I’m a little late for the party but nevertheless here is my fashion review.
Rhianna came out in a red Loewe boiler suit (jumpsuit) covered in a red body suit while adorn by a breast plate by British designer Jonathan Anderson.
Noticeably on her right shoulder you may have seen three vintage diamond brooches from Joseph Saidian & Sons. Which perfectly matched her several earrings.
She then added a layer of clothing during her performance of Umbrella. This was a red custom floor length maxi puffer coat by Alaia, which included integrated gloves. It has been said, this moment was an homage to her late friend and Fashion extraordinaire Andre Leon Talley. Her shoes were in fact sneakers, a pair of Maison Margiela and Solomon called MM6.
If you’re not familiar with him, he was an American fashion stylist, journalist, creative director and was most known as the editor at large of Vogue Magazine and judge on America’s Next Top Model.
After our first trip to Tennessee, we said we would be back. And we sure did this past January, but it was met with a few bumps on the road. Literally, this trip almost didn’t happen.
Let me start in the beginning, we got to the airport right on time. With a couple of hours before our departure time. To get situated, let the girls eat and not feel in such a rush. As we got to our gate, they immediately changed it. “That’s fine”, I thought, we just need to walk over to the other gate. After finding our new gate, we decided it was time to get the girls something to eat. Though the only restaurant that was not closed was Burger King and the line was LONG. Once again, I repeated “That’s fine. We made it in time and the girls are watching their shows on their tablet.” Shortly after what felt like 5 minutes, I get a text from Rob saying, “They canceled our flight.” I responded back with “Stop, playing. We just got here, and we are early. Don’t play with me.” As I was waiting in line to get the food, a general announcement came over the speaker. “Flight to Nashville, Tennessee your flight has been canceled. Please make your way to customer service.” My jaw dropped as I grabbed the food and made my way to Rob and the girls. My appetite had left.
“What do we do?” I muttered quietly to Rob. I can tell he was frazzled. He didn’t respond. I tried to remain positive and not show my emotions in front of the girls as they were so excited to be going back to Tennessee. Rob texted me and said, “Let’s go home.” I quickly responded back with “No, we are here. We must find another way.” He figured out why the flight was canceled. He told me, “They canceled it because there is a storm all over the area.” My mind went quickly to the movie, The Devil Wears Prada. Remember, when Miranda calls Emily and says “My flight has been cancelled. It’s some absurd weather problem. I need to get home tonight.” But there was nothing flying out because of the weather. I felt like Miranda but instead of saying “It’s just drizzling.” I said, “But it’s SUNNY!” I laugh at myself now. But at that moment, it felt worse. I asked Rob if there was another flight at any other airline as he searched for that, I looked at the United States Map.
Rob quickly looked at me and said, “ Most flights have been delayed or canceled. The airline we were with has nothing flying in or out of Tennessee.” I felt horrible. He had planned this trip months before. I then reopened my phone to the United States Map. “Ok, if not Tennessee. Where else can we go?” I said to myself. “NORTH CAROLINA.” Popped straight in front of me. “Ok now I know where to go, now I need to find the closest airport near the border of Tennessee. Got it! Charlotte, North Carolina.” Once again, I said to myself “That’s fine. We get a car rental drive to our original destination, Asheville. It was not Nashville as it was the only flight, we had available to go to from Fort Lauderdale. It’s the exact time we had originally to drive from Nashville to Asheville now It would be Charlotte, NC to Asheville, TN.” I then Googled to see if there were any flights with our current airline and they did. I told Rob quickly to check.
He was able to get the last 4 remaining tickets! WOOOOO! The relief left my shoulders. But soon there would be another hurdle.
Rob refreshed his tickets on his phone. He quickly looked over at me and said, “I don’t see them no more. I don’t see the change to North Carolina. It says to go to Customer Service.” My heart dropped. We had past customer service on our way into the airport and the line was long and the agents looked frustrated. Once he said that to me, I mentally prepared myself to go home. But then, two agents appeared at the gate we were waiting for. Rob quickly got up and asked them questions. Thankfully, the agent helping rob was a life saver! He was able to fix the tickets and print them for us. I can finally breathe. “North Carolina, here we come!” I said to myself.
We made our way to the other side of the airport to our new destination gate. We sat, and I grabbed a celebratory drink for Rob and I. Beer! The time went by fast, the sun quickly disappeared, and it became night. Rob then looks at me and says, “There’s been a delay to the flight.” At this point, I just really thought the universe didn’t want us to go. So, I left it alone. I said “Ok. I really hope they don’t cancel. It’s a different state.” My anxiety came back, but I tried not to show it. The lady at the new gate made an announcement over the speaker. “Here we go again. Please don’t cancel.” I said to myself. “Good evening, there has been a delay with the crew. They are flying out from Tampa and should be arriving soon.” I let out a huge sigh of relief.
The crew arrived an hour later, we grabbed our bags and made our way to the plane. You should’ve seen the smiles on our faces! You know the ones that hurt! Yup, those were ours. We were gratefully thankful to be going on our way to Tennessee. Without the girls knowing all the drama that had just happened to us of course.
Made it to Charlotte North Carolina at 12am, we were starving. Ran to get our rental car and made our way to the hotel, which was only a 7-minute drive. Only to find out that there was nothing around to eat. Once we dropped our bags we headed to the nearest fast food, Mcdonalds. It was the only place open at that time. I only heard about red eye flights but never have I felt so drained from a flight until we sat in that line waiting for our food. We were exhausted. We were given our food till 1:30 AM. The poor manager was the only person working in the kitchen and the register. We headed back to the hotel to eat, shower and sleep.
The next day was bright and early as we had to drive 3 hours, go to Walmart and get all the necessary food and supplies because we were heading to a cabin up the mountain. Our first one as a matter of fact. You are probably wondering why Walmart and nothing closer? There was only a general store that closes before 5PM. We also thought we wouldn’t be able to get all the items we needed for the girls and that it could cost more due to the convenience and location.
We got to Walmart in time but now I had to rush in and hurry out. You may be wondering why? Well, if you haven’t been to Tennessee, I can tell you it is not ideal to drive at night because there’s no light post. There are many hidden curves, hills, one-way streets and if you don’t know the area I wouldn’t recommend driving at night, it is PITCH BLACK. Also, most deliveries are not made to drive up a secluded cabin, especially at night. As I got out of Walmart, I could see the sun was setting. It was time to go.
We did not beat the sun; it became dark once we got near to the cabin. We passed a pond and up the hill we went. My stomach was in knots, one wrong move and you can seriously be off a cliff. We don’t have inclined hills in Florida. But Rob was calm and steady as he always is while driving. I had my phone recording. We were going up a high inclined hill, imagine it as you were going up on a roller coaster. Then it became road, ok we were good until the GPS announced, “Your destination is on the left.” After we passed it on the one-way street. My stomach had turned. Rob must now try to reverse and make a 3-point turn to go down a steep hill into the cabin. We were all quiet. As he was turning in the car felt like it was going off the cliff. We went back to the rollercoaster position in the car then down we went. We had finally made it, once we got out of the car, we noticed the big hill we had just conquered. What a journey.
The next day, we woke up to a beautiful view out on the balcony of our cabin. The weather was perfect to explore. We did Alpine Coaster in Pigeon Forge with the girls. This is a mile long rollercoaster through the mountain and is the longest one in the United States. You can go as fast as you want or slow down the cart as you have control of the brakes, just make sure there’s no other cart around. Not going to lie, I was very nervous at first. The experience is one I won’t forget; the ride is set atop of the mountain where the air was so fresh. The weather was a perfect 38 and the sun was out. I would truly recommend this. We then had lunch at Smokey Mountain Brewery. Rob selected this place, and it was a great choice. Inside you can view the microbrewery. Good food and awesome service. We then went next door to The Tower Shops at the Mountain Mile. The girls played around and grabbed a dessert. Out of all the things this place had and how cold it was outside, they decided on ice cream. Good thing there was a firepit and we sat next to it and relaxed with the great views of the Great Smoky Mountains. We then decided to head back to the cabin.
The next morning, we woke up to rain. We decided to visit Cades Cove Loop Road. We had done the drive the first time we came to Tennessee, and it was beautiful. But this time we were prepared, we ate before going. I would also suggest packing up some snacks for the little ones as this is an 11-mile drive through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Be sure to wear hiking boots as there are moments you can get out and visit log homes, churches, barns and working mills. This drive is so picturesque as the mountains surround your backdrop every inch. It’s so breathtaking. This time around, the mountains had their famous blue hue and foggy look. It’s so peaceful. Back at the cabin we enjoyed the firepit and made smores. We also played many family games like jenga and pacman, while we had Elvis music playing in the background. We ended the night at the jacuzzi overlooking the views from the balcony.
The following morning was Rob’s 35 birthday. We sang happy birthday and then we were on the road again. We were on our way to Ober but along the way I spotted one trail that was highly recommended for families and kids called Laurel Falls trail. I told Rob about it, and we decided to cancel Ober as we had already done that the first time around. If you decide to do this trail with your little ones, I recommend bringing water. Make sure to take plenty of stops. Halfway through the trail, I thought we had to turn back because it felt quite long but we knew we were getting closer when a warning sign stating “DANGER, falling deaths have occurred there are high vertical drop-offs ahead along the trail and at the falls. CLOSELY CONTROL CHILDREN.” My knees buckled and my momma bear instincts took over. In my head I was wondering how did this highly recommended trail just turned into my worst nightmare? I had to hold Arya tightly by the hand, making sure Rob was holding Averie’s hand. We finally heard the waterfall, we had arrived. It was a beautiful sight. I am beyond grateful for the lady who saw us and asked if we wanted our picture taken. Shortly after, we headed back to the car. I heard many mamas along the way, feeling the same way I felt going up this trail. I was not alone, and I reassured them, they were getting close. Just keep going, its worth the walk for the waterfall at the end.
On our way out of the mountains we stumbled on this little spot that we had to get out for the most beautiful pictures that I will forever cherish. The sun was just right, and the clouds were moving through. We can finally say that we have seen the “Land of Blue Smoke”. Please stop at this location with your family, it’s the most majestic view of Tennessee. We took the chance and ended the night at Little Tokyo Hibachi Grill and Sushi in Pigeon Forge. They were quick on service as it was packed but were seated within 5 minutes. The food was excellent, I had the combination chicken and shrimp with a side of yum yum sauce. Back at the cabin we sang Happy Birthday and cut Rob’s cake along the mountain view. Perfect night to end our vacation.
Tennessee has a hold on me with its beautiful mountains and tranquility all around.
Sunday night was the 65th annual award show of the Grammy’s and let me just say it was very entertaining.
From Noah hosting, to Adele finally meeting the Rock to Lizzo being the ultimate humble fan and mentioning Beyonce in her acceptance speech and let me not forget Taylor Swift dancing to Bad Bunny. The night was full of fun moments!
One thing I was watching for the most was the fashion. There were 2 trends I noticed at the show that I loved the most. One was of Sparkles and the other of Ruffles. Let’s look at both trends below.
Embellishing the night, are these celebrities. But what does a little sparkle create? It gives an extra amount of glamour, makes the outfit of choice stand out. These decorative details make it more appealing to our eye and its truly amazing under the lights at the Grammy’s. Next time, you pull an outfit out of your closet that has some bedazzle on it. WEAR it! Because you will brighten up a room day or night.
Here were two ways the celebrities were wearing ruffles at the Grammy’s.
1. On top over the shoulders -which will attract your bone structure. How is this done? The ruffles emphasizes your collarbone, jawline, and simply your shoulders.
2. Ruffles at the bottom- will accentuate your hips and balance the top half elegantly.
Also notice, J.Lo and Beyonce showing a thigh-high slit accentuating the leg. This defines confidence.
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Taking Back Tuesday’s -Are the times where I reflect in the past that I may have not posted. You know, like throwback Thursday’s? Now you get the point.
Today, I will be discussing New Year’s 2021.
Bringing in New Years was a new one for us. For the 1st time, we stayed home as a family. We took the initiative and said no in going out. With COVID-19 was still lingering back on December 31 and we did the right thing and stayed home.
We also didn’t keep our tradition in throwing fireworks. Instead, we opted for sparklers I had left over from the 4th of July and bubbles; just so that the girls will be entertained at night.
Now let’s begin from the start, New Year’s starts early for me and the girls.
I try to do something special with both of them. So at 12 pm in the afternoon, I do a countdown. I put up in a plastic bag in the ceiling and add some balloons that I tape up then I have a string that is attached to it and hope they hold until our little dance party is done. This is a tradition I started doing, since Averie was born. It’s something that I hope to continue until they think it’s too wack. Which, I hope it never comes to.
Once I have that set up, I look in Youtube for a dance songs – mostly Kids Pop songs and we dance. Next up I search for a countdown on Youtube or sometimes Netflix and we count from 10 to 1. We pull on the string and the balloons come down. We scream “HAPPY NEW YEARS!” – If you are a new mommy, I suggest you to start doing this in the day time because sometimes kids become restless and they do not last till 12 am for New Years. At least, this method lets them participate even if they fall asleep at night.
One new thing I did this year was to cut out stars and have them write one wish they want for this upcoming Year. You are probably thinking, “Ady, where did you come up with this?” And the honest truth is that I just thought of it on the spot. Arya, is not able to write at this moment. So her wish was to stay with mommy home. Averie, her wish is to have a kitty by the end of the year. We shall see.
As night ascended, we began our celebration with Walt Disney World’s past fireworks video then we did a quick clothing change and started blowing and cheering with our party horns. As Rob popped a bottle for him and me; I took the girls outside to the balcony to throw some sparklers and blow on bubbles. We saw a couple of fireworks in our neighborhood but not as much as past years.
The countdown was about to start, so I did something new. I finally captured our moment as a family ringing in the New Year. Check out our reaction below.
In all seriousness I thought it was canceled. Until I looked at my calendar today and I was like, “Hold up, it’s 2021. Maybe it’s up and running?”
That’s when I went full research mode. First place I went to was nyfw.com and saw the schedule. “They are back!”
NY Fashion Week has changed to more of a digital experience. Also, the name has changed.
“SAY WHAT?!” Take a deep breath, exhale. I GOT ALL THE DETAILS.
The show is now schedule to go as the “American Collections Calendar.”
But I noticed there were a few changes. The BIG designers were out of the early schedule lineup. No Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors (he will debut his collection on 4/20 via multilayered digital experience) and the list goes on.
Not only did I find that change, but I noticed no crowds of people. Just a few to none in the audience, masks are mandatory and temperature/health checks were done prior of entering.
No more racing around the shows. As many spectators were not allowed. Most audiences were booked by appointment and if so, are all in the fashion industry. In my opinion, this may have saved money to the fashion houses. This is a big plus during these tough times.
Further down my searching, I stumbled across an article that stated
“Chairman of the CFDA Tom Ford announced that New York Fashion Week was adopting the American Collections Calendar, catering to the wave of designers opting out of showing during the typical fashion week calendar or choosing to present outside of New York.”
Let me break it down, designers are now able to show later in the season and not have to show their collections in NYC. They can show outside like Europe or Asia. It does not matter the location or the date they showcase. That’s something new. Oh, and let me mention, some or all designers have opted for a virtual show.
This of course has to do with COVID-19. Precautions are being met by following all CDC regulations and of the city.
What does that mean to the viewers?
CFDA has now implemented a digital platform to help designers bring their collections together called CFDA Runway360. Meaning, you can get to watch all the designers, wherever you are at and at any time. Not to mention, everything is there for the designer. What is inside the website? It has a brief description of the collection, the looks, BTS (if possible), a profile of the designer and past collections.
Go check it out.
In my honest opinion, I actually love this! I am more in tune of watching zoom meetings and interviews of the industry. I am more engaged of doing my research, not that I have not done it before. But I feel like we are taking a step at the right direction.
The council/industry is giving designers flexible time that is due as I feel like shows in the past may have been rushed due to a deadline, whereas now they have the rights to choose when they want to showcase their collection.
What do you think? Do you see Fashion Week all over the world changing? Do you like it or not? I would love to know your view. Comment below.
After New Year’s I mentally knew what I needed to get done. But somehow I fell into a deep writer’s block. I was unmotivated and very, very, very, uninspired. I swear when we get into December its super filled with lots of activities with none stop to do lists. January was a very busy month for me, with Rob’s birthday and our anniversary. Plus Averie was back in school and projects galore. Anything I thought for the blog was being pushed to the side. Work was hectic and life just kept going. I didn’t know when it was just going to stop.
A little voice in the back of my mind wanted to get back.
“You need to Create.”
I knew that my passion was asking to get out but the funk was getting in the way. It needed to breathe, needed to get back to how I normally am. I hope I am making sense.
I really think I should actually consider that my year starts in February. LOL. It’s less busy- well sort of.
In reality, the funk (writer’s block) just recently came off when we decided to go to the beach, this past weekend. It’s where I recharged. The weather getting to the beach was gloomy just like how I felt inside. Though, I didn’t care at that moment. We all knew we had to go. Once we got there, it was perfect. The sun came out beaming, the temperature was just right; the water was a bit cold for us Miamians. But I wouldn’t change a thing.
My mind got exactly what it was yearning for, the beach. Mental clarity is very real and sometimes we ALL need to hit a reset button. The overwhelm feeling, the worries, and the indecisions in my head all went away when I was looking at the ocean and listening to the waves. As I carried Arya in my arm who was already tired from the long day, I stared at the ocean. The overall peace that draped over my body was an outer experience that I never felt before. The clutter left my mind into the ocean and there I knew I was ok.
If you ever feel this way please know you are not alone, whatever place makes you feel grounded (back at peace) go to it. Whether it is at the park, gym, or even if you stand in the rain. Release all the clutter that your mind has and recharge. It will all be ok.
Now I am back to my normal schedule. With a clear mind set and full of inspiration.
I have found my new obsession of loving loungewear more than ever before.
I guess I owe a huge thanks to 2020 as I now work from home. Before the pandemic, I was never fond of loungewear. I just grabbed any shorts and t-shirt Rob had and called it a day. But boy, was I wrong.
During this pandemic, we may feel lost because we aren’t constantly going out. But it doesn’t mean that you should not get dressed up and make yourself feel good. Once in a while.
Trust me, loungewear takes up a notch. I now get to spend my days in a set of these pretty wear all while be extra comfortable. Don’t need to throw my style away at all.
The ones I currently am obsessed are these from Walmart – Secret Treasures.
The joggers fit perfectly well and the feel is super soft but what I love the most is the comfort. Its super cute and chic paired with their hacci top. The words on the shirt are different from the one I have but I would recommend this brand if you are looking for a budget friendly buy.
This Halloween, Rob and I decided to dress up the girls as much as possible. After all, a little Hocus Pocus never hurt nobody.
The morning of Halloween, I asked Averie, “What would you like to dress up today?” and she replied, “A fairy, mommy.”
So I got some items from her closet and wa-la…. Fairy Averie.
And for Arya, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, because that’s what I really wanted to go rather than going to work that day.
When I came back home, I wanted them to relax and unwind before trick o treating. Perfect moment for another chance to dress them up.
Averie was Princess Belle
and Arya was Tinkerbell
Did you see what I did there? Belle & Tinker-bell. The bells. I just noticed that. lol
We had them dancing to Halloween songs, just to get them in the mood.
Let me tell you, to get them both ready within an hour is hard. Arya was fussy and Averie did not have a nap and was throwing tantrums.
After it felt like forever, we were ready. Introducing, The Peppas. Mommy pig, Daddy pig, Georg-ina, and Peppa.
Did you notice that this was a DIY costume.
Averie’s dress is an actual t-shirt from the boys section that I cut out. I bought her a long sleeve shirt and stockings. For Rob, I got him a Polo last minute in Walmart. And for me, I bought the dress on sale on Amazon and the long sleeve was bought in Walmart. For Arya, I had a teal long sleeve onsie but after seeing her in the tinkerbell costume I fell in love and left her in that costume instead.
We went around our block but we noticed not many kids were around and the couple of doors we knocked on no one answered. We didnt want Averie to get disappointed so, we ordered pizza to go and headed out to our old neighborhood to trick o treat.
This year was the best, Averie and I were singing along to, “This is Halloween, this is halloween, everyone SCREAM!” and we would scream and laugh.
Best moment of my night, was when Averie and I got scared together. As we were going to a house it looked like a statue was holding candy with a bucket, and all of the sudden it moved! “AHHHHH” we got scared as it began to wave, to our surprise it was only a lady dressed up. She got us real good.
This Halloween it was one to remember. Averie told us “Thank you Mommy & Daddy. Had so much fun!”
On October 29, 2017 we decided to go visit the pumpkin patch at Bedner’s Farm. It was an hour drive from where we live, as it is located in Boyton Beach. But we didn’t care about the ride, the pictures were worth the trip.
Since 2014, the Bedner’s pumpkin patch has become a tradition to us. When Averie was born (as seen above) it was the first pumpkin patch we went to and we decided to do the same with Arya for 2017.
(Daddy with Averie before entering the farm.)
We attended the farm on closing day. Just a heads up, try to go earlier in the month and early in the day to avoid long lines. The Fall festival was opened from September 30 till October 29 . The pumpkin patch was opened every day except on Tuesday’s. It had a corn maze, hay rides, petting zoo, and a bounce house with rides. It was packed with families and kids dressed in costumes, even dogs.
Averie decided to dress like a witch for the pumpkin patch. I let her choose her costume as she had 2 other options, which you will see later.
When we arrived, I could hear myself saying “Averie, over here. Arya, ahhh-goooo” non stop. When I zoned out of our world, I locked eyes with one middle aged mom saying, “Kevin … Kevin look at me. Over here son.” I finally realized I wasn’t alone. I turned back to the girls and continued on.
Averie was having a blast looking at all the different size of pumpkins in the patch.
But when she heard the music, she stopped and began to dance. In this particular picture she was dancing to Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off.”
Arya was having a blast too. She is such a happy baby.
The day was beautiful for us, the sun was finally out. The day before it had rain and we were worried that it would continue for us at the pumpkin patch. But luckily, not one dark cloud was around. It was breezy and perfect.
For the life of me, I could not capture one picture of Averie looking towards the camera. But you know what, I love that. She was in her moment at that time.
(Arya and Mommy)
One of my favorite pictures with both girls.
Daddy specifically wanted a picture like this with Arya. And boy, thank god he told me because it was a great shot.
On the last day of the Fall festival, Bedner’s holds a costume contest. They had a live DJ giving away free items. But in this picture Averie just wanted to dance.
World Famous food truck was there and their egg rolls were FIRE! Meaning, they were delicious. The line was pretty long but it moved fast. We shared BBQ pulled pork egg rolls. If you are ever around the area check them out, they are local in Boyton Beach.
We decided to take a break near the market area. We sat in an open field while children were playing cornhole,running, and trying to escape their parents…
Of course my daughter joined in the fun.
We viewed the corn maze from afar as the floor became to soggy to continue on.
This is us. This is our life captured in action. This will be our family picture. It captured us in the moment, the truth about this picture is so pure. Perfectly imperfect.
I’m not going to sugar coat our visit, we had taken so many pictures before. I want to share with you pretty pictures but I also want you to be aware that we have a normal life.
You see the picture above? Before taking it we had over 5 tantrums while we were there. It started to get hot, the floor was soggy and wet. Fire ants bit me before entering the farm. Everything you thought could go wrong did, but we made the best of it. That’s life, parenthood at it’s finest moment.
Arya loved to look around at people. She would look at every detail. She didn’t cry, which was one of my fears.
But look at this face, i’m so in love with her. She was so happy which made me melt.
Look at this picture and the one below it.
They are truly alike. Both picture show that they are in sync with each other. It amazes us sometimes.
This was a beautiful experience we shared as a family. Till next year, Bedner’s Farm.
And for Arya, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, because that’s what I really wanted to go rather than going to work that day.
We went around our block but we noticed not many kids were around and the couple of doors we knocked on no one answered. We didnt want Averie to get disappointed so, we ordered pizza to go and headed out to our old neighborhood to trick o treat.
Since 2014, the Bedner’s pumpkin patch has become a tradition to us. When Averie was born (as seen above) it was the first pumpkin patch we went to and we decided to do the same with Arya for 2017.
(Daddy with Averie before entering the farm.)
I love seeing my coworkers in amazement when I finish.
the mominista 