Having Fun With Girlfriends!

I love to go out a lot... I like to discover places, restaurants, meet new people, dance, have some drinks and let time fly around me with only one intention …. to have a good time..

Normally I do this with my Darling Jules.. Jules & I are very different in many ways, our personalities are sometimes extreme opposites but if we have something in common it is that we LOVE to have fun and to have it together ... For some people this is difficult to understand but the best times we have had are when Jules and I are together, just him and I. OMG I can make a list of the funny and naughty moments we have had... We feel very relaxed in each other’s company and we just let ourselves go, sometimes into food... we have been to lunches that became dinners; we just love food, it is one of the biggest pleasures in life...we have sat down for lunch at 2pm and by 8pm we are still eating and drinking... The waiters are always very confused when I order my food... "ah, el senor tiene buen apetito!!!" ("Ah Sir has a good appetite") "No! that is only for me" I say...  It is hilarious. Jules orders his bottle of wine, I order mine and with that we carry on with our conversation...!

Having said that, this month, apart from the parties that Jules & I went to together, I have been out a lot with "the girlfriends".

So I was invited to watch the final of the Kentucky Derby at the club that I belong to, an afternoon to put on a hat and sip cocktails until night time! My friend and I met at my house and with glasses of bubbly in our hands we left for our girly date! The weather was gorgeous, not too cold not too hot. We placed our bets at the club on the different horses and spent a glorious afternoon catching up, watching all the people arriving with their varied outfits, laughing and toasting for friendship!  Afterwards we went to our favorite bar to eat and drink, I ordered my Cocktail of choice, that only they know how to make….The very Spicy MARGARITA!!!

We had a blast!

At our second girly date three friends and I went to a fashion show that my hair stylist was giving, to celebrate the opening of his new salon,in a hotel out of town. So we met again for some bubbly in my house "thank god, because the fashion show was the driest event I have ever been to" and all looking fantastic we left for our “fashion” night out. I will not make comments about the actual fashion show, but I will say that the fashion bit has to go and leave just the word "SHOW" We did have a laugh though ….big time... We saw all the top models of BA and many of the big celebrities... we still do not know who was who... But what we do know is that "We will always love them".  Afterwards we went for a “much needed” drink at the bar in the hotel followed by dinner at a restaurant near our homes... To finish the night or to star the new day, we went back to my house to finish having conversations that only girls can have!  Salud!

The third time,  us same four musketeers went to an event to meet a very famous American photographer, Eddie Soloway . Everybody was going on about him, so when I saw the opportunity to meet him I did not think twice. We had a great chat with him, shared a glass of wine and it gave me the opportunity to congratulate an artist that does something with two of my biggest passions in life: Photography and nature.  For a great professor, I raise my glass!

And also to girlfriends, with time I have learned and carry on learning how important the friendship between girls is, I thank all my best friends that are around the world for being the people that they are, for being my friends and for accepting me exactly as I am!

Love YOU all.

  

And to you Darling for being my best friend ever....!  ❀  Liana

The Hairs

It's been a while since I've written anything about beauty.  There has been so much family stuff going on. It's wonderful!

But last week it was time for a maintenance appointment for my laser hair removal and I thought it deserved a comment.  When I started this process over eighteen months I wondered how effective it would be. I'm a natural skeptic. Initially I went seven times and each appointment seemed to take ages.  But eventually I got through it and was happy with the results.  The question was would it last? 

Well a year and half later I'm pleased. I zipped through my last appointment, and was in and out in under an hour. 

The technician thought I would need two sessions once a year to keep it up.  I'm doing it a little differently and have settled on one appointment every six months which is working very well for me.  

Each time I do get some re-growth of "the hairs" as Liana calls them, but it is continually lighter and finer.  It goes unnoticed even to me for a long time. I may shave my legs a couple of times every six months which is fantastic.  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to go on a holiday and not have to worry about razors and shaving!  I love that!

I know it doesn't work for all hair types, but for me it's been great.   It's one less thing to fuss with every day. And what mom doesn't love that. Yeah!

Happy Friday! ✿ Micheline

Sleepover!

Another beautiful day in BA

So the downside of living as an expat, yet remaining in the same place for a long time . . . is that your friends eventually leave.  This is hard enough as a grown-up.  For the kids it's really tough.  This year a lot of Meryn's friends are on the move.  She's been lucky enough to have most of these girls in her life for several years.  But it's time.  They have to go on, heading in all directions of the globe - California, Canada, Spain, Mexico and even Australia.

It was really starting to get Meryn down so I suggested we make lemonade out of lemons.  We threw the first annual 'my friends are moving' pajama party!  She was all over it!

Six little girls arrived on our doorstep after school on a friday night.  The bouncy castle was set up and ready.  I noted how much they have grown up over the years because instead of running straight for it, they went upstairs to change and to freshen up first.  Oh my!  They will be young ladies before we know it.

Then they head outside to enjoy the fall afternoon here in Argentina.  They played and they bounced for hours and hours.  I set out food on the dining room table - a large vegetable plate, chips, homemade pizzas and juice and let them come and go as they saw fit.  I played music on the deck which they loved. They wanted pop music all the way, no more baby stuff!  These girls had a blast together in their world.  A world that is no long entirely little girl, but is not teenaged yet either.  Can I freeze this moment?!

The sky went dark and they kept playing.  I put on lights and made them wear sweaters. They showed no signs of stopping until the guys from the bouncy castle company rang the doorbell to pull the plug on their entertainment.  One girl exclaimed, "But what time is it?"  When I said eight o'clock, she was gobsmacked.

They came inside for brownies and ice cream despite the cool night air and then went upstairs to get ready for bed.  Then they curled up with pillows, blankets and well loved stuffed animals to watch "The Muppets Take Manhattan" with popcorn and fresh fruit, which made my heart sing.

After the movie there were of course hours of giggles. Yet thankfully by midnight it was quiet upstairs.  I crept upstairs to fall asleep . . .

 . . .  until seven when I heard then next giggle. They were up! We came downstairs and I made breakfast.  Homemade pancakes, bacon and hot chocolate served in teacups.  They were impressed and held their pinkies up.  They got dressed and played and hung out together until one by one their families picked them up for the weekend.

Meryn, who doesn't cope well with being overtired was teary all afternoon.  She could look at anything in our house and it would remind her of someone, something and she would belt out, "my friends are leaving!"

The next day she slept until eleven. Colin was not impressed and made a point of telling me so.  When she finally came downstairs she looked rested and happy and thanked me profusely for the weekend.  It helped, she said.

I too will miss these little girls that I watched grow for years and years.  Their birthday parties, sleepovers and school events have been a big part of our lives.  It will be hard to say good-bye. ✿ Micheline

The huge bouncy castle

Too fast for photos!

Our Trip to Mendoza... What a Blast!

As I mentioned in my last post, Jules and I travelled to Mendoza, the land of Malbec and other beauties that we love...!

After leaving our daughters in the best hands, (Grandma) Jules and I met with our good friends at the airport... We were all so excited, all knowing that the next couple of days were going to be an adventurethrough vineyards & bodegas in the land of wine and wonderful mountains of Mendoza...

As so many holidays have started, we opened our first bottle of bubbly at 9am and made a toast to “life and fun”... The airplane almost left without us... as we were too busy chatting and planning our trip!

Upon arriving a big luxurious van was waiting to take us to our first destination... a beautiful restaurant surrounded by a little vineyard. I saw my first bunch of grapes hanging from a vine, it was wonderful and just the tip of the iceberg of what was waiting for me...

We enjoyed a magical lunch outside in the open air, tried many different wines like Rose with a perfect color, a white, red and... back to the Rose.... That rose was good! The weather was perfect, blue ski, sun shining and just a little bit of fresh breeze...

Back in the van we travelled for about 2 hours to an area called El Valle del Uco, where our friends have their own vineyard and bodega. The view was stunning, the majestic mountains decorated the horizon and amazing vineyards everywhere we looked..

The driver was a very friendly man and as the scenery changed he explained to us many interesting facts about the area we were in. One of which was that the water that ran alongside the road in small streams was the purest water coming directly from the melting ice in the mountains... "Really?" I said, "please stop the van, I have to drink this water"... My friends and Jules looked a little bit confused... I jumped out of the van with my very tiny heels (8cm) I rolled down to the stream and drank the fresh water. I felt purified... I shared that moment with myself and my friend nature... Maybe I am not that different from my Mami after all.. (Read my last post!).

Finally we arrived at our friends spectacular vineyard... We just dropped the bags off at our rooms and went straight to the bodega to see and learn everything about the process of wine fermentation, production etc.  It was fascinating, and then of course we had to try all the different types. "Really?, if we have to...!!!” It was delicious!

With the sunset behind us and  the biggest brightest moon I have seen for a long time for company, we walked to our cabins through the vineyards trying all the different types of grapes that grow in this region: Malbec, Torrontes, Syrah, Merlot and more...

Nearing the cabins the only thing I could see was a huge fire outside  and when I was closer I could also smell the Beautiful Argentine BBQ in all its SPLENDOR...  "Yei!!!" It was time for a quick shower, warm clothes and to enjoy the company of our friends, incredible food and yes wine; all of this in front of an amazing bonfire... This was a perfect day!

During the next three days we did pretty much the same... with the van picking us up at 10:00am to take us every day to a different region, vineyards and bodegas for three hour lunches, of course wine tasting and always finishing the night in amazing restaurants like Francis Mallmann 1884 in Mendoza city.

Some of the bodegas we visited were unbelievably huge, modern and gorgeous... But to be honest I preferred the boutique ones, they really have something special..

Apart from the vino I have to say that the laughter we shared with our friends was continuous and very special... We were kids and on many occasions behaved like them... I cannot give details but the word farting comes to mind... silly songs... plus a set of fake teeth that Jules brought with him, OMG...did we enjoy!

We love fun people that can enjoy the moment …. joie de vivre,  (P.L.U's) "People like us" Jules says!THANK YOU FRIENDS!

The last day was just for Jules & I, we said goodbye to our friends that morning and then decided to go and explore another bodega.. Our last day in Mendoza was as magical as the other days.. We learnt a lot about wine and the particularities of this amazing land...

We will see you soon Mendoza and in the meantime take care of your wonderful grapes! ❀ Liana