oh for my book collection please?

Nabokov's last written words. He asked his son to burn this fragmented novel upon his death, because it was unfinished and his was the mind of a perfectionist.

Like Lolita, is about a man in love with a woman because she consumes a memory to him.

it seems wrong to read something the author meant to destroy. But reading the below review... how can i not be intrigued?

"Nabokov's handwritten index cards are reproduced with a transcription below of each card's contents, generally less than a paragraph. The scanned index cards (perforated so that they can be removed from the book) are what make this book an amazing document; they reveal Nabokov's neat handwriting and his own edits to the text: some lines are blacked out with scribbles, others simply crossed out. Words are inserted, typesetting notes and copyedit symbols pepper the writing, and the reverse of many cards bears a wobbly X. Depending on the reader's eye, the final card is either haunting or the great writer's final sly wink: it's a list of synonyms for “efface”—expunge, erase, delete, rub out, wipe out and, finally, obliterate. "

-PW

art meets fashion.

i noticed something about my little corner of the internet... i hardly talk fashion, though i love when Max describes me as his fashionista girlfriend. My 5 year old niece marina calls me "fancy" when i'm done up (this means make-up to her. she'll ask, "auntie mickey, make me fancy" when she begs me to put my make-up on her doll face).

not that this will become a fashion blog (i'll leave that up to my best fashionista girl friends, Vanessa & Gabby's twinnie Liz) but i could not not blog about these fancy things i fell in love with over at Someday New Yorker.

i think i would wear this pretty little thing grocery shopping.

and this ring? i think it speaks for itself. le love. Admittingly, i'm enthralled in the whole Twilight saga. So this ring? oh it would never leave my hand. i would get one for twinkie too. It would be our twinkie rings. Darling Friend, doesn't it make a nice ring? a unique one for your crazy tehnical wifey... just kidding. kind of. [wink]

Sharing Sundays... Life.

i want to introduce you to one of my college girlfriends, Jess of Life. If you haven't visited her blog, you absolutely MUST. i have always always been in awe of her writing. It's the kind of way i wish to write: with heart, raw emotion, and in the daze- clarity. Like this post of hers? touched my heart.

Even through relationships, moves, jobs, weddings, babies... we've always kept in touch with the girls we met in college, through the Mass Communications Department. Here we were a few years ago in Downtown Ft. Worth celebrating our gf Adrian's bachelorette party. I am so glad we've kept in touch all these years.

From the very beginning, the first thing i KNEW about Jess was her passion for music. Lyrics are sacred. She belongs in the woodstock era and her dream job is to write for Rolling Stone. She already made one dream of hers come true, to be a Radio DJ.

She is my small town country girl who dreams NYC, loves tattoos, is hopelessly smitten with her boyfriend who she calls "love" (and because i've known Jess for so long i know how deserving of this happiness she is. but because i've known her so long, i also know she is scared of the feeling that sometimes love makes her fragile), loves her dog children, loves the blogging community, and just bought her first house!

And she shares it all on her blog, Life.

I think you should meet my beautiful friend.

Coody Bug, i love you!!!! happy hour (cosmopolitans please!!!) SOON. i miss you xoxo

3 pictures on a Friday from congested me.

sometimes i get the urge to cut my own bangs.

these dark circle under my eyes can be blamed

for staying up til 3 a.m. reading NEW MOON.

little seester's converse (signed by SugarCult band member)

& my slippers.

outside helping parents put up christmas lights.

early Christmas pressie from Momma: ROBSESSED.

Robert Pattinson DVD. oooh yeah.

Happy Friday lovies!!!

Black Friday Specials for Handmade Goodies.

first, i hope you all had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! i think i gained ten happy pounds. it was everything Thanksgiving should be about: lots of food, family + laughter, DALLAS COWBOYS football & win!!!, and a lovely needed nap. It was perfect.

__________________________________________________

this year i made two promises to myself when it came to Christmas shopping... NO credit cards & buy as much handmade gifts as possible.

it didn't even occur to me that etsy stores and handmade shops online would have Black Friday Specials. Silly me!!!

i love Poppytalk for this reason. A brilliant blog dedicated to supporting and finding handmade treasures. That's where i saw that this weekend, you can find amazing black friday/cyber monday sales & special codes of the best etsy shops.

per example, one of my absolute favourites Olive Handmade:

and you know how i already feel about Fallon's postcard pillow... i can't think of anyone on a Christmas list that wouldn't want one of her charming pillows in their home.

another Christmas present go-to is Diana's CityLight on Etsy. How have i just NOW discovered this amazing photographer/friend??? :

you should check out her Black Friday sale. Diana already offers FREE shipping on domestic sales. i just bought my Christmas cards there & another Christmas pressie.

i like shopping Black Friday in my pajamas...

because seriously, you should see my bed head.

enjoy the sales lovies!!!! & let me know your finds. xo

Give Thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving Lovies!!!

eat to your heart's content & feel as you should... BLESSED.

i hope you have so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful for so much:

*my amazing family.

*my faith.

*my brilliant boyfriend & our puppies.

*my incredible friends

(this includes each and every one of you reading this)

*my job.

but most of all this year, I'm thankful for my brother Marco. I know that this would be included in "my amazing family", but this year it means so much more that he gets to come home for Thanksgiving. My brother Marco is about to deploy for the third time to Iraq. He will leave before Christmas. And already I miss him.

A whole year. For the THIRD time. It's unfair. Why my brother, again? and then i look at everyone around me and realize each person is why. My brother has the greatest purpose. He will fight for you. for me. for our freedoms.

he is my hero. he is who i am most thankful for this year.

our family is surprising him by celebrating Christmas this Thanksgiving for him. We're very excited!

Enjoy your thanksgiving darlings!!!

(image here)

dear Max,

love, your chunga xo

(pics 1,2,3)

always count your blessings.

the baby of the family moved out after her college graduation. this year she has her own Christmas tree in her own apartment and we have started a wonderful tradition of giving each other an ornament. this is the ornament my little seester gave me secretly bought from this craft market we went to together.

i am very close to my whole family, but if there's any two of us that have maybe (at times it seems) worked a little harder to show that love for each other it would be us.

heartbreaking silly fights.

so this ornament means a lot to me. this tradition we have created {just the two of us in our family} means all the more.

"always count your blessings" is what my ornament reminds me.

im thankful to have a little seester.

and for the beautiful ornament she chose for me.

i'm an ornament girl completely.

so glad to have shared this love with you all.

thank-you for playing in my ornament exchange.

i know i've said it ten times already, and i'll probably say it ten times more.

a little housekeeping: a few of you lovies have asked if you could send your ornaments before Dec. 1st. OF COURSE!!! Dec. 1st was just the last day i hoped anyone would send their ornaments out.

friends, you are all so cute. xo

please send me pictures of your recieved ornament! i'd love to post about them as they come in. my own version of the 12 days of Christmas.

i believe in cards.

(Rifle Design as seen on A CUP OF JO)

i love my job. i have never been able to say that until a year ago when i started working in PR. i wake up every day and do not dread going to work, or worry about the "inner politics." A lot of that has to do with the people i work with.

i have the most fabulous boss. She is very professional and talented without a doubt. She is the Miranda Priestly, but without the "Devil."

but when i've needed her for advice on a life question... she has been there for me, as both a girlfriend and as a mother type. she is simply a joy to work for.

my miranda priestly-meets-holly golightly boss is about to embark on a new adventure.

last night i thought of everything she has done for me. of how much i have learned from her professionally, to make me a better employee; a more confident one.

i believe in thank-you cards. i believe in seizing a moment that calls for a card. and so i wrote her one. a letter of thanks, of well wishes, of absolute respect- of course with a dash of humor.

i meant to beat her to work so i could leave it on her desk for her to find. unfortunately, she was here when i got to work, so i held it in my purse. i was going to slip it on her desk when she went to lunch but this is how i know sometimes timing does work.

i could have left it on her desk this morning like i had planned.

instead, in the middle of the morning she sat down across from my desk, a little stressed and said, "tell me something good. i need to hear something good. anything."

and i smiled not saying anything but reached into my purse and handed her my card.

it was the sweetest moment shared between two women, two women who are both about to embark on life changing journeys...

this is how i know sometimes timing- God's perfect timing- does work.

Ornament Exchangers: Check your Inbox!

somehow, i managed to send out emails to each of you. hurray! i don't know how i did it lovies, but no two people have each other.

so yay! check your emails! if you signed up and for some reason don't have an email from me- please email me: micaela.lechugaATgmail.com and i'll get it sorted. promise!

i gave each of you your person's email address in case you had to contact them for some reason before hand, otherwise it's up to you if you want to keep it a Secret Santa surprise until they receive it in the mail. totally up to you darlings.

on mailing day, December 1st i will announce the winner to this giveaway. Don't forget, you're all automatically put into it by being in my ornament exchange. it's my way of saying Thank-You!



soon, i can go back to catching up on your blogs regularly. sorry for my absence.

i've missed you. terribly.

ps. i hope you're all just as excited as i am about the ornament exchange!!!

(image via flickr)

this is true joy in life. simple joys.

my sweet bambina nieces are going to be here for Christmas! the best Christmas pressies ever. my little marina & sophia.

having a bestie who gets my silly texts & understands me. i can tell M anything, and she gets me.

comfort food in colder weather. for a girl who can't cook- adding in seasoning makes me feel like julia.

being able to be a small help to ADORABLE Little Foot fight Parvo. As a fellow puppy mom, my own puppy is just everything to me. Little Foot's pretty owner & friend Arianna sent me a thank-you card with his picture below. his pic automatically made me do the baby noises. I'm one of those. but look at that little face!

getting the new ROBBIE WILLIAMS album, "Reality Killed the Video Star." oh there are NO words...

drinks with my girlfriends, even on bad days- especially on bad days... twinkie turning to me and saying, "this is what life is all about." Moments like this, with your girlfriends.

let the holiday eating begin! my co-worker alex brought me cookie brownies he made. um yum! it totally made my Monday.

fairy lights downtown at night.

old family photographs... the 3 older siblings... i don't know what pose my brother Marco was doing on the right... i do know my little seester posted it on his facebook. love my family. they are 7 people (not including me, but both parents) of instant joy. instant.

Le Weekend + Ornament Exchange Notice

Happy Monday Lovies!!!
How are you in your part of the world? LOVELY i hope!

My weekend was event-packed. The highlight was seeing my two dear friends get married. It was a sweet ceremony & i got goosebumps when Ava Maria was beautifully sung, as the bridal party made their way down the aisle.

and dancing at receptions are my fave. Of course, i wished darling friend was there so i could squeeze his hand during key points, or make him twirl me on the dance floor.


Even though this weekend was busy, i managed to sit down and get a finalized list made of the ornament exchange match-ups. i didn't realize how tough it would be making sure no two people got each other (there's a little Secret Santa in the mix). Luckily, my very organized little seester was a great BIG help. HUGE. i couldn't have done it without her.

by tonight, you should be hearing from me. I'm going to stay after work until i get it done. If by chance you don't get an email by tomorrow morning- write me! Any questions- write me please!

[micaela.lechugaATgmail.com]

so yes... check your email late tonight. xo

(pic here)

Sharing Sundays... BELEN: beh-LEHN.

today, i want to introduce you to a very dear friend of mine, Stephanie Belen of BELEN: beh-LEHN. I call her by her last name cos i think it's just as cute as she is. If there are 2 words i could use to describe Belen, it's genuine & entertaining.

And as if its not hard to fall in love with her blog, she's also a very talented girl with her own etsy- Belen's Boutique.


I am a HUGE fan of her jewelry. I own quite a few things and always get compliments because they are so original. I own the bunny necklace above, the bird's nest necklace i've raved about, and these black bird earrings i wear when i need a little luck- they're my lucky pair.



If you need to do a little Christmas shopping, i highly suggest stopping by her etsy.

i think of Belen as my little sister (we're both filipina! well, she's full) and am so blessed to know her. I think you would be too.

look at how ADORABLE she is.... seriously.

Psst... Belen has a fabulous giveaway going on... so become a reader PRONTO.

wishing you...

a wonderful weekend!!!


i can't wait to see what all you lovies are up to. i have a wedding tomorrow afternoon & then a City Lights parade downtown. (i went last year and it is MAGICAL. when you think of a good old fashioned small town parade, this is it. magical.) I'm also going to be working at matching you up with your ornament partners! i am sooo pleased with all the interest and the new friends/corners of the internet i was introduced to, by hosting it. (64 of you darlings who wish to spread Christmas Cheer. loving it!)

this weekend, my wish for you is that you make a wish of yours come true... whether it's seeing New Moon/ buying a pair of fabulous heels/ spending time with family/ or making the move on the boy you fancy... make a wish come true.


better yet, make someone else's wish come true.

xo,
Micaela

(pic via we heart it)

ps. M, this picture reminded me of "your tattoo."

connecting through lovely projects.

Rhianne of "For the Easily Distracted..." hosted "The Photo Swap" - quite honestly the most original swap ever.

i took my little disposable camera to Virginia last month, excited to snap photos of what will become my new home soon.
{forgive the horrible lighting in this picture}

Renee (a fellow Texan!!!) of Nouveu (not so) Riche was my partner. She emailed me the nicest letter to say she received my film to be developed.

the pic is supposed to be horizontal, but for some reason it wouldn't rotate. frustrating.

it will be so neat to see how they turn out. Renee, thanks for being my lovely partner and for allowing me to share a piece of my life (and future) with you. I can't wait to get your film.

and then remember the Pay It Forward challenge? Niki awesomely paid it forward to me, and i sent my Pay It Forward to Kaileen. She wrote about it on her blog "Kaileen Elise" and it made me so happy to give an act of kindness to someone already so very kind. This was the reason i wanted to sign up.

Kaileen, thank-you for your gracious words. They warmed my heart.

some of the random things i sent Kaileen

(who btw, also lived in Texas for a bit... me and my TEXAS pride)

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better & happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."

-Mother Teresa

it was worth it. completely.

I can not even begin to tell you how much me, twinkie, + stephanie LOOOOOVED New Moon.

in the sea of tweens, we were the ones in our Edward shirts.

i have been to many a midnight showing. never had i been this excited and loved every.single.minute. of it.

it was TOTALLY worth it going to the cinema at 9 p.m. (waiting for the midnight showing) and being sleepy this morning at work.

and the whole Team Jacob thing? i get it now.

but Edward... oh yum.

I can't remember the last time i was crushin on a celeb this bad...


if you braved the masses like me, didn't you just love it?! AMAZING.