jojo vs Peru: La Selva

jojo vs Peru: La Selva: Getting time away from the orphanage is great, especially when you get to spend it in the jungle with some amazing friends. A couple of week...

Marriage for the first time

Best wishes to me, I got married last October.

No, seriously, it's a big effing deal to me, my parents, my friends and family. Really, I was 40 and after two busted up engagements, this one stuck. This guy made it to the finish line. However, in this case, I have to say 'I' made it to the finish line. There were folks who thought the Big day would never come. Shoot, I was one of them. I was too picky; I was not picky enough when I should've been; I was never ready for more; I was commitment phobic; I wanted my freedom; I was too selfish; I wanted to keep seeing what else was out there, until finally, I gave up my inhibitions, fears and hang-ups and walked down the aisle to meet my fiance and said "I do" and walked away with a ridiculously incredible man who every girl can only dream of marrying. I finally took off the "stupid hat" girl I wore for most of my adult years and realized that God threw me a life line and the best man for me. He is...
1. Kind
2. Trustworthy
3. Trusting
4. Loving
5. Doting
6. Madly in love with me
7. Gorgeous (Score!)
8. Christian
9. Faithful
10. Super considerate
11. Ever pleasing
12. Romantic
13. Funny/Stupid/Crazy
14. Loves my family as much as I do
15. Great coffee maker
16. Healthy & Clean
17. Loves my Juliet (cutie-pie Yorkie)
18. Walks my Juliet in the rain and cold
19. Pits my olives
20. Reads the Bible and happily goes to church with me
21. Supportive
22. Patient; and
22. My best friend

There are a zillion other reasons why I took a leap of faith on getting married, but the above "short list" is what makes me swoon and adore my husband. The man is a walking saint, and my friends and loved ones knew I needed to find a saint to marry me. I'm no "walk in the park" to live with, but somehow, this man has found me and 1,001 reasons to love me. That's not to say I'm not worthy of being loved, but I'm part OCD, part Type A, neurotic about minutiae, and have high expectations of others. But his love, strength and endurance are key to him sticking it out with me. And for that, I need to remember to always appreciate what I have with him and to appreciate him because he is that special and sacred.

Next up is a little Catalina Paz or Ethan Pastor. God-willing...

Cherish the love...

Laud and Praise for Ft. Lauderdale

Ft. Lauderdale Is My New Best Friend
If I had wings, I would soar directly from Virginia to the Sunshine State. After dealing with nearly seven months of cold, snow, rain, high winds, ice, and more cold weather, I’m ready to take flight to a kinder and warmer environment. Let’s be real. It’s almost Easter, and by now, I should feel comfortable taking bare legs to work. But, no, Old Man Winter has decided to dig his heels into the VA ground and stick around longer than we want him to. Go away. Please. I’m serious.
While waiting for the warm weather to kick in, two weeks ago, I took my cold hind to Ft. Lauderdale, where my BFF and her hubby recently moved to. I felt it was time that I make sure they were living right, so I dragged my BF along. Having never been, I didn’t expect much. To my surprise and happiness, I loved what I found. MA and her hubby live in the Las Olas neighborhood, and let me just say this place is a scream! Walking down Las Olas Boulevard took me back to the little towns of Europe. There are charming boutiques, patisseries/bakeries, gift shops, restaurants, salons, galleries, and the cutest-ever yogurt shop (Yogurt Ur Way) on Las Olas Boulevard. The BF is well experienced with self-serve yogurt, so he schooled me on how to serve and dress up my yogurt. I picked yummy flavors like dulce de leche, French vanilla, vanilla, and one other white yogurt dream flavor. I topped it off with Lychee balls and peanuts. Pure deliciousness in my mouth. I didn’t even care that it was nearly 10 pm. I was on vacay.
We kept it moving to other little stores that were still open after 10 pm. Even after the late yogurt indulgence, from across the street, I heard Pan’e Dolce, an Italian bakery, whisper my name. I answered and headed right to the display case of chocolate and sweet goodness. Truthfully, my teeth hurt immediately upon crossing over the door’s threshold because of all the sugar in the air. It would have been a crime to eat more, so I stopped myself. Instead, we lolled around the Boulevard and took into the night breezes and positive energy that flowed through the air.
Earlier that evening, we went to the W Hotel’s 954 restaurant and feasted on seafood. There’s this amazing tank filled with jellyfish. While I see no purpose for jellyfish, I can see how useful they are in this water tank. They’re gorgeous creatures.

After our trip, I wanted to send MA and her hubby a nice “thank you” something. I remembered this sweet looking flower shop as we walked back home on the Boulevard: Flowers and Found Objects. I called them up and talked to such a nice staffer who helped me with just the perfect thing—an orchid plant, dripping with heavy white blossoms in a beautiful brown planter. MA called to say she loved it.

I tell you, sometimes, you just get it right. Everything about my visit to Las Olas was perfect—the weather, the experience, the beach, the food, the friends, the energy. My next question is, when am I getting down to Las Olas again?

Hanging from a Chandelier

This chandelier is sick, and in a very good way. I am currently tripping over chandeliers. I have a gorgeous, large, gold wrought iron and crystal chandelier that hangs from my dining room ceiling and a matching (baby) one in the foyer. The one in the dining room has a dimmer switch, unlike the one in the foyer. The baby one sets the tone for the rest of my home--sophisticated and expect the unexpected. I've been told my home is part French, Italian, Euro-country. I'll take all of it!

But getting back to this beauty; this chandelier has elements you'd see someone hanging from their neck or wrist. It's home jewelry, essentially. Look at the chains, pearls and Swarovski crystals. It's blinged out but in a very understated way. If you want a stand-out signature piece in your home, you can have this work of art for a mere $10,000. It's glamorous, rocker-girl, sophisticated and blinged out. Oh, come on, you deserve it!

Pull it Together!

If you're like me sometimes, you get stumped when you're getting ready to go out and suddenly, you have nothing to wear. It's as if all of your best blouses and camis are at the cleaners and you are thisclose to cancelling your plans. You get desperate, then you start pulling pieces together that have no business even hanging next to each other in the closet! Enter this new website (to me) that I turn to when I am left in a pickle.

Slusala fado i pila vino u Lisabonu... by Jelena M S featuring TopShop hats

How about this set when you're feeling a little romantic?

Milica i par novih cipelica... by Jelena M S featuring Marc by Marc Jacobs bags

Items in this set:
Layering blouse spring kiss, 495 DKK
Kavaj med transparenta ärmar, 900 SEK
H&M the garden collection shorts highwaist
Leather cutout sandals, $755
Marc by marc jacobs bags, 225 GBP

This is a colorful set for those days when you want to go bold.

Street Style Brings Much Gilt... by Faithfashion! featuring See By Chloe tops

Items in this set:
See by Chloe Appliqué cotton T-shirt, $66
Silk asymmetric skirt, $390
Chloe 2111 | Chloe Sunglasses at Lowest Prices
Echo - Gloves & Scarves - Fall Trends 2007 - Fashion - In Style
Designer Handbags - Prada Handbags - Chloe Handbags - Koodos

This website rocks! Enjoy pulling it together.

Smiles :)

Make the Bed and They Will Come

I moved into my condo three years ago in a sleepy part of Alexandria, VA just on the fringes of Old Town. (If I could just live in Old Town. Definitely in another lifetime.) For now, on the fringes I will have to remain until I sell my first novel and screenplay to the Lifetime Movie Network. But, I digress.

Still on my to-do list are re-doing the bathroom and bedroom. For years, I have sorted through hundreds of pages of house style magazines (Remember Domino?), hoping to find that one image that will inspire me to get the boudoir finished.

I'm of the sense that in order for me to finally move on doing something, the idea needs to literally wake me up at night for me to know that that's what I really want. I may be a little obsessive over how I arrive at my ideas, but it's how I'm built, and I've accepted it.

This evening, however, the idea came to me as I Googled beds using terms like "cozy canopy" and "romantic beds." And among all the hits, I found the epitome of romantic and dreamy. See that pebble mosaic bed? Lovely, no? Now, I'm dreaming up all kinds of ideas for my bedroom. I'm seeing beautiful whites and creams everywhere--from the buttercream white on the walls with some hints of "Tuscany," i.e., plaster, to break up an institutional feel of the whites, to the creamy colored linen bed coverings and down feathered, plush pillows. Sounds heavenly, and I'm already getting sleepy.

So, after avoiding my room for the past three years, and using it only for sleeping purposes, I am excited about creating a lovely nest for myself, where I will seek it out not only to dream while asleep, but also when I'm awake.

Plus, you know what they say, "Make the bed and they will come..."

Buona sera.

Babydoll of the Ball

I always feel my most creative after watching back-to-back episodes of The Hill and The City--don't ask why . . . As I was about to drum out more some late-night editing of my book, I decided to Google my all-time fave shoes--black loafers--when I stumbled upon this lovely little Christopher Kane for Topshop jewel that I think I have just lost my mind over.

If only I had a size 2 body and longer, leaner legs, I could get away with wearing this little babydoll and stealing the show. I would rock it at a little house party with those same grey shoes I wrote about in March, so as not to deflect attention from the gorgeousity of this lacey masterpiece. HOTNESS. For more clothes envy from the people, I would don a black motorcycle jacket. Double HOTNESS.

If you click on the Nitrolicious link, you might score yourself this masterpiece and be the babydoll of the ball.