Monthly Archives: November 2020

Once Upon a Time We Met – 39 Years Later

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Me and Eddie – attending a wedding our first year of dating.

…the story continues…

Four years ago, I blogged about the night my husband Eddie and I met.  It was Veterans Day eve 1982 and we met at a work happy hour and ever since then we’ve celebrated this momentous meeting.  It’s always a fun reminder of where we started and a look at where we are today. 

Dancing at a family wedding last year

This year we went through an exciting change as a couple.  Eddie retired on August 1.  He had planned to retire earlier in the year but stayed on at work a little longer due to the pandemic.  About the time he retired, I was preparing to go back to work for 13 weeks with the United Way of Central Alabama’s annual fundraising campaign.  Eddie got to experience a little of what I experienced when I retired three years ago, ahead of our original schedule.  It’s hard to believe that we had both planned to retire together in June 2021.  But here we are now…both retired and ready for phase three of our lives together.

Enjoying the Apollo Ball this year at Boutwell Auditorium

When we go out to dinner tonight, I know we will talk about where and how it all started between us.  We will reminisce about the early days together, getting married and our early years together, having our family, building our home in Hoover, watching the kids grow up, countless soccer and softball games, band concerts, choir concerts, show choir concerts, girl scouts, boy scouts and everything else our kids were involved in over the years.  We will talk a little about our careers and how quickly work life went by…even though at the time it seemed like retirement would never arrive!  Most importantly, we will talk about what is next, where we will travel, home projects we have been wanting to complete, new hobbies we are excited to try and most importantly, how often we can be with our first baby grand. We always have a lot to talk about and thankfully, Eddie has a memory like an elephant so I count on him to keep me straight on events and dates.  He may have all of these details in his head but I take photos of everything so together we make quite the pair! 

Last year we headed to Firebirds for an early dinner and sat outside by the fire.  We had the entire patio to ourselves too.  Maybe it was because we went so early?  I remember telling Eddie we must have looked like we were there for the senior specials!  We shared some wine and an assortment of appetizers and then went home to enjoy a bottle of champagne.  It was a perfect evening.

Last year (2019) celebrating our “anniversary” at Firebirds
Cheers to 38 years (in 2019)
Can’t go wrong with appetizers at Firebirds!
We love a good glass of Meiomi sparking!
Cheers to the 38th anniversary of when we first met!
A kiss for him…
and a kiss for her…

I’m not sure where we will celebrate this evening.  I may let Eddie pick the place this year since he’s had a bit of a rough week and I’ll be driving us wherever we go anyway!  You see, Eddie had a bit of a chainsaw accident last week that required stiches and a foot boot.  You can bet we will be talking about that unfortunate incident at dinner too…and I may be blogging about it later! But I’ll let him make it up to me on January 4th for our 35th wedding anniversary…

Meanwhile, happy “first” anniversary sweetheart!

Why I Love Holiday Tablescapes

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Thanksgiving Dining Room table 2020

My dining room table is set and ready for Thanksgiving!  This time of year, I’m working out of so many storage boxes for my dining room décor.  I start in October with a Halloween setting.  Then on October 31st, I begin the transition to Day of the Dead, including my ofrenda (altar) on my buffet with a few touches on the dining room table.  Finally, after letting my altar stay up through the weekend – depending on when Day of the Dead falls on the calendar – I take everything down the first weekend in November to prepare for Thanksgiving.

I’ve had friends ask me why I go to all this trouble to decorate for every holiday.  Honestly, I can look back on when I was growing up and see how special my mother made everything for me and my sisters.  She worked at a Hallmark store when I was in high school and would bring home some of the cutest holiday related items to decorate the house and for us to enjoy.  As a mother, I took that example and always tried to find the best ways to make holidays festive for my husband, kids and extended family.

When Eddie and I built our house in Hoover, AL, it quickly became the place where our extended family gathered to celebrate the holidays.  We have plenty of room, live on a cul de sac, which was great when our kids were little, and the adults would enjoy the deck.  With everyone scattered around the house, it was fun to add little holiday touches here and there. 

Charlie’s candle and Anna Marie’s tent prayer from their kindergarten years

Over the 27 years we’ve lived in our house, I’ve naturally changed things out.  When my kids were little, the table was set a little more for them.  As they got older, the table décor grew up too.  Some things remain constant though.  For instance, for Thanksgiving we always display a Thanksgiving candle my son Charlie made when he was in kindergarten.  Next to the candle, we always display a Thanksgiving prayer tent card that my daughter, Anna Marie cut out and taped together. 

Several years back, my mother gave me a few of those items I mentioned we had when I was growing up.  Mom said since we were always at my house it just made sense for me to have them for us all to enjoy.  She had a straw-like turkey she used to display on her dining room table and it now graces my dining room buffet along with a wooden Native American couple and a wooden pilgrim couple.  Using these pieces every year takes me back to Thanksgivings in the suburbs of Chicago.  I do get pretty nostalgic over the holidays these days.  I blame my age and the fact that Eddie and I are empty nesters!

Dining room buffet – the “home” garland was added this year to the mirror
Pilgrim couple and turkey from my mom’s decorating collection
Native American couple from my mom – I found the pumpkin several years ago at Hobby Lobby
The dining room buffet decor – the “family” board is something I found at Target a few years ago. Target always has some great decorating items in their Dollar Section!

You can say that decorating and creating holiday tablescapes is a way for me to stay connected to the wonderful memories of the past.  I do find myself telling my kids the same stories over and over and while I’m sure they get tired of hearing them I’m happy that they listen and humor me.  I expect that when they all have children of their own, they will repeat these stories and they’ll understand why I keep retelling them. 

Meanwhile, here are some photos of my Thanksgiving table this year and a few other decorations around my home. 

Thanksgiving table 2020
Found these old fashioned postcards at World Market many moons ago. I like to use them as napkin rings!
Dining room table centerpiece
This book of Grace is really beautiful. The corn was a bargain! I found at the thrift store with the original price tags and lets just say they were a steal!
I’m always on the lookout for fun cocktail napkins and wine stoppers too!
My teacart decor – the turkey was a great find at the thrift store. The nutcrackers are from Target in 2012.
I had this decor on the dining room table for Halloween. It has transitioned to the living room coffee table and I added some more fall items to the mix
Front door decor! I’ve been using this wreath and swag since 2012. I’ve been wanting to update but then I put the wreath on the door and I fall in love with it all over again!
I got the wreath and swag from Michaels during one of their “after” holiday sales.
Holiday floral picks come in handy. When I see something I like I get it and will eventually use like I did with these four lanterns last year.
Finished product…
Decorating the deck and hoping for great weather over Thanksgiving!
My final touch is always adding my Designs by Lolita wine glasses based on the holiday theme. These makes me happy!

Bird Watching in the Pandemic

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We have a bird feeder right outside our kitchen window.  To be honest,  we’ve had some sort of feeder on the deck for years.  At first I wanted one so that I could admire the cardinals that I saw in our yard from time to time.  It would bring me comfort seeing them and when they started enjoying the sunflower seeds we were leaving in the feeder, that made me happy.  I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that when a cardinal visits, it represents someone you love who has passed coming to see you.  The cardinal was my dad’s favorite bird so I always associate seeing one with him.

Ever since my retirement about 3-1/2 years ago, I love to take time to sit at the kitchen table and have coffee, or do a little paperwork and occasionally glance up and see cardinals at the feeder.  Eventually, more birds began to find out about the great seed we had and we welcomed a larger variety of birds to the deck.  It was just nice to see them interact and share the bird feeder with the cardinals and I loved watching how they maneuvered the feeder openings, each taking turns to grab the perfect seeds.  I always get the urge to take photos when I see birds but with only my iPhone handy at the table, the photos would be blurry and not worth saving.  That’s when I decided to start leaving my Canon camera on the kitchen table.

Blue jays found our fabulous bird feeder!

Of course, as we sheltered at home during the early days of the pandemic, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table more and more after my morning walks with my dog, Lucy.  As spring arrived, I started sitting outside on the deck fairly close to the bird feeder.  The birds were skittish at first, as I figured they would be.  But eventually, they would fly up to the feeder and eat while I sat on the deck furniture sipping away at my coffee and listening to podcasts.  I would take my camera outside with me and ever so carefully raise it to my eye to snap a few shots.  I managed to get some really lovely photos over this time period.  I discovered after many hours of bird watching that male Cardinals feed their mates!  This was such a lovely sight to see and I managed to catch a few photos of that.

Capturing this shot was so exciting! Male cardinals feed their females!
Captured this male cardinal feeding the female right from the bird feeder!

My husband even got into bird watching while he worked from home this year and eventually retired on August 1st.  We could be in the middle of a conversation in the kitchen when a bird we didn’t recognize would fly up and we’d immediately stop and watch and then google – “what type of bird has x-colored wings and and a x-stripe?”

Around this time, I heard a story on NPR about how birdwatching had become extremely popular with people during the pandemic.  I mean, it made sense.  You’re cooped up in your house and you really can’t go anywhere.  So you go outside to your yard and there’s nature, am I right?  And of course, spring is an active time for birds – right when the pandemic was in full swing – so its inevitable that you see birds and their babies! I think the key here is that people were noticing birds because it was quieter outside.  I also think that watching birds gave people a sense of freedom and feeling that they could fly away themselves.  They made me feel like I had friends in nature who depended on me for a little nourishment.  There were times when I would walk on to the deck and the bird feeder would be empty and I could hear the birds chirping away at me as if to say – “We’re hungry, lady!  We need more food!”  That always made me smile.

Woodpeckers sharing the feeder with a little bird
I love capturing birds in the trees too. Their coloring against the green leaves is so beautiful!

As I walked my dog every morning this spring and summer, I became even more aware of birds everywhere!  There were hardly any cars in my neighborhood during my walks and the distant sound of the highway was pretty quiet too.  Somedays I felt like Snow White seeing all the birds flying around and chirping and figured it was just a matter of time before the birds would be following me and I would stretch out my arm and they would land on it.  I actually had a close encounter one morning when a bird swooped down right in front of me.  Of course, at other times, I worried it would be more like Tippi Hendren in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds!  This was especially true several days when I saw a bird get into a fight with a squirrel and then several days later, a bird chased a squirrel under a car!  That wasn’t something I had ever experience before and I wish I had been able to video because it was so freaky!

One of the best bird sightings was in my own backyard.  It was late one afternoon and Eddie and I were sitting on the deck when a hawk suddenly flew into a tree directly in my sight.  Eddie had his back to the hawk and I told him to sit very still while I slowly slipped inside the kitchen back door to get my camera!  Fortunately, the hawk just sat on a huge limb and watched us.  Seriously though, I was also keeping an eye on my little dog, Lucy, during all this!  I wasn’t sure if the hawk was eyeing her as a snack or something!  Once I sat back down with my camera, Eddie slowly turned around and watched as I began snapping away at that hawk.  It’s as if he knew he was being photographed.  He seriously posed for me!  In one shot he raised one of his wings and it looked like a robe being raised in a dramatic Shakespeare scene.  I told Eddie it looked as if he was saying “To be or not to be…”

To be or not to be! This hawk was showing off for us!
Backyard hawk staring us down

It’s November now and the bird feeder is full, which is unusual.  In the spring and summer we were filling it every other day!  I miss seeing the birds but I know there is a season for everything.  Oh, and we added a hummingbird feeder in late August and that was fun!  I was sitting in our gazebo tent on the deck one day and kept hearing this chirping sound.  I soon realized it was the hummingbirds!  Until that day I didn’t realize they made a sound!

 

I’ll miss seeing all these birds but come next spring, I’ll be ready with my camera at the kitchen table!

#30 Days of Fiesta – Part 2

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This is the second of a two-part post about #30 Days of Fiesta 2020 and how the Fiesta Board was able to create memorable virtual events for our community.

 As July approached, the Fiesta Board was off and running with our 2020 plans.  The main task was to create content for 30 full days from September 15 through October 15.  In addition to to that, we also had to decide which social mediums to use and how to introduce and promote each segment, create Facebook invitations to attract viewers, and make sure we were posting at the appropriate times based on our Facebook interactions.  Whew!

One of our many zoom meetings to prepare for #30daysofFiesta

In order to give our 30 days a good flow, we created a theme for each day of the week.  This made it easier to create content and helped us include our sponsors and get them actively involved.  Our themes were reflective of our Fiesta villages during a normal festival in Linn Park and made it feel more like we were actually having the event.

Our 30 Days of Fiesta daily themes and sponsors.

Our week began with Wellness Mondays presented by Jefferson County Department of Health, Children’s of Alabama, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.  Information about services and resources available to help keep you healthy and safe were provided.  For instance, videos and live information about car seat safety, Covid-19 information, proper way to wash your hands and other great facts were shared.

Taco Tuesdays, Tito’s and More, presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Mi Pueblo Supermarket, we showcased Latin cooking and cocktails with recipes, culinary demonstrations and mixology classes all through Facebook live.  Fiesta friend, Comedienne Joy was joined by Fiesta board member, Phil Sandoval during the cocktail demonstrations and they were a hoot to watch!  The restaurants selected for the cooking demonstrations were incredible.  The foods presented seriously made me want to lick my computer screen because the food looked so good!  (just kidding about the computer screen…)

Love our sponsor – Titos!
Comedienne Joy and Fiesta board member Phil Sandoval did a weekly cocktail making class during #30daysoffiesta

Cultural Wednesdays, presented by Regions Bank showcased the people, history, culture and traditions of the Latin American countries.  It was the perfect way to show beautifully colorful videos about Latino countries and what they have to offer.  This was our way to share the cultural village with viewers.  For fun, there was also a trivia contest each Wednesday.

Throwback Thursdays, presented by Rubio Law Firm was my baby.  I say that because we used many of the photos I’ve taken of Fiesta since the first event 18 years ago.  I was able to go through so many of the photos and relive those years by creating a slideshow and share a little history behind them.  I loved doing this for Fiesta and I’m constantly amazed at the people I discover in my photos who I photographed and didn’t know then but who are now friends of mine!  We like to say that Fiesta has made a huge impact in our community and I think if you look through these videos you can see that.

Financial Fridays, presented by Wells Fargo provided “fiscal fitness” in the areas of establishing and building credit, home buying, savings, budgeting and more great tidbits.  The Financial Village was a wonderful addition to Fiesta last year thanks to board member, Phil Sandoval.  We held a separate event that brought together financial experts for the Hispanic community.  This year, Wells Fargo produced videos for each week and we also joined forces with HICA, the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, and Bancorp South for two virtual seminars.  Very informative!

Celebration Saturdays, presented by Alabama Power Company helped us celebrate the best of Hispanic art, music, film, food, dance and more!  This is “the line” we use when we speak about Fiesta in a normal year.  And seeing the content we pulled together made it feel like a normal year being in Linn Park.  We had Zumba classes, dance classes by DJ Ivan Correa who is a mainstay at Fiesta each year, craft videos like how to make tissue paper flowers and so much more.

And finally, on Fiesta Family Sundays, presented by City of Birmingham and Bham Now, we observed the importance of family and community.  With the help of LaJefa radio station, we had a weekly talk show spot covering various topics.  We also reserved this time for our area non-profits that are always a part of Fiesta to have a voice.  The last two Sundays we promoted two films in Spanish at the Grand River Drive-in.  More on that in a minute…

Fiesta in a Box cover
Fiesta in a Box
Fiesta in a Box
Cristina Almanza designed our Fiesta in a Box to benefit Fiesta Scholarship fund!
An example of what was in the Fiesta in a Box
Find the golden maraca or golden piñata and win a prize!
Golden Maraca
Golden piñata

See what I mean about content?!  Besides all of this, we also created something called “Fiesta in a Box.”  This box let our supporters have their own Fiesta in the safety of their homes.  We filled it full of fun items from our sponsors, information about our the Hispanic community, candy, craft instructions, fun little toys…and goodness!  The list of items was endless!  Several boxes contained a golden maraca or golden piñata which gave the box holder a special prize too!  The actual box was created by our board member, Cristina Almanza, who is a graphic artist.  She took such time and care to create something very unique to Hispanic culture. This keepsake box sold for $18 and we used it as a fundraiser for our Fiesta Scholarship Fund.

Set up at Pepper Place to promote Fiesta in a Box!
Going Facebook Live for Fiesta in a Box!
Ready to promote Fiesta in a Box during our Facebook Live!
Event Manager, Denise Koch records the Facebook Live with board member, Rebecca Garner and her kids at Pepper Place.
Rebecca and her kids open the Fiesta in a Box to showcase our fundraiser!
Fiesta board member, Silvia Espinosa Laxson poses with the Fiesta in a Box
Posing with the Fiesta in a Box

Our grand finale happened our last two Sundays when we partnered with Sidewalk Film Festival and Grand River Drive-in to show two movies in Spanish – Instructions Not Included and Disney’s Coco en español.  Several board members dressed in Day of the Dead costumes for Coco which made that last night of Fiesta all the more fun.  Of course, what’s a drive-in movie without popcorn or food?  We worked with Scott Cohen and Mi Pueblo Supermarket to create a wonderful taco menu for each movie night.  And popcorn with Valentina sauce was available for purchase.  If you haven’t tried Valentina sauce on your popcorn, you are missing out!  It gives it just the right amount of kick!

Our feature movies during October at the drive in
Scott Cohen and Juan cooked up the delish food for each movie night!
Popcorn with Valentina sauce – a Mexican favorite!
Setting up the entrance table for the drive in
So thankful for our Title Sponsor, Coca Cola Bottling United for their support of this years event!
Following safety protocol for every event!
Board members, Dulce Rivera and Phil Sandoval are interviewed by La Jefa Radio Station about the movies in español
La Jefa radio station is always a great partner for Fiesta
Taco fillings on the grill
Tortillas on the grill
With my friend and fellow board member, Lui Fernandez for the viewing of Coco.
Love that Vanessa Vargas and Lui Fernandez went all out to dress up for our Coco movie finale
Group photo right before the movie started…
Show time! Phil enjoying his view of the screen.

The best part of all this?  We were able to award $10,000 in Fiesta Scholarships this year to 8 deserving Hispanic students on our last day of #30 days of Fiesta!  After all, this is why Fiesta was created all those years ago.  My friend and fellow board member, Lui Fernandez, and I made the announcement during a Facebook live on October 15th.  It was an exhilarating feeling being able to do that and also reading the comments later…some from parents of the students who received awards.  It made my heart swell.  The check presentation to these students will be this November 2020 and I will share more about it later this month.

On October 15, Lui Fernandez and I announced the scholarship winners on Facebook Live. We awarded $10,000 in scholarships this year!
Lui makes some of the scholarship announcements!
Our scholarship advertisement

I’m so glad we did #30 days of Fiesta.  We learned a lot through the process and I think there are some elements that we added that we want to keep for the future.  This pandemic forced us to change how Fiesta functioned this year and helped us give the event a critical look.  It helped us see what we need to change in the future and what needs to remain the way it is.  I have loved this event since we began creating it over 18 years ago.  I never thought I would be a part of something this big for this long and I do cherish the moments, memories, craziness and friendships I’ve made along the way.  Here’s to 18 more wonderful years of celebrating Hispanic culture and heritage in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama!  Que Viva Fiesta!

Here are a few more photos from our very unusual year…

Setting up for the Facebook Live to kick off #30daysoffiesta
Silvia and Denise work behind the facebook live scenes
Cristina and I explained what to expect for #30daysoffiesta
Talk of Alabama interview with Nicole Alshouse
We featured our Fiesta in a Box on Talk of Alabama!
Our annual WBRC JehJeh Pruitt interview! Always so much fun with Jeh Jeh!
Selfie with Rebecca!
Dulce brought the food for the segment
Yearly photo with Jeh Jeh!
Jeh Jeh about to try popcorn with Valentina sauce!
Putting the Fiesta in a Box together with our board members and other volunteers
Adding the magic to the boxes!
Golden Maraca

 

#30 Days of Fiesta – Part 1

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Fiesta 2020 went virtual with #30daysoffiesta!

This is the first of a two-part post about #30 Days of Fiesta 2020 and how the Fiesta Board was able to create memorable virtual events for our community.

How do you have Alabama’s largest Hispanic culture and heritage festival during a worldwide pandemic?  That’s the question the Fiesta board was asking ourselves on April 20, 2020, during our first virtual board meeting.

We had already met on February 1st for our usual event review and strategy session.  Looking back on those notes, I remember the energy in the room that Saturday morning and how excited everyone was to share their ideas for our 18th year.  That day, we were even looking ahead to our 20th anniversary celebration in 2022.  We had also settled on a theme for the year – Celebrating in Unity / Celebrando Unidos – to coincide with the 2020 World Games that were set to happen in Birmingham this year.

By April, with the pandemic in full swing, a number of spring events had already begun postponing until the fall.  Our event planner, Denise Koch manages many of the area’s largest events so she was well versed in what was happening and the concerns out there.  Of course, with the state-wide order to limit the number of people gathering, among other precautions, that pretty much took care of having anything for a while!  The fall looked somewhat promising but we still had concerns.  So, at our April board meeting we decided to keep a watch on how things were progressing and make a final decision – go or no go – at our June board meeting.  Even then, we knew we would have to make some changes to keep our patrons safe. Board members were all coming up with alternative ideas to have Fiesta so we all agreed to submit them for discussion in June.

One of our virtual board meetings when board member, Phil Sandoval decided to wear his Lucha Libre mask. He knows how to bring the laughter!

The discussion was pretty lively at our June meeting!  So many great suggestions were shared and we dissected them every which way to see what fit Fiesta the best.  The one main decision though was to not have a live event on September 26 as we had hoped.  There was just too much risk and even those events that had rescheduled to fall were cancelling again.

Fiesta 2020 was set to be something we never dreamed it could be!  We decided to plan virtual events for 30 days during Hispanic Heritage Month which began September 15 and ended on October 15.  Our theme changed to #30DaysofFiesta at this point and boy did we ever “Fiesta!”  Fiesta 2020 would also prove to be a quite a learning experience for us all in terms of developing new skills and working in a virtual world.  As my husband continued to remind me throughout the 30 days…ya’ll took a one-day event and created 30+ events, so this will be a lot of work.  He was certainly right about that!

Come back tomorrow for Part 2 of #30 Days of Fiesta where I share details of the virtual events, we were able to provide in lieu of a live event in Linn Park, Alabama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Tissue Paper Flowers

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Tissue Paper Flowers! So simple to make and so beautiful!

Have you ever made tissue paper flowers?  The first time I ever made this simple and easy craft was when I was a Girl Scout in Puerto Rico.  We learned how to make them during a troop meeting and I quickly became obsessed!  In fact, I went home and grabbed some pipe cleaners and a box of Kleenex and started making more.  I made so many that I used the entire box of Kleenex and my mother yelled at me before I could grab a second Kleenex box!

Honestly though…I can’t think of an easier and more colorful and budget friendly way to decorate for a party or event.  I remember several years ago when the HICA (Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama) team made a ton of these flowers as centerpieces for an event because the event budget was so tight.  I still have the ones that were on my table and they are decorating a Talavera vase in my powder room.

All set up for our video tutorial of tissue paper flowers

For Fiesta this year, my friend and fellow board member, Vanessa Vargas and I made a video on how to make these quick and easy decorations.  I’m linking the video to the bottom of this post so you can see how it’s done but I’m also going to give you a photo by photo tutorial here.

Items you will need to make tissue paper flowers

You will only need three items to make these lovely tissue paper flowers:

  • Various colors of tissue paper (I used 20 x 26 inch paper bought in a package at a craft store)
  • Pipe cleaners (the sparkly kind are fun!)
  • Scissors

Let’s get started!

Step 1 – To begin, select about 6 sheets of tissue paper.  The more you use the fuller the flowers will be.  I like to use 6 because this amount is manageable.  After you pick your colors, place them one on top of the next.

Step 1

Step 2 – Make sure the ends of the paper are in line.  Then you can begin folding the paper back and forth about 1-inch in an accordion fold.  Keep folding until you get to the end of the sheets.

Ste 2
Step 2
Step 2

Step 3 – Because I like to use the large sized tissue paper, I then will cut the accordion folded sheets in half in order to make two flowers.

Step 3
Step 3

Step 4 – Take the pipe cleaner and place it 1/3 of the way under the folded tissue paper.  Then fold it over to secure the tissue paper.  You should have enough pipe cleaner to twist slightly.

Step 4
Step 4

Step 5 – Once folded you are ready to start the fun part!  Begin very carefully pulling each sheet of tissue paper up, all the way around, one after the other.  You will want to fluff each sheet as you finish to give the flower body.

Step 5
Step 5
Step 5
Step 5
Step 5
Step 5

Step 6 – Once the last tissue paper is pulled up, you will want to fluff a bit to reveal a beautiful blossom.

Step 7 – Admire your beautiful flower!

NOTE:  There is one variation to these steps and that is during step 4.  You can take your scissors and cut the ends of the folded tissue paper in various ways to give the flowers a different look once it is fluffed out.  I do like this look but my personal preference is the smooth look without cutting the ends.

These flowers were cut after the accordion fold was completed. You can either cut the sides of the tissue paper or cut a “v” out to make different shapes like the ones here.

My Fiesta team used these flowers this fall to decorate several Facebook live events we had and they added the perfect dimension to our Fiesta theme!  They are so simple yet they add just the right amount of Latino flair!

Here is the link to the Fiesta video I did showing how to make these flowers.  If you make any, let me know.  I’d love to see them!

Tissue Paper Flower video:   https://www.facebook.com/FiestaBham/videos/334786707623746

The Simple Beauty of Mexican Dresses

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1970s Mexican Puebla Dress

I’ve been wanting a Mexican dress for a long time.  When I said this to a friend recently, she was shocked that I didn’t already have several!  I told her that I’ve never had a chance to buy one.  I mean, there are vendors at Fiesta in Birmingham every year that sell them but I’m so busy working the event that I don’t have time to do any shopping.  I was even in Mexico earlier this year for a wedding and thought I would have a chance to find one but there was never time with all festivities.  So, when I got an invitation to a vintage clothing sale a few months ago, I was excited to see that there would be a wide selection of these dresses available!

My cousin, Lisa Ramirez, at the Frida and Diego Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum in October 2020. She got to see Frida’s clothing exhibit!

When you think of Mexican dresses, most likely the artist Frida Kahlo comes to mind.  Her clothing was – still is – iconic and her style is constantly replicated.  I find I can never get enough of her wardrobe and hope to someday see her clothing exhibit in person.  I love that these Mexican dresses are colorful and elegant while being functional and comfortable.  The embroidery that goes into making one of these dresses is just stunning too.  Frida popularized a short blouse type garment called the “huipil” – pronounced “whip-peal” which looks like a square fabric with the neck cut out.  This doesn’t sound very flattering when you think of its shape, but Frida really made it work for herself!

I started doing a little research into Mexican dresses and wondered, what are they really called?  There is so much information online about the different types of dresses and how they differ from region to region all the way through Central America.  It can be a little confusing!  Some dresses are for everyday and others are more elaborate and for special occasions.  One thing is for sure, each is a one-of-a-kind handwoven garment with intricate embroidery.  They can take several weeks to make too.  The dresses that I find myself drawn to are the Mexican Puebla dresses.  These are made by artisans in Puebla, Mexico, and are a tunic type of dress.  I think people get confused about all the various dresses that they just opt out and call them Mexican dresses.  And listen, I am by no means an expert on Mexican dresses.  I’m still learning myself, so if you have info to share with me about these beautiful creations, please hit me up!  I’m anxious to learn more!

Racks and racks of vintage clothing at this sale!
Me and Denise – she got a dress and I got two!

The day of the vintage clothing sale, my friend Denise and I went straight for the rack of Mexican dresses.  I had seen a red one in one of the photos posted about the sale.  I had my fingers crossed that it was still available and luckily…it was!  I tried it on and I loved the way it looked!  The red color is striking and the yellow accents against the red…WOW!  Then I saw a white dress with purple lining and bright orange, red and blue embroidered flowers. The fabric was a little heavier than the red dress and Denise insisted that I try it on.  I was worried because I knew I would love it too.  Sure enough, I went home with both dresses!

1970s Mexican Puebla Dress – Red
1970s Mexican Puebla dress – white

It’s crazy to think that I’m living in Birmingham, Alabama, and this is where I ended up buying not one, but two Mexican dresses!  Unfortunately, I haven’t had an opportunity to wear them yet.  I had planned to wear them this fall but COVID-19 pretty much took care of that.  But I’m happy to finally have two beautiful dresses to wear when the opportunity presents itself.  Meanwhile…I did a little photo shoot a few weeks ago just so I could wear the dresses.  Here are a few of those photos!

Red Puebla dress
Showing the embroidery details of the dress
White Puebla dress
Showing the embroidery details of the white dress

Fiesta 2019 – A Look Back

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My absolute favorite photo from Fiesta 2019! The entire Fiesta board on stage for a selfie at the end of Fiesta! We are all exhausted but still beaming from the success of the event that day.

Fiesta 2020 just wrapped up and while I plan to share what the Fiesta Board did in the Covid environment to make it happen, I realized that I had not shared anything about Fiesta 2019!

It’s funny how much our board reminisced about 2019 while getting Fiesta 2020 pulled together.  We had a beautiful day to celebrate Hispanic culture and heritage in Linn Park with the theme – Celebrating Alabama Together / Celebrando a Alabama Juntos!  As a board, we always work hard to make sure everything we do has an Alabama connection and the State of Alabama’s bicentennial celebration was the perfect pairing.

The Coca Cola Main Stage Fiesta 2019

One fun element we added this year were roaming photographers through a company called Ring Light Photos.  You took your photo looking through a light ring and the result was a photo bordered with the Fiesta logo and theme for the year that you could text to yourself and keep!  I seriously don’t know who loved it more…the Fiesta board members (see the photos for proof) or the people who attended Fiesta!  We all agreed we need to do this for our next Fiesta.  

A big Fiesta feature that most people may not have noticed was our army of volunteers!  Thanks to the efforts of teachers Charity Johnson, former Spanish teacher at A.H. Parker High School and Lisa Garrison, with Vestavia Hills High School, who served as Volunteer Co-Chairs, Fiesta was fully staffed with high school students eager to help!  From the time I met them several years ago, both Charity and Lisa have looked at participation in Fiesta as an opportunity for their students to immerse themselves in the Hispanic culture and countries and find out more about the Latinx community.  This was their third year to be involved and because they took the time to explore Fiesta personally, they were able to offer suggestions for activities that kids would enjoy for our Family Village and actively created activities to bring along!  Their story of why they think Fiesta is important for their students and the community was covered by The Birmingham Times and widely shared. 

Parker Teacher Charity Jackson with many of her student volunteers at Fiesta 2018
Vestavia High School teacher Lisa Garrison with many of her student volunteers at Fiesta 2018
Posing with Charity at the Family Village during Fiesta 2019. Charity and her students pretty much managed the village in 2019!
Late in the day, student volunteers take a quick break together!

For me, seeing the sea of volunteer Fiesta t-shirts across Linn Park was enough to make me get a little emotional.  I loved meeting each of these students and seeing them get excited about helping little ones with craft projects in the Family Village or helping our board members in several other villages and onstage throughout the day.  Their eagerness to help was profound and I know that the reason these students turned out in such large numbers is a tribute to these two amazing teachers.  I really hope we can have them back in 2021 because they made such a lasting impression on the Fiesta board and event planners.

Students decorating the Family Village – FIesta 2019
Student volunteers helping at the Information Booth – Fiesta 2019
Student volunteers helping children with crafts at the Family Village – Fiesta 2019
Tissue paper flowers were a fun activity in the Family Village – Fiesta 2019
Fiesta’s Family Village was a fun place in 2019!

The Coca Cola Main Stage is always the centerpiece of activity throughout the day.  We feature as many local artists as we can early in the day.  Last year we even had The Birmingham Boys Choir take part.  It’s always great to add local flavor to the festival and hope to do more of that in the future.    

Birmingham Boys Choir performs at Fiesta 2019
Birmingham Boys Choir – Fiesta 2019

The main artists later in the day really brought the energy.  One of these artists was Genessa and The Selena Experience.  This young lady does covers of music by Selena.  And if you know about Selena Quintanilla, the Queen of Tejano music, you know she is a revered Latina artist who was tragically murdered at the peak of her stardom at 23 years of age.  All I can say is that Genessa drew a crowd and she was incredible!  Everyone wanted a photo with her!  Our headliner was La Energia Norteña and when we have a Mexican band at the end of our event, the crowd just goes crazy! 

La Energia Norteña – Fiesta 2019
Genessa and The Selena Experience – Fiesta 2019

At the end of our headliner’s performance, the entire Fiesta board walked onstage to thank the crowd.  I think it’s one of the first times in a long time that the entire board has been near the main stage to do this!  I was excited and of course, we had to capture it with a selfie!  Board member, Dulce Rivera was quick to grab her phone and we all posed on stage…our faces beaming despite the exhaustion from the events of the day.  That photo is probably one of my all-time favorite photos of Fiesta and our board. 

Fiesta board onstage at the end of Fiesta – photo taken by a friend in the audience!
My absolute favorite photo from Fiesta 2019! The entire Fiesta board on stage for a selfie at the end of Fiesta! We are all exhausted but still beaming from the success of the event that day.

I always say…the best way to tell the Fiesta story every year is from my photos.  So besides those I’ve already shown you throughout this post, here are a few more of my Fiesta 2019 favorites.

Amelia’s Story – The Day You Were Born

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My first time holding my baby grand – Amelia!

My sweet baby grand…

You are 4 months old today (November 2, 2020) and I am having a hard time believing how fast time goes by.  It seems like just the other day your mama was calling me and your Pappy saying her water broke and she was heading to the hospital.  It was around 1 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2020.  Pappy and I were fast asleep so we could get up early and drive to Colorado, along with your Aunt Emily and Uncle Charlie, to see your mama before you made your arrival.  But you had other ideas!

Right after your mama and daddy got to the hospital, your daddy sent us the sweetest photo of your mama in her hospital gown wearing her mask.  This was at 3:14 a.m. and your daddy said “she’s ready!”  You may be wondering why your mama had to wear a mask…well Baby Grand… that’s because you were born during a worldwide pandemic my sweetheart, and so many precautions had to be taken to make sure you stayed safe and your parents stayed safe too.  I’m just so glad that your daddy got to be with your mama to see you born because there was concern that wouldn’t happen.

Pappy and I went back to sleep but it was hard to rest knowing you were on your way.  We got up early Thursday morning, packed the car and get on the road to Colorado as planned.  It was a 21-hour drive and we didn’t plan to stop anywhere to spend the night.  Your mama had already texted us at 6:17 a.m. saying that the doctor has started her on Pitocin to get her contractions in a better pattern.  At this point mama’s contractions were about 4 minutes apart and she got her epidural around 7 a.m.  Your daddy sent us a cute picture of them both with your mama giving us a thumbs up!  We got to facetime with your excited parents around 8:20, which was great.  Mama was feeling pretty good with that epidural and we figured you would be born pretty soon after that.

Around 11:30 your daddy texted and said they had a tiny scare because your heart rate dropped.  This was because things were progressing rather quickly with your mama’s labor.  But once mama started moving around some, that made you move a little and your heart rate jumped back up and everything was all right.  At this point, mama was dilated 9 centimeters and we figured you would be making your entrance into this world within the hour!  Your daddy sent us the sweetest selfie of themselves and your Tisa was crying in the car!

Then your daddy texted, “alright, I’m gunna go silent her for a minute, hopefully next update will be picture of Amelia!”  This was around 11:43 a.m.  We were all so excited and anxious on our drive.  Then at 12:30 your daddy texted and said things had slowed down a bit.  Your mama was at 9.5 cm and they were moving her around to get you moving again and hopefully encourage you to make your entrance.

At 2 p.m., mama was still trying to push you out!  I told your daddy that you were probably so comfy that you didn’t want to leave her!  So, when we thought you would arrive in a hurry, you decided you wanted to wait just a bit!  At 3:50 p.m. mama was pushing again and at 4:39 p.m. your daddy said mama was pushing pretty hard so she wouldn’t have to have a c-section because you were face up and not liking the contractions!

It seemed like forever from the time your daddy sent that last text.  We were all anxious to hear what was happening but we knew your daddy needed to stop texting so he could be with your mama and help her push.  At almost 6 p.m., we got the text we had been waiting for…you were here!  And then your daddy sent the most beautiful photo of you in your mama’s arms.  She was smiling to bright and you were hiding your face!  You were 7 pounds, 9 ounces and 20 inches long!  You were born at 4:44 p.m. on July 2, 2020.

Meanwhile, Tisa and Pappy were still on the road to Colorado.  We arrived around 4:30 a.m. that Friday morning – July 3.  After checking into our hotel and getting a few hours of sleep, we woke up to a bunch of beautiful photos of you all wrapped up in the hospital blanket with a little hat to keep you warm and some sweet photos of you with each of your parents.

Because of the pandemic, we couldn’t visit you in the hospital so we had to wait until Saturday, July 4th to meet you.  We went over to your mama and daddy’s apartment to wait for you.  We also needed to check on your big brother – Lucia – and make sure he had your baby hat and blanket so he could get to know you.  He sniffed your hat and then rested his head on it so we knew he was anxiously awaiting your arrival too!

When your daddy pulled into the parking lot, Pappy couldn’t wait and he went out to the car to help your parents bring everything and YOU inside.   I just remember standing at the door and as soon as you were brought into the apartment in your car seat, I wanted to hold you.  Your mama put the car seat down on the floor and I quickly pulled you out of that car seat to hug you!  And let me tell you, it was hard to let anyone else hold you!!!  But I needed to share because your Aunt Emily and Uncle Charlie wanted to get their hands on you and of course, your Pappy was ready to start spoiling you.

Happy tears were flowing that day, sweet Mela.  So many people told me that being a grandmother was such an amazing feeling.  Well, it’s all true!  I look at you and see your mama when she was a baby and, in my mind, I relive all those baby days with her.  I can’t wait to one day tell you stories about your mama when she was a little girl.  You’re going to love them!

Meanwhile, I want to you know that I’m so ready to begin making memories with you, my sweet Mela. And Pappy will be here to spoil you…I know you will love that.

Love you so much…Tisa

Your parents can’t get enough of you!
The famous Amelia stretch!
You kept folding your hands together like you were praying – so sweet!
First family photo!

 

 

Creating a Day of the Dead Altar

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My 2020 Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead altar

It’s November 1 which means it’s time for Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos!  I’ve always received a lot of questions about Day of the Dead.  What is it?  Why do people wear skeleton masks?  What is the significance of an altar?  I always tell people that it’s not morbid or spooky.  It’s simply a celebration of our ancestors – nuestros antepasados – and I explain that it is generally associated with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. 

I love how more and more people I know are creating their own altars or ofrendas at home.  I think people worry when they get started that they are doing it wrong.  But I tell them there is no right or wrong way to create an altar because they can take many forms, shapes and sizes.  I’ve had an altar in my home for a number of years using my dining room buffet.  I add a two-tiered shelf to give it a few levels and make room for the items I display that are associated with different family members who have passed on.  Some years, I have so much I want to display that I carry it over to my dining room table and even my living room coffee table!  

One day I would really like to create an altar that displays the seven levels.  I remember being at the Day of the Dead celebration in Birmingham several years ago and a lady was explaining the seven levels to me.  Her altar was so intriguing and I had never seen one like it before.  Until that time, I didn’t really know about “the levels.”  She mentioned that altars should include the elements of water, air, fire and earth.  Most altars represent the earth and sky (or heaven).  That’s simple enough, right?  Other altars add another level – purgatory – or the underworld. 

Day of the Dead event in Birmingham, AL 2018
Day of the Dead event in Birmingham, AL 2018
Day of the Dead event in Birmingham, AL 2018
Day of the Dead event in Birmingham AL 2018

The seven levels build upon each other and look something like this:

  1.  The Highest level would feature a photo of the Virgin Mary and/or a favorite Saint.  This is done to protect the altar.
  2. The second level would feature candles and lights.  The lights represent a guide to help souls leave purgatory.  The light also represents the light of faith and hope.
  3. The third level features toys for children who have passed and salt which is used as purification for the soul of the deceased
  4. The fourth level is all about the Pan de Muertos (the bread of the dead) and sugar skulls – an offering of food to the spirits.
  5. The fifth level features favorite foods and drinks of our loved ones – for instance, you might place favorite fruits, tequila or beer, and other favorites.  This represents the good times with our loved ones.
  6. The sixth level is where you see all the photos of loved ones who have passed.
  7. At the seventh level you will find the Aztec marigold flowers called Cempasuchitl flowers or flor de Muertos.  Some altars will feature a cross made of the marigold flowers on the ground.  The scent of these flowers is thought to guide our ancestors and are placed on the ground as a pathway for the souls. 

The most common altars are divided three sections – the entrance “la entrada”, the mid-tier section with a table of offerings, and the highest-level representing heaven, where photos of the dead are hung along with images of favorite saints, the Virgin of Guadalupe and Jesus.

As you can see, there is a lot of symbolism associated with Día de los Muertos.  I’m sure it can seem intimidating if you are trying to create your own altar for the first time.  When I started making mine, I searched the internet for photos of the “correct” way to do it and soon realized there isn’t one.  The truth is, you should feel free to create one however you wish.  The bottom line is that you are doing this to honor your loved ones and it’s a special remembrance for you and your family. 

Here are a few photos of my altar to hopefully inspire you to make your own if you are on the fence about it!  Seeing what other people have pulled together or created always inspires me!

This year I added papel Picado to my dining room mirror and it really frames my altar!
The tiered shelf helps me raise items and make more space on my buffet.
The colina dogs are new this year and have an ancient history of helping guide the souls of our ancestors to the next level.
I section my photos by family…this is my Zuniga side of the family. I also include my mother’s side in the middle and my Odom side on the left.
The only thing left to add will be the votives which will present a soft and peaceful look to the altar at night.