::Camila's Outfit of the Day:: Western Wear

::Momma Disclosure:: 

Momma of Dos, has partnered with Tender Nest Portraits as a brand ambassador, this post is a result of that partnership.  All photographs belong to Tender Nest Portraits.  
Also, in collaboration with this post outfit by Rose and Rhodes clothing. 

Houston Rodeo kicks off this week and along with some of the most exciting weeks in Houston, comes some pretty big boots to fill. The entire city lights up with cowboy gleam and makes sure their attire is up to par. No excuse for even the tiniest of cowboys and in our case cowgirls! 

My siblings and I grew up dressing western for this special occasion here in Houston every year. My parents had such pride in us being vaqueras; my Sister even won best dressed in Elementary school. It's one of those deep down local traditions that if  you ain't from Texas, well you better get here soon, cause you wouldn't understand. But, we can teach you the basics. 

Today we are showing off Camila's cowgirl look with this colorful, jean and flower print dress from Rose and Rhodes Clothing, Momma of Dos, has a special $5 off coupon {USE CODE: MD5} for you to use towards your next purchase! Thanks to the amazing photography skills of Annelle of Tender Nest Portraits here in Houston, we can showcase Cami's western outfit like never before. 

:: More about Tender Nest Portraits::

Annelle is a local photographer who owns and runs Tender Nest Portraits. 

She owns a studio and does natural light photography 

in Houston, Katy and the Sugarland area.  

Her work can be seen on her social media sites and website below. 

Website: http://www.tendernestportraits.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendernestportraits/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tendernestportraits/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TenderNest

Photo Credit: All photos taken by Tender Nest Portraits. 

Some quick Cowgirl attire facts {taken from Google/Wikipedia}:

• Most cowboy attire, sometimes termed Western wear, grew out of practical need and the environment in which the cowboy worked. 
• Most items were adapted from the Mexican vaqueros, though sources from other cultures, including Native Americans and Mountain Men contributed.
• Many of these items show marked regional variations. Parameters such as hat brim width, or chap length and material were adjusted to accommodate the various environmental conditions encountered by working cowboys.
•  In the modern world, remnants of two major and distinct cowboy traditions remain, known today as the "Texas" tradition and the "Spanish", "Vaquero", or "California" tradition. 
• Rodeo competition for women changed in the 1920s due to several factors. Also, the public had difficulties with seeing women seriously injured or killed, and in particular, the death of Bonnie McCarroll at the 1929Pendleton Round-Up led to the elimination of women's bronc riding from rodeo competition.
• The history of women in the west, and women who worked on cattle ranches in particular, is not as well documented as that of men. 
• It wasn't until the advent of Wild West Shows that "cowgirls" came into their own. These adult women were skilled performers, demonstrating riding, expert marksmanship, and trick roping that entertained audiences around the world.

And, usually, the attire is simple: a bandana, cowboy boots, cowboy hat, chaps, gloves and jeans. 

Obtain the outfit above with purse at Rose and Rhodes Clothing, don't forget to use your $5 discount code {MD5} today!!! 

Are you ready for the rodeo??

::Wordless Wednesday:: Kinda... #RodeoHouston Edition

As some of you may know, one of my biggest passions has always been volunteer work. Giving back to my community and being involved as a Houston Latina Professional, Momma and now Blogger is very important to me. It adds value to my purpose and creates a sense of pride that no one can take from me.  

This year it rained and it poured but nothing stopped me from going to my Rodeo Houston Committeeman meetings and reaching my goals to help raise money for scholarships! With the help of so many amazing clients and constant supporters, I buckled! What does this mean? I raised a little over 12K in scholarship money for my committee and for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. 

Hard work, dedication, commitment and perseverance pays off.  I firmly believe in this. ~Momma of Dos 

                             {Rodeo Art as exhibited in the Houston Intercontinental Airport}

::Rodeo Round-up:: #rodeohouston

Let me show you what I feel like right now ::akfhdajkdfbakhfyurgbfhbadnbfdgf:: NON-SENSE.

I know.

Organization.

Words.

Updates.

Where have I been?

Well, the Rodeo was in town and let me tell you Houston had gone wild. I had an awesomely busy time. I live for it. I love it. I stop all else, even housework {good excuse huh?! ::wink wink::}, and for weeks at a time, I devote all my "free time" to Volunteering at the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo. It all start with what we call the "BIG 3", which is the kick off weekend before rodeo.

We were on Great Day Houston; it's my second time on the show and I love it so much! We got to meet Deborah Duncan, she is so funny and you can tell that she works hard at her job every day. Making Television happen is a complicated thing and her staff is young and very talented you can tell they enjoy their jobs as well! Always a good experience... 

I love our Committee and our Team the Zipper Snappers! The team Captains are so amazing and knowledgeable. They encourage us and keep us informed. With their help I met my goal to raise over $15K in funds for scholarships; I love what I do. Needless to say Rodeo had just gotten started and I was already exhausted.

I only went to two concerts this year, it's so exhausting and I live a bit far from the Rodeo grounds...but we saw Usher and Robin Thicke...definitely worth the sleep deprivation!!

Rodeo is always a great time to meet new people and make new lasting friendships. It is a lot of work but I never regret it! Volunteering has always been a part of my life and I hope to lead by example in my family and that my children will one day be as involved as I am.

::Do you Rodeo?:: #HLSR

{ Momma Disclosure: This is not a compensated post or sponsored post. 

The statements below are both my true and honest opinion.}

One of my biggest passions over the years has been volunteering. Since I had my Dos little ones, I try to do as much as I can but limit myself to a couple of events a year. 

Like every year for the past almost 7 years I serve as a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Committee Member. It's been one of the greatest experiences and has given me the opportunity to not only network and meet interesting people of all walks of life but also learn new skills needed to succeed. I recommend it to anyone who inquires about it and I also encourage young Hispanic students to join and become involved. They have amazing scholarship and volunteering opportunities and it looks great on your resume! 

As a Carnival Ticket Sales Committee Member I sell Half-Price Carnival Tickets if you are local or planning on coming to Houston to the one of greatest Rodeos then please feel free to purchase tickets from me. {The link to order is on the flyer below.} The funds raised are not only used to provide Scholarships for students but you can also donate towards the Arm Forces Appreciation day to provide our Military Service Members a free day to enjoy the carnival with their families! 

{Please feel free to contact me via my personal email should you have any questions: gomez.connor2007@gmail.com} 

THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT YEAR AFTER YEAR!!!!

{Rodeo Houston} 2013

While the rest of the world is turning... Houston enjoys Rodeo! For 3 whole weeks the city if consumed by Cowboys, Horses and Concerts. Lots of fun Concerts. This year so far I have gone to see Lady Antebellum and Thursday, it was Bruno Mars!

One of my life long habits has been volunteering. In High School it was the library and nursing homes. In college it was well... just about anything from church to official governmental offices that helped people complete their INS forms to become Citizens. I have always loved helping. More so in those areas where my culture, my language {Spanish} and my passion would shine through!






In 2008, I was asked to become a part of a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Committee which provided daily tours to students and international visitors of the Rodeo... in particular those who spoke Spanish. I was added on to the roster of Bilingual Tours Committeemen and I won an award that year... Best Spanish Speaking Tour guide! Say What! Ha. I did. It was a fun committee. I loved, I mean LOVED it! More so hearing the Hispanic kids mostly Mexican kids tell me how their parents; owned horses and ate pigs! True story one little boy in particular gave me the run down as I gave his class a tour of the Ag-Venture livestock area... he told me that his Dad had goats and that he would kill them and eat them... {circle of life}, but amazingly as we went on this possible 2nd or 3rd grader went on to tell me how they also had pigs and how they also killed and ate those... when we got to the cows he said he Dad showed him to milk the cows just like the one I was telling his class about. When we got to the horses I said. "So, do you eat the horses too?"... and in a very Norteño accent he says to me in Spanish; "No'mbre! Esos los montamos!"And, as I pictured the little boy and his Dad, Vaqueros of the Houston area, riding away into the sunset and this little man being so full of agricultural knowledge and life long skills, I knew that my job as a volunteer with the Houston Rodeo....would be a fulfilling one!









I loved it and as the years go by I am excited to be a part of such an awesome Houston; lifestyle and tradition. I mean the days of riding off the farm in your horse and carriage into the city to work or conduct business are long gone, the Vaquero traditions live in this city very vividly for 3 weeks! Along with tradition, entertainment and Texas heritage the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo brings large groups into Houston from all over the world. I mean, I have met many Mexican Cowboys and European Cowboys as well as people from Japan and many parts of the U.S. Who come specifically to see what the Houston Rodeo is all about. There is also the matter of money raising for not only local kids but Texas High School students to obtain not only agricultural skills but also scholarships to go to college. My current committee raised over 6 Million this year alone!





It's definitely an organization that I am very proud of and enjoy participating with. And, all of the above mentioned are the kind of Texas and Mexican culture that we want to instill in our Children. Volunteer work, Heritage and yearly traditions!

I used to be in LOVE with Mexico and every year thought that NOTHING could ever compare to my Mexico lindo y querido! But, as I grow older and learn to enjoy local Texas cities and traditions I know that Mexico is beautiful, but  Houston and Texas has a lot to offer a family who wants to have well-rounded and locally educated children! Don't get me wrong... one day I hope to be able to travel to Mexico to show my children the cities where their Grand-parents were born and where I grew up {Cuernavaca & Reynosa} but for now... we will have to settle for local grounds!


YOU CAN SEE LAST YEARS EPIC FAIL ::HERE:: 


And, a THANK YOU to Xenia from Raised by Culture...for helping me gain some perspective and inspiration... 

Sometimes we don't realize our own potential until someone opens your eyes...