08. Pet Ofrendas and Obstacles of the Universe
Día de los Muertos for pets is October 27th, so grab your popcorn and lets get their ofrendas set up for when they come to visit.
Almost 2 years ago, I lost my best friend. His name was Luther; the sassiest, most protective and loving Blue Heeler Border Collie mix to ever grace this floating rock of a planet. I got him from an Amish puppy mill from a rural town outside of Philly, PA. I like to think I rescued him, but for the 10 years I had him, he did nothing but make my life better in every way, shape and form, so he saved me, really. It will be almost three years now, since he died. Almost three years since my life was changed forever. A piece of me went dark that day. Gone, just like that. The first year felt impossible to get through. The empty rooms, no Luther boy jumping on the bed to say Good Morning. I swear some days i can still hear his little paws sliding down the hall. I had him cremated cause i didn’t know what else to do, and set his little box up in a display case i got from IKEA. I talk to him every day. Last year was the first year I decided to make him an ofrenda.
As a Mexican, I can honestly say our culture is obsessed with death, but in the most beautiful way. While it's sad having to say goodbye to someone you love, the afterlife, or belief in it, can be just as beautiful as the present. It’s a part of life, where we know we will reunite with them again. That’s where Día de los Muertos comes in, where families welcome back the souls and spirits of their passed loved ones for a short reunion; A moment where you can be with them again. What most people don’t know, is there’s a day where Pets visit us too.
Human spirits come to visit us on November 1st + 2nd, depending on your culture. October 27th is recognized as the day our pets come to visit us, the same way our human loved ones do, although its perfectly find to celebrate them together depending on how you grieve. Last year was the first time I set up a full ofrenda dedicated to Luther, so I can be with him again. An ofrenda is basically altar. This is where the spirit will come back to visit you. Let me emphasize, you have to truly believe in this shit. You have to believe your fur babies are waiting for you. At first I wasn’t sure, but now, I can feel him. There are days where I swear I feel him jump up on the couch right when im sitting as a way to get my attention. That’s my boy and I know he’s always with me, but I can’t wait for October 27th. Here’s how I made his ofrenda.
An ofrenda is comprised of the 4 major elements; Earth, Water, Air, Fire. That along with items of your baby for personal connection, and the cutest photo of them you can find.
Luther Boy’s Ofrenda
+ EARTH: his favorite treats and toys. I added some dried sweet potato, bully sticks, peanut butter and some dried chicken snacks.
+ WATER: a water bowl that he can drink out of when he gets here; i know all that traveling will make him thirsty.
+ AIR: decorative table cloth and hanging strings that move with any blow of air (i keep his ofrenda by the window so the air blows on it daily
+ FIRE: candles so his ofrenda and photo are always lit up for him to easily find
+ MARIGOLDS: I have fake ones throughout the year and add real ones the day of so they’re fresh. Having real marigolds is KEY. Their scent is so strong that it helps draw your baby close. They can sniff it out and Luther’s nose was like no other so I know he will find it. They are also super bright, so petals are often placed around as a pathway for them to follow. This way they wont get lost on their way to you.
I hope you make ofrenda’s for your babies when the time comes. If you do, please tag me so I can see how beautiful it is, and wish you so much love.
On a lighter note…
I know we’re probably all crying in the clerrrb since we’re all fam and we’re not racist, but we have a new nail design this week! I took my first stab at 3D nail art with some 3D cherries + stems using builder gel, and it was surprisingly not as hard as I thought it was going to be. It makes me want to up the anti and try more fruit nails but i also don’t love the look of fruit nails so we shall see lmao. It’s been a little over a week and these nails are still going strong. I did recently add a full tutorial on Instagram for how I did these nails, si quieres a aprender. Here is a full list of everything I used <3
+ top coat
+ LED lamp
+ nail oil
+ peel off base coat *optional*
You don’t have to use nail forms but I did for this since I wanted almond nails and didn’t want to start with a square shape that would have taken longer to file. But if you are using nail tips, make sure they are SOFT GEL nail tips and not regular acrylic ones. I like these cause they come off a lot easier.
What I’m taking into next month..
The universe is a weird fucking place that doesn’t make sense most times, but she speaks to you and when she does, we need to listen. For years , I’ve always felt like I was destined for something more, something greater that where in life I currently was. I knew I had more to offer that the world just hadn’t seen yet. I even wrote about it.
But now more than ever, I’m realizing that when things are either put in your life, or removed from it, it’s for a reason. Nothing was taken away from you and nothing is stopping you from reaching your fullest potential. If anything, the obstacles were cleared, you just have to pay attention. You start to realize that obstacles can come in so many shapes, sizes and forms. They can come in the form of financial issues, friends, even people you thought you trusted, like a family friend or a mentor. But the thing about an obstacle, is that they never move. They never reach another phase in their life. The obstacle stays exactly where it’s planted, for the rest of it’s life. It lives, eats, breathes, and dies an obstacle. Whereas you can always go around it and never have to see it again. It took me awhile to learn that one, but when I did, my whole world opened up.
Current Playlist
Music for me is all communication. It’s how I convey my emotion without having to put it in my own words. I can let the music do it for me, and lately… I’ve gone through a decent range of emotions - let’s go through my top 5 most played songs for the past 30 days.
Session 32 by Summer Walker: this one is just so raw that you can’t help but feel her pain when you listen to it. I listen this ballad over and over again just to feel something. The fire alarm sound is great too lmao
Whatever She Wants by Bryson Tiller: I had the pleasure of working alongside one of Bryson Tiller’s old directors and he was such a genuinely caring and creative person that I went down a Bryson Tiller deep rabbit hole.
Yea Glo! by Glorilla: Glorilla is and always will be my Pop Smoke. You bitches could NEVER. She’s been my go to when I wanna fight someone honestly lmao or when I just knowwwwww im that girl, YOU KNOW?! Also, fresh after a fight or something that made me angry, she comes on.
On My Mama by Victoria Monet: I dress like a tomboy most days but sometimes I wanna be cutesy and fine as hell. That’s when Miss Monet comes on. She’s also a great pregame to important conversations. When I need to really hype myself up before I go say something important to someone or gotta stand on business. She’s my hype bae.
Magic Hour by ¿Téo?: Everything about this mans music is MAJESTIC. When it comes on, my body just starts to flow and my mind is put at ease. I just feel, and i really love that.
October Beauty Faves
With the fall season upon us, our beauty and skin needs should be changing with the weather. Here is what I am currently STOCKED UP ON this October:
Sacheu Lip Stain in Mauve and Noode: this, a lip liner and a gloss. that’s been the go to lip of the season for me. It’s easy, quick, and hard to fuck up.
SkinSmart Hypochlorous Acid Spray: when i wake up, before i get ready, after i get ready, whenever i sweat, at the beach, i always keep one in my bag. I also refuse to spend $28 on the tower 28 one.
Overnight Blowout: this was tricky to learn at first and i think hair prep for this is SUPER SUPER important, but once you figure it out, the hair is always a 10/10.
Silk Bonnet: everyone needs one. i put my hair up in a very light bun with a satin scrunchi, and then the bonnet goes on. In the morning, its a fresh and smooth “blowout” i didn’t even have to work for.
Coconut Cult + Seamoss Gel. I’ve added these two to my morning routine and more recently, started eating them with a cup a bone broth. (the bone broth is a longer story but alas). I do think they’ve helped with digestions, hair growth and nail growth. Those are changes i noticed pretty recently when I ran out, and the tummy problems came back. I tried to regular coconut cult and now Im on the strawberry flavor. As for the seamoss gel, i get this one from Sim Sima. I tried to pitaya one which was bomb, and now im eating the ashwaganda and passion fruit flavor.
One last thing before I bid thee farewell. Don’t let anyone ever make you doubt who you are or what you do. Stand on your business and stand for what you believe in. In the words of Kurrupt, “You are the ONE. Everyone else is 2’s and 3’s, but you are the One.” Thanks for reading this issue of The Cafecito Weekly.
If you love it, feel free to comment and share it with someone you love, or maybe even throw it up on your story and let me know it impacted you in some way. Love you all.