Bittersweet memories

Hello everyone! We finally got the official pictures of my baby boy's baptism, and I cannot wait to share them. I was a but nervous because we and hired a new photographer, but he did a fantastic job!

The thing is: I had hired a photographer because we do not have some good family pictures, and it was going to be a rare occasion where all our family and friends were going to be together for the event. But. My parents could not come. Three days before the baptism, on the eve of their departure to come to Canada, my mom fell (over the last suitcase she had packed, no less) and broke her elbow. As we fested my baby boy's baptism, she was sitting in a hospital bed waiting to be operated the next day (it was a really, really bad fracture).

I thought long and hard about canceling the whole thing. In the end, I let my mom decide. Of course, she told us to go ahead, that it would have made her feel worse if we would have canceled our plans.

So we went on according to plan. There were these beautiful decorations by Meri Meri, which were kid-friendly but also appropriate for a grown up event. There was the magician who mesmerized the kids no matter of what age. There was the two-tiered beautiful and delicious cake by La Pâtisserie Guascogne. 

My heart shrunk a little every time (and there were many) I thought about how much my mom would have liked the party -- even though she probably would have said that there was not enough food :)

I wore a dress

Hello everyone! Did you have a good weekend?

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that yesterday my baby boy was baptized. This is why 11 days (gulp) have passed since my last post! We have had family and friends staying with us for the event, and the party itself to organize, so I have been busy.

It was the first big party I have ever organized. Twenty adults, twelve kids, and two toddlers. Four things saved me. First, entertainment for the kids. I had hired a magician, and it was perfect. The show lasted an hour, and kept all kids mesmerized until the time for the cake. Second, buying most of the food. The ceremony ended at noon, and when we arrived at home shortly afterwards everybody was famished. The sushi I served for appetizers bounced off the serving plates. It calmed down people's hunger just enough that everyone was still hungry for the main course. Third, let our friends help. This is the part I always struggle with. In Italy, parties are thrown by one and one only Host, for a group of Guests. The roles of the Host and the Guests are well-defined, and letting even one Guest bring something to be served would be considered propostuos. The years I spent living abroad have taught me that there is no shame in accepting help, because generally those who offer it are happy to do so. Yesterday we had two delicious salads made by my housekeeper, an authentic cheese plate brought by my French friend V., and my favorite cupcakes made by my friend C. for the kids. Last but not least, I had chosen my outfit well in advance -- the dress I bought during our summer holidays in Italy.

I hope my experience will help you next time you throw such a big party!

P.S. I am still waiting for the official pictures from the event, so stay tuned...

Memories from Mont-Tremblant

Hello everyone! Have you ever been to Mont Tremblant?

Mont Tremblant is famous for its winter skiing, but it is also a great place for summer escapes. We went there for the first time last year, but I was pregnant and could not join in much into all the activities. This year, I could have not enjoyed it more. I even dared myself to try the trampolines (yes, there is a reason why it is a kids' activity), and to speed down the mountain in a luge.

Do not get me wrong, with an infant in tow who is still mainly breastfed, it was hectic. I wish my husband and I could have had a nice dinner together, rather than just a (quick) drink. Nonetheless it was great to have fun as a family. Plus, wouldn't you know? While waiting for our checkout time, I had the time to straighten my hair, and then to sit in our room sipping coffee while finishing to read Elle magazine. (I memorized Joe Zee's advice in case I ever get to seat Front Row at Fashion Week, and I daydream about my fortieth birthday party -- better, the dress I could wear to dig such an event). 

P.S. In case you are heading to Mt Tremblant, do not expect to bring home any fashion souvenir, unless you are into sports gear -- the retail landscape is amazingly thin for such kind of resort town. Oh, and forget a decent cup of coffee, too.

Crazy fashion

                    

Reading this month's Elle magazine I discovered that this is the season of Andy Warhol, whom designers have recreated on bags and shoes. I just ask you: in an imaginary world where you could afford to request the price of these two Dior's items, how much would you pay? 

P.S. Don't you just hate it when something is sold at a price on request? We all know it means: you cannot afford it. It would more classy not to write anything, and let us dream that we can.

P.P.S. More crazy fashion here.

Reading Elle

                                    

Hello everyone! How often do you get to read a magazine back-to-back, without interruptions?

Holidays with two kids, of whom one is an infant, are a busy affair. Tag teaming is heavily involved. Frustration may occur more often than anticipated. And reading, well, just does not happen.

Sitting somewhere (anywhere) reading a magazine without being interrupted after page 50 has become the ultimate luxury. My summer stack has not decreased much even after three weeks of vacation. I never lose hope, but I have lowered my expectations and I have only taken this month's Elle along our three days outing to  Mont-Tremblant.

I got to open it halfway through day two (didn't I tell you?), sitting by the pool while the baby was sleeping. It turns out I have missed the debate about the quality of journalism of women's magazines sparked by the cover of Port. I understand the indignation of Elle's editor, but was it surprising news to you that men have no clue about the content of women's magazines? By the same token, I have no clue what's in men's Vogue besides attractive models. Perhaps the difference is my attitude: I would not discard men's magazines just out of prejudice.

It is page 50, the baby woke up. Didn't I tell you? Gotta go now.

Look baby, no bag!

Hello everyone! At which point did you ditch the diaper bag?

You know how it goes: the smaller the kids, the more stuff you need to take along. Or you feel you need, because three months come around and you realize that three tubes of diaper rash cream, two empty bottles and five pacifiers are a bit much for a one-hour outing. By five months you also realize that the diaper bag is the only handbag you have been wearing, and you cannot take it anymore (desperate moms of New Jersey, anyone?).

I got to that point as I was planning for our summer trip to Europe. I did not honestly see myself traveling alone with two kids, a stroller, a handbag and a diaper bag. Plus, I knew that once in Italy we would have been close to home most of the time, eliminating the need to carry a diaper bag around. This is why I switched from my beloved diaper bag to Skip Hop Pronto Changing Station. I stuck it under the stroller, and was done with that. (For the plane trip, I had extra diapers and wipes in my carryon).

The designer handbags that had been relegated to the back of my closet thanked me.

The 2.0 (ok, maybe just 1.5) version of me

Hello everyone! Do you get to take care of yourself during the summer?

The summer is a pivotal moment for Italian women's body image. Dieting for the "bikini proof" begins right after Christmas, shopping for beach outfits around May. Coming back from the holidays at the end  of August means showing a much improved look, that only begins with a tan.

I left behind all that when I moved abroad, even though I have been spending almost regularly some time at the beach since I left. This year I felt a small pressure to shed some of the baby weight before putting on a bikini, but I quickly let go of it without much regret when I realized it was not going to happen. I just bought a new bathing suit, instead.

Nonetheless, now that we are back in Canada, I feel like I got an unplanned makeover. No, I have not shed any of the baby weight (in fact, I fear the confrontation with the scale thanks to the amazing food I have been eating for the past three weeks). But. I have gotten a new haircut that does not make me look like a desperate housewife (not the glamorous ones from the show, an actually desperate housewife), even if I do not sweat myself sick straightening my hair in the summer heat. I have caught up with the latest fashion, that is, I bought a Hip Hop watch, a pair of Birkenstock, and two Cruciani silk bracelets. I do not need an afternoon nap to make it through the day, even if I am still waking up at least once a night to nurse the baby. I have also bought two decent-looking pajamas, so that I can lounge at home without having to hide under a raincoat to answer the door bell. Last but not least, I got a (mild) tan.

Everything looks better with a tan. I might even delude myself to think that I look thinner.


Photo: Fanpop.

Memories from the beach

Hello everyone! Are you still on vacation?

We came back from Italy at the beginning of the week, and I have finally found the time to download the pictures I took at the beach. We really had an amazing time! The only reason why it was not perfect it is because my husband was not with us, like last time we were there.

There was a lot of good food, shopping (more on this later), swimming, even sunbathing (!). I particularly loved the small town life we led. We did not have to take the car anywhere. By just stepping outside the hotel we were in the middle of everything, but we could also choose to have a quiet time on the "lungomare" (the walkway running along the sea). My baby boy loved to be strolled there.

'Til next year...

Mini me

Hello everyone! Do you ever wear the same thing as your kids?

As the mother of two boys, it seldom happens to me. My son loves to dress up as his papa, in shirt and a tie, whenever he can. During the three weeks we spent in Italy, however, we found two matching things: a pair of Birkenstock (which are much better than Crocs for kids' feet during the summer), and a Hip Hop. The latter was much in fashion when I was in my teens, and it just had a comeback. It turns out that it is not only a great summer watch for adults, but also the perfect kids' watch: it is light and colorful, and easy to read.

I felt such a proud mama to wear matching items with my little boy!

Birkenstock galore

Hello everyone! Are you wearing Birkenstock this summer?

During the couple of days I spent in Milan at the beginning of our Italian stay, I reconnected with my soon-mother-of-three best friend (yes, my fashion mom coach). I was dreading the encounter not because I had not missed her, but because I knew it was going to put me down. 

Indeed. She was thirty-nine weeks pregnant, and she was wearing a breezy, canary-yellow dress by Brunello Cucinelli that complemented her belly just perfectly (and that she had gotten for peanuts at the Cucinelli über-secret sample sale a few weeks prior). At her feet, a pair of patent neutral Birkenstock. "Because they are so comfortable they do not make my feet swell," she told me. No self-respecting Italian woman would ever be caught stepping outside the house in a pair of Birkenstock unless she was headed for the beach, so she quickly added: "To wear around the house, of course. I have a pair of much nicer, ultra flat fuchsia sandals that I could even use to go outside." (The name of this latter item was not revealed, and it has been hunting me ever since -- but that's beside the point).

I had to have the Birkenstock. After all, I have been looking for a nice-looking pair of slippers since forever. Just one thing to keep in mind: they fit large, and you may want to go a size down. (My mom inherited the first pair I bought too large...)


Photo: Fashion Zen.