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THE UNEXPECTED DIY

So like I had told you all before, we recently moved! Ever since my boyfriend and I moved in together into our apartment, projects seem to pop out of no where. From where are we going to put this and that.. or what should we get to put here and there!.. But no complains from this lady.. because I have loved every project we’ve done thus far. Not only have I loved doing them but I have enjoyed so much unleashing the designer within, that i had no idea was even there! hehe. HGTV has become an obsession of mine way before we moved in and now that i actually have a place to call my own, the ideas have been flying! This has also made me realize how often we change as we grow older. A couple years back most of my spending was either on myself, clothing, and for others here and there. Now that i have a place to call “home”.. Home has been on my mind a lot and I really love making OUR place a HOME for my honey and I. All the little and big investments we have been so blessed to be able to make.. with the help of others along the way, all become that much more worth it as we see it all come together.

So on that note, we made an unexpected trip to Hobby Lobby an arts and crafts store, new to us down here in South Florida. Let’s just say i was in my decor heaven! I convinced Xavier (the BF) to take a ride with me and long behold we walked out with an awesome purchase on an awesome sale! We’ve been thinking of ways to decorate our walls since they’re still pretty blank since we moved in.. and well here it is..the unexpected DIY project.. I called it DIY only because we did the thinking ourselves.. the “putting together” of several pieces we picked up, to make it into one well arranged and beautiful piece over our couch! Hope you all like it and suggestions are welcome!

This is the “how we did it” pictures, to hang the pieces up and what we used! It works for us.. =)

Materials included:

Drill
Tape
pencil
screws
nails
wall anchors
measuring tape
screw driver

We used the tape to mark the holes on the back of the pieces. We then used that same tape with the marks to tape onto the wall to have an accurate placement of where the screws and nails would go, once the measurements of where we wanted the pieces would be.

After the tape was on the wall, Xavier made used his handy drill to make the holes in the wall and place the wall anchors in place along with the screws. And TA DA! the pieces were up! Hope you guys like it!

Loved these

the pieces

Tape &Pencil

Tape to mark where the screws will go to then tape on the wall.

tape on wall to make the holes

ready

We really have been trying to incorporate some rustic pieces to tie into our modern like furniture. I feel like we started on the right path! Here is the finished ~~UNEXPECTED~~ DIY project up!

WE LIVE WHERE YOU VACATION

We’ve all heard of the phrase: “We live where you vacation.” We Floridians like to brag a little when it comes to the phrase.. But hey! I think we speak the truth lol. I think that many of us who live here take it for granted. So this weekend my honey and I took the opportunity to embrace the fact that we both had a day off and that we have this beautiful state to enjoy. We really do have so much to do where we live. So we packed some sandwiches, some fruit and lots of water and we were off. After a 25 minute drive, we found ourselves at one of the many parks in the Miami area, Oleta River State Park. It was a great day to be outside, not too hot, not too cloudy, but just right. We got our little ticket and we were ready for some kayaking and some mountain bike trails. Fun! After an hour on the bike trails and some sweat later.. We were off to lunch by the water to re-energize for our kayaking in the bay. The ocean was calm and the sky was clear. It’s always so good to sit back and reflect on life out there and just remember to enjoy the little things. We had our laughs on the way back and the soreness was kicking in, so we called it a day.. But a GREAT ONE! (we’re trying to be more active on our days off, since nursing can be exhausting)

Helmet heads

Any who, I hope you enjoy a few of our shots (with the iPhone, Nikon couldn’t come) while we were there. I like to tell you little secrets, so here’s another.. This place holds a special and happy feeling for me. This is the place i officially became my boyfriends “girlfriend” about a year and some months ago. Cheesy I know… But I can’t help but to share happy memories with you all! Enjoy! And hey maybe one day you all can visit the park yourselves. What are some of your favorite outdoor places?? =P

Yes.. Thats a Mickey Mouse on my Sandwich.

The boyfriend and I

National Nurses Week

Every year, one week is dedicated and meant to recognize all the nurses around our nation… and guess what??! that week is here. National Nurses week is always held May 6 through the 12th.. most nurses don’t actually know why these specific dates were chosen. And guess what? Im including myself in that group. For those of you who don’t know.. I am a nurse and another little secret…but shh.. so is my boyfriend! ( our dinner conversations are quite interesting and inappropriate at times hehe) After some reading and researching I found why these dates were chosen. The dates were chosen because,May 6 some years back, was the first date recognized as “Nurses Day.” To extend the recognition, it was then established as “Nurses week” which was to end on the 12th of May, Florence Nightingales birthday (The mother of Nursing.) <- Fun fact. =P

Well this week has been nothing but a struggle at work.. just sick sick people. Not just sick as in cough, sneeze and sniffles.. But a little mixture of that kind of sick, sick as in inappropriate and sick as in the head and unfortunately very very sick elderly individuals.

I had a lot of time to think about the purpose of celebrating nurses and recognizing the work they do. It might sound a little bias stating that.. since i am a nurse myself. Truth is i have never been asked the questions…“What made you choose this profession?” “How can you deal with all that you do and all that you see?’” as i have this past week.

Us nurses see death, crazy, sadness, grossness, unfairness, negligence, the bad and the ugly.. But we also get to see new life, love, bonding of a family, justice, relief, laughs and smiles… and whats most amazing about it all, is that we sometimes get to see all these emotions in a matter of 12 hours! eek!

When i first started nursing school, i was part of a class about the size of 92… long behold, i graduated with around 50 of those who i started with.This profession isn’t for any ‘normal’ individual. I think it takes a ‘different’ kind of person to be able to handle all these things and more in a matter of 12 hours. We have to be survivors at the end of shift, be able to go home and be able to cope with everything we just had to see in a matter of 12 hours and get our own emotions in check at the end of it all. We really are super heroes. We not only have our own lives in our hands and those of our families, but when we leave to go to work, we take on up to 7 more lives and the lives of their families in our hands… and MAN OH MAN! that’s a lot of responsibility while we hold our pee for the 10 of those 12 hours and don’t get to eat lunch till 5pm if that!

So why “ Did i choose this profession?” Because i love what i have learned in school.. because even though were not taught everything we need to know when were out there in the real world.. I chose it because ..I CAN. Because no matter how many times we get cursed out by patients, and families and yelled out by doctors. I can. I can survive those emotions and the struggles of those 12 hours. And because through it all, we get that one family, that one patient who really touches you and is grateful that we were by their side. Because from each individual i have come across, i have learned something and every day that i walk into work (and sometimes i really don’t want too in all honesty!) i walk out with a lesson. No matter how big or small. The stress is real, the demand is exhausting and sometimes i want to pull out my hair.. But i would do it all over again. I would have sleepless nights all over again in nursing school and choose to be a nurse all over again.. Because hey! sometimes i can even have a 5 day weekend! (It has its perks!)

So if you know a nurse or a nurse to be… say thank you! And to all my nurses out there. nurses Happy Nurses week!

A word of advice… stay humble.. because when we’re on the other side of our role.. when our families are sick or when we are sick ourselves.. we tend to think we know it all.. but we don’t. We sit back and let others teach us more. We know the good and the bad of it.. So be kind when you can.. stand your ground when you have too and ask for help when in need.

My journey of becoming a nurse! Enjoy!

Where the learning began..

Thank goodness he was fake

Final semester with my boyfriend and friend

graduation with my hunk

My first “thank you” note from a patient who i will always remember

For the Love of Coffee…DIY

Since I can remember, my love for coffee has always been there. I guess my Colombian roots have never been lost you could say. I started drinking coffee (and black!) since I was probably 5 years old… When I would come home from school in Colombia my grandmother always had black coffee and Colombian bread waiting for me! Yum! (oh, the memories!) well… my point? This love I hold.. will always be there! And well I guess now being older than 5, going through nursing school and ending up with a cuban boyfriend.. I guess now, it has become an addiction. Ha! and addiction I’m quite okay with.. and Love!

My boyfriend and I recently moved to an apartment. Decorating has been tons of fun!.. and a lot of ideas have been flying through this busy head of mine. I think its safe to say, not only am i addicted to coffee but my fellow friend Pinterest! And it just so happened that while on Pinterest… I came across this coffee station idea! It was love at first sight and “must have” in our new apartment!

So, off i went to start picking up things for my little coffee station! After multiple trips and much looking and little spending ( we’re on a budget here! everything we got was either on sale or pretty inexpensive) I had the things to put this little project together and to make it my own. The coffee station is finally complete and being used daily..I couldn’t be more excited to share my photos with you and the final product! Sit back, grab a cup of coffee and Enjoy!

First Step: Finding a table, a place to hang my coffee cups, and decorations. (the fun part!)

The first purchase

Second Step: Painting My table! ( I wanted a rustic, white feel to it) I used some left over paint with primer,since there was no need to sand down my table. Worked like a charm!

The Before image

Let the fun begin!

Painting away

the after

Final Step: Put it all together!

And then these went up..

The Finished product and my favorite little area in our home!

I love you Coffee. That is all.

An Engagement in Style

This past saturday, my honey and I had the pleasure of attending a celebration unlike any we had surely attended.. It was full of colors, traditions, meaning, family and most important LOVE! My boyfriend and I met Anita (the beautiful bride to be, below in our pictures) during nursing school.. we were literally the three stooges! This is why it was such an honor and meant so much for us to be able to experience such an amazing day for her and her fiancé! It was a beautiful day and the celebration spirit was definitely in the air. It was not only exciting for us to be able to attend but also to learn about their different traditions and beliefs. If this was only the engagement ceremony, I cannot wait to attend their wedding day! Im sure it will be more than beautiful! Here are some pictures we took of our friends day! Enjoy.