strappystrap

Saw these at Zara on the way home from work...and I really really want them.

beige rebajas

Round one of some of my rebajas compras-with some silly pics...when life gives you bad lighting play with the flash and the mirror ;)

I love the cut and matierials of this shirt from Zara. Comfy and modern with the transparent bit on the back.

And my favorite new necklace from Misako. The little people are too cute...they move and are copper!

Unas de mis compras de las rebajas. Unas fotos locas jugando con la luz y los espejos.

Me encanta el corte y la mezcla de telas en la camisa de Zara. Es cómoda y moderna con el toque transparente en la espalda. Y este en mi nuevo collar preferido de Misako. Las personitas son monísimas-se mueven y son de cobre!

Rebajando

Wowsers! Didn't plan on going to rebajas today, but as Diego and I were strolling through town we stopped into Bershka to check on some boots I'd seen last week...and today they were even cheaper! They are both leather...and I only spent 40 euros (over 100 euros discounted)....should I keep them?

10 euros...metal detail is removable.

¡Guauuuu! No tenía pensado ir a las rebajas hoy, pero mientras caminábamos por la ciudad entramos en Bershka para mirar unas botas que había visto hace una semana...y hoy las encontré por menos todavía. ¡¡Gangazooooooo!! Los dos pares son de piel...y en total solo me costaron 40 euros (más de 100 euros descontado)...¿me las quedo?

Bimba & Lola

Another Spanish gem. Bimba & Lola is a shop that specializes in accessories-high quality bags-shoes-jewelry. The prices are little beyond my price range...but maybe in rebajas it's worth investing...

Otra joya española. Bimba & Lola es una tienda especializada en los complementos de buena calidad-bolsos, zapatos, bisutería. Los precios son un poco altos para mi cartera, pero quizás las rebajas serán un buen momento para invertir...

Laura Palmer

On a leisurely holiday afternoon Diego and I stumbled upon a hidden a little design shop called La Habitación de Laura Palmer. As the Twin Peaks name suggests, you'll find strange things in the tiny shop...especially the decor-the place is flipped upside down, with bed, lamp, rug, night table and even slippers of Ms.Palmer hanging from the ceiling. But mostly what you'll find are original t-shirts designed and pressed to order by the folks sitting at the long table under the bed. I can think of quite a few good presents this shop could make.

La habitación de Laura Palmer is on Casa Reais, 24, in Santiago de Compostela.

Oxford

I got these shoes a few months back...and love everything about them, the wooden heel, the faded brownish-grey color, and they were made in Spain! and ps...rebajas begin again tomorrow!

Rose colored glasses

I think it´s time to share some of the the challenges beyond work papers that I´ve found to be common between me and another of my friends who has just moved to Spain. Obviously the financial crisis has been on the minds of everyone for the past week or so, what happens in the US does not stay in the US, and every newscast reports on the state of the banking system in Spain and the rest of the European Union. Luckily, as of now the Spanish economic system is a little more stable than in other parts of the world (they are ok with regulations and government controls on banking), so despite the world banking crisis, I opened a Spanish savings account recently. It was quite easy, showing them my passport and my address here in Spain I have an account as a foriegner that gives me an ATM card, so I can avoid all the international fees taking money out of my American account. There are a few extra charges to maintain the account as a non-resident, but nothing incredibly insane. So, I decided to deposit some money in my Spanish account, only to find that apparently I am being charged 20 euros each time I deposit money into the account!! Surprise...no wonder it was so easy to open the account as a non-resident. So, I went back the bank to ask about the charges, one was explained as the cost to get the ATM card (geez...) and the second they couldn´t explain to me saying it was probably something about getting the proof of my residency in the USA (isn´t that the passport?)...but they could have at least told me they were charging me those 20 euros each time. My friend has also come upon the strain of euro, with the exchange rate going between $1.40-$1.50 each week the basic necesities in life cost much more here. I have found some really great places to buy food and basic house things for cheap here, I´m not sure if they are all over Spain, but in case you need some cheap groceries or shoes while you are here on vacation stop at: Alcampo (supermarket/department store that is cheaper than the Corte Ingles), Dia%, Gadis, Lidl, Eroski (all supermarkets). For basic house stuff with style I found good stuff at a store called Casa (the closest Ikea to me is in O Porto, Portugal), cute bamboo rugs cost 5 euros and a fleece blanket cost only 6 euros there too. The Chinos, asian bazars, are also great places to get basic house stuff for cheap. Cheap clothes I have yet to find, pretty much the basic places are Zara, Bershka, and Stradivarious, but with the exchange rate I´m looking forward to the next round of rebajas(sales) in January.
Beyond money and buying things, I´ve also found that living in an old apartment with no heat has created quite a challege in staying warm. Heaters here are different then the ones at home...how I would love to have a disk heater like the ones from Costco! But, here the basic heater is called a radiador, it looks like an old heater from the 40´s on wheels, is electric, and gives off heat by heating oil inside. I bought one for my apartment, only to find that it takes forever to warm up, as all the oil needs to heat up and start moving though the panels, and since I began using it my electricity has gone out about 10 times in one week. Thank goodness for my fleece blanket, slippers, and hot tea! But, another word of advice, figure out how to turn your electricity back on if you blow a fuse...