Saturday, April 30, 2011

Honduras: One Word. ADVENTURE!

Wow, no one word really can describe this week but adventure! LOL Not sure if we find adventure or if it finds us! LOL Pretty sure it's a little bit of both!

It's been a good week but....ADVENTUROUS. Some fun moments, some creepy moments. But a good experience! It's all been good though...no worries! :)

I don't even have the time right now to blog about everything but wanted to let you know we arrived back in Tegucigalpa this afternoon. I've kept a journal of everything that happened while we were gone this week so we wouldn't forget anything. :)

So stay tuned...more stories to come! :)

Hope everyone has had a wonderful week!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Sunday in Honduras

Last night, I went to bed with a lot of things on my mind and just thinking about the day. Seems like I just tossed and turned all night, and awake every hour. I finally decided to get up at about 6:15ish and get a shower before everyone else got up. Thank You Jesus I did. Because a few minutes after I was finished...

...the electricity and water went out!!

I feel like a missionary today.

Can you imagine 3 Pentecostal girls trying to get ready for church with no electricity and no running water?! Well...it happened! lol All I can say is Thank You Jesus it's back on now that we are home from church!

Church was an experience! But it was awesome! You could feel the presence of God and they really love to worship God! Everyone was so friendly and made us feel very welcome! Lots of pictures and videos to come after we get back to the states.

We're about to leave for La Ceiba, via a 7 hour bus ride. Then we're headed to our own private island tomorrow!!

We won't have internet access all week, so won't be able to post anything.

Hope yall have a wonderful week! We gotta go! Gotta go soak up some sun...it's Vitamin D right?! hehe Oh, and take in some clear Caribbean waters and some pure white sandy beaches!!!

Later!
K

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Honduran Adventures: Saturday

Today was definitely just that...an adventure!

After we picked Sarah up from the airport, we came back and met V's friend, Olga. We headed up into the mountains this afternoon and explored two quaint little towns. Valle de Angeles and Santa Lucia. Loved it!! It was definitely an interesting experience! It was quite the twist and turns to get up to where we were going. And at times was a little scary to say the least going around the curves. If we would of been any closer, I'm pretty sure we would have fallen off the cliff. You know there are no guardrails. Ok, so maybe that is an exaggeration but that's what it felt like. But nonetheless, the mountains were absolutely breathtaking!

Valle de Angeles was awesome! Quaint little town full of little shops! Yep, you guessed it. We shopped our little hearts out! That's what a girl has to do right? They had the most awesome city centre square! We experienced our first real Honduran meal today. Beef, Sausage, re-fried red beans, Honduran cheese (which was very salty), rice, and fried plantains! Oh, and can't forget the awesome tortillas and amazing lemonada!! In shopping today, I bought a straw hat and a hammock!!! Oh yeah! I just couldn't resist! I feel so Honduran today. LOL They have the coolest taxi cabs too! Wait until you see a picture!

Santa Lucia was a really cool little town, we mainly just drove through it and stopped to take a few pictures here and there. Oh, and we had to make an ice cream stop. It made our day complete. :) A lot of their roads were cobblestone and just made it a really neat experience!

A few things that I observed today:
  • It was nothing to see a donkey, horse, or chickens hanging out on the side of the road
  • We passed a pickup truck with 2 men and a BULL in the back. HA!!
  • Everyone talks to everyone!
  • Everyone kisses anyone and anything!
  • Tons of vegetable/fruit stands on the side of the road
  • Random huts with cooking stations cooking corn
  • Saw them make popusas! Yum! Can't wait to try one here!
  • When the men gotta go, they gotta go. All you gotta do is stop on the side of the road and take a potty break.
  • Women are not ashamed to breast feed their babies in public with no covering.
  • We tried some sort of corn drink today. That's okay. We don't need to experience that again. :)
  • Public restrooms are very few and far between. Nevertheless we found one today!
  • They don't have street signs. How do people know where to go? They say turn by the yellow house....there's 47 yellow houses?! ha!
  • Never in my LIFE would I have EVER thought I would wash my hands with "clean" water out of a trashcan!! LOL All you gotta do is dip the water out with a bowl, wash and rinse your hands and put the bowl back in the "clean" water! HA!!!
Oh my, it was a fun but interesting day. My brain is tired so this is it for now. If I think of anything else, I'll add it to the next post. :)

We will be leaving after church tomorrow, on a 7 hour bus ride, for Le Ceiba. Then going to our very own private island! Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about! Can't wait to soak in some sun and sink my feet in some pure white sand!

We won't have internet access for most of this next week. I'll be sure and document our adventures and blog when we return to Venita's.

Hope you have a wonderful week! Happy Easter!!

Until next time!
K

Adventures in Honduras

We're having a wonderful time in Honduras! Updating two days in a row...this is a record! But for all of you that are worried....we're staying safe!

I got to meet two of Venita's friends yesterday, Olga and Yvonne. Super sweet ladies and so friendly! Olga went with us downtown yesterday afternoon/evening. There was a big cultural event going on and its safer to take a local with you. They made rugs out of colorful sawdust and then they had a processional for the arch-bishop to walk down the rugs. They had these HUGE displays of the crucifixion, followed by the funeral, followed by Mary weeping. It was a neat experience, but I couldn't help but stand there and be thankful to have the Truth! There were TONS of people down there and we had to be really careful with our personal belongings. And most of the time, we walked arm in arm so we could stay together.

Lots of people, lots of incense, lots of smells, lots of sounds, but a neat experience.

This morning we woke up early and Olga came to meet us. We went down to the open air market, but they were closed. A lot of places are closed yesterday and today because of Good Friday. So we didn't get to go to the market, but there were some people selling flowers. Venita bought a couple of flowers and they smelled so good! Cheap too! 25 limperas is about $1.25 USD.

Now, we are waiting on Sarah to arrive on her flight. Remember I said that was another story in and of itself? Well, I have a little more time to explain...so here it goes. :) Yesterday, at the airport in KC, the airline had a different persons passport info on Sarah's airline ticket. Sarah never gave them her passport info so she's not sure how it got on there. There was obviously an error with the airline. They pulled her into a room because they thought she was a terrorist trying to fly with someone else's info. But get this. The odd name that was on there was with the name of George something. Seriously? So, by the time they got it all figured out it was 3 minutes past time she could check in and they wouldn't override it for her. Bah! So needless to say, Sarah is arriving today! Yay! We told her we were going to start calling her Georgie! We're such good friends! LOL

I'm not exactly sure what we are doing the rest of the day. I think we're going to a smaller quaint town. So I'm excited to see what the rest of this day holds.

So many, if not all, of you are probably wondering what Honduras is like. Things I've gathered so far....
  • They drive on the correct side of the road.
  • It's not very clean...liter everywhere.
  • Palm trees almost everywhere you go
  • They drive like crazy people
  • They have American fast food places everywhere! Wendy's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Church's Chicken, KFC. They even have Denny's and Chili's!! Venita said that Denny's ran out of pancake mix the other day. LOL I wasn't so shocked to see Burger King or KFC, but I was the rest...especially Chili's!
  • They have a couple of American banks...HSBC and Citi! They have about 20 banks on every corner.
  • They have a Walmart!
  • People walk on the street (even on BUSY streets) rather than the sidewalks.
  • They have random barrels sitting in the middle of the road.
  • Motorcycles can pretty much do what they want. They whip in and out of traffic...oh wait, the cars do too! It's no big deal though, just scoot over and drive on the side until they move out of the way. ha!
  • All their nice houses are built behind walls.
  • Their housing is random. One house could be a HUGE nice colorful home, and the next home could be a shack. In some areas of town they just pick a spot to build a home (more like what we would call a shack) and they don't even own the land. They just build it anywhere they can find room. Mostly of painted sheets of wood and sometimes metal doors.
  • They have American electricity!
  • You have to brush your teeth with bottled water! Having a hard time getting used to that one.
  • Their kids (especially daughters) don't leave home until they get married. And they are very close to their moms.
  • They have mango trees!
  • You can see the mountains driving around the city!
  • They don't have many side streets that are through streets. You have to go the roundabout way.
  • Their wiring here is CRAZY!! It's one BIG MESS!!! You'll believe it when you see a picture!
  • There are random guards standing on the street corners with massive guns.
  • They have nice shopping malls.
  • Their sidewalks are sometimes concrete, sometimes tile.
  • There is a guy that walks the neighborhood that V lives in yelling "AGUA"...he's selling those big 5 gallon jugs for 33 limpiras, which is about $1.50!
That's about it for now...going to eat some breakfast before we head to meet Georgie...er I mean Sarah at the airport! hehehe Hope she doesn't have any issues like I did getting through customs. LOL

Until next time...

Friday, April 22, 2011

Hello from Honduras!!

Hey everyone!! Just wanted to give a quick shout out from Honduras!! It's been quite the adventurous day!! Keep in mind that the last two nights combined I've only gotten 6 hours of sleep. Woke up 15 minutes before we had to leave the house this morning-so talk about rushing around! ha! I got to the airport and get up to security, and the security lady looks at me and says, "Did you just get married?" "Umm, No?" Why do people always ask me RANDOM questions?! HAHA!! So then, my friend Sarah was flying with me and something happened with her ticket (that's a whole 'nother story in and of itself) and she couldn't fly out until tomorrow. *sniff* So I'm sitting at the gate and the biggest thunderstorm ever rolled through and our plane is delayed for 30 minutes! Which means....we arrived in Houston and I had 15 minutes to get to my connecting flight. Seriously? I was 3 terminals away and that airport is HUGE!!! Pretty sure if I walked any faster, my legs would have fallen off. LOL I finally get to the gate and thankfully they had delayed the flight for about 30 minutes. Whew! So I finally make the flight! That was a relief!

So we land in Tegucigalpa, safely I might add. They have one of the shortest runways ever...so when they land and not go back up in the air...everyone claps! ha! And that they did...everyone clapped as we landed! Got off the plane, get the luggage, and head over to customs! Hmm now THAT I almost didn't make it through custom's because I didn't have Venita's address! OOPS! The lady said, "Miss, I HAVE to have an address!" "Um, I'm sorry but I don't have the address to my friends home, I know where she works, but don't have an address." With a big sigh and a heavy stamp on the passport, she thankfully let me though customs just fine!!! Yay!!

So with that being said, Venita was there with a big smile and a welcoming warm hug....Thank God for besties!! As we traveled to her house, I saw several guards standing on the street with the BIGGEST guns you've ever seen! HA!! No worries, we're safe! :)

Now, we're hanging out at Venita's before we head to go downtown! They have a big cultural event going on this afternoon that we're going to be apart of! Yippie!

So, just wanted to say hi and update you on this crazy adventurous day!! I'll update when I can!

Until next time!! :)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Leavin' on a Jet Plane......

So, this week has pretty much been insanely busy but nothing really too exciting to blog about. In fact, there really hasn't been anything too exciting to blog about the past couple of months. Just me myself and I going to church, to the gym, and work...that's pretty much my life these days.

Last night was a rough night for me. If only I could explain how my heart feels right now, I would. Sometimes you just have to cry yourself to sleep. Last night was one of those nights. Love hurts sometimes. Let's just say that I only got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep. But on a happier note, I'm so glad that we can trust in God. Admidst the sadness and pain, God is always there for us, He's faithful, and One that we can ALWAYS trust in. He's knows what His perfect plans are for us! One of my favorite scriptures is:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5

Today, I'm so glad that I took the day off of work! I've been running around all day trying to get errands run and now...it's time to do some hard core packing!! Tomorrow is the big day! Leavin' on a jet plane.......to......HONDURAS!!! We'll be gone for 10 days! I'm not sure how much internet access that we will have, if any, so I may not be able to update until our return! Can't wait to spend time with my besties! It's a much needed break!

For part of our trip, we are renting a private island! And I am oh so excited about that! Can't wait to soak up some Honduran sun, sink my feet in some pure white sand, and wade in some clear blue Caribbean water!!! YES! That's what I'm talking about! No worries, there will be LOTS of pictures coming upon our return!! :)

For those of you following this blog due to Trendy Bliss...be sure and check back in a couple of weeks. There will be lots of new designs coming upon my return to the states! Very excited about it!!

That's about it for now! Time to start packing!! 6:00am flights are WAY to early for this sister girl...especially when you live almost an hour away from the airport! ha!

Hope yall have a wonderful week and I'll update soon!!!

-Muah

Thursday, April 14, 2011

It's Been Awhile...

So its been awhile since I've actually posted something "personal" on here! Guess I'll take a couple of minutes to "catch up"! It seems as though things have been really hectic, but at the same time, not a lot of exciting things going on. Lately, my life pretty much consists of working full time, lots of church (which I love!), and going to the gym! It's pretty much my every day life, until... You get sick. I came down sick last weekend and did absolutely nothing all weekend! If you know me well, then you know that is NOT me! There is ALWAYS something going going! Thankfully I only had fever for a night and got on the mend soon! If you follow me on facebook, you know that I've got an upcoming trip to HONDURAS! With that being said, this past Monday I had to get shots. I don't do needles. But I didn't pass out this time. Yay! :) Needless to say, the shots made me sick. But I guess thats what you get when you have Thyphoid and HepA shots injected to you. I'm not a fan. I have to start taking Malaria pills in a couple of days and I'm praying they don't make me sick. My sister Darla and her hubby Jonathan are back home so I'm excited that I get to talk to the "beebie" again! I got to feel the beebie kick last night! It was the coolest thing! God is really blessing Trendy Bliss! I'm very excited at the things He is opening for my lil business! I'm shooting a wedding this weekend...pray saints! :) So be on the look out for a sneak view! :) 7 more days until my friend Sarah and I leave on a jet plane for Honduras!! I can't wait to see our friend Venita! We'll be hanging out with her for a few days then we're going out to basket in some Honduran sun on our very own private island!! Oh yeah, baby, thats what I'm talking about!! Hope things are going well in YOUR world! Would love to hear from you and know what is going on with YOU! Until next time...

Trendy Bliss: Newest Addition to Tote Bags!

We have some new additions to our Tote & Handbags dept!! It's our signature polkadot tote bag with felt flowers in Fuschia, Kelly Green, and Yellow! Price: $25.00

Our signature tote bag with teal felt flowers!


Price: $25.00


Want to know a little secret?!


These felt flowers are attached to our tote bags with velcro! This allows you to MIX and MATCH any color you prefer!!! And....


We are now selling trio flower combinations in ANY color!!! For just $15.00!


You can also visit us on Facebook.....come join us as a FAN and "LIKE" us today!!! To order any of our products, feel free to visit our online Etsy shop here! Or contact us via Facebook or Email at trendy.bliss.kc@gmail.com!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Trendy Bliss: Now Released! Bags and Totes!!

It's finally here!!

This new polkadot tote bag is the perfect bag for Spring and Summer!! It's complete with a trio felt flower addition in hot pink, orange, and yellow!

Price: Only $25.00!



Up close view of the flowers...

Spring has Sprung!!

I love spring time!! I love to see all the trees starting to bud and get the most gorgeous flowers on them! Don't get me wrong...I love winter time but after 6 months of being cold, bundled up, and all the bare trees...I only dreamed of wearing flip flops, tshirts, getting a much needed tan, and basking in the SUN!


I LOVE seeing the SUN shine...


...and the GREEN grass!!


This is our backyard. It's flat for about 20 feet then goes straight UP. Once you're at the top, you can see the neighbors driveway across the street, over our house! lol
And I LOVE red-bud trees! This is a Dogwood tree that is in our back yard. Yep, its the state flower...and its beautiful! So if you haven't been able to get out and enjoy the sunshine yet...do it! You won't regret it! :) Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Trendy Bliss: SNEAK PEAK

If you've been following my Facebook at all then you know that I've been working on a NEW LINE that I'm hoping to release soon!! I LOVE this new line!! It definitely puts me into the mood for SPRING and SUMMER! :)

I was hoping to get it released this weekend but I came down sick. You know...the whole achy, fever, getting chills thing? Its definitely not a fun weekend. Thankfully the fever is gone now though. But with that being said I'm getting caught up on getting things posted! Yippie!

So...here is what you've been waiting for....kind of! :) Here is a SNEAK PEAK!

Trendy Bliss: Easter Decor

Looking for something to help decorate your home for Easter?!

Order here for just $5.00!!

Trendy Bliss: Trio Classic Bloom

Trendy Bliss has just released The Classic Bloom flower! It's a trio black flower with a touch of red feathers and black netting. You may purchase this flower in our Etsy Shoppe here!

Price: $15.00

A BIG Thank You to Ragen for being a model for Trendy Bliss!!


Here is a closer view of it!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Trendy Bliss: Duo Brown Layered Rosette Flower

Trendy Bliss has now posted another listing in our Etsy shoppe! This Duo Brown Layered Rosette with a touch of brown and white feathers and added pearls is just what you need to spice up your outfit!

Price: $13.50



Here is a closer view...


Come on by our Trendy Bliss Facebook page and "like" us! Lots of new items coming up!