These streets will make you feel brand new

PRESS PLAY Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys

1 & 2 - Fao's piano :)
3 & 4 - Times Square
5 - Interacting with Ernesto Neto's art at MoMA
6 - Watching Madama Butterfly at the Met
7 - long long long lay over at Charlote's Airport on the way back home
...and yes, in the end I was feeling brand new and inspired... and ready to start my new adventure! I (heart) NY

Happy New Year!

I spent my new year's eve again at Copacabana beach watching the fireworks. I've done that almost my whole life, with a few exceptions. Well, I lived there, and now still live very close, so it's been the obvious choice. I heard this year they hired specialists from Disney to coordinate the fireworks with the music. For me, it was amazing like always :) I just LOVE the shiny colors everywhere!

This time there were my sister with the kids and my brother in law, and our dear friends that now live in Germany, Fabiano, Katrin, and their kids Fiona and Valentina. She is almost the same age of my Valentina, who helped me taking a firework foot pic holding my leg up high :))

My resolutions for 2010 include finding a job that I love, learning how to play the guitar, making more friends, writing, laughing more, keep singing, practicing more yoga, travel more and, of course, keep walking :) No matter what.

Happy 2010!

Lagoa's Xmas Tree

One of my favorite things in December is to rent a paddle boat and go see Lagoa's floating xmas tree from very very close! I It's been a city tradition for over 10 years, and they always come up with something different. Last year they had pictures of Brazil's famous landscapes. This year is pretty traditional xmas colors, lights and decorations and I LOVE it! I pass by it everyday since it's right by my house and I can't get enough :)

xmas shopping

PRESS PLAY É preciso saber viver - Roberto Carlos

Victória is so enthusiatic about the blog! She is often posing for feet pics. We were on the mall this week and she was the one who found this lovely floor at a store! So cute :)

Later on we watched a coral singing a song I LOVE, that says something like "you need to know how to live / if there is a rock on your way, you can remove it..." and Vivi actually knew the lyrics!

This song is by Roberto Carlos, called "The King" here in Brasil. He is a very famous song writer and singer and he is been a huge success since the 60's, with him romantic songs. Every year the TV has a Xmas special with him.

Lillies :)

got ink done today! :D still buuuurns...

PRESS PLAY Lilly - Pink Martini

...actually I recycled an old tattoo I had there for 15 years, and it really wasn't me anymore... now it literally is! And I LOVE it!

Victória and Valentina's party!

December is for sure an emotional month for me. It's my mom's and grandma's birthday, and they are both not here anymore to celebrate with us, but it's also Victória and Valentina's birthday, and that is guaranteed fun!

Our friend Barbara had to rescue little Lara from the ball pool, I took a ride on a seahorse, girls had fun playing with the table decoration and were literally climbing walls! The one looking at the camera is Julia, Vivi's best friend, in her princess costume. Victória didn't bother to look, she was too concentrated playing with the Barbies (which by the way I LOVE) and when I told her I wanted a picture for my blog she just gave me her dirty foot! :P

My sister now loves to put her feet on my pics, and Barbara wanted to show off her red sole hills :) Too bad they are not Louboutins!

Happy birthday girls!

setting up the xmas tree :)

I LOVE Christmas! Always have, since I was a kid, and I guess it's because of my grandma's great parties, with all my cousins, delicious food and her inimitable Santa Claus song when it was time to open the gifts :)) A tear wants to come down, just for thinking about it...

Also December is the month of many birthdays in my family - my grandma, my aunt, my mom, and now my two nieces! - and it is definitely the time to celebrate. I have to say it's not been easy, since mom and grandma recently passed away, but I do try to keep the spirit alive.

One thing that my tree can't miss is my grandma's traditional Christmas card! The other things my xmas will always have are all the loving memories, the wonderful taste, since I got her hand for cooking, and the love and the joy, because I will always believe in Santa and in magic, and in miracles :)

beautiful Parque Lage's floors

This last weekend I met my friend Carolyn for breakfast at Parque Lage. Besides the place being amazing, food is great and the atmosphere is delicious. You can choose to sit on the floor or tables, and once you're done with your meal there is a lot of nature to be explored. I simply LOVE it! :)

PS: Carolyn complained about a pair of new shoes and what it did to her poor feet, and she kept calling them zombie feet :) Boo! Happy Halloween!

Valentina got her first pedicure :)

She's got red toes...

...and I got my first professional camera :D I guess both of us are growing up!

I've been wanting it for a looooooong time... I just LOVE the shallow depth of field! Blurry backgrounds are the best; the focus is only on the picture's subject.

Life should have more blurry backgrounds, so we could really focus only on the important things :)

Carioca do Brasil

PRESS PLAY Ela é carioca - Tom Jobim

This is 'Carioca do Brasil' (carioca is a person who is born in Rio de Janeiro), one of the cows from the Cow Parade that happened at Rio in 2007. It was created by Gilson Martins, a very interesting bag designer, who uses the Brazilian flag a lot in his creations. After the parade, he bought his own cow on the action and donated it to the city :) It stays in Ipanema, almost in the corner of Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz. You can't miss it! Thank you, Gilson!

PS: I really really really LOVE cows! I have many miniatures, from all over the word! I would love to have bought one of the cows from the parade, but I unfortunately I don't have any space for it...

I LOVE going to the dentist!

PRESS PLAY Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis

Yes, it's true! I've known him since I was 6 (he was 7), he is really funny and a very good dentist. Besides, he loves jazz like me, and there is always some good music playing there. He is in a jazz band and everything!

What makes it really more fun lately is that he uses nitrous oxide, the happy gas, as part of the anesthetics. You feel great all the time, as if you are getting drunk, but with no hang over! Seriously, why don't all dentists have this thing?! I always look forward for me next appointment!

warm coffee on a cold rainy day

These last few days were really cold in Rio. Well, really cold for cariocas like me, meaning 16 Celsius (or 60F - don't laugh!). Anyways, it's always good to have a nice cup of warm coffee in days like these.

I ended up having a great surprise at a juice house, in Copacabana. It's called Big Polis, and it's a filial of the famous Leblon one. I used to eat there a lot many years ago. For a very small price R$7.00 or U$3.50 you can pick 5 items for your breakfast, including everything from drinks to food that you can find on a Brazilian breakfast, and the portions are big! For a little more you can add more items too. It's enough for at least 2 people. They also serve it up to very late (I got there at 12:30pm). They are open everyday from 7am to 1am, and the juices and sandwiches are all very famous. The only downside for me is the fact that it is right in the middle of Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, the noisiest and crowdest street of Copacabana. I bet it's more pleasant on Sundays, for a nice morning meal. The plus is the decoration. I LOVE the tiles!

I love LEGO!

PRESS PLAY Take Ten - Paul Desmond

I saw this miniature on my friend's lovely blog called Lovely69 and I couldn't resist it... so I ordered it online! Isn't internet great? Pretty much everything is just a few clicks away!

In the other hand, this project took 16 years (!) to be completed and it took me about half an hour to put the 208 pieces together.

...I guess although modern (or post modern?) times are great, some things will never change... :)

PS: Since Adam Reed Tucker built this mini Guggenheim to celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright and the museum's 50th anniversary, I choose Take Ten as a soundtrack, the song Paul Desmond wrote a couple of years after Take Five (one of my favorites). It's a wonderful version of his original creation, which was the first jazz single to sell more than 1 million copies back in 1961, and became the most famous Dave Brubeck Quartet song.

Dancing with the stars

I made my boyfriend buy a Converse and took him out to dance!

PRESS PLAY Living la Vida Loca - Rick Martin

Carol, Felipe, Jonata and I went to Club 69 for a fun pop music dance night. Now I LOVE Converse even more cuz I just found out how comfortable it is to dance with it! Oh, and the hand is not mine, it's Carol's.

My first Converse

I just realized Converse are my winter Havaianas :)

I had a pair of red Converse (in Brazil we call them "All-Star") when I was a teenager, and for some reason I have a memory of it being unconfortable, and I didn't use it much back then. Some people told me this is because they used to produce the shoes here in Brazil to sell in the national market, and ours were not so good and the original ones. I don't know, but the fact is, I always thought they looked really nice and interesting, but I never bought one because I thought it would hurt me.

I've been wanting to find out about it for sometime now, and yesterday I decided to finally buy a pair. I choose the leather off-white ones to start with. I left the store wearing them, and I'm wearing them now. I LOVE it, love it love it. I want many different ones. Oh man, one more addiction. I don't have much space at home. I'm screwed. I'm in love now :)

Dinner @ Madame Butterfly

Madame Butterfly is an oriental restaurant in Ipanema. I LOVE their decoration. Very cozy and colorful. The tables are made with cartoon images covered with resin. I sat at the Hello Kitty table :D Food is pretty good. Oh, and they have fried ice cream for desert, you gotta try it ;)

Winter in Rio

Typical winter day at Ipanema Beach, in front of the famous Coqueirão (big coconut tree). Where else can you find a weather like this?

I LOVE Rio :)

Saturday Morning Wedding

PRESS PLAY Xote das Meninas - Marisa Monte

Saturday I went to a wedding with my friend Carol. Her friend Carol Castro got married to Marco Bravo in a very emotional ceremony. The bride was wearing a lovely beige lace dressing with flowers, and it took place in a quiet beautiful place surrounded by nature. I LOVE morning weddings :)

I didn't get the bouquet, but my friend Marcia, who did, gave me one of its roses and someone gave me the bridesmaid bouquet... well, maybe I will still get lucky!

I keep dancing (rock 'n roll)

one more from the 'oldies but goodies' session... PRESS PLAY Everytime I see you falling - New order

I LOVE Empório for drunk 2am want to dance feet !

Myself, Bibi (yes, we have the same shoes) and Carol, my cousin Aninha, Felipe and Marcelo dancing like there's no tomorrow (except that there is, and aging is a fact...). But we had a blast!

There is no place like home

happy 32nd birthday

The kids were in love with the cake... and so was I :)

I LOVE Confetti bombs! They are a must have in my parties.

Myself, Carol with another of her Melissa shoes, Bianca and my sister, Chris.

My sister trying to make Billy get in the picture... I'm not sure he wants to though...

I LOVE parties. I usually like to have them at home, or in some unexpected place, like a boat, 2 years ago. Last year I didn't really do anything because my life was very stressfull back then. My mom then decided to bake me a cake, and invite a few friends to her place, to sing me happy birthday. That was very sweet... and also the last birthday I would ever spend with her here on this planet.

So this year I thought I'd have a dinner party at my place, cooking one of the most traditional dishes made by my grandma, the shrimp Bobó, to pay homage to her. Why be sad, right? Life is too fast and random for us to waste any time. Keep celebrating! Even if it is just for being alive one more day.