Trend Alert?

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Abril

I don’t usually use the blog as an outlet to discuss or dissect runway shows and/or their trends, but there was one unexpected item making an appearance on top haute couture runway shows recently that has me really intrigued as to whether or not it would go further than that as a trend.
I don’t know about you guys but as much as I love my beautiful high heels, I actually don’t wear them very often. They can be gorgeous and even flattering, but oh the unnecessary pain they inflict onto us stares right back at me whenever I stand in front of my closet trying to decide on footwear for the day. I confess to having fantasized, more than once and usually after wearing a pair for hours, about living in a world free of high heels; a world where looking presentable doesn’t involve any kind of torture; where comfort meets fashion; where you can look just as fashionably fierce in sneakers as Carrie Bradshaw did in her sky-high heels.
I suspect I’m not the only one who has had some version of this fantasy, and now, guess what? The fashion masters of the universe seem to have decided to cut us (and our tortured feet) some slack and filled their most recent runway shows with sneakers everywhere! The most fashionably looks by the likes of Chanel and Dior were paired not only with sneakers (after all, vans and converse have long been acceptable as a form of fashionable footwear for certain looks), but with very sporty looking ones. We are talking couture gowns paired with a Chanel sparkly version of the athletic sneaker, people! Kind of shocking, isn’t it? It really does take the eye a bit to adjust to the sight of haute couture head to ankle, followed by runner shoes.
Now, here’s what I’m really curious about, finding out your thoughts on this subject…what do you think of this newly proposed trend? Do you predict it will translate to the streets? Will the masses embrace it? Will sneakers become ubiquitous outside of the gym and running trails? Or will it go just as far as the edge of the runway strip? A trend just for the fashion eccentrics of the world? Would you wear a classic Chanel tweed jacket and skirt with your favorite running shoes?
That what do I think you asked? I think it might take some time to get used to the sight of sneakers accompanied of what we considered “dressed up” or serious clothes…but we’ve been dreaming about this day for way too long to let this opportunity pass us by. So yes, I predict somewhere in the not too distant future, even the most appalled judges of this trend will be taking it out for a test run.

Chanel Spring Couture 2014

Christian Dior Spring Couture 2014

Photos from Style.com

Our Wedding: Gratitude

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Abril

Ok, so I lied (accidentally!), this is the real last wedding related post. After I published the details of our reception, I realized I was missing a very important publication…the thank you’s to all the people that contributed to make our wedding just perfect.
First, I gotta thank the fabulous guy behind my bridal hair & makeup, my talented friend Lino Martinez. Not only is he a gem as a stylist, he is one of the kindest, sweetest people I’ve ever met and I’m lucky to call him a friend. He captured to perfection the look I had envisioned, which was natural and effortlessly pretty. If you are in the Phoenix area, you can find him at Park Avenue Blow Dry Bar & Salon… I promise you, once he does your hair, you’ll never let anyone else touch it ever again!
Then comes a huge heartfelt thank you to the talent behind our wedding photography, my friends Steven & Clarissa Toupin. Steven is the one with a passion for photography, the eye behind the camera, but his lovely wife Clarissa played his assistant for the day, and together they proved they’re a match made in heaven in more levels than the clearly obvious. They were so diligent in making sure they captured every moment and every detail all throughout the day. I knew they would be awesome, but they surpassed every expectation I had. I keep insisting on Steven becoming officially a professional photographer because so far photography has only been a hobby in his life, but he’s so talented and professional, he really needs to start offering up his services to the general public. I feel so fortunate he agreed to be our photographer on our special day.
Finally, a big fat thank you goes out to my bff’s, my girls, the ones I can always count on: Dalia Bahena, Ann Tyburski, Mariana Oropeza and Artemisa Salinas. They’ve been there for me through thick and thin for years, and on my special day, they made sure everything at the reception looked like I had planned. My wedding flowers were all DIY, from my bouquet (another thanks to my dear Lino, he also helped me on this one!) to the centerpieces, and they were the ones to set up the flowers and decorations in the dinning room. They did such a fabulous job, the flowers looked exactly like I had pictured, and everything looked just beautiful. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you friends! An added thank you goes to my girl Dalia, who was my right hand person all day, helping with this and that, putting up with my bossiness without a single complaint…there were no official bridal party titles given, but she truly played the role of my maid of honor, and I can’t thank her enough.
So, thank you, thank you, thank you all for making our wedding just perfect! I am forever grateful to have had you all been such a big part of this special day, and even more grateful to have you all as dear friends.

Photos by Steven Toupin

Our Wedding: The Reception

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Abril

You can sigh with relief if you’re tired of all the wedding-related blog posts since today I bring you the last installment of them. The last thing to cover about it is our reception, which wasn’t your typical reception party and more of a celebratory dinner.

Like I’ve mentioned before, we decided to keep things simple and somewhat low-key. Even though we were all dressed up, the vibe throughout the whole day was laid-back and relaxed; I felt like I was just hanging out with my favorite people, enjoying every second of it. For family photos we even did some silly shots that ended up being my favorite compared to the classic serious family portraits (which granted we also did). Though the atmosphere was laid-back, we did have a formal dinner with amazing food and plenty of wine to go with it; however no dance floor, band or DJ (my playlist played thru the sound system) were involved, not even a wedding cake.

Family, friends and food were all we needed. Our guest list consisted of 35 of our closest and dearest. There were a lot of extended family and friends that we would’ve loved to have invited if we would’ve gone the huge wedding route, but because we wanted to keep things small and intimate, we only invited those people that in some way or another have been a big part of our journey as a couple. That included our parents and siblings, and a few friends.

Of course being a foodie, food was very important to me and I wanted to make sure everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner. Arcadia Farms, with their mostly local and organic ingredients as well as wonderful chef and recipes, didn’t disappoint. Everyone commented on how amazing every course was.

Right after the ceremony, we all walked next door to the private dining room where dinner was held. We had a cocktail hour, with red wine sangrias, champagne, red and white wine, and passed hors d’oeuvres. Then came a 3 course dinner which included the following: a strawberry salad with strawberries, toasted almonds, mixed baby greens and a poppyseed vinaigrette; for an entrée, guests had a choice between butternut squash ravioli in a walnut sage cream sauce (my personal favorite!) or seared salmon with sweet corn, shiitake mushrooms and spinach with a Pinot Noir butter sauce; and finally for dessert, in lieu of a wedding cake everyone was served their own individual baby cake, which they could pick among dark chocolate raspberry, tuxedo (another favorite of mine!) or red velvet cake. If you ask me, it wasn’t only a memorable occasion, it was also a memorable meal!

As usual, I leave some photos here for you to enjoy.