Until Next Year...

Happy New Year to all of you bloggers! I have been very bad about keeping up with my blog and honestly will be until I get through the first of the year! Along with the Holiday hustle and bustle, we had my parents here for a visit! It was a GREAT time and we were so sad to send them off this moring. On top of that, we are in the midst of moving so needless to say it has been very busy around here...a GOOD busy though! So until next year....hahaha....I will be a busy lady!!

Happy New Year!

Mis Padres!

Almost forgot*** I did a post on some ideas for Holiday dresses so I thought I would show you mine. We were running late so I didn't take the time to take my shawl off and now I regret that I didn't just take the quick minute (literally) to take it off and show the whole dress for the pic! Oh well...next time!!

Blessings!!

Oxo

Grind....

I have been such a bad blogger lately! December seems to be full of distractions with Christmas, and all that comes along with that! I am now in the GRIND as I get ready for my parents to come visit us for Christmas....YAY!! So I still might be a little MIA here and there for a bit longer.

I will be much better soon! Hopefully. It seems to be so busy here at the Correa Casa (I will go into more detail in a later post). I just want to continue to wish all of you lovelies a wonderful month of December! I hope this month is merry, cheery, festive, and full of love for you all!

Quick note: Colored pumps and stilettos are all the rage right now. Especially with dresses. Although I am seeing these everywhere, and worn with just about anything. What do you think?

I Have to say that I am diggin' it. Especially when done so tasefully, as Beyonce demonstrates below. Maybe something to think about for that Christmas, Holiday or New Year's party.

Photos and more info. on colored pumps here: essence

Feliz Lunes!!!!

Bendiciones!

Oxo

X-mas Fever BCBG Style

It's official, Christmas parties usually kick off this weekend and roll on through to New Year's. Is it just me, or has this year FLOWN BY for all of you too? Just thought I'd post some fabulous dresses from BCBG ( bcbg ) to give you some great style ideas for your Holiday events.....here's to December!

**You can also check out dresses from lanebryant

victoriassecret

And @ bananarepublic

Wishing you all a beautiful month of December!!! I always miss the snow this time of year. Just doesn't feel the same this time of year with out it!

Bendiciones!

Oxo

Guess, Knee-high Faux-fur boots.....$250.00....Love

I so want these. Although, it is just about to be summer down here in Panama so, unless I feel like looking cute but sweating my tush off (as if I don't already), I will be shopping for something more like this....

Colin Stuart, Lace sandal $95.00

Have a nice short week this week to all of you lovlies living in the U.S. and celebrating Thanksgiving this week. Boy do I miss this time of year back there:(

Dios es bueno!

Bendiciones!!

Oxo

Love Life.....

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, it has been a mixture of busyness with the kids, lack of motivation, and some sorrow in our life. Last week we had some great friends, and people, loose their 14 month old daughter. It has put such a dagger in my heart for them. Being a mother myself, I have such sympathy for them and that is truly every parent's worst nightmere come true. Thier names are Ricky and Louisa, and there daughter's name was Hailey. Please pray for their hearts to be mended, comforted and restored with peace, hope and joy as they continue on with life with out their baby girl.

How fast things can change in our lives, huh? While I love material things like shopping for a great pair of boots, and decorating my house, a nice car etc. this has just been such an in-your- face reminder of how preciuos life is.

We really can't take anything with us when it is our time to go, and while you should strive for more and go for those things you want, the people that we love and the memories we create with them is really what life is about!

Think you're having a bad day? Try picturing your life with out someone you love there. Don't sweat the small stuff, enjoy the important stuff, and let go of the stuff that really doesn't matter!

With that being said, have a great weekend.....with someone you love being in your LIFE.

Blessings!!!

Oxo

Some down time.....

Part of keeping a healthy, radiant, and 'kept' appearance is giving ourselves the proper rest and relaxation that our bodies NEED! It's amazing what a couple days off, and I mean really off, will do for your mood, energy and your appearance. We just got back from a beautiful resort here in Gamboa, Panama and while we only stayed for a quick trip, it was soooo NEEDED!! Give yourself time off too....it will do your body & mind some good!

Here are a couple of quick picks of the beauty that surrounded us right out side our hotel room....

My three Blessings just chillin' in bed. My son is always making either a serious face or a funny face for pictures...drives me crazy, but what are you gonna do! Love the little guy...love mi familia!






Check it: Outerwear and Boots with victoriassecret are all 20% off through Monday...worth checking out!

Tengan un buen fin de semana!

Bendiciones!!!

Oxox

Fall Staples.

Thought that I would share my top 5 'go-to' picks to work as fabulous staples in your wardrobe this Fall. You can continuously mix and match these with so much to constantly have a different look each time you wear them......making all of these worth every penny you spend on them.








A Blazer is such a great piece to add a little extra class to your outfit and it just works in tying everything together with your look.








A nice fitted dark pair of Skinny Jeans. These really go with so much.... blazers, blouses, sweaters, knee high boots, heels....need I say more?

A great Skirt. Even tough it's getting cooler, it doesn't mean that we can't still show some leg. Show off some of those tights and boots this season with some cute skirts.

A nice clean White Button Up. I love this look because it gives you a chance to show off some bolder jewelry, and play up your make-up when going with such a clean and simple look.

A pair of black Leggins. These can give you so many looks, depending what you pair them with; thigh highs, blazers, heels, sweaters, belts, etc. Not to mention that they are actually pretty comfortable.

all images via: bananarepublic

Happy first day of November. Christmas is right around the corner......

Bendiciones!!!

Oxox

Work with what Ya got.

The older I get the more comfortable I have become with myself. While I still workout and eat a balanced diet to keep my weight down, I have become A LOT better about not being so hard on myself if I had a week that I only exercised twice or had one too many cheat days with my diet. While I believe in taking care of yourself, more so for your health, but yes, I also do it to keep in shape, I also really believe in a person really valuing who they are. It's good for your soul to love yourself and the things about you. We can aid in changing our appearance with exercise, make-up and things like that, but ultimately we are given these one bodies and it's so important to really learn to love yourself and what you've got. What is something you love about yourself? We all have something about ourselves that when we look into the mirror, we like. We also have things that we don't like. But as I have said I have definitely become more content with myself and it's such a better feeling to focus on the these things we like about ourselves, rather than the things we don't.

I have posted a couple pics (please forgive the terrible quality....such amatures over here!) of the things I like about myself. I have always been grateful and proud of my good pair of athletic legs that the Lord has blessed with. I used to be self-conscious growing up because a couple of my best friends were very skinny and had these little legs. I can tell you that once we were older however, I became very grateful for the set of legs I had. It's amazing how our view of ourselves can be so tainted when we base it off of what others look like or what they have. Another part of my body I like are my shoulders and chest (by chest I don't mean my boobs, I really mean the cheast area above there;). I know kind of a weird pic, and I seriously don't know why I like my shoulders and chest. For some reason I have always liked myself in strapless tops or tank tops. But funny enough, I used to be really self-conscious about this area as well because I have never had these skinny dainty arms and I always felt like my shoulders looked more masculine because they were a little more scuplted. Again, fast forward to woman hood, and you realize that what you thought about yourself before is really not what it was, once you are looking at yourself with a less judgemental pair of eyes.

My basic point today though is to really think about something on yourself you like, and really start focusing on that. You will be amazed at how much better you begin to feel, and in some cases even look. When we like ourselves, we take better care of ourselves which means we take better care in our appearances. The things yo don't like, well, that is up to you to try to change, with in your power, and then learn to quit focusing on it and know that you have plenty of other parts you like. Remember to be grateful for what you have.

When you look good, you feel good.....

Blessings!!!

Oxo

Ya just NEVER know....

......how your ACTIONS can affect someone else.





Here's something to take with you this weekend, and always.

The
Cab Ride

I arrived at the address and honked the horn.
After waiting a few minutes
I walked to the
Door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a
Frail, elderly voice. I could hear something
Being dragged across the floor.


After
A long pause, the door opened. A small woman in
Her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a
Print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned
On it, like somebody out of a 1940's
Movie.


By her side was a small nylon
Suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had
Lived in it for years. All the furniture was
Covered with sheets.


There were no
Clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils
On the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
Box filled with photos and
Glassware.


'Would you carry my bag
Out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase
To the cab, then returned to assist the
Woman.


She took my arm and we walked
Slowly toward the curb.


She kept
Thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I
Told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers
The way I would want my mother
Treated.


'Oh, you're such a good
Boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave
Me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
Through downtown?'


'It's not the
Shortest way,' I answered
Quickly..


'Oh, I don't mind,' she
Said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a
Hospice...


I looked in the rear-view
Mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have
Any family left,' she continued in a soft
Voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very
Long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the
Meter.


'What route would you like me
To take?' I asked.


For the next two
Hours, we drove through the city. She showed me
The building where she had once worked as an
Elevator
Operator.


We drove through the
Neighborhood where she and her husband had lived
When they were newlyweds She had me pull up in
Front of a furniture warehouse that had once
Been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a
Girl.


Sometimes she'd ask me to slow
In front of a particular building or corner and
Would sit staring into the darkness, saying
Nothing..


As the first hint of sun was
Creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm
Tired.. Let's go now'.


We drove in
Silence to the address she had given me. It was
A low building, like a small convalescent home,
With a driveway that passed under a
Portico.


Two orderlies came out to
The cab as soon as we pulled up. They were
Solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.


I
Opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to
The door. The woman was already seated in a
Wheelchair.


'How much do I owe you?'
She asked, reaching into her
Purse.


'Nothing,' I
Said


'You have to make a living,' she
Answered.


'There are other
Passengers,' I responded.


Almost
Without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She
Held onto me tightly.


'You gave an
Old woman a little moment of joy,' she
Said.
'Thank you.'


I squeezed her
Hand, and then walked into the dim morning
Light.. Behind me, a door shut.. It was the sound
Of the closing of a life..


I didn't
Pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove
Aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that
Day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had
Gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient
To end his shift?
What
If I had refused to take the run, or had honked
Once, then driven away?


On a quick
Review, I don't think that I have done anything
More important in my life.


We're
Conditioned to think that our lives revolve
Around great moments.


But great
Moments often catch us unaware-beautifully
Wrapped in what others may consider a small
One.


PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY
WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM
FEEL.


Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance

Regards,
Kay Tonini-Crawford

Blessings!!
Oxo

Water Therapy.

Who doesn't love a good foot soak? There is nothing like putting those little piggies in some warm water while feeling relief from all the stress we put on our dependable feet. From wearing 3" (or higher) heels, to exercising, squeezing them in a pair of straight, square toed boots, or wearing flats that have absolutely no support at all, we really put a number on our feet. What's even more interesting is that so many nerve endings, to other parts of our body, are connected to our feet which makes it all the more important to take care of them. I myself am so bad at taking the time to do so but when I do, I always ask myself why I don't soak my feet more through out the week? Think how simple it is too, to just take 20 minutes (while your watching your reality show) and put your feet in some water while you're doing so. Water therapy is proven to be a method in healing stressed areas and as much as we depend on our feet it's not a bad idea to start there. I can almost guarantee that you'll be going to bed more relaxed from quick soak.

**An added plus is that it also makes the process of grooming our feet all the more easy, as the water will soften everything and make it that much easier to get rid of...nail polish, cuticles, filing etc.

FYI: You don't have to have an actual foot bath to do this. Get a big bowl or pot ( of course one large enough to fit your feet comfortably in) fill it with some water and baking soda (the baking soda will act as an exfoliant) and lay those babies in the water. The water does not have to be hot either. Cool water is just as therapeutic. One more thing....wash that bowl or pot after use!

Might I recommend this? If you are wanting some ultra soft feet, get you some of the Aveda Foot Relief....LOVE.

Hope your Monday morning has started off well!!!

Cuidate!

Oxo

Give me 5.

Five quick reasons to exercise:

1) You will get a natural boost in your energy and almost always continue with that energy through out your day.

2) You will get a mood lift. I always (99% of the time) am in a better mood after working out. Along with the natural release of endorphins, I am in a good mood after working out because I just feel better about taking action to help my body stay fit and healthy.

3) Many researchers have shown that anywhere (depending on what you read, or who you talk to) between 20 mins-60 mins of exercise, 4-5 days a week helps to lower your risk against many different cancers.

4) You aid your body in blood circulation, flexibility, and muscle strength which is vitally important for our bodies as we age. It's amazing how great of shape my 86 yr old grandma has been in from walking every morning, followed by stretching. Start those healthy habits now and do your part in helping your body age.

5) You see results! Now this definitely goes along with eating. If you are eating a balanced diet and are steering clear of a high calorie based diet, than you will definitely see some nice results from exercising. Your waist line will go down, you'll tighten your thighs, lift your booty and sculpt your arms. It's really up to you on how much of a result you want to see.

*Remember that fit does not mean thin. It means that you are in great shape due to exercising. Crosstrain to get the best results, as strengthtraining burns more calories than the cardio...but the cardio is so vital to well.....our cardio!!

**One more little thing. Along with exercising your body, exercise your mind. Do some cross words, read, play scrabble, solitaire etc. This too is so important to our health as we get older! Why have the good healthy body if you can't even enjoy it?

Que pase un buen fin de semana!!!

Blessings!

Oxox

Take Cover in Camel--Flage.....

.....with one of these biker/moto jackets this Fall.





Shearling-lined leather biker jacket-Rick Owens










Shearling-trimmed leather aviator jacket-ADAM

Cascade Collar-Shearling Coat-rezrekshn

Shearling Moto Jacket-rezrekshn











all style can be found via: net-a-porter & victoriassecret



*It's always nice to have choices with your jacket styles and one of these lovelies are perfect to add to your selection. These are great for Fall weather and they go with both dressy and casual wear.











-Just saw this on Twitter:
**Count your blessings, you will never finish...Practice gratefulness~Russel Simmons



Bendiciones!!!!

Oxox

Attention all Models OR Aspiring ones.

OK, so not sure if many of you pretty faces out there have heard of this web site shown above. If you haven't, and are literally trying to get your face out there in the world of modeling, then I would seriously recommend it. With just about everything going viral these days, and the web being a platform of opportunity in almost every venue, this website is definitely worth looking into for promoting yourself. While this site is biggest for helping new and aspiring models to get seen and found by top international model agencies, it's also helps existing professional models to get maximum exposure, agencies discover and connect with the freshest international talent, photographers find and connect with the right models for their shoots and aid any other professionals (make-up artists, clients for campaign adds etc.) in this industry seeking models. It's main purpose is to connect models with everyone in the industry.

How it works: You register (FREE) and then create your own personal profile (portfolio) in order to begin networking with other members and get your face seen. For more exposure you can apply for one of their paid memberships plans. If you're very serious about pursuing modeling as a career, this might be the way to go in order to be pro-active for yourself. An added plus; they also continually post open casting calls and photo shoots that are coming up....and it's international.

Once you have your portfolio up: It is important to network, network and then network some more. Interact with people, keep your portfolio fresh and updated (which if you don't have one they offer to help make you one), participate in some social media for yourself (FB, Twitter....), and do a lot of interacting with other members on the site. Modelmanagement.com's whole purpose is to bring together models, photographers and agencies. So, if you sign up use this platform to it's fullest advantage, as this is the fastest growing model community in the world right now.

Did I mention that large companies such as Nike, elite, Ford Models, MTV, ESCADA and more use this site?

*For more information (you can find out just how much they offer) go to

http://www.modelmanagement.com

One more thing to add....they just hosted the Fresh Faces Paris 2010 competition which takes ordinary people and turns them into models. **Just a little side note to show how fast this platform is growing.

Ahhh, weekend is here.....

Oxox

Boots from Down Under.

Since they first made their way into our style hearts, and brought us comfort along with their good looks, Uggs have seemed to stick around, with a high demand I might add, season after season. Their styles have expanded quit a bit from the very original and I love that there are so many to choose from now. Here some different, and hot, styles from Ugg® Australia.


Bailey Button Tirplet:$180






Maxene wedge boot:$275

Bailey Button Boot:$150

Ultimate Tall Braid Boot:$225

Skylair Wedge Boot:$230

Joslyn Wedge:$225

Fringe Cardy Boot:$140
All of these styles, and more, can be found here:
victoriassecret

** Just a thought- Are you willing to pay the price that GREATNESS requires??

Blessings!

Oxox