Who doesn't love a party?

I do! And I bet you do, too. I also love to give parties and to experiment with new recipes when I entertain (using my friends as guinea pigs as my children accuse me!)

As the summer just reaches it's height - weather is good, gardens look great and fresh produce abounds at all the farm stands - now is a great time to experiment with Salsa (the dip! Or the dance!) Try any of the recipes in this book, and you'll never look at guacamole quite the same way again!

Living in Puerto Rico, we drink margaritas year-round, but they really are a perfect summer drink - refreshing and colorful. Why not try a new recipe and take your margaritas over the frozen or fruity bar into new territory - even as far as a dessert? Here's a book to get your creative juices flowing and make you the host or hostess with real "brio."


My third suggestion is to do a theme party and why not try Cuban food? Great tasty food you can pair with Cuban music to create a fun and different party. Naturally, I have a book to recommend for this, too. Try the Fish and Pineapple Salad, Cuban grilled Chicken, Spinach Empanadas or Chicken and Bacon Tamales...serve a pitcher of Mojitos or Cuba Libres - put on the music and you've got a party! Here is the book of recipes to get you on your way.

Naturally, we sell the music, too! And it's all on our website under Summer Parties and BBQs!

A Month's Worth of Sales

Every July, and this one is no exception, we put lots of merchandise on sale to try and free up space in the warehouse in preparation for the fall and holiday catalogs. Right now we have real deals on books, music and DVDs.

Included in these sales are the Banco Popular Specials - both CDs and DVDs. If you're collection, or know someone who is, now is a good time to fill in the gaps in your collection. (And speaking of Banco Popular Specials, no, they are not planning to bring any of the old ones (that were released on VHS only) on DVD. Remember that with specials like these, all of the artists that perform have to give a release to permit a new purpose for the original recording. In some cases the permission cannot be obtained and, in others, it is just too much work for a project that only funds charity.

I'd also like to highlight the gift books you'll find on sale...Early Christmas shopping is almost impossible to think about in the middle of the summer - but now is the time to stretch your Christmas budget. Not only we, but most retailers, have great merchandise on sale right now.

Another Photography Workshop!

Here is another opportunity for Isla's customers and their friends to attend a fantastic workshop in Puerto Rico! Given by National Geographic photographer, Raul Touzón, who grew up in Puerto Rico, you can be assured that you will walk away from this workshop taking pictures you canreally be proud of! I know! Because I have taken 2 workshops with Raul. He's a wonderful teacher. The workshops combine lectures, shooting in the field and critiques with Raul. The dates for the next workshop are August 15th-21st.

There isn't a lot of time and space is limited, so if you're interested don't wait to register or contact me with your questions! Here's the link for more information on our website.

A Nice Surprise! Check out this Photo!

I got a call earlier this month from a customer looking for a "wearable" Vejigante Mask. We mostly sell the masks as wall decorations, but they are part of a costume for a carnival figure (basically from Ponce) - a Vejigante. Curious, I had to know if the mask was for one of the parades coming up this month...but no!

The mask if for a Dance troupe from York, PA called "Pasos Caribeños" - teens who perform the dances of our region and part of their show includes two costumed vejigantes wearing masks purchased from Isla! Here's the picture - and a link to learn more about them!

More Preparations for the Summer

This week's email sports a Puerto Rico Flag hammock. It's very large and made of cotton. Can you imagine a more beautiful way to relax in the shade on a Sunday afternoon? It'll make a great Father's Day present!

Don't forget that many cities hold their Puerto Rican Day parades in June ( New York and Chicago come immediately to mind). We have many items with the Puerto Rico flag - perfect for showing your pride at these events. Besides flags themselves, we have t-shirts and even dog leashes and collars! These are the subject of our May 24th email.

Look for both these notices in your email. (Not getting our emails? Just click here to sign yourself up!)

Looking Forward to the Summer

Now that Daylight Savings Time has started in the US, as far as I am concerned "It's summer!". Though we don't have daylight savings time in Puerto Rico, (we are currently on the same time as the east coast), even here the days are longer and we have daylight from about 5:00am to 7:00pm.

Summer generally means spending more time outdoors - here as well as there - so it turns our thoughts to picnics and barbecues, parades, the beach, kids that need to be entertained! If you get our emails, we will be covering these topics over the next few weeks.

In fact this week, we are already talking about barbecues, in particular about creating marinades with a tropical flavor. Take a look at our home page - and if you have any suggestions - why not post a comment to this blog and tell us how you add a tropical touch to your outdoor cooking!

Buen Provecho!

Mother's Day 2009

It's just a little more than a week away - but we can ship your gifts right up until next Thursday and still have them arrive in time for her to open them on the 10th.

Of special interest this year, we have two new jewelry artisans making interesting and unique pieces - Mother's Day is the perfect occasion to splurge on something like these. The first is an artisan who works with silver and camandula seeds. Camandula seeds are a smokey grey color with some browns and whites - really lovely. Here's an example - but we have 5 different sets of necklaces and earrings. The other artisan makes her designs from a special clay she imports from Barcelona. Combined with jute and silk cords, her designs are all original and one of a kind. Here's a sample of her work, too - but again - we have many to chose from.

Click on either image to see the other designs. You can also browse our Mother's Day Suggestions, by clicking here.

No matter what you give your Mother this Mother's Day, we hope she has a very happy day!