"FRAGMENTED moments..."

This week has been so full of stuff! With Christmas in the way, family time, making ABOTONADA creations and concerts, I've kept myself rather busy (rare?)...
Yesterday, in particular, was such a special day. Remember the coffee ring I posted days before my birthday (a gift that I wished someone bought for me)???? I was sort of disappointed when I found out the ring was sold and that my b-day came and no one gave it to me...Well, guess what?!?!?!
Yesterday, my dear sister placed this fabulous ring on my finger!!!!! She's AMAZING!! What a surprise!! She'd ordered it as soon as she read my blog but had to wait until my dad brought it to DR to give it to me! I screamed like a crazy girl when I opened my so unexpected gift!! Thank you sisterrrrrrrrrrrr! You're the WOMAN! I'm sooo HAPPY :)

Yesterday was also my mom's and dad's 33rd wedding anniversary! WOW! What a special day! Celebrating their marriage, their years together and hello?!? THE MERE REASON OF MY EXISTENCE! Isn't that crazy enough to celebrate?! We had breakfast all together at the little coffee shop we went for my b-day, then spent the day pretty much together. Back at home, I showed dad photos of their honeymoon back in 1975! They were so young and HOT! INCREDIBLE ;) I know it was fun for him to look at those "antique" times :) I love those photos, they are my treasure...I found them along with love letters from dad to mom in a box about 4 motnhs ago and have been keeping in the closet since...I have got to find an AWSOME way to save them. At night time, we helped mom get dressed because they were going out for a fancy dinner, uuuuuu! Look at us having fun!

X-mas dinner was NICE :) (we do this the night of the 24th and it's called NOCHE BUENA) We had a 'banging' dinner at my house: typical roasted pork and "pasteles en hoja" (green plantain filled with beef and wrapped in plantain leaves)...with not so typical side dishes, which was great! And best of all, WINE, yes ;)

On the 25th, X-mas day, we all had breakfast at my sister's house and found gifts under the tree, YEY! Didn't think I'd find anything, but to my surprise I got 2 gifts! Oh, and the ladies were dressed very much in the x-mas spirit :)

Later on that day, we had so much fun with a GUITAR HERO jam session!

See? I had so much to share!! A couple of FRAGMENTED TIMES : P

Fragment: CRAFTING

I've been crafting a lot these days and enjoying every minute of it. But I'd also like to sell, and I feel I'm so bad at it!! I mean, I can't complain; I've already sold a couple of bracelets....but I'm not sure I have the guts to go up to people and show them my stuff, it sort of happened last night :-/ This is why I like it the 'etsy' way...can't wait to be able to have my shop set up and working!

How is it that people do it?! It has to be a natural gift/talent! or maybe a quality that I can (and will have to): LEARN.

But of course, I am super loving all the little trinkets that go with getting my own little 'business' going...love the name ABOTONADA, the whole concept of my shop, making the bracelets, thinking about color combinations and names, love blogging at http://abotonada.blogspot.com/, love the motto of my shop "What's in or out is less important than what's YOU: your passions, your personal style." -Entre Nous, Ollivier

Something that is really cool is that other people are being inspired with my doings like I have been inspired by others before! People have left wonderful comments here and on facebook about my blog and about ABOTONADA, and it gives me a tingly feeling that confirms that I am doing things that I'm meant to be doing ;)

"Last week's FRAGMENTS..."

So many things have happened these past few days! Where to start......????

Well, for starters, last sunday I got a gig playing "PETER AND THE WOLF" in Santiago (a town 2 hrs north of the capital, the 2nd capital of DR). "Pedro y el Lobo" (in spanish) is a fantastic children's story, composed by the russian Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. Prokofiev wrote both the music and the text. A narrator tells the story accompanied by an orchestra. Each character in the story is represented by an instrument which plays a specific theme every time the character comes into scene. I play the clarinet, so I was the CAT!

Click here to listen to the themes, especially the cat's theme ;)

http://www.philtulga.com/Peter.html

It was certainly a good experience! I enjoyed it and played it decently, I believe.

Secondly, I've been wanting to write about my new hobby/business/craft! ABOTONADA by NenyGQ ;) Visit my other blog to learn about what I've been dedicating lots of my time to, lately http://abotonada.blogspot.com/. ABOTONADA is the solution that I have found until I move to Cali and open my Etsy shop. The blog is in spanish, so for the non-spanish speakers, basically, I LOVE BUTTONS and have found a cool way to use them! I found a little treasure the other day that inspired me to make these bracelets, and I'm enjoying it so so so much! I have lots of buttons; new ones, old ones, found buttons, purchased buttons, and buttons borrowed from my grandma's collection ;) I've already gotten orders! Today I have 4 bracelets to make, YAY!


Also, last wednesday, I received a phone call for another gig! A local band was to have their debut concert and wanted me to do the background vocals and play some clarinet on a couple of songs. I was so excited! It's a form of gig that I hadn't really tried before, but it sounded so like ME! The band has the lead vocalist's name, JOSE BRACHE, and a friend of mine is the musical director and the man of all the arrangements. I loved all the songs when I heard the CD, and spent the last 3 days playing the disc over and over, so I could internalize the music and learn the vocals.



The concert was last night...and it is unfortunate that the turn out was really low, in terms of the amount of people that attended. I guess the band spent so much time taking care of the musical aspect, which was FANTASTIC by the way, that they did not attend the marketing aspect of the whole deal sufficiently. So much work, and such a gem, not to be appreciated because of the word not having been spread. However, THE SHOW MUST GO ON! We went on stage, the curtains opened, and with the very few people that were there, we gave a very nice performance ;) At least, I enjoyed it FULLY! It was once again, another FABULOUS experience in my life! Ahhhhhhhh, love those ;)

Fragment: DADDY

I have an oh, so thoughtful dad! He stole my heart the other day, when I sat down in my computer, tired from a work trip and found a beautiful e-mail...

(Right: Pushy, me and daddy)

It read something like this:

"Neny: I saw this video, and paid closed attention to the words and the images...and I don't know why, but it reminded me a lot of your situation with Pushy. It was like hearing Pushy or you singing this song to each other. The song is a bit sad, but it's more like a firm promise of love of a couple separated by DISTANCE. For me, this song expresses words of hope in the midst of life's difficulties, without taking away the real pain that the separation by distance can cause. (I hope you like it and that it doesn't sadden you). After you hear it, if you'd like, send it to Pushy.

I love you.

Daddy"

Oh----My----God! Isn't he amazing! I quickly opened the file holding the video, and found a very touching, beautiful song by Luis Fonsi called "LLUEVE POR DENTRO" (It's raining inside).

Watch the video here:



It is definitely OUR song for this season in our relationship...I can't wait for the moment when our hearts stop 'raining inside'...very soon, HOPEFULLY.

Daddy!! Thank you for this wonderful gift! You have definitely spoken my LANGUAGE OF LOVE with this ;)

(uuuu, gotta write about the languages of love sometime soon, it's one of my favorite things to talk about!)


P.S.: In response to my sister's comment on the LANTERNS fragment, she's so right! Here is my FIRST lantern ever, given to me as a Christmas gift lots of years ago, by her ;) Here's the photo of it...it is kind of rusty :)

Fragment: LIST OF GOALS (Jarabacoa)

Yesterday, one of my goals of the year was somewhat met...SOMEWHAT, because it was more like a sneak peek :) At the beginning of my stay here in DR (April 2007), I made myself write a LIST OF GOALS. Never in my life had I done so, despite having heard all throughout high school and college that writing down your goals was an important tool in the process of actually getting to achieve them. Since the MAIN goal of my staying in DR was to start getting things 'straight' in my life, I finally took a notebook and wrote down GOALS. It was hard writing the first one; I felt I didn't have any major goals. So, what would I write?!

But then, I thought, "OK, I have to start by something, so how about I write down desires and MAKE them my tiny goals ;)" YES! Good idea...So, I started my list by writing down a headline: "IF GOD GIVES ME A YEAR IN DR, THESE ARE THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO HAVE DONE" With this focus of converting desires into goals, I couldn't stop writing!

One of those desires made into goals was going to JARABACOA on a 'green adventure'...I'd been to this place before, but didn't remember it too well. And yesterday, I went with the symphony to perform at a small church in Jarabacoa, celebrating the town's 150th anniversary. Jarabacoa is about 2 1/2 hours from the capital, on the northern part of the island, and it's a mountain town, so it's chilly and there are pine trees and small log cabins! I didn't feel like I was in DR yesterday! So cool! Too bad we only drove there, performed, had dinner and left back to the capital, so I couldn't really see much of Jarabacoa...hence, the 'sneak peek' of my GOAL ;)

I have loved living in DR this past year and a half...but somehow, I always knew this stay would be temporary. Therefore, my main goal was to have no regrets or undone business when the day of leaving came. I'm still working on this. Some of my tiny goals have been met; others, I have 4 1/2 months to work on ;) until I say, "PUSHY + CALI, HERE I COME!"

Fragment: *B&B* (ultimate goal?)

This past year, something has become very certain in my mind, and perhaps, in my heart (?)...

I've been searching for what makes me happy, for the things in life that I enjoy, for my passions, for my calling, for my natural talents, for jobs that aren't dreadful but that become the highlight of the day.........and after 2 years of desperation, uncertainty and lots of tears, I am recognizing my interests, the things that I've enjoyed and the ones that have destroyed my soul, and I've come to the
following conclusion: MY DESIRE IS TO OWN
A BED AND BREAKFAST IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, A BEACH TOWN OR A MOUNTAIN SETTING, WITH MY HUSBAND (Pushy!!!!); A PLACE THAT REFLECTS OUR PERSONALITIES AND OUR PASSIONS ALL OVER! PUSHY COOKS (the breakfast, of course; I make the beds jeje), I CREATE (everything and anything), WE BOTH MANAGE; IT WILL BE OUR JOB, OUR PASSION, OUR LITTLE BABY, OUR ROUTINE, OUR ADVENTURE, OUR HOME, OUR-OUR-OUR-OUR...OURS...IT WILL BE OUR LIFE...

Searching for B&B's for sale on the internet, I found an ad that read like this:

"Live Your Dream All Year Round!
Work from Home!
Live the ultimate lifestyle instead of a 9 to 5 job, with income potential of $100,000/year.
Listen to the summer birds singing while working on the computer.
Enjoy the crisp autumn panoramic view while taking a reservation.

Smell the winter wood burning fire while cooking the guests breakfast.
Feel the spring morning breeze while sipping your coffee on the porch.
Relax in settings filled with comfort and charm.
Retreat and indulge with family and friends in this luxurious 7-bedroom paradise.
A total escape from city life, but close enough to San Francisco (3 hrs) or Sacramento International Airport (1.5 hrs) Chico Airport (45 min), or Oroville (30 min.)"

Now, there's something that speaks to my mind and soul!! And it confirms my defined desire of the year (finally, a DEFINED desire!), I want to own a B&B with Pushy someday. I know, I know...it takes TIME! We need $$, lots of work, and transcendental decisions made, but it has become an 'ultimate' goal of mine...and guess what?! It is certainly a shared one! Pushy wants this too!!! So, I guess it's meant to be ;) US and our B&B!

I was having my usual 'cortadito' (coffee) at Thesaurus the other day, and browsing through a HOTEL BOOK, I found some interesting B&B's that serve as inspiration. They don't reflect what we'd like, but they are so unique, each in their own way, that they inspire me to own a place that totally reflects my PUSHY and ME:

Lindos Huespedes (Spain) http://www.lindoshuespedes.com/

Elqui Domos (Chile) http://elquidomos.cl/

Celica Hostel (Slovenia) http://www.souhostel.com/en/accomodation/index.html

Boheems Paradijs (The Netherlands) http://boheemsparadijs.nl/

***And a little paradise that Pushy and I have stayed in: Villas Nicolas (Costa Rica) http://www.villasnicolas.com/


So, take a look and be INSPIRED!

P.S. All the photos in this posting are from a B&B for sale in Ecuador...ahhhh!

Fragment: LANTERNS

It's a beautiful, sunny, breezy saturday...

And I feel like writing about one of the things I love most, one of those little things in life that captivate me: LANTERNS.

They come in all sizes and shapes...some have unique designs, others are rather plain...some are colorful, others just have a wrought iron look...there are paper lanterns, wooden lanterns, metal lanterns, crystal lanterns...and the oriental ones are so impressively pretty! There are so many to choose from! Nevertheless, they all have ONE function: to hold a candle...and make any patio, centerpiece, or nightstand feel utterly magical!

You want to see a HUGE smile on my face? Give me a LANTERN ;)

This is my tiny collection (including the two in the photo above)...literally TINY! I'd love to buy many more, but lanterns tend to be pricey, so I've conformed with buying unexpensive small ones. They look so adorable, though :) Love them, love them, love them!



"Lord, let Your word guide my heart like a LANTERN in the dark..."

"If you were a melody..."

Have I mentioned how much I adore "THE HOLIDAY" movie with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law? Ok, I'm fully aware of how so not intellectual I will probably sound with the following statement, but......"The Holiday" is hands down the movie that I have watched THE MOST in my life...over and over and over...I can recite the whole script and still enjoy it as if it were the first time! The dialogues are impressively smart and witty, funny and oh, so entertaining (in a mature, adult kind of way). Oh! And the soundtrack is stunningly beautiful, stirring my emotions from the opening scene 'til the end.

This scene (among lots of others) is one of my favorites ;) Jack is playing the piano (he's soooo sweet in this movie!), making up a melody for a friend's event. When Kate (Iris) comes in the room, she sits next to him and he says, "I also wrote one that sounds like you.......Iris, if you were a melody.....(plays the melody in piano).......I used only the good notes"....AWWWWWWWWWW! Isn't it an amazing line?!?!

A friend just called and asked me to be part of something very special......He will be giving his girl THE ring on Sunday night, and has asked me to play the clarinet for them at some point during the dinner!!!!!!! Isn't that cool? I felt so honored that he wants me to be part of such a climactic event!

So thinking about what to play, this scene from "The Holiday" came to mind...wouldn't it be nice if I come out and say, "L***, if you were a melody, you would sound like this..." and then, play something beautiful?! Then, her man would come out, go down on one knee...and you know the rest...kiss, kiss, kiss and tears of joy! YEY! Now..........what melody can I play? So the thinking begins...gotta get creative ;) Isn't that always exciting?!

NOTE: So this is them the day of (photo below)! I ended up playing a fragment of Albinoni's Adagio. I walked towards them, playing this stunning melody, and it was a magical moment...she cried...and guess what?! Afterwards she asked, "was that Albinoni's Adagio? It's like one of my favorite pieces in the world!!"

How perfect! UFFFF ;)

"ARTe Libre"

A couple of days ago, I came across an event being announced on Facebook called "ARTE LIBRE" (Free Art-free as in freedom). I got so excited when I saw it! It appealed to me instantly, especially because of my focus on art lately, thanks to etsy :)

All hyped, I immediately told my sister about it. She then found an article on the newspaper also announcing the event, and showed it to me; it read something like this: "The gardens of the Modern Art Museum will be full of ART today! Those free spirits that feel the need to be nurtured with different art forms will find exhibitions, flea markets, performances, visuals, music, picnics and lots of fresh air at ARTE LIBRE. There will be designers such as...........such and such.....Oh! The entrance is free, and don't forget to bring your blanket to sit on the grass!" OH---MY---GOD!!!!!! This article definitely spoke to MY free spirit!

After a whole day with my mom running -her- errands (and anxiously thinking about ARTE LIBRE the whole time), I finally was free to go! I would've preferred getting there before sunset, but it was not possible :-/ However, it did not take away its charm and its impact on me!

(Right: Tabu and me)

I invited my sister, but she had a wedding to attend; I called my friend Lemay, but she was apartment hunting with her man; I would've taken my mom, but she had to babysit my niece and nephew; wow...I felt so ALONE! Pushy, where are you?! I need you here with me :( Well, Tabu came to my mind; he's a very good friend of mine that got a girlfriend recently and has forgotten about a friendship with ME (grrr)! I thought he wouldn't be available, but to my surprise, he was!! So, YEY! I finally had an option ;)

I was excited throughout the day, but when the time came to go to ARTE LIBRE, I was a bit out of it. So, I decided to go alone and check out if the event was even worth staying more than 5 minutes.


I arrived, parked my car, got out, started walking...and as I approached the garden, I was swept off my feet! IMMEDIATE CONNECTION!


There were sofas and coffee tables scattered on the grass, people laying and sitting on blankets, all dressed very bohemian and artsy, a DJ playing chill out music, peculiar-small stands of food vendors, 2 guys painting a huge mural, flat screen TV's hanging from trees, artists showcasing their art and handmade goods...It was a perfect scene...one I felt I belonged to.


"Where had all these people been hiding this whole year and half that I've been here?! Am I even in DR right now?" I felt like I just stepped into a whole new place! I was so happy, and wanted so badly to share this with someone that would FEEL me! Pushy would...but couldn't really think of anybody else, there, at that moment. I did call Tabu, though. He wouldn't exactly feel me, but I knew he would stand it and be good company........and he was :)

(Above left: the stand I spent most time at and bought most. Below right: Tabu and me chilling on grass.)


I took my bamboo mat out of the car, opened it on the grass, bought 2 beers and 2 kipes, sat with Tabu, and talked away! Of course, this happened after I bought myself a couple of beautiful works of art!!!!!!!!!

I met the girl that was responsible for this fabulous idea, and congratulated her and thanked her for providing us 'free spirits' a space of this kind, at least for one beautiful day...I had a blissful couple of hours.





(Above left: me trying on stuff, and of course, buying it right after this picture was taken! Below right: me browsing around.)

"Still waiting to be an 'are'..."

"I'd rather be a could be if I can't be an are, because a could be is a may be who is reaching for a star...I'd rather be a has been than a might have been by far, for a might have been has never been, but a has been was once an are."

-I took this from my Quotes notebook, but have no clue where I stole this piece of wisdom from (sorry!)

"Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II"

Yesterday, some time between lunch and work, I fit in a movie: "THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2". Absolutely loved it! I got so emotional while watching it...which made me realize how much I miss having a close knit, a sisterhood, like the girls in the movie have. In high school, I had my sisterhood; in college, I had one too...but now, in REAL LIFE, I can't seem to find my 'adult life sisterhood'.

With the 'high school sisterhood', the love remains untouched. However, our realities have moved so far apart that we don't seem to connect the dots anymore. The 'college sisterhood' feels more reachable, emotionally speaking; our life experiences together happened more recently, so it's easier to reconnect. Nevertheless, we have gone our separate ways, LITERALLY speaking (we've all moved to different countries and states).

(right: part of my 'high school sisterhood')

I think it's so important for one to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of community with the people you feel so close to. You feel that you can be your TOTAL self with them, that you can do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with your close knit...there's love, there's appreciation, there's respect and companionship...you are never alone; and even when you are, you know it's because you choose to, not because there's not an option.

I tend to spend a lot of time alone. My friends know this about me and respect that, although they're never too happy about it. However, for the first time in my life, my lonesome moments have become a bit too much. Now, when I'm alone, it's not necessarily because I choose to, it may be more like, I don't have an option. It's kind of sad, really. Some days, I feel this NEED for girly moments and I call Lemay, one of my 'highschool sisters', and tell her, "Let's meet! I need some girly time!" Sometimes it's hard to coincide, but when we finally do, it's pretty amazing how fulfilling these moments can be.

I am so aware of how my life is changing...of how growing up sometimes means growing apart. But now, instead of getting all sappy and frustrated about these things, I accept them (with a bit of nostalgia, of course), looking forward to the sisterhood or brotherhood I will bump into in the future. Soon, I will move to a new place, I will get married, I will construct my own little comfort zone (once again), and hopefully, at some point, I will find that magic instant that connects you to someone effortlessly and inevitably...I will find my 'adult sister/brotherhood' along with my hubby...isn't that cool?! Can't wait........


"That is the best: to laugh with someone because you think the same things are funny!"

Note: mmmm, I HAVE found somewhat of an 'adult sisterhood' recently...two pretty ladies at the symphony have made me quite happy lately...THANK YOU, my girls ;)

"WitTy ButToNs"

There is something that has been fervently on my mind lately: OPENING MY OWN ETSY SHOP! How exciting is this?! It is so cool to find something that brings out the passion for action! I hadn't felt like this in a while...

So, I already technically 'opened' my shop, but still have to set it up with a name, a banner and actually post listings of what I will be selling. I've deciced that the main material of my creations will be BUTTONS. I will make button bracelets, button earrings, button rings, button necklaces, button covered frames, button bouquets, button fascinators and headbands...button THIS, button THAT...basically, anything I can alter with buttons! I love buttons! I love button shopping, hunting for button treasures in my grandmother's sewing closet, and crafting with buttons. Therefore, I think a focus on button creations is THE way to go for my etsy shop!

Here are a few samples of what I will be making (these are made by me)...

BUTTON BRACELETS:



BUTTON BOUQUETS:

I've been thinking of names for my shop, and so far I've come up with the following list of tentatives:

BUTTONFLY, BOTONES, UNBUTTONED, WITTYBUTTONS

I think I like WITTYBUTTONS best! What do YOU think? Please comment ;)

As far as the banner for my shop, I've found some nice ones on etsy. I can do it myself, but for starters, I think I'll buy one. I can focus on making my own banner later on, depending on the course and the shape that my shop takes. Here are a few samples:









I like them all! It's so hard to choose! The first one is my absolute favorite, though...please, DO comment ;)

Anyways, yesterday I got a little downer. International carriers like FedEx, DHL, UPS are relatively new in DR. Therefore, the fees are ridiculously high to ship to USA! I found out it would cost aprox. US$50 to ship a bracelet to New York!! It's impossible :( Therefore, I figured I will have to wait until I move to California to start my shop...BUMMER! I was so excited.........wait a minute! Have I written about me moving to Cali????? Mmmmmm, next posting ;)