My journey trying to jump start my business

Some of you guys may or may not know about how I make candles. I started this about a year ago, shortly after I moved in with my husband when we were just dating. One day, I just realized that I wanted to make candles, it started as a silly idea but it grew slowly. I commented this to my husband and he insisted that I start selling them. I told him about my logo idea and together we came up with a name. Crazy how things are born in an instant.

Slowly, we started buying the supplies that I needed to start making the candles on my own. I found a great website and bought myself enough supplies to make about 16 candles. I made them and then slowly sold them. With the money we made from that, we decided to buy even more supplies to get more candles going and spread the word and that is how the business got started.

At the beginning of this year I had so many things going on. I was about to get married. My mom was fighting for the well being of my little sister, I was worried about my former dog, and so on. Point is I had so many worries that I completely brushed aside my candles. I stopped selling them and I stopped researching on how to get the legal things straight. I was disappointed on myself. It really sucked and a couple of weeks ago, when I decided I wanted to get back on track I found out that I would have to start from scratch. Start making more investments, start buying more supplies and continue to sell, technically from door to door with my family.

Honestly, I do see myself owning this business. It is not the fact that it is just a business in general but the fact that I love making candles, and I see myself growing old with this obsession. I know it is kind of weird and you probably want to click away from this page as you read this but if you got this far continue on. I know everyone has a passion, something they see themselves doing for the rest of their lives because I know for a fact that I want to work and do something that I love and that I enjoy. For me that is the art of candle making.

One day you will see me working from home and selling hundreds of candles a day.....

Watch me go,
Andy

Don't fall under a routine and have fun!

I have finally started to get in the routine of the schedule I created for the blog... I however, realized that I have trouble on Tuesdays. It has become harder to write about what is going on in my life and that is what I mostly wrote about before. Plainly and simply about my life. I don´t understand why it has become harder than before.

I will try my hardest to be able to write more about my life though because that is the reason why I love my blog, because it works somewhat like a diary for me. I have been able to go back and read about what I was doing 3 years ago and it is amazing to read my posts from back then. It is like time traveling! I think I have made that example before.

So, my life huh? Hmmm..... You guys already know that I am married. This past weekend we went to the beach because I told my father in law that my parents didn't really take out my little sister and I. Well honestly, I feel like we didn't do much sightseeing when I was young. I am sure my little sister feels the same. With my dad it was always hanging out with his brothers, going to the park and "carne asadas" at home. That was pretty much it all of the time. If anything changed ever it was just parties at some of our relatives homes. I know that I can't say that he never took us out at all, because we went out once in a while. He just took that really literally, if we went to the beach, it was probably once a year in a summer and he wouldn't take us again because we went already, "why do we have to go again, we already went." Those were his words. Crazy huh?


Here with my in laws I have probably seen many more pretty sights in the two years I have been living here than the sights I saw living with my dad my whole life. I went to San Francisco for our honey moon, that was amazing. I never thought I would see San Francisco. I have been to the beach over 15 times! My in laws really like hanging out at the beach. Oh, and last weekend we went to a really nice beach that I had never been too before. We went to the rocky side of the beach and we scavenged for crabs, something that I had never done before. I was not dressed for that occasion with jeans and a nice dress blouse but it was so much fun.. I saw a bunch of crabs, and we "rock climbed" over the sharp rocks. We found, well my father in law found a cool crab in the water that looked kind of like the green letters from the Matrix. Ha! I was amazed, I also apparently stepped on bat poop... There was this dark stuff on my foot and it looked like blood at first but then Manny told me it was bat poop. I hope they didn't lie to me about it. Anyway, that was a fun weekend.

I guess the point that ends up coming from this story telling is that sometimes, even if you have all the resources to do fun things, you end up falling under a routine and doing the same thing over and over. I know because that is what happened when I was living with my parents. I don't know if it is because my dad was so focused on one routine or he just didn't love us enough to want to show us around and allowing us to have a cool life. If you know that you can have fun with your life, go out and live. Do things that you might not be able to do when you are older. I know for a fact that I am going to try to have the most fun in my life before I decide to bring a child into the world because after that happens that is when I won't be able to have fun for myself.

 So there you guys have it, a little personal post today... Just because it is Tuesday... Have fun guys,
Andy

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there

In the past couple of years that I have been in a relationship and now married, there has been so many times when my husband and I talked about having kids. The thought of becoming a mother lingers in my mind to this day. Not that any of you might care, or maybe it is too much information but I am on birth control because I don't want to have a baby anytime soon. However, I have had conversations with my husband about what would happen if we were to have kids and this is were I give props to every mother out there, including my own.

When I was thinking about having a baby I thought about all the new foreign responsibilities that would come up. All the things that would have to change in order for us to be fit to take care of our child. All the sacrifices that we would have to make.... I realized that my mom gave up all of those things I still refuse to give up, my mom made all of those sacrifices that I refuse to make. She gave up a life of freedom to take care of her two daughters. Her life stopped being about her and became completely ours. She gave up her life for her children. I respect that so much... She was just 18 when she had me, and I am 20 and I am still refusing to have a baby.

So for all the mothers out there, I say happy mother's day... but everyday is mother's day, because mothers aren't just mothers one day of the year, they are mothers year round, 24/7, for their whole life after having their child. Even after their kids no longer live with them, they are still mothers because they will think of their kids all the time even after they no longer live together. I figured all of this out the minute that my husband and I started thinking about having a baby... When I am a mother I know all of these things will happen and for me to be able to have a baby, I have to be prepared to do all of these things. For the meanwhile, I will salute my mother and all of the mothers out there who don't hear this too often:

My mom, sister and me when we were just kids.

You are an amazing woman, congratulations on what you have achieved in life because I know it is hard to achieve things in life with kids, if anything at all. So, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, you are amazing and I salute you because you are a brave an intelligent woman. Your children mean this and they love you dearly. I am pretty sure :)

Happy Mother's Day,
Andy


PS. I love you mom, thank you for raising us and loving us the way you do. I miss you and I wish I could be with you to wish you happy mother's day and happy birthday :)

Your sister is always going to be there for you

It is funny how many times I actually go back and re-read my old posts. It is like going back on a time machine and talking to my younger self.

My little sister just started her own blog and she wrote some nice things. (Check it out right here minivized) Ever since she can remember I have been writing on my blog and now, she is at the age that I was when I started writing. I am happy to know that she is writing and finding a sense of self that way. I want this post to be about her.
You know, after I moved out, I left her behind. I never realized how big of an impact that had on her life. I should have been more considerate, I mean I though about it so many times, about how I missed her and that I had to see her more often. It affected her in a bigger way than most of the things I had been through.

Now that she is moving away with my mom I stop and think about how I am not going to see her at all... I am not going to be able to say that I want to bring her over to my house.. I am not going to be able to invite her to have dinner with me. I won't be able to go over to see how she is doing. She is my little sister and I want to spend as much time as I can with her. It bothers me that I won't be able to see her and that brings me to tell you that you have to value your family and never take them for granted. They are there today and you never know if they will be there for you tomorrow. Don't get caught up on the little things that bother you and make sure you are always there for them because they need you in their lives too and you might never realize the meaning that you have to them or how much they value you..

It took me so long to get this post out there, because I couldn't find the way to tell you guys about this in just any way. My little sister means the world to me. She has known me her whole life and I have known her for most of my life. It is so hard just to write without wanting to stop and cry my heart out because this means too much in my heart and I am afraid that this post is just becoming a bag full of emotions instead of what I want to portray. To tell you guys that if you have siblings to love them even for the bad things they do, even if you think that they are the most annoying thing in life... But one day you are going to sit back and think of all the memories that you have of them and you are going to understand everything I am writing because they won't be there then. There is going to be a day where you guys are going to be separated and you are going to miss the days when you saw them every single day of the week. I know that is what I miss. I miss messing around with my sister, making the silly movies we made. I miss having her around to play video games, I miss talking to her at night and there are a million other things that I used to do with her that I can't anymore... Makes me wish we had more time to spend together...
Little sister, I love you, always remember and never forget!
With love,
Andy  
 PS.... My post On having a sister from years ago....

On family matters...

I am not sure how to start this post, I have been debating on it since this morning and I couldn't come up with something decent, or interesting so I am just going to "wing it" like my husband would say.

My life hasn't been too interesting lately. There are still my family problems, like my parents' divorce and stuff, but I hate to talk about those because they just end up bringing me down.

Last weekend we hanged out with some of my cousins in law and went to the movies. That was fun but it got me thinking.. What ever happened to my cousins. My very best friend in childhood is my cousin but I don't know what is going on in her life. She got married, I know that but I just don't see her anymore. I got married too and I would love to see her anyway, but I don't think that is going to happen.

My other cousin, Mickey, well from what I hear he will be moving away soon, so that is that. I find it hard to believe that I don't have that connection I once had with my family, I understand that I married into a new family and I adapted and don't get me wrong, I love my new family, all my new cousins, all my new relatives. However, it just reminds me how when I was growing up my closest family members were on my dad's side, I wonder if that is going to happen to my kids? I wouldn't mind, it is just a thought...

Anyway, way of topic... I had fun with my cousins' in law and my husband. I enjoy spending time with them and I know it makes my husband happy, so that is fine, I just hope I can spend more time with the family I grew up with as well.... I hope I never stop seeing my cousins, my parents and my little sister whom I adore and love deeply.

Andy

My High School Experience

Since it is Sunday I thought I would reminisce on my past for a few minutes, I mean, why not?

I decided I wanted to think back to my accomplishments and what I remember from High School, I know it's only been like two years but so much has happened in my life that sometimes it feels like it's been ages and ages ago. The other day I was talking about our ten year reunion coming up!

I know there might be some of my High School classmates might be reading, or so I can hope. I know that I can ask you guys to comment if you remember me, but I am not so sure you do. However, point of this post is to try to think back to my High School years... Let's see how much I remember.

I can get started on Freshman year. My classes, hmm, I remember Mrs. Jocham, she is an amazing English teacher and she is, I hope she still is running the book club. Freshmen year is more or less of a blur, there were so many things that happened during that year and yet I can't remember. One thing I do remember is that I had a group of friends, I don't want to mention names because, well just in case any of you high school people from my past are reading this. Anyway, I had a group of friends. It was me and two more, a girl and a boy. We would always be together during the beginning of this year. We might have not had lunch together, oh no we didn't, I remember now, I was kind of lonely freshmen year during lunch, I mean I hanged out with some of my friends but it wasn't the same as those year's mornings at the library study rooms. Oh! You remember now huh!? Well, the one thing that stuck or made its mark for my freshmen year memory was the fact that I broke up my little group of friends. I made my other two friends stop talking to each other because of one stupid rumor. Sucks, but that is what high school is about.

Sophomore year, I joined Journalism and I was so happy! I had been wanting to join Journalism since I was in middle school and for my dream to be coming true, it just made me the happiest sophomore in the school. However, my dream was not just to be in Journalism but become Editor of the Newspaper, which did happen, but hold on a minute, that was after sophomore year. I am not quite sure of anything else that happened my sophomore year, other than me hanging out with my friends, becoming closer and closer to my one friend I still talk to today, and well me writing and having fun in Journalism. I remember I stopped talking a lot to my one guy friend I made the mess with my freshmen year. That sucked, I mean we still talked once in a while, I had a crush on him for a couple of months, but then we seized to be friends like we once were. That was my drama for the year I guess.

Junior year was awesome though, I joined many clubs, Book club being one of them, an arts and crafts club and I think I attended one of the meetings for an anime club. I also had dance that year, advanced dance if I can be brave enough to say it because that didn't make a difference. I loved that class and I think I was the skinniest I could be when I was in it. I performed in two performances during that year and it even lingered in my mind that I should've joined the dance team, but if I had joined dance team I would have had to give up on Journalism because as things were looking I was getting busier and busier working on that paper. I spent hours after school working to help make sure the paper was awesome. I was not going to give that up for dance, even though now I regret not having tried out. I also forgot to mention this was the year when I started dating my husband. That is when my life turned around, at least my love life. So guys can probably imagine why the end of this year is well, mostly gone because I was busy falling in love.

Senior Year.... I can't say it was the way they say it's in movies. I was not Prom Queen, I was not Homecoming Queen, I didn't date a popular guy, I wasn't Valedictorian, I might have been close but no, I didn't do something crazy that would have me remembered for the rest of my life. I didn't get drunk, I didn't get high, I didn't go to those crazy high school parties everyone was talking about, I didn't get pregnant. I didn't do any of that, but I was editor in chief of my newspaper, what I dreamt of achieving during high school. I had the best group of friends I could ever wish for, no one ever backstabbed me and they always supported me, even when I was the only one with a boyfriend. I was dating the man of my dreams and falling in love by the second. I went to Prom with my friends, danced until I couldn't feel my feet. I went to Grad Nite, and I got to throw my little hat looking thing with the tassel up in the air after I graduated. Honestly, I think that is more than anyone could ask for. I enjoyed my High School Years, I had fun, I fell in love, I did what I wanted to do and I came out with beautiful memories that no one will ever be able to take away. So, I am happy with how those years of my life turned out because I am sure that just paved my way to more happy and healthy years in my life.

With love and remembering all my High School peers,
Andy

Finding my other half

Yesterday I posted two very sour things. They kind off killed my mood for the whole day, but that's what happens when a person has to vent. I figured that today would be different. Today I need happy posts. Something that might cheer people up.

I wanted to dedicate this to my husband because he is someone that indeed makes me happy. He makes my days brighter and happier. Whenever I am sad, he does everything to get me to smile. He spoils me everyday.

Before I was dating him I wrote a post about finding my other half, you can read that here. I find that he is just like I described my other half... I found that amazing and found myself thinking about it randomly the other day. It just makes me really happy that I was able to fall in love the way I did with my husband and I know that one day I will have a heck of a story to tell my kids and my grandkids.

My husband might not be perfect, but in this world no one is, you're not perfect, I'm not perfect, no one is. Everyone makes mistakes at some point in life. When looking for someone to share your life with don't look for someone who is perfect because you'll end up looking until your dead. You have to look for some one that will make a match, and if possible don't even look because your other half will come to you. One random day, you'll find out that they were there in front of you the whole time, or that miracles can happen. You'll find the love of your life and you'll live happily ever after.
I wish you the best my friends and good luck finding your soul mate,
Andy

Your friends matter, value them

I graduated from High School almost two years ago... My high school life was fairly normal, I went to a fundamental high school, I had my close group of friends and well I liked it. I mean, it wasn't glamorous and it wasn't scandalous, but it was fun. I don't regret any minute of it.

Out of all my friends I had in High School, I only talk to a counted group. I still talk to the people who bothered to stay in touch after we threw our caps in the air that June afternoon.

Out of all of those, one of them is a very close friend of mine. She has been with me since about freshman year, and even though we ended up taking way different paths after high school she still talks to me. I mean come on! I am going to community college, she is going to University! (Props to her) I moved out of my house right after we graduated and got married and she still enjoying the fun of school. I mean I have that too, but you have to admit that there are a lot of differences there.

Most people, well this is my theory, but I feel like most people would stop talking to someone after they got married because well they're married. Well, at least that's how I feel.. Theory here! However, my friend didn't stop talking to me. I mean we don't hangout and talk as often as we used to but we still keep in touch. The fact that I am one of the people who broke the norm and left her home right after high school doesn't bother and it sure doesn't stop her from talking to me.

My point you ask? Fairly simple, I am sure you have some one like this too... You have a friend that has been there for you in bad and good times. Their name has been on your mind for a couple of minutes now.. So don't let that person go. I beg of you!! They will most likely follow you throughout your life and you'll one day be grateful for having them in your life.

Just a happy friend,
Andy

PS. I know my close friend is reading this.. So thank you for being with me through all these years and not letting me go!:) Looking forward to many more years of friendship :D

What happens when you marry into a family?

I don't know what happens to you... but I can tell you what happened to me...

When I decided that I wanted to move in what boyfriend. It wasn't just a decision I had to make by myself. Since I was moving in with his family, he had to talk to his family and I had to talk to his family. It was like if we got married at the moment I moved in because my husband's family started to introduce me to everyone as his wife. I didn't mind, but I knew they wanted us to get married ASAP.

After a couple of months I got used to it and now that we are married, nothing has really changed with my husbands family because they already treated us like if we were married before.

Anyway, point of the story. When I moved in, I left my former family behind. I mean, my parents are still my parents, my sister is still my sister, but they are no longer the family that knows every single thing about me and my days. For example, they are not the ones I have to report to, to tell that I am going to be home late, for that I have to tell my husband. I mean they know what's going on in my life but they don't know every single detail of my life...

Also, when I decided to be adopted into this family, I also obtained new brothers in law, who are my husbands brothers. Honestly, I miss my sister because hanging out with them is not the same as hanging out with my sister. However, they are a cool pair. I mean, I see them as my little brothers. We play video games, we talk, and we hangout often... It is like what I used to do with my sister but different. I don't know if I am making any sense...

Well, those are just a couple of things that happen when you decide to marry into a family. I mean, you are marrying your husband or wife and not necessarily a family, maybe you don't even know your significant other's family, but you have to keep in mind that after you marry your husband, his family becomes your family and your family becomes his. Specially if you two still live at home with one of the parents... I am not saying that's wrong... I promise you'll move out eventually :)

Happy Saturday!
Andy

Is it okay when married couples play video games?

I have been living with my husband for over a year and a half. We have been living together as a married couple for over a week. Honestly, I don't think much in a relationship has changed. Since the day I moved in I have learned to accept that my husband is a video game player. I am too.

My husband plays video games with his brothers and I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. I believe that a grown man or woman has all the right to play video games even if they are grown up, married or full on professional businessman.

About a month ago I saved up enough money to buy myself a Nintendo DS, and I bought it. I spend a couple of hours of my week playing on that thing, specially pokemon games. Yeah, I can hear you judging me but don't lie, I am sure you would enjoy playing on any type of game console, play station, xbox, you name it.

These past couple of days I have specially been liking playing video games with my husband, and my brothers in law. They have an X-box 360 and own Call of Duty - Black ops II. Before this week I hated playing that, but after these past couple of sessions on the Zombie multiplayer, I actually enjoy it a little. Okay, it is lots of fun. Specially just following my brothers in law and my husband so I won't die in the end.. Ha!


-Andy

Having a pet....

I recently had to surrender my dog to the pound because of... well because of family issues. When I moved in with my boyfriend, I had my dog, and I kind of did the thing where I told my boyfriend that it was both me and my dog or neither one of us. Well, he said yes, and then I asked my parents in law, they reluctantly agreed as well.


I guess I should start with how I obtained my dog in the first place. When I still lived with my parents, my sister and I wanted a dog.. We begged our parents for a dog and they said they would get us one, a tiny one of course with the condition that we cleaned up its mess. My dad took us to the local shelter and there we found so many pretty and cute puppies. When we went up to the people that were in charge we asked what we had to do in order to get a dog. The price, well the price was steep because they did the shots, they neutered them, and handed them out all clean. My father being the stingy person he is, said no.

We walked out of the shelter with no dog and almost in tears because we had fallen in love with so many dogs. On the parking lot there was a couple in a truck attracting much attention. They were giving away puppies. I jumped at the idea and ran over there with my sister. The puppies were pit bull mixes, there was a brown one, a black one, and a little one that was brown and white. My boyfriend grabbed the one that was mixed and before we knew it that was the only puppy left. My sister and I begged my dad to let us keep the puppy, and well since it was free, he couldn't say no. He neglected to tell my mom of this.

Anyway, point is, a couple of months after we obtained our puppy the only ones looking after it was my mom and I. By the way it was a girl. We fell in love with this puppy, we just loved her. We decided at the end to call her Cocoa. Perfect name right?

After I decided to move out, which was after my mom moved out, I knew that our Cocoa would die with only my dad and sister watching after her. So, I brought her with me. My husband's family rents a big house so there was enough space in the back yard for her. We allowed her to run around and she was happy. After a year and so many months... everyone could tell that our Cocoa didn't have the attention she had when she had barely been brought to this house. I neglected to look out after her and I didn't hang out with her as often. My parents in law told me that I either had to get on my doggy and take care of her or give her up. I cried my heart out and I started cleaning up on her mess, showering her once a week, etc.

Everything was good for a couple of months until we found out we might be having to move houses. Once again I felt my heart sink... I was so sad... The day before I got married, I made up my mind.

I got her blankets, her food, her toys and her leash on the car. Heard my Cocoa cry and cry and drove her to the shelter were a year and half ago I had picked her up.
------------------------------------

Moral of my story.... Dogs are wonderful friends and wonderful companions, but they need attention, they need time, they need to be walked and they need a friend in return. I know for a fact that my Cocoa understood me, she recognized me, and she loved me... but sadly, I must have not be that great of an owner...

I will miss my Cocoa, but I do pray that at the shelter she will find a family that will love her more than I ever could.

Missing my puppy,
-Andy

Changing my name after I got married

I know for a fact that there is controversy around this topic...

As some of you guys might now, I recently got married. When I decided I did want to marry my husband I also made another important decision, I changed my name to my husband's name.

Now here is where the interesting part comes in, I am from a Mexican background and my dad is, well let's just say he is more like a traditional Mexican. Point is, my dad is very proud of his last name. I remember very clearly a conversation I heard when I was little. My dad was talking to someone and he told them that he wished he had had sons instead of daughters because now we (My sister and I) weren't going to be able to carry his first name or his last name because when we got married we would lose his last name. This hurt me, and for a second I wished that I had been the son he wanted. I am glad that I wasn't though, I like being a girl, thank you very much.

I don't understand why men, specifically coming from a Hispanic decent, are so worried about last names and passing on theirs. It just doesn't make sense to me. Now, as a wife I have my husbands last name and I am fine with that. I don't mind if I have sons or daughters, and I am sure my husband doesn't mind either. So why are traditional Hispanic dads so worried about their last name??

I come up on a couple of theories, but they don't make sense with my dad. Theory #1: If a family had a family business, I would understand why they would want their kids to have the family's business name, so they can be recognized as part of the business.... But my dad doesn't own a business.
Theory #2: I got nothing........

Anyway, I love my dad and everything but I honestly think that it was heartless to say something like the thing he said those many years ago about wishing he had had at least one son to pass on his last name. I mean come on! He has a bunch of brothers who had sons who will keep the family name running. So why be so heartless to the women... I suppose, at the end of the day, those traditional Hispanic "machos," like I like to call them have to learn a lesson...... Your wife changed her last name for you, so it is fine that your daughter takes someone else's when she marries. Oh! Please stop asking and wishing that your daughters were male!

Sincerely,
Andy