Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you'll have a wonderful time surrounded by the ones you love!

Photo taken at Paladar La Guarida, in Havana, Cuba.

Christmas flowers

In case you haven't found the perfect Christmas gift yet... look no further! These beautiful flowers by florist Ton Hofman in The Hague will please even the most spoiled family member or friend!

I especially love the bouquets with exotic flowers (such as the protea or suikerbossie), making them an unexpected centerpiece for your Christmas dinner table.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.bloeiendezaak.nl

Happy Holidays!

Dear Friends,

I wish you all a Merry Christmas... in the company of friends, family, loved ones... with lots of good food and fine wines (who knows, maybe some cocktails or Champagne?)....
May all your wishes come true!

Tara

Trattoria dell'Orso, Orvieto, Italy

Trattoria dell'Orso in Orvieto is one of those places where you walk into by accident and feel right at home! My close friend Annika took me there for the first time some years ago and since then, it has become one of my favourite restaurants in Italy. (Yes you got that right; I'm not exaggerating!)

It's the opposite of what many foreigners expect when they go to an Italian restaurant. That means no pizza, no spaghetti with meatballs, no clichés here! Oh no... Trattoria dell'Orso's chef (and co-owner) Gabriele serves very refined dishes. Delicious rural cuisine, with only the best local and seasonal ingredients.

To give you some examples, their signature dishes are homemade fettuccine with truffles and mushrooms.... pasta with zucchini, gorgonzola and saffron....grilled "faraona" (guineafowl)....an intoxicating mixture of green leafy vegetables (forgive me if I can't remember all the names) stir fried with black olives and pine nuts... simply amazing.

Co-owner Ciro will help you to make the right choice. Both Gabriele and Ciro are the perfect gentlemen... so kind... and really good hosts too! Next time you're in Orvieto, just must pay them a visit.

Trattoria dell'Orso
Via della Misericordia 18-20
Orvieto, Italy
Tel. (+39) 0763 341642

Affordable Holiday Gifts

When it comes to finding the right gift for someone special, it's not about the price or the brand... it's about being thoughtful, finding something appropriate and getting it right! Here are some suggestions; all gifts are under €20 / $27.

Squirrel nutcracker by Anthropologie:

http://www.anthropologie.com

Stoneware Farmer's Market Basket, small by Anthropologie:

http://www.anthropologie.com

Limited edition golden monogram mugs by Anthropologie:

http://www.anthropologie.com

Pansy petite vase in yellow by Anthropologie:

http://www.anthropologie.com

Smith's Minted Rosebud Salve at Anthropologie:

http://www.anthropologie.com

Jeans shirt for kids by H&M:

http://www.hm.com

Animal print sneakers for men by H&M:

http://www.hm.com

Black-and-white bow tie by H&M:

http://www.hm.com

Animal print loafers by H&M:

http://www.hm.com

Black earrings H&M:

http://www.hm.com

Cheetah stuffed animal by World Wildlife Fund at De Bijenkorf:

http://www.debijenkorf.nl

Red spatula by Invotis at De Bijenkorf:

http://www.debijenkorf.nl

Flamingo cocktail stirrers by Zak! at De Bijenkorf:

http://www.debijenkorf.nl

Kusmi tea at De Bijenkorf:

http://www.debijenkorf.nl

Photos courtesy of Anthropologie, H&M and De Bijenkorf.

People... Xmas "bunny"

This is Tara, so funny... we are namesakes! I thought she looked so cute with that Santa headband! Actually, she wasn't the only one wearing it. All the girls at River Island Rotterdam wore one last weekend. Cute huh?

Catch of the Day... Advent Calendar

My Catch of the Day is one of the coolest advent calendars ever! Sorry kids... this one is not for you, but for mom (or your big sister). In fact it's an advent calendar with miniature bottles of nail polish, one for each day... a wonderful idea by Ciate!

The nail polish advent calendar is available through De Bijenkorf:
http://www.debijenkorf.nl/nagellak-verzorging/nagellak/ciate

Photo courtesy of De Bijenkorf for Ciate.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day! Hopefully you will be able to spend it with your family, friends and loved ones & you'll have plenty to be grateful for.

And I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for reading my blog over the past year!!! Having readers from all over the world is a true blessing.

Ps. The vintage card is lovely, isn't it? It was sent from Philadelphia in 1912!

Christmas inspiration at De Bosrand

Every year when I see the first Holiday decorations and the first Christmas trees of the season, my heart starts to beat a little faster. The expectations, the excitement, the new trends... what colours will they have this year? Will there be even crazier Christmas decorations than last year?

I can easily say... yes! At Garden Centre De Bosrand in Wassenaar they managed to outdo themselves once again. From traditional decorations in white, red and green, to tropical flowers and ornaments... from Indian furniture and pillows to an actual ski lift... they have it all!

Even if you were not planning to buy any more Christmas decorations (as if...!), de Bosrand is really worth visiting. Especially with children. They have various Christmas still lifes, with the cutest stuffed animals ever! Think tigers, deer, camels and more...

For more information, please visit:
http://www.tcdebosrand.nl