Merry 24 Days

Have you heard of Merry 24 Days, a real chance at winning 24 giveaways posted by 24 awesome bloggers until Dec. 25th?  Well I just won Day 14 and I couldn't be happier!  You should know that these prizes are so unbelievably exciting and versatile.  You could win too! I won my prize through This Little street, a blog about style and inspiration that I just started following.  The prize was a beautiful fox coat for children, which I can't wait to see my daughter wear.  Spread the cheer, my friends, and don't forget to click on everyday for a change to win.

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.

(Source:  1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 )

Inspiration: Small Christmas trees

Ahh the Christmas tree!  Who doesn't love a beautifully decorated tree.  I love putting up the Christmas tree, and for the sake of joy and inspiration we are putting them earlier every year.  But for many, small is not always the right choice, however, when it comes to the holidays, small Christmas trees can be as good as the old traditional ones. Although we are spending our holidays away from home, I made a small Christmas tree that we got to enjoyed for a few days and the inspiration came from the West Elm catalog.  This is our small tree at home:

 

My mother is crazy about Christmas trees as well, these are a few from her home in Miami:

How about you? Do you have one or several small ones throughout the house? It's really beginning to look a lot like Christmas, isn't?

Free printable holiday tags

Well, what do you know!  I started fidgeting with a design software that comes with the Windows 7, nothing fancy, and  created a very modern and simple design for my holiday gifts.  I like the simple bold typeface and I hope you do too.  You need a printer and some card stock paper.  You could also print on sticky paper.  Now let's get wrapping!  Download here

I designed this for personal use only. If anyone has a problem viewing or printing the file, please let me know, and I will try to fix right away. Enjoy responsibly.

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?!

Cozy warm in the home

Now that temperatures are consistently low and a chill is beginning to sip through our windows, it's time to think of keeping warm around the house. So,  I'm looking for a new blanket or throw for the living room sofa.  When the holidays are over, and all the color of the festivities come to a calming halt, I will be choosing more muted tones for the living room such as soft greys, white, and black.  Like a Winter wonderland.  I want a throw that will compliment this palette.  I'm looking at these:

                                     Source: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Happy Halloween weekend

Although Halloween is not until next Wednesday, all kinds of witchy Halloween costumes will make their presence this weekend.  My favorite costume this year is Rosie the Riveter.  If you watched Parks and Rec last night you may have seen it on Amy Poehler's character.   We are planning to dress Emilu as a tiny hoot, she's into birds right now.  I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween weekend.  Some links I have found inspiring.  


mulling spices sachets are a perfect gift of the season!


this modern flat is full of texture and color!


incompetence hides behind authority


taking a step back in time in rural and Gothic England


this vintage decorated nursery is adorable!


these headboards are beyond colorful!


Halloween in the village!


I love starry nights! 


my favorite animal shows up in home decor

Exploring the pumpking patch

Last weekend we went pumpkin patching in the neighborhood of Cathedral Heights here in Washington.  Emilu was beyond excited.  I often wonder what goes through toddlers' heads when they see something for the first time. They point, they touch, they grab, they taste.  A time for exploration and imagination. 

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!