Blog

You have what it takes to be a glorious, victorious and a fearless chingona!  (Use Google translate for the following, because when I  think of chile, I mostly think of it in Espanol!)

Cuando te veo, se me hace agua la boca.  Y cuando te pruebo, se me incha la trompa.  Lo unico que no me gusta es que muy seguido, me tienes bien embarrada. Te gusta como te tomo todo el dia Ve? Ven y hechale y metele mas!  Quiero que me arda, en la entrada y la salida, ahorita y por la mananita!

PHOTOGRAPHY & CREATIVE DIRECTION: Diana Diaz: Diana Diaz

MODEL:  Andrea is available for bookings at @_aanndreaa

MARIACHI: Jesus Perez resides in Boyle Heights.  He is a leader, social worker, activist, and supporter of woman owned business. @chuyperez_93

CLOTHING: . Contact @inthemakingla_boutique. Your support of ITM helps provide jobs, mentoring, empowerment, inspiration, , and endless resources for youth in East LA.  Contact Maribel at inthemakingboutique@gmail.com 323-369-2331

Today's crew:

Jesus, Andrea, Sara, and Chilito!

"The most important investment of our time is in our community and our youth"

"The most important investment of our time is in our community and our youth"

My participation in the all Latina Goddess Mercado was very empowering for a young girl like me. Everyone was so sweet and made me feel welcomed. Honestly, I didn't expect that! I now feel incredibly fortunate to be a young Latina from this neighborhood. As a new businesswoman I felt like I had a lot of support at this new market. Seeing so many boss Latina women doing their thing really made me feel like I belong to this community. I feel that as Latina entrepreneurs we face similar barriers and struggles.  It felt good to know I was around relatable women that I could share experiences with . I am happy that I am now part of this community!

I am a student and reside in Boyle Heights. I started my business last august to help distract myself from all the crazy things going on in the world. Then I found my love for baking and making sweets by exploring other things I could make to help grow my business. My educational goal is to become a child psychologist and help children through emotional barriers and trauma so that they can succeed in school and life.  Thank you for supporting me at our next #thegoddessmercado!

Jenni Sierra- I am the owner and creator of @sweets.by.jennyy Please follow me and support me by placing your next sweet order with me or visiting my booth at our monthly all Latina  @Thegoddessmercado.

@Thegoddessmercado at 1426 Maple Ave in DTLA

In efforts to support and encourage Latina entrepeneurialship and empowerment in our community, 323MARKET has agreed to sponsor participation of Latina high school students at our monthly events.  We are accepting applications for one free vendor spot at our monthly market. Must be a Latina high school student that is creating their own artwork or product at home.  

Please apply only in person at our next monthly market. See Diana at @mexichiccrafts booth.

"Mujeres unidas nunca seran vencidas"

This is for my homegirls!

 CABRONA

Sabes que? Ahorita  me tienes bien encabronada!  Me has decilucionado! Tu me ignoras, me maltratas,y me descuidas.  No me valoras y te olvidas de lo que soy capas!  Portate bien, porque si NO…

… esto se acabo! No tendras ya la felicidad!   A ti no te hace bien estar sin mi! Tu me necesitas y ya se que fallaras sin my precensia.

Es muy sensillo mi amor…

…amame, mimame, chiqueame y dame todo de lo que solo tu me puedes dar! Hasme sentir que solo de ti nesecito porque si no…

 me voy…

 con OTRO

OTRO

y OTRO

y OTRO!

OTRO,OTRO, OTRO…!

SELF LOVE TALK and Photos by Diana Diaz

CORAL- MEXICO LUXURY NECKLACE Available at mexichiccrafts.com

CLOTHING: HAZEL Los Angeles Gold Romper S/M available at In The Making Boutique to highest bidder. Bidding starts at $40. Contact @inthemakingla_boutique. Your support of ITM helps provide jobs, mentoring, empowerment, inspiration, , and endless resources for youth in East LA.  Contact Maribel at inthemakingboutique@gmail.com 323-369-2331

Thankful for our all of our mothers, sisters, and teachers who have guided us and made us the women we are today. We need to share our stories in order to empower other women.

In Los Angeles

THE GODDESS MERCADO: Come meet a group of women who are crafters, creators and entrepreneurs. They all do this from home! Some are full-time mothers and employed. These chingonas are witches, goddesses and storytellers (one blackbelt).  You will see that these chicanas are fearless, hardworking,  passionate, loving,  and strong.  It just so happens that they are all absolutely  gorgeous and fabulous.  What I love the most is that they all have very strong roots in my "hood".  Come to our monthly The Goddess Mercado.  Join us, support us,  eat some local food vendors and  have some fun! This for sure will continue help empower and build community.

Thank you for allowing us to create a safe space where we can meet, greet, eat, chat, shop, empower, and have some fun in our home town

Market is second Saturday of the month, 9am-3pm.

The Goddess Mercado

Meet the mujeres of The Goddess Mercado:

Grace- Creator of Dusty Rose Creations

Maribel-Creator of of Non Profit Organization- In The Making Boutique

Jessica- Creator of La Pant Mami

Diana- Organizer of The Goddess Mercado

Angela- Creator of Diosa Glam Cosmetics

Eyra- Creator of Chicana/Yucatecan Romantic Fashion line CEIBA

Carolina - Creator of LA GIRL TIE DYE  

Lisa- Creator of ILAMENTS

Monica- Student and Creator of MY DISENOS

Jenny- Student and Creator of  SWEETS BY JENNY 

Bios on these women will be featured in upcoming stories!

Thank you to all my old friends, and new friends.  I feel super supported and loved by you.  Please continue to support our small businesses and our Goddess Mercado by:

Posting pictures, tagging our handles and #goddessmercado, comment on our posts, share our product with friends, comment below on your experience at our monthly goddess mercado.

Unfortunately we are vendor capacity and are not accepting vendor application at this time.

You can be added to our vendor waiting list by emailing mexichiccrafts@gmail.com

Include description of your product and IG handle 

"Of course life is a big puta! If it was a slut, it would be easy"

How did I learn to love the hustle?  When we were kids, my parents would drop off me and my siblings at different corners in East LA to sell for them.  Up and down Avenida Cesar Chavez Chavez (Brooklyn Ave back then). “Con esta vas ha dormir bien caliento, guarantisado, y con descuento!” I’d holler out to passersby in order to get them to buy a pair of pillows that my parents manufactured in our illegal basement factory.  It was our little family business!  We would sell them for $6 a pair, and because I was damn chingona in the venta, or sales,  I’d sometimes get tipped an extra buck or two.  Okay, I’ll admit, I have always been a big bolada.  We experienced some bad times— money was tight! So afterschool, my parents would load us up in a van full of pillows and make us hustle so that they could pay the mortgage.  That is straight dirtbag! How fearless and badass of them!  While I would never do that to my own son, they did what they had to do, and I am so grateful for what my parents did!  

 *See picture below of my boy, helping his mom with her hustle!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Crystal Lopez @eyesonuphotography

CREATIVE DIRECTION: Diana Diaz

MODEL:  Andrea is available for bookings at @_aanndreaa

1965 FORD MUSTANG: Contact Karla for booking @karlamm8

CLOTHING: Custom Designer Tassel pants available at In The Making Boutique to highest bidder. Bidding starts at $50. Contact @inthemakingla_boutique. Your support of ITM helps provide jobs, mentoring, empowerment, inspiration, , and endless resources for youth in East LA.  Contact Maribel at inthemakingboutique@gmail.com 323-369-2331

A CHOLA IN CONGRESS!

What does your clothes represent? My clothes has evolved in it’s representation.  At first, because my parents couldn’t afford much, it was pobresa. When a local church and the community would give us clothes, it was necessidad! Wearing your older brother or sister’s pants, pajamas or calzones, was la realidad! When I learned to construct my own clothes and match with my thrifting, it became creatividad.  Now that I’m free and feeling fire- lots of fire, me visto con mas sensualidad!  Since falling in love with me, me visto con mas seguridad.  With that kind of confidence comes more sexualidad!  Pero, since I spotted a WOC wearing a bright turban, a chula wearing some hoops and her burning red lips, in congress?! Uuuuffff…! They were in Washington, in the news, in political magazines, as well as high fashion literature! Pues ahora me visto con mas libertad.  What does my clothes represent? Pues como dijo un chulo,  “Lo que se ve, no se pregunta”

Be free to wear who you are. Be proud to be you and let’s get more chulas in congress!  Please shop at or donate any new or gently used clothing to IN THE MAKING BOUTIQUE in EAST LOS ANGELES.

IN THE MAKING is a non profit organization founded by a badass chicana from our community.  Money raised provides jobs, mentoring, empowerment, inspiration, and endless enrichment for the youth in East LA.

“I am mine, before I am anybody else’s” 

Infiel Desgraciado

Querido Amor,

Perdoname and please take me back!  This time it’s true!  I will promise to never do it again.  Forgive me my love! Pardon my infidelity! These senseless majaderias, and obsurd cochinadas.  Te juro that my mom, she raised me right.  I'm sorry that I ignored and neglected you.  Sin pensar, I gave myself to another, instead of choosing you.  Disculpa este gran engano, fue un error. Give me another oportunidad! Te lo juro! (Muahhhh…)  Pero mira, cross my heart! No fue mi intencion! How stupid it was for me to hide you and pretend that you didn’t exist.  Amor, have no doubt! Esta vez no no vuelvo atras!  Yo ya me deje de parrandas.  No mas tardeadas, ni babosadas. Creeme, ya deje de pendejadas.  You will no longer feel insecure.  Sweetheart, I promise to never deny you. Ya recapacite! 

Ya reconozi!

Ya se, that there is nothing better than loving ME!

Creative Direction: Diana Diaz 

Photography: Crystal Lopez @eyesonuphotography

Clothing, IN THE MAKING BOUTIQUE @inthemakingla_boutique - A non-profit that provides jobs, mentoring, enrichment, and inspiration for East LA youth. Please donate or purchase gently used clothing o at IN THE MAKING - 100% proceeds will provide funding for jobs for our youth in East Los Angeles.

 Please watch Video and subscribe to my channel:

"The best project you'll ever work on is YOU"    

Recently, I found out that there are around 4,000 varieties of chiles in the world. Damn!  That's a lot of chile that I haven't tried! Hay un chingo de chiles willing to give you a variety of enchiladas. They come from different countries. In variety of shapes, textures, and colors. Size does not matter!  Actually, I take that back! You really gotta be careful with the small ones. All tiny chiles are fire. Hijoles, ni me acuerdes! Eat these sparingly and try to save them for caldos. 

With chile, what matters most is how it feels in your mouth. How it tastes and what you are able to do with it (or them).  There are thick ones, smokey ones, wrinkled or dry ones, and sweet ones too. Ay de todo amiga!  You can get really creative with chile!  Pero primero, I suggest you get inspired. Ponte romantica! Ponte chula! Place some flowers in a vase. Play some Bukis o Temerarios music before you start stuffing the chile.  Doesn't this sound sexy?! Well, because I consider myself a chile romantica, I decided to give my Tapatio a break and have some fun with a bunch of local variety of chiles. I spent last Sunday turning and tossing chiles. I chopped, seared, fried, stuffed chiles and tried all my newly learned tricks on them.  You imagine it?! I did it! It was hot! My whole house smelled like chile!  Try having your own chile orgy but don't do what I did...

Juan Gabriel appeared on my playlist y pues, me descuide! I accidently rubbed the chile on my face and couldn’t stop crying!  I was so moved by the music but mostly sobbing over the enchilada que me di. Even after rinsing with cold water, I couldn’t get the chile off my eyes. Ayyyyy, pinche chile!

I'm still down to try other chiles.  Want to join me?

Please subscribe to read all about my chile. Every Sunday night! 

Photography: Crystal Lopez @eyesonuphotography

Creative Direction: Diana Diaz

Chihuahua: Chilito

Clothing, Dishware, & Linens: IN THE MAKING BOUTIQUE @inthemakingla_boutique - A non-profit that provides jobs, mentoring, enrichment, and inspiration for East LA youth. Please donate or purchase gently used clothing or purchase a Mexichic Crafts purse at IN THE MAKING - 100% proceeds will provide funding for jobs for our youth in East Los Angeles.



"The most important thing a woman can wear is confidence"

Se va ha enojar mi Tapatio, but I’m going to come clean! There are two loyal chiles that I keep around for emergencies or a just in case (cuz a girl needs a fresh chile de vez en cuando).  Serrano makes my salivary glands scream and I can’t keep it in my mouth too long.  Pero muerdele la puntita ha un Jalapeno then see and feel how your lips plump up. I hate to admit this but my vanity and tolerance for pain is so big that sometimes I rub a fresh chile on my lips just to plump them up.  That’s what these expensive lip plumpers do anyway!  Try it!  - Labios Inchados Organicos. Pero lavate las manos Cochina and be careful not to get it on your eyes or on your crotch. Ouch!

Please subscribe to read about my search for the perfect CHILE!

Photography: Crystal Lopez @eyesonupphotography

Creative Direction: Diana Diaz

Dog: Chilito Chihuahua

Inspiration: Tapatio Hot Sauce- Hot Tapatio on the label!

 Clothing, Dishware, linens: IN THE MAKING BOUTIQUE- A non-profit that provides jobs, mentoring, enrichment, and inspiration for East LA youth. Please donate or purchase gently used clothing at @inthemakingla_boutique.

c 

"Confidence comes from not always being right but not fearing to be wrong!"

wrong!"

  Yes, I am loyal to my Tapatio sauce because he was my first sauce-Zas! Tapatio is affordable, goes a long way and comes easy.  Sometimes, however I don’t want easy!  I want hard, and prefer to be challenged, feel wild, fearless, and strong.  A good hard Chile does it for me!  How awesome is to bite a hard one and have that sensation of that eternal hell in your mouth? “Que no?!” A Chile so hot that its steam gushes out along with your tears and snot and…

…you know?

I know! That’s crazy right?  But that’s the way I was raised.  This is the way I was loved.  “Con mucho Chile” My dad once ate around 80 jalapenos just because it was a cheap way to entertain me and my siblings.   “Quieren que coma otro?” he would ask, and we would jump up and down, clapping, cheering, and scream “Siiiiiiii…”  I remember him chewing and sweating as we all chanted “otro, otro, otro…” Pobresa inspired creative Chile improvisation. You can imagine my poor dad that day after?! 

So I'm looking for a good Chile, and I'll tell you all about that later! 

Subscribe to receive updates!

Photography: Crystal Lopez @eyesonupphotography

Creative Direction: Diana Diaz  

Dog: Chilito Chihuahua