My Holiday Fashion Wishlist....

If you thought my wish list was done, think again. Ha!  I SERIOUSLY have to show this post to my guy in a 'not so obvious' way....ever done that ladies?!? 

Ok, so I CHEATED, I already have some of these items below.... like number 2, 5, 8, & 10 (in black).  But I love them & would suggest any of them as gifts for sure! 

Holidays are great for gift giving & receiving - but let's always keep in mind the things that matter most, family & friends. And yes, I truly mean that..... 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Contributors Wanted....

These days I'm blogging on Made By Girl blog, managing my MBG Shop, painting for my Cocoa & Hearts site, marketing, answering lots of email everyday & maintaining my home life. It's a lot of work, and I've come to the conclusion that I may need a little help.

So, with all that said, I'd love to recruit 8 contributors to blog here on Made By Girl!  It's not going to be an easy task - but I'll choose 2 bloggers for each category. Categories are:

• Decor/Interior Design
• Fashion
• DIY
• Food

Below I've outlined more details & what I'm looking for.

HOW OFTEN WILL YOU POST:
1-2x per month.

WILL THERE BE PAYMENT:
Not at this time, but it's a great chance to gain more exposure through MBG blog.

BIO PAGES:
We'll be adding a page with photos & short bios of all the current contributors .

EXPERIENCE:
Yes - it's required.


RESOURCES:
It's very important to credit all images.

PRETTY POST PLS:
I love pretty & interesting posts. So pls put some LOVE into it!

I'm looking for bloggers who have some knowledge of programs like Photoshop & have a similar sense of style as Made By Girl.  The posts you write for MBG cannot be posted on your own blog, but you can link to it from your blog. 

So, if you think you want to give this a try, email me. Write 'Contributors' in the email subject pls. ALSO, pls email me your blog so I can see your style! We'll try to get back to everyone whether you're selected or not. Thanks!!

Crazy, But Here's My Holiday...

Wishlist...

I know, I know....the Holidays are still a month away, but I've decided to start my Holiday wishlist a little early. 

Like now.... 

Decorating my home is one of my favorite things to do, so for my home - these are things I'm really wishing for!  

Well, ok, I already have the lovely numero uno. 

uno

dos

tres

cuatro

cinco

seis

siete

ocho

nueve

Have you already started your own Holiday Wishlist??

My Review of The Marcel in NYC...

Many of you had asked me about my hotel stay in NYC this past month. Well, I thought I'd write a mini- review about what the experience was like staying at The Marcel at Gramercy. 

The minute we arrived we were greeted nicely & they took care of us immediately by showing us around. The lobby was super chic with plenty of room to sit down & relax. 

We had a king size bed & a pretty decent room on the 8th floor with a view of 24th street. The staff was super nice & very helpful - so no complaints.

They showed us around & took us the the 10th floor lounge which had an outdoor terrace - amazing!  The inside lounge area was full of windows & very spacious!  Get this, the outdoor terrace had a clear view of the EMPIRE STATE building! 

As for the room decor.... it was pretty unique with a super tall headboard & a clean & modern bathroom. 

One of my favorite things about the bathroom was it provided enough shelving space for all my toiletries.... which is a must whenever I travel! 

All in all, the manager & staff were very pleasant - I would definitely recommend this hotel - but if you're all about having a spacious stay, ask for a KING room! 


Our room was 809, but we'll be happy to lend it to you. Ha! Just kidding!! 


Are you thinking of visiting NYC anytime soon?? Where will you be staying?

The Marcel

201 E. 24TH STREET 

NEW YORK NY 10010

212.696.3800 

-image by jen ramos

Happy Customer!

Hi Jen! 
Just wanted to share a picture of my cocoa and hearts painting in it's new home at my desk. I absolutely love it. It's perfect. 


Thank You, Lynda Valadez 

Have you purchased anything from Made By Girl or Cocoa & Hearts? Do you have a picture displaying my work & perhaps a few nice words??? 

If so, email me pics & a sentence or two on how you like it. If chosen it'll appear on my blog! 

-image by Lynda

Book Review: Artistic Interiors

Before leaving to NYC - a contact of mine sent me a book called, "Artistic Interiors' & it's a fantastic book - especially for those of you (like me) who love artwork!   Whenever walking into any home, the first thing I notice is the art (if at all). 

I can't tell you how many times I've been in homes where the art was pretty BLAH....so for me, interesting art is something I really enjoy!

Artistic Interiors by designer & architect Suzanne Lovell is all about designing with Fine Art Collections.
Suzanne is widely respected as an expert on art, textiles & furnishings & is a sought-after lecturer addressing the topics of passionate collecting!


From modern to antique, contemporary to regional, Ms. Lovell tightly illustrates the effectiveness of good selection and placement of art pieces, showing the reader how to match styles to accentuate theme.  It's always amazing how simple changes in the art and framing can transform a room.  


The book has 256 pages of full color photos spanning 13 residential projects. Below I've highlighted some of my favorite pages from the book, which I highly recommend! 

You can purchase your copy here.

Coming Soon to Made By Girl.....

For all those who emailed me, we'll be adding more BFrend bracelets by the end of this month! PLUS, we have a few more items coming in! 

Here's a sneak peek at what else is coming to Made By Girl!  Exciting! 
 

-image by jen ramos