November 12, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, autumn, birthday, fall, family, life 2 Comments

i’m currently sitting at our dining room table, drinking some hot tea, looking out the window while Lily plays with the neighborhood girls at a neighbor’s house

it’s a school day and she would normally be at school at this hour but what started out as a delayed opening, turned into a full on snow day from school today

mind you, there is no snow on the ground and when it was snowing, it was very light

this will be our fourth winter here and their call on snow days still blows my mind

i don’t understand and i probably never will

anyway, i decided since i never posted around here last week and pictures keep piling up on my folder, i’d share a post of very recent happenings

hope you are all enjoying this day

snow or not

this snowy morning (that’s a sarcastic joke)

at least she got to sleep in until almost 9am

yesterday at ballet

Lily turned ten and we have had the most time celebrating her

owning ten on the morning of turning ten

surprised her with a visit to the nail salon after school. her first time getting her nails professionally done. my fourth

we took her to her favorite restaurant where she had her traditional birthday dinner

we stayed with friends in belmont friday-sunday and went to the renaissance festival on saturday

tired and sleeping kitties from a super fun weekend

our camellia bush is loaded with buds and it makes me so happy

fall has fallen

beginning of fourth grade school picture when she was nine. because she is ten now

November 1, 2019

around here. halloween

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, autumn, fall, family, friends, Halloween, life 2 Comments

this year halloween was celebrated for a week

it started last friday when Lily got dressed up to go to her halloween lock in at her gymnastics

then on saturday we had our neighborhood halloween party

and finally yesterday on the rainiest and coldest day of the season we finally went trick or treating on actual halloween

phew!

all fun but, dare i say that i am a little halloweened out???

happy friday and happy november friends

it is currently thirty degrees

temperatures have really dropped and will continue doing so for the weekend

we are staying in!

all dressed up for her halloween lock in

getting ready for our neighborhood halloween party

some of the neighborhood

with her bestie since first grade all ready to go trick or treating on halloween

October 25, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, autumn, fall, family, home 4 Comments

and just like that the end of october and halloween are here

this saturday we have our neighborhood halloween party and it feels like it was talked about forever and now here it is

i know i have said this before but i really do feel like this time of year goes by way too fast

there just seems to be one thing after another and before i know it, it’s a whole new year

anyway, we had ourselves a pretty easy week keeping busy with our regular every day routine

William has actually been in nyc since wednesday morning so it’s been just Lilian and i

happy friday friends!

autumn is absolutely glorious this year. outside

and inside

a selfie

all the portuguese memories that sit on our kitchen window sill

and in my phone

our kitchen is by far the most used room in our home

weekends are for sleeping in

weekends are also for finding new delicious places to eat at

i painted eight faces

Katya was already sent to her new home in seattle washington

and Bella was sent to her new home in st. paul minnesota

hat weather

leaf love

rebel girl

October 18, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, autumn, fall, friends, home, life, My Art 2 Comments

temperatures changed drastically this week

it was in the low forties in the mornings (and almost all day yesterday) and it’s in the thirties right now (it’s a little after six in the morning)

it’s like we went from summer straight to winter (let’s not talk about how it already snowed in west virginia)

but this crazy fast change in weather won’t stay

true autumn weather is in the forecast and i am looking forward to it

hope you guys are enjoying the change of season where you are

happy friday friends!

early morning walks and preferred architecture. clean, modern, brick free

sevilla memories

a playdate

miami dog always looking for the sunshine. i am guilty of the same

autumn light and shadows

saturday morning hammock snuggles

that tiny beauty mark by her eyeball tho

reading trump tweets

my collection of acrylic portraits is growing. as of yesterday there are six

Lily’s amazing elephant

all the green babies will soon need to come inside but i am putting it off as much as i can because this space will look sad and empty without them

looks and moods

October 11, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, autumn, fall, family, life, My Art 2 Comments

this week we were all a little off trying to fight whatever little cold was trying to get us

we were all a little slower, a little achy and a little sniffly

but, we pushed on through and kept going with our regular routine

looking forward to the weekend so we can just take it easy and get some extra sleep

happy friday friends!

last friday’s happy hour with my favorite girl

our hibiscus keep on blooming and it always makes me so happy

obsessed with being a contortionist

we took Lily to the circus and not only did she dress the part but she found her second family

i took my things to the sunday market and sold a bunch of stuff

i also brought home a new pitcher (it was free)

orange season

panama city beach memories. so good!

miami dog who always finds the sunny spots

i started painting with acrylics this week. felt so freeing!

new stamp and blockprint by Lily. she’s slowly getting ready for the big crafty fair in december

October 4, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, autumn, fall, friends, home, life 4 Comments

although temperatures are still high around here (in the 90s), it feels like all of the sudden the end of the year has snuck up on us

with halloween, Lily’s birthday (10!), thanksgiving, christmas and new year’s around the corner it feels like the next couple of months are going to just fly by

i always wish that the second half of the school year would go as fast as the first half

but it doesn’t

there are always less holidays, less three day weekends and there is always that dreadful winter to make things feel…. well, more dreadful

on that note, happy friday friends!

this was our last southbeach beach day all together while still living in miami. it has officially been four years since we moved to asheville

my green babies are so happy these days

we went to the greek festival

that surprise ferry ride from vermont to new york and vice versa

as long as there are flowers and color….

my nephew/godson turned eight. this was last year in sevilla spain

took myself on a lunch date

had ourselves a shelf filling party at our neighbor’s

a rainy moment on the porch

a sunny moment on the porch

a green corner on the porch

homework in the car

homework in her bedroom. i cherish it all

a bright kitchen corner

morning rainbows

a lost cove studio visit

after school safety patrol trio

September 27, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here adventure, autumn, fall, family, lake placid, travel, traveling, wedding 2 Comments

last saturday morning William drove Lily and i to the greenville airport (1 hour away) where we got on a plane to d.c. and then on another to burlington vermont

once at the burlington airport, we picked up our rental car and got on the road for a two hour drive to lake placid new york where my goddaughter got married on sunday

half way through the drive, the gps took us straight to a ferry boat where we got on with the rental car

it was a twenty five minute ride on the water with the most amazing views and the nicest road trip surprise Lily and i have ever had

between all the leaves already changing up there and the ferry ride there and back, it was a beautiful and unexpected experience

a quick trip (back monday) but a super fun and memorable one

happy weekend friends!

although i am excited for fall, i hope these beauties continue to bloom

early fall morning light in a favorite corner

panama city beach memories. the seagull is my spirit animal

all the pretty veggies for making minestrone

that fourth grade homework life

that rainbow life

girls trip!

lake placid ny. not only was my goddaughter’s wedding beautiful but so was lake placid. we got to have a look at early fall since everything there is already changing

rehearsal dinner ready

wedding ready

so happy for my goddaughter!

wednesday afternoons with her bestie. post school and homework, pre gymnastics

September 20, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, friends, home, life, summer 4 Comments

one month into the new school year, it is now dark when we wake in the morning

after a month of ninety degree heat, this week we finally got a break and the temperatures dropped to the seventies

autumn is right around the corner and i welcome the change

the cooler temperatures feel good and so does the new golden light

happy friday friends!

autumn colors

this weekend Lily and i will attend my goddaughter’s wedding

i mopped

a concert night. dr dog and shakey graves. so good!

in an old costume all excited for this year’s halloween

quiet time in her bedroom

quiet time in the living room

post school, pre gymnastics class stretches

transitions

portugal memories. from left: my cousin Ana, my cousin Helena, my great grandmother Delfina and me

third year at the fair with her bestie. traditions

a sunday drive

that autumn light slowly creeping in. sunrise

sunset

cooler mornings

friday ice cream sandwiches in ninety degree weather

September 11, 2019

around here

Claudia according to my phone, around here Asheville, family, friends, home, summer 2 Comments

i always think i keep up with what’s around here and then i look to see when the last post was and… well, it’s been a while

i still have so many summer break pictures to share

monument valley, grand canyon, sedona, vegas, panama city beach….

but as much as i’d like to stay in vacation mode, life just keeps moving forward

these days faster than ever before

at the end of this month summer will be over and it will officially be fall

i enjoy fall

but i dread what comes after it

it will also be four years since we moved from miami to asheville

four years!

it’s hard for me to believe it’s been that long

i still miss our miami life in the red house with the pool and our dear friends near

perhaps i don’t miss miami as much as i miss us in miami

and regardless of how good life is here, how great the house we live in is (we have paid our price) and how many friends we have, i still feel landlocked, like i don’t belong and want to head towards the ocean just about daily

asheville makes me feel the loneliest i have ever felt

it’s a feeling i can’t seem to shake off

even after four years

thanks for listening friends

hope you are all having a good week so far

flowers, flowers and more flowers. i don’t think i could (or would want to) live in a world without flowers. which makes winter harder than it already is

our neighborhood divas the day before starting school

first day of fourth grade

second day of fourth grade

santa fe memories

sunrises

and sunsets

he turned forty two

last summer in spain with my family memories

lazy weekend mornings

and not so lazy weekend mornings

back to lots of home cooked meals

ropa vieja

tuna nicoise

taco torte

panama city beach memories

homework

besties since kindergarten now in fourth grade

Lily is back to art class after school on tuesdays

green errands

i’ve been painting lots of dresses

billie eilish everything

pre school dog hangs

and after school dog hangs

a favorite green corner

a car selfie

post dinner family walks

a day at lake jocassee

August 2, 2019

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Claudia according to my phone, everyday life family, friends, life, santa fe, summer, summer break, travel, traveling, vacation 2 Comments

this year for our family summer vacation instead of heading towards europe or the ocean, we headed west towards the desert

a little out of character for this ocean girl but for some reason, those desert vibes were calling me

and i am so glad they did

santa fe is filled with so much beauty!

i loved the architecture, all the details around it, the art, the colors, the food, the weather…. eighty five during the day, no humidity and cool nights

so many things to do in town and so much to do out of town too

hot springs, hikes in beautiful national parks, all under a gigantic blue sky!

and the best part?

our miami friends got to come meet us and we got to spend some much needed time together and as a family got to experience something new

it was a week filled with santa fe memories i will forever cherish

happy friday friends!

ps- i took a lot of pictures with my phone. this is a short instagram summary of our trip. we also went to the georgia o’keeffe museum and to Taos. we tried going to the georgia o’keeffe house/studio however tickets were sold out for the whole week we were there. next time!