Memorial Day

I've had an epically relaxing Memorial Day weekend filled with mimosas and fine wine, luxuriously long meals with friends, great conversation, and sun-filled walks overlooking a sailboat-dotted Pacific. 


Cheers to all the brave men and women who have served and who continue to serve this great country. Happy Memorial Day, wherever you are!

Happy Valentine's Day

I heart Valentine's Day. There, I said it. I know a lot of people don't, and I can certainly see why people are disenchanted with the day itself - as if there isn't already enough pressure to find love, now there's a holiday to emphasize it (if I may loosely quote Charlie Brown). But I don't necessarily equate the day with romantic love, although the holiday can certainly encapsulate it. My sentiments are thus: why not be generous and spread the love around a little? Whether it's your zany twin nieces or your grandmother who lives too far away or the neighbor's crafty, but adorable cat who likes to use your patio as her own private salon, there are other types of love worth celebrating, not only on a day like today, but every day. So shower someone with a little love, and include yourself while you're at it. Splurge on that sexy perfume you can't get enough of or indulge in sinfully decadent chocolate. You only live and love once. 


P.S. My favorite mini essay on Valentine's Day. Spending the day with a glass of excellent wine + well-written novel = my kind of day. 


{Image via Pinterest}

I heart you

To me, the perfect Valentine's Day card is a mini heart from Egg Press. They're inconspicuous enough to be tucked into a wallet or coat pocket for a sweet surprise for your loved one. It's a small, but adorably effective way to brighten your sweetheart's day. 

Fantasy Christmas Wish List

This divine, plum-colored Soho diary from legendary luxury goods company Smythson of Bond Street features high on my Christmas wish list (the fantasy version). A girl can dream, right?


{Images via Smythson}

Literary Jack-O'-Lanterns

My favorite Halloween ritual just might be the reading of chilling gothic tales and ghost stories. So I was pretty delighted when I came across these incredible jack-o'-lanterns inspired by great works of literature. The enormous amount of skill, precision, and imagination needed to execute such beautifully detailed designs boggles the mind. I heart these all so much, almost as much as the stories themselves. Can you spot the specific tales of each one?

{Images via Flavorwire}

E-Valentines from Kate Spade

I heart these E-Valentines from Kate Spade. They're perfectly adorable and quirky in every way. And eco-friendly to boot. What's not to love?

{Images via Kate Spade}

Year of the Rabbit

Welcome to the year of the Rabbit!* Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, and people the world over are celebrating. In Chinese culture, rabbits are a symbol of longevity and they can also symbolize the moon (apparently ancient Chinese believed there was a rabbit living on the moon. And no, he wasn't up there just twiddling his paws; he was busy making herbal medicine, according to this tale). I'e never actually participated in Chinese New Year celebrations before, but I do find it rather fascinating to read about. Some information about the Chinese New Year can be found here, here, and here.

*I'm especially tickled about this new year's animal because my last name in Portuguese means "rabbit". So naturally I believe 2011 is going to be a very good year for this rabbit (here's hoping, anyway!).

{Images via UK Vogue and The Daily Bunny}

Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day! I don't know about you, but this still image from the movie Groundhog Day makes me laugh. Especially when it's accompanied by the following bit of trivia: "Bill Murray was bitten by the groundhog twice during shooting." For more fun tidbits about this much-beloved film, click here.

{Image via here}

O Christmas tree

And suddenly, Christmas is upon us. No sooner had I returned from my blissful Thanksgiving sojourn than I felt firmly in the thick of yet another Christmas season (that Father Time moves pretty darn fast for an old guy). I tend to feel a bit ambivalent about this time of year (I say 'yes' to the holiday spirit and sense of generosity and good cheer; I say 'boo' to all the commercialism and pressure to buy, buy, buy). Just call me Charlie Brown. Fittingly, I've adopted this diminutive and very Charlie Brown-esque potted fir tree as my Christmas tree this year. And in spite of my black thumb credentials in the past (for which T relishes teasing me), I intend to nourish and shower this little fir with all the tender loving care I can possibly muster. And keep my fingers crossed that he won't meet his demise under my guardianship.

Thanksgiving Break

I hope you've all had a tranquil Thanksgiving weekend! T and I are still celebrating the holiday and spending lots of quality time with family and friends whom we don't get to see as much as we'd like. There's been a surplus of extraordinarily good food and conversation (with ever-flowing wine, of course) over the past week, and thankfully, the fun will continue for us for the next few days. Huzzah! I'll check back in later this week, when reality settles in. But right now, the fireplace and my current book of choice are beckoning....

My kind of Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner! Time to mail these enchanting cards....

....tote this little number around town...

...cozy up with a blanket, a nightlight, and a scary tale or two....

...And watch this gem of a Halloween classic.

And if you've picked up on my grandma predilections, then well spotted! :-) What are some of your favorite Halloween traditions?

{Images via here, here, and here}

Weekend fun in Palm Springs

Did another weekend really just fly by? It certainly seems that way to me because I've just returned from a most relaxing bachelorette weekend in Palm Springs. The bride-to-be, myself, and a gaggle of girls all stayed at the beautiful Villa Carmelita where famous Hollywood types like Natalie Wood, Kirk Douglas, and Lloyd Bridges stayed before us. The margaritas and conversations were flowing, the sun was shining, and the pool was incredibly inviting. It was just the sort of vacation we all desperately needed. And, like all good vacations, it was over much too quickly. Until we meet again, Carmelita.

{Images via Villa Carmelita}

Happy 4th

Whether you're spending this holiday weekend on a towel at the beach, in a cabin in the country, or heating it up on the mean streets of the city, I want to wish you all a very happy 4th of July weekend. And to my friend Taryn, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

{Photo via Coastal Living}

Have a hoppy holiday

For those who celebrate, this little guy wishes you a very happy Easter!

Fun fact: my last name means "rabbit" in Portuguese. :-)

{Image from Splash, via Jezebel}

My funny valentines

I always feel a bit conflicted about Valentine's Day. I loathe its crass commercialism, the expectations and subsequent disappointments, the sort of pressure it bears on couples and single folks alike. And yet, I feel like Valentine's Day has gotten a bad rap of late, which is a shame because I truly feel that the idea behind it is rather sound (and interesting, to boot). What's wrong with showing the people we love most just how much we love and appreciate them? What's wrong with a little affection? Nothing, is the answer! I like the idea of celebrating all types of love--romantic, filial, friendship-based, or even self-love--not only on Valentine's Day, but throughout the year. Whether it's booking yourself that deep tissue massage you're in desperate need of or sending little notes to your twin nieces (they sent me the sweet valentine missives above), it's important to indulge yourself and the people important to you with some TLC. And when it comes to sending valentines, I tend to favor the quirky over the saccharine.

Take exhibits a and b: the felines and the unicorn, courtesy of Egg Press. They strike the perfect balance between sweet and slightly oddball that I find so endearing and not at all mawkish. This year, I'm leaving the valentine-sending for those who know good letterpress when they see it (there are so few of us out there), while giving the boyfriend something he will appreciate much more than a unicorn-adorned card (blasphemy, I know), candy hearts or boxers strewn with cupids, and that is a home-cooked meal.

{Images via Egg Press}

Scenes from the holidays

There's nothing quite like reflecting on a recent vacation to make you yearn for yet another. Here are some highlights from my Christmas spent in San Francisco and New Year's in Santa Barbara.

Staying at the historic Fairmont in San Francisco was precisely the old school Christmastime-in-the-city experience I was hoping for. Check out that gingerbread house.

Tea tasting in Chinatown was a new and rather awesome experience for this tea-drinker. I highly recommend.

Wine tasting in peaceful and blissfully warm Santa Ynez.

Toasting to a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2010. Salud!

One more sleep till Christmas

There's magic in the air this evening. Have you noticed? Kermit can tell you all about it. Wishing you a warm and merry Christmas Eve!

In case you experience technical difficulties with the video above, you can watch Kermit in all his Christmas glory here.

More photos from Santa Barbara

As promised, here are some more photos of T's birthday sojourn in Santa Barbara. The entire trip was all about sun, sea, and relaxation, with a little sparkling wine thrown in for good measure. I even got to try something completely new for me (but not for T, apparently he's a pro): horseback riding! I can't believe they let such a neophyte on a live animal. But I got the hang of it. Eventually. And I even enjoyed it and would do it again. Yay!


Now here I am little bit more in my element: lounging ocean-side at the Coral Casino, a membership-only health club open to Four Seasons guests. Except where did I place my book and glass of bubbly?

The path leading up to our tucked away, cottage-like room at The Four Seasons, our home away from home (I wish).

When can I go back?

Good Tidings

It never fails. December 1st rolls around and *all of a sudden I am overcome with the holiday spirit. Case in point: I just purchased these adorable Egg Press holiday cards which I plan on sending out to family and friends this year (I especially love that they're green in more ways than one). I'm so looking forward to taking some time to sit down and pen my holiday missives of good tidings and cheer, all while listening to some classic Vince Guaraldi and swigging a mug of hot cocoa. Does that sound like a raging good time, or what?!

*I say "all of a sudden" because as of, oh, a day ago, I just didn't feel ready for Christmas. Which is typically my state of mind throughout the month of November. Does anyone else really resent the fact that the autumn season gets hijacked by Christmas immediately after the Halloween festivities are over? Or is it just me?

Santa Barbara Sunsets

Here are a few snapshots from T's birthday getaway. We drove up the California coast to spend a few nights at the stunning Four Seasons in Santa Barbara. As is evident in these photos, we drank in many a sunset, as well as quite a few flutes of sparkling wine.

More to come in a later post....