Category Archives: Blog

Blog, Projects

New Headshots!

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It’s been awhile you guys! I have been working on my tiny home project all summer which has been draining my energy to do much else. I connected someone from the QEWM group on Facebook to redo my headshots. And we did the shoot this past Friday. I’m super excited to getting around to updating the imagery on this website.

In other news my tiny home exterior is nearly done I just have to secure a roof, finish up the siding and put the door up. Physically I’m just over the project so it’s been hard to find motivation but trying really hard to finish this by the end of the year. I’ve been kinda insecure about my body lately since I’m just trying to take care of myself internally and it doesn’t always reflect physically: i.e comfort foods, extra sleep, etc.! so I chose an outfit that would loosely drape over my curves and I think it turned out OK.

News

Shop Updates

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I’m very excited to announce some exciting changes to my online shop. I’ve been in contact with several manufacturers to make my product dreams come true!! See below for what’s to come.

Activities, Blog, Curacao, Lifestyle, Travel

Activities: Day Passes at an All-Inclusive

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WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO – Since this trip to Curacao was extra special as I was celebrating my 30th birthday and as a solo traveler I also had to budget my time and money. I wanted the ‘unlimited’ drinks experience you can get at an all-inclusive. So Sunday afternoon, I went to the Acoya Hotel where I purchased a $65 dollar night-pass where you can have unlimited food and drinks. I had several drinks, a late lunch at the bar and a dinner at the Lakeside Grill restaurant. I really enjoyed my time at Acoya and definitely would’ve booked my stay there if I had a little bit more money. 

Saturday was my actual birthday and Avila Beach Hotel kindly gave me a beach day pass for that day. I explored the property and spent about 4 hours there before making my way to my dinner reservation.

Acoya Curacao Resort

Greeted by breezy island palms, ACOYA CURACAO Resort, Villas and Spa is an upscale resort nestled in the heart of Curaçao. The apartment styled suites and spacious villas are tranquil, family-friendly retreats with a wide array of amenities and services. Centrally located to Curacao’s most beautiful beaches, famous dive spots and exciting tourist attractions.

 

 

Avila Beach Hotel

The Avila Beach Hotel is a centrally located luxury beachfront resort in Willemstad on Curacao with an authentic soul, two private Beaches and Cultural & Culinary events. It is the oldest operational hotel in Curacao and has received many awards from notorious international travel platforms such as TripAdvisor, Fodor’s Travel and New York Times.

Blog, News

Website Reorganization

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You may have noticed that the media library is no longer listed in the navigational menu. This is because I am attempting to simplify my online organization as much as possible and found the concept of merchandise collections did not align with the concept of a media library. It subdivided the items too much where they ended up getting lost in a sequence of pages. A collection of merchandise is easier to maintain as it will allow me to add singular items to the shop without it being out of place. From a marketing perspective, it’s also a fun way to organize collections especially if they are thematic. Media – prints, books, digital downloads, etc. may be still referred to as media throughout the website but it will be better organized. Happy shopping!

 

Blog, Entrees, Lifestyle, Recipes, Topwind Diner

Lifestyle: Recipe – Mexican Street Corn and Homemade Tortillas

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Seems like it’s been awhile since I posted a recipe! Sorry about that! I have gotten a lot of new cooking inspiration  lately and been indulging in that. My parents gifted me the Ninja Foodi 4-in-1 Grill for Christmas so I’ve been enjoying grilled food in my apartment! Once I have a worthy recipe to post I will. I’ve mostly been enjoying burgers and salmon. Today I have a meal combo I couldn’t resist posting about. I adapted thestayathomechef’s Mexican Street Corn soup, thickened it up and put it on homemade tortillas!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small white onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno minced
  • 5 cloves garlic crushed
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 6 cups frozen corn kernels
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream half and half, or milk
  • 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro

Toppings:

  • 1/2 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • 1 jalapeno sliced
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and minced jalapeno and sauté for about 5 minutes, then stir in garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.
  • Stir in the flour, cumin, and chili powder and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock until smooth and bring to a boil. Add in the corn, sugar, and salt. Once it returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
  • Stir in cream and cilantro. Serve topped with crumbled bacon, cotija, and jalapeno slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1797mg | Potassium: 590mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1585IU | Vitamin C: 11.7mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 2.3mg
Blog, Curacao, Lifestyle, Realize, Travel

Realize: Colegio Nechi Pieterz

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WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO – After my snorkeling tour since it was a one-on-one session I had gotten to know the tour guide who told me a bit about his charity work he was doing for a local school after learning that I work in grocery and at a community grocery store in social media. I do not think it’s a coincidence that I met him and my boss loved his story. After raising the initial money for the school to restore it and rebuild the kitchen he is doing a heritage/cultural challenge by kayaking from Amsterdam to Curacao since that is how his family came over to the island. This school is for children from broken, abusive, and toxic families and is working on turning it also into an oasis for them to escape. He wants me to help with the social media promotion part on his challenge so it could lead to a paid gig. But this story/experience certainly fits under the ‘realize’ category of my blog! Below are the pics from a brief tour of the school and meeting the principle. 

Kolegio Nechi Pieters is a Roman Catholic school and comes under the Central Roman Catholic School Board Foundation (RKCS). The school was founded in 1977 and is located in the Buena Vista district. The school was first called “Santa Martha School”. In February 1977 the Roman Catholic School Board changed the name to “Jozef Cornelius Nechi Pieters” or Nechi Pieters. The name chosen for a school is that of a talented teacher who has worked in education for more than 40 years. Besides being a teacher, Nechi is also a gifted painter. The choice of the Roman Catholic School Board to rename the Santa Martha school in Kolegio Nechi Pieters is related to the fact that Nechi Pieters was a good example for children and to keep remembering him as a a good teacher and painter.

 

 

Blog, Curacao, Inquiry, International, Travel, World

Inquiry: Landhuis Chobolobo – Blue Curacao Cocktail Workshop

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WILLEMSTAD, CURAÇAO – Friday, I went to the Landhuis Chobolobo Cocktail Workshop and learned how to make a cocktail with the Blue Curacao Liquor. I highly recommend this workshop for any foodie as it was very informative and entertaining. The workshop started with a tour of an exhibit of how the liquor was made, then a tasting and a workshop to make two cocktails. After the workshop I had dinner at the Cabana beach club near my hotel. A taxi ride got me to the tour and back to the hotel and I was able to reserve and book through the website – Viator.com.

Here is some info about Landhuis Chobolobo (Landhuis is the word for plantation).

  • Landhuis Chobolobo is one of Curacao’s most renown 19th-century country mansions
  • Visit the Curacao Liqueur Distillery
  • Learn everything about the Genuine Curacao Liqueur and the island of Curaçao
  • Taste a sample of our fine craft Genuine Curacao Liqueurs
  • Have a unique cocktail experience in our Chobolobo’s Cocktail Workshop
  • Grab a bite or try our locally made ice cream
  • Find original Curacao souvenirs and gifts

 

 

Blog, Curacao, International, Residencies, Travel, World

Residency: The Pier Beach Inn and Suites

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WILLIAMSTAD, CURAÇAO – For my 30th birthday trip, I recently went to Curacao. It was a relatively easy destination to navigate, however, a rather long flight. It was closer to 9-10 hours rather than my usual 6-8 hours. I hadn’t gone anywhere since Greenland so I wanted this trip to be a little extra special. I must say trying to book Curacao on a budget was a little challenging. I ended up changing and canceling hotels a couple of times since the taxi rides from the airport were super expensive at night since that was when I was arriving.

Through my planning, I came upon The Pier Beach Inn and Suites and was a short walk away from the beach clubs that I was planning to go to. I ended up splitting my time with an activity in the morning and then beach time midday to sunset than with dinner

The Pier Beach Inn and Suites was exceptional for an economic option in Curacao. It was extremely clean, close to the desired location, had satisfying breakfast options, accommodating and friendly staff who were super helpful with travel hiccups. Though there was a rooster outside of my window most mornings that’s beyond their control.