Go Barelegged This Winter!

Wearing a short skirt with  over-the-knee boots, or probably just wearing some socks, or anything you can come up with as long as you show some skin is definitely a great idea to give a playful touch to any outfit. This time, I chose to mix my skirt with my brand new embroidered sweater. I love how the beads give it a romantic touch, while keeping it edgy!

Love,

Embrace The Cold With A Casual Outfit

Last Saturday, my friends and I decided we should spend the day at an international horse show that was taking place about an hour away from the city. We decided we should do the whole road-trip thing, and it was actually a lot of fun!

It was pretty cold––especially when the night came and the Final Round started––so I decided to wear some good, warm layers. But this of course didn't mean I had to wear an all-boring warm outfit! Boyfriend jeans, a huge jumper half-tucked into my jeans, and two scarves wrapped around my neck were meant to keep me cold-free. And a classic tailored coat topped the layers up.

I decided to leave my ankles free, because you can still show some skin during the winter––and trust me, it makes you feel good! And I took my new purse out, to show it off with some of my favourite bracelets. Sunglasses were also essential!

Love,

Celebrate Valentine's Day -- Single

Valentine's Day tends to be rejected by anyone who's single. For some reason, if you don't have a beloved sweetheart, all the hearts in the air might seem a little disgusting. But this doesn't mean you can't  have a great time celebrating love. You can love yourself, your friends, and your family. Who needs a man (or a girl, whichever you like) to feel happy and fulfilled?

1. Have A Romantic Date With Yourself

My first idea for Valentine's Day celebration is having a romantic date with yourself. This is something I really enjoy to do every once in a while when I'm tired and don't want to go out on a Friday night.

You'll only need your favourite PJs, some old movies you enjoy (my personal favourites tend to be chick flicks I enjoyed as a teenager –say, What A Girl Wants, 500 Days of Summer, and all that stuff). Get a box of chocolates, and order your favourite food. A good glass of wine is optional.

Get inside your bed, and have the best time you could have ever asked for. When you wake up on Saturday, you'll only be able to smile for the great time you had with yourself on Valentine's Day.

2. Go Out With Your Friends

Yes. Friends are the best things that could ever happen to us. They love us unconditionally, and we love them back. So what better than celebrating endless love with one of your best friends? I bet at least one of them is single. Or if (s)he isn't, (s)he still might be willing to celebrate Valentine's Day with you.

You can have a tea party at home, go out to your favourite restaurant to have dinner, or go to the movies. And if you're more creative than I am––which you probably are––I bet you can come up with a thousand more ideas. Maybe you could even do something you haven't done in a long time. If I were to do this, I would bring my friend Felipe, who now lives in Canada, and drink mojitos at home.

3. Enjoy A Spa Evening

This one is probably my favourite idea. And you don't even have to go to a real spa––although I sincerely recommend you do it if you prefer that!

If you'd rather stay at home, you can just pick your favourite beauty products––I strongly recommend any type of products that has a smell you enjoy––, light some candles, and love yourself. Depending on what you enjoy more, you can have a bubble bath, soak yourself in Cocoa Butter, or use some hair treatment and get your nails done. Whatever you choose, make sure it makes you feel like you're being loved and spoiled!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

It's Tea (Read: Chocolate) Time!

Last Friday, my mum, my sister and I decided we should have a girls' afternoon and have tea together. We wanted to indulge ourselves with a lot of sugar, so we actually changed the tea for something more powerful... hot cocoa!

My sister, who's always trying to break the Guinness record of the person who has eaten the biggest ice cream ever seen, ordered a huge ice cream. I tried it and it was really good...

...But nothing like my delicious strawberry & banana crepe. It has the perfect amount of fruit, it was sweet, but not excessively, and it came with a scoop of ice cream. What more could I ask for?

Yes, you're right. Hot cocoa. That's what topped up my crepe. It was sweet, it had a big load of marshmallows, and it warmed me up in a cold afternoon.

Nothing better than a good time with my favourite girls, overdosing with sugar, right?

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Travelling Opens Your Eyes (Or Why I Went To Italy)

I was asked while I was in Italy what was the purpose of my trip. Although I did go to overstuff myself with pasta and pizza, the official reason for my Italian adventures was that I was participating as a Director in the Italian Model UN Conference.

What is Model UN?

For those of you who don't know what that means, I'll try to explain it as simply as I can. It's a conference where people (delegates) pretend to be diplomats at the UN and change the world. More formally, I would say it's an experience of education though simulation, in which students –in this case high school students– represent a nation in a specific UN committee, and discuss solutions to real-life current issues, such as human trafficking, environmental refugees, and women's empowerment.

But the educational experience is not just for the delegates. As a director, I was meant to guide the delegates through the debate process, and act as a moderator. But I learned from them in the process. And I reunited with my old self, which was the most important part.

My love for helping others

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I was meant to help people around the world. My mum still tells me how I always tried to defend children who were being bullied during elementary school. Then came Social Service in High School, when I refused to stay at the library and clean books, and wanted to always go out and have some real contact with people. Kindergarten visits were probably my favourite part of Social Services. Two years ago, I had the opportunity to work as a riding instructor in a Summer Camp, where I was in charge––among other things––of doing special horse rides for people with disabilities. This was a life-changing experience, and I will certainly never forget it!

However, with all the economic models and crises I've been studying in the past couple of years, I must confess I had forgotten what all of this was about. To me, people had been reduced to the rational individual you find in any economics textbook.

But going to Italy made me get back in touch with my old self, the helper. Seeing the joy in the eyes of the delegates when their good performance as negotiators and peace keepers was recognised, the happiness of those who were given scholarships to attend other Model UN Conferences, and the ideas––sometimes a little out of the box––they came up with reminded me of how much I can do for the world.

Then came Jen's story. Even if I probably won't be able to change the world by myself, it does count if I do my best.

If I hadn't gone to Italy, I might have never found myself again. Or maybe I would have, but it would have been too late. Or maybe not. Who knows.

The truth is that I'm absolutely grateful because I was chosen to go to Italy. This experience changed me, and shaped the person I am now. It would probably be too extreme to say there was a pre-Italy Laura and a post-Italy one, but I am certainly different, in a way. And hopefully it will take me on a path where I can help the people around the world, especially those who really need a hand.

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio