Andy Grammer's lyrics and songs can inspire your Quince playlist. Photo Credit- Josh Newton

One artist who can appropriately start the picture montage of you with your BFFs is up-and-coming California native Andy Grammer.

If anyone can write a song about ambition under less-than-stellar circumstances, it’s this resident troubadour. Grammer belted out songs on the streets of Santa Monica for three years before his lead hit single, “Keep Your Head Up”, started making the radio rounds. In fact, he wrote that very song after a day of collecting little money for his music efforts.

What makes him stand out from a sea of talented performers is his genuine engagement with his fans and his lyrics, which are often cheerful and optimistic.

For example, in his track ‘Ladies’, Grammer reminds his fans to respect women by crooning:

“My mother told me,

She said Andy,

You’ll be a man soon,

So understand me.

Most of this world sees,

Women like candy.

You’ll be a man who,

Will be standing for me.”

And in his single ‘Lunatic’, the singer states that lunatic would be changing his mind from pursuing his goals. And like a good pop singer, he also touches on the facts of love with ‘The Pocket’, a song that describes his ideal relationship.

‘The World is Yours’ can be the song you choose to open the photo montage with your baby pictures and ‘Fine by Me’ can be the one played last by the DJ since it talks about you being fine if you lived ‘like this forever’.

And if you’re a fan of Taylor Swift, you’d be pleased to know that Grammer has also performed with the country sweetheart. He also won the MTV O Music Awards’ Most Innovative Video for ‘Keep Your Head Up’, and was named a 2011 Artist to Watch by Billboard Magazine. His self-titled album dropped in June 2011 and now Grammer has dotted across the West Coast and is heading eastward in promotion of it with his first headlining tour.

So show your Quinceañera guests that life is full of beauty and introduce them to Grammer’s fresh and motivational songs by including them into your Quinceañera music playlist.

Although there exist several great skin care products, it is important to maintain a well-balanced diet and practice good hygiene habits in order to have healthy and radiant skin. This is why it is recommended to eat a reasonable amount of fruits and vegetables, water, natural juice, herbal tea, and other foods that are included in the food pyramid. Although junk food –such as fast food- has a great taste everyone enjoys, it is not recommended that you eat it in excessive amounts. Instead, eat foods that are low in fats and prepared at home.

Benefits
Some facial masks cleanse the skin, close pores, stimulate, and boost firmness to provide smoothness. Others help your skin recover from fatigue, reduce skin oils, and help eliminate blackheads and acne.

Keep In Mind That…

• …It is important that you perform an allergy test by applying a bit of the facial mask to a small section of your arm or leg.

• …Facial masks should be used immediately after they have been prepared. Never use the leftovers.

• …Famous beauty salons make facial masks using natural products.

• …When you apply a facial mask, stay relaxed in bed or on the sofa so that you may enjoy the experience and obtain better results.

• …Although your skin is young, some facial masks will help you keep it smooth.

• …Apply the facial mask with your hand using upward strokes. Then apply from the center to the sides. Don’t forget to apply it on your neck as well.

• …Do not apply the facial mask on your eyes or lips.

• …Don’t overuse facial masks. Use them every now and then. Remember that your skin is still young.

• …Don’t forget to place cold chamomile teabags in your eyes before your Quince celebration. You will look fabulous!.

Facial Masks for Your Needs
For many years, women have been concerned about skin care, which is why they began to use natural products and created some of the most amazing facial masks. Today, you can get a variety of facial masks in a store’s beauty section or use a natural face mask:

Complex Skin

1. Mix a cup of natural yogurt (be sure it is unflavored and contains no sugars), an egg yolk, and a spoonful of honey. Then apply to your face and neck. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then with cold water, which helps you close pores.
2. Cut a ripe tomato and mix it with a few drops of almond oil and lemon juice. Then apply and wait 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water first and then with cold water.

Dry Skin

1. Mix an egg with a spoonful of honey. Apply to cleansed face and leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and finish by rinsing with cold water. This face mask helps you moisturize dehydrated and dry skin.
2. Prepare a puree with a ripe avocado and a bit of milk. You should have a soft paste. Apply to your face and leave on for 20 minutes. Remove with a soft cloth or a sponge moistened in warm water. Finally, rinse with cold water.

Oily Skin

1. If your skin is oily, gently rub a piece of pineapple over your face. Wait a few minutes and then rinse with water.
2. Mix an egg yolk with lemon juice. Then add oatmeal until you create a soft paste. Apply and let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then with cold water.

Homemade Exfoliants
If you prefer natural products, here are some suggestions to make your own exfoliants:

1. Mix some fine sugar with face lotion. If you like, you can add a few drops of lemon or orange juice. You must feel the sugar on the tip of your fingers. Use this mixture to exfoliate your skin. Then rinse with warm water.
2. Use ¼ cup of oatmeal and a spoonful of honey. Apply to your face in a circular motion. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then with cold water to close the pores.

Invest in a dance floor
Since you’ll be saving lots of money by not renting a hall, you can invest some of that saved cash into a dance floor. Rather than having your guests dance on the grass or on pavement, you can have a customized dance floor in the middle of your backyard. Lay-on dance floors are similar to puzzle pieces in that each piece hooks to one another. This layout design allows for you to have as small, or as big, of a dance floor as you’d like … and it will definitely take your quince from a weekend backyard get-together to a lavish backyard quinceañera.

Hire servers and catering
For family weekend get-togethers, it’s normal to have a buffet style meal where everyone helps themselves to food and drinks. But to get rid of that weekend get-together feeling that your family may feel when they step into your backyard, a simple trick to upping the ante on your backyard party is to hire servers and a caterer for your fiesta. Since you’ll have servers as opposed to a buffet reception, your guests will be delighted to take part in your sit down dinner, and will appreciate being waited on rather than having to serve themselves. This simple investment will definitely add a touch of sophistication to your spectacular quinceañera.

Décor, décor, décor
If you’ve had more than one or two family celebrations in your backyard, then you’re all too familiar with the balloon decorations that you usually use. If you want to choose a different décor idea to stray away from what your family is used to seeing, a great alternative for you are drapes. For a dramatic look to your party, you can create a canopy with drapes as well as an overlay on your tables. Draping is another DIY trick that takes extra time to arrange, but definitely pays off because of its over the top look.

Lighting
Another visual aspect that will blow your guests away is lighting. You can hire a professional lighting company to create a visual mood to your party and to accent special details of it like your cake and centerpieces. The lighting can be placed strategically in the locations that you choose and in the tone that you wish, and is a minimal touch that turns any party into a full blown celebration.

Cute and sassy
If you’re this type of girl, or if this is the type of dress you want to wear for your fiesta, you’d want to go for dresses that have a definite wow factor to them. This design, for example, is a simple tube top cut with an A line skirt, but the huge bow in the front completely transforms what could be a plane Jane slip-on into a cute and sassy quince mini. And in this adorable pale pink hue, the pink bow mini dress is even sassier.

Fun and funky
For a fun and funky quince mini, bold colors such as this hot pink against a satin black are a definite eye-catcher. In a center drop, heart-shaped bustier cut with the hot pink bow in front, this mini is ultra funky…in a good way. You can do as this model does here and wear this design with lace stockings or simply pump up the funkiness by going with a dark nail polish as opposed to a French mani. To accessorize, go with chunky bracelets and cuffs in shiny black.

Elegant and classy
A classy dress never goes out of style. And as this laced mini proves, you can be a smoking diva in lace anytime! Aside from the beaded lace that falls over a nude lining, the halter neckline makes this design very elegant and sophisticated in a very youthful and fun way.

Chic and stylish
Any mini like this Betsey Johnson tea party mini dress is chic and stylish. With endless layers of lace tiers and a thick sash below the bust area, this mini dress puffs out for a very girlie and chic flair. Conveniently placed on this design is a zipper closure that allows you to slip into the dress with ease, as opposed to trying to squeeze your way into it. For chic and stylish mini’s, look for dresses that make a statement with either the design, cut or material.