A pause to play... David Fonseca

Say that the days before Christmas around here are chaotic it's an understatement, but I could not let this week pass without sharing a song, specialy when I love the season's tunes. So I managed to find five minutes for a short post featuring a portuguese artist (another one).

If you're from my generation, when you think of christmas you imediately start humming "last christmas I gave you my heart...", well, I do! And so, here it goes, a cover from that song, and a good one!

And, just because it is Christmas, keep on listening, there are two extra songs, just as good as the first one. I say, this guy should record a Christmas album! David, if you're listening to me, 2012 is the year for you to do it!

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Artist: David Fonseca

Song: Last Christmas
Check out the whole series of thursday's pause to play

Santa's elfs are working!

Let's not disturb them. Shhhh!
All must be done by Christmas night! 

Soon the house will be smelling like cinnamon and baked apples. Yummm! 

Feliz Natal!

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photos by us

Christmas all over the house

I wish Christmas time would last longer than just a month! I love adding touches to the house, and I love how the house feels during this time. This year I'm enjoying myself decorating with rosemary, since I've seen this great idea at pinterest.

You see, I always loved natural green decorations, but our common pine trees have very long needles and, as beautiful as they may be, they're not very useful in terms of making cute christmas decorations. On the other side, we do have a lot of rosemary (at least my mom's garden has, tons of it!), and... don't you thing the twigs look just as good as pine branches? Well, I do, for what matters. Oh, and the smell is gorgeous!

Remember I told you we went to the sweedish store a few weeks ago? We were meant to buy this shelf, but it turns out it's out of stock, (and I suspect it will be permanent since it's been like that for months now). Well, we were not giving up on the look we wanted. With brackets, shelves, a rail, hooks, and a bit of imagination it turned out like this. And, oh, I'm so happy with the kitchen right now! I almost forgot how I hate the counter stone, and the tiles, and the sink...

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all photos by me
(unfortunately I do not have one before picture of the kitchen... I'm slapping myself right now.)

The last weekend before Christmas

I'm exhausted. This was not a resting weekend, I tell you.

There were lots of crafts happening, like these ornaments that the children from sunday school then decorated at their advent celebration. And many hours of band rehearsals for the Christmas show happening on saturday night. And everything in between from preparing the alignment of the show to the set design... And... also preparing the activities with the children for the afternoon. Why do I get myself into so much at the same time? Beats me. In the end everything turned out very well. It's a good feeling we get in the end. It's rewarding.

After all, what is Christmas without giving the best of ourselves?

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photos by me
last two by Luís, our friend

A pause to play... Tori Amos

After sneezing every ten seconds for two whole days (nights included) I am absolutely ready to face winter. You can't scary me now! I have my defenses all ready for you! I hope...

Many years ago, watching one of the firsts talent contests on portuguese TV, I saw a girl singing "Winter", by Tori Amos. I had never heard of such artist, but that song got my attention. I searched for her music and quickly got addicted to her. She is absolutely talented, beautiful and unique. And, obviously, I can't go through winter without her. I just wish we had more snow around here, so I could really sing "Snow can wait / I forgot my mittens / Wipe my nose / Get my new boots on"! (Oh yes, I just got the new boots! I am an happy girl with warm feet.)

Since I've been sneezing so much lately, it's only fair that I share another one of my favorite songs, "caught a lite sneeze", so, this week there's a bonus, two songs!

Today I'm paying a tribute to my gone cold and welcoming winter in advance, (and may the style gods help me find the proper coat to get through it!) so I invite you to do the same. Make a pause and play it!

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Artist: Tori Amos

Songs: Caught a lite sneeze; Winter
Check out the whole series of thursday's pause to play

Good-humour and sensibility

"Good-humoured, unaffected girls, will not do for a man who has been used to sensible women.
They are two distinct orders of being."

Jane Austen

Why do I feel like I have dual personality?

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photos by us

A red and white Christmas

Our Christmas decorations are a work in progress. There's still some sewing happening, and some painting, and some new creations... But one thing I think we are settled: the colors. Red and white will be our colors for this year.

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photo by me
for the 52 Photos Project

Improbable beauty

Sometimes the ugly real life's things become beautiful seen through the lenses. Like a road overpass over a lake or a crane... That's why I love photography!

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all photos by me

A pause to play... Rita Redshoes

Today I bring you something different, something you probably haven't listened before, because this is a portuguese artist. There was a time when I used to hear this album a lot. The cd belonged to my brother and was in the car we all shared at home and, as I'm not a radio fan, every time I would grab the wheel this would play over and over.

Listening to this always brings to my memory driving alone under the rain, and the street lights on Christmas time flickering at me, as I drove for kilometers to see the boy play with his futsal team. It was the beginning of our relationship. Eventually I changed the cd on the car, but I always go back to her music, not just for the memories it brings me, but because it is intense and beautiful to hear.

So, now that I shared with you another piece of my life's soundtrack, make a pause to play it! You should not miss this one!

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Artist: Rita Redshoes

Song: Dream on girl
Check out the whole series of thursday's pause to play

DIY Christmas decorations

I told I was enslaving my husband! Aren't these looking pretty?! Who knew he would turn out so talented? Well, I'm sure he didn't. It all started during our wedding prep when I found myself drowning in ideas, and the boy, desperately trying to release my stress, would look at me and say: just tell me how to do it. And suddenly I had him carving intricate design to make chandeliers and table markers... and I gasped, as a miner who has just discovered gold! Can you see what it means, for a creative soul, to have this kind of resource at home??

And this is how, from an uninteresting piece of styrofoam, these beauties were born. I just imagine things and make the drawings, everything else is his work. Soon we will be opening our etsy store where you can find things like this and much more!

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photos by us

It's beginning to feel like Christmas

Have I told you that I love Christmas season? Well, if you follow me on Pinterest you probably already noticed that. Just a little... This weekend we started our christmas decorations at home and, oh my, how I love all the twinkling!

I will be sharing what we've been doing. I warn you, I am known for enslaving my husband into creating all sorts of handmade decorations I imagine in my head!

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photo by me
for the 52 Photos Project

A pause to play... Radiohead

Here I am with a late post today. We're enjoying a public holiday at home. Between some needed time to relax and some time to get a few things done, I managed to save a few extra minutes before sleep to come here.

Since I started this Pause to play series, were I share moments of my life that are directly connected with music, I've been alternating between older and more recent memories. This one is a very recent one, not that I just 'discovered' Radiohead, but his particular song for some reason never got my attention. I guess there's a perfect time for everything. One of last week's evenings was spent by the fireplace watching a movie that's been sitting for months, waiting, on the DVD's shelve. It was worth the waiting cause I really enjoyed "L'Auberge Espagnole". It's a fun soft european movie, but the thing that hit me the most was this music and the way it helped the story to flow and made it so much more intense.

This song has been playing in my head the whole week, so I had to share it. It is a powerful music, a master piece, I believe, and I'm sure whenever I'll listen to it, it will bring back the memories of that night, the warmth of the fire and the relaxed feeling the movie gave us.

So, now it's your turn, make a pause and play it!

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Band: Radiohead

Song: No surprises
Check out the whole series of thursday's pause to play