Christmas In SoCal

Just because it doesn't snow or get really really really ridiculously cold in Orange County California doesn't mean we that don't know how to do Christmas right!

Let me show you one of the most well-known and talked about Christmas light neighborhoods in North O.C. that I have been trolling for years. The whole neighborhood is lit up and can probably be seen from space.

Take a look at the photos and enjoy these (doesn't do them justice) photos I just had to share with the world. At the end of the post I will tell you the location so you can check this crazy neighborhood out in person!

P.S. One of the homes I visited has a snow machine and a tour of their home which is decked beyond the halls with holly and lots of other Santa's workshop/northpole crazy type trinkets!

Ok time to put on the shades!

And proceed with caution!

Merry Christmas

Directions: The neighborhood is off of Starflower And Birch Street in Brea, CA

Take 57 Hwy Exit Imperial go EAST go LEFT on Kraemer Blvd.

Go RIGHT on E. Birch St.

On the FIRST street you make a LEFT Starflower

What happened to the old me?

Let's play house

Now you never have to grow up and pay for bills like rent or a mortgage. Instead you can live in one of these custom childlike playhouse homes for far less than you would in a huge ass house. But why? I guess if you lived on your own and really like having everything within 84 SQ ft of you than you're going to be ok. Me on the other hand ehh these kind of creep me out to think of having to live in 24/7. I would feel like a peter pan wannabe. However, they are really cute cause they are small like cute kittens.

Do you think you could stand to live in this house?

I think I'm too claustrophobic for it personally.

One Last Hoorah

Today I took one last look through the lens of my sad and broken (since like May) camera. Taking photos is like breathing, I don't have to think about it really. I'm the unofficial photographer for my life I have felt lost with out a fully working camera. You see the last moment I took a photo with flash seems like light years ago. And I remember every moment of it. To cool to do the whole hand above head shot and not cool enough to keep the camera from falling over and breaking.

Sad sad sad :(

So instead of feeling like I have a pin hole shoe bow for a camera( well its like almost always blurry shots now) I will be going out and purchasing a new one tomorrow! You can expect way more photos and better quality.

Before I go I took a few last photos on my camera today with my favorite kitty models and the best backdrop for a camera with no flash, the sunshine and the great outdoors! The sun really helps out and alos the fact that the cats were standing still. Hope you love it.

~Peace~Love~Pictures~

Almost perfect

As an admirer of Gwen Stefani I wonder what's her secret to ageless beauty? I have no clue.

Did she run into the devil before touring back in the 90s?

Did she stumble into a fountain of youth?

Is she an alien in disguise?

Seriously...she is 41, looks amazing and has a crazy lifestyle how does she do it and look so great?

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party

Last year I had the pleasure of attending the famous Christmas Dickens Fair in San Francisco's Cow Palace while visiting friends. I was taken by surprise from the attention to detail, the costumes, food, alcohol, entertainment and design were overwhelming wonderful. I usually walk away from these types of events un-impressed but this was an awesome experience. It really felt like I walked into another time and place. If you are in the Northern California Area or visiting CA in the next few weeks please check out this once a yearly event.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair:

A holiday adventure into Victorian London, partying with hundreds of costumed players in over 120,000 square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance parties and Christmas shops on winding lanes. It's a twilight evening in Charles Dickens' London Town - a city filled with lively and colorful characters from both literature and history. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Cries of street vendors hawking their wares ring out above the bustling crowd. Dozens of lamplit shops are filled to overflowing with Christmas presents.

Tickets are only 25 well spent dollars!

Here are lots of photos and a sneak peek of what to expect and see when inside the dickens fair!

And here is the official website for the Dickens Fair.

Culinary Craving's : The Cat and The Custard Cup

Ever find yourself eating out at the same places?

Bored and ready for something different?

I know I do, all the time. For some reason though I'm scared to venture out and try something new. But today I was summoned by myself to get out and go somewhere different than Olive Garden or Panera Bread. Today I was in Whittier/La Habra just driving along and I saw a sign for a restruant " The Cat and The Custard Cup" and instantly knew I had heard of this place before. I quickly did a "legal" U-turn asap. I parked in the lot and walked right up and fell in love.

First of all I was intrigued because of the whole "cat" concept, secondly there is a nicely set up courtyard, third the buildings architecture fourth the decor inside was really warm and rustic, and fifth I saw food on the menu I can afford to savor.

Butternut squash pumpkin ravioli

French onion soup

banana coconut creme pie

a glass of wine

and an Autumn Maple from the bruery

WOW

Definitely going to take a special someone here to eat one of these days, maybe after I get my bonus from work.

Dont you just love when life steers you into something tasty, new and exciting!

Happy Thanksgiving from Me and Momo(my black cat).

A big thank you to all of my followers, readers and even people who have accidentally stumbled up Deco Aurora.

I began blogging a few years ago to document interior design inspirations, but over time it has changed into a lifestyle blog. I love sharing with you all the fun places in Socal and great products and stores. Blogging has opened up a world a whole new world for me. It has been a way for me to communicate with people all across the world and see how life is like in other countries.

Thank you to all of the bloggers who have inspired me to share my life and passions with others alike.

Celebrity Engagement Rings and their Knock-offs

Tis the season for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Celebrity Engagements!

Seems like every other day a couple in the celebrity sphere is either getting engaged, married, separated and or divorced. Is marriage just becoming a publicity stunt now?

Whatever happened to to Al Green's anthem "whether time's or good or bad, happy or sad.Let's stay together" ???

Just the other day I did one of my favorite creeper things, listening in on someones conversation. The topic was marriage...and how can you base a 3 year relationship on a lifetime together? I don't know. Do you know? I was talking to one of my friends about how our parents sleep in other rooms, and I'm coming to realize that maybe this is a normal thing? I heard that Katie Holmes has a whole wing of the house just for her, and her clothes. Haha. I wouldn't mind having my own room. Especially since I'm so used to it. I grew up with just one other sibling, who is always gone so I kind of feel like an only child sometimes. I'm an introvert at heart. I spend alot of my free time alone, and even when there are others around I still feel alone, lost in my own thoughts.

So back to engagement rings, if you haven't already left me. My friend showed me what her dream ring would be and it's kinda manly, she says its sexy. The ring I like well there are two, I cut out pics from a magazine. I figure that maybe if I leave them on my desk that one day someone will catch my drift...Maybe I should just buy the damn ring for myself...Its like the price of a big screen TV!

This is the 14ct Gold & Opal ring by emily amey and if I ever were to get engaged this would be my ring! Why? I prefer gold to silver and I have always loved Opals because Diamonds are my birthstone they are overkill for me. Plus the ring is simple, and organic looking. Something I could see myself wearing and not want to take off. So maybe one of these days (years) I will get my hands on this beauty.

Oh yeah weren't we originally talking about celebrity rings? Well here is the link to all the lovely overpriced jewels! Check it out the knock-offs aren't too far off in comparison.

4 women one Jcrew inspired look

I noticed a few days ago that Dina from My Superfluities posted about her outfits inspired by old Jcrew catalogs, before they went wacko. Then I saw that Slastena from About All and Nothing At All did her take on the same look. Then today while getting dressed I thought hmm I wanna try this look out too. So here we all are in the same look. Isnt it kinda funny? It's like adult uniforms. I felt soo preppy wearing this today.

From left to right

Jcrew model, Dina, Slastena and myself, Maggy.

What do you think did we get it right? BTW the only Jcrew item Im wearing is the tank and its form like 3 years ago possibly 4. Im looking forward to another look alike outfit. Makes getting dressed easy. And since I live in CA I feel like I stand out against all of the ugg boots, hoodies and yoga pants.

Cuban Collective

I figure if I cant go to Cuba I will just have to take my imagination there. Im looking for a new Cuban based book and have been thinking about "Dancing with Cuba". Featuring a woman who travels to Cuba to teach dancing, but later finds her calling as a journalist.

As far as movies go I came across "The Lost City" An artsy film about a privileged family and their life in Havana. Thriving night life, music, and love all taking place in the glamorous days of Cuba's past.

With Christmas right around the corner why not listen to latin Jazz tunes. I listened to this cd on amazon and its not bad. It's kinda jazzy lots of guitar.

To top it all off I gotta go to Habana to have some plantain crusted chicken.