Mmmmm, coquito. It tastes as refreshing as it looks. The holiday season is here and all I could think about was having a coquito. There was always someone in my family who had a fresh pitcher in the fridge just waiting for the next get-together. My uncle used to host Christmas Eve dinner at his house, and there was always music, laughter, coquito and plenty of food (Boy, do I miss his pernil). It’s a drink that is just synonymous with family, dinners and celebration. If you’re unfamiliar with coquitos, they’re pretty much the Puerto Rican version of “spiked” egg-nog. If you’d like to try it, here’s a recipe. But remember – The key is to leave it in the fridge for a while so it can thicken up!

1 of can of evaporated milk, 1 can of condensed milk, 2 egg yolks, 2 cups of sweetened coconut milk, a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 cup of Puerto Rican white rum.

I just mixed everything in the blender. I’m a light-weight so the one cup of rum was fine for me. You may add more. My boyfriend said it needed more. The consistency will thicken up and the flavor will be richer after being in the fridge for several hours. And enjoy!

If there’s one thing Los Angeles has it’s good food and great restaurants that are impeccably designed. Interior design is something I’ve always been fascinated with, primarily because it’s something I don’t think I’m very good at. Being surrounded by beautiful art most of my life certainly didn’t rub off on me when it comes to coordinating furniture pieces, textures and patterns, I’m afraid to say (but I’m working on it). I over-think it to a point of stagnation. I’ve been saying I’m going to design my home for years now, and have not taken the plunge. I admire and respect those who have the foresight to see how a space can be transformed. It’s something that’s been on my mind as of late, and I made it a point to share all these woes over the weekend with Heather Ashton, who is the designer behind Caulfield’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills. She suggested that I just go for it starting with a coat of paint. She also shared how she mixes vintage accessories, art and New York style into her designs as you can see by these images. As we sat and talked over a cup of coffee, I felt like I was at a bistro in midtown, relaxed in my leather armchair taking in the ambiance and listening to the soft hum of conversation around me. And that is exactly what I admire about interior design – the way it resonates with people and impacts your overall mood and experience.



The owners of Caulfied’s Bar and Dining Room reached out to Heather to help refresh their restaurant, which is located at Thompson Beverly Hills. Upon entering the dining room, I noticed a chic banquette, beautiful antique mirrors, art work (I spied a print of The Absinthe Drinker by Degas), the lighting installation, window treatments and the leather armchairs and tables, which were custom designed. I also loved the antique white brick walls, which made the restaurant feel warm and cozy.

Now all I need to do is head back with friends. I found a perfect spot for a celebration dinner! To see more of Heather’s work, check out her portfolio.

So I get this lovely package from Mary Kay with their latest in Holiday looks (post coming soon) and nestled inside the box rests all the ingredients needed for S’mores. Of course my son was standing right next to me like “You keep the makeup, I take the rest”. Sounds about right, he loves S’mores so I made him a few stove top style. All you need is a package of Hershey’s chocolate, large marshmallows, graham crackers and a skewer or cooking fork. Set aside a cracker with chocolate on top. Turn on your stove and slowly roast your marshmallows as if you were at a campfire (A little imagination helps too). Place marshmallow on top of your chocolate bar (I heated the chocolate too so it can melt faster), top with another cracker, and you got yourself a S’more. It’s messy, gooey and pure yumminess!

Recently, we hosted a holiday beauty event at The London with , which is a client we’ve worked with for a few years now. Absolutely love working with them. They have so many great campaigns and are pretty much all you need as your full-on skincare and beauty routine. I also discovered that their foundation #60 is my exact same skin color. With all the years I’ve spent blending colors to match my complexion, it’s nothing short of a delight when a brand gets it right.

Joining us on our beauty day was celebrity makeup artist who applied The Holiday Ballerina Look on me first thing in the morning. It was a great start to the day. I love how simple and clean the final look was, and I definitely plan on recreating it for a few of upcoming holiday events. I can’t tell you how excited I was to take home Neutrogena MositureSmooth Color Stick in Soft Rasberry. The last time my mother came to visit, she took a few of the ones I was given after trying it on. It really is a beautiful color. Want a fresh, clean holiday look? Check out this step by step video featuring yours truly!

If you’d like holiday beauty some tips from Elizabeth herself, we are hosting a Twitter Party on Wednesday, December 11th at 9pm ET. You’re officially invited. Three winners will get a personal regimen with products. Join us!

I took a bit of a blog break after Thanksgiving to organize a few things to help my work flow a bit better. Sometimes you have to step away from everything and be with nature to gain some perspective on those daily to-do lists that quickly become irrelevant once you unplug. We took a trip up to Big Bear for my beau’s birthday last weekend, and had an awesome time. It took me a while to come down from the high of a busy schedule to really take in the beauty of peace and serenity. It. Felt. Amazing.

We drove high up into the mountains, approximately 7,000 feet elevation, into crisp skies, plush trees and beautiful views. We stayed at the Sleepy Forest Cottages, which was perfect for two people looking to get away. The room had a fireplace and small kitchen, where we sat and had our morning coffee together before going out to explore, eat, shop, hike and ride horses.

If you plan on making a trip for two, I totally recommend the pancake stacks at Teddy Bear Restaurant and filet mignon at Evergreen Restaurant. I don’t have enough experience traveling up to the mountains so I can’t really suggest lodging but we really did enjoy Sleepy Forest. Nothing beat laying down by the fire at night before bed and getting up early to take on a few trails.

During our hike, all I kept saying to myself was I can’t believe I’ve lived here for several years now, and have never been to Big Bear. It’s so close and such a needed difference from the typical Los Angeles climate and landscape. Definitely plan on heading back this winter for a family weekend. My son loves the snow, and there were a few slopes I’d love for us to try! There are a few more places on our short travel list that I’m currently researching. There are way too many beautiful things in California to do, especially when you need a quick get away to clear your mind and relax.

After a very exhausting work-filled month, I can’t wait to enjoy a delicious meal and give thanks for all the blessings and opportunities that have come my way. My son will be spending this Thanksgiving with his father so I’ll be home with my beau having a dinner for two. It’s always hard not having my son for a holiday but the love around him is in abundance, and I’m not alone in wanting to create memories with him – Another thing I’m thankful for. Whether your table is set for 12, 6, 2 or even 1 – I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving. Many warm wishes to you and your loved ones.

I’m so ready for the holidays! To get into the spirit, I decided to do a simple moonicure with a bit a sparkle. Who doesn’t love sparkle? I’m also trying to let my nails breathe (and grow out) from months and months of gel manicures that soften and weaken the nail. I’m a nail biter so the more sparkly they are, the better! I used The and purchased a na. To create the moon shape you can use the Sally Hansen strips I used here, or you can go freehand like I did using a . Before starting, I fixed up my cuticles and moisturized my hands. I simply used the Detailer Brush to outline the arch that will expose the bare nail. I filled in the rest of the nail with my polish and let it dry for about 30 minutes. I applied Sally Hansen’s UV Top Coat and let that dry for about 20 minutes. I applied another coat but this time I added the rhinestones to each nail. If you get polish around your cuticle, you can use a small paint brush or q-tip with nail polish remover to clean that right off.

*To see more holiday nail art inspiration, check out my roundup on Babble!

Recently, my family was invited by Disney to spend two awesome and fun days at the park. Several of my dear friends, who also write for Disney Babble were invited as well to get the holiday fun started.

What can I say about Disney? I grew up watching Bambi, reading Snow White and livening up the pages of Cinderella coloring books. I’d been to the park several times in my life, but this time around (maybe it’s age or perhaps this new chapter in my life), I felt the special Disney magic I felt as a child. Being with my son, the love of my life and my wonderful friends while celebrating the upcoming holidays made me feel like kid again. I was carefree and nostalgic as we went soaring over California and watched the beautiful twinkle of lights at World of Color, which is a display of fire, color fountains, fog and laser effects along with film clips on a water screen.

I thought my son would feel too old for Disney. But that wasn’t the case at all. In fact, my friends being as awesome as they are, made sure to include him in all their roller coaster adventures (since I don’t do those) like if we were all one big family. So he got to enjoy everything from swirling around upside to my personal favorite ride It’s Small World , which is beautifully designed for the holidays. I also got a kick of out of seeing the big smile on his face whenever he saw Buzz and Woody. Those were the characters he grew up with, and I can see still see that four year old full of wonderment and excitement, who could not get enough of Toy Story.

One of the coolest things about the invitation was being able to walk around the park after it closed. I never felt the quiet of the park ever before, especially on a perfectly cool night while sipping hot apple cider. It was one of those moments you look around, take a deep breath and simply enjoy everything around you. Thank you so much to Disney for this special invitation. And thank you to my friends for just being who they are. It was a great time, and I will definitely be back to Disney very soon!