One of my lovely followers has nominated me for a 2010 BlogLuxe Award! I’m so happy and excited and thrilled and speechless! I can’t thank you enough, anonymous reader! I don’t blog for the recognition or for lucrative purpose, I blog for fun and to get this kind of feedback is a huge honor!
So now I need a bit of help! Can you please vote for me? I’m on the “Best Eye Candy” category and you can vote daily!
Thank you so much!
This next giveaway was inspired by my love of lilies and wine, of course. It’s a wine glass with a hand painted beautiful pink lily. (Guys, I know what you’re thinking but this may make one gift less to buy for a birthday or even Christmas.) So either for a gift or to enjoy your self, don’t miss out in this amazing piece of art by Maggie from Morning Glories Hand Painted Glassware.
To win (must be a follower): *
Mandatory entry – Visit Mornings Glories Shop and comment below telling which piece you like the most.
Additional Entries:
Follow me on twitter and comment below telling your username. Already following counts! {1 entry}
Retweet this giveaway post and comment below with the link. {1 entry}
“Like” me on facebook and comment below with the link. {2 entries}
Good Luck! Giveaway ends on 7/04 at 11:59pm.
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I went to radom.org and the winner is:
He looks so cute sleeping!
I love him so much and I wouldn't even dare to imagine if something happens to him. Which brings me to the subject of supporting animal rights. Some people think PETA take it to a ridiculous level but I think they’re doing it to make an impact and in my opinion they’re getting the attention. ASPCA are subtle but equally effective. I send a monthly donation to them.
You can count on me to be against animal cruelty and not wear fur but I CAN’T BE VEGAN! I do like vegetables and I seriously tried once but it was too hard since my boyfriend is a meat lover and he always picks delicious steaks at restaurants (we eat out a lot since I suck at cooking and he loves avoiding to do the dishes lol). And I must confess that I love meat just as much! Look at this delicious garlic steak:
No meal here is complete without a plate of rice and beans. Literally I eat rice and beans like 5 to 6 times a week and I never get tired! Almost everyone here on the island was raised this way. In conclusion, I’m sorry to disappoint my Vegan readers and animal supporters colleagues but I’m a meat girl…
Now the winner of the Sun Flower Mosaic Photo Frame brought to you by Memories in Mosaics! I made a spreadsheet on Excel with all the entries and went to Random.org where they chose an unbiased number.
Congrats! Please email me with your mailing address at info@nycislandgal.com so I can send your remarkable prize.
If you didn’t win, don’t worry I have schedule another amazing giveaway for today as the back-to-back summer giveaways continues! ;)
I think both these causes are so amazingly powerful! Not only I love the purpose of the causes but I also love the positive message they’re sending on how one person can make a huge difference. We can all make that difference too, if we commit to it. Visit them and become active on the one you like the most or in both of them. Simple acts of random kindness are the perfect recipe for a daily smile.
Meanwhile, I have the great news that I have FOUR more awards! You are so spoiling me! Lol! The first one comes from Free2bMommy and it’s called “A Blog with Substance”. Thank you! The rule for accepting is to write your blog philosophy. Well my inspiration for this blog came from a simple quote: “Everyday is a journey and the journey itself is home”. These are my memoirs of the journey towards becoming a New Yorker but no matter what happens I always carry my island heart with me for my home it’s within.
I’m passing this award to:
I receive two of this next award! One from Kanwalful and another one from Holley! I love Kanwalful blog because it’s she has such different lifestyle and always surprises me with her posts! Holley's blog is so honest and I always have fun reading it! Thank you to both! The award is called “You're Going Places” (i took the liberty on making it a bit prettier lol). I want to enjoy everything the blogging experience has to offer and share it. The rule for this one is to write down where you see yourself being in ten years. I see myself living in the city in a beautiful apartment with my own walking closet and a lovely beach house at my island for vacations. Married, without kids yet but planning for them and still madly in love with my bf. I see myself working for a TV network (even though I studied accounting so I don’t know how that will work out) and promoting my published book. Big dream much? Oh yes!
I also received the "Versatile Blogger Award" from Bonnie! Thank you so much! I always try different things to keep my blog alive and keep my readers entertained! For this award you need to write seven simple things about you. Let me see... I love to read, I have a beautiful cat named Obbie, I love pumps more than any other type of shoes, I can't life without jeans, I can make delicious desserts but I suck at any other cooking, my little sister is my favorite person in the whole world and my favorite flowers are ponies and lilies. There, some of the top of my mind simple facts about me.
{You can find all my awards on the sidebar menu and don't forget to enter the Mosaic Photo Frame giveaway!}
For this Friday I’m going to try something different and since all of you my beloved readers have been so kind to follow me, I’m following you back too! As soon as I see a comment I always try to head over to the blog, follow each one of you and leave a lovely comment. So I’m making a blog hop just to get to know my readers blogs and you will get to meet other bloggers as well. Not a weekly thing but I think this time it's going to be fun!
I consider myself a very good follower. I try to read and comment on the blogs I’m following every now and then and enter to all giveaways I see! ;) I usually click almost all the tittles that appear on my blogger dashboard and have fun reading. I get a lot of ideas and inspiration from reading others blogs too. I while back I saw a post on “Commandments of Comments”. It’s like a guide to being a good follower. They have many that I don't agree on like not leaving your URL as a signature but I don’t really mind the URLs. In fact it makes it easier to go and visit other blogs. ;) But here are some good ones:
Ok so now the blog hop links! Grab the code and do a post to let everyone know about it so they can find other cool bloggers too!
Also you can let your followers know some random details about you so they can have a better picture of you! Here are some of mine:
This next giveaway was custom handmade by Memories in Mosaics. Christine Burgess is the artist behind theses truly remarkable mosaic pieces. Her Etsy Shop is fill with unique and creative mosaics, from mirrors to photo frames. Everything you see on her shop is a one-of-a-kind creation with it's own personality and color scheme that has been designed with much thought and care. She primarily used tiles that she hand cut from selected plates as well as glass gems and tiles, ceramics and jewelry, giving every piece a unique quality.
This fun and whimsical frame boasts an adorable little yellow ceramic flower painted sitting in a protruding mosaic pot made from cobalt blue ceramic mini tiles. The 4 x 6 inset is also done in the same blue. The dish tiles are actually a sunflower theme with shades of yellow, gold, olive, leaf green, blue and gold so she chose to paint the ceramic flower to resemble a sunflower. The leaves are pieces of jewelry in a deep olive color. The overall dimensions are 6x9. Value of $36.
To win (must be a follower): *
Mandatory entry – Visit Memories in Mosaics Shop and comment below telling which piece you like the most.
Extra (optional) Entries:
Follow me on Twitter and comment below telling your username. Already following counts! {1 entry}
Retweet this giveaway post and comment below with the link. {1 entry}
"Like" me on Facebook and comment below telling me so. {2 entry}
Good Luck! Giveaway ends on 6/28 at 11:59pm. Come back the 29th to see if you won!
* For winners outside of the US an international shipping fee may apply.
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I made a spreadsheet on Excel with all the entries and went to Random.org where they chose an unbiased number. The winner is:
Lately I’ve been having some conflicts with my soon-to-be roommate (part 1 here). First, we talked about the dates that I should go to NYC for apartment hunting and agreed with August 21. We thought if we went within the first weeks maybe the landlords would make us pay at least half of the month of August and we don’t have budget for that. (I plan to move in by September.) Recently she spoke with some company her firm provided and they say we were pushing it, so now she wants to go somewhere between the first and the second week for apartment hunting. I try changing my flights but I bought them via Priceline.com so the one flight is from Delta and the other one is from American Airlines. They each charge $100 for changing the dates. That’s $200! It is completely unreasonable that I pay that amount. I mean that’s ¾ of another plane ticket. She suggested going herself the second week to search first but I already made the expense of the plane tickets so I don’t want to waste them on some pointless silly trip to NYC just because I already bought them. What am I going to do if she persists on going first and then she finds one?
I sure I can find an apartment anytime of the month and I told her to stop freaking out but she keeps at it and get a bit temperamental. She keeps insisting in what-if I don’t find an apartment. I made my plans and I’m sticking with them! I already told my cousin and she took the week of from work to help me. I can just bail like that and on top of that loose hard saved money. Sometimes I wished I could just find a nice budget-friendly studio for myself and avoid all this drama.
Any suggestions?
On a happier note, I made a spreadsheet on Excel with all the entries and went to Random.org where they chose an unbiased number. The winner chosen was not a follower! I’m so sorry T but I must stick to the giveaway rule of “followers only”! So I had to do a second selection of the winner. Wait? The second chosen was not a follower either! Sorry Jenny. This isn’t my lucky day... (here is proof)
Third time is the charm so the official WINNER of the $20 Gift Certificate from Red Leaf Handmade Bath and Body Shop Giveaway is:
Congrats! Please email me at info@nycislandgal.com so I can send your fabulous prize.
If you didn’t win, don’t worry I have schedule another amazing giveaway for tomorrow! ;)
Hello! Let’s catch up on our reading… I just finished reading “Dirty” by Megan Hart and it was not what I expected at all. It was far better!! Since it was an erotic novel, I thought it would be all about dirty sex and porn, I was so wrong. (Who want to read about porn anyways? Ok ok I admit I wanted to know what was all the fuss about erotic novels.) After reading the first two chapters I was ready to give up because it started off kind-of bold and boring but for some reason (maybe lacks of books) I continue the reading and I very glad I did. When you get into the characters, the book gets so much better and it was awfully intriguing. The story is about a woman who meets a stranger and become kind-of friends just for sex but eventually he falls in love with her but she can’t open up to him because of her dark childhood secrets. For me it was just like reading any good book but instead of bypassing the intimate scene, the author let you in on all the details. The story line was very interesting and the writing style was fun. I enjoy reading it plus I must confess I was even turned on for a couple of pages and let’s just say that even though my boyfriend didn’t read it, on Saturday night he enjoyed the erotic novel too! LOL! The title doesn’t do justice to what a great read the book was. I would definitely recommend it!
On my next reads I have:
What have you been reading?
PS: Have a Happy Father’s Day and congrats to all your loved ones!
{Tomorrow is the last day to enter the $20 gift certificate giveaway! Don’t forget to enter!}
This week I have a $20 Gift Certificate to Red Leaf Handmade Vegan Products Giveaway and made my blog carbon neutral, so why not do a Green Photo Friday? I’m all about going green! From home and garden to food and health and tech and transport, there are tons of ways we can make our lives greener. Planet Green Website has really amazing guides for How to Go Green. Read on to start greening your life with ease, while understanding why each action is so important.
This tree seems real, I mean it is real but it looks like nature should look. It has none of that Photoshop nonsense to brighten up the greens or to diminish the raw defects on the trunk. I feel like I can smell the raindrops on the grass.
Give it a try and travel down a greener path... Enjoy the weekend!
Alexander Wissner-Gross, PhD, a physicist at Harvard University and environmental activist, conducted a research and discovered that an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. Assuming an average blog gets 15,000 visits a month, it has yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 8lb.
So in order to offset your blog carbon footprint, “Make it green” Germany has created the program called “My blog is carbon neutral”, where they will plant a tree for you if you write a short post on your blog about their program. This will neutralize your blog’s carbon footprint for the next 50 years. Amazing, right? The trees will be planted by the Arbor Day Foundation in Plumas National Forest in Northern California, an area that has been devastated by wildfires.
Imagine how many trees can be planted if we all joined!
Just a few easy steps to make it green:
Since the last giveaway went so fantastic, I decided to do weekly giveaways just for the summer. I will not be moving to NYC until September so it will be a fun way to keep the blog alive and bring to you some of the best shops on Etsy.
This next giveaway is a $20 gift certificate from Red Leaf Handmade Bath and Body Products Etsy Shop. I was really excited to work with them since most of their products are top quality vegan products. The inspiration for Red Leaf products started with a homemade moisturizer and a really cold winter as the artist describes on his profile. Curiosity and very dry skin led the artist to the kitchen where he experimented with common ingredients and after lot of trials she created a line of products based on simple everyday ingredients.
This shop offers a great variety of Lotions, Soaps and much more for both the ladies and the guys. Did I mention they have the most amazing fragrances? Just to mention a few they have Vanilla Buttercream, Victorian Rose, Pink Grapefruit, Lettuce, Black Tea, Lavender, Orange Sherbet, Beach, Oatmeal, English Coast, Wasabi, Basil Lime or you can choose anything fragrance free.
To win (must be a follower via GFC):
Mandatory entry – Visit Read Leaf Shop and comment below telling me what would you buy if you won the $20 gift certificate. Don’t forget to mention in which fragrance too!
Extra (optional) Entries:
Post about this giveaway at your blog and comment below with the link. {3 entries}
Follow @NYCIslandGal on Twitter and comment below telling your username. Already following counts! {1 entry}
Retweet this giveaway post and comment below with the link. {1 entry}
Wish You Luck! Giveaway ends on 6/21 at 11:59pm. Come back the 22nd to see if you won!
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I made a spreadsheet on Excel with all the entries and went to Random.org where they chose an unbiased number. The winner is:
I had been reading a lot lately. I just finished Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert. This book is about the author journey leaving behind all the trappings of American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. It was a good book, very educational. She takes you to different places and talks about their culture and history. The only thing bad I found is that, is not engaging. I could close the book and forget I was even reading it for weeks. When you read it you’re like “ok this is nice” but that’s about it. Not much intrigue or humor. It’s a more mature book than what I usually read.
I also finished Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. This one is about a free spirit girl, Emma, who spills all her secrets to a handsome stranger in a plane after thinking she’s going to die. Or at least, she thought he was a stranger. But next Monday morning, Emma's office is abuzz for the arrival of Jack Harper, the company's elusive CEO. When all the sudden Emma is in front of the stranger from the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. It was very refreshing and light to read, my kind of reading. The story was exciting and when you think anything can’t get any worse, it does. I couldn’t stop reading so I finished it in two days. It was awfully funny and I think all girls can relate to Emma, the main character. After all, everyone got secrets.
My next reading will be Dirty by Megan Hart. Do you remember a Friends episode that Joey discovers Rachel’s erotic novel? Well yes, it’s an erotic novel. Some of my friends are into them so why not give it a try? LOL I will let you know how it goes.
Now, I made a spreadsheet on Excel with all the entries and went to Random.org where they chose an unbiased number. Without further due, the winner of my first giveaway is:
Congrats! Please email me at info@nycislandgal.com with your mailing address so I can send you your fabulous prize.
If you didn’t win, don’t worry I have schedule another amazing giveaway for tomorrow! ;)
As some of you may recall from my previous post, I will be moving to NYC a year before my boyfriend. And with only a few months until my big move, my bf hasn’t told his parents that he’s moving with me yet. He wants to do it his way, obviously the wrong way. He would be walking down the hallway and go “Hey dad did you close the garage? Oh and btw I’m moving to NY with Island Gal next year”. It is not a joke, he literally told me that. I could not believe him so I offered my support and told him that I wanted to be there when he tells his parents. He replied by telling me that he wasn’t there when I told mine. But it’s different since my parents know from before I even took the job. I consulted with them and asked for feedback so it’s completely different than telling them something I’m going to do regardless of their opinions.
Anyways, this week he told his mom something like “I’m thinking I’ll move to NYC” so naturally she emailed me. She always does this. He never properly expresses anything so she always comes to me for the entire version. In the email she said she wanted to know more details and she gave a piece of her mind, as in “I want you guys to get marry before moving in together”. WHAT? I took a deep breath and pretended like I never saw that message.
The next day I saw her was at her house and the second my bf left us alone she was all over questioning me. I really love her a lot. She is normally not this annoying and in some way I understand her concerns; but can’t she just ask him instead of me? I felt so awkward. If it was up to me, I just asked them for dinner and tell them everything but it’s not. He wants to do it his way. Well, eventually she got to the really really uncomfortable part, marriage. She wants us to get marry in front of a judge before moving in together. I briefly explained that I want to have a real wedding and not some quick ceremony just so we won’t be judge by her family. Ok, I didn’t exactly tell her the family part but I was thinking it.I’m the type of girl that has always dreamt of her wedding day (I usually don’t tell this to anyone since I hate being stereotyped for it). I look at wedding dresses or as I like to call it, dress porn every couple of months (ok ok more like twice a month) and I love those cheesy wedding TV shows like “Say yes to the dress”, “Platinum Weddings”, “Who’s wedding is it anyways” and “Amazing Wedding Cakes”. I also secretly get in wedding forums to see the newest trends. I know I’m not alone here, right girls? I mean, I don’t want it to happen right now but I do look forward to it some day. But besides the wedding, I want it to be something that comes natural and with time, not forced. I want it to be special and OUR idea not hers. I know that some of you may be conservative and may agree with her but I strongly believe that some piece of paper it’s not worth giving up one of the most important day of my life. I don’t even care about the stupid paper. For me doing the “right thing” is not getting that legal paper, it’s more about the emotional and symbolic process of a wedding. Having late night talk about whose guests shouldn’t be invited, choosing colors together, trying on gowns with my mom, writing our vows, waking up that day feeling like the happiest day of our life’s and even the nerves are part of what marks and celebrates the beginning of our family.
Living in separate apartments in the city is not an option since rent is too expensive and it would be completely pointless to have a stranger as a roommate when we have each other. But it got me thinking, what if we hadn’t decided to move? We would definitely not be thinking about moving in together yet. So the truth is that we are not moving together out of love, even though we do love each other, we are moving because of money issues. By the way even if I had agree with getting married quickly by a judge, I will not be able to live the fact that his mom was practically obligating him. And come one, what does she gain by telling me? I’m not the one proposing anyways. Maybe to her isn’t a big deal since she got married by a judge a week later after her husband, my boyfriend’s dad, told her randomly at his car without even a ring, “Why don’t we, uh, you know get marry?” NO way! I will not accept that as my story. I want a real proposal and a real wedding. She has to respect the fact that for me it is a huge deal and I will not settle for anything less.
To be continue…
{My first giveaway ends today at 11:59pm so don’t forget to enter!}
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