original.

Pic of the day: Dope ring (the one to the left) that a.Elena picked up in Austin, TX over the wknd...

Vegas baby!

Here's a pic from Club Moon at the Palms hotel featuring the homie Jackie & yours truly. We kicked the night off at the roulette table where we flipped our initial bets so we knew the night was headed in the right direction!!

We danced the night away to old school & new school tunes and caught an impromptu performance from DC's own Wale. Another unforgettable Vegas night...

Fancy.

Jackie's brand new yellow suede pumps came in the mail. I'm hating so hard right about now...

Trying something out of the ordinary...

Tuna Margarita.

Silver Tequila and prickly pear cactus juice.

Rosario's in San Antonio.

...everything is bigger in Texas!

Here's a pic of my BFF Marisabel and I enjoying yummy margaritas at a spot that I don't remember the name of.

Everything truly is bigger in Texas!!

Even the beers are jumbo sized and the plates of food are enormous! I enjoyed plenty of open bar margarita receptions on work time (kept the drinking to a minimum, though). Even the local Denny's had a "Texas menu" which featured traditional Mexican dishes - which I adore.

I'm going to have to do some serious calorie counting now that I'm back in DC...

On the road again...

Here's a pic from this past Thursday that was taken during the cab ride to my hotel in San Antonio, Texas. Kinda made me want to jump on the road and head to Mexico, but I didn't. ;-)

I'm kind of obsessed with geography & maps in general but this is part of the USA that I've never touched down in ... until now.

Awesomeness.

All I See Is Fireworks...

So, for many years the 4th of July was my favorite holiday. Now-a-days, every day is a holiday so I don't pick favorites. I found myself repeating Mariah Carey's 4th of July song and reminiscing of the good ol' days where as kids, we would climb up to the roof and watch the fireworks display at Shea Stadium. Man, I miss being a kid in Queens.

This year, we watched the National Fireworks on the Key Bridge in Georgetown - which connects VA and DC. Of course I couldnt get the best pic to capture such a great show, but enjoy!

Wheaton, MD

Here's a photo from Wheaton metro station in Maryland - home of the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere according to Wikipedia. Though I'm a certified geography junkie, I'll admit I went for the mall that is attached to it for a quick shopping trip. ;-)

This entry comes to you as I've passed my anniversary of moving to Maryland. There's still so much to discover.

Believe the hype!

Snack break...

Yummy treats from Curbside cupcake compliments of the conference I attended Thurs & Fri! More to come...

FunDay!

Anyone who knows me personally knows I've wanted to go to Six Flags since 8th grade. When my best friend and her husband decided to take my Goddaughter for her debut trip I decided I couldn't miss out... I mean, this was quite literally a trip of a lifetime (not kidding). The safari was amazing and gives any zoo a run for their money. The rides were breathtaking (one word: Nitro). This place has come a long way since my childhood... we even purchased the exclusive "Flash Pass" and were able to skip the long lines. This photo was taken on our ride down to the theme park.

Good times, good times.

Editors note: I've been extremely homesick writing this entry. This day will be remembered forever. Words can't express how beautiful it is to be loved by such a wonderful child and to share her happiness. I miss her something terrible... this girl has my heart.

Road Trip!!!

My great friend, Nicole came down for a visit this past week. She convinced me (after a few drinks) to take the ride with her up to NYC and I caved in after very little consideration. Our trip began at 5pm and after a long journey through several states and a few stops for dinner and highway flirting, we made it home. We spent hours talking about life, love, and everything in between. True friends are hard to find, I'm so happy I have them.

This photo was taken at out first gas stop in Northeast, DC. Otherwise known as the hood. I went in to buy a gatorade and the attendant informed us that the inside wasn't open (in the daytime) and there were bars on the doors & of course bullet-proof glass on the windows.

Almost felt like home.

Too little, too late

I attempted to pick up a Fathers Day card three days prior to the holiday. My Mom and I always get a good laugh at the lack of effort that surrounds Fathers Day shopping.

Mom always says, "everyone has a Mother... or at least someone they consider to be their Mother".

Mothers Day, there's never a card on the shelf and the picks are more emotional than humorous. Fathers Day is quite the opposite. Most cards are themed around sports, beer, and tools. I was shocked to walk into my local CVS and see the racks completely bare.

This can't be a bad thing.

LoVe

My friend Graciela recently got engaged to her life-long friend. This post is a shoutout to everyone who has found true love. Seeing my parents' marriage blossom for over 30 years is a gift in itself... most people aren't lucky enough to love and be loved for that long.

Love is the most beautiful experience I've ever known.

Congratulations.

shrug.

Clearly, I've been slacking with the posts but not with the photo-taking. I'll be taking a few steps back and updating for all of the days I've missed ;o)

Stay tuned...

Music is my boyfriend.

...and just like a real relationship, I treated my man to something new. I picked up these cute speakers over the weekend for my bathroom. Like most lazy laptop users, I've fallen victim to relying on my computer to blast tunes around my apartment. I enjoy listening to music in the shower and I've finally admitted to myself that propping my pc up on my sink was not only unsafe, but it isn't practical.

Yes, the dope color had a lot to do with this choice of speaker and it isn't quite theater sound quality - but for now, it'll do.

a view from the top

I attended a convening this afternoon that was hosted by Catalist, a super-duper/life-changing/mind-boggling organizing & voter information tool. The afternoon was jam packed with so much information about the upcoming November elections so it was refreshing to attend the reception that followed. The Beacon hotel's rooftop bar (formally known as The Martini Sky Bar) was perfect for the happy hour (and I never say no to an open bar and the opportunity to network with folks in my field). This photo was taken from my view up top of the street below. I held back on the opportunity to take a better pic for my daily photo as I didn't want to be caught photographing conference attendees. Photographer FAIL. See the Beacon's website for more sophisticated photos of the spot.

Pride.

I had sooo much fun at DC's PRIDE Parade! I went to cheer some friends on who were marching and I must say, the gay community always knows how to put on a peaceful yet exciting event. Everything was so visually stimulating - from half-naked cowboys to politicians and drag queens. Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA was blasting from almost every other float and Lady Gaga was the official mascot of the parade - there were sooo many impersonators!

I was able to get some fun shots before my camera's battery died.

Feel the love.

Stashed away...

Well, I was this close to forgetting to post a photo for today.

[The previous post was a make-up for my lack of productivity yesterday]

I picked these funky sandals up over memorial day weekend when I was home in NYC. I'm waiting for the perfect dress to pair them with this summer. Some items aren't meant to be worn immediately just for the sake of wearing something new. One day it'll all come together...

FIFA!!!

Nuff said.

So here's a quick pic of my colleague-in-crime and great friend, Elena sporting her cute haircut and World Cup ensemble! Our office is so crazy right now with energy!

Ok, back to the Mexico vs. South Africa game...

stay foolish. stay hungry.

I kicked it with my friend Milin earlier which led me to taking a pic of his new set of tattoos for my daily photo. His tattoos were inspired by the speech that apple's CEO, Steve Jobs gave during Stanford's 2005 Commencement address. He speaks about how dropping out of college was the best decision he ever made and gives the graduates insight into his journey from that point to now.

Life and death.

Love and loss.

Living the dream.

Clearly, I wasn't moved by his words enough to engrave them on my body but he did hit on some points that I've been day dreaming of for a while. I'll share a quote below that I absolutely love and will finish off by telling the world that I truthfully and wholeheartedly love what I do for a living. Some people do it for the money, some do it for their family, some for a title or for pleasing society. I do it for myself and for the people that don't feel they have a voice. Working in civil rights is such a rewarding experience. I'm right where I want to be.

"You've got to find what you love, and that is as true for work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it, and like any great relationship it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs