This is where I get to say anything I feel like saying and you get to agree with me.
We will also share stories and chocolate if you have any.
Naps are also encouraged, if shopping is out of the question.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

You're so Vogue

You're so Vogue !

Oh I so wish I were in Paris .... right now !

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Obviously NOT an Italian Housewife

tried to make Pizza again tonight.
I don't know what it is, the dough? the oven ? 
I don't have a pizza stone .. 
I have not one drop of Italian blood in me, whatever it is, this one was semi-tasty and too crisp and while it was edible, it did not taste like Pizza that I remember from NYC.

So.... I give up. 

I did like messing around with that big ball of dough though ...

At least they deliver them fast here , actually we are only blocks from 2 Pizzerias and one arrives on roller blades and the other on a motorbike.. so why bother? 

Other than that bit of disappointment, it was a rainy day to start and Pup was not feeling himself so we did what we had to do this morning,   shopping etc and then came home to play with a  slightly better Pup.
I bought him a rawhide bone so he did get happy about that. 
Now I am going to go read him a bedtime story ... nah, not really.

When we came home from shopping, I asked him how he felt. 
He said he felt a little "Out Of Focus" but better .. really , he did. 
See .. he was right.




Tuesday, September 28, 2010

In the Closet

Spring is here, Summer is approaching, the winter clothes need to be put away, summer things brought out .
There is always a surprise when doing this .. I forgot that I had that blouse ! I wondered where those shoes were ! I need New Clothes !
We have a Dressing room / closets .. plenty of space... to strain a persons need for order and neatness..
You can bet it won't look like this
My dream
 If anyone needs me, I will be in the Closet.

Monday, September 27, 2010

House Hunters International

I just watched my favorite television show. Well, I love Nurse Jackie and Dexter but House Hunters gets all my exploring, relocating, decorating juices flowing ! 
Lately the shows have been with people who want a vacation home in Costa Rica, boring... or want to move to St Johns, reeally boring.
So tonight was a treat ... Paris. A couple from the US, moved from California to New York and then bought a second home in Montmartre ! Oh god, I want that too !
They got a tiny place, a studio.. but it is in Paris, in a wonderful neighborhood, they were happy.
I would be too!


So I started daydreaming with my husband ( another reason why he is such a keeper .. he daydreams the same as I ) that we would find a one bedroom apartment in the Marais or somewhere in that area and it would be nice if it were not a 4th floor walk-up .. otherwise, I am open to all possibilities.
I know I am not getting what I have here .. but still.. being in Paris would make up a lot for not having 2 bedrooms or 1000 square feet or an eat in kitchen. 


I have to start some on-line house hunting. Even if we never go more French than a restaurant, I can daydream !
Our bedroom would be smaller no doubt
but there would still be a chandelier
I will have to control my tendencies to Over- Toile
Maybe I will get to do a room or two, all white.
Who needs a big kitchen in Paris ? You can bring it home or go out .. 
Is a fireplace in the bath too much to ask for ?
covering the walls with books 
Is there any reason why I can't have this view?
I must get to work on this soon.
What are the requirements for one large curly haired Pup to live in France?





images/lifestyles,parisperfect/allposters

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Why not?

I can do this. Really.. my kitchen is on the other side of a wall from the living room.
Why can I not put a window or better ... a french door in the kitchen to the dining room ?
Let me know if you can think of one good reason why not.
OK... the only one that might be a good reason would be if there is one of those pesky beams, the kind that hold up the rest of the building. Then I will just put in a nice big fat window. 

image/1stoption

Sunday

It was a day of walking, talking , photo taking and eating.
Gardens, parks, pasta putanesca and flan were involved.
And new music... this music..

Sunday Sunshine

I am going to spend the day out in the sunshine.
No idea where we are going, if Pup is coming along or anything else.
But the sun is shining, the birds are singing and times a'wasting!
See you later. chau !!

Friday, September 24, 2010

IF I had a house somewhere else ...

I don't know if it is because we have sort of run down on the decorating here. We are finishing with the hanging of pictures, paintings, mirrors and the painter is due in 2 weeks to repair and paint the bath.
We are All Settled In.
So I have been looking at Real Estate websites.
Some here in Buenos Aires, some in Europe, some in the United States.
Every time I see a house, I immediately know how I would decorate it.
I like the idea of a house with a few extra rooms. I never know when there maybe a child or someday grandchildren who will want to visit. I should have rooms for them, don't you think?
I have one extra bedroom here, I like to think of having more. The more rooms, the more babies.. or so I like to think.
Pup needs a good yard to sniff around in.
I need a bigger kitchen and my husband and I want a fireplace... and a garden .. and some land between us and whoever lives "next door".
 From various sources and styles, I have combined what I think is a perfect home, part country and part elegant home but always comfortable for people and pups alike.
I love mirrors on walls like this.
We are planning a wall like this in our current bedroom.
This is a perfect kitchen. Large and comfortable, light and beautiful. I will bring the chandelier (which is almost exactly like this)  from my current bedroom for my kitchen-to-be.
I used to dream of houses like this.
Now this seems more appealing.
This might be The One.
Imagine collecting fresh eggs each day for breakfast.
Imagine this is the chicken that lays them !
If I had a bathroom this size, with a tub that size, I might not care if the rest of the house was furnished or not. Well, I would but you know what I mean.
How do you like "my" home so far ?


Images  Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles




Wednesday, September 22, 2010

What have I been doing ? Ha !

You know what it is like to hang a picture on a wall, right ?
You pick the spot, make a mark (  a wet finger works) and hammer a nail in.
Well, things are different here. 
Starting with the walls. They are thick. Imagine an old castle .. bricks and plaster and layers of paint and things tend to crumble when you try to stick a sharp object in them. 
I do too but forget about that for a minute.


You have to have a drill. 
First you drill the hole. 
Then you stick the little Thing in it that the screw goes into.. then using the drill, you screw the whole thing into the wall. Then you can hang your picture! 
Who has the energy to hang a houseful of pictures ! mirrors ! paintings !?
So yesterday after some amount of time had gone by since we moved into this house and had not hung one single thing, tools and such  were finally gathered, screws, drill, Things.. this covers all those objects that I have no name for but that you must have in order to do Anything here.


Seeing my paintings, prints, posters etc on the walls, not only made the house look more homey, more lived in, more Mine ....  it also made me Happy.
It was like seeing old friends again. They make me smile.
Everything has a history to it. We bought things on trips to London and in Paris, we found things in auctions or antique shops .. they are all special to us and have traveled all the way here with us, they deserve to be hanging on the walls !
So what if there was a mistake and there is now a large screw sticking out of the wall where the painting did not really look right ? Another trip to the hardware store for spackle and brushes and it will be fine in no time.
No wonder we waited 3 years to hang a picture ! 


So that is where I have been.
Not to mention  walking through parks bursting with Spring color and blooms 
and butterflies and birds .. 
 and sitting in cafes appreciating the sunshine and warmth and making sure a certain Pup did not get too bored in the house.. because believe me, he could care less about what is hanging on the walls. 
Really. I said, Look ! see the pretty picture and he yawned and went back to sleep..





Monday, September 20, 2010

"My Treehouse"

Riding on a ship in the sky
Sailing on the waves of wind.
Only me here at the helm
Pirates all about I do pretend.

Hidden beneath the summer leaves
Exposed by winter’s bareness.
My place of refuge when in doubt
My place of personal awareness.

Autumn’s colors bring beauty to my tree
And to the fields all around.
Paintings splashed across the October skies
Are intensified by the coming winter sounds. 
The birds of summer know inside
It is time to leave their uncovered nests.
The long flight South blackens the sky
With little time to rest.

The first frost comes to cover white
The branches and the boards.
My ship lies helplessly frozen in the cold
My protection is now only thin stick swords. 
When the winter snow falls and blankets my tree
I huddle for warmth within.
I listen to the heavy flakes
As the smaller trees around mine bend.

The meadow flowers begin to reappear
Announcing the coming spring.
New leaves sprout on every limb
The nesting birds begin to sing. 
My ship in the sky will once again sail
As a young boys fantasies come to life.
Adventures that no one else will know
Chasing Pirates through the day and dreams through the night. 


by David Anthony

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Orange

After seeing this house on our walk in the neighborhood today, I could not stop thinking about that Orange door! I mean really, look at that house ... the door was an outstanding Hermes orange. I made a slightly snarky remark about "someone must love Hermes" , which my husband and I both smiled at, I love Hermes. 
But it made me start thinking about how the right orange, that orange, can make such a difference in an ordinary room.
baxter design
deardesigner
greatinteriordesign
Now I have to keep an eye out for anything Orange, a vase perhaps, a pillow or throw .. something ... Orange.







Friday, September 17, 2010

Eating , Praying and Loving

We saw the film Eat , Pray , Love today.
I did not read the book. I do like Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem so those two plus Bali made me think there would not be much I would not like about this movie.
I have to say that I would have enjoyed more scenery and less talk.
I thought that they managed to take a movie with a wonderful actors and incredible locations and make it a silly "chick flick" .. but that might just be me.
I wanted to see so much more of India and Bali .. There are places in Italy so much prettier than the locations they used, which makes no sense to me at all.
But now I want to go to Bali and wear beads and go barefoot and pet an elephant.
 That was in the India part but it is my daydream so I can put elephants in it if I wish.
and I want to go to Italy but Florence. Tuscany. 
So while I am here in Argentina, I will see the films and go home and make big pots of Spaghetti.
images alejandrococina,eatpraylove the film, 

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Busy busy busy ...

All I can say is Thank God for the Internet and On-line Magazines! Not to mention on-line shopping and emails and photo sharing etc. But for today, we will be happy with the Magazines. 
When I am not busy with decorating this apartment, finding painters, walking Pup and eating out and don't let us forget hanging out in cafes every day, I can count on one of these blogs or online magazines to keep me up on what I should be wearing and how my decorating should be done ... mi gusta ~


rue magazine
Brand new ... 


Lonny Magazine
And then there are all the Bloggers out there who are designers of spaces and then there are the clothing blogs..


The Sartorialist



the streetfashion



Hip Paris .. what are they wearing in Paris ?


Dumwit Tellher .. with a name like that, who cares what is inside ? 


Now I must get back to my studies ... what color to paint the bathroom and maybe the kitchen and which shoes should I buy first  .. clogs or strappy sandals ?

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

San Telmo

Just walking around, browsing the street vendors.. and here they were..
Sorry it is so short .. I am not the worlds best videographer.. but it is a nice example of wherever you go here, you can run into a lovely little "happening" .. with music ~

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Otter Nonsense

I want an otter.
A baby otter.
I would give it a bath.
I would let it roll on the carpet to dry off
And I would tuck it into bed at night.
Pup would love to have an otter to play with !
I have to go now, must see about getting an otter.

Thanks to the DailyMailonline/Nick Obank/Barcroft Media

Monday, September 13, 2010

A Woman of the World .... Musically Speaking

I have traveled far and wide, although not as far or as wide as my husband and son. But I am living in another country, on another continent .. that should count !
I speak another language, read papers and magazines in other languages and eat "foreign" food all the time. Even if it is not "spanish" food, it is Italian, Chinese, Japanese etc.


I wear clothes that are made in Other places.. none of that Made in the USA anymore. Sometimes I miss that but then I do have a nice new outfit that was Made in France. 
My shoes are made in Argentina.. fine soft leather .. nice.


I am still adjusting after 3 years, I feel the adjustment might go on for quite a while.
Sometimes it just takes a while for a person to do things the way they do them here, rather than the way They do it Back Home.


But then there is the Music.
I love the music here. They love music here. Every taxi you ride in... the radio is set on a different great music station. .. or a CD that we beg to know the name of so we can buy one too.


Tango dancers obviously drive taxis... that explains it ! Wonderful stirring Tango music ... we learned early on to know how to ask them to Turn Up the Volume !
And then there will be French music sometimes .. and never forget, Rock and Roll. 


The Oldies stations ! I like those ... I must be an oldie... I know the words, I sing along... one hot summer day, stuck in ridiculous traffic in a taxi with no air conditioning.. the driver had on the Linda Ronstadt album, Canciones de mi Padre ... he and Linda and I sang along together .. cool ~





We have no radio . We keep forgetting to buy one.
We have a stereo and a gazillion CDs but no radio.
Classical music and Neo Tango is played mostly these days .. and a bit of Roy Orbison .
So I sit here listening to World Music on the computer, while I read my emails and blather on, here on my Blog.
What am I listening to right now ?
Bollywood .. yep... Bollywood music. I am doing a belly dance in my chair as I type.
I am inspired to have a party with Indian food and music.. 
What is your favorite music ?
Do you listen to it all day? only in the car?
Do you dance to it when all alone and no one will laugh .. Pup thinks I am wonderful no matter what I do but he seems to like music and does get happy when he sees me dancing around the house .. he dances right along with me.


Time to go .. the rain has stopped .. we have to run errands.. humming a tune all the while ~

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Summer ... What to wear ?? What to do ... and so on and so forth

Summer clothes, I can't wait ! It seems as though I have been wearing the same trousers and jeans and boots with the same sweaters and jackets forever ! The seasons here are long.. 12 months seem to hold about 9 months of winter, one of Spring and one of Fall and the endless  Summer could be shorter. If humidity and mosquitoes are involved, I don't want to have anything to do with it ... 
I won't be wearing super short skirts or short shorts but I do intend to enjoy cool summer trousers and skirts and dresses. I love the style, soft, draped and sexy without showing a lot of   skin and being too tight. And those shoes do call my name .. shhh ... hear them? Yep, that is my name they are calling!
There will be no bare belly showing but I do love this skirt. I doubt the shoes will work here.. not in a city full of streets with cobblestones.. not to mention a broken sidewalk here and there .. crutches would not go well with my plans for the summer.
Ashok Pai .. a creative media director .. how great is that hair cut ? and that jacket? I don't see a lot of that here. But I admire him for looking like that.
I like these skirts, the style and length .. with flat sandals.. I will take a few, thank you very much.
Doesn't this make you stop and think ?
Hey! It's your turn to wash the bull !!
This goes under What to Do more than What to Wear .. but we can go to La Rural and see the shows that they have with cattle and horses etc. 
These are the mounted police and their horses, the ones Pup loves so much.
Which brings me to this topic... we are thinking about getting bicycles. I have these visions of being flattened by a taxi or bus but then on weekends, the parks are so nice and so big and we have no car .. I would feel bad leaving Pup home alone but it would be fun to take off on a bike and explore .. I will have to buy myself a Biking Outfit too. yeah.

  imagines via the NYTimes and AllPosters. com