Good Life Lesson

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Life is full of mystery, music, love, and excitement.

This will become a space for me to share special moments and ideas with the rest of the world.

I hope you enjoy it.

Good Life Lesson

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March 04, 2012

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Disco + SynthPop = Retro Inspired Boogie & I'm Living For It!

December 06, 2020

It has been a little while since I have been quite literally obsessed with the sounds of synthesizers. I grew up in the 80s and as such the sweet melodies carried by these instruments bring back so many memories. Also, my uncle was a huge fan of disco music and it has always held a very special place in my heart. A few years back, I remember reading the local newspaper (yes, we used to do that back then) and noticed that a band I really liked was playing at a club in Vancouver. The band's name is Gusgus and I'm pretty certain you would recognize them by their popular song " LadyShave ". I hadn't kept in touch with their work since leaving Mexico in the late nineties and therefore I was in for quite a surprise when I first walked into the venue. Once the show started and Gusgus came on stage I felt like I had finally found a perfect combination of sounds -- my sound! The vocals plus the deep bass and above all the heavy use of synthesizers really appealed to my ...

BlytheCon Vancouver 2015

October 01, 2014

As most of you know by now I am one of the four organizers for the first ever Canadian BlytheCon to be held in Vancouver at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel on Sunday August 9, 2015. We are all extremely excited to welcome all of you to our beautiful city. Here's a video of our venue: Our theme will be "Always The Bridesmaid Never The Bride" and we have lots of surprises, workshops, contests and giveaways planned to make of your visit a truly unforgettable one. Let's just say that a little bird told me that we have over twenty custom dolls to give away the day of the event - and we are not talking about unknown customisers either - we are talking about some of the most respected customisers in the industry. Our featured doll will be Nicky Lad (RBL) and you can see her featured as our ‘main girl’ in our illustrations made by the amazingly talented Chun Fu (puppy52). We’re very excited to invite everyone to bring their Nicky Lads to BlytheCon Vancouver for a c...

Can men wear Pandora charm bracelets?

December 25, 2012

I am a very happy man as I type this as today is Christmas day and I have just finished opening my gifts. Santa must have read my mind this year as I got exactly what I wanted! I won't show you what I got quite yet - I want to finish this story first :) My mother in law has always been a fan of charm bracelets . I must admit that ever since I saw her Pandora one I fell in love with the endless design possibilities and the hundreds of charms one can buy to make each jewellery piece unique and timeless. At first I (like the rest of you I'm sure) assumed that only women could wear charm bracelets. I have been known to push the boundaries when it comes to wearing things that are sometimes labelled as "females only". This was the case when I bought my first bomber jacket with faux fur on the hoodie - at the time only girls were wearing this - fast forward three years and you now see men wearing them everywhere. Another good example is my previous obsession wit...

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Angel: Assistant Branch Manager at Canada's largest credit union), blogger, reviewer, music addict, techie, Spanish-Mexican, gay, husband, human...

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Can men wear Pandora charm bracelets?

December 25, 2012

I am a very happy man as I type this as today is Christmas day and I have just finished opening my gifts. Santa must have read my mind this year as I got exactly what I wanted! I won't show you what I got quite yet - I want to finish this story first :) My mother in law has always been a fan of charm bracelets . I must admit that ever since I saw her Pandora one I fell in love with the endless design possibilities and the hundreds of charms one can buy to make each jewellery piece unique and timeless. At first I (like the rest of you I'm sure) assumed that only women could wear charm bracelets. I have been known to push the boundaries when it comes to wearing things that are sometimes labelled as "females only". This was the case when I bought my first bomber jacket with faux fur on the hoodie - at the time only girls were wearing this - fast forward three years and you now see men wearing them everywhere. Another good example is my previous obsession wit...

A Guy's Love For Dolls

April 28, 2012

I'll be the first to admit that having grown up in Mexico City - a very Catholic and "machista" city - I never really felt comfortable playing with dolls as a kid. If I would have been caught playing with dolls at school or at a party I would have likely become a victim of social ridicule and bullying. Guys are supposed to like plastic cars, toy soldiers, monster trucks, cowboys and guns. I was always a little bit different than other boys I grew up with. I liked My Little Ponies, Care Bears , She-Ra, and yes... Barbie dolls . While I never actually openly played with dolls, I managed to steal one from one of my cousins during a sleepover weekend. It felt so wrong and yet so right. I was excited to get home to play with it. I remember hiding it underneath the washroom vanity and locking myself up to bring it out. Looking back now, I don't really know what I was so ashamed of. Society and cultural gender roles can have a big impact on the way we behave as both kid...

Disco + SynthPop = Retro Inspired Boogie & I'm Living For It!

December 06, 2020

It has been a little while since I have been quite literally obsessed with the sounds of synthesizers. I grew up in the 80s and as such the sweet melodies carried by these instruments bring back so many memories. Also, my uncle was a huge fan of disco music and it has always held a very special place in my heart. A few years back, I remember reading the local newspaper (yes, we used to do that back then) and noticed that a band I really liked was playing at a club in Vancouver. The band's name is Gusgus and I'm pretty certain you would recognize them by their popular song " LadyShave ". I hadn't kept in touch with their work since leaving Mexico in the late nineties and therefore I was in for quite a surprise when I first walked into the venue. Once the show started and Gusgus came on stage I felt like I had finally found a perfect combination of sounds -- my sound! The vocals plus the deep bass and above all the heavy use of synthesizers really appealed to my ...

Noseless Bicycle Saddles - What You Need To Know

March 15, 2014

Those who know me in person know that I really enjoy riding my cruiser bike around the Vancouver seawall and the downtown core - our city is filled with beauty and it is truly designed for the ultimate comfort of bicycle fanatics like me. Riding brings back memories of the freedom I used to experience in my childhood while exploring my neighbourhood in my bike along with my friends. We live in a society in which we spend progressively less time communing with nature and biking is a great alternative to let go of our tech filled lives (besides the occasional Instagram post as we ride of course) - plus, can you think of a better feeling than the warm ocean breeze caressing your face? As we grow older we need to be aware of the benefits but also of the potential side effects any activity we choose to engage in so we can protect our bodies. Biking is no exception. I have a very small testicular cyst and as such riding had been uncomfortable for me over the last couple of years. R...

The 10 Commandments For Instagram Success

December 12, 2012

Photography is a great communication tool that enables us to say a lot without necessarily "saying" anything. For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed capturing moments through the lens of a camera. I always had mine with me while growing up and my mom can attest to the huge bills she paid to develop my films. I am a fan of beauty and art in all forms but for some reason photography holds a very dear place in my heart. There are only few things I enjoy more than looking through an old album of photos. The memories are so vivid that one is immediately transported back into that exact moment. What I also like about looking at photographs is that they emit a feeling and that such feeling is captured by the person who took the picture but interpreted by whoever looks at it. With the onset of mobile technology my love for photography has only increased as now it is easier than ever to be able to express one's views with the aid of a camera. I still remember the tim...

BlytheCon Vancouver 2015

October 01, 2014

As most of you know by now I am one of the four organizers for the first ever Canadian BlytheCon to be held in Vancouver at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel on Sunday August 9, 2015. We are all extremely excited to welcome all of you to our beautiful city. Here's a video of our venue: Our theme will be "Always The Bridesmaid Never The Bride" and we have lots of surprises, workshops, contests and giveaways planned to make of your visit a truly unforgettable one. Let's just say that a little bird told me that we have over twenty custom dolls to give away the day of the event - and we are not talking about unknown customisers either - we are talking about some of the most respected customisers in the industry. Our featured doll will be Nicky Lad (RBL) and you can see her featured as our ‘main girl’ in our illustrations made by the amazingly talented Chun Fu (puppy52). We’re very excited to invite everyone to bring their Nicky Lads to BlytheCon Vancouver for a c...

#BuildingQMUNITY - An All Hands On Deck Approach To Inclusiveness

May 27, 2015

During 2003 I was working towards my Bachelors degree in Psychology at SFU and I wanted to gain some volunteer experience by helping those in my community. At that time I had already met my boyfriend (now husband of eight years) and I felt pretty comfortable with expressing my own sexuality. As such, I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others who had gone through similar hardships as me. This is where my search for a volunteer opportunity led me to The Centre - now known as QMUNITY . I was young and somewhat inexperienced but I still felt empowered to share my own experiences with others and therefore I got the wonderful opportunity to co-facilitate a men's drop in group with one of my best friends. During this weekly group meetings my friend and I would encourage discussion around a specific topic by asking the participants to answer targeted questions. The group started small but after a few months it grew to twelve regular attendees. It was empowering to see ...

Teeth Whitening - Is It Worth It?

June 13, 2010

A few weeks ago I reviewed Aria Dental, the clinic of my new dentist Dr. Mehio . Since I was a new patient to his dental studio I qualified for the special price of $299.00 for Zoom whitening - something I couldn't pass by. My husband @guccisimo had gotten it done two days before our wedding almost three years ago now and the results were drastic. I had never gotten my teeth whitened before and for that reason I was feeling excited/worried/curious. Dr. Mehio answered all my questions before getting started with the procedure. He explained to me that the old Zoom whitening procedure used an acidic solution and that it could damage your teeth's enamel but that Zoom has since revised the procedure and there is now only one known side effect: teeth sensitivity . Teeth Whitening Simulation - Before and After The process itself is quite straight-forward. First, the dentist makes sure you don't have any problems with your roots or that there are no cracks in your teeth. ...

Blythe Dolls 101 - An Introduction To True Love

August 05, 2014

When you come across something really special you feel the need to shout about it at the top of your lungs so the rest of the world can also know about it - that's exactly how I feel about Blythe dolls. Most of you have probably come across one of these dolls without even realizing it as they have been featured in several major advertisement campaigns. Bottega Veneta window displays featuring life-size Blythe dolls Target campaign featuring Blythe dolls The dolls themselves are of course special but the story behind them is even more so. Take a look at the interview below with Allison Katzman - the toy designer who originally conceived Blythe. Junko Wong is the person who was responsible for bringing Blythe back almost thirty years later - a truly unbelievable story. As I have mentioned in my previous article , my love for dolls is not recent. I have always admired their beauty and since I have a strong passion for fashion (rhyme is coincidental I swear!) I love bei...

The Secret Circle: A Tribute Filled With Hope

May 12, 2012

Ever since I can remember I have been interested in witchcraft shows and movies. I love the mystery, the spells, the magic, the supernatural romance and the drama. Mexican culture is full of rituals that incorporate either white or dark magic. We have entire markets in Mexico City dedicated to selling ingredients to cast spells. I certainly grew up with witchcraft around me. My favourite movie of all times is The Craft - I recall watching it as a teenager multiple times and loving every minute of it. As much as I loved that movie I never really thought that something else could come along that would be able to trump it. Then came The Secret Circle - a TV show based upon the book series by L.J. Smith ( The Vampire Diaries ). The series depicts the life of six witch teenagers who unite their forces by creating a "circle" of power and energy that binds them to one another forever. Drama quickly begins when Cassie (the main character) discovers not only that...