E F F O R T

Thank you for coming back. Since the warm weather has left our beautiful Wyoming for a snow-storm, today I will share some inspiration to warm your hearts. This blog post is more intimate than others, but I honestly feel the need to show some love to one of the best in the West, one of my motivations in this life, my brother The Real Hector Perez.

     Last year, I had the opportunity to hang out with Hector literally every day! Although I must admit that living with my brother was not always easy, Hector made every day better than I could have hoped for. Hector was recovering from a terrible car accident, where he injured his arm, shoulder, rib cage, and nose among other things. Seeing my brother get through this horrible experience made me realize how lucky we all are to have the life that we have. And I realized that if Hector could dominate a game of FIFA with one hand and his cheek, I could be giving more effort in anything I tried; so I did.

     Today, I am 224 miles away from my brother and I truly miss his company. Yet, I am still inspired to do my best because I know that everything in my life could change at any moment, as did Hector's. And though he has almost completely recovered from this accident, I believe there is a lot to learn from his eye-opening experience. **As a friend, I urge you to do a quick self-check when you are not feeling inspired to do your best. You have already been blessed with life and health, so consider giving everything that you do 110% effort. Give it your all to service, a hobby or a favorite sport. You will be surprised at how much more effort we could give. 

     Remember that we all have our ups and downs, but one admires those who persevere regardless of their circumstances. Shout-out to my stylish, video-game playing, Kanye West-loving brother.

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"The one thing that matters is the effort. It continues, whereas the end to be attained is but an illusion of the climber, as he fares on and on from crest to crest; and once the goal is reached it has no meaning". ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Wisdom of the Sands, translated from French by Stuart Gilbert

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 Stay warm my friends

xx

isabel

P R I M A V E R A

     I hope you all are ready for warmer weather, glowing skin, and chic outfits. The first week of spring is upon us, and I am beyond excited about the chirping birds and the start of sunshine-filled days.

     I have organized my thoughts about my favorite looks for this season and I want to share a few easy ways that you can update your closet.  

5 Tips for springing-up a Look:

Oversized tee

            Match any light-colored flowy t-shirt to a casual outfit for a fresh touch

Flower-patterned staples

Add flower patterns to your pants, dresses, and blazers this season

Pointy shoes

            Dress your toes with some flat or low-heel pointy toe pumps

Matching accents

            Finish an outfit with a matching or complementary-colored clutch or purse

Colors of the Season:

Bright Salmon/ Peach

Light + Navy Blue

Rose Quatz

Yellow

Tan

           

*Update*

     Although I realize it’s not a good excuse, I have been MIA for the last few months due to graduation and post-graduation work. I have traveled some, but mainly have spent my days with family eating good food and catching some TV and Netflix while I have the time to.

     I am stoked to re-work my schedule to spend more time doing exercise, painting canvas and shooting photos now that I am back in my apartment.

*End Update*

You can find more ideas and inspiration for spring looks on my Spring Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/iisabelperez/spring/.

xx

isabel

     I'm finally all moved in to my new apartment! Shout-out to Nate + Noah who helped me on the move. On that note, side effects of moving may include loss of sleep, allergies from dust, and an increased desire to update your entire life. Need a closet update? --- Below is a list of 10 things that should be present in your wardrobes this Fall. If you want to be the one of the most stylish cats walking the halls, you’re goanna need the following staples.

F A L L   2 0 1 5   S T A P L E S

    

T O P   T E N

Dark Wash Jeans

First of all, every girl needs the classic jean that can pair with all of your other cute staples. So you are going to need the perfect fit and wash—Go ahead and get rid of your boot cuts, because that style is long gone my friends. You need a pair of straight leg, or skinny cut bottoms so that you can look the best this season.

Blazer

I love blazers! You can pair any blazer with a basic shirt or light sweater to start getting that layering effect that looks so well during the Fall and Winter months. Trust me on this one; blazers should be a staple, even for those of you who won’t dress up daily for school! You will fancy up every outfit with the addition of one.

Tube Scarf

Scarves aren’t going away in fashion any time soon, so I suggest you get used to these. I recommend a Tube scarf for any of you who, like myself, aren’t scarf-masterminds. These are so easy to work with because you don’t need to be a genius to wrap one around your neck and amp up your look.

Oversized Cardigan

Oversized clothing-- my sweet obsession. You already have the tight jeans girls, so chose to let loose with one of these oversized cardigans! Wearing everything tight is boring sometimes, so add a little flare to your ware. Alright, I'm done rhyming. But honestly, if you’re attending school you want to be comfortable, and an oversized cardigan will make you feel great during a fall day.

Chunky Sweater

I am definitely not against light sweaters, but if you live in my region, Fall is the time to start using these chunky sweaters. Big sweaters are perfect for all you jeans-every-day type of ladies.  Chunky sweaters are very fashionable and they look wonderful on every body type. A long chunky sweater can pair very nicely with leggings or tights. 

Plaid Flannel

This is the start of a hard work + school season and some days you don’t have the time or motivation to come up with cute outfits. This is where a flannel comes in-- a plaid flannel is my closet staple that I can go to when I am running late or don’t feel like thinking in the mornings. Flannels go great with any wash of jeans, and you will look so stylish if you wear it over another basic shirt, or wrap it around your waist for a more effortless-cool/hipster look. 

Riding Boots

We live in the wild west, so you're going to need boots. Our crazy weather makes it difficult to wear heels or sandals sometimes. The solution to that problem is boots every time. Riding boots are the bomb.com because they look stylish & they come in various lengths and colors. Choose a pair that works well with the rest of your closet. These are lifesavers! 

Patterned Tights

Think that school dress-codes and nasty looks will get in the way of you wearing that cute little dress you love so much? Think no longer. Over the years I have learned that pairing tights with your favorite short garments is the best way to work around the judgmental eyes. Try polka dots, and other fun patterns and colors; I promise that you will receive compliments on your outfit all day.

Military Jacket

Its never too early to talk jackets so let me suggest a military style jacket for this season. I cannot stress enough how awesome military jackets looks with pretty much any outfit. Sweats? Fine, Wear a military jacket over your hoodie, and you will be comfy and cool-looking all day! It will look even better if you decide to wear your jacket with black pants or patterned leggings.

Statement Necklace

We have talked plenty of clothes today, but honestly you don’t want to be basic this year. Think about adding a statement necklace to your school shopping list this year. Long, Short, Bold, or Simple--these are all safe choices! You literally cannot go wrong by adding a necklace to any outfit. 

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Don’t compromise your style this year. Now you have a list of the things you should be on the look-out for this season. Don’t know where to start? Check out H&M, Top Shop, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Arden B + Express. These are stores where you can easily find most of the staples. 

xx isabel

Happy day. 

We had a tornado warning going at Laramie today, so I imagine (if you are anywhere else) your weather might be nicer than ours. Regardless, it was a good day. 

The week is looking great on my end: Almost done with my job and my internship for the summer, I think I have my apartment picked out, and -- after a whole month of blowing up everyone's feeds on Instagram-- I am two days away from finishing the gratitude challenge!

This experience has truly helped me realize the infinite number of things that I am so thankful to have & as promised-- here is a snip from my 30-day challenge:

 On that note: I am very thankful for the things that I have planned for the rest of summer, stay tuned for more details. Let me know your thoughts and comments & Now that you looked at the preview, you may as well check out the rest on https://instagram.com/iisabelperez/.

xx isabel

 Mr. and Mrs. Willis in a nutshell. 

SOOO glad I had the opportunity to attend the beautiful wedding that celebrated Gaby and Durrell's union. Naturally, the whole weekend was filled with wedding festivities, food and fun. I got the chance to reunite with and meet more of the Munoz relatives. You guys have a huge family!! I can't even believe how many people traveled to Colorado to be there for G & D. It was perfect. I love you guys, and I wish you the best in this new chapter of your life. 

xx isabel 

I hope everyone's summer is turning out super fun and relaxed. Mine has been quite enjoyable. During the weekend I made a trip to Green River and Gillette to visit the fam. My favorite part was getting to see my grandma and devouring a delicious bean and cheese burrito at Mi Casita (I think most people would agree that bean & cheese burritos are the bomb.com).  Also, I loved strolling the island with my adorable new nephew and Lacey; they are truly the best! Ahhh, there are too many lovely people in Green River whom I miss sooooo much--s/o to my high school Dance coach Jill who I ran into at FGD. Anyway, now I am back to work-- actually today is my day off. But still, I have a lot of things to prep for my job and the busy weekend. 

Btw-- I launched my website this spring, and you should all go check it out iisabelperez.com. It is very simple in design, but believe it or not, I coded the entire website from scratch so I am very proud of it. Soon to come I will be uploading more to the gallery so you can always keep checking on it. I will add the link to my about tab on here as well. 

This is me today-- Missing: My bff Dan. Craving: A sprinkled donut. Needing: To find a place to live next fall. Listening: To Vance Joy's cd, on repeat. Current mood: Thankful.

I am so thankful for all the beautiful things in life, especially the people who I have found are definitely worth holding on to-- these people are what drive my daily actions and help me believe. "Believe in possibilities. Believe in human potential. Believe in yourself and you'll have the power to change your fate." -Kevin Ngo  

Life is good.

xx isabel  

Hello Summer. 

Earlier this week someone reminded me that I should post about the things that I am grateful for. Today I am so grateful for Summer time-- The sun shines bright and this makes me really happy, I just want to lay outside to soak in all of summer. 

Since I realized that I have a lot of things that I am thankful for, today is the beginning of a 30 day challenge. This is much more an opportunity to show my appreciation to all those things that matter to me. I hope this will help me become more aware of all the beautiful things surrounding me. *I will be posting my challenge on my Instagram, and will update the blog with the highlights of the challenge later on. Note:. If you seek increased happiness, peace, self-esteem and joy please do the challenge with me, this will truly help you!! And if you do decide to accompany me, please hashtag the posts #challengemango or #mangoismoda so I can check them out. Do it on insta, facebook, or twitter-- your choice but let's do this! Good luck to you in finding the things that you appreciate.

xx isabel

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V e r a n o

As most of you know, I am a silly little person with high ambitions in life. I try to keep up with so many things at once that I start getting crazy when it all catches up to me. Last month was probably one of the times that things in my life got slightly out of control. Finals, internship search, & owr publication are among the responsibilities that I was working through. Now, as things slow down I can finally take some time to enjoy the perks of living in the lonely Laradise and reflect on my experiences. 

While strolling the town, other than being silly and taking pictures, I was thinking about how I constantly think about improving. Building upon my experiences is the way I have reached my goals and improved as a person. Like many, I still have a long road ahead, but accepting that there is always room for improvement will get us living a better life.

Loose track of the limitations. Improve your living experience by doing what you wish. Continue to rant on social media about Caitlyn Jenner, or instead go jump in a puddle or revive your childhood by blowing a dandelion. Through these acts we can push for our own happiness, because it doesn't matter what the world deems as "right", you have to think about what is right for you. 

There is a value to being stubborn and not conforming to society's expectations. Challenging the crowds is a way to stand out and make the most of your experiences in life. Push yourself beyond the limits, even if that means ridicule or cold failure.  At the end of the day, you'll end up a better person through experience.

Thanks for coming back to my little contribution. Continue doing healthy things that make you happy because you are the one who will make a difference. I'll leave you today with something to think about:

"Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs." -Farrah Gray 

Best to you,

 xx isabel 

# f i e s t a p r i m a v e r a

I wanted to do a post about spring/summer wear these past weeks, however the weather gifted me snow and rain, so lets wait for a sunny day! On another note- as finals get closer, my planner is starting to fill up with final projects, meetings and deadlines that I need to meet. We are on the verge of finishing the semester gals and pals, lets get through the next couple of weeks together so that we can finally enjoy a little break from class to relax. Keep it cool, stay sane, and always be positive.  

Below, my fellow mechistas are looking mighty fine at this weekend's fiesta.

 Props to Glen for the many photos he got.                     

About my weekend, Part I:    

On Sunday, M.E.Ch.A. hosted their annual Fiesta Primavera, an event that promoted culture to the school and the community. I am very proud to be a part of the group, and I am so glad to have taken part in the planning of the event. Sunday was a good time; we had Aztec performers, Folkloric dancers, piñatas and a nice dinner to top it all. Thanks to those who stopped by to make the night a memorable one. I was so delighted to see people that danced the night away, and I hope many more attend next year's fiesta. Soon I will upload more pictures and videos of how the night turned out, stay tuned.

Below, the classy men of the night: Gabe and future co-chair, brother Hector.  Also, don't forget the microphone controllers Norma and myself (: Some could say that we had a little too much fun. 

I rocked out my creme tul dress for the night. I appreciate all of your compliments friends, thank you again. Also *Shout out to the decoration crew who put this impossible arch together too. You did work. 

To make up for the slacking in my part, this week I promise to figure out how to upload part II of my weekend. Spoiler alert: it includes videos that I couldn't upload today to show you about my Saturday night as well. Lantern Festival was an event that I attended on Saturday along with another 10,000 people. The festival was amazing, and I cannot wait until next year to release my lantern into the sky one more time. Check out my instagram video to get super excited for my next blog.

xx isabel

R U N L O V E R

_______________________________

"There is one lover worthy of her

with as many souls claimed as she

but for all he's worth

he still shatters always on her earth

the cause of every tear she'd ever weep"

Rare is this love, keep it covered..

Run by Hozier 

_______________________________

On a music note this week: I'm obsessed with the lyrics of "Run"; and for that matter, everything about Hozier. Ya'll should go check out his music if you haven't already.

I have been listening to his album for some time now, and I still can't get over the quality of it! I wake up to "Jackie and Wilson" or "Someone New" almost every morning and stay up late listening to "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene" or "From Eden". This probably happens way more often than it should on school nights, but what can i do? 

Anyway, I just wanted to share how perfectly this album encompasses life. Hozier has got everything right-- 

Also, I am super pumped for how nice and sunny the past few days have been. I love spring time, and I can't wait for summer. Next week I hope to post some spring/summer fashion outfit ideas, so keep a look out for those. I wish you all a happy rest of your week!

_________________________

"You don't understand, you should never know how easy you are to need." -It Will Come Back, Hozier

xx isabel 

N E W S

H A P P Y   T U E S D A Y  

I hope you all have less mid-terms than I!

I definitely should be studying Sociology because tomorrow's test is going to be rough. Buttttt, I just wanted to share a couple of the things that I have been working on.

                          __________________________________________________________________

O W R

     I am so happy to finally announce that I was selected to be assistant editor of the Owen Wister Review, the art and literature journal published by the University of Wyoming. I hope to touch base with anyone interested in publishing original works of poetry, short-stories, art or photography. You should contact me soon if you wish to publish some of your work. To find out more details check out OWR's WordPress, or email owr@uwyo.edu. 

M I T C H E L L / W E S T  

     I have also been spending a lot of my time working with the marketing of a political campaign for the University ASUW presidential elections. I'm proudly supporting the Mitchell/West campaign which is striving to improve student wellness, advocacy and safety. I encourage all students to vote during the upcoming elections. Let your voice be heard! You can check out the campaign's platform, and details on their Facebook page. Like it up.

 Honestly, support these great leaders; and I really hope that you appreciate my designs :)

xx isabel 

S H O U T O U T

Flower-patterned pants: 

Because I don't do colors.

Because I dress weird.

Because I'm short.

- Because my brother hates them.

     I love Tuesdays. I had such a great time at today's fashion show casting and afterward; getting some fun shots with Danibear.

     I'm very thankful for such a great crew who attended the casting by my side. I appreciate every single one of you ladies. You are all beautiful and you definitely made my day!

     I also want to send a shout-out to the Negative Nancy's out there who question and judge others on the daily. Keep it up--because talented people would lack so much motivation without ya'll. Much love.

     Lastly, Happy Birthday to one of my dearest friends, who was one of the first on board when I started my my blog. Hannah, I hope today and the rest of your life is as wonderful as you are. I <3 you.

xx isabel