November is an Awesome Month!

I am so looking forward to November!  Not only is it my Dad's birthday and my parents 32nd wedding anniversary, but it is also jam packed with a ton of other fun stuff!!!  

After 5 years without a vacation (minus some mini ones here and there like Vegas and what not) Luis and I planned an absolutely fabulous vacation to Playa del Carmen, Mexico for 8 days of relaxation!  We intended to go in January to celebrate our 5 year anniversary, but the rates were soooo much cheaper in November we decide to move it up a bit!  We also have a very special wedding that Luis and I are lucky to be apart of!  My cousin Kristen is marrying Luis' childhood friend Ben on November 7th!  That means we leave very early Sunday morning after the wedding so needless to say I have a ton of stuff to do this week!

I have a ton of Bridesmaids duties to tend to so this stuff has to get done now.  We basically have to buy all the stuff we need for our trip, wash all our laundry and start packing today (saturday) in order to have it all ready by next Sunday. I also have to write a 10 page research paper with an accompanying Power Point presentation (due Monday) and do 2 weeks worth of homework so I won't be forced to do any while I am actually on vacation!  Did I mention I also work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday???? YIKES!!!  But it will all be worth it!  I am so excited about the wedding and about the week to follow!  If any of you know a Mestas wedding, they are ALWAYS a blast!!!  So I bid you adieu for a little while and I promise when I return I will have a ton of stuff to blog about!  I will leave you with a few pics of where Luis and I will be heading!!! Ahhhh Bliss!

And just so that I have some incentive to actually return from this trip... I will be getting together with a great bunch of girls to watch Twilight and the midnight showing of New Moon on November 19th!

Such a great month!!!

Ciao! <3

Kristen's Bachelorette Party!

On Saturday we all headed out to San Diego's Gaslamp District to a great bar called Fleetwood to celebrate Kristen's bachelorette party and we had an amazing time!  I think most of the pics speak for themselves so I won't bother you all with describing all of them!

There are a ton more on my Facebook Page =)

Luis' 1st Pumpkin Carving!

Nothing says fall like cool weather and pumpkins, but since its still practically 90 degrees out, I thought we should carve some Halloween pumpkins to get us into the fall mood.  Luis has never ever carved a pumpkin and I was so excited that we got to do this together! We decided that we should start out very simple and do the classic jack-o-lantern face. Here is our little pumpkin before we started carving.

Luis and I pulling out the seeds. We will be toasting the seeds later =)

Luis contemplating his first cut

The finished product!

Our first pumpkin together <3

Happy Halloween!

The 'Maids

Getting married is something every girl dreams about and every girl has their own idea of their perfect wedding day.  Some girls dream of a backyard wedding with a few close people, some a huge wedding with 400 of their nearest and dearest and some people would rather head to the courthouse and share their special day with that one special person.  My idea of a perfect wedding has nothing to do with location, number of guests or the flavor of the cake.  For me, a wedding is about celebration with friends and family.  I am lucky to have friends I consider family and family I can call friends so deciding who would be standing next to me when I marry my best friend was a pretty easy task.

My Bridesmaids

Jennifer Magana

Jenn is my cousin who I consider a younger sister.  There is only one word I can use to describe her.... HILARIOUS!  She never takes herself seriously and is always up for a good time.  She makes me laugh non-stop when we hang out and you never know what your gonna get with Jenn.  She is beautiful, stylish and intelligent.  She is always up for experimenting with her look and looking oh so fabulous.  She is definitly my go to girl when I need a night out on the town!

Amanda Heredia

I have known Amanda for over 10 years.  We went to high school together and were acquaintances, often having classes together and even going to the same church, but when we discovered that we both were going to Cal Poly Pomona we started carpooling and the rest is history!  We helped each other through crappy relationships and some incredibly hard times but through it all we had an amazing ride and got closer than ever.  She is someone that is very close to my heart, and even though we don't see each other as much as we would like, everytime we get together it's like we never skipped a beat!  Not only is Amanda incredibly gorgeous and absolutely brilliant, she is a great example of what a wife and mother should be.  I am so lucky to have her in my life!

Cassie Berni

Cassie is someone that I met about 6 years ago and really just hit it off with.  We started off as coworkers and eventually grew to be amazing friends.  I can talk to Cassie about anything and everything.  Cassie is an amazing wife and mother and I hope that one day I can be as successful in that as she is.  She has a classic beauty that is enviable along with a one of the guys personality that makes her so down to earth.  She can be dolled up in jeans and heels while rooting for her SD sports teams (GRRR!)  I love having a friend that I can talk about men, clothes and baseball with!  It doesnt get much better than that!

Maria Mestas

Maria, know to many as Mo, is my go to girl!  She is always a text message away and we can talk about things that many people probably couldn't!  She is my cousin on my fathers side and is one of my closest friends.  We share the same values and for us, our families always come first no matter what.  Anytime we get a chance to help out our brothers or celebrate with family you can count on Mo and I to be there!  I love Mo's spure of the moment decisions and her spontaneity!  I wish I could be more like that!  Having someone like her in my life is definitly a good way to keep me on my toes!

Kristen Mestas (very soon to be Kristen Nysse)

Kristen is also my cousin on my fathers side and is someone that I have grown close to over the past few years.  We are practically neighbors and I love knowing that if I need someone to talk to or someplace to cheer on our Dodgers I can just walk around the corner and have a great time!  Kristen has a smile and a laugh that is infections and is always ready to have fun!  I am so happy that she is just a few weeks away from marrying one of Luis' best friends and we are lucky to have both of them in our lives and to share all of these important moments with!

My Maid of Honor

Carol Colby

I am honored to have Carol as my maid of honor.  She is my cousin on my mothers side but I consider her a sister.  I have always looked up to her.  She was the first to put makeup on me and make me girly!  She also kind of set me up with the first person I was ever allowed to go an a real date with!  She was and always will be my big sis.  Carol is unbelieveably smart and funny!  She always has something witty to say!  Her syle is classic and chic and I always look up to her ability to look pulled together all the time.  She is someone that is always in my corner 100% and I know she will be ready with tons of marriage advice for me!

So there are the women of my bridal party.  The best friends a girl could ask for.  I couldn't imagine getting married and not seeing them stand beside me and supporting me on the most important day of my life.  I love you girls!

Makeup Look: Simple Glam

I have been known to dabble in makeup... actually, I love it. I love doing my own and doing other peoples as well. I do not claim to be an expert but over the years I think I have honed my skills and have become a pretty good makeup artist. Last week, my amiga America asked me to give her an emergency makeup tutorial because she will be going to the Marine Corps Ball with her boyfriend. Of course, I would have done her makeup for her but unfortunately (for her not me lol) I will be on a plane headed to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico so I am trying to give her the next best thing, a step by step guide on a simply sexy makeup look.

Whenever I do anyones makeup, I always consider their lifestyle and their daily makeup routine. I would hate for someone to look like a totally different person. Makeup should accentuate your features, not be a mask that covers them up. Well, America is a laid back SD girl who is a gorgeous natural beauty. Her daily makeup routine is pretty much just a little powder, some blush and some mascara so I'm gonna do this tutorial with that in mind and give her something quick and easy to do. For something formal, I always recommend using colors that best highlight a persons features and complexion rather than trying to "match" the dress. Here is the beautiful America:
OK so here we go. First, I start with a base on my eyes. I use Urban Decay Potion Primer but any base will do. Cheap Tip #1- You can use a little liquid foundation, anything that will help the shadow stick to your skin better.

Then pick a nice brown color. I used a bronzy color because it is a little more glam (Bronze by MAC) but a plain matte brown is good too. Apply the shadow all over the eyelid up to your crease. You can use a little brush like the one I used or even your finger. Cheap Tip #2- Sonia Kashuk makes amazing brushes that are sold at Target for very cheap. Invest in a few of those and you will be set. Next pick a lighter highlight and apply it with a brush from the crease up to the eyebrow. (I used Ricepaper by MAC, but they also have one called Vanilla and Shroom that I love). Pick a color that ranges from a vanilla shade to a tan one like i used here (because my skin is a little darker). For America, I would recommend a vanilla shade but not one that looks too white or frosty. Cheap Tip #3- Target and Wal-Mart will carry trio eyeshadow compacts that take all the guess work out of finding colors that coordinate and they are usually pretty inexpensive. You will want to find one with a light vanilla color, a brown and a darker brown.
This next part takes a little bit of practice. You will want to blend the lid color into the highlight color. That way, there is not a harsh line between the two colors. If you have a blending brush you can do this by dipping the brush in a little of the brown color and use a "windshield wiper" movement where the two colors meet (which should be the crease of your eye). In this example, I just took the same brush I used for the brown color and did the same movement I just described, then I took the brush from the highlight color and did the same thing a few times until it looked like the brown color was gradually fading into the light color. Next I took a blending brush (you can used the same one you used for the brown color if you don't have one) and I did the same kind of windshield wiper movement but just in the outer corner of my eye. Use a dark brown for this step. Make the movement very small, just keeping the brush in about the outer 3rd of the eye focusing on the outside corner. This will give it a smokey eye effect that is a little more evening. Because America is not a normal eyeshadow wearer, I recommend that she tries the look without this step and then with it to compare what she feels looks better. This is how far inward your brush should go.

This is what it should look like at this point.
Now curl your eyelashes. Then, take a freshly sharpened eyeliner. I always use black but you can use brown if you want to . I always light a lighter and stick the tip of the eyeliner in the flame for just a second. NO LONGER THAN THAT! You will see the liner get shiny and look like it melted. This helps the liner go on smoother. Please note: Do not use a kohl liner for this because that type of liner is meant to be smudged and it will not stay in a neat line. Use a regular pencil liner. Cheap Tip #4- I love Covergirls black pencil liner. It comes in a pack of 2 with a sharpener and it lasts forever. And its cheap! Once you have melted the liner, wait about 30 seconds for it to completely dry. Touch it to make sure before you apply it. Whenever I line my eyes, I always pull my out so my lid is as straight as possible. This makes applying the liner easier and makes it go on in a smooth line.
Now for my favorite part.. Mascara! I love Lashblast! Cheap Tip #5- This stuff is drug store mascara but is awesome. If you love big lashes this is the best. I have had so many people ask if I am wearing false lashes when I wear this. Whatever mascara you have is great so use what you love. I always apply my mascara from root to tip and I wiggle the brush as I swipe the brush. Then I will apply it the same way I do my liner, by pulling my eye out to make sure I get all the little lashes.

The best way to make an everyday look into an evening look is to tightline your eyeliner. This means applying it to your waterline, which is the area closest to your eye between your eyeball and your lashes. You can use the same liner you did for the top (you may have to melt it and let it dry it again) but I use this amazing liner by Makeup For Ever that I bought at Sephora. This one you don't need to heat up and it stays on forever! It is a little pricy so I only use it for my waterline. I pull the top lashes away from my eyeball and apply the liner from tearduct to outer corner. Then I do the same for the bottom. This is what your eyes will look like when you are done.

Then apply your "face". I use MAC Studio Fix but you can use whatever your little heart desires. If you normally use bronzer you can but I wouldn't for an evening look, especially because America has such great cheeks. Using a big powder brush if you have one, put blush on just the apples of your cheeks. Because my skin is a little darker, I use a dusty rose color but I recommend a soft pink for America. It will look most natural for her skin, like she is really blushing. What I do is smile and put the blush with a light hand just on the rounded parts that perk up when I smile.

Final step! Apply a soft pinkish lipgloss. I like the gloss because it makes the look look young and fresh.

OK, so it seems like a ton of steps but like anything, practice makes perfect. I usually suggest doing a test run before the big day so you can get a feel of what works and what doesn't. It would normally take me about 15 minutes to do this.

So there you go Ms. America, or whoever else may be reading this, a simple sexy night look perfect for the belle of the ball!

The day I said "YES!"

Luis and I are very practical people. We are very routine and always have a schedule. Surprises for us are few and far between. In March of 2009 we had been dating over 4 years so we knew marriage was definitely in the works for us and we talked about it all the time. I had (and still am) battling my weight and I needed to get something going to really motivate me, so I told Luis he was not able to even think about proposing until my weight was in the 140's! Drastic you say? Maybe.. but it was necessary. I really needed to lose the 40 lbs. I was carrying on my 5'3" frame and what better way to get my ass in gear than to put a carrot in front of the donkey! However, Luis was very adamant about me picking out my ring. He wanted to make sure that it was the ring that I absolutely loved, since I will be wearing it for the rest of my life. So we took a day and went ring shopping and I picked out the PERFECT one. He hid it from me for what seemed like forever and I focused my attention on hitting my goal weight. Because I was pretty far from my goal still, I knew a proposal was nowhere in sight.

Saturday March 28th was a typical day for us. We both had the day off and headed off to the gym. Saturday is always our "gym date"... yes, we're nerds =) We worked out for about an hour and a half and on the way home talked about going to get dinner at our favorite pizza place, Sharkey's. When we got home, I walked in first and was taken aback by how different my house looked. There were flowers all along the front entrance and candles lit everywhere. Over the course of the next 5-10 seconds a billion things were racing through my mind. My first thought was that I immediately noticed yellow flowers, and yellow roses are my mom's favorite, so I begin thinking that we had just walked in on a surprise that my dad had planned for my mom. At this time, important dates are running through my mind. Mom's birthday? Nope. Wedding Anniversary? Nope. Did my Pop's do something bad enough to require this kind of lavish apology? Nope. So then I am totally confused and am just thinking that we need to hurry up and leave! As I turn around to tell Luis this, I see that he is on his knee holding a beautiful little box. That's the moment that I realize that it was all for me. After saying some amazing things that shall forever remain between us, he asked me to be his wife and through tears I said yes.

I still cannot believe he actually surprised me! Everyone kept telling me that since I knew he had the ring that I had totally ruined any chance of being surprised but I absolutely was. I had no idea that coming home sweaty from the gym one day would be the day he proposed. He knew he had to make it a surprise for me because that's what every girl wants. Afterwards, we sat on the couch and he held me while we talked a little, cried a little and talked about our future together, except this time it felt so much more real. I wouldn't change anything about that incredible day, and the best part was, we still got to have dinner at Sharkey's =)

For those of you who think Luis is always so serious, he does have a very silly side <3

Let's Try This Again

So I have returned to blogging. I was motivated by my good friend Cassie's bitchin' blog to start doing this again. I make no promises that mine will be as exciting as hers but I enjoy doing it and I hope you all enjoy reading it. I think I'll start by giving you a little background on me and my life. I am a 27 year old student that comes from a big crazy family and I wouldn't have it any other way! Who else can say they have 50+ cousins on one side of their family???

I am engaged and am currently planning a Big Fat Mexican wedding! I will be using this blog to post some of the exciting moments in that journey as well. My fiance is really the greatest man ever....no really... ever. He was perfectly made for me and I for him. As cheesy as it sounds, he really is my best friend. After kissing a lot of toads, I finally found my prince! We are so much alike and are really just two peas in a pod! We love having our routine and are OK with doing pretty much the same thing all the time... there are very few surprises with us, so when it does happen, it truly is a surprise! We both enjoy working out, him more than me but nevertheless I have really been enjoying it and the losing weight part is pretty great too. I think I will also use this blog to report on my progress with that as well.

My fiance is a professional MMA fighter and has been doing that for over 2 years now. It is so inspiring for me to see him work so hard at something he absolutely loves. Maybe I too will some day find what inspires me that much. So for now, that is me and I welcome you to the world of Sarandipidy!