Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Via Bon Appetit.

Hey, friends!

I know we've been sporadic about posting updates lately, but as usual, things got really busy all of a sudden! It's funny how you'll have, like, months of downtime and then all of a sudden, it's BAM. Go, go, go. When it rains, it pours, I guess. Does that ever happen to you?

Anyway, I am glad tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we'll have a nice long weekend to hang and relax. Are you doing anything fun for the holiday or traveling anywhere?

I will be heading up to Rhode Island tonight to spend it with good friends, so I'm excited about baking this Bourbon Pecan Pie with Dark Chocolate. If it comes out decent looking, I'll probably post it on Instagram later so stay tuned for that. Rhode Island is totally my dream place for long and cold weekends, so I'm pretty excited. Packing my flannel, rolling pin and one of the many books I have started and not yet finished. We'll see how that goes. ;)

In the meantime, since you'll probably spend the weekend lounging and enjoying leftovers, here are some fun links to check out.

Holiday checklist.

Thanksgiving recipes to please everyone's diets.

A glimpse into India's transgender community via Refinery29.

Turkey leftovers done right.

Important! Skip Black Friday this year and instead, support Small Business Saturday.

Have you ever heard Debbie Millman's podcast, Design Matters? It's a favorite of mine, and if you haven't heard it yet, here's a good place to start. Good for a road trip if you're planning to drive this weekend.

Marion Cotillard is totally swoon worthy in this Dior video. So is the house!

Gorgeous film with a very limited release so try to catch it if you can!

This is kinda gross but still oddly appealing.

One word: adorable.

Cool gifts under $50 from my favorite online store, curated by the one and only Lizzie Garrett.

A bunch of awesome movies are coming to Netflix this December. I can't wait to hibernate.

Clare Elsaesser is my current favorite Etsy seller. Want, want, want!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm getting married. :)

Hey, friends! Guess who? It's me, Karina! The other Cifuentes sister. Lisa has been posting some amazing things lately so she really inspired me to get back to it. And as she has mentioned, I recently got engaged. :) I feel incredibly excited and cannot wait for the day to come. We have less than a year (we are getting married next fall) and have already checked off some important items from our "to do" list (venue, photographer, and DJ.) I'm looking forward to cruising over the holidays since once we get back from the festivities, we will be in full swing planning mode. 

I'm still learning to navigate the wedding world terrain as it's incredibly vast (!) but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I now have a few resources that have become my go-to's and I'd like to share them with any new brides out there. And if I'm missing any important ones, would love to know!

Dreamy weekend in Granada

Karina, Me, Nick, Sadie.

This past weekend, Karina and I flew down to Granada, Nicaragua to attend the wedding of our dear friends, Magaly and Aaron. As expected, it was a beautiful wedding weekend filled with plenty of sun, good friends, dancing, and lots of love. It was our first time in Nicaragua and we had a blast, so we put together a small little list of stuff to do, if you ever make it down there.

Have a spooky weekend!

Tim Curry in my favorite Halloween film, The Worst Witch

Happy Halloween, friends! What are you all up to this tonight? We're going to some family friendly parades in Brooklyn later this afternoon and I am excited to see all the adorable little babies in costume. Like my nephew Luciano in his cute lil' mouse outfit. I just want to eat him up. 

Here are some fun links for your weekend.

Where to go for Halloween in NYC

The best breakfasts. 

I love Perfume Genius so much. 

Maciek Jasik's photos really speak to me. 

Pretty studs. 

Lisa Eldridge has a cool series called Make-up Moments. Here's a fun one to check out! 

Can someone please buy this house so we can throw crazy dinner parties? Hello, dream kitchen! 

Totally craving this right now. 

So upsetting.

What my sisters and I looked like on Halloween 1985. 

Hope you all have a great and safe Halloween! 

Would you see this documentary?

Joan Didion is one of my favorite writers, so I am thrilled to see this new project on Kickstarter, We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order to Live, the first and only documentary about Joan Didion.

"We Tell Ourselves Stories In Order to Live traces the arc of Joan’s life through her own writings, and in her own voice. Our film will tell Joan’s story through passages she has chosen (and will read aloud) from her work, as her friends, family, colleagues and critics share their a accounts of her remarkable life and writing. Patti Smith, Vanessa Redgrave, Allison Janney, Graydon Carter, Robert Silvers, and Bret Easton Ellis are just a few of the people we’ll interview."

I am definitely backing this project, will you join me?

Perfect fall outfits

Arapahoe

Brunswick

The Cambridge

The Northampton

I am all about comfy uniforms for fall and this new line called Tradlands has my name written all over it. The pieces look well made and they have such a timeless look to them, don't you think? Turns out a few of the shirts were actually made in collaboration with one of my favorite bloggers, Lizzie Garrett Mettler, who is the creator of Tomboy Style. Makes so much sense! I really appreciate this aesthetic and can't wait for the majority of their collection to come back in stock. I am wishlisting nearly every item.

In addition to making beautiful clothes, Tradlands is a company you can feel good about supporting. They work with a well-established sewing company in downtown San Francisco where every shirt is cut, sewn, and thoroughly inspected before it goes out the door to you.  Supporting American made products is important to me, so I look forward to seeing what else this company creates.

New music video we love

One of my favorite films from recent years is Martha Marcy May Marlene, which if you have not yet seen, I highly recommend.  So when I saw on Indiewire that the director of that film, Sean Durkin, just came out with a music video for Sharon Van Etten's song "Your Love Is Killing Me," I was really excited to see it. The result is pretty fantastic. Carla Juri, the woman in the video, just came out in Wetlands, which I haven't seen yet (and to be honest, doesn't appeal to me), but if the video above is any indicator, she's definitely a star to watch.

If you like Sean Durkin's work, then you'll be excited to hear that he is slated to direct the film version of Little House on the Prairie. Should be interesting!

Artist to know: Erin M. Riley

Ever since I started taking weaving classes last year, I am always on the lookout for new textile artists and thanks to Instagram, I have discovered some really amazing people out there. Among one of my favorites is Erin M. Riley. She creates these large tapestries based on images she finds online, many of women provocatively posing for selfies, among other suggestive setups. I've read a few articles about her work process and it sounds like each piece takes between 60 to 100 hours to create. The results are beautiful and each tapestry looks like a painting. I could only dream of one day having the skills to do what she does. I am beyond impressed. 

Some of her work is NSFW, but it's art, so does that count? See more after the jump. 

Dreamy Dame: Lake Bell

Via Oyster.

As I was catching up on celebrity news this weekend, I heard that actress/writer/director, Lake Bell just had a baby. Which then reminded me that I wanted to do a Dreamy Dame post on her ever since I saw her film, In a World a few weeks ago (currently on Netflix). Have you seen it yet? It's actually really good. I didn't know much about Lake Bell before this film, though I know she's been around for awhile, and now I am obsessed. She's just really funny and the film was so refreshing. I hope she continues to write and direct. Hollywood needs more women like her. Click below to see her talk about "sexy baby voice." 

On Rejection

Via.

Do you ever have those days (or weeks or months) where everyone around you just seems to be saying no? I was hesitant to write about this topic on here, since we generally like to keep things light and fun, but I know I'm not the only to have ever faced this so I figured a dedicated post on the subject matter would be not only therapeutic for me, but maybe even helpful to anyone who reads this ol' blog here. 

Fall Vibes

New York is really showing off its fall vibes this week, with some cloudy skies, rain and an overall chill in the air. Maybe it's because the season is really just starting, or has been somewhat mild, but I'm really feeling it. So yesterday I gathered all my seasonal veggies and made this roast, as seen above. It's mostly just butternut squash, beets, multicolored carrots and red onion tossed with a healthy serving of olive oil, pepper and pink himalayan salt. It's time consuming to peel and chop all the veggies, but the results are worth it. Plus, I like catching up on my podcasts while I cook.

Speaking of podcasts, I have become obsessed with SERIAL, from the producers of This American Life. Have you guys heard it yet? I highly recommend.

Well, it's Friday so hooray for that. Any fun plans this weekend? I have some craft projects I want to work on and then brunch with an old friend. Kinda low key and nothing major planned, which sounds pretty nice. How about you?

And now for some fun links for your weekend reading! Enjoy :)

This is why I stopped following you on Instagram. (via Swiss-Miss, via Chris Glass.) 

Cauliflower cheese, yes please! 

Design*Sponge pays tribute to Wednesday Addams and it's to die for. 

When women become men at Wellesley. 

This 13-year-old girl is my hero. 

I could live here. 

For Love and Lemons makes some really pretty underthings. 

Impressive pumpkins. 

All dresses should have pockets. I want this one. 

Sounds from space! Via The Atlantic. 

I bet this will be really good. 

Have a dreamy weekend, friends!

Have a dreamy weekend!

Medjool Date + Vanilla Bean Café Au Lait De Coco via Offbeat + Inspired.

Happy Friday, guys! Any fun plans this weekend? Our parents are in town so we'll be having dinner with them tonight and I am making this for dessert. Then tomorrow one of our dear friends is having a bachelorette party, and I wish I could tell you what we have planned, but being that it's a surprise, I'll have to wait until next week! Sunday looks like it's going to be sunny but chilly around here, so it sounds like a perfect day to have brunch and nurse a bachelorette hangover. Hoping we can go to one of my old favorites, Caracas Arepa Bar. I am also stocking our house with my favorite morning-after remedy, raw coconut water. Any other tips you guys swear by?

In the meantime, enjoy some fun links!

The coziest house shoes ever. I'd love this as an early holiday gift!

The Wild has a sweet little video up of this really beautiful song.

Having a dinner party anytime soon? Make it a #HolsteePotluck! Holstee will donate $25 to FoodCorps for every dinner hosted, which is pretty great.

October is all about pumpkin overload, and with tasty recipes like this one, it's easy to give in to those cravings.

How to keep a green house in the winter, via West Elm. Which by the way, runs the best blog ever. Can we talk about that?

This woman is so brave. Listen to her story and believe.

Want to make dinner FAST? Claudia swears by this new book.

ADVANCED STYLE is now available on Netflix! Check out the trailer. We're watching this weekend!

Cute planter.

Have a dreamy weekend, friends! :)

Global Textiles

Ever since I returned from my trip to Guatemala, I have become obsessed with global textiles. Okay, well, I guess I had an interest even before my trip since that's sorta the reason I went, but lately, all I want to do is plan a world shopping trip. Wouldn't that be nice? My first stops would be India, Morocco and Peru. However, since I can't actually do that, here are my top choices that you can find online.

Fall and Winter Dresses from Mary Meyer

Wednesday Dress 

MM Sweater Dress

Sweater Biggie 

Kara Dress

New York is getting chillier everyday and you know what that means? Time for new clothes! How perfect are these fall dresses from Mary Meyer? If you know me at all, you know my signature look is red lips and lots of black clothing. So when I saw this new collection, I was just so happy I could burst. Dresses + tights + winter = my favorite thing.

Also, heads up! They are having a pretty great sale right now.

What do you guys think? Would you wear these dresses?

Transparent: The Best New Show You Have to See

I'll be the first to admit I am not really a TV person and love bragging about how I don't even have cable, but my goodness! There sure are a lot of shows out right now that I am obsessed with. Let me start by telling you about Transparent on Amazon. 

The show premiered on September 26, so I hope you've all seen it by now. Can we talk about how good it is? I binge watched it in nearly one sitting (actually, I would have sat through the five hours of it, but had plans to go see Boyhood with a friend that night. Yes, that was an insane amount of screen time for me that day. But that's another story...) 

Back from my creative hiatus! (+ photo of my son :)

My heart!

Introducing Luciano :)

Heeeeeeeellllllllooooooo love-ly READERS!!! How are you all? As the sisters mentioned recently, we've all been on an unplanned blog hiatus as we've shifted our focus to some exciting life events. For me personally, it was the birth of my son, Luciano, in December. He's 9 1/2 months already and its completely flown by. During the pregnancy I was a bit naive as to how he would reshape my daily life. I knew he would change things, but never could I have anticipated the deep love and devotion I would experience. I mean look at that FACE?! How could you not want to kiss those chubby cheeks all day? :) But on a more serious note, it's also challenged me to reimagine how I balance creativity and work in my life. For example, I used to stay up really late, with a pot of coffee, writing screenplays, but now with a 6am-waking-bouncy-baby that's just not a good idea. So instead I've had to learn how to write in short sprints say, during a nap. It can get tricky, and I'm still learning, but I wouldn't change it for anything. He's brought so much joy, happiness and new meaning into my world!

So. What does that mean for the ol' blog here? Expect a potpourri of new posts! Want to talk about babies, working motherhood and writing? I'll be posting about that! All things wedding? Karina, I'm sure, will be posting about that. And Lisa? All things design, soul-searching and awesome. :) I mean, just check out her instagram!

Feels great to be back! Now we'd love to know... how have you all been??? Any exciting updates you want to share? Marriages, breakups, new jobs? All of the above? :) Can't wait to reconnect! Happy Fall! xo!

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits.

The authors: Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas

 My current job is the second French-owned company I've worked for. I work for and with the French all day long (and yet, I still don't speak French. Le sigh.) And although I don't think it's fair to generalize any culture, I do think it's fair to say that a lot of French women have great style that feels natural and effortless.

But I recently got this book in the mail, How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits, where the authors--Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas -- unmarried but attached, with children and friends for years, provide a "how to" to Parisian chicness.  When I read the book, I was amused. For one, French women do actually try to look chic! But the key is giving off the illusion of not trying at all. And secondly, they don't obsess.

You'll definitely roll your eyes a few times but then you'll make a mental note of their advice. You can take away whatever tidbits you'd like but read on for some gem quotes from the book...

Back. Again. Maybe foreal.

Brooklyn sunset a few nights ago. 

Hi guys! So, it's almost officially fall now and the change of weather suddenly inspired me to get back to this ol' blog here. I'm sorry my sisters and I have been MIA for the last year or so. So much has happened and we all got busy and distracted. All really good things, which I can't wait to tell you about. First of all, Claudia had a baby back in December! Luciano is now nine months old and just the cutest kid ever. We are all a little obsessed, naturally. Secondly, Karina and Charlie got engaged a few months ago! We are, of course, thrilled and excited to plan the upcoming wedding.

As for me, I have had a few adventures of my own. I took a sabbatical of sorts last April and went down to Guatemala for three months! The original plan was to go down and study textiles, which I did, but the trip became so much more than that. I will do a separate Guatemala post soon, complete with pictures and all. I can't wait to show you. I returned to the states in July and spent the rest of summer working on my "life plan." To be honest, I'm not quite sure what that means, but I have been enjoying the process. Some days are completely crazy because I'm just like, what am I doooooing with my life? But then I snap out of it and realize I have never felt so liberated and lucky before. So I am taking that and cherishing this time of the unknown. But more on that in a future post!

In the meantime, I just wanted to come on here to say hello. I don't know if anyone even bothers to check this anymore, but I figured that I would write a quick little post to start getting back into the rhythm of things. Also, to hold myself accountable I guess.

More to come this week!

Missed you guys.