Trinidad Carnival Countdown!

I'm heading home this year to celebrate one of the biggest street parades and what we call "The Greatest Show on Earth" -  Trinidad Carnival!

Carnival takes place in February every year and people dress up in fancy costumes and party on the streets for 2 days dancing to local music. You can read more here.

Tomorrow will be exactly 1 month til I fly home to see my friends & family so the excitement has kicked in!! The costume that I'm signed up with is called Diable Melasse. 

As you can see the costumes are very skimpy so I've been trying to get my fitness on and eat healthy so I can not only feel good in the costume but also SURVIVE 2 days of partying in Trinidad's blazing hot sun.

 My workout program has been Zumba, Yoga, Body Works & Abs classes in an attempt to achieve my "costume bod" ;-)

I've been also seeking out some healthy recipes to experiment with. I tried Helen's Winter Vegetable Soup recipe this past weekend because it looked yummy. She posted the recipe on her blog last week and it was delicious and filling.

I'm also linking up with Helene and Emily for Tell Me About It Tuesday.

What 2013 adventures are you counting down to?

Farewell 2012: Highlights & Adventures

2012 has been a wonderful year filled with some very memorable and life-changing experiences.

We spent last New Years in Tobago with my friends from back home. We threw a NYE party at the house we rented and had a blast dancing and mixing drinks.

 

Every morning we awoke to 90 degree weather in Tobago and spent our days relaxing on the beach until the sun went down.

In February we went to Disney's Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

In May I was the maid of honor for one of my best friend's wedding. 

 

June was a huge month for us as we got married! We had an outdoor wedding at Paradise Cove in Orlando. We had friends and family travel in from all over the world so it was an incredibly special day & one I'll never forget.

We did a mini honeymoon in St Pete Beach, FL since we had a big trip to Jamaica planned for the following month for my cousin's wedding.

St Pete Beach is a really cute beach town on the west coast. Unfortunately it rained most of the weekend so we stayed in our hotel room and caught up much needed sleep and relaxation after a busy wedding week entertaining guests.

In July we traveled to Negril, Jamaica for my cousin's destination wedding and our "official" honeymoon. 

 We stayed at an awesome all-inclusive resort on Negril beach and spent some quality time with my whole family.

 

We also took a charter boat out on the coast of Negril's 7 mile beach and visited the world famous Rick's cafe where the locals do cliff diving. 

 In October we took a 3-day cruise from to the Bahamas. We toured Nassau and got to eat some local food ~ conch fritters and conch salad.

 The cruise also took us to Coco Cay which is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean.

In December we visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for my work holiday party. 

And finally, yesterday I made a big purchase to start off 2013 right ;-)

I'm looking forward to what 2013 has in store for me. 13 is my lucky number!!

Here We Go!

Hi everyone! Here goes my first blog post.... (I have actually been blogging for the past 6 years for my job but finally decided to start my own personal blog spot that I can use to share with friends and the world). For the most part, I don't plan on focusing on one specific topic but mainly just everything I love - friends, fitness, fashion, food and everything fun!

So to give you a better introduction of myself, I've decided to list my top 10 interests, passions, and all-time faves:

#1: Family & Friends

My family and friends come first, of course!! My parents and most of my childhood friends live thousands of miles away in Trinidad, but I have also built an amazing network of friends in Florida over the past 10 years. I love socializing, entertaining and just being among friends and family. I was so lucky last June when my friends and family flew in from all over the world to be here for our wedding day. Yup! I had 10 bridesmaids who arrived from Trinidad, England and the US. My husband had 7 of his best guy friends who all grew up together in Florida. It was the greatest feeling having all our loved ones in the same place at the same time and getting to introduce everyone. Our wedding was beautiful and an absolute blast (more to come about the wedding)!

Our Wedding Party

My Best Friends

#2: My Husband

This is probably a good time to introduce my other half. K was born & raised in Florida and attended UCF where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Finance. He currently works in Sales for a well-known company nationwide and enjoys his job. I also attended UCF but we never met until a few years after college through mutual friends. K is a fun-loving and caring husband who works hard and also enjoys having fun and hanging out with friends.

My other faves come in no particular order...

#3: Traveling

This is a huge passion of mine and I still have A LOT to accomplish in this category! In my 28 years, I have traveled to a few provinces in Canada, several states in the US and several islands throughout the Caribbean but I hope to see so much more. My dream destination to visit before I die is Bora Bora - a French Polynesian island in the Pacific Ocean. It looks so magnificent and peaceful.

Bora Bora - Tahiti

#4: My Home Country - Trinidad & Tobago

I was born and raised in Trinidad and obviously still have a huge attachment to my home, mainly the culture, the people, the food and the beauty of the island. I miss all of those things especially my family and friends that live there! Trinidad & Tobago are two islands but one country and are the most southern Caribbean islands that sit right above South America (Venezuela). The weather is warm all year long and the people are friendly. I try to visit for the holidays and special occasions to get a dose of everything that I love, but I also love my life in Florida. I'll be talking more about Trinidad and some fun upcoming events.

The Caribbean Chain

#5: Fitness & Health

I've recently been focusing on this aspect of my life which I neglected for a long time. I'm back going to the gym regularly and trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Of course I am not perfect and still enjoy the finer things in life. Or should I say, the funner things in life? Love a glass of wine or a dirty martini but back to the topic... My faves are Yoga and Zumba but I also do a few other fitness classes and dumbbell exercises. I have a special love for the Yoga "state of mind" & lifestyle. I still have a lot to accomplish in this category and I to share my inspirations and motivations via this blog.

#6: Beaches & Boating

 

Could you tell yet that I love beaches and sunny tropical places? LOL this one is a no brainer... What better place to live than Florida (or the Caribbean) to enjoy the sun, beach and water. K and I take  weekend trips to different beach towns within Florida. It allows me to get somewhat of a traveling fix but on a cheaper budget. My favorite beaches in Florida are Siesta Key and St. Pete Beach, both on the west coast. I am hoping one day to settle down and live in a cute beach town that reminds me of home.

#7: Shopping & Fashion

This girl loves to shop, however, being on a budget often gets in the way ;-) I love finding deals and special buys which I will now be able to share with you. I shop online almost weekly whether it's for clothing, cosmetics, electronics, household items or gifts for others, I much prefer to browse online to compare items and prices. I'm also signed up for just about every mailing list so special deals often find me. Some of my favorite places to shop at Victoria Secret, Macy's, Target, Express, Ulta, Forever 21, Amazon, eBay, etc.

Recently Pinterest has been an awesome resource for fashion advice, although my wallet is freaking out a bit since I became friends with Pinterest. Now that the weather has cooled down, I'm loving all the new outfits and styles.

#8: The Internet

My geeky side comes out now. I've been working in the digital media and internet technology industry for the past six years so half of my life is spent on the internet. I love working in this industry and playing in this industry (online shopping, Facebook, emails, Pinterest, and now blogging!) so for that I have to be thankful for the Internet.

#9: Cooking & Recipes

I have to admit I don't have a whole lot of time during the week to focus on cooking but on the weekends or special occasions I love trying out new recipes.  During the week I cook quick 30-minute meals that are pretty simple such as chicken stir-frys or spaghetti but when I have time I love testing my cooking skills. Pinterest has also been a great help for helping to find delicious and creative recipes for entertaining and for the holidays.

#10: Purple & Sparkly

I know this is a strange interest but ever since high school I have always been attracted to all things purple or sparkly. As a teenager I used to rave about having a purple car when I grow up and I often chose outfits or accessories that were very sparkly.  Knowing this about me, my girl friends planned the theme of my bachelorette around dressing up in purple & sparkly outfits and going out for a night on the town. Now that I'm a bit more grown up, my fascination for purple and/or sparkly has somewhat dwindled but it's still there. I still like to wear sparkly outfits or jewelry and I also used purple and champagne as my wedding colors.  I loved my wedding cake below,

Our Wedding Cake

Well I hope that helps you to get to know me a little better and I hope to start connecting with more bloggy friends soon.

xoxo

Emily