HEARTC♡RE

I decided . . . . . . .  a post a day for the month of Mayo. Very ambitious but maybe I write an essay or maybe I just say hi.

Let's talk about my traffic ticket. Back in mid-March, I was on my way to the office and decided to take a little detour to grab a coffee 🤓. Well, unfortunately for me, there was a Sheriff behind me, as soon as the light turns green HIS lights came on and I'm like ?? the fuck. Thankfully he didn't turn on the siren because that would've just been SOooO EmbARRASinG. I pull into a parking lot and he tells me he pulled me over due to an expired tag. I truly entered the twilight zone, because officer you must be mistaken - I most definitely have everything in order. So I tell him (yeah I'm shaking in my boots LOL), "officer, I totALLy believe your system but there's NOOO way - may I check?" and bless him, he lets me shakily ruffle through my paperwork (he knows damn well my tags expired) and he's like "no need to be nervous" - I shoot him a stare (no I don't) and keep ruffling. Anyways, he spots my insurance and he's like at least you have insurance (yes officer I'm not some riff raff) and he's like let me get your license. He comes back a short time later - gives me my citation💀 and calls me Miss Ortiz (this has been happening to me since middle school). Y'all I am SICK about this. . . I can't remember if I actually pass by for my coffee at this point or drive back in silence. But I am SICK because ironically, Yuri and I had a conversation about expired tags AND AND I had just taken my moms car for an emissions test and renewed like 3 vehicles/trailers at the tag Kiosk at Kroger.... so that's what sucked that it was NOT intentional. But this is the rollercoaster we call life you know. The officer told me if I got my tag renewed within 10 days the judge may be nice to me, regardless I did it the same day because I really had no business breaking the law. 

In the days before my surgery I went up to the court to ask about resolving my ticket - it had been like 13 business days and they still hadn't loaded me into the system.... so I decided to just wait until my court date which was today. I'm the first in line 🫡 and one of the staff grabs my paperwork and places it on the docket. I'm hoping I am up first because your girl needs to get to work and really, I am just not trying to be there till 10am. So while I am sitting in the pews I am practicing how I am going to deliver my plea for a lighter *sentence*, and thinking about how I have to refer to someone as "Your Honor" like I'm some peasant from the 1500s. So I have my ChatGPT lines memorized to about 90%, when the clock strikes 8:30am - and the prosecutor (I am assuming here) calls me up and asks me how I want to plea. I mouse out a "guilty - but I want to speak to the judge" and he's like they're just going to make you pay the fine anyways, and I started mumbling (y'all know how I do) about how I got my tag renewed and he's like You got your tagged renewed? Let me see, and I start YET AGAIN SHAKILY RUFFLING my two documents and he takes a quick glance and he's like I am going to give you a warning this time. :D :D BOY! My good luck has waned down over the last 6 years so this was literally a miracle. So I give him a  little *insert concerned Ariana grande eyebrows here* "thank you" and I went on my merry way. 

Guys, I am reminded DAILY - DAILY - that I am old now and today was no exception. As I am walking out of the building onto Marietta Square I think "today's my luck day, I better stop and get me a lottery ticket" 😾

God what a scary word!!! :-( Well to fill you in, that's what I am dealing with right now. Don't want to leave you in suspense - I am fine!!! Let's take it from the top.

It's borderline embarrassing to say that this started a little over two years ago now. At the time, I was doing kettlebell exercises and one day I felt a hardness on my back, after showing everyone they're like it's totally a muscle knot. When I went to my regular physical, my doctor said it's probably a muscle knot and to get it massaged, but that she could put an order for an ultrasound in too to confirm. Guess who didn't schedule an appt?? :D 

So anyways time passes on, don't really pay it much mind and don't even remember I have it to be honest. But then this summer, I do a bit of a lifestyle change and lose some weight around my waist or whatever so she's like visible and I am now aware of her presence. I have my physical coming up so I bring it up to the doctor. I say it during the first intake convo/catch up and she's casually like yeah we can check it out and put in that ultrasound request too if needed. Okay, cool cool cool. So she comes over to do the actual physical and as soon as she sees it she's snapping pics and is like okay can you get an x-ray any time today, just so we know what it is before the weekend (it's Friday). And I'm SICK baby, SICK. 20% sick she's suddenly alarmed, 80% sick I didn't do this shit in 2022 . . . (if you need something checked out, go 'head and do it after you finish reading this).

So, I usually take the day off to do all my appointments and had an hour and a half gap between this and my Gyno appt, so I ask if it takes long and they say no so I rush over to the imaging center. Although the x-ray tech didn't SEEM to concerned with my results, I still cried driving 75 North LOL on the way to my next appt. So now it's my Gyno's turn to check me out and she sees it and all casually she's like "Do you think you're going to get that removed" and I'm like okay okay she seems casual and she was! she said it's no biggie. But technically I still don't know that for sure. 

So anyways my primary doctor sees the inconclusive x-ray results and puts in an ultrasound request, I go to my ultrasound and again doesn't really show anything (technically good news!!) and I have some good banter with this tech and he's like yeah probably not anything but of course he's not the final say. So anyways I'm kinda cruising/kinda chill but WHAT IS IT??

So again, primary doctor needs more info so she sends me for an MRI and the results come in and one of the comments say this - 

I think I'm working between an apple and a grapefruit

Well last night after 3 or 4 days of back pain, I can't find a comfortable position to be in bed because it feels achy and like I am going to trigger a spasm. So I decide to lay with my stomach on the floor, my logic is its hard and flat and will help lengthen my spine the most and not be as strained?? Well I am there on the floor for like an hour, between a cries and a sobs (I can LOL now, no worries). 

I mean, I am a self proclaimed drama queen so in moments like these I have a hard time separating what's me wallowing in my self pity and what actually warrants being in a dark room crying in fetal position. Well does anything really warrant that?? But the floor was for posture assistance not the drama production. It's not really the pain itself, but the fact that - 

• why is it suddenly hurting- 
• is there long term damage on my spine or nerves as we speak?!
• do I need to alert the authorities or can I endure it in silence, I would endure in silence because:
• a trip with important events coming up - in less than a week and a half
• it's non refundable (yes $$ is the least of my worries but it was my parents GIFT to me and its naturally a stress factor)
• my bff also booked her month long non-refundable trip 
• if I have to cancel my trip to schedule my surgery sooner than later, I would ruin the peace of mind for the people that care about me most and they couldn't enjoy their trip
• just not mentally prepared for surgery or have all my ducks in a row
• work shit (yes I am a corporate overlord sympathizer) 

The corporate urge to start the blog greeting with HELLO TEAM - 

photo from 2011 - courtesy of my facebook

Today, Atlanta had a ~ snow storm ~ I don't know what actually constitutes a storm so I'm going to go with snow drizzle. I have to admit I was a doubter. I didn't believe it for a second, but I woke up this morning, eager to open the blinds, and audibly gasped when I did: a fluffy blanket of snow covered the yard. I almost regret not taking photo, but nothing around me is picturesque, so we're not missing out. I clocked in and after a quick meeting, I brewed a cup of coffee and sat on the porch to take it all in. It was still before 9am, so I was able to sit in silence and hear the snow hit the ground. Ahh, so peaceful. As I was ready to go back in, some of the neighbors were going for walks, running with their dog, and playing in the snow. I think the best part of all this is just the joy the snow brought :-). 

I had to get back to work, but watched the light snowfall throughout the morning. It was hard to focus on work when my Instagram was full of everyone capturing their 2025 snow memories. SHARE, SHARE EVERYTHING WITH ME. Apart from yesterday when I went out for drinks, I have gotten pretty good at being a homebody for the last couple weeks . . . but today will be PEAK homebody vibes.

First of all I took an everything shower earlier this week, iykyk. I found, yes I promise I forgot about it, espresso flavored vodka I got from Sara when we helped her move ( :-( ). God bless, Paco has a cocktail shaker so I chilled it, hopped in the shower - lathered in L'Occitane shower oil IFYKYK, skincare routine, moisturized and so now I am typing away but ready to start a cozzzzyyyy night in. 

Lana's Norman Fucking Rockwell! album playing on volume 99, espresso vodka, per my last email 

Micro Fleece Henley Pajama Romper for Women - 3.5in inseam I got from Old Navy back in February 2024 for $3.88!! And I am wearing them for the first time today (can we put the temp down I'm hot 👹)

If my photos above look shitty it's because I HAVE WARM AND AMBIENT LIGHTING GOING ON.

And while I was grabbing ice to shake this vodka - I found a Jamaican beef patty for a late night snack. . . . . My night couldn't have gotten better. 

I thought I may have written a post on the 2014 snowmaggedon - snowpocalypse or whatever you want to call it that we went through, but I think I might've gotten confused with my burning bridge post LOL. Well I went to Facebook bc I know I had a few snow day photos from 2011 and MY SHAYLA, I am tearing up I couldn't even look at them, my babies, they're so grown up. The first photo is also from that time and I love that all the kids were in our yard - haha. I wish there was a photo of me but I guess that was one day I didn't take a selfie. 💁

UGH, life is great!! 

WAIT I FOUND ONE OF ME HAHA

 

photo source

My addictive personality strikes again - and it's diet coke. I think about a fat, crisp diet coke multiple times a day. If I can't get my hands on one exactly, only the diet drinks can satiate the addiction - not the sugar free. I had two today and I debated the third but it was too late in the day and I am pretty sensitive to the caffeine in it (is this the source of my headache??). I just. . . . a large fat diet coke from McDonalds - fuck me up baby. 

I am always incredulous when I see the damn price of a 12 pack of Coke - WHY IS IT $7.99... that's ridiculous!! But then girl math, it beats the the $6+ for a tall iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso which only = 1 drink. So all in all, this addiction is more economically viable. YAY!

This all started at the end of August when we took a 12 pack of diet coke to PCB for my mom's birthday weekend. I think I had 3 a day, including the absolute crispest chilliest can at the beach on that hot summer day. That was the exact day my taste buds molded to praise diet coke and diet coke only. I know it's been a THAT girl, chronically online, drink but it has transcended that level in my personal life. She is so sexy, so chic, I want ALL the Diet Coke merch. I actually have a small Tervis tumbler with a stitched diet coke patch within the insulation and it's super cute. I need to find it - yesterday.

There is a lot of conflicting information on Diet Coke and it's impacts on health. I found this infographic from @thefitnesschef_ that breaks down some of the usual commentary on diet drinks and the "truths" that I have read on before. You can click this link to read the full post and the science behind it. 

But okay - just because it's not going to kill you I would NOT recommend drinking multiple a day like I have. I think if I actually set some boundaries for my drinks I'd opt for primarily water with a diet drink twice a week max. . . I am def going to slow it down but I may not get over this till late October (hehehe).

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A post shared by Clara | See Her Create (@seehercreate)

Shut the front door - I have found my favorite run of the mill grocery store pick! Kerrygold Dubliner and strawberries. I was eating my breakfast bowl (Greek yogurt bowl that included chopped strawberries) and I cut a sliver of the Dubliner I grabbed at Publix on Monday and I ate it back to back with the strawberry and it was just breakfast bliss. 

It's been a while since I've had Dubliner and I don't know why since I know it never misses - it's so nutty and sweet and just sharp enough. I wonder if there is a more expensive and aged version because I think I would float to heaven. 

Every grocery store has Kerrygold brands, so this is the winning pair to throw into your cart when you're doing weekly grocery shops. I checked, and my local Publix has their Reserve Irish Cheddar and Aged Cheddar - I will HAVE to buy next time and see what's going on there. 

Anyways, I have a few Cheesemes on the back log I have yet to post - so stay tuned!!

Can we talk about my favorite skin care for a moment?? I started my skin care routine back in October 2022. Before then, I washed my face in the shower with WATER. . . .  WATER at my ripe 27 years of age. Emily always used to be so shocked that that's all I did but I had just lived my life like that and didn't think twice. I had blemishes and your regular unkept skin, but since I didn't deal with major discoloration or acne I just cruised along. 

My first introduction to skin care was actually my bestie Virginia who sent me a Fenty Beauty skin care starter pack . . . . wait I had to look up when she gave it to me and I think it was my birthday in 2019!!! So actually, I only didn't use skin care before age 25 because then I used Fenty Skin from 25 to 28. I actually really loved Fenty but it was in 2022 when I decided to branch into the 10 step Korean skincare method. And when I did I just never stopped. Every now and again in 2023 I was actually amazed at myself because I had never stuck to habit so religiously. I think I can count on my hands how many times I have passed on skin care (and you better believe it's just been cases of sheer exhaustion). 

Let's get to it though - short comments my favorite skin care products and brands for the last couple years!

OKAY I tried writing something on each one and I am just like UGH your skin will love it, UGH your skin will feel new, UGH your skin will be moisturized. Just take my word for it please!!!

PAULA'S CHOICE - 

Retinol

BHA

INDE WILD - 

Backuchiol 1%

Vitamin C

VASELINE

Rosy Lips

CLEAN SKIN CLUB

Facial Towels

ANUA HEARTLEAF 

Pore Control Cleaning Oil

HADA LABO

Gokujyun Cleansing Oil

Other brands I use and love but just not ready to scream and endorse to the world:

Dr. Ceuracle

Vegan Kombucha Essence (wait maybe I do wanna scream I kinda love her)

I'm From

Mugwort Essence

Rice Toner

Cosrx

Snail 96 Mucin Essence

Apart from the readily available in the USA products (La Roche-posay and Paula's Choice), I LOVE to get all my skin care from YESSTYLE. The shipping/delivery window is no less than 2 weeks, maybe a month to be honest, but they are trust worthy, if you're item isn't in stock they let you know, and they have AMAZING prices and you can always find a deal or a coupon, It's truly worth it!! 

This is all for now but I think I am going to come back and DELVE a little more. 

Hi all,

I am reporting sudden, devastating news from the Monterrey airport. My sweet aunt, my father's eldest sister, passed away this morning. She had emergency surgery a few months ago in Spring to remove about 5 or 8 kilos of a cancerous tumor. She was seemingly completely healthy and so it was a very unexpected turn of events. From then on, she underwent multiple surgeries, drastic weight loss, and a short but difficult battle with her illness. She had one or two infections, but this last one was so severe that even with rushed surgery, they said only a miracle would be the way she could keep living. 

My dad and I both left work early and booked same day flights to get here as fast as possible. Would you believe today is also the day of one of the largest, if not THE largest, IT interruptions in history? It was a whole thing and I wasn't even sure that if we did book a flight, it would leave/make it on time due to the worldwide delays. But thankfully, we were able to go at a decent calm time and everything went without a hitch for us *insert pray hand emoji*. So it's 11:19pm EST time and our flight departs at 12:51am EST and we'll arrive at CDMX 12:10AM local time. Then we have a 3 hour drive back to our home town (do NOT like driving at night but what can you do). 

My aunt was a very sweet, kind, and thoughtful woman, don't think she had an actual bad bone in her body. We're all human and have our faults, but I don't think anyone could pin anything on her. She stayed with my grandparents, and then with only my grandma after my grandpa passed away. She worked hard all her life, always active and being a busy bee. Nos consentia mucho, whatever we were craving she would make sure we'd get it. She took great care of all the things we left behind, from the biggest toys to the small pens, hair ties, stickers etc. She had a great memory and loved to remind us of all the sweet times we spent together when my siblings, cousins and I were kids. She loved all of us SOOO MUCCHHH. She was an amazing writer and kept a journal I did not even know about until now. Her words touched me so much when I read them. Her dogs, Coca and Golo, were the light of her life. She was a sensitive and beautiful soul. She was an amazing person and was loved by many people in our town. We are devastated by her loss, but we find comfort in knowing she did not suffer and as a family, we did everything we could to ensure she received the proper care both medically and at home. 

Te queremos mucho tia y no puedo creer que ya no estes en este mundo physico, pero se que estas acompanada por tu papa y que nos cuidas desde el cielo. TQM Tia. 

1. I just slammed 500 grams of carbs at a Hot Pot dinner y me siento FATAL, COMATOSE, DRUNK

2. Big back habit caused me to have a Grande Icd Brn Sgr Shkn Espresso 

• Became over caffeinated