Can you imagine if you won a free quinceañera? This girl did! Here's how.

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Did you ever consider having a Christmas quinceañera? It's not traditional, but it's actually a great money-saver. Here are my festive ideas.

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When planning an outdoor quince, you take a chance on the weather. But I think it's worth it! (Have a plan B in case of rain, of course.) Before I go into the fun of planning a quince at a beach or in your backyard, we have to go over the practical stuff. There are five things I always tell quince girls to remember if they're planning an outdoor party:

1. Alert your guests if they have to walk on grass or rough terrain. You want to make sure the women aren't wearing high heels if that's the case!

2. Think of the elderly relatives. They can't sit out in the sun or heat for too long, so make sure there are shady spots or indoor places they can rest.

3. Beware of bugs. To keep them away, set up citronella candles or bug-repellent lanterns (the company OFF! makes them).

4. Make sure there is appropriate room and electrical outlets for DJs and bands to set up outside.

5. Ask the local authorities about noise restrictions or about any permits that might be required if you're in a public place like a park. It would be a bummer to get a fine!

If you're having your quince at the beach...

I can't resist a beach-themed quince that's actually at the beach! Although a beach is an unusual place for a quinceañera, it's really easy to put together and it can be inexpensive because it's so casual. Of course, just because the mood is casual doesn't mean you can't dress up like a princess. There's nothing like running around in the sand all dressed up. After all, it is YOUR day.

If you start the party in early afternoon and carry through the night, you'll have the benefit of the sunset — SO HOT! You can do a barbecue and eat in front of a bonfire, not to mention dance in the sand. It's so much fun. Keep it simple: Serve hot dogs and hamburgers, cool tropical drinks, salads with cucumber, and pineapples. You can set it up like a buffet and create a "gazebo" (a tiny roof supported by two or four columns) for the cake, so it won't melt in the sun.

To get more ideas for decorating and planning a beach-themed quince, check out MisQuinceMag.com's guide here. You can also take this quiz to see if a beach-themed quince fits your personality.

Click READ MORE to see my tips for having a quince in the backyard.

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The great thing about masquerade balls is that you can plan them for any season. They can be wild, casual, or formal. The only requirement is that you and your guests wear masks! For the sake of this conversation, let's make it formal, elegant, and romantic, like Phantom of the Opera! If you don't know it, this is a very famous musical that has a masquerade ball scene.

For this theme, think Venice in the 19th century. First, pick the colors purple, green, and gold, or any related shades, like burgundy, royal blue, and mustard. On your invitation, ask everyone to wear dressy outfits in those colors. (The guys can wear black slacks with a shirt or tie in any of those colors.) Challenge the guests to bring a unique mask. Give a prize for the best decorated one! So everyone can get in the spirit, be sure to provide fun accessories like masks, hats, feathers, feather boas, gloves, capes, and canes. You can pick these up from a party store.

You want to have bright lights at the entrance of your party, maybe even a spotlight to feature some of the outfits. Inside lights should be dim. Decorate the area with masks, white holiday lights, and candles everywhere. Put candelabra on the tables and thick drapes on the windows.

The presentation dances can be classical songs from Phantom of the Opera (click READ MORE to see a suggested playlist). The party can be divided in two parts. The first half of the night can be formal. Play mellow music for the first couple of hours during the dinner, like instrumentals on a cello, harp, or violin. The second half can be lively, more casual, and fun.

If you have a photo of yourself at a masquerade ball, send it to me! I may post it on my blog.

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You may have already read MisQuinceMag.com's tips for shopping for unforgettable invitations here. Or maybe you saw my earlier blog post about how to word your quinceañera invitations. Many girls still had questions for me about ordering and sending their invitations, so here I am with the answers!

1. Should the invitation be in Spanish, English, or both?

The invitation should be in the language of the country where the party is taking place. So, most quinceañera invitations you see in the U.S. will be in English. However, if you have relatives who don't understand English very well, it's nice to write translations for them.

2. Is it cool to do electronic invitations to save paper and postage, or does that leave a bad impression?

A quinceañera is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so put the effort into printed invitations. If you want to save money, you can print your invitations from a home computer.

3. When should I order my invitations?

I recommend ordering them about four to six months before your party, or as soon as you know your date, time, and location. Don't forget to order 20 to 30 extra invitations in case some get messed up in the addressing process or for last-minute guests. You'll also want to save a couple for your keepsake album. It's cheaper to order in bulk, rather than having to reorder a few invitations later.

4. What do I write inside the invitation?

Check out this earlier blog post I wrote, where I give you an example you can copy for your invitations.

5. Does the invitation come from me or my parents? What if my parents are separated?

I mentioned this in my last blog post about invitation wording. It should come from whoever is paying for the party. I have advice on dealing with those tricky family situations here.

I'm answering three more questions for you ... click READ MORE to see them!

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Not sure what to write inside your quinceañera invitations? First, decide how formal you want the words to be. Who is paying for or organizing your quinceañera? Are your parents paying for everything together? If only one parent is paying, then he or she should be the one inviting. Follow this example:

Mr. & Mrs. Manuel Lopez (or Mrs. Lucia Lopez)

Request the honor of your presence at

The quinceañera of their (or his/her) daughter,

Jennifer Griselda Lopez-Macias

Saturday, the twentieth of October

Two thousand and nine

Two o'clock in the afternoon

Sacred Heart Church

Jersey City, New Jersey

Reception to follow.

If everyone in the family is contributing, then consider starting with the family name. (Click READ MORE to see the example.)

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If you are planning your quinceañera on a budget, cut costs by making your own decorations. With these simple and inexpensive ideas, you can start by making your own centerpieces for the tables. You'll find the needed supplies at most dollars stores across the country.

For the first four arrangements, buy glass bowls in various shapes and sizes from the dollar store.

Arrangement #1

Fill the bowls halfway with clear water and add floating tea light candles, also from the dollar store. You can color the water with artificial coloring to match your theme.

Arrangement #2

Fill the bowls halfway with clear water and add roses, carnations, or daisies to float in them.

Arrangement #3

Fill the bowls halfway with sand and place tea lights on the sand. Add other accessories to highlight a theme, like seashells or river stones.

Arrangement #4

If you have a lemon or orange tree in your backyard, USE IT, GIRL! Fill the bowls with lemons or oranges and work the theme around that, especially if you're having a summer quinceañera.

I have three more ideas using different supplies. Keep reading!

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I'm going to tell you how special quinces in El Salvador are, but first I have to say that salvadoreñas are BEAUTIFUL! One of my favorite supermodels of all time is salvadoreña Christie Turlington (her mom is from El Salvador). Also, my friend, reporter Elizabeth Espinosa from KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles, is another gorgeous and talented salvadoreña. Elizabeth is actually the one who inspired me to write a post about la Fiesta Rosa.

Quinceañeras in El Salvador are called "Fiesta Rosa," or "rose party." The reason for the name is obvious. Everything is pink: pink dress, pink hat, pink gloves, pink bouquet, pink shoes, and pink decorations. In some cultures, rosa or rosado signifies innocence and girlhood.

El Salvador is a very Catholic culture, so that is why to start off the Fiesta Rosa, there is a traditional Thanksgiving mass, when family members present the quinceañera with gifts. A lot of Fiestas Rosas are celebrated in August, when salvadoreños also honor the patron saint of El Salvador, named El Salvador del Mundo. August 6 is the national day of celebration, but the parties and parades last during the whole first week of August — which is actually happening right now, as I'm blogging!

La Fiesta Rosa is a big feast, usually prepared by the family and consisting of typical Salvadorean dishes, like casamiento, which is a mixture of rice and beans, and pupusas, which is cornmeal stuffed with cheese, refried beans, and chicharrón (fried pork fat).

Pupusas are one of the most important typical dishes of El Salvador and can't be missed at the Fiesta Rosa. Similar to the Venezuelan arepas, the pupusa is handmade tortilla made of masa de maíz, a thick corn dough frequently used in Latin American cuisine. The pupusa is usually stuffed with either queso (cheese), refried beans (frijoles refritos), fried pork rind (chicharrón), and squash (ayote). Here's a recipe if you want to add a piece of El Salvador to your own quince, or Fiesta Rosa!

Click READ MORE to get the recipe!

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Quince dresses come in every color of the crayon box — it’s hard to pick a favorite! But do you want to know the color I love? Pink! I love pink because it reminds me of sweet things like bubble gum and cotton candy. Pink can be romantic, charming, and playful. Pink to me is "sugar and spice and everything nice."

Considering so many girls choose pink as their quince color, you may be wondering how to make your pink unique. Well, you’ve come to the right place! I have plenty of ideas for turning pink into a fun party theme that suits your personality.

Remember, pink comes in so many shades: from soft ballerina pink to medium rose tones, to pinkish-orange salmon and coral, to bright purplish-pink fuchsia or magenta. The shade you choose can say something about you:

• Pastel pink is tender and romantic. It’s also symbolic of a cause that’s very close to the hearts of many women finding a cure for breast cancer, the leading cause of death among Latina/Hispanic women. As part of your theme, you could encourage guests to support pinkribbon.org or Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
• Darker shades of pink combined with purple and burgundy give a retro, Victorian touch.
• Multiple shades of pink create a candyland as sweet as you.
• Hot pink flamingos add a tropical, playful touch.
• Pink combined with dark colors like black, silver, gray, or navy shows sophistication.
• Pink combined with green can represent a love for nature and be used to make a "save the planet" statement.

Are you thinking about pink for your quince? What theme would you create with pink?

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