for the reason that it is light, sweet, and I've had it for a long time. Its from Urban Decay, which is a makeup line I really like. It's good enough for daily use because it goes on light and it gives a subtle glow...nothing to glittery*. It's also edible soooooo it serves as a seductive flirty tool if need be!!! The price is a bit high at $29.00 but it's worth it because it will last a long time!! You can use it everyday or for special occasion...it also comes in Cocoa & Marshmallow scent!!

This is my absolute FAVORITE mascara of all time!!! I've tried others and always keep coming back to this one. L'Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black never disappoints, it's the darkest black, richest, thickest mascara i've found at the drugstore. In my opinion, the closest to it is Dior Show mascara but at $7.50 L'Oreal is good to my wallet!! It makes my lashes thick without looking clumpy and it enhances my naturally long lashes. {Sidenote:: I recently tried their Million Lashes, that's a few dollars more only to realize that it still does not beat the original Voluminous!!} I will remain faithful to this mascara!!...{Now if only they made it in blue and purple!!} 

Avon is such a great thing!! And these fruity lip balms have been a part of my life since I was kid and my mom was an "Avon Lady" I use them everyday and they work great on chapped lips. Look in my makeup bag and you will find at least one of these flavors inside. The light fruity smell is so nostalgic, it makes me smile** {Cherry has got to be my favorite} At $0.98 I tend to buy these in bulk!!!

M.A.C Carbon Black Eyeshadow is my perfect eyeliner. I like things that last a long time, and I don't mind paying a higher price! This eyeshadow will last me for a while, goes on smooth and does not run....so at the end of the day I don't end up looking like a raccoon! At $14.50 it's worth the price if I know that I will have it for a while...and if I want some serious smokey eye, I can layer it on!!

This is my new best friend! Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm, it's like a marker for your lips!! It has staying power so I put it on and it will last me for a few hours...even if I drink or eat! It is the coolest thing that has recently come out, and the price is not bad, $7.69. I have it in two colors, this one here is Passion and it's a rosy pink tone that makes my lips look perfectly and naturally PINK! If it feels too dry then it has an attached clear balm at the other end...voila! perfection! I love color markers...now I have color markers for my lips!!

 Can you tell I love the color Red? Red lipstick, lipstain...and this cheek stain by Tarte in Flush. It is definitely a must have for me...Why? Because it will last me for a while, therefore the price is worth it! It is a water based gel tint that gives me a natural flushed look. It's makeup for those days that I don't want to wear makeup! At around $30.00, the price may be a bit high, but I really like the natural rosy cheeks that this tint gives me, therefore I recommend it!

My beauty essentials wouldn't be complete without mentioning the importance of having a skin regimen! I have been using moisturizer since I was around 17 years old, which is when I really started to wear makeup. My mother was the "Avon Lady" and she taught me the importance of taking care of my skin and of aging gracefully!! Now, in my 30's I am so grateful for that knowledge because my skin has almost no sign of aging {I know some women who are in their mid 20's with wrinkles} Avon is a great thing, I say it all the time! They have products for every age group, and now as I welcome my 30's, this line of skin care is something I never go without!! Avon Anew is a line of quality products that keep my skin looking and feeling great. I've been lucky to have inherited good skin, combination skin, I've never had a problem with acne or oily/dry skin. But sadly as you age you have to become consistent with your skin care. This works for me and the price is well worth it because it's not as expensive as department store brands and I know that it's good quality! I am OK with investing between $12-$35 to keep my skin looking good!!

One of my most important beauty MUST HAVE's is Groomed Eyebrows!!!!!!!!!!! Whatever you have to do to have perfectly groomed eyebrows is an essential! Whether you go to a pricey salon or to the corner nail shop; or if you DIY; tweezing, waxing, threading.....It is an important "must" that EVERY woman should do. Groomed eyebrows will give your face structure and will make your eyes stand out. I can't state this enough...I am anal when it comes to my eyebrows AND it is the first thing I notice when I look at a female. {If she has ugly eyebrows it makes me want to have a heart-to-heart with her} Price is not option for beautiful, clean brows!