Two Ladies, and one of them has a birthday!

My best friend Melody and I have bonded over countless things; boy problems, eccentric quirks, our love of performing arts. We even put on a Broadway Revue of our own in high school. During production of the show, we fell in love with a song from Cabaret titled "Two Ladies". From then on, we referred to ourselves as the "Two Ladies". SO here are the two ladies in action:

The Two Ladies Dining

The Two Ladies In a Salon

The Two Ladies of the Lake

The Two Ladies Performing

The Two Ladies Growing Old Together

The Gangsta Two Ladies

Marie and Mel: Two Ladies

Happy Birthday, Melody. I love you.

Love, Light, and Ladies, MARS

#19: Visit 5 States. CHECK.

I went on a extensive road trip this weekend to help launch a fabulous makeup line designed by my cousin and ran by us as a family in Washington DC. The trip took 12-14 hrs each way but with 3 iPods, lots of snacks and good eatin', and a great synergy with the fam, it didn't feel that long at all. 

Number 19 on my YEAR LIST. Done-zo.

Indiana Rest Stop

My First Cracker Barrel Experience, Ohio Turnpike

Aviva Brick Oven Pizzeria- Warrendale, Pennsylvania

(Eew, I look gross)

Georgetown, Washington DC 

NENA Cosmetics DC Launch- Alexandria, Virginia

Love, Light, and Travels, MARS

MY 2011 LIST

I'm sure everyone has a bucket list; the things they want to accomplish or do before they die. (Or kick the bucket!) I've started that list but I also decided to make a list of things I wanted to do before the end of the year. I figure if I set goals by a specific time in the near future, I would be more motivated to follow through. Here's my list and I would really love to see your own! Just link your list back to my comments. I might have to borrow some ideas! =)

S#!* I Want To Do Before The Earth Completely Rotates Around The Sun (SIWTDBTECRATS for short)

Receive my CNA Certification. Make My Own Pasta. Read 100 Books. Join Gym. Take A Picture in Dancer Pose. Get A Great Hairstyle. Make A Souffle. Listen to a new song every day. Take Amaya to see a live children's show. Visit Zoo Lights during Christmas. Visit the Wisconsin Dells. Lose 30 Lbs. Take Yoga Classes. Find a lucrative job that I love. Learn how to meditate. Go back to school full-time. Build my wardrobe back up. Learn to better control my temper. Visit 5 states. Visit friends and family back in the Bay Area. Gain more Blog/Twitter followers. Eat at 5 great Chicago restaurants. Become a makeup artist. Take Amaya to the zoo. Go fruit picking. See 5 Broadway on Chicago musicals. See the Nutcracker. Visit a water-park. Go on a long hike. Splurge on something great just for my personal satisfaction. Take a Family Christmas Portrait. Go on a date with a Chicagoan. Start scrap-booking again. Ride on a boat. Get my certificate. Go running in Downtown Chicago. Finish potty training Amaya. Develop a friendship with an elderly person. Get my US passport. Teach Amaya how to read. Become a morning person. Take a dance class. Have a picnic in the park. Make a snowman. Eat at a chef's table. Go to a concert for the first time. 


Love, Light, and Lists, MARS

Marshmallow Lollipops: Valentine Edition

Yes, I am aware of the fact that Valentine's Day was almost two weeks ago. However, let's just see this post as being extremely early for next year. We went to a chocolate expo at the beginning of the month and although I enjoyed samplings of different chocolates, I did not enjoy their prices. (I'm talking to you, $9 for a waffle place!)
Another company was also selling these cute darling Marshmallow Pops. At $2 a stick. I figured I could just make these at home and save me some money. What I didn't know was not only were they inexpensive, they were also extremely easy and fun to make. You can make these anytime, not just for Valentine's Day. Just switch out the decorations for the occasion.

*Strawberry Marshmallows
*Chocolate (I used Semi-Sweet Squares)
*Lollipop Sticks (Go to Michael's and bring a printed out 40% or 50% coupon!)
*Sprinkles

1. Push a stick into each marshmallow

2. Melt chocolate. (10 seconds in the microwave and stir. Repeat until just melted and smooth)

3. Dip one marshmallow at a time in chocolate.

4. Let excess chocolate drip off then sprinkle on decorations of your choice.

5. Allow chocolate to set. (Had to get my McGyver on)

6. Share with friends. (Amaya at her StoryTime Valentine's Day Party)

Love, Light, and Lollipops, MARS

You Like Me, You Really Like Me

Whoooo-hooooooo! My very first blogger award! Many thanks to my friend Joy from Living On Trees for bestowing this upon me. I am so grateful to have her as a fellow blogger/mommy/Facebook lover.

Here are the rules of the award:
1. Link back and thank the fabulous person who bestowed the amazing award on you
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 7 other deserving and great bloggers
4. Contact the other bloggers to let them know of their award.

Seven things about me:
1. I was born in the Phillipines, raised on the island of Guam, moved to California when I was 14, and now reside in Chicago (as of Sept. 2010)
2. I love to cook but hate following recipes. I like to season according to my own taste, i.e. I put garlic powder in everything. Not in desserts though. Because that would be gross.
3. No matter how I do my hair (and amount of hours I waste styling it just right) I will end up putting it up in a bun sometime during the night.
4. I am a theater geek. I love all musicals, but my favorite, hands down, is Wicked. I might have even camped by the stage door to collect autographs after the show. Don't judge me, join me. (I love you, Eden Espinosa!)
5. I studied ballet, jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop dance for 18+ years. I haven't had the chance to go and take a class lately, but hopefully that will change soon.
6. I have a secret compartment in my brain that stores random bits of useless information. As my mother likes to say, "I could be rich if you would just go on a trivia game show."
7. I have a group of best friends from high school who are my heart and soul. They have understood facets of my personality that would leave you shaking your head in wonder (or disgust, depending on the day). We are called "Briskit". No not like the meat. More like "Brisk-what?" "Brisk-it!"

7 Lovely Bloggers to pass the award to:
1.Lifestyle Maven- I love to read Cailen's blog because it reads more like a magazine; edited personally by someone who shares your tastes.
2.Sara's Organized Chaos-Sara is hilarious, honest, and I am in love with someone who has turned me off chocolate milkshakes forever.
3. The Good, The Bad, and The Fabulous Sides of Style, Fashion, Beauty and Life- Jenny is a fashion lawyer in LA. I love her amazing style.
4.Ciao Bella: Bella has one of the best fashion blogs out there today. Her pictures are ALWAYS gorgeous and I love how she interacts with everyone on Twitter! Lol.
5.Thursday Night Smackdown- I love food. I love snark. I love Top Chef. 'Nuff said.
6.A Pre-Life Crisis- Lily's blog reads like Sex in the City: Beantown Edition.
7.Be Sassy Classy- Style, Faith, Family. Who says you can't have it all?

Love, Light, and Blogging, MARS

100 Books In 365 Days: Books 6-10

Number 3 on my Year List is to read 100 books in 365 days. Now that I am not working, I figured I would use the opportunity to catch up on my reading. I am reading anything from childhood classics to spiritual non-fiction.

Here are Books 6 to 10:


6. Are You There Vodka? It's me, Chelsea- Chelsea Handler (Hilarious. Very rare that a book has me laughing out loud. Not once, but several times.)

7. Mary Poppins- P.L. Travers (Why did I not know until this year that Mary Poppins was a book first? Another lesson learned: Great films are usually great books first.)

8. The Outsiders- S.E. Hinton (I never finished it in high school. Me being a REBEL! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I saw the movie. Drool, slobber, drool. Lowe, Swayze, Cruise, Estevez, Dillon. That is all.)

9. The Lonely Polygamist- Brady Udall  (Bit of a slow read but the story was fascinating. 4 wives, 28 children, and still lonely?)

10. The Confession- John Grisham (One of my favorite authors, but this book wasn't as great as his previous work. Overall still good and I agree with his stance on capital punishment whole-heartedly )

I am still taking recommendations and suggestions! Would love to look at your own book lists. 

Love, Light, and Books, MARS

Music Mondays: A Gemini's Playlist

Good morning, blogosphere! Starting something new today. My musical tastes pretty much run the gamut. Just like everything else in my Gemini life; I can't seem to tie myself down to just one niche. Here is who I am listening  to this week. I would love to hear what's playing on your Ipod/Pandora/Mp3 Player. Any suggestions for me as well! Have a musical Monday! Oh and I know it's not Monday. Didn't get to post this yesterday. Just credit it as Tardy Tuesday.

"Apologies" Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

"Raining Men" Rihanna ft. Nicki Minaj

"Breakeven (Falling To Pieces) The Script

"No Hands" Waka Flocka ft. Roscoe and Wale

Love, Light, and Happy Listening, MARS

Family Fridays: I Don't Have To Look Very Far

Motivation and inspiration are often hard to come by. Writer's block, depression, even just normal work days can deter you from your creative passions. I am fortunate to be blessed with such a talented family that I don't have to look very far for inspiration.

My aunt, Lilia Lopez-Rahman has published her very first book, For The Sake Of Louise. It is about her harrowing experiences of emotional and mental abuse inflicted by her ex-husband, including her daughter being kidnapped and taken to Sri Lanka for several years. It is only through her faith in God and his gifts of strength and unfailing love that she is able to overcome psychological turmoil and find real love at last.

I am humbled and inspired by my aunt's story. It amazes me to know that she was struggling with some of the things mentioned in the book the very first time I met her in person, around 1999-2000. When I met her, I was struck by her conviction in God and unfailing devotion to her family. Now I fully comprehend why. I want to share this book with everyone, not just because she is my family, but because it is a book for every woman (and man!) that has ever felt demoralized and hopeless. I salute you Auntie, for your honesty and your fortitude.

You can order your very own copy of For The Sake of Louise HERE

Love, Light, and Happy Reading, MARS

Purple Ovals Suck

I curse you purple oval, for making me unsuccessfully hunt you for 3 weeks straight, constantly having to renew your game, Candyland Castle, from the library.

I curse you purple oval, for racking up 30 cents in overdue fines just because you were comfortable hiding in my home.

I curse you purple oval, for impeding the return of Candyland Castle, therefore allowing ample opportunity for your cousins, green triangles and red squares, to be lost as well.

I curse you purple oval, for making me hunch over repetitively, peering in dusty corners, causing my back to ache in pain.

I curse you purple oval, for burying yourself in the depths of the couch cushions, not only culminating my 3 week quest rather embarrassingly, but also undermining my ability as a good housekeeper.

Love, Light, and Purple Oval Burden Free, MARS

100 Books In 365 Days

I've been doing some major overhaul on my life lately and one thing I have never done is a Bucket list. Or Life List. Or the Buried Life List. Whatevs. While working on this list (and you WILL laugh when you read some of the crazy stuff I wrote down. But that's another blog post and I digress,) the obsessive compulsive in me also managed to make a Year List aka S#!* I Want To Do Before The Earth Completely Rotates Around The Sun. (SIWTDBTECRATS for short)

Number 3 on the list is to read 100 books in 365 days. Now that I am not working, I figured I would use the opportunity to catch up on my reading. I am reading anything from childhood classics to spiritual non-fiction.

Here is my list of books I have read since Dec 1. I have read a few other books that are not on this list but I am choosing not to include them because they are either guilty pleasure summer book reads (Gossip Girl Series or Jackie Collins anyone?) or self-help/how-tos (Eh, judge me if ya want.) This will be a tab on my home page; updated whenever I finish a new book. I read pretty quickly so check in sporadically to cheer me on or laugh at my failure if I wave the white flag and post "I GIVE UP! I AM GOING TO GO WATCH TRASHY REALITY TV NOW!"

Read 100 Books in 365 Days
1.The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake- Aimee Bender (Can you imagine being able to taste a person's emotions (sadness, desperation, elation) through the food that they make?)

2.The Chronicles of Narnia Series- CS Lewis (I've always loved The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe but I never read all the other books until now.)

3. The Time-Traveler's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger (I cried, I laughed, I LOVED)

4. Eat, Pray, Love- Elizabeth Gilbert (Enjoyed it so much, I am going to go buy it and read it over and over again)

5.Emma- Jane Austen (A slow read but enjoyable. The film Clueless is now loved more than ever.)

Thanks for taking this literary journey with me. Please comment with your book recommendations or even your own lists; book or bucket =)

Love, Light, and Books, MARS

The End of The Year, The Beginning of A New Life

Note: This blog post was supposed to be part of a blog swap but I was late submitting and my partner is now MIA so here it is =)


The leaves began to fall as I came to Chicago in September. Savings exhausted and soul worn out, I arrived in Illinois with my two year old daughter and my life for the last 12 years packed into 5 boxes and 2 suitcases marked: From California.

The trees began to shed, leaving bare branches. Radiant red, orange, and gold leaves crumbled beneath my feet as I ran off the 30-plus pounds I had gained, brought on by the stress of an unstable tumultuous relationship compounded with the loss of the confident, empowered woman that I was before those four rocky years.

The days grew darker at an earlier time and the temperature dropped quickly as I started to write again, rediscovering the joy of expressing myself, an outlet that once had been my comfort, my haven, discarded for six years while I became enamored of a wild lifestyle consisting of drinking, partying, and endless bad decisions.

Mists of fluffy white snow began to descend, and light snowflakes dusted the pavement as I adjusted from 50-hour work weeks to staying at home and home-schooling my little one. Lessons of humility, compassion, and grace were subjects learned by both pupil and teacher.

Heavy snow showers enveloped the city leaving white canvasses where recently familiarized places had just been and newly fallen snow crunched beneath my boots as I twirled in circles dancing joyfully while my first "White Christmas" appeared. Forgiveness in my heart soothing old wounds just like snow blanketing the ground.

As the season transitions from Christmas to New Year, I am grateful for a new life, a new beginning. An energizing, inspiring, hopeful spirit that will not make any resolutions, but will instead strive to  make wise choices. Happy New Year.

Love and Light and Hope, MARS

My Most Sincere Apologies

I feel like I've been rapped on the hand by a teacher with a wooden ruler. Old school, I know.

 And I didn't even go to Catholic School.....

 I opened up an e-mail from Blogger saying I have neglected my poor child, Blog, and I need to be a good parent and take care of her better. Bad mommy notice acknowledged.

It has been a whirlwind holiday season at Casa WildthenChild. I apologize for the severe lapse of posts. I meant to write, even had all my great ideas written down as drafts. Unfortunately, family travels, writer's block and 300 cookies (one of those BLOG DRAFTS!), prevented me from writing this past month.

Fret not, I am back and I WILL win that Blog Mommy of the Year Award in 2011. =)

Love and Light, MARS