This Year I'm Thankful For ...

The Fluffington Post. You're welcome.

Dream Piece

Hermes collier de chien. No words necessary.

Anthro Finds

If I lived here I would be in big, big trouble. Chau chau bank account ...

Mmmmm

I'm counting down the days/hours/minutes/seconds until I hop on the plane to DC and my stomach is also joining me in this endeavor. Part why I love going home is because I can eat my face off and indulge in things that just don't exist in Buenos Aires. Part of me actually doesn't love it because I always end up plumper than when I arrived - not a good thing to do when you're about to get married (Seriously, pre-wedding diet? Sorry Charlie, I've got an Indian buffet to tackle. Woops.)

Here is a list of the places / things I want to eat when I am home (take note):
1. Rasika
2. Heritage
3. Raaga
4. Zaytinya
5. Pietanza
6. Every Pho place in Little Saigon
7. Chipotle
8. The taco truck in Clarendon that's in that supermarket parking lot
9. Whole Foods hot bar
10. The Diner in Adams Morgan (preferably for brunch)
11. Cork
12. Jaleo
13. Central
14. Moby Dick
15. Liberty Tavern
16. Patisserie Poupon
17. Cafe Divan
18. Thai Noy
19. Peking Gourmet
20. Mandu

ok this list could - and will - go on but it's getting depressing. If anyone wants to book a food date let me know. If not, I'll just go there alone and eat until I pass out. Sounds like a nice plan.

Sequin Party

Today I was helping a friend look for a dress for her New York City Hall wedding and decided to indulge myself in a little fashion show at Ralph Lauren. The RL mansion is located right on Av. Alvear across from my favorite spot for tea, the Palacio Duhau. Under the premise of searching for a killer cocktail dress for her, I started flipping through the racks in the sale section (seriously, up to 75% off on Fall/Winter collection... Sign me up)

Since I am a magpie/5 year old, I was instantly drawn to the most sparkly item of the bunch. Behold:

Marked down from over US$1.000 they were about US$ 430. It was like a 75% discount - Hard to argue with when you look at it that way. But .... I've never spent that much money on anything in my life, let alone a pair of gold sequin leggings! Did I mention they were silk lined ? Le sigh ...

While I was telling myself that they aren't that practical I had to remember that I will wear sequins on anything, to any event. I love sparkles. I need them. It's like this weird obsession I have - I'm just naturally drawn to them no matter what .... I mean, who doesn't wear gold sequin pants to the grocery store or to a job interview?

For now I'll keep dreaming ...

Snaps of Juancito

  Here he is! Juancito, the most spoiled dog on the planet (and he deserves it). What other dog do you know gets carried around the house on a bed of blankets, pillows and toys? Seriously, that's how he gest around. We do this several times daily because if you leave him in the other room he gets bored and begs for your company. But beware, if you put on the wrong movie (like one with Sean Connery), he'll complain that he doesn't like the actor's voice. Not. A. Joke. We had to put on another movie just to keep this pup happy. I know he looks sad in all of the photos - He had a hard life at the beginning, and I think because he doesn't do any exercise (on account of the not walking), he doesn't pant/"smile" ... But he's getting lots of love here at Basavilbaso.

He got a ribbon after his day in the pool at PT

Forget Halloween for Humans

I have been feeling less than inspired since a) moving to a country where Halloween is not sacred as in the US, and b) graduating from college and leaving my insanely fun/creative roommates. One year we went as Lawn Ornaments (I was the reindeer made of Christmas lights, another girl was a flamingo, and we also had a lawn gnome, a bird bath...) and the next we went as Celebrities Who've Been to Rehab. I love group costumes! They're so much more fun than "slutty policewoman." What? That isn't even a real thing.

Anyway, part of my obsession with dogs also has to deal with dogs in costume. Refinery 29 just posted this slideshow of DOGS IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES !!!! Enjoy my favorites:

New Member of the Family

Juancito came to stay with us on Friday afternoon. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I started to get involved with the NGO "Proyecto 4 Patas" a few months ago and have been itching to volunteer my time and TLC ever since. Unfortunately their shelter is way out of town, so I can't go help out there. Another option is to be an "hogar de tránsito" (foster home) for a dog that is still in recovery and not ready to be placed in adoption yet. You can donate the time that you have - a few weeks to a few months or more - and the volunteers from P4P are willing to help supplement anything that you'll need during that time.

Andrea was the woman who had been taking care of Juancito for the past several months. She wanted to adopt him permanently - she does Reiki healing with animals and sounds like a really special person - but recently had to downsize her home. She has other dogs that don't accept little Juanci and having them all in the same space isn't a possibility. So he was brought to our door this past rainy Friday and has spent the weekend settling in!!

He's just about 10 months old and had distemper - a virus that can lead to death if untreated - which has left him without the use of his hind legs. Since he's young, and still has feeling in his legs, the doctors believe that with therapy he will be able to learn to walk again! That would be amazing. Given his disability he's quite creative in moving around and maneuvering himself to get what he needs. It's really amazing to witness! I love dogs.

It was definitely a shock at first, I can't lie. I've never had my own dog to take care of, let alone one that is disabled. The first two nights no one got much sleep around here ... and when I don't get sleep, watch out! Thankfully we're all settled in now and getting the hang of the routine. He's such a sweet little dog, with such suffering in his eyes. All he wants is love and to give you some smooches in return!

José has been an amazing "dog dad" and it's been such a help having him be so supportive. I think both Juanci and I are going to be pretty sad when he goes out of town Tuesday & Wednesday of this week!!

I will post some pictures soon. Please check out P4P's website - especially if you live in BA - to see the amazing things that they do and how you can help.

Por Siempre tu Buen Amor

Musical accompaniment for your Sunday evening. "Por Siempre tu Buen Amor" by César "Banana" Pueyrredón - One of the songs he sang last night at the wedding reception. Enjoy as your little hearts melt with love.

Lazy Sunday

... every muscle in my body hurts.

It was a great weekend. We kicked it off with Katie's bachelorette party on Thursday, then celebrated Cassie's birthday on Friday with a Mexican feast (and one too many margaritas), and Saturday was Katie & Marcos's wedding. Argentine weddings are known to go on all night - a big shock to those of us who are used to the party winding down by 12 - and always manage to get a little rowdy. Won't be able to get the image of the groom being lifted up on a circular plank of wood over the dance floor for a while!

The wedding was beautiful - I'd never seen my friend so happy, and it was a really fun party. The groom's father is a very well known singer who enjoyed his heyday in the 80s. José used to see him live when he summered in Punta del Este !! After dinner César "Banana" Pueyrredón sang a few diddies which got everyone singing along at the top of their lungs and throwing flowers all over the place. Total legend. 

My feet didn't last until dawn, however, and I hobbled home with the help of Josey around 4. Have a huge bruise on the top of my foot today. My voice has been misplaced... hopefully it will turn up somewhere.

Deb was able to go to Sass's engagement party in DC last night and they sent me a picture mid-fiesta! I definitely had a glass of champagne in their honor, despite being halfway across the world. So happy for yet another amazing couple!

Xalapa for Cassie's cumpleaños

Heart of Hearts

I love this whimsical and happy jar that I found on Tipple and Snack (my favorite Etsy shop). It would make such a fun engagement gift or housewarming present. To be frank I'd much rather keep it for myself and use it for fresh minty lemonade (hooray Springtime!)

Dinner at Casa Mun

On Saturday night we dined at Casa Mun for the second time. Closed door restaurants are picking up a lot of steam here in Buenos Aires, and while Casa Mun has only been in business since March, they're booked way in advance and are already outgrowing their space. Not only does it make me so happy to see expats doing well (and doing what they love), but also to able to enjoy such incredible Asian food is a real treat!

It seems that every day another sushi place pops up, or perhaps some Asian/Latin fusion restaurant promising unique and distinct flavors. Most of the time, with very few exceptions, these places fall flat. They're missing something.

Casa Mun has all of that taken care of. You really do feel at home the minute you walk in the door, greeted by Agustina and Cary while Chef Mun is working his magic in the kitchen. The champagne starts to flow, you meet your dinnermates (no more than 16 people total), and the excitement surrounding the meal to come builds.

Crispy Rice ... mmmmmm

Albacore Sashimi - Crispy Onions were a real treat

Sushi Course -No cream cheese here

The Crown Jewel - Fiery Fish Tacos - Yes, please!

This month Casa Mun offered a totally pescatarian menu - Japanese Soba Noodle Soup (with homemade shiitake broth), Albacore Sashimi topped with Crispy Onions, Sushi Course: Chilean Salmon & Ecuadorian Shrimp Maki Sushi and Spicy Tuna on Pan Fried Crispy Rice (Crispy Rice = Paradise). The final course were the Fiery Fish Tacos - topped with an insane wasabi-jalapeño guacamole. My mouth is watering as I write this. Dessert was a perfect porteño touch - brownie with merengue and fresh fruit. (All photos taken from the Casa Mun website)

Each course is paired with wines chosen by Cary - the wine guru - and are served generously while you dine away. More wine is for sale, "If you get thirsty," which is basically the story of my life. 

Casa Mun has been written up all over the place now, and on Trip Advisor they're one of the highest ranking restaurants in the city! What I love the most is how welcome they make you feel: The first time we ate there, Cary and I got to talking about dogs and then suddenly Mimi the Goldendoodle (so beautiful - she reminded me of Bella!!!) came bounding down the stairs and we ended up rolling around together, fighting over her tennis ball. This was obviously repeated last Saturday night. I almost put Mimi in the car. No, really.

Chef Mun and Cary are really special people. They love what they do and that is reflected in every element of the Casa Mun experience. This past time, we were a large group celebrating our birthdays, so I didn't get a chance to meet lots of new people .... But next time I'd almost be tempted to go just with José and to sit at different tables. There's always an eclectic and interesting crowd gathered around the table at Casa Mun, and it's guaranteed to be an experience that you won't soon forget.

Feliz Cumple, Flaquito

Happy Birthday to you, Josey! Flaco, Flaquito, Jirafa, Amor de mi vida.

No te puedo decir mucho, ya que te puse todo en la carta que te escribí esta mañana. Gracias por ser mi mejor amigo, que linda será compartir miles de proyectos, viajes, y experiencias de la vida juntos. Siempre juntitos. Quizás con algún puppy tirado por ahí también. Nunca se sabe.

Ahí van 2 canciones que me recuerdan de vos y de nuestra vida. Te quiero. Feliz Día !

Jonathan Adler I Love You

If only I could get my paws on some whimsical and chic designs (courtesy of Jonathan Adler) here in Argentina. I've been looking online for some living room inspiration and I just love the bright, retro yet modern and happy feel that all of his rooms have. Here are some snaps from the website that I wish I could magically have appear in Basavilbaso .. I love the coffee table in the second image, but am just overall in love with that first room. I die for that rug! Those chairs! The TURTLE LAMPS. Pleaseeeeee I need.

The Furry Faces of Proyecto 4 Patas

Here are some contenders ... Please check out Proyecto 4 Patas - especially if you are in Argentina. Hopefully by next week we'll have our furry friend here keeping us company! I AM SO EXCITED.

Love. This.

The Lovers of Valdaro were moved from the grave they've shared for 6,000 years and are now on display at Mantua's Archaeological Museum. I love this photo. Maybe a bit morbid, but I think it's just so lovely and beautiful.

Beep, Beep

I'm going to toot my horn right now because I feel like a quasi celeb! I was thrilled that Katie from Matchbook Magazine (also of Neo-Trad fame) emailed me requesting a photo from our wedding along with some info for Matchbook's "Just Married" section. Luckily we had just gotten the images from Leo so I was able to send along a little something. A couple of days later the issue went live and there we are! Kind of weird (in a good way), but totally fun. Matchbook has really evolved in the 6+ months that it's been around and it makes me happy to see them doing well - a strong fan base, incredible branding and fun content. Here's a screen shot of the newlyweds... (Click to enlarge, obvi) Be sure to check out the whole issue!

Squealing with Delight

Our photos from the wedding by the amazingly talented Leo Patrone are here!!! It took a little longer than I thought (he shoots exclusively with film, and develops all of the images himself) but it was totally worth the wait. It's funny - I really don't like posing for pictures (or being "serious" because I don't think I'm much of a serious person), but somehow he made me look quite good that day! So cheers to Leo Patrone - Here is just a smidge of some of the incredible shots from the day.

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!