#thePerfectMonday Week 4

Oh boy what a weekend! 

We started Friday with a field trip to the Old San Juan, and those kids of mine spend a fabulous time running, playing, being silly, and flying kites. 

Take a look of my accomplishments: 

From Pelhuaz:

• Things are going great. Due to few orders, and a sales hosted by Vistaprint, I was able to ordered new presentation cards. Here's a sneak peak:

• I kept working with the product photos, and they are looking much better now. Even, Storenvy shared one at their Twitter. That was exciting!

• I also completed a custom order of seven keychains for Mother's Day, that looked pretty awesome.

From My Homeschooling Project:

• Week #34 was completed. 
• We have 4 more weeks and we are DONE!
• We covered all the planned material related to: 
• Math Awareness Month,
• Earth Day 
• Poetry Month, 

Spanish

• Review and evaluation of Chapter 7: De donde vienes

English

• Prepositions and Conjunctions

Science

• Review and evaluation of Chapter 8: Heat and Light

Math

• Metric Measurements

Field Trip

• This was the best field trip so far! Was related to History and the way Spain managed the colonisation of Puerto Rico, and defended our territories from other countries. We visited El Morro - that it's an impressive fort located in San Juan. We learned, we visited the exhibition, and we flight kites. So much fun!

Enjoy your week, and embrace #thePerfectMonday! 

\\

#thePerfectMonday Week 2

You are strong... Don't give up!

How about starting a new week with a great attitude? Let's be grateful for our blessings. 

After the reopening of Pelhuaz Store at Storenvy, I've been a little busy with few others. Who knew? I'm happy and excited!

I wanted to share the good news from last week:

From Pelhuaz:

• I had three new orders! Including some custom orders.

• I was able to design a new bracelets that are now available at the store. 

• I do need to look for a best way to take the photos, as they are not all with the same light. So far, I'm happy with the way the storefront looks. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know! 

From My Homeschooling Project:

• Last week was our Spring Break. It was in an off week, but as we are homeschooling, we have the opportunity to decide what suits us better and go for it. We visited few sites, went to grandma's house, and even kidnap Daddy from work. It was a very fun week.

• Now we need to stick to the schedule as we have only 5 weeks left to complete our 180 days of school.  

This week will be a great week and today will be #thePerfectMonday

#thePerfectMonday

How about starting our week in a great mood? Why don't we declare that this will be a #PerfectMonday? 

There is a saying that you attract what you declare. So let's try this, and see what happened. Also you might recall that I decided to reopen my #StorenvyStore and kick-start the blog again. The truth is that the pelhuaz.com adventure didn't gave me time to do the things that I love, and felt obligated to it.

Now, I feel like having fun again... Just the way it should be.

I wanted to share few things with you...

From Pelhuaz:

• After reopening, I made my first sale... YAY! 

• The IG and the Twitter account  where updated. Feel free to visit and follow. I promise it will be fun.

instagram.com/pelhuaz

twitter.com/pelhuaz

• The Facebook Page is starting to be a genuine Page. Also, feel free to visit and leave a follow or a comment. I would really appreciate that.

facebook.com/pelhuaz

From My Homeschooling Project:

• This week we are having our #SpringBreak. I know it's different from everyone else but it's what suits us. We have a very fun week planned, with field trips and hang outs, that we can't wait...
• March was a fun month where we learned and made activities related to the #NationalCraftsMonth, #WomenHistoryMonth, #MusicInOurSchool #ReadAcrossAmericaDay, #TheIditarod, #PiDay, #StPatty, #Spring, and #GoodFriday. You can imagine how fun it was!

Sakura Tree

Wishing you all a great week, and don't forget to declare it!

A Happy Friday... A Charm Friday !

Today is a great Friday! Even I feel a little tired, I'm so excited working with the plan for all the great changes that will come our way. I can't wait to share it with all of you! Yay!

It's Charm Friday at Pelhuaz and boy we have charms... So many adorable choices and at great prices. So listen... You can get a cute charm as a Valentine gift for everyone at your love-list without cracking your budget. 

Only this weekend if you use the code LOVE2015, you will get an 30% off on all items at Pelhuaz Store - even the ones already on sale. So, what are you waiting for?

Enjoy your Friday!

Besitos,
Zei

Love Ring Giveaway Winner

It's Monday again, and a fabulous week is ahead of us. I have so many plans for this week. I want to completely arrange the products at Pelhuaz Store. Many items will be soon on sale, so stay tune!

As you already know last week we run our first Giveaway of the Year and is time to announce the happy winner of this fabulous ring...

  
And the winner is Vanessa Prieto!

Congrats Vanessa!!!! Wujuu!!!! You have 48 hours to claim your prize. Send us an email, tweet us, or comment either on our Facebook Page or here on the blog. If we don't hear from you, a new winner will be selected.


Enjoy your week! 

Besitos,
Zei

Year of Handmade: In your wildest dreams, where would you love to see your craft take you?

I've been creating since I was little. I initiated the store owner journey on June 2013, and I set my expectation very high. Sometimes I dream about how far I wanted to go and how hard I need to work to get there. My wildest dream is for Pelhuaz store or one of my creations to be advertise in a fashion magazine. 

Ambitious? I know... But in order to get far, you need to dream big.

This is me playing with such idea. Dream big!

Besitos,
Zei

Year of Handmade: In the beginning, how did I get into the craft?

We all have our background story, and mine is not different from yours. I decided to opened Pelhuaz on June 2013 with the intention of having my very own place to showcase my creations. My jewelry have simple designs with a boho twist and I like to create simple items that will accentuate the beauty of those who wears it. I also create hair accessories, but it's only for my beautiful princess to have. I don't feel that confident to put them on the market!  

When I was a little girl, I loved to make crafts. From paper art to crochet (or what I thought was it at the time). My mother and grandma, both did crochet and so my very talented Titi (aunt). So I guess that the crafty-artisan gene runs in the family. 

As one of my resolutions for 2015,  I decide that I need to define my line of work and in which direction I want to focus my designs. 

I think I found my style with the Long Necklaces I deigned at the end of 2014. I love making them, and love the way they look and feel.  

There are so many talented artisan out there, that is important that you find your identity by making a noticeable mark in the handmade industry.

What motivates you? How did you get where you are today? 

Besitos,
Zei

Los Reyes Magos Celebration

As you all know, I'm from Puerto Rico. There's a saying that in Puerto Rico we have the longest Christmas of the World, as we celebrate Santa, Los Tres Reyes Magos and after that we have Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian. 

Today, we'll celebrate the Tres Reyes Magos Eve. You know them as the Wisemen (or Three Kings). It's celebrated like Santa's arrival, but the only difference is that instead leaving cookies and milk, we need to collect grass and leave it in a shoe box under the Christmas tree for the camels. 

Santa Claus is taking his vacation, but we have the opportunity to celebrate once more, the gift-giving (and receiving) all over again. The tradition is followed by most families in Latin America and Spain. This holiday falls annually on January 6. On the night of the 5th, we gather as a family and go to the backyard to collect grass for the camels. It's very exciting as in the morning the children can see the mess that the camel left with the grass. 

The arrival of the Reyes Magos is the biblical adoration of baby Jesus by the three Kings, also referred to as Wise Men or Magi. The men found the divine child by following a star across the desert for twelve days to Bethlehem. Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar - representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa respectively- traveled by horse, camel, and elephant in order to present baby Jesus with three symbolic gifts.

The gold offered by one of the wise men is a symbolic acknowledgment of Jesus’ royal standing as “King of the Jews,” while the frankincense manifests the divine nature of the baby’s existence, since he is not an earthly king but the Son of God, and finally the myrrh, often used to embalm corpses, was gifted to the newborn as a symbol of Jesus’ mortality - foreshadowing his death as a means to cleanse humanity of its sins.

Reyes festivities come in different shapes and sizes across the globe from community parades to three-day celebrations at Disneyland - which I didn't knew. As you have your real bearded Santas; in Puerto Rico we have our real Reyes Magos. The picture is from our very own Reyes de Juana Diaz that each year walk down the streets of Juana Diaz City to keep the tradition alive. This particular event was initiated over 129 years ago. It is said that Padre Valentin Echevarria - a Priest from Spain that lived here at that time, was the founder. People from all over Puerto Rico and the world, come to see them. Is a magical experience.

Well there you have it! A little inside of our traditions. 

Feliz Dia de Los Reyes Magos!

Besitos,
Zei

A New Year awaits us!

A New Year is just 2 days away, and I was thinking about how great was this year. I count my blessing and feel amaze of how lucky I am. Sometimes we describe a good or a bad year with that things that highlight the most, lost your job, your sells weren't what you expected, your wish list wasn't checked completely... and so on. But if you look closely, you'll see that your year was wonderful. Hey, you got the chance to be alive for another 365 days... That's amazing enough. Don't you think?  

Well here are my highlights:

1. I spend almost all 2014 pregnant and now have a beautiful boy. 

2. The Girl did amazing in all the process, even she struggled a little at school with the baby arrival, she got back on track very quick. 

3. She participated in a fabulous ballet recital where she was amazingly good, and this Mama cried thru all the show.  

  

4. My Hubby still my favorite person and he managed so well all the up and downs of my pregnancy (and post) perfectly.

5. We decided that I'll be a SAHM, which I love.

6. I realized that I was born to be a Mom, not a employee. (I hate dealing with imbeciles :D)

7. We had a very happy and healthy year.

8. Even I got a C-Section, I was able to return to my pre-pregnancy-weight in less than 2 months. I still need to get back in shape, but to be honest I'm not in a hurry. I spend 9 month gaining weight, so my goal is to be ready in the same amount of time.

9. Pelhuaz Store did good, but I'm sure it can do better.  

10. I realized I'm extra-mega-bless for everything I have (and for what I don't have, as well).

What are your highlights? I would love to know... 

Wishing a New Year full of love, happiness and health, from my family to yours!

 
Besitos,
Zei

The perfect stocking stuffers... Two amazing sales...

Pelhuaz have so many new items available, and so many more to come - that will be great as stocking stuffers. We are participating in two fabulous sales and wanted to share great findings from my fellow handcrafty friends.

The Indie A List and the AListHoliday14

As you all know I'm a very proud member of The Indie A List. This is a elite group of handmade stores that provide the best products with the best service EVER. We had created a Gift Guide with all the fabulous stores available. Here are just a few:

KRMBAL

I'm a huge fan of Tessa's work and her T's.

Red Letter Paper Company

I love the paper goods that this store have. Their Season items are fabulous.

Little House of Crafting

The best pins ever. Toni is so imaginative when it to her pins design. 

Plum Papaya

The cutest creatures, critters & quilts. So cute that I want them all.

Crafteroni & Cheese

You can find here amazing amigurumi friend. The cutest of all!

Storenvy Community and the StorenvyFlash30

As a Storenvy Shop Owner, I was able to connect with a fabulous community. Cody from Lu & Ed is the sponsor of the second Storenvy Flash Sale on Cyber Monday. It will take place tomorrow December 1st, from 12am EST to 11:59PM EST. Everything in the participant stores will be 30% off with code StorenvyFlash30. Here are few of them:

 

Unique Creations by Tracy

This shop have so many cute crochet items, from owls to baskets and much more.

Violet's Buds

The prettiest hair accessories and fabulous hoop decor. Love the clips and I have few myself! 

Adore by Nat

The name said it all. Adorable party decoration and paper beauties, such as tags, cards and signs. She's the responsible that my packaging looks so nice!  

Kiser Kraft

Fabulous socks toys made by the Sock Goddess Kelly.








Well, here they are. Some of my favorite stores. Take a look and just let me know which one is your favorite!

Besitos,
Zei

Life is too short to wear boring jewelry!

Pelhuaz by Red

  

No one told me...

It's another week on the countdown to Christmas. Isn't that great? I just remember last year celebration and it was not so long ago. I also remember discovering that I was pregnant. All the magical and fabulous sensation of the excitement of the baby to be.

 
We wanted this baby for so long and finally we were able to have him. This was my 3rd pregnancy - I have 2 girls, and I thought that I knew the 9 month drill.

How wrong I was...
 
No one told me that baby boys and baby girls pregnancies are WAY too different. No one told me that the morning sickness can start whenever the baby boy feels like to, even if is at the second trimester when you suppose to be feeling all fine and dandy. No one told me that when the doctor said "Not Hanky-Panky with Daddy" until further notice because you need to bed rest, is when you want to "Hanky-Panky" with Daddy. No one told me that bed rest is a pain in the butt, and watching TV all day can make you feel cranky. 

  
No one told me that I'll start swelling for not apparent reason and look like Big Hero 6. 

No one told me that I'll be extra emotional and the thought of having to leave my girl for few days due to the baby's arrival make me crack into tears of desperation - without warning. No one told me that even looking at my girl's face will brought the thought of having to leave her for few days due to the baby's arrival and make me crack into tears of desperation - without warning ALL OVER AGAIN.

And the Oh-so-expected-day arrives and when you thought that the emotional roll-coaster was over... It start again with a different and strong twist. No one told me that all the pain will disappear as soon as I locked eyes into my Tiny Human. 

No one told me that the sound of his cry is the most magical thing in the world. No one told me nor warned me of the overwhelming feeling that consumed me the first time that my girl holded her new Tiny Brother in her arms. 

 

 
No one told me that I'll fall in love all over again with my family. No one told me that a proud and protective Big Sister is the most beautiful thing.
 

 
No one told me that I will be able to love her more - if that was even possible. No one told me that from being a Project Manager and a Mama of 1, I will became a comfy bed...

No one told me that I will develop a "fetish" for Tiny Human's feet.

No one told me that such a Tiny thing could be so darn funny.

No one told me that when he sleeps, I want to silence the world outside.

No one told me that when he cries I feel like dying inside and will do anything to stop his discomfort.

No one told me that those eyes will melt all my insides.

No one told me that his personality will be so much like mine.

  
No one told me that with only one hour of sleep I will survive the day. No one told me that all my years of experience as a Project Manager will be used to manage my Tiny Human. No one told me that an elaborated schedule needs to be establish with intervals of 3 hours per breastfeeding. No one told me that after each feeding I could eat an elephant (didn't happen before). No one told me that the Tiny Human can stay awake for so long, that only few minutes of sleep while eating or burping are enough. 

 No one told me that he will be so handsome and adorable.

And no one told me that I'll become Sting-Every-Breath-You-Take's Psycho... (This is one of the most misinterpreted songs ever. It is about an obsessive stalker, even it sounds like a love song.) I was already a Neurotic Mom, but no one told me that I'll become a whole new (higher) level of neurotic.

Every breath you take and every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you
Every single day and every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you

Enjoy your family, the Tiny Humans in your life, the little miracles that surrounds you. Be grateful for your sleepless nights, the dark circle under your eyes, the tiredness of your body. Time go too quickly and you'll missed all those things that no one told you about, but are the greatest of all. 

Besitos,
Zei