How many candles make a path? One?

It's just one candle, that looks like an infinite way of candles because of the mirrors that multiply the light. I loved it. Because of its beauty and because of what it made me think: sometimes we look at something very small and let it bother without noticing that there's a whole world out there if we open our eyes. Am I too sentimental these days?

Holding hands

A mother’s hand helping you cross the street, a brother’s hand encouraging the first bike ride, a friend’s hand in a children game. A friend’s hand helping you to face the dark living room when you arrived from a party much later than you should – and the house seems to be spinning a bit. The hand that belonged to your first boyfriend and the ones that arrived after he was gone. The shy one that slipped his hands on yours in the quietness of a movie theatre, the brave one that used to hold your hand in the middle of the street, in front of everybody’s eyes and even in front of his mother’s eyes, the caring one that always kept a finger ready to tickle... There’s the hand that touches yours as if it wasn’t on purpose but, then, doesn’t let go. Hand that, in a moment of messed hair and half clothes off, guides you to the bedroom with a filthy look, showing what’s gonna happen next. There’s also the adventure companion’s hand, helping you over a big rock or encouraging your first night dive. A friend’s hand giving strenght with no need of any words. Mother’s, brother’s, friend’s hands, holding yours when you are laying down with no will for anything. Hot hand and cold hand, confident hand and shaking hand, a hand that knows what it’s doing and hand that doesn’t even want to know.Some of the greatest moments of life involve holding hands.

Collecting corks

I collect corks. And I know it sounds weird, because people think they all look the same. Mine don't. I only keep corks of bottles that I really drank and I write on each one of them the day, the place, the names of people who were with me and any other important information about the moment.

Food and love

The person who taught me how to cook used to say that when you cook for someone, you are showing your love. That's what I've learned. Nowadays, when my friends come over for dinner, they say thank you and I feel a little weird, because I should be the one saying thank you. It's a great pleasure to cook for people I love.

This apron used to be his and I use it everytime I want to make sure nothing goes wrong. The star of today's dinner was dry meat mezzalunas with pumpkin sauce. Great!

At the Argentinean restaurant

A couple of friends.

A great conversation.

Several glasses, for wines that fit every course.

Is there a better way to spend a Saturday night?

Music menu

How many times do you have to go to a restaurant before you are able to tell the maitre "Hey, you know what? I love your menu, I'll take it home"?

(this is the musical menu at Forneria Sao Paolo, in São Paulo, Brazil)

Are these my options?

Everyday I turn right just after this sign, to get to my office. One day I'll surrender to the temptation and drive forward, all the way to Rio - and have lunch at Sushi Leblon.

Cheers

Another Friday night - yu-huuu

vacation series - Yosemite

Walk, walk, walk (uphill, under the sun). Then, take your cap off, drink a lot of water and watch the sunset from a great place.

(Yosemite, California)

vacation series - gourmet shopping

We went in to get some bread for a picnic - but there's no way you'll take me to a Dean & Deluca megastore and I'll leave with only a bread in my bag.

vacation series - lunch in Napa

Domain Chandon, Napa Valley.

Girls night in

I have a group of ten girlfriends with whom I get together at least once a month, to have dinner, drink some mojitos and chat a bit. It always clears my mind. I'm really happier since I've met them!

A hard day's night

It's really tiring to work at a trade show. But I think it must be harder for those who don't have access to the vip room ;)

The stand

Just got home. Uh, I'm really tired! This is another piece of my stand. Isn't it beautiful? Did anyone visit the Cosmoprof?

What do you know about nail polish?

I've had a sales convention today. And, as a product manager for a cosmetic company, I had to explain to 120 salesmen how nail polish should be used - and sold. For six hours. On extra high heels.

Then I went to a convention center to prepare my company's stand for a trade show that starts tomorrow. Stayed there for more nine hours and just came back home - it's 3h30am. I`m really tired, but had a great day! (the pic shows a detail of my stand)

Sometimes it's really fun to be a woman

While I was getting ready for Carol's wedding, Karla was testing her new camera.

Weird party with weirder people

I could have stayed home in PJs and slippers watching sop opera on TV, but was convinced to get on these heels and go to a party. I didn't even r.s.v.p. because I had no intention whatsoever to be there but, after a Sunday watching one Sex and the City after another, it sounded reasonable to go out.

The more normal people at the party were:

1. Me, in the usual LBD

2. A guy in a wool Paul & Shark coat, checkers pants 5 sizes bigger then his, sunglasses and - oh my God! - a Dior cap.

3. A girl in a shiny purple shirt and a fake furcoat - I wonder if she knows how many Teddy Bears had to be killed so she could wear that scary thing! (Actually, this girl used to be my assistant when I worked in advertising, but she looked more normal back then. Or, maybe, I was crazyer then...)

Recipe for a great dinner party

1. Champagne and foie gras, just to get in the mood.

2. Great assistants (you didn`t expect me to peel the onions myself, did you?)

3. A really nice apron (I collect aprons, I love them).

4. Cool guests.

Pastéis de Belém

I used to think that real friends didn't get married and move, but I found out that they do get married and sometimes move to places far far away (even though they have a way of making me feel close).

Real friends move to Lisbon but don't loose their places. And, most important, they come to visit and bring "pastéis de Belém" (a famous and very tasty pastry, tipical of Portugal) with these sugar and cinnamon sachets that are the cutest thing. Thanks, Carol.

Between the window and the shades

These nail polish bottles live by one of the lab windows. They spend the day under the sun, so the chemists can see if color and texture are affected by light and heat. No one gives them any attention, but I think that they make such a beautiful color combination...

One more candle

I like birthdays. People call you, buy you gifts, send flowers and cards, hug you and tell you lots of nice things. Besides, you're kind of allowed to eat and drink anything you want - I've been told that birthday calories don't count and I truly believe it. But, at the day after, you notice that all that's left of it is another year on your ID... Yeah, I'm oficially 29 now. I might get depressed next year.

Working on the weekend

Good things to do in Campos do Jordão (very hip countryside town in Brazil) when work makes you spend Saturdays there:

1. "Accidentally" meet some friends who are spending a nice relaxing weekend up there

2. Find a bar

3. Make friends with the waiter

4. Laugh until your jaw starts to hurt

5. Finish the day "diving" in a big pot of chocolate fondue.

Does anyone have plans for next Saturday?

Just like third grade

I'm a marketing person, working for a nail polish company. And, as most marketing people, I do charts, numbers and other boring things. But, unlike many marketing people, sometimes I escape to the laboratory to play with colors. It's almost like being in the art class, on third grade (and I get to wear a lab coat!)

Half full or half empty?

On being a thief

My little wood bracelet, stolen from someone who's the best company for sushi and sake. There's no way it will ever make it back to the owner.

The day I met the cops

All was going well during our girls only dinner (vtp, to be explained sometime later) at Mariana's, until the cops decided to pay us a visit. And, for our surprise, they were not stripper cops, hired to entertain us - they were real cops.

Neighbors can be terrible sometimes. You can't call the cops on an innocent girl's dinner... Just buy some earplugs and be happy!