OOTD: Bronco Nation

Kaixo everyone,

I do not believe I have ever talked about this in my blog (I may have though, I am as repetitive as someone can get and I've told this story three times to a friend this weekend. Three times), but I am a huge Denver Broncos fan. Living in the Midwest, this is kind of odd. Being a girl from Europe, this is super odd. However, I did my study abroad in Durango, Colorado, where one of my dearest friends, Elley, instilled her love of the Broncos in me.

In fact, the last week I spent in Colorado, I got to have dinner with one of them! True story. My friend Ali's mom used to work in the hotel were they stayed before games, and she was good friends with one of them, David. She invited him to come over for dinner many times, and finally, he came when I was just visiting Ali! It really was a pleasure to meet such a cool, funny guy and hear what he had to say about being a professional football player.

David, Ali and I in June 2012

The Broncos got to the Super Bowl in 2014, which got me super excited.

2014

If you are a football fan, you may remember was absolutely painful for the Broncos. I cried. I seriously did cry on my way home from watching. The Seahawks crushed them.

So when the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl again this year, I was ecstatic. I was definitely wary, considering how good the Panthers had been during the season. Pretty much everyone here thought the Panthers were gonna win, and only 3 of us at the party where I watched it were rooting for the Broncos. So, SURPRISE SURPRISE, THE BRONCOS WON!!!!! OMAHA, OMAHA!!!

I felt so so happy, and I felt so happy for Elley, Ali, and all my Colorado friends who were so happy about their beloved state team. In 2014 I had the cap that David signed, but this year I had it in Spain, so I got the cutest Denver Broncos tee I could've found in Easy.

Tee, AFApparel

HOW CUTE IS THIS??? A Mexican Día de los Muertos skull with the Broncos' old logo in the forehead. The Bronco is actually a skeleton! I fell in love right at the moment I saw it. But I even fell more in love when I got it on the mail. The royal blue shade was darker than expected, which I loved.

Snapchat filters on point! Follow me: anetxin91

Tank: AFApparel // Cardigan: Forever 21 // Jeans: Uniqlo // Ring: Mango (old, similar here) // Bracelet: Apricot Lane boutique // Sneakers: Converse // Handbag: Lefties (old, similar here) // Necklace: Forever 21

Even Lilly Pulitzer showed a little homage to the Broncos after winning Super Bowl 50! In love with this print!

Tell me about your Super Bowl experience! What team did you root for? Did you wear anything in particular? Let me know!

Love,

- Ane

Surfing the Web VIII

In my Lilly Pulitzer Elsa! I'm in love with it! :)

Kaixo everyone!

I'm back after almost a week and a half long hiatus. I have had a jam-packed week with my students' exams, homework and grading, my own papers and the Super Bowl! (BRONCO NATION!!!!!!) It has been a while since I've written another installment of Surfing the Web, and even though I have only linked *gasp* four articles/posts, I believe each one of them has been very relevant for me, and I think about these topics almost in the daily:

She Divorced Me Because I Left Dishes by the Sink: Truly powerful piece on relationships and respect. Relationships are no fairy tale and many of us have found out the hard way, but it is paying attention to these things that can make a relationship prosper.

New Barbie: My childhood idol and role model has outdone herself in a way that I never imagined possible. Barbie has received SO MUCH criticism for the unattainable beauty standards that her tiny impossible figure encouraged in the young girls who played with her. While I avoided criticizing Barbie due to my eternal love for the doll, I did feel a little disappointed at the societal pressures she pushed on us women. So when I turned on my laptop and the first thing that popped up was that Barbie was getting a makeover, I smiled like I hadn't in days. Props to you Barbie, I'll be there to finally buy that Barbie who looks exactly like me! :)

The Honest Reason Why You've Never Stopped Loving Him: Another piece on relationships. You can see Valentine's Day is coming. However, this one has given me actual peace of mind, and I'm forever grateful. Whenever I thought about the happy times of my past relationships, I feared I was falling back for the person, but it really is me reminiscing a time when I felt happy and loved, and it is me longing for that sensation, not the person.

How to {Properly} Network With Bloggers: While I usually post articles I've found in different online newspapers, magazines and websites, this is the first time that I link a post by one of the bloggers I read. While I've read many useful posts on monetizing your blog and yada yada yada, for a semi-dedicated blogger like me (if I had more time I'd definitely pay more attention to it and work with it, but it's my hobby, not a job) this is not the most important aspect. My purpose when starting Basque Prep was to meet fellow bloggers and to form friendships based on common interests like fashion, pop culture and shenanigans.

When I came by this post by one of my favorite ladies, Olivia from Miss Olivia Says, I felt like I found the holy grail of blog posts about blogging. Olivia stresses that communication (good communication) is key when meeting fellow bloggers and wanting to collaborate with them: Getting to know them better, commenting (actually commenting, not just writing "I love this. Blog link" to promote yourself) and keeping in touch with those who were there when you started are the kind of advice I would truly recommend to anyone blogging. Bloggers are people like you and me, and they all appreciate support from other bloggers. When someone comments on my posts my face brightens because somebody has taken the time to read my musings. When the opposite happens, when a blogger you have been following for a long time totally ignores your comments or does not seem interested at all in your feedback, I do feel sad and unappreciated. We are all human after all.
Props to Olivia for writing such a necessary post, you rock love! :)
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So this are my latest findings in the world wide web! Any article/news piece/cat video that I should check out? Let me know!

Love,

- Ane

Valentine's Day Gifts for the Single, Easy, Breezy Covergirl that you are

Kaixo dear readers,

As the dreaded V-day approaches, singleness starts to feel heavy upon the Sargent Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band. Snuggling with a loved one, getting flowers, a candlelit dinner, lov... Ok now, stop. Staaahhhpppp. I'm gonna be honest here right now, after my first relationship, the idea of being with somebody gives me anxiety. I really want to overcome this and find the man who will make me feel awesome and loved, but  I'm in no rush. Leaving serious topics aside, being single on Valentine's Day is actually a pretty freaking awesome thing! There are many reasons, but this are the main pros for me:

- You and your other single friends can have a ladies' night and get white-girl wasted have fun.
- You don't have to spend a dime on buying stuff for a guy. I'm sorry, but are you aware of how hard it is to buy stuff for dudes? You either buy something extremely cheap and stupid or you have to get them a new Play Station 4. No thanks.
- You don't have to worry about running to Walgreens last minute to get the corniest card.
- It's another occasion to wear as much pink as Elle Woods does and nobody will judge you. It's basically as free as Halloween for Mean Girls!
- You can wear pink and red and nobody can say the famous Spanish phrase "rosa y rojo, patada en el ojo" (basically that they don't match).
- If you are really feeling it, you can go to a cute guy (or guys) in the bar and flirt without worrying of anyone else.
- You probably will feel sad, so you can invest all the money you have not spent on a loved one ON YOURSELF.

That's right my ladies, I know you knew I would get to this conclusion but hey, some of the Valentine's Day themed clothes, accessories and others are actually super cute. Since all bloggers have decided to do a gift list for a woman, a man and the holy spirit, mine is just for you (or for me), that kick ass, single lady who needs no man to be fabulous.

Market bag: Kate Spade // Wallet: Kate Spade //  Top: Lilly Pulitzer // Scarf: Tory Burch // Teddy bear: Melissa & Doug // Phone case: Stella McCartney // Bath oil: Jo Malone // Ballet flats: Tory Burch // Boxers: Royal Silk // Nail polish: Christian Louboutin // Handbag: Tory Burch 

From inexpensive teddy bears and boxers (for yourself, I mean, they are super comfy) to obnoxiously priced nail polish (I wonder who buys this), I've got your covered for the 14th.

What are your picks? Are you gonna treat yo self or treat someone else? Any exciting plans?
Love,

- Ane