Loneliness is Contagious

I believe that...

That's why I say

"Surround yourself with people who will lift you higher"

Farewell Pilates Nation

Woke up to terrible news this morning

News that will change my life here in Antwerp forever

My favorite place in the world announced that it would be closing

FOREVER!!!

(Nooooo, tell me it aint so.)

After 3 years and over 2500 classes taught,

the owners/instructors Layal and Richard have decided to say farewell

to Pilates Nation as they move on the a new business venture.

I am shocked and in disbelief

as Pilates Nation to me wasn't just a fitness studio

it was a way of life for me

I adored their unique concept, classes, and the energy in the studio.

Both Layal and Richard's devotion and motivation to help each and every one of us

 reach all of our fitness goals was priceless.

It was really a fantastic place of fitness,

unlike any other gym or studio.

Pilates Nation was unique and full of life

and I am sad it is over.

I had the best 2 months of my life working out there,

and I will miss it deeply

This loss will definitely have an effect on my weight

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Bicycle vs Automobiles

SO TRUE!

and yet HILARIOUS!

Quirky 'DAM

Quirky, creative, free spirited, and open minded

are the perfect words to describe this next city we visited.

AMSTERDAM.

Located in the Netherlands/Holland

Amsterdam was a little less than 2 hours drive from us.

(Since Belgium and Holland are neighboring countries)

Amsterdam is widely known for it's tolerance,

from the coffee shops that sells weed, 

to infamous (but yet famous) red light district

But that is not all Amsterdam has to offer.

It was my second time visiting this relaxed city.

And it never fails to amaze me.

This city is way too gorgeous to be stereotyped

Its canals is captivating,

there is history everywhere you look,

the museums are filled with Golden Age art

and the Vondelpark kinda magical.

The only thing I'd take away from this town,

is some of its bicycles.

(GAWDLYYY, I never seen so many)

Way too many cyclist wander the city in their bikes

Making it hard to maneuver without being cautious.

But besides that, Amsterdam was and always is a delight to visit.

It was my parents and my boyfriends first time in the freewheeling city

and they were beyond impressed by it.

In the summer time Amsterdam is home to endless parades and festivals

and in the winter time, all you got is my favorite..... the CHRISTMAS MARKET

lol.

A day in Bruges

Our next trip was to the romantic and charming city of Brugge (aka Bruges)

Located the the northwest of the country, 

Brugge is still in the Flemish region of Belgium

Driving to Brugge via E17, rather than E34 

Took us a little over 1 hour

Brugge is one of the most popular attractions here,

Everyone who comes through Belgium, usually stops by Brugge.

Brugge, like Ghent, Amsterdam and North Venice

is known for its wandering canals, ornate houses.

It fascinates everyone who steps foot in the city

Unfortunately it was pouring (rain) this day,

but I must admit, the little rain did not take away from the trip,

It's something about the rain and the medieval streets, 

that made quite of an enchanting experience for us.

Whether you visit Brugge in the summer, or wintertime, it is always beautiful.

If you can get through the cold...... winter does has its perks,

The Christmas Market is as good as it looked!

Day trip to Ghent

Having my parents in town

motivates me into getting to know and visit the surrounding cities

And being that Belgium is such a small country

it was something that could be easily done

by a quick car ride.

The first road trip we did was to Ghent, also spelled Gent.

It is about 1 hour away from Antwerp, still in the Flemish part of the country

(Meaning their primary language is Dutch, not French)

and WOW! I was highly impressed by the city of Ghent.

I definitely overlooked this town before, 

being that is known as a city full of university students. (Ghent University).

 I was surprised and amazed that the resemblance to the popular city in Belgium called Brugge.

The city has remarkably preserved their medieval architecture.

It houses amazing churches, has a great shopping area,

and best of all, the canals wandering through the city

makes everything extra spectacular to look at.

And since it is Christmas time, my family and I had a chance to enjoy

a little bit of their Christmas market.

Ghent has definitely caught me off guard with its beauty,

and became a destination spot to take all my visitors in the future.

Merry Christmas

It is the night after Christmas

& I hope everyone had an amazing "jolly" Christmas Day

My heart is filled with joy and love,

This is by far my favorite holiday!

Although I did not make it "home" for Christmas

I made "home" out of where I currently live.

My parents flew into town to bring in the Christmas Day with us.

They brought happiness, and laughter with them.

along with a few presents, of course.

What else can I ask for this Holiday Season?

I am blessed to be in good health.

To have amazing, supportive parents

and I am dating my best friend/lover

There was nothing I really wanted for Christmas

But to celebrate everything I already have.

It is Jesus birthday,
and we must celebrate,

and we shall honor him by spreading love

and giving thanks.

That's what the Christmas Spirit is all about

Better, NOT Bitter

amen

2morrow

Tomorrow is not only Friday,

but it is the day my mother comes to town.

& I can't wait to see her.

Even though it has only been 3 and a half months that I've not seen her

it feels a lot longer,

I guess the further you are, the longer it feels.

She will be arriving tomorrow at 8am at the Brussels International Airport

I will be the one waking up early to go get here,

(Brussels is about 30 minutes South of Antwerp but morning traffic will quickly turn that 30 minutes into 1 hour)

But I can't think of anything/anyone better to wake up so early in the morning for,

than my mommy.

This time next week, will be my father's turn.

It was originally planned for them to fly in together

but because of work and commitments my dad had to delay his trip 7 days

It's def starting to feel like Christmas around here.

One of the my favorite time of the year

<3

Men Code vs Woman

A wife comes home from a night out and tells the husband I spent the night with a friend... the husband later calls all her top 10 lady friends they all say she never stopped by... a few days later the husband comes home saying I stayed at a friends house.. the wife calls his top 10 friends and comes back fuming... 8 said he just left 2 said he was still there.

Ain't that a b!tch??...

Trench Coats

I sorta, kinda, have this obsession with tan trench coats.

I love everything about them.

I think they are one of the sexiest, and most elegant piece of clothing

a woman can wear.

I understand that there are times, and seasons for them,

but to me the time is now.

So I have been shopping around for a pair of my own,

it hasn't been easy

You see...I am a short girl, only 5'3 

(with the right heels maybe 5'5)

so I need it to be petite, but yet not so snug under my arms

to the point I can rip right through it like Incredible Hulk.

I need it to fit comfortably, in the body length and as well as the arm length,

and that's not all... besides the perfect size, I am also searching for the perfect model, color,

and hopefully price.

(A little discount would nice Mr.Burberry)

Burberry is known to have the trendiest and most elegant,

gorgeous trench coats in the fashion world.

And this Christmas, 

All I want is you, perfect trench coat.

Wish me luck...

Just Don't Give Up.

Pilates Reformer.

Despite the somewhat confusing looks of it,

the Pilates Reformer

is an amazing machine.

For the last two months, or so.

I have joined a Pilates Studio,

and I have been getting some of the best results of my life.

Between the high intensity

interval workouts on the treadmill

and the amazing core strengthening 

workouts on the Pilates reformer

(Best known as Treadlates)

I have not only gained a great running speed

but I have also developed good alignment, toned muscle,

and flexibility due to it.

The thing that is most interesting to me

is the reformer, and the endless different workouts options it offers.

If you have never taken a Pilates on a Reformer class before

You have no idea what you are missing!

I highly recommend it.

For people all ages

I've always enjoyed Pilates

whether it is on the mat, or a reformer,

the benefits are very similar 

The only difference is 

in "Mat Pilates" you use your own body weight to create the resistance

as opposed to the reformer,

that has pulleys and springs creating much greater resistance.

Mat Pilates is a great option for beginners, or people who want to workout at home

or in a gym where reformers are not available,

When using a pilates reformer, you definitely need a instructor present all times.

The possibilities, and workouts on it are endless

and guarantees results

.....................

xoxo,

A Pilates Devotee

Sweet Potato Pudding

Thought I'd share the recipe to this delicious Sweet Potato Pudding. Hope you all enjoy it, as much as I do.

Sweet potato pudding

3 cups sweet potatoes - mashed

1 cup sugar (white)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/3 stick margarine

1 tsp. vanilla (liquid extract)

mix all together - beat with mixer

topping:

1/2 stick margarine (melted)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup pecan nuts (cut it small)

1/2 cup flour

mix 1/2 topping into the sweet potatoes. Put the rest on top.

Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 45 min

How to Built a Lasting Relationship

Selfish relationships never work

If you find yourself in one,

Try turning it around,

Give before you receive

There is more than one person in a relationship

your feelings and emotions are not the only one at stake

Most relationships are worth saving.

For more info and tips on relationships and marriages

visit

www.strongermarriage.org

Thanks Giving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011

I spent this Thanksgiving in Belgium,

and although it seems long way from America

We still celebrated it with the friends 

that turned into family.

On my boyfriends basketball team,

they have about 5 American players

whom are all married,

some even have children.

So we all agreed that we didn't want to let this 

Holiday pass us by.

So we all took the time to give thanks

and to cook a Thanksgiving meal

that made us all feel a little closer to home.

We had the big turkey,

gravy, stuffing, mash potatoes,

green beans, sweet potato, 

corn souffle, 

and the list goes on.

Everything turned out absolutely delicious 

One of the guys made a 

Sweet Potato Pudding,

and oh Lord,

It has officially became my 

FAVORITE dessert to date.

(Mind you, I am not a big fan of sweet potato,

but this pudding was delicious)

Hairball, literally

lol, WTF?

"TeaCup Humans"

LMAO....

This is from a scene in True Blood (season 2 to be exact)

when vampire Eric Northman

meets Arlene's two children

and calls them tea cup humans,

Hilarious!

Must watch.

True Blood tv series on HBO

TRUE BLOOD

Okay so 48 episodes and 4 Seasons later.....

I give in to watching episode 1 of Season 1

of HBO's popular TV series 

TRUE BLOOD

and boy oh boy! I am so glad I did.

Finally, I found out for myself what the fuss is all about with this show

As the show has won an Emmy and a Golden Globe

and it is all people seem to talk about these days.

True Blood is what everyone looks forward to on a Monday night

It's a raw intense action/romance/thriller/horror/soft porn 

all in one type of show,

with flawless acting by each character 

making it the best TV series to date

[[10/10]]

This show is addicting in way, every episode keeps you on the edge

leaving you begging for more

I was able to catch up with Season 4 within days of starting it.

(And I love the fact every episode is 1hr long, kudos!)

True Blood all started when the series creator Alan Ball came across one of

Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mystery Books at a local Barnes and Noble

After Ball read "Dead Until Dawn" the first installment of the series by Harris he became

interested in bringing her vision to television, so he did.

Charlaine Harris was contracted to write 13 books in total,

there are 10 books out altogether, she is currentely working on her 11th

which is set to be out by next year.

All we can hope is that HBO makes a Season out of every book series,

so that way, we can enjoy 13 long, gruesome, fantastic season of 

TRUE BLOOD, baby!

 "BAD THINGS" by Jace Everett

Season 5 coming June 2012

Baby Pictures

a little piece of cuteness to brighten your day.

How adorable are these costumes,

babies

and photographs?

MW3 Stole my Boyfriend

November 8th, 2011

Was the Release date of the popular video game

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3"

A happy and exciting day in the life of gamers

As they waited impatiently for this game to finally release

It was reported that 9 million people pre-ordered the game

in fear of not making to the store in time to buy it before it sells out.

But November 8th was also a day that girls, everywhere feared

as we knew we would lose our boyfriends to the game system and tv set

for hours, days and weeks at a time,

and if you are not careful, even months.

When November 8th came around,

my boyfriend, who is a killing machine addicted freak to this game

was playing a road game, all the way in Russia,

but that did not stop him from blowing up my phone

with requests for me to buy the game

He even suggested I should wait (maybe even camp) outside of 

'Dreamland' our local toy&game store

Obviously, he was a little delirious from all the flying around he did

if he thought I'd wait for a store to open, 

Let alone CAMP outside for a game I cannot stand.

I knew I was about to lose major quality time to this game,

but as the good girlfriend I am. 

I went to the store and made sure he got a copy of it.

I figured it was a lose lose situation for me

as he would have came home and bought it anyway,

[[Unless it was sold out, for weeks, there was NO avoiding this game]]

so I went ahead and bought it before he did

(made it seem like I got one of the few copies left, for extra cool points)

So I could win some brownie points

It was my only option...

I had to make a bad situation, somewhat beneficial for me,

and for that caring, and speedy gesture of mine,

he has his game, which he is addicted to playing every chance he gets

and I have my pretty pair of brand new heels,

that he was too busy to notice I bought due to the game

:)

I got to admit,

Video games can be good babysitter, boyfriend sitter

if you can tune out the loud shooting noises,

and the people talking through the game system

You're good.

The #223 Rule of A Lady:

Now a days, everyone looks at me as the girl who is in the perfect relationship

[[with a faithful, God fearing, loving, handsome guy]]

But I was never that girl,

and by the way things were going in my love life

I never thought I'd ever became that girl

at least not so soon

.......

For as long as I can remember 

I used to be a the girl chasing the guy who did not want to be chased

The one that would reel you in,

break your heart

and then mess with your mind

Turning your feelings and emotions a big ball of confusion

.....

To be where I am at today,

Took a long of faith

As I am with a guy who I've met early on in college

but never expected nothing more than a distance friendship, 

once he transferred schools, far far away.

[[Florida to Washington D.C]]

.....

We went from being in the same state, city and same school

to being in total different countries in a short period of 2 years

since I had made the decision to move back to Brazil.

.....

But somehow, someone with the higher power

[[GOD]]

was watching over me, and brought us together

All it took was one ounce of faith

( 1oz is all I had left in me at the time)

To invest on a trip overseas to visit him

Flew for over 9 hours to his town

and the rest.... is history.

So I say to you,

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Your destiny will find you

It just takes a little faith and patience 

in your part

....

The only thing in this life we should ever chase

is our dreams.

The rest will come in due time

In These Bodies

Jumping the Gun

"Think twice before you do something"

"Wait for the right time"

"Don't rush good things"

.........

Those are all popular phrases we often hear,

but do we really listen to them, I wonder...?

Often times small opportunities presents themselves to us

and even though it is far from what we had wished, or hoped for ourselves

we still take it....

we settle for it....

[[WE JUMP THE GUN]]

in total fear that something better isn't going to come along.

But have you ever thought,,that maybe, just maybe God testing you

testing you to see if you will settle for less than you deserve,

settle because of lack of confidence or faith in your plans.

[[Don't agree to plan B, if your heart is set on plan A]]

Sometimes it is better to just wait,

even if it means turning an offer/job/person down

If it is not what you truly had in mind for yourself

than don't take it,

don't just go with it.

Make your decisions wisely,

trust in yourself,

That you will find a way to achieve your dreams

Don't settle for mediocre,

when you are capable of getting the best.

Candid Moments

I love people who makes me laugh.

I honestly think laughing is my favorite thing...

It cures multitute of ills

and I believe it's the most important thing in a person

Thankfully, I have a boyfriend who is always eager to make me laugh

at any situation or occasion.

Laughing is good for the soul,

the world needs more laughter

and candid smiles.

Ten Ways to Love

umm well.

I think I need to freshen up in the way I love.

Life inspires me to be a better person,

and with little reminders like these,

helps us stay focus

and live life as God intended us to live.

Best Mom in the World

Just wanted to dedicate this entry to my Mom.

She is the best mom in the world,

[[my boyfriend and friends can all agree with this]]

although at times she can be a little overbearing 

and we bicker, and disagree on small things

I still love her, shes my only mommy.

She is currently in my favorite city right now

[[our hometown Goiania, Brazil]]

visiting all the people I love and miss.

[[[JEALOUS]]]

Enjoy your time there mommy,

I miss you,

and I'll see you on December 8th

right here in Antwerp, Belgium

<3

Thank You, Life.

No More Anger, Just Disappointment

"Friends...

How many of us have them...?

Friends...

The ones we can depend on...

Friends...."

They are not difficult to find...For God created us as social beings, but they are not easy to maintain

In my 25 years of life, I can comfortably say I had a ton of friends.  Many of those were what I like to call "seasonal friends" they came, and they left but a special few have stayed permanent.  Nevertheless, they all meant something to me.  Each and everyone have served a purpose in my life and left their mark. (negative or positive).

I am not going to stay I am a perfect friend or that I seek perfection out of my friends [[[Oh far from that]]] because in life some of the best memories are derived from making terribly wrong decisions with your friends by your side to laugh and get you through it.

But as woman, we gain and lose twice as much as friends then men....I get it, we are emotional creatures (Blame half of that on our period)... We have mood swings...We can be catty...We gossip a lot... We pick sides....We even sometimes judge people based on others opinion, and not our own, but at the end we are all searching for the same thing.  We are vulnerable and sensitive human beings looking for love, acceptance and a sense of belonging.

We not only want to strive to be the "IT" woman to ourselves, but we also want others to see us as that too,

(So we got two people to please, ourselves and others). But a friendship shouldn't be a competition. Real friends shouldn't care what purse you are wearing or how much your shoe cost, or how many parties you have RSVP to....So stop showcasing your "socialite skills, and expensive goods" to your friends. Real friends only care about your well-being, in friendship there shouldn't be leader and a follower.  Friends should walk side by side.

Sometimes, I reminisce on friendships I had in the past, some more important and significant then others

I CAN NOT say I have been a bad friend.  The friends I had were truly people I admired (and even looked up too, in some aspects of life) and was happy to be part in their lives but due to a falling out because of disagreements even betrayal you are forced to split ways

I know the people that are not in my life anymore has their own side of the story to why we are not friends

as I have mine, each side supporting and defending our own actions and character... But things gets easier with time and you must always remember there is no repairing a broken friendship.  And it is best  to say goodbye.

And after awhile of ignoring them, we get tired of being angry

and instead we feel sad,

We get reminded once in a while , 
why we are not talking in the first place

But....there comes a time in your life, 
where there is no more anger 
just DISAPPOINTMENT 

and for that that friendship can never be reconciled

And that is a sad truth!

  

Kim&Kris Divorce

Well, ain't that a fact...

I couldn't have said it better myself.

As a Kardashian fan, I am truly disappointed

I lost all the respect and admiration I had for Kim Kardashian

and her family.

[[Kim divorcing Kris after 72 days]]

But then again, can I even blame her?

because I truly believe....

 We [[society]] are responsible for luring this woman into believing

"She's........

IRRESISTIBLE

IRREPLACEABLE

and

PERFECTLY PERFECT

We gave her all this money, attention and power,

over what...... ?

apparently..HER LOOKS.

So I guess we can't really blame her

for wanting perfection

out of every situation in her life.

So sad!

The End Result

-Wiz Khalifa

BarongBarong

Trendy,

Elegant,

Fashionable,

Original,

Handmade....

are just a few words to describe this amazing piece of jewelry.

BarongBarong

is a dutch jewelry brand

that is getting major success with their 

unique bracelets and jewelry pieces

Lucky for me, a close friend of mine 

owns a popular boutique in Poland
and just added this amazing brand to her collection to sell
And once a month she comes to Antwerp
and gives us first dibs on the latest, and cutest styles

It is a little pricey, but definitely worth the money

[[Ranging from 35-100 Euro each]]

as they come in silver, pink gold, & yellow gold

you can mix and match it, 

[[the more the better]]

It is just one of those jewelry ,

that is perfect for every occasion.

Day and night

Classy or Casual

Funky or Hippie.

Happy Halloween 2011

OCTOBER 31 st - HALLOWEEN

[[[BOO]]]

Halloween is always a fun time of year 

that is celebrated around the world

[[But mainly in America]]

It is that time that time of year everyone, no matter what age,

gets to get loose,

 have a little fun,

and add a little sense of humor to their "character"

by dressing up as whatever their like

While some dresses as their favorite super hero,

others as scary witches,

some as graceful angels,

and others as little sluts.

Whatever your costume of choice might be....

 it is all in the spirit of Halloween

Whether you are enjoying your time with 

the children

or attending a friend's Costume Party,

it is a guaranteed good time

far from your average parties

I

I guess...People are just in better moods

when are not "themselves" 

[[lmao]]

I didn't have much of a Halloween this year

[[since I am currently in Belgium]]

but I must say, my facebook friends have kept me entertained

as they have all been posting pictures of their creative costumes.

I was able to live a little of the Halloween celebrations through them.

lol.

BTW: check out the gracious and beautiful Kim Kardashian's Halloween Costume as Poison Ivy

and the super model Heidi Klum's super scary and creative corpus.

Braided Hair

I remember as a kid my mom would only braid my hair

if it was either dirty, simply unmanageable or both 

She didn't do much but put my hair in a pony tail and braid the tail

[[[but wow, times have changed]]]

Now a days braids are a classic style far from boring.

As braided hair has been one of the most obvious beauty trends this year

More and more woman are incorporating [[unique]] braiding styles to their hair-do's

from an interesting up-do,

 to hippie chic headband braid,

to Bohemian twist

to the Braided Halo

or the Fishtail braid

And those are just a few examples of the newest trend

And I gotta admit...........

I am super jealous of the women that can style their own hair with a beautiful braid

I have a hard time even successfully doing a normal, [[boring]] braid.

I think braids are a cute way to add some "girliness" to ones hairstyle

BUT it all depends if it suits YOUR look.

Personally, braids definitely suits my look, 

and I could only wish I had someone close to me that could

execute a beautiful, fun, girly braid on my hair

Until then,

I will keep on admiring this trend.