The Before Pictures

So this isn't very Latina related however it is about me, a fellow Latina getting herself involved in the whelm of Portland.  

I was asked to do the visual merchandising for a local jewelry store in the Pearl District called Alchemy Jewelers. It is a winsome store filled with random little things that complement every article of jewelry. I am so excited to work on this project. I will keep you posted when the project is complete. Here are some photo’s of the store taken on my first visit and consultation. 

Photo Credit: Miguel Ramirez 

The ULTIMATE Brown Girl...

About a week ago I received my November issue of Latina Magazine and let me tell you it was a fantastic issue! It consisted articles that were about Asian Latinos all the way to what Latino inspired dishes you should be cooking for Thanksgiving. However, the article about Salma Hayak was the winning piece. She talked about mother hood, her life as a Latina actress as well as her new and upcoming cosmetic line, Nuance. It is a must read for not only us brown girls but anyone who aspires to be anyone. It does not matter where you come from or how you grew up you are capable of anything.

Needless to say, Salma Hayak is one of today’s most beautiful Latinas ever (aren't we all). However the photo shoot that accompanied the interview helped support that statement even more. This is just a sneek peak of what you can expect…

Photographed By: Justin Stephens
Styled By: Petra Flannery
Dress: Alexander McQueen
Braclet: Neil Lane

She is photographed wearing dresses by Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen, Roland Mouret and Stella McCartney. I must say she looks absolutely stunning in each and every dress. I guess this means its time for all of us to go out and buy her Nuance creams and a McQueen dress so we can slowly become more like her ;)

Gringo=White

Its Friday night and what do I find myself doing, typing random things in the google search engine and guess what I find...a random little article that talks about 100 stars that you never knew were latino. It featured actors from my childhood show 7th Heaven to Pocahontas. Trust me when I say you will be shocked when you see who is on the list. You can check it out here.

On the subject of randomness, here are just some other fun things I found during my late night search. 

Photo Credit: Andrew King

Photo Credit: CLS Photography 

Center Stage...watched this movie while I was doing my late night search...so why not post it :)

Mariachi Lindo

Ever since I was a child I have always loved listening to Mariachi music. I know that may sound a bit cliché, but its true. I absolutely love mariachi music. I remember wanting to be a Mariachi singer at one point in my life…it was for about a month but I still wanted to be one. For those of you who do not know what Mariachi music is, you are most definitely missing out on what classic Mexican music can offer.  Here is a link to a video I found that explains what Mariachi music is and the history of it. (I found it very useful).

Now back to what you have been missing out on…Mariachi music is like no other music. It is a mixture of a classic ballad with an acoustic guitar, violins and talented men and women. My personal favorite part about it is the falsettos that the singers do. (A falsetto according to Wikipedia is “the vocal register occupying the frequency just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave”).  I must tell you, when this happens during a Ranchera (another way of saying ballad in Mariachi terms) I get chills on my arms…it is quite extraordinary because very few musicians do that. As for my final note…I wish to leave you with some advice…go and listen to some Mariachi Music…trust me, you will not regret it.

Mariachi Vargas: Como Han Pasado Los Anos 

Mariachi Vargas: Ni Contigo Ni Sin Ti

Lucero: De Que Manera Te Olvido

My Dreams as a Child

When I was in 3^rd grade I used to dream of becoming a chef. I used to write papers in elementary school about how becoming a chef was my goal in life. I even went as far as writing a paper on how fractions will most definitely help me in my career choice (which is still true). After my 3^rd grade year ended so did my dream of becoming a chef. Then a new year began as well as a new dream. When I was in 4^th and 5^th grade, I dreamed of becoming a famous actress or singer. I was going through a stage of want; I wanted to become famous one way or another and in order for me to accomplish that, I joined choir and band. I learned how to sight-read and play the clarinet. Once the spring of my 4^th grade year came, I joined the Honor Choir of the Gilroy School District. This was a huge milestone in my life. It was the first time I had gone out and auditioned for something “huge”. I remember singing Row Row Row Your Boat with a fellow student and Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas as my audition pieces…I stayed in that choir until I ended my 5^th grade year.

Once I hit middle school, my whole view on the future had changed. I decided I wanted to either be on Broadway or be in the fashion industry. For almost all my middle school years my heart was set on Broadway, yet I still had a thing for fashion on the side. Once high school came, it had hit me…I wanted to peruse a career in fashion. I began to be more serious about my craft. I would doodle in sketch books (thinking my designs where amazing…) and envision the clothing coming to life. I would use old jeans that did not fit and make jean purses. My spare time was taken over by myspace, school, fashion and theater. Still today, my life is taken over by the same things, but replace the myspace with facebook.

I am proud to say that I have held onto those dreams and look forward to the day that they come true. I hope and pray that I will land a job in the world of fashion after I graduate from The Art Institute. My ideal job? I am not sure…I will get back to you on that. Though I do know that I am ready to see what life has in stored for me.