Magical Moments Monday

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with your nearest and dearest! It always goes a little too fast, huh? Here were our highlights:

x. Really delicious Thanksgiving dinner
x. Sharing stories and pictures from our trip with family and friends
x. Chatter about starting to test drive cars (!!!)
x. Starting new photo traditions, namely, a picture at each anniversary
x. Putting together a video of our amazing vacation
x. Putting up our fun & kitschy tree and other Christmas decorations
x. Attempting to listen to Christmas music and failing (it makes me angry for some reason), eventually reverting to the Nightmare Before Christmas OST
x. Seeing my hubby happy: He finally got an iPhone 4s!
x. Having a girls nite with my sister
x. Starting some fun Christmas-themed DIY projects like this cute tinsel wreath:

Have you started to decorate for the holidays?
Tackling any fun projects? Share them with me in the comments!

CasaIdeas Blogger Event

I was so happy to be invited to CasaIdeas‘ blogger event last week where both myself and my lovely friend Marisol from Modishly Delish received a private tour of the store’s new fall collection. CasaIdeas originated in Chile, and Miami’s Sunset Place location marks the first in the United States due to its melting pot of Latin cultures. What I love the most about the company is that they are not afraid to play with color, something I can relate to myself. The new collection showcases beautiful fall colors and designs inspired by the forest, which can also be seen in their store decor.

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Lovable Friday!

1. Glitter animals

Figures this lovely image came straight from Kate Spade’s Holiday shoot – why is all her stuff so perfectly fun and chic? I almost can’t stand it. Despite how gorgeous and glittery the model’s dress is, my eyes went directly to the matching sparkly penguins! How fun would these look, not only as cake toppers, but as fun centerpieces or card holders for a festive holiday cocktail party or dinner? I’m definitely going to scribble this one down as a must-do holiday project. Best part is, you can just head over to Target, and pick up some small animal figures, loose glitter and some sort of adhesive, and be ready to go! Perfect!

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This is Halloween

It’s no secret on this blog that I adore Halloween and it is my favorite holiday. I usually wait until October rolls around to start the themed postings, but I just couldn’t help myself. In my world, it’s officially Fall (even though we have no seasons here in Miami) and that means I can start planning all the fun decor for this year’s spooky festivities. Last year, I started decorating my home on October 1st and was sorely disappointed when no other homes in my neighborhood followed suit. For the entire month. For that reason, I feel pressure to make my house look even more spooky this year! I want it to stand out and really reflect our love of the holiday. Screw you, haters! Plus, this year I’ll make sure to have plenty of candy in stock as to not have a repeat case of the debacle that was candygate 2010.

Here are some of my favorite ideas so far:

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Lovable Friday!

1. Painted words as art

Like I’ve mentioned before, our walls are pretty bare in our home. It’s just so expensive to fill them up with nice, quality art. That’s why I’m such a huge fan of all these great wall art DIY’s going around, and I especially love this idea from Oh Happy Day. Who would have thought that writing your favorite quote using a paintbrush would look so elegant and refined? Both the hubs and I are big fans of simplicity and minimalism, so this project could not fit our style any more perfectly. This is one of those projects I’m definitely going to be attempting soon! Now to pick the quote…

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Lovable Friday!

1. Champagne & Grapes

I thought the 12 grapes signifying luck for each of the months to come was just a Cuban NYE tradition (maybe that’s just the throwing buckets of water out your door bit). I had no idea that others did the same, but (as always) Martha Stewart clarifies by posting this lovely party detail and adding that it originated in Spain. Definitely makes the grapes look more refined than what my Mom makes me take in my purse to every New Years festivity I have attended since I was old enough to not celebrate at home (looks eerily similar to this). It would also help me avoid hearing, “No te olvides de las uvas!” over and over again for a good solid week.

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IKEA favorites

PS Cabinet – $99

Some girls get excited when they receive a Victoria’s Secret catalog. I do when I see the magnificent thickness that is an IKEA catalog. I like to refer to it as Meli porn. I make time to sit and look through it, patiently dog-earing all my favorite items and picturing where I could squeeze them into our current setup. And these were just a few of those (some weren’t available online to share with you all just yet – bummer). This PS Cabinet is just so wonderful in so many ways. Our house is a perfect combination of modern and warm. We pair classy pieces with the fun to make our house seem more like a home (I can’t stand those cold, surgically modern homes), so that’s why I was drawn to this cabinet as the perfect “table” to place behind our couch (more about the couch later). It fits our style and budget. How did I ever live without you, IKEA?

Karlstad Sofa - $499

So our couch. When we bought our first home, we were determined to buy a “big kid” couch. You know, one that had a hefty price tag that would last us a long time and be a statement piece in our home. So we chucked out our sweet little leather IKEA couch for a grown up West Elm one. I’m starting to think that was a bad decision. Our pricey sectional is such a headache. Sure, it is very easy to clean, but it’s supposed sturdy weighted cushions are constantly falling…as we are leaning on them. I can’t tell you how embarrassing it is when guests are over watching a movie or just hanging out and they almost tumble back first onto our floor. The moral of this story is that expensive is not always better. And this is why I would ditch our sectional for this itty bitty cute hot pink pretty. OK, so maybe I wouldn’t, but isn’t it tempting? Maybe one day when I live in a flat in London. You know…one day ;)

Lack Wall Shelf - $49

Our house is not small, but we are minimalists. We don’t like a lot of clutter or furniture taking up precious personal space, so this Lack Wall Shelf really appeals to our design aesthetic. I can place all my useless garbage (aka; cutesy/kitschy decor) on the shelves without feeling like I am making our home more and more claustrophobic as the days pass (can you tell I grew up in a home with “stuff” popping out of every corner?). Plus it’s unassuming and just goes perfectly with any decor style. Oh yeah, and it’s cheap, so feel free to not limit yourself to just one. Pop one of these suckers in every room, or combine them together for more cargo room!

IKEA is also offering a lot of black and white throws and pillow covers this year, which is just so so fun. I love stripes, and think they really add a pop of modern fun to any room. Unfortunately, these were the items that were not yet on the website. Guess that just means a shopping trip is in order! ;)

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Lovable Friday!

1. Mischief Managed Tee

This fandom shirt is just…brilliant. It’s perfectly understated, yet reads loud and clear: the owner is definitely a Potter fan – with taste. Which is why I must have it. Unfortunately, the tiny online store, Revolution 9, was overwhelmed by all the orders for their unique and surprisingly trendy Harry Potter merchandise in preparation for the final movie and they are still trying to recover. But I can be patient. I think this one will be worth the wait. ;)

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Lovable Friday!

1. Asos Clutch

I am absolutely in love with this color for summer. That gorgeous turquoise green just reminds me of the beach, namely my most favorite place on Earth: the Florida Keys. This portfolio-style clutch from Asos would just cheer up any outfit, hell it would cheer me up everytime I looked at it! Unfortunately, it comes with a hefty price tag, but comfort yourself in knowing that Asos does not charge any shipping rates! Hey, as a shopaholic you always have to find the silver linings!

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Lovable Friday!

First off, happy July everyone! Its my most favorite month, as it’s my birthday! This year will be a rough one to swallow (the big 3-0), but I still like all the love and festivities that surrounds it, so…bring it on!

1. Gorgeous photo setup

It’s summer time, and that means what better backdrop than the beautiful outdoors for your next photoshoot (make sure to pack a portable fan if you are a fellow South Florida resident)? Although mother nature can be beautiful on her own, these gorgeous props featured above can only help. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to be part of this shoot? Or at least run by and steal a cupcake?

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