Six Things I {Love}

{1.} Le Creuset French Oven

{2.} The Transport Tote

{3.} Modular Spice Shelf with Hooks 

{4.} Salt Water Cure Art Print

"The cure for everything is salt water. Sweat, tears or the sea."

{5.} Watercolor World Map  

{6.} Keys, Phone, Wallet Rug

My birthday is coming up soon, here are more subtle hints on what you can get me ;) 

Six Things I {Love}

{1.} Glitter Salad Set 

Because every home needs a little bling.


{2.} Etsy Print

{3.} Metal Boot Tray 

Perfect for slushy winter boots. 

{4.} Anthropologie Towels

Would go perfect in our bathroom.

{5.}  Swing teal rug

{6.} Shabby Chic Ampersand

{2013} Goals

{Home improvement goals} 

Stencil accent wall in living room 

Paint bedroom 

Update some boring tree ornaments

Stain & paint Ikea bar cart 

Spray paint a few items around the house 

Refinish dresser 

Try this update on our one folding chair 

Convince Ces to let me get one of these to finish off our gallery wall

Reupholster dining chairs

{Relationship goals}

Patience 

{Personal goals} 

Blog consistently 

Build up emergency fund stash 

Drink like a responsible adult vs. a fish 

The ubiquitous eat healthier work out often 

Will be interesting to take a look at this list on December 31st to see how well I did.

November Round Up

November round up in mid December? Oy it has been a rough and busy month! Between work events, Christmas shopping and decorating and resting from the former, something had to give and that something was keeping up with posts :(

November 2012 brought long hours at work but also amazing experiences:

One of the biggest highlights of the month, was our soccer team Roosevelt Island Tigers crowned Fall League Champions!

Colors of Autumn in Roosevelt Island: 

The Roosevelt Island skyline at dusk:

I also decided to start on an entryway revamp, while not complete, a mirror and an additional coat rack make a big difference. 

Before

After

I had the opportunity this year to invite my mom, Ces and my bestie KP to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from the office. With the parade route changing this year to go down 6th Avenue, we could not ask for a better view than my 4th floor office. 

Ces and I also hosted our first Thanksgiving; dinner included mixed greens with apple cider vinaigrette, herbed turkey breast with homemade cranberry sauce,  braised green beans, cheesy mashed potatoes, warm apple pie and lots of wine. 

Cranberry sauce in progress

We ended the night with a heated game of Monopoly.

We took advantage having my mom in town to get my favorite part of the holidays started....picking out the Christmas Tree. We bought our tree waaay to early in the season as Thanksgiving was early this year and by now its actually kind of dead, but since Ces and I are travelling for Christmas its not a huge deal that it won't be perfect by then.

Christmas tree shopping in NY is an experience especially when you have to
take the subway to take it home; however weirder things have happened on a
NYC subway. 

Our bright home

We also brought out our Nativity set gifted by my mom. The set has been in the family for years and was made by artisans in Mexico. 

Of course the front door had to get some holiday cheer as well. 

Hogar: Gallery Wall Done Right

Hello and happy Friday!

Gallery walls have become the hot trend lately, there is no better way to express your individuality and display memories than to designate a wall as your personal gallery. When I went to visit my brother a couple months ago, I was very pleasantly surprised by his cozy apartment and extremely impressed by the gallery wall(s) he had created in his room.

I love the variety in sizes and shapes and also love the mix of street art, posters, postcards, photos and handwritten notes that make up his wall and surely remind him daily of his adventures in Africa, Thailand, New York, Mexico and France just to name a few. 

Unbeknownst to him, I too have been slowly creating a gallery wall for our living room. Currently displayed we have a shot of Ces' mustachio birthday and pictures that remind us of our trip to Turkey taken on a hot air balloon, the Toptaki Palace and in front of the New Mosque. 

That's our gallery wall as it stands today, I am itching to add a fauxidermi deer head above the mirror to complete the look. I've been digging fake animal heads for a while and especially since I saw one gorgeously displayed here I'm currently lobbying the Ces for approval, heck I'll even settle for the rhino head :) 

Hogar: A Bordelais Flat

I recently took a trip to Bordeaux, France to visit my little brother (at 26 he's not so little anymore).  After having visited him at multiple abodes during his college days in Portland, Oregon (hello 12 people living communal style in a 4 bedroom house) I thought I was prepared for what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised by his sunny, modernly decorated, clean, historic flat smack in the center of the city.

I give you maison du Fed in Bordeaux: