Cambios

Sitting in my dinning room, with a bowl of popcorn on one side and the computer on the other. There's a page open on Twitter, where I'm avidly following along the news about the electoral day in Mexico.

It's been months since the polls are showing Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ahead, by a lot, from everybody else in the race for President, so, right now, in election day, the exit polls are offering nothing new in the prediction that he will win, however, this is more tangible so it feels definitive.

And speaking about feelings, how does it feel? There's a bunch of different feelings in me right now but one of the biggest is that I feel relieved that I didn't get to vote (living in Canada for many many years and not having a valid electoral ID)! Why? because I don't know if I could have chosen any of the candidates or, living with my choice after the results. 

But there's another big part of me that is feeling content. You see, I come from a family where almost everybody cheers for Lopez Obrador, like, with a passion and this guy has been running for prez three times already so they must be joyous. Then, when I think of their joy I also think on the millions of Mexicans that must be feeling the same. Those millions of Mexicans that for maybe all their life hadn't feel like power players in the political game in their country, and boy, what a nice feeling that is.

I know the feeling. Back in 2000 I had the chance to vote on the presidential election in my country, the year Vicente Fox, from the opposition, won the presidency that for almost a century had been in the hands of Mexican ruling party, the PRI. I voted for Vicente Fox, and boy oh boy, I felt powerful when he won. That feeling is what makes me sympathize with the majority of Mexicans today, and I with all honesty, rejoice in your power to bring about a change.

Now, there are a few things I really feel I must say, and maybe this is the part where I'll be raining in the parade of all those who voted for AMLO but i hope that amid all the joy and celebration, there's a place in the heart to see that changes, big changes always sprout from within. And those changes sprout not only from the power to vote and choose our governments but from how we go about with our lives.

Governments aren't filled with gods and saints that would miraculously make us prosper, healthier, richer, safer (even if they were all saints, we all know where that too leads us right?). Yes, we must demand honesty, transparency, hard work, that they make good on their promises and we should demand that they do all they can to make our cities safer, our jobs better paid, our hospitals and schools better staffed and all those things we need to to advance as society. However, we as individuals, as parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors, and whatnot, need to demand all those things, honesty, civility, respect, of ourselves first because, let's be honest, we have a long way to go in Mexico. 

So, I don't know where today's decision will lead Mexico, I hope with all my heart that it leads to changes and progress for those whose voices have long been silenced, but one thing I know, today I rise my glass (and popcorn) for the people who put their voices in the ballots and whose voices are now sounding loud and clear, even here, all these thousands of kilometres north.

Iveth

31 weeks.

One week closer to meeting this baby! 

One of the changes happening in the last couple of weeks is that I'm eating so little and getting so full! Also, no matter if I have dinner at 5pm, the heartburn and reflux is hitting me hard. My stomach must be all squished inside me! The baby must still have lots of room for moving, though, because he's pretty intense, kicking and punching and making the "wave" and overall I think changing positions all the time. I truly wish I could see what's going on in there :D

Good news: I went to the dr on Friday and the results from the glucose blood test came out NEGATIVE! After 3 months of glucose coming up high I was sure I had developed gestational diabetes so I was in shock, happily in shock to know things are OK after all and that I don't have to worry about that. But still, I plan to keep with the healthy, low sugar, low carb diet, just in case and also, because it's better for me and the whole family. Still, I ate a few desserts over the weekend and had white bread toast (homemade bread!) this morning for breakfast, LOL! But it was a sort of celebration, I'm getting back to good things already ;D

Thanks so much for reading this. Have a lovely week!
Iveth

Documenting

30 weeks + 3 days.

I've been so bad documenting the growth of the baby bump, I started to feel a bit sad not to have taken more pics from the earlier weeks. I think the reason I feel like this is because very probably this will be my last pregnancy, I mean, I'm 38 so everything feels like "I need to really enjoy this because maybe I won't experience this again!". 

I always dreamt of having at least 3 kids but of course, once I had one I realize that, as my mom use to say "no es de enchilada otra" which means "is not as easy as making enchiladas"(LOL!). Of course is not as easy, it took me a good five years after Amelia was born to feel like I could do this once more. And it worked great at the end, I've been so happy to have a family of 3 for all this time and being able to put all my attention on my sweet girl. And then when I felt that the right time to have another baby had come, nothing happened for 2 years. I started to think we weren't going to be able to have more kids and suddenly it happened *happiness*

But at the beginning I was skeptic, we had tried for so long that I was feeling all the time like something would happen so I kind of didn't let myself fill with illusion until we were sure things were looking good with the pregnancy and such. So not many things documenting the first trimester and even half the second trimester even when by this time I was feeling confident and finally allowing myself to get really excited about it. 

And then time has gone so fast in the last couple of months! We are close to the final line now, wuuut! So now I'm determined to keep a better track of all that happens and how I feel and how the bump grows, etc. 

I have this app called Baby center, where you see each week's progression and stuff and Amelia is a huge fan, she's checking on it all the time and discovered you can take "bumpies" each week and make a gallery. So it's been a few weeks since she's been documenting the baby bump, asking me to pose for pics or just taking pics of the bump without my notice. Obviously the pics are not the most flattering hahaha but I appreciate so much Amelia's initiative and care. She's just so sweet and interested on everything that's going on. 

Today I took a few self portraits, with my face freshly washed and my hair not looking a total mess so I can share them with you, haha!

I feel I have a huge bump but looking at the pics it kind of looks normal-sized I think! I guess is just how I feel, all clumsy and heavy and can't believe I still have a lot to grow in the next following weeks. I was gaining weight steadily but haven't gained in the last few weeks. Tomorrow I'll see my dr and see what he has to say about it. Definitely eating less than before, I feel like I get so full so fast + as I'm probably dealing with gestational diabetes, I've cut on sugars and reduced carbs so it may be that. Anyway, tomorrow I'll get the results for the blood test checking for diabetes and I'll let you know how that goes. Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading!
Iveth

Lately

Illustration by Rachel Levit

30 weeks pregnant.

I'd be nice to feel like the lady in the illustration. She seems to me relaxed and focused, exercising and stuff. It has been different here as I'm feeling particularly tired lately!

It's so weird and funny how the last months of 2016 I was so focused, so energized, so productive and now I feel completely the opposite. I believe is the third trimester of pregnancy hitting me hard and oh boy, can't wait (NOT) to see how it goes in the following weeks with this lack of sleep and feeling so utterly unfocussed and distracted, not to mention tired. 

Anyway, other than that, which is normal (just frustrating anyway), I'm feeling good. i'm having SO much fun with this unborn baby, who is so freaking active and keeps me looking at my belly at all the alien-like movements and making me smile, wondering what the heck is he doing in there.

In other things, I'm starting to feel the nesting instinct kicking in and I just want to give the house a huge cleaning and work on the baby's room and organize his clothes and go buy a stroller and stuff. I was so lucky my neighbour gave us so much clothing and baby things! She had a baby boy less than two years ago so she had all these things that we could use; I am so happy I won't have to buy them, it's so expensive and most get so little use, plus it feels good to reuse instead of buying and buying! now I need to go through all that and organize. We don't have much things from Amelia's baby years save the crib which I need to see if it's still in good condition and buy a new mattress and the carseat which probably has expired already. I saved a lot of blankets which is awesome and also almost all her clothing, unfortunately won't be of much help because probably half of it too girlish (yep, there was a lot of pink and ruffles and little dresses back them with my Amelia) and not many things gender neutral. I think I always felt I would have another girl if I ever became preg again but I was obviously wrong, this boy shook me and now I can't wait to meet him.

And about family, I am amazed by how loving and protecting Amelia already is with the baby bump, she's just SO sweet, so interested in all what's happening, reading pregnancy books with me and checking the Baby Center app. She's so curious, I can't wait to see her with her brother, I wonder how is going to be, but judging by how's she's acting right now, I believe she'll be a great big sister. Fingers crossed!

So now, let's hope that I find a bit of energy somewhere to at least do some stretches like the lady in the illustration.

Goodbye 2016

If anything, this year has been extremely interesting.

Before starting this post, I was ready to call 2016 a lot of bad names but once I started gathering some thoughts about what I was going to include here, I immediately felt it would not do. 

It was easy to lose heart and despair this year: from the heavy heart from all the injustice, war and violence happening in the world to the constant blows of loosing people you often recur to their art for comfort and to that adding the incertitude that the world is in the hands of a few of the craziest people, sometimes it was just too much, wasn't it? It all felt like a constant burden that made it hard to even try to see the beauty of everything else.

But then, there is beauty and more than ever we must find it in the little things that, in truth, are the most important things. The smile of the people we love that sometimes we take for granted. The warmth of my husband's hand, the pure laughter of my daughter, the movements of the baby growing in my womb, the blessing of having a roof over our heads and a place to be together. The gifts nature gives us everyday: a snowfall, the waking of nature in spring, the feel of sunshine in the skin on a summer day, the leaves gently falling during autumn, the winter that comes and makes everything sleepy, giving us the chance to gather and slow down. 

All those things that are so simple, but that are the most important were ever present and I'm so grateful. This doesn't mean I forget that so many people are going through awful times all ove the world and that I need to do my part everyday to help, as a human being. That I need to speak my mind when I see injustice, to extend my hand when I see need, and to care, to never give to disinterest. 

So, thank you 2016, for the blessings and for the blows too because those will make us even stronger to stand for what we need to, everyday. 

Thank you for keeping up with my blog and for your continuous support all this year!
xx
Iveth

Behind the scenes: 2016 Christmas cards

Oh, how I love paper!

I don't even know when it started but even since I remember I love everything to do with paper. From handwritten letters, to photographs and books and notebooks. Then, I'd start buying / hoarding paper, like, just because its pretty colours or interesting textures or cool patterns. I've tried to craft my way with paper too, from book binding, notebook making, to collages, to pompoms to piñatas, definitely an eclectic mix but it all for my love for paper. It's been years since I keep a drawer unit full of paper (told you, I'm a paper hoarder) and is always the best when I get to use it! 

All this to tell you a story: This summer we spent a week in Nova Scotia, a place that has the effect of filling me with inspiration. This time it was not the exception. One day, Amelia and I visited the Public Library and Amelia got into herself to play in the computers. While I was sitting, defeated in the fact that she wasn't in the mood to check out books with me but just play games, my eye caught the cover of this book that had colourful flowers on it. I lunged to grab it immediately, like a hungry person being offered a box of warm donuts and my, oh my it was love at first sight. I could feel the sparkle coming out of my eyes and heart in that very moment. The book is called From paper to Petal and if you like paper or flowers, gawd, you NEED to see it. After hungrily finishing it all in one afternoon I went straight out to the nearest Omer DeSerres (for those outside Canada, it's a art supply shop)completely set on getting crepe paper and all the supplies I'd need to start making paper flowers. Alas, it was a bit disappointing to find out this shop doesn't carry much interesting stuff for paper flower-making but, hey, what's Etsy and Amazon for, right? I made my first order of crepe paper that same day, eager to receive it and start making!

Once I got all my supplies and made my first flower, I knew I was hooked. I felt like paper had a bigger purpose in life now and that I had found it! Total revelation. Ever since, I've been dedicating a few hours a day to make flowers and beside finding it immensely rewarding, it's also a relaxing and calming activity, which is something that benefits me greatly. 

So, all this to tell you that after starting making these flowers I knew I had to find more ways to put them to use and share them with everybody and the idea of making holiday cards came up. Next, I invite you to see a few photos of the process, from flower making to  photography. I hope you enjoy it!

It was really fun to make all the flowers, practising my -poor- calligraphy skills and do paper cuts for the words. Then the photoshot was great and then the editing and looking forward to the final result after so many weeks of working on this project! Then the graphic design part wasn't going that well (I suck at it) but then I had lots of help when Christen Strang jumped in to save the day and helped me get ready for printing! Thank you so much girl! So as you can see, a long but very cool process.

If you'd like to see more about the finished cards, visit my previous blog post or simply visit my shop! Thank you so much for your support!
Iveth
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Lately

We adopted a little cat last year, on my daughter's birthday! his name is Ronbon and he's the cutest thing. We love him so much and he makes a great part of our family. 

Don't you feel sometimes like there's is so much going on at nothing really, at the same time? 

The last months of 2016 were extremely busy, as they are. Then for the holidays we were planning on taking a break from all work and concentrate a bit on resting and get some house projects done too but that didn't work out as we all got sick. First it was my husband, then Amelia, then it was my turn and for a nice closing, my husband got sick AGAIN. it was terrible, I think we got the flu + sinus infections. So after such holidays we felt so tired! right now we are good, feeling like ourselves again and focusing on some projects.

I want to do so many thing this year, mainly working in two collections that I have already designed and launching my website. Maybe even re-work on my branding, give it a bit of an update. And taking a nice vacation aboard, in a warm place preferably.

I wish you the best 2016!

Mexico

A week ago we returned from the longest vacation we have had in a long while. We went to visit our friends and family in Mexico and stayed there three weeks. We went to the north of the country, from where my husband is and then to central Mexico as the adventure part of our trip. 

It was an intense trip, full of emotion, discoveries, adventures, tears, smiles, food, plane trips, car trips, stomach flu and heat, lots of heat as you'd expect from a summer in Mexico. 

The loveliest parts where the hugs to our families and friends, the meals together, the smiles, conversation, support and love.

There were a lot of tears, too, unfortunately, not of the happy kind of tears but of sadness and anger because there is much injustice in my native country. More than a year ago I told you about an injustice committed against my sister-in-law and unfortunately things got only worse and it all unravel while we were there.

I won't get into details 'cause it's a long story, but i'll only say that she's now in prison, accused of a fraud she didn't commit and her family (my brother and two young children) is fighting everyday, very hard to take her out of there. can you imagine how it feels when your three year old ask you when are you coming home and you don't have an answer? i was there, i saw it, and there's nothing more sad, no situation more unjust that seeing that family struggle to keep their heads up and fight against a machine of the vilest kind. They are fighting, fighting as hard as they can: fighting to keep the children happy, my brother is fighting to give them a smile and help them with homework while he's crumbling inside; to go to work everyday to keep up with bills while the only thing he'd like is to be with his wife. My sister in law is fighting to keep strong and endure the horrors of a mexican prison wondering why the fuck is she there when she's absolutely innocent; they are also fighting to take her out, with a team of lawyers. And I'm trying to help them, too. If you care to join my cause and help a family in desperate need, please purchase something from my "Hopes and Dreams" collection, all the sales from those pieces will go directly to them, a kind, loving, honest family that is in great need of help.

So, as you can see it was a hard time, and like them, imagine how many people are suffering injustices right now. Some countries have hard, cold machines for justice systems that allows only the people who have money to buy justice. Those of us living in places like Canada, we are so lucky, so lucky. Of course bad things happen here, too, but you simply cannot compare the horrors that happen in Mexico  or in so many other countries. All those people looking for refuge, just imagine the injustice they had to go through in their countries to just want to leave everything they know, everything they have in hopes of finding a better life, some peace, some quiet. 

As you can see, my mind is in a hard place right now, so I'll stop here. I'll just show you some beauty, because there is, there is beauty and goodness everywhere, and it's worth to search for it and to be happy when you find it.

All in all, it was a hard summer vacation, but i'll take from it the best I can, there are lessons to be learn in everything, even if right now they are hard to see. 

blue-green cactus in northern Mexico.

Morning light hight up in the mountains and desert of Saltillo.

A cacti struggling for ground in the rocky desert. 

We went hiking to the desert and found a little store in a small village, the counter was painted with a huge Mexican flag and emblem: the eagle over the cacti, eating a snake. The hike in the desert didn't go that well, Amelia got thorns on her feet for stepping on cacti so we had to walk back. The locals at the little shop were laughing at us for our lack of endurance! 

My in laws have close to 10 tortoises living in their back yard. Some big, some small, all so beautiful! 

Part of the Sierra Madre mountain range in Monterrey.

The day I celebrated my 37th birthday in Mexico city. Here, outside the Casa Azul, where Frida Khalo lived and rests. 

Walking Mexico city.

Lazy afternoon at La Roma neighbourhood in Mexico city. 

The little one.

Puebla, Mexico was a wonderful discovery. I truly don't know why on earth I didn't know how utterly amazing this city is! it's one of the most wonderful places i have ever been to.

Huge colonial houses with their courtyards and balconies everywhere in Puebla.

Regional candy in Puebla.

This is my favourite photo from the trip: a balloon merchant walking in the streets of Puebla.

In Puebla, we stayed in a very, very old building (16th century) that for many centuries served as a convent. Now turned to a hotel, it keep the old, heavy doors and round windows that once, were barred with iron. There were hidden courtyards round corners and lovely gardens. 

Eye-shapped window. 

This is the library Palafoxiana: considered the first public library in the Americas founded in 1646. Such a gem, such a treasure! 

Original, hand painted bookcase number dating from the 16th century. 

And here we are, little family. Thank you so much for reading my post!