My single weekend in California! Coming soon!

In three days, myself and five of my most cherished friends will be heading to California for my bachelorette party! Although my maid of honor isn't coming, which really sucks for me, I am happy that my girls care about me so much to take off from work and use their money to spend a fabulous weekend in Long Beach, Hollywood and Santa Monica, California with me!

We are going to have so much fun and do lots of girly things, some crazy, some cool, and some sexy. :)

Great Saturday!

I had a great day today! Spanish guy and I went hunting for a place in Brooklyn to have our rehearsal dinner with his best man and our Minister of Peace. We found a great place in Park Slope and we wound up spending the next 7 hours there! NOW, its 12:30am and its the first night that Spanish guy has been out without me, its because he made a friend! I'm so happy for him. I want him to have his own NYC life here! I hope he has a great time, he's at a birthday party on the Lower East Side (my old neighborhood). Good Hood.

Great Saturday!

Three more weeks until the wedding, four more days until I head to California for my Bachelorette party! YAY!

a thought.

I never let my past rob me of my future.

True story.

GTL baby!

Spanish guy and I embarked on the long journey to that narrow island, we all know as Manhattan to ponernos morenos (as the Spanish say). As we stepped foot outside into the blistering below freezing air, we avoided street slush, slid on invisible ice sheets and ducked into the nearest Mexican bakery for a cafe con leche, then made our way down the wet subway stairs.

We were on our way to tan!

Yes there are places to go in Brooklyn, but we decided to leave our comfort zone and go where we've never gone before, to Beach Bum Tanning!

Upon entering the tanning booth, which can easily be mistaken for a torture chamber, we were excited (Snookie and Pauly D immediately crept into the back of our minds, JERSEY SHORE BABY!). Eight minutes later, we were done, we quickly dressed and stepped into the hallway, looked at each other... than at ourselves in the mirror.

We were exactly the same color. Mission FAILED!

haha, I'm only joking. We were a bit darker. This is all in preparation for our singles party and wedding. We wanted to try a new experience together, none of us have ever went tanning, and I always use #50 block for kids because I don't like to get darker) but we said, what the heck! And we did it!


When we got home, Spanish guy did laundry, but we missed the gym today, maybe we'll have a GTL two-parter! Yeah, thats what we'll do, a two-parter!

Here is our story in pictures:

above is the tanning booth, looks a bit scary, I know.

Stereo Love Remix 2010 By Dj Zarske

I was obsessed with this song before it even came to US. It pretty much defines my time in the south of Spain and makes me nostalgic. Everything about it is amazing! ahhh... Spain!!! Pa' siempre en mi corazon! Pronto volvere!

a stupid thing.

Have you ever heard of anyone sleeping with jeans on every night? I have and I think its stupid! REAL stupid!! So stupid that its stupid!

wedding invitation stuffing party!

A wedding invite stuffing party!!!

Come one come all!

Help Stuff our invites!

goodbye!

My Bridal Shower

My Bridal Shower

Janurary 15th, 2011

It was held at my Minister of the Peaces' home. 

The theme was game night. SO after playing Scattegories, we ate Mexican (my favorite) then played pin the flowers on the bridal dress (blindfolded of course) then had the home made cake and cupcakes made by my maid of honor, afterwards I opened presents, then we played "boink, turn, pull", then Funglish. I hardly ever stay home and play games but last night was so fun. I'd love to have game night every weekend!

Here's pictures of me and my mom and closest friends:

exciting week

I had an exciting week,

1. Monday-- my students premiere video screening at Time Warner Center's screening room
2. Wednesday-- My first French language course.
3. Last Night, Saturday-- I had my Bridal Shower!

It's been great! Now I'm off for a run then off to my trial wedding hair appointment. Should be F-U-N! Not sure how I want to do my hair yet, bit I'll just ask the expert, Eve!

no honeymoon.

What a disaster. It looks like we probably wont be going on a honeymoon. It is just too expensive with everything else and people are not helping out evenly. ARG! I was looking forward to it. Maybe a miracle will happen.

Je suis Apprendre le français

I just got home from my first French Language class of my life! One of my goals for this year (and I reiterated it in my new years resolution) was to start learning French and I started today! Within the next 5 years I'd like to live in France for at least a few months, just to become conversational.

The place that I am taking classes is great. Its like a cultural center. After the class, which only has seven students, including me, we went upstairs to a wine and cheese event where everyone was practicing their French. It was such a great educational environment.

I'm so proud of myself that I am starting on my 3rd language. It's said that learning a language as an adult is one of the most difficult things to do, and I did it and am now doing it again! I LOVE it!

Je ne peux pas attendre pour en savoir plus français!

wedding ring

Okay, well, I'm sorry but I have to vent, even though I may seem snobby, which I promise, I'm really not at all, BUT every gal has her moment when she's getting ready to tie the knot!

Heres my dilemma:
I'm having trouble finding a curved/ contoured wedding band that embraces my low set solitaire stone engagement ring.

It's quite complicated because the engagement ring is from Spain and it's band is a unique width.

ahhhhh... HELP!!

My best man with his best man

I love to see my fiance so happy. Its great to see him get along so well with such amazing friends.

Spanish guy and his best man (who is one of my best friends and the person thats going to marry me's boyfriend) got that?:

The fire that burns

Im sick today, so I'm writing a million blogs!

I just wanted to talk about the first week of 2011. So far I've signed up for a beginners French class. I want to learn French. I was obsessed with learning Spanish for so long, and now I learned it. I'm not going to stop there. I want to continue growing in life. So every Wednesday after work I'll be heading to the alliance francaise to start on the beautiful path of becoming trilingual.

I feel like a little kid who's mother put them in all these activities, only my mom didn't put me in them, I put myself in them. On Monday evenings I have my boxing class, called fight club. Its a hard-core military style work out. On Tuesdays I have my dance class at Alvin Ailey Dance Company. On Wednesdays, well, I have French like I mentioned earlier. On Thursdays I usually just run and on Fridays I have fight club again.

My schedule is jam packed, and I love it that way. I am not only working out my body (also training for a half marathon in March, so I'm up to 20 miles a week now), but I am also working my brain by learning a new language. I also train my brain at my day job, researching and teaching. Im constantly challenging myself.

I think that I should sign up for an advanced Spanish class as well. When I move back to Spain, I really don't want to have any frustrations with the language, especially with writing and reading, which is my weakness with the Spanish language.

I'm on track for 2011, but thats not any different than how things have been any other year. I'm motivated. Fire brews inside me, and I just need to let it out!

Okay, I hope my cold goes away quickly, because tomorrow is my students premiere screening and I need to speak in front of an audience of over 200 people!

I hope everyone else's 2011 is going well.
xo

Wedding webpage!

Im in the process of making my wedding webpage:

http://www.ewedding.com/sites/clmendoza

I can't believe the day is almost here!

new phase

Things are moving pretty fast in my life right now. Next month I am getting married! I cant believe it! I never thought this day would come! I always took the advice of my elders, people told me that marriage is horrible and that kids are the end of your freedom, sooo... I like my freedom, so I never had kids, BUT, I found someone that I am continuously growing with. We have new experiences together, we teach each other things and we keep our relationship fresh. Thats why in one month we will commit ourselves to each other for the rest of our life.

Next weekend is my bridal shower and in three weeks I have my bacholorette party in California! All the girls are packing up and heading to the west! YAY!

I'm entering a new phase of my life. It's an adult phase. A secure phase. A happy phase.

ahh...

Everything is great in this beautiful life.

My yearly list of accomplishments-- 2010

Its that time of year again to reflect on everything that has happened and that I'm grateful for. I never just want to be, I want to live, and not only do I want to live, but I want to make an impact on the world, I want to be there for people, and I want to enjoy my life. My life is full of learning, loving people, and family. Thats how I like to live. Not with anger or negativity, only love, compassion, and great food that feeds my soul!

Here's my highlights of 2010:

I witnessed a live speech from the President of Liberia, Madam Sirleaf

I ran a half marathon with my fiance

I traveled to three countries (Spain, US & Italy), three states (NY, NJ, and Pennsylvania) and tons of cities, including Barcelona, Almeria, Seaside Heights, and Venice.

I moved to another country

I got engaged

I passed a Spanish exam to get an internationally recognized language certificate

I applied for a PhD (not sure if I got accepted yet)

I switched jobs three times.

I drastically cut my hair for the first time in my life!

My brother and I became great friends

I continued to write

I bought a new mac!!!!!!!!

I learned the history of an African nation

I subscribed to the New York Times and Netflix

I wore tons of dresses and HUGE flowers in my hair

I took lots of mini vacations (one week or less)

I visited a desert

I swam in the Atlantic-- on the other side of the Atlantic

I learned a new dance/martial art: Capoiera

I took boxing classes

I reunited with old friends and made them a huge part of my current life

(wow, its a long list this year)

I lived in four different apartments

I rollerbladed my azz off

I boogie-boarded for the first time in my life PLUS, I went snow tubing

I've improved my Spanish

I had my engagement party

I rode an electronic bull

I was on a float in the Puerto Rican Day parade where I met some famous people

My fiance and I grew in our relationship

Two thousand and ten was GREAT. I'm sure I'll continue my streak of having my life get better and better as the years go on. The first step is believing, and I believe.

After all, I'm getting married in 2011! EXCITING! (plus I have a few NY resolutions, I ALWAYS keep my resolutions and this year they are GOOD ones!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

We rang in the new year at the Fat Black Pussy Cat in the West Village of Manhattan. Everything was perfect! There was a live band playing, an eight person band to be exact, and every member had their own style. One was a beat boxer, another was a salsa singer, another was a soul singer, one was an electronic guitarist, etc. It was great because they played a mix of music, and it was so beautiful to see them perform their hearts out!

It was by far the best New Years Eve that I've had while in New York. Spanish guy and I went with my friend from high school and his wife and sister and her Brazilian man. 

It was so fun and such a great environment!

What a great way to start the new year, better than last year with Spanish guy and I got stuck in our apartments elevator! hahaha! WAY BETTER!

FELIZ ANO NUEVO!

snow tubing

We took a one-night end of year mini vacation to Pennsylvania two days ago.

It was the first time I saw my life flash before my eyes in a long time. Let me explain: We went snow tubing, but its kind of crazy because you are dragged by an electronic cable up a mountain, then you throw yourself down. The problem is that the down hill drop is so steep that your heart stops for a few seconds! Well, at least thats what it felt like!

As you come speeding to the end of the hill, theres no way to stop and the snow is blowing in your face!

The truth is, it was exhilarating, I'd do it a million more times!

Fun times with family!