Big cheer in a small dose

Hi friends. First, I apologize for not being consistent on my blogging lately.  I'm away from home, from my computer and the days have been hectic around here.  Tomorrow, we fly back to Florida, where I have a baptism to plan right before Christmas Eve, and the details involved in the process are countless.  I will show you pictures of the day, since I also left my camera back in Florida.  I have been bad at checking my favorite blogs lately, since I haven't had much time to sit around in the computer.  But Christmas is just around the corner, and so many lovely things have been passed around the web lately, I couldn't resist posting a few of my favorites. Have a wonderful day and enjoy these sweet holiday trees.

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In the kitchen

{Truly chocolate chocolate cupcakes}

Well, it's no secret. I love chocolate, especially when it's not too sweet. So, imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this amazing recipe for chocolate cupcakes. I guarantee you will stick to this one once and for all. After trying several recipes from several reputable sites, including Martha Stewart's, I have to say, this one is a keeper. I made them twice over the Summer. And I want you to woo your holidays guests with this recipe.  Click below for the amazing simple recipe by Kamran Siddiqi. . Buen provecho!

A heartfelt Thanksgiving

I've been in this country for most of my entire life, yet Thanksgiving never felt like the grand and special holiday it sure is for many Americans until now.  I wrote something about it last year when my daughter was still an infant and I cooked my first turkey breast -although I'm mostly a vegetarian- for my new family.  And this year, although we are not cooking turkey, we will enjoy a delicious baked salmon, which my husband loves, and give thanks from the bottom of our hearts for the blessings we are fortunate to call our own.

Little by little I have witnessed, thanks to my husband's family, the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner and family reunion elevated to a worthy celebration of love and shared blessings.  My mother in law learned to cook a turkey early on, and now cooks two for family and friends, who come to her house every year to enjoy this traditional, hearty feast.  

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But the holidays have a stronger hold on us when we live our everyday lives' apart, and come together, either my plane or car, to celebrate the joys of the season. And Thanksgiving and Christmas do become that promise of coming together. We will soon celebrate our 5th anniversary living away from home, a big feat for both my husband and I, who are very homy and close to our families. We still haven't managed to be able to afford both Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families every year. But we will soon!

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This year we are thankful for family, near and far, and for the bounties of work, health, well-being and togetherness.  We are truly blessed and fortunate to be here.

And to you friends, I wish you a heartfelt Thanksgiving holiday. Bon apetite!

Around the Mall

A few weekends ago, we decided to brave the crowd and go to the Mall and maybe visit one of the Smithsonian museums. It turns out it was practically empty around 4 p.m. when all the tourists are heading out of the buildings. We were in luck, to say the least, and had a wonderful time riding the vintage carousel, visiting the Museum of the American Indian, and just walking around the National Gallery of Art's esplanade and gardens. Have you visited the gift shop at the Gallery? It's the best gift shop in the city for art lovers.

Fall is definitely here, with Winter just around the corner.  I'm holding out as long as I can in flats.  I think I might be able to pull it off until January when I return from out of town.   Emilu, Piki and I are getting ready for our month long trip to Florida and the DR.  It's definitely beginning to feel like the holidays are so near.   Are you planning on taking any family trips or do you have friends visiting from out of town?  That's the special thing about the holidays, right?!

Married in Manhattan

On Memorial Day weekend my brother in law and his beautiful fiancee tied the knot in a series of events that not only were fun and jubilant, but celebrated who they are, as individuals, in each others' lives. 

I loved the no-fuss wedding from the start.  The officiant was a long time musician friend, and the wedding was full of them.  One of the groomsmen, another long time friend, played Mendelssohn in his best George Harrison as they walked down the "aisle."  They held each others' hands til death do them 'part.

The ceremony and reception, followed by an intimate, seated 4-course lunch took place in one of their favorite restaurants in the East Village.  This is where they had their first date four years ago, and to commemorate this, the owners of the restaurant set the small patio table, where they ate that first evening, with candle lights.  Close family and friends gathered around in the small but cozy restaurant and watched them exchanged vows. Followed by emotional and funny toasts; recollections about their years in high school; their passions growing up and the friendships made along the way, which brought some people to tears, and others to deep belly laughs.  Various generations conglomerated in that tiny room. Forty-six handpicked and very special individuals filled the room, in the words of the bride, "with two simple feelings so palpable in this very room: generosity and loyalty, we thank you for being here," to celebrate this joyous occasion.  And by the way, beautiful brides, do toast at their own wedding!

The photographer was the bride's sister, and a few friends, including me, took up to the task of embossing the day's images with extra cameras to ensure they had plenty of memories to look at. 

Of course, there's isn't anything closer to a NYC event than an after-party, and the groom is the king of the after parties.  After the memorable lunch, we walked a few city blocks to a lounge with a roof terrace, to keep the momentum going.  The rest of their friends joined us and we danced, and drank, and had a great time!  I loved how the groom's DJ friends stepped in to provide the music. And the cigar boxes, provided by my dad, were a huge hit, as the men (and some women)  proceeded to enjoy their puffs.  (Thanks, dad!)

The last venue, another bar a few blocks east, welcomed us with an assortment of delicious dumplings, provided by a friend of the groom and bride, including an edemame one that was just heavenlicious!  What a great New York wedding this was.  Cheers to the lucky couple!

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in a new "light"

Wow, these images are unbelievable!  Well, as you know well, La Sagrada Familia, is Gaudi's most famous unfinished work.  After Gaudi's death it continues to be worked on by different architects.  And since it was first begun 130 years ago now, it has been built from donations. Gaudí himself said: "The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work that is in the hands of God and the will of the people." The building is still going on and could be finished some time in the first third of the 21st century

So it was absolutely breathtaking to see that Montreal-based studio Moment Factory is helping its cause by celebrating the basilica's intricate design and presenting a figurative interpretation of Gaudi's intent when he created the unique facades of the famous basilica.  The project was realized in front of a crowd of 32, 000 people.  The first multimedia projection on Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia: A large-scale piece, entitled 'ode à la vie', tells the story of rebirth and hope, cast on the basilica’s distinctively intricate nativity façade, presenting a figurative interpretation of the creation of the universe. the work was informed by original color sketches by the renowned architect, for whom color was the 'essence of life'.

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Welcoming Autumn {in my own special way}

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The shorter days are bringing cooler weather. A chill is in the air. What is it about Autumn we love so much?  The bountiful feasts and seasonal food favorites?  Or the changing guard of color and shades of the outdoors giving our spirits a much needed recharge?  We get excited because Fall represents so many renewing energies.  Celebrations are planned around the globe, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and the Festival of Lights, and  we gather with loved ones to share our blessings.  We get crafty around the house, our closets get a makeover, and our kitchens get infused with the aromas of the season.

Photo by James Jordan

Autumn officially starts with the equinox, which this year enters around Sept. 22 in the Northern Hemisphere.  It's a day of balance, when the day and night are closest in length. At the equinoxes, the sun appears overhead at noon as seen from Earth’s equator, the moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator.  In fact, you might notice the arc of the sun across the sky each day now well into the Winter, because it's shifting toward the south. From now on, Nature begins its yearly withdrawal and rest in preparation for Winter. Birds and butterflies are migrating southward, too, along with the path of the sun. This arc is one of the signposts for wildlife to head to warmer climates. 

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This year I'm feeling more attuned with the seasons and want to celebrate the beginning of Autumn by aligning myself more with Nature.  It's how people lived in the past.  I started by bringing a little  Fall into the house. I hung a canvas bag filled with green, red and orange eucalyptus branches in the hallway, infusing a nice fresh piney scent around the house.  I'm planning on celebrating the Moon Goddess (and Goddess of the Harvest) by creating a corn husk doll (more on that later). Also, I'll be eating some pomegranate seeds and sharing them with Emilu in honor of Persephone, the virgin goddess who is abducted by Hades (her husband) to the underworld, leaving her mother Demeter to grieve her absence during Autumn and Winter. But here's a few things we can all do to celebrate the Fall:

• Give thanks: Look around you now and reflect on the past blessings bestowed on you and your loved ones. If you feel inclined, you can bestow gifts on Mother Nature (the Moon Goddess or Goddess of the Harvest) by pouring some wine on the ground, or feeding the birds seeds, even recycling, if you never do.

• Seek balance:  Create balance in your life now.  Pay attention to your thoughts and your feelings.  If you are outgoing and love to be among people, seek time alone, to reflect, to plan, to feed your soul.  If you are the opposite, call a friend, or write her a letter.  

• Create and nurture:  Just like Mother Nature, this is a time to withdraw and rest.  But if you look closely you can begin to nurture yourself and those around you.  This time is perfect to create new projects, concentrating and nurturing a seed that will blossom once Spring makes its entrance. We have more or less six months to nurture our projects. See, Nature is already working with us!

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