Hello LOVE Month -- Editors' Note - A little bit extra personal?

The month of LOVE! Oh sweet LOVE. We cherish this month as we hold our loved ones closer for Valentines Day. I especially love this month because of all the pink that fills the stores!

cupcakeMAG will be sharing with you one super fab 1st birthday for my little darling, Kennadi. We can't wait to share the event as soo many have worked so hard to make it possible. We thank you -- you know who you are! 

As always we have some must-read celeb interviews and this is the month our team takes on Mercedes- Benz Fall 2011 Fashion Week in New York City. We will have all the on-site designer interviews, designer reveals, beautiful collections and fab fashions! NYFW also makes it a crazy busy month for us but keeps us going! We can't wait to bring you all the up-to-date daily runway shows, designer interviews and on-site celeb chats!

We also have amazing giveaways and featured bloggers to share this month including an exclusive interview and giveaway with the ladies behind Layla Grayce and so much more! It is going to just be a FABulous month. 

Now - onto the more personal topic for the month. About this time last year I was getting ready to give birth to my third beautiful little girl Kennadi Audrey Monroe (yes, named after Jacqueline, Audrey and Marilyn) - almost a month and half early. Yes, I had her at 35 weeks. Weighing 4lbs 12oz when we left the hospital we were beyond blessed to spend no time in the NICU and leave with our baby girl.

Kennadi, only a few days old. 

Kennadi's Birth Announcement Photo

However, when I got home it hit me how precious and dainty Kennadi really was. I don't know if it was the anxiety of having a preemie and taking care of such a tiny little one or if I was just overwhelmed by the fact that she was so little. I went into serious post partum panic. I don't know if it was quite depression but I remember reaching out briefly on Twitter because I was having such an out of body experience of panic and it was awful, so so awful.

I thank ONE person for truly taking a second to read my tweet and saving me. Yes, saving me. She made me realize I wasn't crazy and things would be normal again shortly. So who is this so FABulous little lady I call my "Post Partum Angel" - she is known as @LaStylistMom on Twitter.

Bethany showed me that there was light at the end of the tunnel. She also taught me that many people go through this and suggested Brooke Shields amazing book "Down Came the Rain". This was a person who tweeted me. A person I had never spoke to before. That second when I got her tweet and her number I called her. She dropped everything to help me and she did. I felt so much better just talking about it. And to do this day, I am so blessed to have had someone like her to just tweet into my life. She will always be a special friend in my life. 

You would think that after having a miracle baby and going through a rough pregnancy I would be beaming with joy but the week or so after deliver was the roughest time of my life. And let me tell you, I was very thankful for my little cocktail of happy pills to get me through those teary nights.

I know this may be a little personal to share but I wanted to put it out there for my readers to see that I am too, human.  I hope I don't loose any of you. We are all human right? I wanted you all to know that it is okay to seek help. Help is good and sometimes what you have to do to make it through another day. Whether it is post-partum or just the stressers of every day life - seeking help and learning on a supportive friend during that difficult time made everything so much better. 

It is a New Year so keep it real my cupcakes and seek help if you need it - it is okay and will make you a better person. That is my February memo to all of you. And remember, I am always an email away! As always, thanks for all your love and support. Lots of love! 

KELLI FORD ~ INTERIOR DESIGN IN BEVERLY HILLS

Interior designer Kelli Ford has a strong affinity for blue as you will see.  Throughout this Beverly Hills vacation home that Kelli shares with husband Jerry, blue is in some form present in the rooms.  ENJOY!

Love, love this home!  Hope that you have enjoyed this tour.  Pick up your copy of this month's Veranda magazine.

See you soon,

Teresa

xoxo

Sneak Preview -- Toni Francesc

Spanish designer, Toni Francesc, is set to show his new collection GARUDÀ 

at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York

Toni Francesc will present his Fall/Winter 2011 collection during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and will return to Lincoln Center on Saturday, February 12, 2011, in The Studio at 9:00 p.m. This will be the fourth season Francesc will show his collection during New York Fashion Week. 2009 was the first season the designer was chosen to take part in fashion week in the U.S.

The upcoming collection, GARUDÀ, is Francescs interpretation of the Phoenix, an eagle-sized bird with red plumage burns in its own flames only to rise from its ashes every 500 years. The Phoenix has long been presented as a symbol of rebirth, immortality and renewal. The collection provides an into insight to each phase ranging from the fire to the ashes.

GARUDÀ is a collection that is focused on fire; its luminous and incandescent colors are the protagonists of the collection: intense golds, oranges and reds are the focus. The energy of the fire brings in ash grays and blacks and are combined with fabrics and silhouettes that represent the combustion and reemergence of the Phoenix. Garments are composed of luscious silks and wools. Generous, straight forms are combined with volumes that nip in at the waist and hug the body in clean lines that trace the female figure.

Francesc is at the forefront of breaking international markets for the world of Spanish designers and will continue to be successful this upcoming season.

check him out: www.tonifrancesc.com

I am an American by choice

If you were born here, you don’t really have an idea what that means

The accident of the place you were born doesn’t leave you much choice…you are born there and that is that. But in the migrations and the political upheavals people have to move around. Some even do it seeking financial improvements and that is not looked upon as noble as one who comes to America searching for freedom and to embrace the principles which this country was founded.

My parents brought me to America as a fourteen year old. I didn’t have much a say in that either. As I adapted and became familiar with the culture; I became impressed with the noble purpose of the creation of America by the Founding Fathers. The idea of equality, participatory democracy and the pursuit of happiness was to me an awesome concept.

I was also very admiring of the fact that this is a nation of laws. Anarchy to me was much too fresh in my young mind as I saw my country deteriorate and the fabric of society crumble. I was experiencing in America the total opposite of my homeland and I liked it.

Unlike my peers who had not experienced any hardships due to politics gone wrong; I had that fire in my belly to participate, to become informed and to become an American. I even began to volunteer in Los Angeles for the campaign to elect Barry Goldwater President. At the time I still had a blindfold over my eyes as to the motivations and the underlying ideology of the Republican Party. I did notice that as a Latino I just didn’t see very many of my Hispanic brothers in the Republican Party. I noticed too that there were very few blacks. I found it suspect but because I was under the impression that the Republicans were staunch anti-communists I would be more at home there.

I was so much a hawk, a warmonger that I was in favor of the Vietnam War. Although I must admit I couldn’t understand why the U.S. would fight that war and tolerate a communist regime 90 miles from its shores. The “domino theory” that was the talking point then would also apply to Cuba, would it not? And it did…Cuba got itself involved in every imaginable conflict in Latin America and even obtained some limited success in Nicaragua and El Salvador while creating a headache for Latin American governments from the Mexican border to Patagonia…and giving America a veritable pain in the ass; some of the dominoes did fall.

It wasn’t until I was in my second year of college that I began to question some of my set of beliefs and American politics in general. On a personal level I noticed that no matter what I did, how well I did it and how hard I worked I was still not respected. Those just deserts never would come my way.

Kent State happened and I was horrified at the thought that American students would actually be murdered by the military while exercising their right of free speech. It started to become clear that the Viet Nam war was immoral and that we were there not for the reasons that our government claimed. By the same token; I was kind of irritated by those who would label us “hippie-communists”, traitors and unpatriotic because we opposed the Vietnam War.

I graduated from college and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. As long as I was cleaning floors, waiting on tables and even cleaning bedpans at a hospital; some Americans, a lot of them actually, had no beef with me; but the minute that I began to compete in the marketplace, entered the job market and tried to get ahead that is when I met all kinds of glass ceilings. No, I am not going to go into details because I would need four or five pages to enumerate all the instances I was discriminated. But curiously, all those situations for some reason or another always involved a recalcitrant Republican who didn’t give a hill of beans about me and what I could contribute to his company. I felt as if the Statue of Liberty had been hit by lightning.

DARRYL CARTER ~ DESIGN IN AUSTIN

Interior designer Darryl Carter worked closely with this Austin, Texas couple while designing their interior. Parents of two children, the couple visited antique shops with Carter before making choices of furniture. Carter also used reclaimed wood where possible to finish this gorgeous home. ENJOY!

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. Pick up your copy of this month's Veranda.

See you soon,

Teresa

xoxo

Veranda 2011

MEXICAN IN BIRMINGHAM

As always, I enjoyed my trip to Birmingham to see my daughter!  Such a beautiful campus and city.

We went to Cocina * Superior for lunch.  The Mexican food here is the best I have ever eaten, and I have eaten my share, including the food in Mexico.

We later went shopping around and stopped in at Barnes and Noble, my favorite book store.  We had a coffee drink and sat on the garden deck!  It was in the 70's and sunny.  Such a gorgeous day!  ENJOY!

Have a great Sunday!  We are having another beautiful day.  I took these photographs with my new Panasonic Lumix.  Love it so far, although I haven't learned much of what the camera is capable of doing.

See you soon,
Teresa
xoxo

The English language can be a bitch

Take it from me…after 50 years I am still struggling with it.

Something I will never forget; my first semester of college and I received an “F” in an essay I wrote for my English 101 class. Mrs. Applegate said that I used trite and overused clichés. What she didn’t understand was that for somebody who had arrived in this country only four years before…those trite and overused clichés were brand new to me; they were clever and fresh and it goes to show how different perceptions can lead to different value judgments.

At times I still have difficulties with the use of certain things like “ON” which can be at times a preposition, an adjective and an adverb. For example: when used as a function word to indicate means of conveyance, like: “on the bus” but when I wrote recently that guys in motorcycles were hot, I quickly got a comment from a follower that unless the dude inserted himself through the escape pipe he could not possibly be “In” the bike, but does it not apply for being “on” the bus? I have images in my mind of people sprawled ON top of buses to get around.

There is a lot of “tribal knowledge” involved. For somebody new to the language there are expressions and quotes that don’t make any sense or are absolutely absurd. Case in point is “Hitch your wagon to a star”; what does it mean? I know it is figure of speech and all, put when you take a test to get a job and you are faced with twenty five of these mother fucking absurdities it is frustrating. You know that you are smarter than the person administering the test and the one who is going to be your boss…but because of these little “got cha” tests it makes you feel like an idiot.

We are all familiar with the amount of censorship that was present during the infancy of television. They actually had a stiff, prudish person sit in and have a final say on what words to use and what things could or could not be shown…for example: bedrooms of married couples had single beds….RIGHT. The tyrannical oversight by the Federal Communications Commission was reflective of a very uptight society; one that was extremely uncomfortable with sex and physiological functions. Under federal court rulings and commission rules, material is indecent if it “in context, depicts or describes sexual or excretory activities or organs in a patently offensive manner as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.” Indecent speech can be aired safely between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

I was in Spain with my elderly mother and I had fallen asleep watching television. Sometime around 3 AM I was awakened by the sounds of sex, wailing, puffing and moaning coming from a female being shown on the television channel that only hours before had a very innocent geological documentary. I got up and turned off the TV before my mom could awaken and it would have been embarrassing for her.

Of course I use dirty words in my everyday language and in my blog. I have often been criticized for gratuitous use of profanity. But from where I sit, stand or lay-lie (another one of those ambiguous things) it would seem to me that “PROFANITY IS THE SALT AND PEPPER OF THE OTHERWISE BLAND ENGLISH LANGUAGE STEW”

http://www.themightymjd.com/2006/07/12/the-fcc-is-getting-carried-away/

CHERYL TAGUE ~ INTERIOR DESIGN IN COLORADO

This beautifully rustic home in Aspen, Colorado was designed by Cheryl Tague.  ENJOY!

To read more about this home pick up your copy of the Jan/Feb issue of House Beautiful.

See you soon,
Teresa
xoxo

MACARONI AND CHEESE, SOUTHERN STYLE

Nothing better than a large side of mac and cheese, especially in this cold weather! ENJOY!

MACARONI AND CHEESE, SOUTHERN STYLE

1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

8 oz. hollow pasta, preferably elbow macaroni

Butter, for greasing

7 oz. extra-sharp cheddar, cut into 1⁄2" cubes 

   (about 1 1⁄2 cups), plus 6 oz. grated (about 2 cups) 

2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. flour

1 1⁄2 tsp. dry mustard

1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1⁄4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1⁄8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2⁄3 cup sour cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1⁄2 cups half-and-half

1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream

1⁄3 cup grated onion

1 tsp. Worcestershire 

1. Heat oven to 350°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Stir in the cubed cheddar cheese and set aside.

2. Combine 1 1⁄2 tsp. salt, flour, mustard, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Add the sour cream and the eggs and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, heavy cream, onions, and Worcestershire. Pour egg mixture over the reserved pasta mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the surface. Bake until the pasta mixture is set around the edges but still a bit loose in the center, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

SERVES 8 – 10

See you soon,

Teresa

xoxo

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #129

TUNNISIA, EGYPT…THIS MAY BE A TREND

Tunisia had riots that culminated in toppling the government

WHEN YOU SEE YOUR NEIGHBOR’S BEARD ON FIRE…YOU BETTER MOISTEN YOURS

(SPANISH SAYING: CUANDO VEAS LA BARBA DE TU VECINO ARDER…PON LA TUYA EN REMOJO)

Image from TV, Prime Minister of Tunisia, Mohammed Ghannouchi appears on state television Friday Jan. 14, 2011, to announce that he is assuming power in Tunisia. The announcement came on Friday after many thousands of protesters mobbed the capital of Tunis to demand the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and unconfirmed reports said he has already left the country. Prime Minister Ghannouchi announced on TV that he will hold power until early elections are held. (AP Photo)

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/13/2581479/tunisian-president-suggests-he.html#ixzz1COCLJtZf

Tea Baggers you are hereby put on notice: If you keep destroying the fabric of American society you may be causing a total collapse of our great nation…plagued with protests and riots that you will encourage and support. You keep talking about a 2^nd Amendment option and that is a call to arms, a call to insurrection…that is treason.

You propose nothing realistic in return: smaller government, government it the problem, no taxes, no Social Security, no Medicare, no public education…and yes, a tyrannical right-wing Christian Fundamentalist theocracy…so what you are selling…WE ARE NOT BUYING!

To those who are not Teahadists and say it can’t happen here; it already has - forty years ago we had riots in almost every major American city. Below are photos of the Los Angeles Watts riots which I witnessed right next door in the city of Huntington Park where I lived. I also feel very uneasy whenever I see and hear a call for insurrection as I lived through the Cuban Revolution in the late fifties that culminated in the takeover of a Marxist-Totalitarian regime.

Teahadists can only offer chaos and anarchy and if they do have a chance at taking power we are going to see a totalitarian, theocratic oligarchy. I remember too the fall of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and the deposition of Suharto in Indonesia. I find it hard to believe that any sane American would want to go that route.

Watts riots

SOURCE: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHbC2Qjy7OzKd7aKgMj9pXJo9DB7C2KkYNEOFlxutOdXTb3LCFxlxvaBXcIt5snudwQxnCCpwNWcniAaA1zHCKt8wHKCB5bFnJIOhM0J-nt0Kszhyphenhyphen9iQocs7bD3SZgSQdrVLLW1DGoh0-/s320/egypt-riots.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/blog/blogimages/egypt_riots3.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img.breitbart.com/images/2010/11/24/

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/13/2581479/tunisian-president-suggests-he.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01805/tunisia_

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tcnj.edu/~blohm3/rubble.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mitchglaser.com/journal/uploaded_images/1965-Aug-27-712431.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mitchglaser.com/journal/2005/08/watts-riots-40-years-later.html&usg

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thegrio.com/assets_c/2010/08/Watts-Riots-45-years-later-