Mmmexico.....

After the Holiday Season it feels so anti-climatic to me...does it feel that way to you?  It's like...wow...... from the week before Halloween we are go-go-go...parties, events, and it's one exciting thing after another...and then boom...after New Years Day...life is vacant-quiet-too relaxing...like having to do yoga when you want to dance!  And, let me tell you for this Gemini-let-me-be-the-life-of-the-party Girl, it is tuff!  So what to do?  Well...hmmm....let's think about our next up-and-coming vacation....or start thinking about Summer...It's like the next big thing to gear up for!  While waiting for Summer we, in Portland,  typically have about 5-6 months of rain to get through UNTIl Summer arrives....   Even though I adore Portland... and when I do travel, I am always happy to come home to our beautiful Portland...but none-the-less, I still get a bit tired of the gray skies and the rain.  

But.... THIS Post-Holiday Period my mind drifts to Mmmmexico!   Last year, I spoiled myself terribly...I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico...twice!  Once in April and then again over Thanksgiving...I highly recommend going to Mexico for Thanksgiving...hardly any Americans travel there then...and it is very inexpensive to go!  We enjoy staying at the Riu Vallarta, in Nuevo Vallarta....about 25 minutes west of Puerto Vallarta. Riu Vallarta (riu.com) is an all-inclusive resort...with alcohol dispensers in your room!  Ya know, like 7-11 pop machine centers! I am not a big drinker...but for some reason, while in Mexico, I choose to hydrate myself with Coronas and Gin-n-Tonics (Lime for my Vitamin C...and there IS water in those beverages, right?).  I rarely drank Corona before Mexico....in fact, because I am  German, if someone DID offer me a Corona, I would be like..."Ach!  Nein Liebchen...ein Deutscher Bier Bitte!"  BUT NOW, I see a Corona and I can smell the sun-tan oil, feel the sun and sand, and hear the wonderful sound of flip-flops all around me...wow, I guess I fell in love with the Mexican/Corona experience...blush! So now, because of my  "new love", it is only natural to now  dreammm of Mmmexico at this time of year...with our gray skies, cold temps, and rain....sigh

Riu Vallarta is a 5-star resort...luxurious granite and marble throughout  that cools the soles of your bare feet...substantial decor that would give Martha a thrill that she would never forget...food that would give Caprial a run for her $$ ...service that beats Nordstrom....and more smiles than an Amway Convention!  What more could this Gemini ask for??   ...well.....not much....but....there was just ONE thing...and we got it our second time at PV: a rental car!  Wow!  With a new straw hat, tank top, shorts, and of course, new flip-flops for the second go round at PV... and we NOW knew the lay of the land and this time we had  our own ride!  And what a ride it was...a convertible 4-door Jeep!  We pumped up the tunes, put on our shades, pushed down our straw hats, and kicked back for a road trip all over PV--North/South/East/West...where there were roads (or close to it) we drove it!  It was the cherry on the sundae!   That Jeep got us a lot of eye-ball action and whistles...that's right girls-n-boys, we WERE all that and a bag of chips!!  lol!!

Staying at the Riu Vallarta Resort is very cool...but driving around PV, Suyalida, and other nearby towns was amazing.  I highly recommend it.  

If you have not yet stayed at an all-inclusive resort, maybe try it.  My travel agent is Kippie Jo Taylor, at 503.803.7725 or her email: kippie@abcpdx.com.  Contact her...she will hook you up with the best deal.  The package usually includes airfare/hotel/food/activities.  I recommend renting the car when you get there.  Mexico, unlike Northern Europe, allows you to schmooze and negotiate deals...actually, we sat through a  3-hour time-share talk to get: 3 days of Jeep rental, a zip-line tour, Jungle tour, AND boat tour for us both!  Plus, they fed us and naturally,  we hydrated during the presentation, with Coronas....I do not remember too much of the presentation BUT I certainly remember the tours and the Jeep! Sitting through the Time Share presentation is really  a great way to get some goodies...BUT remember to "Just Say No".

Mmmmexico is amazing...our $$ is strong against the Peso...unlike traveling to Europe at this time....gulp...choke!!   And, the sun/sand/ocean/pools/people/price of living is practically unbeatable.  I am hoping, in a few months, to again  be sipping my gin-n-tonic while lounging on the beach...with the sun browning my skin...being so relaxed from the drink and the warm sunshine.....Mmmmmmexico....I love you.....

Multi-Dimensional Lightening for Winter...moving toward Spring

I have been putting auburn and golden brown multi-dimensional lightening in my clients hair for wintertime...and as we move toward spring....I have chosen to put less bright color in at this time of the year, for obvious reasons!  NO sun...I find that auburn and golden brown help bring a warmth to the face and also bring out eye colors such as green, blue, lighter brown...  The rich colors are fantastic and add such a suttle yet rich hue to hair....

With this hair color change, it is also a great idea to change your makeup.  I recommend moving away from any pastel eye shadows...and going into soft browns, tans, gold, or deeper purples...these richer colors add to the rich hair color.

One should have a winter and a summer palate for hair color as well as makeup....

With this cold weather, we also need to hydrate with water AND hydrate our skin...it is important to cleanse/tone/moisturize....at least...and it is important to change our moisturizer with the seasons too...typically a richer moisturizer for winter....and lighter as we move toward summer....

We at Pravda, can help you with your skin care products and makeup...please call Gabriela at 503.223.4749 ext 2 or email: gabriela@pravdahair.com OR post a comment on this blog...

We look forward to being of assitance...

Gabriela

Pravda's First Blog!

Hello! This is the first blog for Pravda! We are super excited! You may be thinking...why would Pravda need a blog spot? Well...whether we like it or not, the future is online...with EVERYTHING!! Yikes...it can feel overwhelming! But we at Pravda are embracing the exciting world of the internet...especially the fact that with the help of the internet we can learn things and be in touch with places and people from ALL around the world! If one embraces this fact and systematically attacks understanding and incorporating computers, the internet, and all the sites/blogs/links/feeds/etc in our day-to-day life, it is really, really fun! So, we hope you read and comment on our postings. Our goal is to add a spice to Pravda with our blog; to inform/provide/enhance/entertain/explain life at Pravda and the lives of all of us involved with Pravda on various levels.

Please let us know if you would like us to chat about a certain topic, etc...let's open a dialogue and have some fun!