cupcakes and girl talk

there is nothing better than spending time with your favorite girls and catching up while eating some delicious cupcakes!

this was amie's first time at buttercream and she is now obsessed.

beach days are my favorite

sister and i took our nieces and nephew to the beach for the first time. they loved it and it was really cute watching them take in everything for the first time.

meagan did not like the sand at first and refused to walk in it but she loved it by the end

it will be a zoo, good thing i like zoos

so my big sister decided to drop off my 2 nieces and nephew for the week.

i am very happy about this because since they live in texas and i don't get to spend nearly enough time with them.

the first day here they were already going crazy in the pool.

and they were spent by the end of the day.

birthday girl

happy birthday to my dear and beautiful friend amie!

i love my friends and i love to celebrate their birthdays with them. it is a special day and they should feel super special.

we celebrated at samurai with great japanese food and lots of saki bombs;)

my little nurse

sister is officially a registered nurse!!!!

she was studying for her nclex so hard and stressing about it so much but of course this smart cookie passed! i am so proud of my little sister.

i got her some yummy cupcakes to celebrate her amazing achievement.

she is going to be the loveliest nurse ever.

reading is food for the brain

i love reading so spending a quiet evening at barnes and noble is one of my favorite things to do.

i've been wanting to get a few new books for some summer reading and my friends gave me so many good recommendations. i was definitely having trouble deciding which ones to buy.

i ended up buying "educating esme" by esme raji codell, "wuthering heights" by emily bronte and "lady in waiting" by jackie kendall and debby jones.

i'll let you know how great they are!

family time on the 4th of july

i had the best 4th of july spending some quality time with my family. we went to marco island and spent the whole day at the beach, it was wonderful.

i think the 4th of july is moving up on my list of favorite holidays.

{sister doesn't care for the sun much lol}

{i love that they're still cute and in love}

happy independence day

so blessed and proud to be an american

fireworks are my favorite

happy 4th of july

finally!!

the rain finally decided to go away for a little bit and i was able to enjoy the beach and it was glorious. it was a great day to go because it wasn't too crowded and the water was the perfect temperature.

my lovely friends were great company and it made my day perfection.

there will never be another

today is a sad, sad day

he will forever be the king of pop

r.i.p. michael jackson

{my all time favorite mj music video}

summer means time to bbq

i absolutely love summer and one of my favorite parts about summer is grilling out. sister and i finally grilled today and we made shrimp and chicken kabobs for the first time. it was a very yummy dinner if i do say so myself. i can't believe i never liked shrimp before.

we're all about trying to make new things for dinner because all we ever really eat for dinner is rice, beans and meat! ever since i was little my dad would say we only eat rice and beans because we're puerto rican and that is what puerto ricans eat but i'm starting not to believe him anymore.

when in rome...

so last week my mom, sister and i got back from our trip to italy and what an amazing trip it was. i already had a passion for traveling but this trip made it 100 times stronger. there is just so much to see in this world and i want to experience as much of it as possible. i also think the more you travel the more educated you become because i definitely learned a lot on this trip.

we went to rome and venice and they were so different but equally beautiful. my favorite day was we went to the colosseum and the roman forum, so much history! but i also loved seeing all the beautiful churches, it was awesome to see what people built to honor God.

these are just some of my favorite pics.

i am also now convinced that I would like to live overseas for about six months to a year. probably spain because i really want to be fluent in spanish. hopefully i can do a semester abroad while in grad school.

everyone should have a dad like mine

so grateful to be able to spend another father's day with my dad. we had a wonderful day, church, bahama breeze, lounged out by the pool followed by a blockbuster night. nothing better i tell ya.

my sister, dad and i circa late 80's (that was my favorite outfit btw)

So Close I Can Taste It

a beautiful holga of miami beach

photo from here

you know i never thought i would miss miami as much as i do. i would always tell people how miami is way overrated but miami beach truly is beautiful, the beach and the art deco. i just can't wait to to see the blue ocean, lay out and feel the warm sun on my skin and smell the salt in the air. too bad my body isn't as beach ready as my mind is.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...

So the past 3 months I've been living in Chicago with family for a job opportunity. I have been teaching first grade and it has been an awesome experience but summer is approaching and in less than a week I'll be home in Miami!!!!

I have to admit I was getting pretty homesick but the past 3 months really did fly by. And it's very bitter sweet, although I'm super excited to get home I will miss many things here.

The top 5 things I'll miss most....

5. the change of seasons, I appreciate nature so much more now

4. the trail I run on, it started my love for running

3. H&M, I will be really sad about this one

2. my students

1. my family, they might be crazy and dysfunctional at times but I love them all so much