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July 28, 2014

Roommate Adventure

Friday night, my roommate and I took a little cruise on the Potomac. (Spoiler alert: it was kind of ghetto and not worth $15.)

Let's just say... The Potomac is kind of gross, and if you want to see the monuments, seeing from the water is not the best view. But we had a good time and a delicious evening! We made a pitstop at Baked and Wired (the best cupcake in DC! Seriously -- try the Chocolate Doom some time.) and then grabbed dinner at the famed 2 Amy's pizza. (But first, we walked around the National Cathedral!) I've been wanting to try this place for YEARS, and I'm so glad I finally got to! I would totally pay $15 again for that tiny -- but delicious -- pizza.


Roomie cruise
It was so, so hard to get a decent photo of us! This is the best we could do.
Roomie cruise
No good view of the monuments, but hey! It's the Kennedy Center!
Roomie cruise
Another of the umm, "scenic" sights from the tour.
Roommate adventure
Baked & Wired, how do I love thee!
Roommate adventure
National Cathedral
Roommate adventure
Margherita Extra, come to mama!
Roommate adventure
I'll be back again soon!






July 27, 2014

Work Stuff + Catching Up

Our Voices VL teamp photo

Work has kept me pretty busy this summer (who am i kidding? this year...), and since I'm coming up on my one-year work anniversary, I decided to share a few snapshots of a few things I've been up to this year.

I do Communications for my org, and one of the things I've discovered this year is... I actually kind of enjoy being on camera. Who'da thought, right?

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I've been blessed with some really neat opportunities, including getting to be part of two televised Spanish-language town halls about the Affordable Care Act:


Univision town halls
univision panel


My cute co-workers took a photo when I was on TV last November. :)

Univision town halls

In March, I got to do another one (I mentioned it here, remember? The one where POTUS and I were on the same press release! :D).

Univision town halls


Univision town halls


Univision town halls

I've also gotten to work as part of a White House coalition to inform Latinos about the Affordable Care Act. Here's a group shot of a few of us after a White House press conference the day after open enrollment ended. I've gotten to go the the White House and to Rose Garden press conferences a lot this year, but it honestly doesn't get old, and I feel so blessed to get to work here in DC.

Other work things
Other work things

Funny story -- on this particular day, I wasn't planning to go to the press conference (too much work to do at the office). I ended up going last minute, buuuut I'd worn my turquoise Mexican dress from Lupita's wedding to work! What to do?? Well, friends, this is the very reason I always keep a spare suit jacket and pair of black heels at the office. No one was the wiser (until now), and I even got complimented on my outfit! :)


In December, we made Capitol Hill visits with Actor/Activist America Ferrera to talk to Members of Congress about comprehensive immigration reform.

Other work things
adorable pink coat I bought and then returned, bc the pocket lining tore after a week of wear. Stinkin' Target... :(
Other work things


This is such a hard, complicated issue, but it's not as complicated as Congress is making it. It's truly a let-down that Speaker Boehner has decreed there won't be any reform this session, as this issue affects real families. Like this sweet Salvadorian family we met during our Hill visits:


Don't deport my dad Don't deport my dad

Ahhh, his little face just got to me!!


Our Co-Founder and Chairwoman, Actor & Activist Rosario Dawson and America Ferrera, our Artist Coalition Co-Chair starred in the Cesar Chavez biopic this spring. We hosted the official DC movie premiere at the Newseum. It was so much fun! And can I just say that Chef Jose Andres makes THE best guacamole I've ever had?? (We hosted the after-party at one of his restaurants.)

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We hosted one of the receptions during White House Correspondents Weekend. The view we had at the top of the Hay-Adams (which was where Hannah & Warren celebrated their wedding, remember?) was spectacular!


Our voices

Another part of my job involves writing speeches and talking points for others to deliver. Wilmer (perhaps you know him as Fez from "That 70's Show"?) is one of my favorites to work with. :)

Our voices


Basically, it's been a good, hard, and busy year. :) I'm excited to see what Year 2 brings!

July 11, 2014

Perspective

A few months ago, I got to go to the White House for the President's Cinco de Mayo festivities. The food (by Chef Jose Andres!) was delicious, and the guacamole was TO DIE FOR.

The President spoke to the attendees, and I got this sweet shot to post on social media:


5 de mayo


Awesome, right?? What a great view!

Wanna know a secret? Here's the view I really had during the President's speech:

POTUS perspective


I'm 5 feet tall, remember? The room was packed, and all sorts of tall people decided to stand in front of me. And then they all raised their cell phones up, further blocking my view, and this was honestly the view I had for a good portion of the speech. (If I stood on tiptoe, shifted right or left just a hair, or when people's arms got tired of holding up their cell phones, I had glimpses of a better view.)

So that awesome shot I instagrammed? Yeah, I got that by standing on my tiptoes, holding my phone waaay above my head, and snapping the camera.

And it made me think about how easy it is to scroll through someone else's Facebook/IG/Twitter feed and to feel jealous of their picture-perfect life. What we forget is that we don't really see a complete picture. We don't see the hard moments or the less-than-perfect days. We don't see the short girl standing on her tiptoes just tryin'a get a semi-decent shot and accidentally getting a pretty good one.

So I guess the moral of this blog post is to remember that the content we see online is filtered and represents just one perspective. Let's be happy and excited for each other, but most importantly, let's be happy for ourselves and for the awesome things we're all doing. With the right perspective, we can enjoy our lives both on AND offline. :)

July 09, 2014

He's Back!

Baby Scott!

He's baaaack! My baby brother is back! It's hard to believe it's been two years since we took these photos!

He has returned to us more focused, more spiritual, (the tiniest smidge) more patient (eh, probably not -- ha ha), nearly trilingual (he looooooves speaking Mandarin!), more insightful, more... British?, half Chinese, and a lot more fashion-forward. Apparently, when one spends two years in England, clothes and fashion get bumped up on the life priority list. In his words, "When I got to England and saw what they were wearing (slim-cut dress shirts, slim fit suits, colored chinos...), I looked down at my suit and was disgusted with myself." Don't worry; the shirt I bought him as a welcome home present was slim-cut. (Thanks, J.Crew!)

Baby Scott!

It was really fun to spend 10 days at home with him and the rest of my family. My biggest regret is not eating at a taco truck, and if I suppose if I'm being honest, it's always hard to divide my time evenly among the people I love the most. But overall, it was really a great trip.

I loved seeing the kind of person my brother has become in the last two years, and I'm excited to see him carry the lessons and experiences from his mission into his future endeavors. I'm really just so proud! :)

Welcome home, baby brother!!

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