2013: The Year In Review!

December 31, already?! Can you believe that? This year definitely went by so fast! Although this means that it was a great year, because time has that particular characteristic of rushing only when you're having fun.

At the end of every year, I love looking back to what I've done. I think it's crucial to examine ourselves and our progress before starting planning on New Years resolutions and making plans for the future. And looking at old pictures from the year has got to be my favourite part when trying to discover my year's journey!

I've chosen some of my best moments of 2013 to share with you... Here we go!

I received the year with my dad at my uncle's country house. And I also got to share a great time with my fave cousin in the whole world! Definitely a good start for some quality family time!





In March, I headed up to Boston with the most amazing group of people, to fight against world poverty and food insecurity.



Then I went down to New York with Pao...



...And had my all-time favourite view of Central Park for a week...



April was the big month of changes, when I decided to start this blog!



In summer, I travelled around Europe with my favourite girls...



...And then ended up in New York, again!

Back in Bogota, I got to eat...



...bake...



...dance...



...and ride Coco––we even got some first places!



I spent most of the year in Diego's company



But I also shared with my family and friends!





Now Christmas has come and gone, and the New Year's about to come!

Thank you for letting me share this amazing year with each and every one of you. I sincerely hope the New Year will bring you all happiness and love!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Christmas Eve Outfit

Every great celebration needs a great outfit. As I shared with you in a previous post, Christmas Eve is very important to me because I share it with my family, while eating turkey, drinking wine and sharing gifts!

The outfit I chose to wear this year is extra-special, since it was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend. It's not only perfect-sized and very classy, but it's also really, really beautiful! I honestly can't believe he knows my fashion taste so well!

Love,

Christmas Dinner

One of the things I love the most about Christmas is that it is almost a worldwide holiday. Even if different cultures celebrate it different ways, I'm pretty sure almost everyone around the world knows the magic of Christmas trees and fairy lights, and the sound of Santa's laugh.

One of my favourite traditions in Colombia is having dinner on Christmas Eve. Ever since I was a small child, I remember seeing my mum and my grandma baking a huge turkey for all of us to eat. I remember playing with my three cousins until Santa came with our presents. I remember being as happy as I could possibly be!

This year––and it has been similar for several years now––it was a quieter Christmas: just my mum and dad, my sister, and I. But we couldn't skip the turkey. It's definitely the best turkey on Earth and I would never miss it. This time, we had it with potato salad. My dad contributed with a special wine he had saved for a special occasion––a Santa Rita sauvignon blanc Reserve 2007––and I made some mushrooms for a starter, and the dessert was our favourite chocolate cake!

We had dinner at home: a place that I used to believe could compare to Santa's own place of living. My mum is the hugest Christmas addict I've ever seen, and she has always decorated the house with the best of Christmas. I remember my friends from school loved to count how many Christmas trees there were––and this number was never below 20! And this year it was as magical as always: full of lights and love!

Oh, and Rudolph came by to say hello!

Merry Christmas!!!

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!

I must confess I have mixed feelings about Christmas. I really love all the lights and parties and seeing old friends... But at the same time I hate all the stress, gift wrapping and shopping––this is only cool when you're doing it for fun!

The same kind of mixed feelings I have with respect to Christmas songs. I bet you all know it's Christmas time when you wake up with a ridiculous Christmas song in your mind. And even if you pretend you hate it, you can't help but smiling when you listen to your first Christmas song of the season, don't you?

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

How To Choose The Best Wine For Your Christmas Dinner

Christmas is just around the corner, which means the time to celebrate has come! And whether you're planning on attending a party or having a quiet dinner with your loved ones at home, there's absolutely no excuse for skipping what I consider is the most important part of a great dinner: wine.

I know it can be hard to choose a wine, especially when you're a beginner. I remember I panicked the first time my mum asked me to choose it. But I've been improving ever since! If you ever want to become a real wine expert, I'm pretty sure you'll just have to practice –and probably also make a few mistakes. Just as my granny says: Practice makes perfect!

However, if you haven't still chosen your perfect wine for Christmas Eve, I guess this post might help you! So continue reading...

The first thing you need to keep in mind is what you're having for dinner. People tend to believe that white wines go with "white" meals, such as fish or chicken, while red wines go with "red" meals, such as meat. However, what's really important is the taste of the wine. What you need to pair is a strong wine with a strong taste in your meal, and a soft wine with a lighter-tasted meal. It doesn't necessarily need to be white or red. I've made this chart to help you find out which wines are stronger or lighter (according to the shades of colour in them):

Another very important aspect of wine-choosing is the precedence of the wine: i.e. where it's produced. Most people prefer "Old World" wines, made in Europe, basically because they've been making them for centuries there. However, the "New World" (South America, Oceania, South Africa) is making new wines and probably improving their quality. This chart shows which types of wine are the specialty of the different countries:

If you're doubting whether to choose and old world variety versus a new one, I'd recommend you get the old world one. I know we should experiment, but for a special occasion, the European wine might be a better choice if you haven't tried the new world one you intend to buy.

Some people tend to believe ageing wines is the most important part. But producers don't sell their wines before they're ready to consume. Usually, red wines will taste better with a couple of years of ageing, while white wines are ready to consume when you buy them. Be careful, however, not to let them over-age, because this will damage the quality of your wine.

You will usually find the varietal (type of wine), region of precedence and vintage on the label. You should also look for the word Reserve on it.

To serve your wine, make sure it's at the right temperature. This will make it taste better. White wines should be served at 5–9ºC and red wine at 12–18ºC. To reach these temperatures, you can take them to the freezer, and take them out before serving, to let them reach their ideal temperature. You should also let them breathe for a couple of minutes before serving, to give the wine a more intense flavour. The type of glass you use for your wine can also help intensify the flavour of a specific wine. You can see this page to find out more information on that.

Finally, remember the price is not the most important part of a wine. There are some very expensive wines out there that aren't that good, while there are some cheaper ones with a great taste. So you'll definitely find the perfect wine to adjust your tastes, your dinner choices, and your budget!

Happy Holidays!

Layer On!

Wearing patterns used to be related to the warmer months of the year. But I believe that our ideas of what should be worn on a specific time of the year are starting to transform. So I've decided to wear patterns and florals during the colder months as well!

These printed trousers have been in my wardrobe for almost a year, I'd say. And I'm really sad to confess that I've only worn them about twice. Shame on me, don't you think?! However, I decided to take them out this winter and wear them in a new way. Since the days have been rainy and cold, I decided I should wear them with a warm and cozy top. This meant I decided to layer a black coat over a warm jumper. This jumper is particularly good for the cold days because it has a huge neck, which acts exactly like a scarf. And layering on several warm items to keep you warm is a must during the winter!

Love,