come visit me...

on my bestie's blog today, "...Or so i feel"

i'm so excited (though i miss her!!!) because it's my first guest post.

come visit?


(pics via la douleur exquise)

"I regard myself a soldier, though a soldier of PEACE." -Gandhi

yesterday was emotional for me and my family. we attended the deployment ceremony for my older brother Marco and his troop.

He's about to deploy to Iraq for another year for his THIRD tour. It doesn't seem right during the Christmas month.

My heart is heavy knowing in a week he will be in one of the most dangerous places on earth for a whole year. and though our family has had to do these twice- it does not get any easier.

We are so proud of him. SO VERY proud.

My friend Tony Guiterrez is the Chief Photog for one of the stations here. [He actually was my first photographer when i worked as a reporter.] He interviewed my brother for a story last night and since he didn't have a reporter with him, tony had me stand in and ask questions. It was a sweet moment shared with my brother. Tony put together the following video...

so as SAD as i am... as heavy as my heart is.... after watching that, how can you not be proud?

i am SO PROUD.

Fallon, if you're reading this, the Christmas present in my hands is the postcard pillow i bought for Marco. I chose this fabric for his pillow because i wanted him to be reminded of home. On the back, mine and twinkie's personal message was:

"Our Dearest Kuya (filipino for brother),

Keep this pillow with you each night & know your family is at home waiting for your safe return. You're our Hero. Our older brother who's always protected us. Now you get to do it in a bigger capacity.

Lava You,

the twinkies "

*lava you is our inside joke for love you.

Fallon, he texted me and marianne this morning to say he slept with his AWESOME pillow last night. He was so thankful.

Thank-you for rushing it out to me as fast as you did.

It was the perfect gift. xo

i love this song. and we love this man.

le love.

esp. the first 4 mins and 15 seconds.

divine.




from the french film

Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d’enfants.


(via la douleurexquise)

Sharing Sundays... Kaileen Elise.

Meet my friend Kaileen. Her blog Kaileen Elise is just full of inspiration... her gratitude to life's blessings. Her natural ability to find inspiration in life's simplicity is truly contagious. You can feel the energy through her blog. She believes in waking up with a smile, to love with heart, and to believe in the extraordinary.

On Fridays, she usually has a Creative Weekend To-Do List. On her list this friday was: sing and dance to a playlist of holiday favorites/ snuggle, nap, dream, repeat/ burn a holiday candle/ and cook a healthy side dish. I mean isn't this the kind of girl you'd want to be around?

I met Kaileen through my Pay It Forward Challenge. We instantly got along and she won my heart even more when she told me that she had lived in Texas, close to where i am.

This weekend her ornament and Pay It Forward was waiting for me. I was BEYOND excited. Kaileen was full of LOVELY surprises, including beautiful ornaments- one that was a framed quote she wrote to me (and we all know what a HUGE fan i am of these) & something i was SO excited about- a Holiday Christmas Mix!!!

it was all wrapped so beautiful and with so much heart.

it touched mine. Kaileen, THANK-YOU!!! i am listening to the mix on repeat & am instantly filled with the JOY of Christmas. and Bono? oh points!!! [smiles]

so yes, lovies meet my friend Kaileen, i promise you will be inspired and encouraged with her lovely words.

My Christmas Wish List....

can be found on Belle's blog, It's all make believe, isn't it?

i was overjoyed when she sent me an email telling me about her fun fun series:



wanna see my wish list? she featured my grown up Christmas List today!!! I was sooooo excited!!!!

let her know what you think of the things i picked out for Santa to get me. [wink]

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. -e.e. cummings

The awesome Jenni of Absent Minded tagged me with the Kreativ Blogger award! i always feel special when i get tagged, so thank-you Jenni!!!

& i love this award. instead of telling you 7 things about me that you may not know... i decided to do a twist and show you 7 things from Casa di M that tell you about me. And then i'll tag 7 friends and hope you girls will do the same kind of twist! deal? so here's pieces of my home that show me:

1.) a corner of my bathroom. I like vintage touches. i bought this purse (with the pinup looking drawing) ages ago and found it works well to hold my girly things... yup, if you're a girl and come over & need a tampon? that's where i keep the supply.

2.) i loved this picture when i saw it at a garage sale. i had to have it. i love unexpected kindness.

3.) these book titles in my collection describe me. (that last one is one of my absolute faves. "i wish someone were waiting for me somewhere." i've written an excerpt i loved here. i suggest it lovies)

4.) in high school i worked at a department store in lingerie. when they did a redesign, i got to take this framed print home. i liked it because the bra looked like mine... tiny.

5.) i dream of shopping for clothes only at thrift stores. these were my last purchase at goodwill. i love wearing them with skirts and a t.

6.) i always wonder about the life they led before finding a new purpose in my closet. like this clutch. i know there's a fine line drawn here between trendy & ugly with this clutch BUT! this clutch, this clutch is special. my friend erik gave it to me. it belonged to his grandmother. there's also a mirror of hers inside a thin paper envelope that i've kept in it's pocket. So i love this clutch & wonder about the adventures she had with it. Like times she took the mirror out to put her lipstick on while out on a date.

i opened this clutch (after just rediscovering it in my things) and found a ticket stub from 2006. this clutch has shared adventures with me already.

7.) the summer i was 19 i fell in love with italy. it was my dolce vita. i loved under the tuscan sun, sipped too many european drinks, and stayed out til sunset on too many nights. i've kept outfits that will never fit the same (like itty bitty bikinis), because it is what i wore during a holiday that changed my life. the white dress i wore when i first saw the leaning tower of Pisa. it was at night, which made it magical. it was then that i first understood what the word belissima meant...

so now i'll tag 7 of you to do the same, with a twist please?

i want to see photographs of your casa that show you:

my bestie M at Or So I feel...?

Jackie at Exposed Brick

her bestie Kateigh at {Poprocks} photographs

Camilla at Champagne Bubbles

Katie at Kitchen Door

Anna at Il etait une fois

Mara at M loves M

rhianne, i would have tagged you but you were tagged by Jenni too. still, if you ever have a day you have no idea what to post about, i'd love to see your twist on this award.

and really, anyone else that wants to play- i'd love to see your post!

Je t'aime, moi non plus

how i wouldn't mind living.

it's decided. i should own a pet deer.

"I gave my beauty and my youth to men. I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals." -Brigitte Bardot

(pics restart my heart search & google)