Merry Christmas!

Today has been a really great Christmas. For the first time, I didn't spend Christmas with family...but I actually did. My small little family of me, Joel and Nestor. We opened presents and ate Chinese takeout and went to a movie. Not the traditional Christmas, but a most relaxing and enjoyable one anyway.


I also found a great website for those holiday gifts that you may have gotten from someone who loves your dearly, but doesn't quite realize that you aren't into New Kids on the Block anymore...

The Bad Gift Emporium

You can even buy someone's trash that could be your treasure. Happy re-gifting!

Let it snow, let it snow...

A lifetime ago, I had a snow globe collection. It was tacky and kitschy and well, looked kind of like this:

(courtesy of my uber-talented friend, Brad Kayal)

But today I stumbled across the work of Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz and I am absolutely mesmerized. These globes are not only full of snow, but also tell enchanting stories. Some sweet, some morbid, but all equally captivating. I think they are exquisite and if I were to ever venture into the collectible world of snowglobes again, these are the only way I would go.




These are just a few of their beautiful creations. I highly recommend checking out their website:

Walter Martin & Paloma Munoz

Make your kitty pretty

I don't know about your cat, but mine is not into dressing up. She will not stand being adorned with anything. She doesn't even wear a collar (she's an indoor cat only), so I know for a fact that she would have a feline freakout if I tried to get her to wear this:

But I must say, this kitty is quite fetching. She is a "silver fox" to be exact. If this isn't your cats style, perhaps "bashful blonde" is more appropriate.


Check out their website if you would like to see "pink passion" or "electric blue". For a mere $50 you can have one of these and your cats undying hatred. What a bargain!

kitty wigs

Merry, Merry Christmas!

Normally, I go visit family during the coldest of holidays, but this year Joel and I are staying put. We will be missing our families immensely, but not the traveling part (which almost always temporarily ruins my Christmas spirit). So, for the first time in at least 10 years, I actually have a Christmas tree. Joel picked it out and I think it is perfect! We live in a pretty small place, so the tree is proportionate to our apartment and absolutely adorable. It has put me in quite a festive mood.

To rent or own, that is the question...

As most of you know I am real estate agent, but I do not own any property. I rent my apartment and love it. I love the fact that if something breaks all I have to do is call my landlord and in 24 hours or less, problem solved. But, on the flip side, I can't tear out my kitchen and put in a new one or remodel my bathroom. Of course, I don't have to pay a high mortgage payment or any condo fees, but I am also throwing thousands of dollars away every year by not owning. Anyway, this is an ongoing debate within myself and instead of actually making some sort of adult decision, I choose to decorate and renovate my non-existent home. For instance, if I were redoing my kitchen, this is the oven I would buy:

And I don't even cook! But look at how cool it is. It comes in a variety of colors and is from the company that makes the ovens for Subway (what a selling feature, eh?)

Turbo Chef

And if I were to get a new refrigerator, I would definitely get one from this company:

Smeg

I mean, just look at these!

If the Union Jack is a bit much, they offer 15 other colors. Something for everyone.

Oh, and then, while I am playing pretend, I would install this floating fireplace.


balance fireplace

Just so you know, my imaginary home is awesome.

Current Obsession

I have discovered a company out of Montreal that makes the most beautiful, retro-inspired outerwear...Soia & Kyo. I love more than one of these coats and really can't decide which one I want!



Would it be completely overindulgent to get two?



Winters in Boston mean that jackets are actually part of my daily wardrobe. I can't wear the same one everyday now, can I?

Check them out here: Soia & Kyo

Wisteria Lane, anyone?

But first...hello! I feel like I haven't posted anything in such a long time. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did and I think I'm 5 pounds heavier to prove it!

While I was visiting my Southern family in Alabama, my dad took me (and Joel) to see this new community that is being built up called "The Waters". It is basically an entire town being constructed from the ground up surrounding a lake (that's the water part, obvs). He took me to see it the last time I visited him, which was just about a year ago, and it looked like a skeleton of sorts. Now it looks like a really quaint little town.








The Waters


I'm not really sure how I feel about these "Stepford"-looking communities. In some ways, I find them charming, but it also seems like there is no real personality there. It is impossible for anyone's own individuality to shine through. It reminds of Celebration, Florida, a Walt Disney development that I was enamored with as a child. It looked like something out of a story book or a Disney movie. All the houses arranged in neat rows, in pastel colors with perfectly manicured lawns.



Celebration

But I went there several Christmases ago, with my childhood fantasy of what living in such a Edward Scissorhands world might be like. Let me tell you, it was like this: being in Florida at Christmas time, with people in shorts and t-shirts, walking around "Celebration Village" with holiday music blaring through strategically placed speakers, all the while spitting particles of fake snow out my mouth that I had inadvertently inhaled while gaping at the sight of such inane consumerism and bad taste. Definitely NOT what my childish mind had envisioned. Of course, that was Walt Disney's version of what an idyllic life should be like. At least the developers of The Waters have left out the speakers and snow machines. For now.