Celia Brews It Over

My tailgating crew is planning a summer get-together for next month and I'm sooo excited! This group has stuck by my side over the last 18 months and gave me an outlet to just be! If you're in Houston, a fan of the University of Houston Cougars & looking for a group to have a good time with let me know, we would love to have you come tailgate with us this next season!

Two. 


When I moved into my new place I didn't realize with taller ceilings you would need things like longer shower curtains. My old ones were hilarious to try to shower with. I'm surprised I didn't have a puddle of water on the ground each day. Oh well, it gave me a reason to order a cacti shower curtain and I'm SO in love with it! I'm obsessed with cacti and I'm trying real hard not to order all the cacti things for my place.


Three.

I'm currently reading The Nice Girl Syndrome by Beverly Engle. This book was recommended to me by my therapist after learning all the details of my marriage/divorce, my "relationship" with #CarGuy and my dating adventures with #DrummerBoy.

To be honest, I never considered myself a nice girl. My ex-husband used to always call me a b*tch anytime I spoke up for myself, other women, or expressed a different view point. So, eventually I believed it.

At the beginning of this book she has a list of about 20 questions to see if this book is for you. I answered yes to nearly all of them. Heartbreaking.

This has been a slow read for me because there are some chapters that it seems as if she is talking directly to me. The description of the person or the situation was horrifyingly similar.

Working on myself has been wonderful and I will continue to do it for the rest of my life, but boy oh boy I tell ya sometimes it is hard to stare the things you need to work on straight in the face!

Four. 



I snagged these shoes at Five Below to wear on a date with #Spurs to Six Flags San Antonio. (You first heard about him here.) Let me tell ya, these shoes were a hit! I had so many people stop to ask me where I got my shoes! & to think I almost didn't snag them because I really wanted cacti shoes! Now I want all the pineapple things too!

Five. 


2017 was a year I laid low. I allowed myself to heal, and slowly rediscover myself. One thing that never changed was my desire to travel. Last November I decided I was done waiting to experience life with someone and I was going to live life for myself. I contacted my girls who live in Jersey and NY, looked at Southwest's low fares calendar and booked myself a vacation to go to the city I dreamed of visiting since I was a little girl! I'll have a full post coming up about my experience next week!

Cheers to the weekend, I'm counting down the hours until #Spurs gets into town tonight!

xo,
Cel

I chopped my hair. Again. I can't decide if I like it or not. I will tell  you that whom ever said short hair was less maintenance lied. When I had extra long hair I could pull off a messy look in about two seconds. If you have any tips for styling short hair, send them my way. This girl is lost. This is the shortest I've ever had my hair.

All I needed was an inch or so chopped because I burned my hair while listening to a podcast. I mean, I wasn't expecting the woman to say "It's like when a man respects you too much, the sex is boring. DON'T RESPECT ME IN THE BEDROOM!" ... it was a podcast about creativity! I'm lucky I didn't have coffee in my mouth. That would have been sprayed everywhere. Anyway, I asked my friends for their opinion on my hair cut and then while sitting in the chair figured we would go a little wild and just chop it all off!

I can't see myself keeping my hair short, but only time will tell!

Two. 


I received my Unity Bracelet in that I ordered from my friend and I love it so much! It's so dainty and pairs well with my Apple Watch + pretty much anything that I wear. The best part about this bracelet is that all net proceeds will be donated to the HollyRod foundation, a foundation dedicated to providing care and research for those living with Autism and their families. If you want to order one for yourself the direct link is here. My friend has a goal to sell 50 & they're only $19! 

Three. 



I went on a first date this weekend & had an amazing time. With a guy. Who drove in from San Antonio to meet me. Bought us tickets to the Astros vs Rangers game. Took me out for pizza after. Stayed sober & stayed up until 4am chatting away with me. He also came with a gift that he made for me that's 100% me! 



I have a blog post brewing on what will land you a 0.01% chance of getting a first date with me. I seriously can't even with some men.

Four. 



Now that I'm all settled in to my place and I don't have anymore sickies I've been managing to head down to my parent's place at least once a week! It's been refreshing and feels like a little get-away from the city. I love catching up with them. I've noticed, not only have I grown over the last 18 months, they have too. Both as a couple, parents and individuals. 

Five. 


Since moving my friends have asked me if I have checked out the local night life. The answer is no. I'm only about 15mins from my office and everything I need is within 20mins of me. I've really been enjoying being home & not being completely exhausted from my day because of my ridiculous commute. I've been able to nest, cook, clean, and do my laundry at my leisure AND have down time in the evenings whether it is sitting out on my balcony or cuddled up with my furbabe watching a TV show before getting some rest.

I've also been able to spend time with my work family some evenings, so I guess I have explored a little night life. 


In selecting my apartment, I made sure I got everything I could possibly want. I knew I wanted to spend a lot of time just being home. Once I have a few more things on the walls, and a couple more pieces of furniture I'll do a little home tour for you. For now you can follow me on IG stories or SnapChat (Cel.Ybarra) to get glimpses.


xo,
Cel

Happy Monday! I can't believe I'm 99% settled into my new place. All I need to do is hang some items on the walls and buy a couple plants.

My welcome to my new area wasn't exactly what I had expected though.

On Friday and Saturday my parents, my aunt and a couple of my dragon-boat brothers helped move me approximately 50 miles across town. It went as smoothly as I could have asked for.

Saturday morning I woke up early(ish) and planned to grab breakfast before I headed to my old apartment to gather the last of things and make the place squeaky clean. My car was missing! Initially I thought someone stole my car! I used my little clicker in hopes that maybe in all the exhaustion I remembered incorrectly and my car was just in another spot. No luck.

Google to my rescue. There's a number in each area you can call to see if your car has been towed. I called, yes, my car had in fact been towed. I could have let this ruin my day but I thought to myself, at least my car wasn't stolen. My Uber driver had a very similar experience and let me know that this side of town doesn't play around with towing. I had wanted to clean my windshield before I placed my parking sticker on my car, but as soon as I left that tow yard I put my parking sticker on!

The tow yard was another experience. They didn't take me to my car after I paid them my $230 dollars, they just told me to go into the yard and use my clicker to locate my car. I'm thankful I can easily laugh at situations these days.

I already have a couple great memories from my two moving days and I'll cherish those forever and ever. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to surround me.


Sunday I thought I was sore, exhausted and sniffle-y from my move, by Tuesday I learned I had the Flu, Type B. Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

I got to know my apartment very well, I chose the correct couches as they are super comfy and perfect for lounging. I've got an amazing day and night poolside view and the breeze is great when I open my balcony door. The guy I'm dating, #DrummerBoy, visited me and even got me down poolside for a little while to get some fresh air.

Today was the first day I woke up with no fever! Here's to healthier days and continuing to love my new place! Oh & no more getting my car towed! Ha!

Abrazos y Besitos!

Celia

I find it fitting that National Margarita Day marks one year of living on my own post-separation+divorce. My friends know that I can hardly resist a good margarita!



Last year I started moving into my apartment on this very day. My Dad and his friend moved all the heavy stuff right away and then my best friend and I started moving all the little things. There were so many trips for what little I was taking with me! Then again, our moving vehicles were a Mini Cooper and a Jetta!

We took a break for lunch to meet up with #CarGuy at Torchy's. It was just supposed to be a taco and a margarita, then back to moving. Yea, we were drunk in no time. It was National Margarita Day! I even bought an entertainment center that night and didn't remember what I bought the next day. It was a fun and memorable day nonetheless.

I'll admit, I was scared shitless to live on my own. I never had before, sure I had major adult financial responsibilities earlier than anyone else I know. But, I had never lived on my own. I went from my parents house, to living with my ex-husband. I was on my own for the first time, at 32.

Originally I was going to move out in December of 2016, but when it came down to it I was paralyzed & couldn't stop throwing up when I would try to do anything. This would be why I lost 40lbs during the separation phase. I think what made this move easier and doable was in December, no one knew, I didn't have much support. By February 2017, my friends and family knew about my plans for divorce and supported me 100%. I started forming my support group, and let me tell you, they were my strength!




A few months later I ordered a bed-frame from Wayfair (obsessed with this app!) and picked up some cute decorative pillows from Target!


I have an obsession with maps and globes, so I ordered a tapestry from Amazon to hang in my living room. It really made my place feel like it was mine.


I'm so happy that my first place felt like home immediately, and it took my little furnuggets no time at all to settle in.

In this home, I learned that I am stronger than I ever gave myself credit for & I can't hang anything without adding numerous holes in the wall, no matter how many names I measured! I hosted my parents for dinners, had girls nights and sleepovers with my bestie, hosted family for lunches, and took time to care for myself. Nights cuddled up on the couch with a candle lit, a good book and my furbabes in my lap, those were my favorite. This place was my sanctuary.

It wasn't all happy moments in my new home, there were many breakdowns, days/nights lying on the kitchen/bedroom floor thinking I was never going to make it through this. Days I didn't think I could get out of bed. It was all just a part of the grieving process, with time, and with a strong support group surrounding me those days/nights became less and less.

Now, my place is slowly being packed up and I'll soon have my second home. I hope I love it just as much.