Bucket List • Make Homemade Sushi

I made homemade sushi today! It was my first time. I've been wanting to do this for so long. I can finally check this off of my bucket list. They were made with shredded vegetables, sesame seeds, seaweed & tilapia cooked in coconut oil. I have never eaten raw sushi & I don't intend to start. Around these parts, we eat our food cooked. My sushi didn't come out very pretty, however they did taste amazing.

I wanted to make them with rice, but it got too messy. I forget to buy a sushi roller mat. Fail.

Wish List • Oldies

◦ Black typewriter.

◦ Gold cameo ring.

◦ Wearable flapper dress.

◦ Peach vintage bicycle.

◦ Retro kitchen apron.

◦ Portable Crosley record player in brown.

◦ Twins-lens reflex camera pencil sharpener.

I Turned 23 Years Old Yesterday

Yesterday was my birthday. It was lovely. My cake was beautiful, I received nice gifts, I went shopping, I spent time with loved ones, & I ended the day at the beach. I feel so blessed ♥

The First Dog I Ever Loved

Her name is Mya & she belonged to my sister. She's a pitbull-boxer mix. I first met Mya in February. Let me start off by saying that I've never been a dog person. I've always been more of a cat person. The only animals I've ever had as pets were cats, turtles & fishes. I've always been somewhat reluctant when it came to dogs because most of the dogs I've ever been around throughout my lifetime were either mean or annoying. Those experiences left me with a bad impression. The only dogs I had ever liked until I met Mya were Golden Retrievers simply because I find them to be one of the most beautiful dogs.

Long story short, my sister moved & she couldn't take a dog with her so she had to give Mya away.I couldn't keep her because the place I live in is too small. Mya was staying at my abuela's house temporarily. For the past 2 weeks, I have been going over to my her house to walk, feed & play with Mya because my sister couldn't find the time to do so. I became so attached to Mya in that short amount of time. This really surprised me. I never saw that coming. I really love her. Mya has such a friendly personality & she's just so sweet. She really loves my company. Every time she'd see me, she would get so excited. I always heard the saying, "Dogs are a man's best friend" & I never really understood it. I do now.

I'm really going to miss her. I am sad that I won't get to see her whenever I want anymore. I do, however, know where Mya is at. I went to go see her yesterday. The dog is staying with an elderly couple & their house is about five houses down from my abuela's house. I know she's in a good home now. I think I will go visit her from time to time :)

23 Things I've Learned

In honor of my 23rd birthday which is in 3 days,

I have compiled a list of 23 things I've learned.

(1) Where there's freedom there's hope & endless possibilities.

(2) A cliché may be popular, but that doesn't make it true.

(3) Having a bold opinion is not the same thing as being judgemental.

(4) Wisdom is knowing that you don't know everything.

(5) Stereotypes are for lazy & simple minded people.

(6) It's better to educate people, than to worry over what they think.

(7) Not everyone is who they say they are & you have to be careful.

(8) Sometimes you must take the good with the bad. That's life.

(9) When all else fails, kill them with kindness.

(10) The way you see it isn't necessarily the way others see it & that's okay.

(11) A woman can never go wrong with red nail polish.

(12) The only way to avoid criticism is to do, say, & be nothing.

(13) Laughter is therapy.

(14) Time waits for no one.

(15) Just be yourself because being different isn't so different anymore.

(16) If you live for the approval of others, you will die with their rejection.

(17) It's important to slow down & smell the roses.

(18) There's more to life than always following the rules.

(19) It's never too late to turn your life around.

(20) We can't all be stars, but we can all shine.

(21) Holding a grudge makes the heart heavy.

(22) Having a few best friends is better than having popularity.

(23) Family doesn't necessarily mean blood related.

In the meantime ...

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22!

Happy List • May 2nd, 2013

◦ Lana Del Rey's "Young & Beautiful". It's a hauntingly beautiful song. I can't stop listening.

◦ Movie days at my abuela's house + learning more about my family's background/history.

◦ The Great Gatsby. I am so excited! I loved the book. I have high expectations for this film.

◦ Trying new teas. I recently tried Yogi's Cocoa Spice tea for the first time. It was amazing.

◦ May 15 is on this list of course. I'll be turning 23 years old. It's going to be wonderful day.

◦ Backing out of study abroad & planning a trip to England with my best friend Ana instead.

◦  Spring semester is over. I'm not taking classes this summer. I return to school in the fall.

◦ I recently started wearing nail polish again. I now feel enthusiasm over painting my nails :)

DIY • Natural Body Moisturizer

I ditched lotions & began to use a homemade body moisturizer due to the eczema I developed on my upper back & eyelids. I had originally assumed that the rashes were due to an allergy of nail polish. You can read about that here, but it turned out  I had eczema. Ever since using this moisturizer, my skin has improved dramatically & I am able to wear nail polish again. I actually tried to use regular body lotion a few weeks ago & I didn't like it at all. I couldn't believe that's what I was using to moisturize my body for most of my life. I'm already so accustomed to the oils on my skin. I could never go back to lotions, I find them to be wet & sticky. Yuck!

I've only made this once & it was back in January. When I first made this moisturizer, I did not take measurements. I simply took some raw unrefined shea butter & placed it inside of a jar, then placed it in the microwave to melt. I added unrefined coconut oil & mixed it with the warm shea butter. Lastly, I added extra virgin olive oil. It looks & feels like a very thick oil.

Since this moisturizer is made of 2 oils & 1 butter, a tiny bit goes a very long way. I massage the mix into my skin & spread it out evenly. When I first used this, I obviously used too much. I was so accustomed to body lotion. I had to learn how to use these oils & butter effectively without having my skin feel oily afterwards. I use this every night after my shower.

This homemade body moisturizer has saved me money in the long run. Coconut oil, olive oil & shea butter have many amazing skin benefits. It's 100% natural, no chemicals. My eczema has practically vanished since using this & my skin has never felt better. It feels great on my skin . It keeps me moisturized until I take a shower & wash it off. 14 oz jar of this has lasted me for 4 months & it will last me for at least 1-2 more months.