also ...

I'm in America.

I'm FREEZING cold.

Have been wearing Deb's mink coat around the house to avoid hypothermia.

Can already taste Bombay Club's curry that's waiting for me tomorrow night.

Looking forward to happy hour with my parents (yep, you read that right).

Wish I had packed more sweaters. Why did I think 48 degrees was warm?

Am sans Blackberry (damned roaming that doesn't work) & am reunited with my old school flip phone (holler back, Motorola).

Wishing José were here to help put the finishing touches on the wedding with me.

Chaucha! (& .. brrrrrrrrrrrrr)

Belgrano Heaven

Do not miss this wonderful article on the home of Jennifer Webster and her husband Zsolt, who renovated an old English railroad baron's home and made it into the masterpiece it is today! Voila! (It also happens to be the house where I work and take care of Sophie and Felix)

Link & Slideshow -- HERE

Perfect for a Rainy Day ...

Source

p.s. Josey I hope you're taking notes

How Fast Can You Have Your Bags Packed for Milan?

Although instead of Milan I'm headed to DC! Weeeeeeee!

Just finished a pretty successful packing sesh upstairs. It's humid and rainy today, so I broke a serious sweat, which is just sad. Part of that is due to the fact that our bags are stored under the bed (which is actually bigger than California king), and I always have to lift the frame up to un-stick my gigantic bags. Yikes. As usual, I probably overpacked but given that one day it snows and the next day it's sunny and balmy, I feel like I need to be prepared for all seasons. I think as long as I don't accumulate too much stuff once I'm home (a mission that I know will fail), I'll be fine. Looks like I should take another gander at what I put in the suitcases ...

Being home is always a treat, and I am so excited to see my Bella and to eat Indian to my heart's content. The sad part is leaving Josey and our happy life in Buenos Aires. Happy Hours at Danzón, dinners at Bengal, eating lentils on the couch while watching The Dog Whisperer (clearly my fave show), going to the gym to burn off the wine + caipiroskas ... They're all such fun little parts of my days and weeks that make my life here so happy. The upside to my long absence is that I'm doing it to put the finishing touches on the wedding - getting ready for us to spend the rest of our lives together! Yipee! So that is a good thing. And Josey I'm sure will be enjoying the silence since I chatter his ear off all day, every day (He works out of the house and we share the office -- HELLO distraction!)

So ... what else? Oh, I love how this drama between the US and Argentina is unfolding over the "contraband" that the US Air Force is "attempting to smuggle" into Argentina. Not sure how much of a news item it is back home, but here we're all up in arms over the plane that was detained in Ezeiza for days and has now caused a diplomatic rift between the two countries. Basically the US Air Force was bringing down pre-approved items to be used in training sessions with the police for hostage situations. These items included emergency first-aid kits (which include small vials of morphine), a rifle or two, and GPS thingies that were all obviously meant to be part of exercises. Mind you, the US has paperwork signed by the Argies saying they are OK with what will be brought in. Flash forward to their deciding to say that the US snuck in "drugs, weapons, and spy technology" in what they made out to be large amounts. Yeah, ok. The irony of it all? The Argentine Air Force is about to be in big trouble as details of a huge drug ring are unfolding -- it has been discovered that the thousands of kilograms of cocaine that the Juliá brothers tried to bring into Spain on their private jet were, in fact, loaded at the local Air Force base located in Morón.

That's enough for my rant. See you on the flip side!

Tum Full O' Curry

Last night José and I went out to celebrate Valentine's Day (I was sick earlier this week with tonsillitis - huh? - so I spent Monday night eating soup and watching NatGeo). Since we're creatures of habit, there's no other place in the world for us when it comes to celebrating something special - Bengal! Surprise! Aka, my life. It's where we went on our first date, where we've celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, new jobs and quitting jobs, and it's where we go on a Monday night when we just don't feel like eating at home.

I'm reliving the meal right now, since I'm starving. There's nothing better than a gigantic serving of bangali chicken, mixed with turmeric rice and served in a huge clay bowl, to start the weekend off. In my mind at least. Anyway ... If it weren't such a drain on the wallet I would eat there 3 times a week, no joke. Luckily BA has other, more affordable but still delicious, Indian restaurants. However, none of them is as close to our house as Bengal. Two blocks and done. We had a nice stroll in the rain to the familiar faces who know what to bring us without even having to check the menu. It's a nice feeling.

In another belated Valentine's Celebration, I came home to the dining room table covered in jasmines the other night. José was out of town on a business trip, so for a little "welcome home" token of love I bought a huge bouquet of tuberose and left them near the front door along with a little note. I was still working when he got back, and upon seeing the flowers I'd bought, he ran out and got some more to add to the pile! The apartment smells insanely delicious and I smile every time I pass through the dining room. It's nice when every day really does feel like Valentine's Day. (Cheesy, yes. True, yes).

Anyway - We're off to see Black Swan. It was finally released in Argentina, and I cannot wait to see some creepy ballerinas get their rivalry on!

Happy Saturday & HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO REDMERE AND DEBSY my favorite crazypeople

Dogs Dogs Dogs

In a devastating display of injustice, the Westminster Dog Show was not aired on television here in Argentina. I am still getting over this tragedy, and the only remedy for my suffering is to watch the slideshow of the 102 Best in Breed over & over again. I'm going to post my favorite pups, which you'll see are a healthy percentage ... I might as well just have posted every single one but that would've most likely been overkill.

Enjoy these wonderful canine specimens !!!! Be sure to take a look at their names, some are incredible (Like the Chow Chow - 1-800-Hotstuff!)

Ayres fall/winter Collection

A few photos have just been released and I have to say, I'm looking forward to chillier weather! (yes I lifted this one from their Facebook page). I need this jacket immediately!

Key Collections

I've been slacking on my Design*Sponge reading lately, so I was so happy when O'Hern sent me this link on treasure hunting for old keys! They're really one of my favorite objects to collect, and as of late I have been on a serious mission to accumulate lots (& lots ...) of antique skeleton keys. They're rather abundant in Buenos Aires, but the really stunning ones cost upwards of AR$ 25 a pop! Since I'm really in need of a bulk quantity, I've got to settle for less detailed but more affordable trinkets.

I absolutely love the idea of a free hanging on the wall, using various shapes and styles of keys to create a unique work of art. I'm sure Jose would go nuts if he came home from a business trip to see that I've done something like that (I've been known to do some stealth decorating projects in his absence - mostly involving nailing things to the walls and hanging artwork), but who knows? Maybe I'll put all the keys to good use once they're served their purpose!

Greatest Idea EVER

My friend just posted this link to Facbeook and I am so obsessed with it that I had to share it here too! Photographer Irina Werning loves the retro quality of old photographs (don't we all?). Instead of just admiring them as she spots them in the homes of her friends and family, she has them reenact the same photo but as they are today! It's uncanny how similar the scenes end up becoming, and how you can see the personality of the subject in both images. Here is the link to the site. Enjoy two of my favorite shots! (click to enlarge)

BHLDN Bonanza

So Anthropologie's wedding line has officially launched! I love the website (that link will take you directly to the shop) and have already been drooling over the beautiful gowns and dresses. I have found my favorite dress! It's not something I would wear at my own wedding (it lends itself more to a stunning outdoor venue, in a vineyard or perhaps overlooking dramatic and majestic cliffs), but I just thought it was perfection!

Happy browsing / shopping / daydreaming!

Happy (early) Valentine's Day

The Night has a Thousand Eyes

The night has a thousand eyes,
and the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world dies
With the dying sun

The mind has a thousand eyes,
and the heart but one;
Yet the light of a whole life dies
When love is done.

- Francis William Bourdillon

Reason #1 to read the New York Times Sunday Weddings Section

Please, please pretty please with a cherry on top read the most romantic and uplifting love story of LIFE in today's New York Times Wedding section. The charming piece will make you swoon! Dorthy and Charlie, aged 75 and 80 respectively, were just wed in Minneapolis. They weren't highschool sweethearts who reconnected after decades, nor were they lifelong friends who finally came to their senses after years. I love how they found each other and my heart just melted when I read about the proposal:

"So there would be no misunderstanding about whom the note in the flowers was from, Mr. Hall included his full name, his telephone number, his United States Navy service number, his Social Security number, his cellphone number and his address. He also scrawled on the outside that, if the answer was no, she shouldn’t open the envelope.

She opened it.

“You can understand, Charlie is kind of a romantic,” Mrs. Furlong said, adding he is full of compliments. “He’ll say, ‘You are so beautiful, I love your eyes, you have the greatest smile, you’re so stately.’ He never stops with them.”"

Read it and brighten up your Sunday!

The Death of the Post Office

For those of you who are still fans of REAL mail (like the author of the article I am choosing not to call it "snail mail"), take a minute to read this poignant and lovely piece on the small town post office from the New York Times. I'm always so sad to hear about the eventual closing of thousands of Post Office branches since I'm such a devoted fan to paper mail and the tradition that comes along with it.

Here is the link.

Sneak peek - Jose/Mountain man

Luna & Lola

I saw this book for sale on One King's Lane today and I'm thisclose to buying it. We all know I can't resist anything that has to do with:

1. Dogs
2. Dogs that are friends with each other
3. Miniature dachshunds
4. Dachshunds named Lola
5. Beautiful black and white photography displaying pure canine love and friendship.

Enjoy this mini-snap I took from the site as well as the book's description.

"In 1997 Priscilla Rattazzi and her family got a fluffy golden retriever, which they named Luna. Seven years later, they got a miniature dachshund they called Lola. As different in temperament as they were in body size, these two beloved dogs eventually became the quirkiest couple in Carnegie Hill, New York City. Here, renowned photographer Rattazzi captures the distinct personalities of these two charming canines. In 150 black-and-white photographs, she chronicles the playful spirit of their everyday activities while capturing how their changing lives eventually mirrored that of her own family. Filled with personal essays and anecdotes - including a moving obituary for Luna - Luna & Lola is a touching tribute to the ways in which our dogs become inextricably entwined in our hearts and our souls."

Remind me to tell you about ..

- Chinese New Year on Sunday
- My disastrous experience at the Post Office yesterday ...
- ... and the two fun bits that made up for such torture
- A guide to grocery shopping in Buenos Aires that has changed my life!
- Sunday morning's victorious trip to San Telmo (there & back in 1 hour to boot)
- How glad I am Josey made it back after a nice mountain adventure in San Martín de los Andes
- How I'm even happier he brought home 2 boxes of homemade chocolates from Bariloche
- Everything else that I'm forgetting

Happy (Chinese) New Year!

This Sunday, Buenos Aires will celebrate the year of the Rabbit with its annual Chinese New Year festival in Barrio Chino. Due to my strong aversion to large crowds (especially crowds filled with slow walkers and inconsiderate/completely self-absorbed walkers - a common occurrence here) I've never actually been to the big party, but this year I think I've changed my mind. Once again the amazing photos taken by Beatrice Murch of last year's event really made me want to check it out.

Head on over to the Argentina Independent's page to see all of the photos. I am posting this one because I am so excited to get my hands on some greasy street food! Hooray.

My dream ...

To be an urban gardening goddess. Stole this snap from one of my favorite bloglets, Apartment Diet. One day I will be that calm, cool and collected as I tend to my plant friends! (Current image of me would be sweating and swearing as I tear up old roots and throw old dirt around like it's going out of style)

Local Inspiration

Sometimes when I'm either in need of an inspiration boost, or when I want to feel utterly gutted about how un-chic my own life is, I look back on these fabulous photos taken at Bar Isabel. It's still around, and still (in my eyes) incredibly cool, but the buzz has definitely dropped off in the past few months. No matter. These snaps will give you faith in it all over again!

Caracol

I love snails. Especially because they're called "caracoles" where I live. It has such a whimsical little ring to it, don't you think?

Lately I've been finding it hard to reign in my Etsy addiction. Thank God most of the shops don't ship internationally, otherwise I would be in over my head! I can oogle all I want, but at the end of the day most of those little baubles wouldn't make it down to Buenos Aires.

I love High Street Market and its perfectly curated treasures. The little brass snail above is calling my name, don't you think?

Giving Giggy a Run for His Money ...

Introducing Boo! I am sure I'm the last person to have discovered his amazingness on Facebook, but better late than never. My loyalties do lie with Giggy the Pom, of course, but Boo is quite the ham for the camera. Enjoy!

How come ...

- Every time José goes out of town I get sick? At the risk of sounding so incredibly trite, it's like my body knows he's leaving and goes into rebellion mode. But it's no fun drinking tea on the couch alone, with your plants being the only ones who will care for you.

- I cannot go into any nursery/flower store/garden mecca without at least picking up a new planter for something at Basavilbaso. Today I got a new planter for a cactus, a nice terra cotta pot for the azalea, and a nice dish for collecting the water that drains out of my hot pepper plant!

- I love the Seinfeld Festivus episode SO MUCH? It was just on and I was glued to the tv. Words cannot describe.

- I have only just read "Breakfast at Tiffany's"? Confession - I have never seen the movie, either. The story, while completely tragic and heartbreaking, is great. A question - Why is everyone obsessed with the movie if it's as true to the novel as I think it is? I mean, I am an Audrey Hepburn fan but I don't think she is the end all, be all of life. That's ok. But Holly Golightly is NOT a lady! Let's be frank. Yes, she did a fabulous job reinventing herself and distancing her glamorous life from her hillbilly past, but she has some pretty lax sexual morals and is basically a disaster. I think it's great - like I said, I devoured the little novel in just a few hours - but let's not look at Ms. Golightly through rose colored glasses. She's charming, and endearing in her own special way, but at the end of the day she's a very lost, scared girl putting on a brave face to believe the lie she's created for herself.

- My tolerance for caipiroskas has gone from 10 to ... 2.5? Maybe the 10 is an exaggeration but my college-age liver was really a champion. Now it's probably just doing its job to help keep me in line.

That's all. Toodleoo.