Personalize your Vacation (or Staycation) with Kleenex Design

A few weeks ago I wrote about complementing your home decor with stylish Kleenex boxes. So when they asked me to share if I packed Kleenex when traveling, I said: of course!

These are some of the things I carry in my beauty (travel) bag. One of the most important items are a few extra pouches of Kleenex. I always keep one in my handbag but these extras always save the moment.

Traveling by car? You can also find boxes specifically designed to place in the cup holder or the seat sides. Not to mention that I also carry the beautifully designed pouches in the gym bag - just in case... 

For those of us having a staycation this spring break, take a look at the new Kleenex designs by Isaac Mizrahi. The 4 brand new designs are intended to kindle confidence and inspiration to help you express your personal style and step out of your comfort zone when it comes to incorporating the latest trends. 

My favorite from the collection is this simple black and white animal print pattern, but take a look at the full collection in the Kleenex style finder page. Don't forget to watch the exclusive videos where Isaac Mizrahi shares style advice and his own experience as a design leader for more than two decades.

Thank you to Kleenex for sponsoring this post and keeping my Spring Break staycation stylish and fashionable! ;)

Love & Cheers! Cristalia

Hola from the Dominican Republic!

Hola! I am writing this post from the Dominican Republic. My first home. The country I was born in and where I spent most of my childhood. This beautiful crazy place that I adore. :)

My husband and I came for our parents birthdays and we'll also be traveling to a few places we've never been to. Follow me on Instagram (Instagram.com/CheersCristalia) to see our adventure!

Adios & Cheers!


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Cheers from San Francisco!

I am writing today's post away from home. It's 6:22 AM in San Francisco, CA and I am such a morning person that I am up and ready at the Starbucks Coffee line. The rare thing here is that I just got a bottle of water and an apple. Not hungry nor feeling the need for coffee. 

The reason for my trip is the HOW Design Live Conference. I am blessed with an amazing day job that  is paying for it. Fortunate to work for a company - and have a boss - that care for their employees growth. 

I arrived yesterday and headed straight to the hotel. Setup my stuff and walked to the conference at Moscone West. It's rainy and humid here so I am not very pleased with that because my walk is about 10 minutes. Yes, that's coming from a New Yorker that's used to walking a lot! 

But let me tell you that I am very happy to be here. The opening keynote last night was Austin Kleon, he taught us how to steal like an artist and my take on his talk is this:

Nothing is original because everything is inspired by something else (even if you don't think it is) so, go ahead and make something. Make art. If you think something should be different change it. Do the things that make you happy in life and good things will come. And finally, fake it 'till you make it. Pretend to be what you want to be, or how you want to be, and you'll eventually get there. 

One last thought to those of you who think that art is just designing, painting and drawing, art is whatever you make and connects you to other people. This I learned from Seth Godin's book 'The Icarus Deception' that I just finish reading last week. Do recommend it to anyone.

Happy Monday!

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Best of Oahu, HI

Aloha! This time not from Hawai'i but from my apartment's living room in New York. Depressing? VERY...I miss Hawaii. What is it about vacation, or maybe coming back to work, that makes us feel sooo miserable? I honestly don't know but, third day in the office and I'm feeling sick.

Alright, enough with the complaining. I've been telling myself all day to stop whining and I am doing just that. Let's cheer up with some highlights of my lovely travel to a Hawaiian island.

Oahu is a fantastic place. The rest of the Hawaiian islands are still on my list of places to visit but for now I am checking off Oahu from the list, and recommending my favorite things from that amazing little island.

The Guide: Discover, Honolulu, Waikiki, & Oahu from +Lonely Planet 

This is the first travel guide I've bought and it was perfect.
It's organized by sections (Honolulu, Waikiki, North Shore, Windward Corast, etc.)
which made it really easy to plan every day.

Best Beach: Waimanalo Beach Park.

Beautiful clear water and perfect sand. We visited Waimanalo on a rainy day and it still turned out to be my favorite.

Best Hike: Koko Head.

Aloha from the top of Koko Head! You will get the best workout from hiking to the top of 
this inactive volcano crater. At one point I thought about crawling my way to the top - that's how good it was.

Best Food: Shrimp Scampi from Giovanni's Shrimp Truck.

I don't have words to describe how good this Shrimp Scampi tasted. Giovanni's truck is located on the North Shore of Oahu. Surrounded by many more food trucks all selling delicious seafood but Giovanni's Shrimp was the best shrimp I've ever had...ever.  The shrimp is cooked and served with the shell - I believe that's one of the tricks of such deliciousness but a real hassle when hungry.

Best Dessert: Haupia (coconut) Malasada from Leonard's Bakery

Ooh, yum! This portuguese-style doughnut was the perfect dessert.  Obsessed with coconut I had to order the haupia filling but I've heard the chocolate one is delicious too. 

Best Entertainment: Hula Show in Kuhio Beach. 

Great free Hula show in Waikiki. One of my favorite Hawaiian things is the Hula dance because it's composed of  harmonious wave-like movements. Very peaceful. 

Have you been to a Hawaiian Island? Share your favorite travel foods, beaches, and hikes in a comment below. Mahalao (thank you) & cheers to more vacations!

The hubby & I at Lanikai Beach (North Shore) . My favorite, perfect fit bikini from +Ann Taylor find it here.

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tea talk!

Forget about coffee, nowadays tea shops are popping up all over the city. From the +Starbucks like, +Argo Tea Cafes to +DAVIDs Tea Shops.

These are the go-to spots for tea lovers and those of us who want to experiment with new drinks.

David's Tea got my attention because of it's branding. Graphics are modern using use minty green and white colors and a bold sans serif font. The shop carries around 150 types of teas from around the world including the largest collection of organic teas in North America.

Argo Tea shops are similar to Starbucks stores - very lounge like with comfortable chairs that invites us to read a book while sipping on delicious tea. They also have tables that make it a great get together spot for a quick meeting.

I won't tell you I have a favorite tea shop because I don't but I definitely do love tea and hope to one day replace my morning cup o' joe with a healthy cup of tea. For now, I will continue to enjoy both drinks.

Tell me about your daily drink love in a comment below. Are you a tea lover? If so, where do you go to buy your teas and how do you like it? Hot, cold, with milk? Tea cheers from me to you!

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Aloha from Oahu!

The time has come. I'm officially on vacation, in Hawaii. I've prepared some awesome posts to keep you inspired while I'm relaxed. If you are not already following me on Instagram please go ahead and do so to stay updated on my adventures.

Follow me on instagr.am/cheerscristalia

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