Holly Centerpiece - DIY

To me the ultimate symbol for the festivities is the holly, the beautiful and somewhat whimsical plant that grows wild in the forest and that is a protected species in Portugal, whose sale and pick up is prohibited, unless it is sold in vases in licensed greenhouses or cultivated at home. It is a symbol for love, hope and a sign of protection and this led to an uncontrolled capture of the species for ornamental purposes in the past. This year I had the great luck of being given two branches by a friend of a relative  who has planted it in her farm and that was gently enough to gift them to me. I will treasure them dearly not only for its immense beauty but also because of its rareness and will plant the seeds in my own farm once the festivities are over so that I will have my own holly tree.
 And as today is the last day of 2013 let me wish you the most fantastic, joyful and fulfilling 2014! May you be very happy and thank you so much for being part of my life!

Oh-La-La[mé]

My style suggestion for the last day of 2013 is for you to wear a piece of metallic effect in tones of gold so that you'll feel ultra glamourous, sophisticated, bold and powerful - feelings you should also carry with your self-esteem to the upcoming year. Either at a formal party or in an informal situation there's no mistake with lamé, as long as you pair it down with sober colours or other more discreet pieces of clothing or if you wear it in a fancy dress. It is very elegant, sumptuous, luxurious and you'll surely feel like a million dollars babe! Are you ready to take this risk at least once in your life?

This Too Shall Pass

In The Mood For

{spending a few days on a breathtaking scenery where I can appreciate the beauty of snow}

There's always something intrinsically nostalgic whenever festivities come to an end. I miss the constant buzz of people coming and going on whirlwind or long and relaxing visits, the Christmas lights outside the trees, the smell of baked goods in the kitchen, the ritual of wrapping presents in a personalized way, the delicious and conforting Xmas meals, house parties with friends,the unwrapping of presents that we know our beloved ones took a lot of dedication into choosing...Nevertheless, life is full of celebratory moments throughout the year and today we had a very important family one that was so good and  filled with so much joy and contentment that it seemed as if Christmas was happening again! And as this will be the last Friday's series post of 2013, I'm in the mood for wishing you all the greatest upcoming year and hope that all your dreams come true!Here are some of the things currently making me happy...

 {starting to write in my Moleskine for 2014 - first time in hot pink}

{wearing this sparkling Zara necklace and fluffy white coat for New Year's party}

 {my mom's gift - a symbol for her unconditional love}

 { trying my newest collection of nudes and sparkles}

  {reading this  great cofee table book that now embellishes my living room}

{taking my new handbag for great walks through the year}

English Cake

This year I've decide to amke my mother-in-law's famous English cake so she was gently enough to pass me on her recipe and give me a very generous and essential helpig hand. This is a rich, indulgent, divinely flavoured cake, beautiful and amazing to share at our Christmas tables and more special and appropriate because it requires a lot of work, dedication and love put into its confection, thus becoming the perfect treat for this loving season! Wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 5 cups flour
•  8 eggs
• 1 soup spoon baking powder
• 200gr caramel
• 200 gr butter
• 80 gr lard
• 1 goblet Port Wine
• cinammon
• nuts
• crystalized fruits

In a bowl mix the flour and the baking powder. Prepare the crustalized fruits cutting everything into little pieces and the nuts as well. Reserve in a bowl. Aside beat the egg whites with a soup spoon full of sugar until they form firm peeks. Reserve. In a separate bowl beat the yolks with the softned butter and the sugar until well mixed. Add the cinammon, the Port Wine and the caramel and mix again, by hand, with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Now pour this mix into the flour and get ready for a major arm work! Pour over the melted lard. Work the dough for about 10m. Now add the dried fruits mix, but before involve it in flour so that the fruits won't sink in the mould. Grease a mould with cooking spray, pour the dough and take to a preheated oven at 200º for about two hours!