Krizia in love

Okay. So, I've got a confession to make. I LOVE playlists. I have way too many of them for my own good. But I REALLY do need them; they help me keep my music organized and allow me to easily update my iPhone.

I don't know why, but lately I've been feeling very... hmm, what's the word I'm looking for? "Romantic?" Nah. "Mushy." No. Aha, "Lovey-dovey!" And the truth is, for the life of me, I don't know why. It's very odd. I've found that I'm waking up in a good mood, singing love songs, and skipping around my room (True story!) It's like I'm starting to believe in love again. How weird, right? In any case, since I don't have much to say tonight (and it seems that this blog is becoming a guilty pleasure of mine), I decided to share my "Krizia in love" playlist. Some songs remind me of people I've had feelings for in the past, others don't. But, these are all songs that I've played (and still play) when I feel that the love bug is starting to get to me again. Also, as you can imagine, there are many languages featured on it. You know me, always keeping it international. And, you know what's the best part? No Backstreet Boys's song! Looks like both the range of my emotions and my musical taste have evolved over the years. In all seriousness, I hope some of you are able to find the songs and get around to listening to them. I can assure you - it'll make for a really "love-ly" experience. (Ugh, I'm such a nerd. Maybe it's time to put my Cherry red lips and "the girls" to good use and go find myself a man! Yea, let's just leave it at that.)

Shimbalaie

For the record, and you may have realized this already, all of my latest posts include a song at the beginning. When I embed a song onto a post, it’s (obviously) because I’d like you to hear it while reading whatever it is that I’ve written. I know some of you read this while you’re bored at work and probably don’t get to hear the music, but yea, I just wanted to put that out there. The reason why I include a song with each post is because I’d like to create a multi-sensory experience (also why I’m making an effort to post more pictures.)

The songs are either directly related to the post, or they describe my mood while writing it. For instance, the song I added in the post where I recapped my NYC trip was Skrillex’s remix of Benny Benassi’s “Cinema,” because it was my theme song of the trip. Every time we were cruising down the streets of Manhattan, we were always blasting that song on the radio (yea, we used public transportation just for the sake of it, to be able to say “hey, we were on the NYC subway,” but most of the time, we were in a car.)

In the “Cherry lips” post, I included Garbage’s song because everyone knows that red lips are kind of my signature look. Also, I was alluding to the fact that Cherry (my alter ego) is making more and more appearances these days, so you better hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wives, and hide yo’ husbands, too! (And I hope to God that you all got that reference because if you didn’t it can only mean two things: 1) You were living under a rock for the latter half of 2010, and 2) You obviously were not a part of my life during said time period.) And here I am going off on a tangent. Ay Miss Bandy, whatever will become of you???

Anyways, I’m sure you get the point of these last 3 paragraphs. The music is here for a reason! Now, on to the actual post for today.



This weekend my family and I went away to Copan Ruinas, a quaint town located about 3 hours away from my city, San Pedro Sula, which is in very close proximity to the Guatemalan border, but most importantly, the Mayan ruins of Copan. We didn’t end up going to the ruins because 1) It was raining; 2) My knee cyst ruptured, leaving me in a lot of pain (I’m ok, though); 3) We’ve been to the ruins like a million times already.



Copan is such a magical place. Every time I went to the ruins in the past, and found myself walking through the ancient buildings, a sense of serenity would always come over me. It really felt as if I’d gone through a time machine and had been transported to the Mayan Golden Age. I always like going to the ruins because I get to zone out and think about my identity, my place in time, past vs. present vs. future, etc. In any case, we weren’t able to go to the ruins this time, but the town adjacent to them gives off the same “frozen-in-time” vibe, with its stone-paved streets, narrow walkways, central plaza, etc. We have a lot of family friends in Copan, and every time we go, we always end up having quite the get-together, usually at “La Casa de Todo," (www.casadetodo.com) a souvenir shop/ internet café/ restaurant/ bar/ book exchange/ everything! Last night was no exception, let’s just say that I wasn’t even planning on drinking, but ended up having 6 Cuba Libres instead! 6, coño!!!



Here I am posing with my older brother, Michael, after the 4th Cuba Libre... I really do look Middle Eastern, don't I? I guess there's no denying one's ancestry...


With my mother. The asshole you see in the background with the light blue Polo, that's my younger brother. (And it's okay, I call him "THE ASSHOLE" all the time. It's either that or "MOTHER FUCKER," this last one thanks to the movie Horrible Bosses, hehe.) I'm kidding, of course (but you already knew that.) His name is Erick.


Anyways, I woke up feeling fine, and after a hearty breakfast (certainly not diet friendly - these small-town folk don’t know anything about fat free or low carb, lol), I proceeded to walk around the town, perusing the small shops and taking pictures of things I found interesting.

These are made by the Lenca people, one of the remaining, and most prominent, indigenous groups in Honduras.

Copan - San Pedro Sula. Cute, huh?

Of course, I couldn't forget about the church.

And that was my weekend. It was a nice break from everyday life, but I can't deny that I'm a city girl, through and through. I miss my concrete edifices (even if the ones here aren't that impressive.) When one of you guys comes to visit me (and I'm really hoping at least one of you comes before I leave Honduras permanently), we'll definitely hit Copan up!

Dirty Picture...

... not quite... hehe

Photo shoot! Just because I got my hair done, I'm bored, and I'm finally starting to look how I feel on the inside! Whoever said nerds had to be ugly???







Starting Phase II: Muscle Definition.
About to punch a nigga...

40 Things to do before I'm 30

1. Ask out a total stranger ✓
2. Attend Mardi Gras ✓
3. Become a sommelier (wine connoisseur)
4. Buy yourself something nice ✓
5. Climb a mountain (Preferably Mt. Fuji)
6. Do something for charity ✓
7. Do something physically adventurous (skydiving, bungee jumping)
8. Drive on the Pacific Coast Highway
9. Fire a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (Every modern woman should know how to shoot a gun!)
10. Get drunk ✓
11. Get my Master’s degree
12. Go on a cruise ship
13. Go skinny-dipping
14. Go to New York City ✓
15. Go to a musical festival ✓
16. Have a love affair in a foreign country ✓
17. Have sex
18. Kiss in the rain ✓
19. Learn how to tango (Been obsessed with learning how to tango ever since I saw “Scent of a Woman”)
20. Lose a significant amount of weight (30 pounds must count, right?) ✓
21. Participate in a race (5K, Marathon, etc.) ✓ (I've done a 5K, next up is a half-marathon!)
22. Pick up a new language ✓
23. Quit your job ✓
24. Read at least 50 of the Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels of all Time (http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/)
25. See snow (make snow angels and a snowman, have a snowball fight)
26. Sing karaoke ✓
27. Smoke weed ✓
28. Spend a week in Paris
29. Spend a weekend in Las Vegas
30. Stay up all night ✓
31. Swim with dolphins
32. Tell someone “I love you” and actually mean it - (I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone “I love you” and meant it. I’ve written it, but that doesn’t count. When I really love someone [romantically, that is], it’s hard for me to tell them how I feel; the closest thing I’ve come to saying out loud is “I care about you” or its Spanish equivalent “Te quiero.” Again, this is just in a romantic context. My family and friends get heartfelt “I love you’s” all the time, though!)
33. To be heartbroken longer than you were actually in love ✓ - (Reason why it’s so hard for me to tell people how I feel about them…)
34. Try a crazy hairdo (chop it all off, dye it a new color)
35. Try absinthe ✓
36. Try different and exotic foods ✓
37. Visit Rome
38. Visit Tokyo ✓
39. Watch at least 50 of the IMDB Top 250 movies ✓
40. Watch the sunrise with someone you have feelings for ✓

22/40 = 55%

Not so bad, I guess, considering I have 5 years to do the rest. What about you? What are some things you'd like to do before you're 30??? Comment below, write on your own blog, or email me if you don't want to make it public. I really want to know!

Without you... Dedicated to all those I miss.

It's October and all sorts of creepy things are happening. Look at me, I took a nap and woke up to find that I had Usher's voice!!!

In all seriousness, this is just me being silly. I miss all of you guys so much (yes, that includes you dear reader) that I decided to bring some of my "musical spunk" to you, via this blog. I felt that it was my duty to let you all know how much my heart is aching "without you," and what better way to do so than through music, eh? I absolutely adore this song!!! I particularly love how its lyrics are so sad, heart-wrenching, even, yet the melody is so upbeat and optimistic. So, this is also a ploy to get you to listen to this song, if you haven't already (which I'm sure most of you have, though!)

Without further ado...



David Guetta feat. Usher - Without you

I can't win, I can't reign
I will never win this game
Without you, without you
I am lost, I am vain,
I will never be the same
Without you, without you

I won't run, I won't fly
I will never make it by
Without you, without you
I can't rest, I can't fight
All I need is you and I,
Without you, without you

Oh oh oh!
You! You! You!
Without...
You! You! You!
Without...you

Can't erase, so I'll take blame
But I can't accept that we're estranged
Without you, without you
I can't quit now, this can't be right
I can't take one more sleepless night
Without you, without you

I won't soar, I won't climb
If you're not here, I'm paralyzed
Without you, without you
I can't look, I'm so blind
I lost my heart, I lost my mind
Without you, without you

Oh oh oh!
You! You! You!
Without...
You! You! You!
Without...you

I am lost, I am vain,
I will never be the same
Without you, without you
Without...you

Cherry lips...

You really thought you'd seen the last of Cherry? Oh no, darling. They say that vengeance is best served cold. Oh yes, especially if it's topped off with a luscious Cherry... XOXO.


So this is what I looked like in 2009:


And this is what I look like now:


A friend of mine just posted pictures of her birthday celebration, and honestly I was shocked when I saw myself. I look in the mirror every day, scrutinizing, trying to see any noticeable changes. The truth is, even though the scale shows that I've lost 30 pounds, somedays I don't really see the difference. Somedays, I feel just as I did when I was at my heaviest.

But, when I saw this picture and compared it objectively to the one from 2009 (in which I have a similar pose), I realize that there is a very noticeable change. And truth be told, I wasn't even at my heaviest in the 2009 picture!!! I was actually at my heaviest in Fall of 2010, when I was emotionally unstable and had decided to take on Lord Ghirardelli as my lover. However, there are very few pictures of myself from that time (I hardly ever allowed pictures of me to be snapped back then!) In any case, this just gives me even more motivation. I'm definitely on the right track. No one said that this process was going to be easy or fast, but I'm certainly doing what needs to be done.

Also, everyone tells me that I actually look younger now! I don't know how that's even possible since I've always looked younger than my real age. But, I'm not going to complain about that. I don't know how long it's going to take me to reach my goal weight - 6 months, a year, 2 years. All I know is that I'm ready for the challenge, and that it will be done... it must be done. No matter what! I'm halfway there.

Baby I'm a fool

I've been in a very romantic mood today. I watched "500 Days of Summer," which featured Carla Bruni's "Quelqu'un m'a dit," which in turn led me to Louis Armstrong's "La vie en rose," and Genius on iTunes recommended this song to me! It was love at first sound. This is the type of song that plays in my mind whenever I'm in love. I'm such a textbook-romantic!!! The truth is, I don't even understand why! You would think that someone as intellectually-oriented as myself would be more logical and whatnot, but I become such a corny individual when I'm in love. Just listening to all this music, I was already writing out a fairy-tale romance in my mind, which would take place in a Parisian cafe close to the Eiffel Tower, naturally. Long story short, because I love to sing, I hunted down the instrumental track for the song and already recorded my own version. (It's what I do.) And that, along with a 2-mile walk, was my evening.

In other news, it's October!!! Which means that Halloween, my second favorite holiday, (with my favorite being Christmas) is just a few weeks away! I went grocery shopping yesterday and was thrilled to find that they had Pumpkin Pie Spice. One of the reasons why I love this time of the year is because the seasonal lattes become available at Starbucks, and the Pumpkin Pie Spie latte is my favorite one. Since we don't have Starbucks in Honduras, I can make my own version of it at home now that I found this delicacy. On top of having an exquisite taste, I adore how it smells! For the next two weeks, I'll be doing a carb-free diet, which I'm actually looking forward to (well, not really, but I am looking forward to the massive poundage I'll surely shed while on it.) Before you say anything about how eliminating carbs isn't the way to go, remember that I do have a nutritionist, and she was actually the one who suggested it. Since I'm not working out as much (because of my knee), I'll do the low-carb thing to shock my body and force it to lose weight. We'll see how it goes.

Anyways, check out my version of la chanson here:

Melody Gardot - Baby I'm a fool

How was I to know that this was always only just a little game to you?
All the time I felt you gave your heart, I thought that I would do the same for you,
Tell the truth I think I should have seen it coming from a mile away,
When the words you say are,
Baby I’m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall in love

If I gave a thought to fascination I would know it wasn’t right to care,
Logic doesn’t seem to mind that I am fascinated by your love affair,
Still, my heart would benefit from a little tenderness from time to time, but never mind,

Cause baby I’m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall in love...

Baby I should hold on just a moment and be sure it’s not for vanity,
Look me in the eye and tell me love is never based upon insanity,
Even when my heart is beating hurry up the moment’s fleeting,
Kiss me now, don’t ask me how...

Cause baby I’m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall,
Baby I’m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall,
And I would never tell if you became a fool and fell in love.