mexican souvenir

ahhhh.
i took a little break from blog land for a while, didn't it? sometimes it is really great to just unplug and detach from cyberland. at least it is for me.

i hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! i started "teasing" my family a few weeks ago about the possibility of going to IHOP for thanksgiving dinner.
or chuck-o-rama.
or anyplace that was going to do all the cooking and cleaning for me.
only i wasn't really teasing...more like testing.
unfortunately, they would have none of it. you would have thought that i had suggested that we kick a bunch of puppies! gheez. the backlash was so furious that i knew i HAD to cook. and indeed i did. it was a nice, relaxed day with just our little family. and in the end, i am glad we didn't go to chuck-o-rama or IHOP.

anyway, onto a few other things that i have been thinking about and am grateful for....travels and souvenirs!
when i went to mexico, i brought my kids back some little trinkets, and of course, i bought
something for myself as well:

they called this a coaster, (it is about 6" square)
but i can't imagine putting a drink on something so intricate and delicate.
i plan on framing it and hanging in somewhere in my new house.
the embroidery is the most beautiful shade of mustard yellow, and i love the handsome little deer.

picking up little goodies while traveling is a great way to add personality to your home. i recently bought nate berkus's latest book, the things that matter, and in it, he talks about all of the items he has collected over the years, and how each one of them has such meaning to him, and evokes a memory. he states that THINGS DO matter:

"our homes tell our stories; they reflect the places we've been land the people we've loved along the way--and there can be no more beautiful design for living that that."

even if your travels only take you down the road, to a nearby town, or to a foreign country, always be on the lookout for something that tells the story of who you are and where you have been!

(i highly recommend this book! i absolutely loved every page. i have a pretty decent collection of design books, but this is definitely one of my all-time favorites. i loved hearing how his design aesthetic was honed and polished...good stuff. the forward is very personal...nate talks about growing up, his time spent in paris when we was just out of high school, and his tragic loss during and survival of the tsunami in cambodia.)

and just for laughs, i thought i would give you a look at another not-so-chic souvenir
that i have from mexico:

yes.
that is a real donkey.