Blogs, Blogging and Independent Fashion Bloggers

I absolutely owe this to my boyfriend. I learned from watching him, that if you wanted to learn how to do something, you just had to look for it [on the internet, that is]. I always thought, "well, yeah, that's easy if you're computer savvy", but I am not, and it is extremely easy. What I've been looking for in the past couple of days, is information on how to make my blog better [yeah, even better than this, LOL].

I have found some really good sites, that I will later organize and share with you, but now, thanks to all this geekin' [anything that has to do with programming codes] I found how to make a heading, which looks really good, and it's also practical for longer posts. Also, I ventured into trying to post a link [gasp!] on the post and it absolutely worked just how I imagined and everything.

This is my first heading here

I know you're all proud, and here is my first link, and the honor goes to INDEPENDENT FASHION BLOGGER, the ones who taught me about the heading, love you people.

Item of the Week

The Perfect Nail Polish

I have a thing [OK, major obsession] for nail polish, I can't help it. Whenever I go to the drugstore I feel like I have to get a new one. Which is probably the reason why I have 7 different clear [yes, clear] and 3 different black nail polish bottles [or containers, or however you call them].

Thing is, I just found the cutest coral polish. It is actually Revlon, and it's called Tropical Temptation [just like me, LOL]. The color's really trendy nowadays, so I bought it. I did my pedicure, about two weeks ago and it still looks recent!! I still can't believe it. I rarely pay attention to the brands [OF NAIL POLISH] that I buy, basically they all look, feel, & take-forever-to-dry to me, but this is definitely my favorite, and I'm pretty sure it cost under $5.00 unless I wouldn't own it. So, I just thought I'd let everybody now of my glorious find. I'll keep you posted if I find anything else that is this marvelous.


Go buy it now, you will not regret it.

Hooked on Polyvore

I found a website, polyvore.com that lets you create spreads or "sets" as we poly-people call them. You can choose from their extensive inventory or you can download the item you want with the polyvore clipper. It is a huge networking site for fashionistas all over the world. So if you haven't seen it yet, I don't know what you're waiting for.

Here's my top sets [so far]:

I LOVE YOU by ambar.rivera featuring Valentino shoes

Let's have some fun this beat is sick! by ambar.rivera featuring Steve Madden shoes

Gettin' Ready by ambar.rivera featuring Steve Madden shoes

::::ŜÅCŘİFĬĊΣS::::

Many people don't know what it means to make a sacrifice. However, sacrificing means a lot, at least it means a lot to me, and not because I'm a martyr, but because in doing so, I've found rewarding outcomes.

I've sacrificed many things, from being with my family, and friends, to my social life, and my style, among others. But RELAX I'm about to tell you the SECRET of how I did it. How I found something positive and good in everything that I changed in my life.

Did I mention that I also sacrificed CLOSET SPACE???? I know.....

Family

As you already know, I live with my boyfriend in SoCal, which means I live pretty far away (say a few thousand miles) from my parents. SAD!! I know. Positive reward: My relationship with my mom has gotten better (no need to fight anymore over curfew, YAY). And I just appreciate them a lot more than I used to when living there, I LOVE YOU DAD! You get to see the other face of the coin, which is the sacrifices that they made for you.

Friends

There is no point in explaining how this feels, is just horrible. Not knowing anybody, not having anybody to share a laugh with, to recap after some event, TO GO SHOPPING, to do your hair and make-up when you're going out, and all the infinite things girlfriends do together. Positive reward: My boyfriend and I have gotten closer and more intimate on a friendship level. Yes, we were good friends before, but now he is MY BEST FRIEND in the whole wide world. Do I still miss my friends? Each and every second, but we're still friends no matter what and that is also pretty rewarding itself. Knowing that even though we haven't been together in ages, we can call and be like nothing happened, like we are still going to see each other in the morning. I love you crazy friends of mine =).

Social Life

I know what you're thinking, "she already talked about her friends." I know! But my social life used to be so much more than just my friends, it was a culture, or should I say sub-culture that involved anyone who just wanted to party and have a good time, alomost on a daily basis. Was that good? For me it used to be perfect, but it also happens that my grades were NOT. Positive reward: I have a LOT more time to concentrate on my studies (something I should have done a long time ago). Also, I can save more money, since I don't have to spend it on admission tickets to parties plus the new dress, shoes, bags, and accessories you see? Also, who has the energies to go out after a day of work and school? I seriously don'y know how I did it. I'm not gonna lie here, sometimes I feel a little weird like you know all of my peers are out partying and I'm stuck at home cooking and doing laundry, but I just tell myself that I already partied enough and that it was great and I have great memories and even better pictures. Take THAT social life!!!

Fashion/Style

Now, don't you go thinking that I am one of those women (no offense!), who will change her wardrobe completely just to be with someone. What I did was just a few alterations so that boyfriend here wouldn't have a heart attack every time I walked out the door. Plus, is FREEZING in California, whoever said it's warm in here, invented one of the biggest lies in the history of time. But like I said, I toned it down with the miniskirts a little bit. Positive reward: I still love them and now it makes me feel ultra special when I put them on. Regarding my style, well I barely put on makeup. Hello!!! nobody knows me here remember? Positive reward: My skin is actually behaving like it should (it's being nice to me and all, but don't tell anyone). I look more natural, which I really like and it saves me a couple of minutes in the bathroom at night trying to remove the makeup. Did I mention the money I get to save too??? Amazing.

Professional Life

This is something nobody should EVER sacrifice for anybody. Something I learned the hard way. But let's just say I made my career an even bigger challenge. Now I have to manage school, work and my personal life all at once. Positive reward: It DEFINITELY prepares you for the real world. I should just be glad that I started doing all this at the age of 20. But to all of you out there who can still put your studies first, KEEP it that way. You'll thank me and yourself later. It is hard, really hard to do all at once. It takes time to learn how to prioritize and hopefully we will all get it right, and I include myself because I am still learning from these tiny little mistakes. Oops

Free time

You must be going like "Finally!! this poor girl has some free time to relax, watch TV, listen to some music, watch movies, etc..." It would be a perfect ending to this post execept that I absolutely hate (OK, I'm trying not to say this word as much, but there's no other option) TV. Which brings us to a very interesting point in couples' lives: sharing, listening, being one, instead of two, and SACRIFICING. This means having to ponder what we are going to do with our free time, not an easy task when we have absolutely opposite tastes in pretty much everything. I will not bore you with the details of what we like and dislike, but I will tell you this: if we can sacrifice more obviously important things *cough* school *cough* for the one we love, what does it hurt to listen to his favorite music for a little while? Or to watch a movie he really wants to see, even though you would rather go sit on a cactus? I am pretty sure I don't have to tell you what the positive reward is anymore. Because is just having each other, no matter what; being together and learning from each other how little sacrifices bring you GREAT happiness.

Married life, except for the whole marriage thing.

For a 21 yr. old who lives with her boyfriend in Southern California, thousands of miles away from her family, you must think my life is full of parties and glam, lots of alcohol, drugs and God knows what. Well it's NOT! But even though it isn't like that, it's GREAT, I love it and I wouldn't change it for the world. Yes there are times when you wonder if you're doing the right thing, after all I am still a "kid", OK, OK a very young adult LOL.

It's been almost a year and it feels like less than a month. We both have learned SOOO much, but we still have a long road ahead of us. As for me, I had to tame my wild side, I can't go out anymore (to clubs and parties I mean), I can't be lazy, HELLO!!, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, etc, and of course, there's the driving. Sharing a car means one of us (in this case me) has to do double the driving. Which would not be a problem if the 405 didn't resemble a parking lot each and every single day.

Not having ANYBODY besides ourselves is also an interesting challenge. Someone once told me "he's going to be the only one there to fight". I thought "yeah, I know that, so what?" Well, it turns out that when your mad, PMS-ing or simply wanting to fight because you ran out of mascara on your way to work and now your left lashes look longer than your right's, he IS the only one there. I'm pretty sure that his patience levels have doubled, Ok tripled since we moved in but that's good right?? [I love you honey]. He knows I appreciate him beyond words because I am not an easy companion.

Oh yeah, did I also mention that I had to learn to cook? Can you believe that, I was 20 yrs. old and could not fry an egg, literally! I had my mom on the phone for hours, each day for the first two months, but I learned how to cook (thanks mom), my boyfriend also taught me his specialty recipe (pasta), which I now cook better than he does, just don't say anything to him.

Anyways, what I want everybody out there to know is that it IS possible, it is not easy, it is not always fun, but it's possible and extremely rewarding. It is like the never-ending adventure that has now become your life. I will keep you posted on fun, interesting, and any other type of info on COMMITTED LIFE.