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.