Jóias

Though I love a good key chain or refrigerator magnet, one of my favorite ways to remember my travels is through jewelry and accessories. I absolutely love accessories that bring back a memory when I wear them, like the 5 euro pashmina I bought outside the Milan metro that still smells of Italy. Lucky for lovers of Brasa like me, there are some wonderfully talented jewelry designers that use Brazil's beauty as inspiration.

Francesca Romana Diana is the first jewelry designer I took notice of on a trip to Brazil. Walking down Visconde de Pirajá, Ipanema's main commercial street, I was drawn in by the pink and orange decor and soon noticed several brightly colored pieces that I had to have. The designer who's name graces each piece is actually a Roman expat who realized that Brazil's richness in semi-precious stones would be great inspiration. Now, she's one of the most well-known jewelry designers in Brazil and her collections pay homage to several aspects of Brazilian culture.

Two of my favorite pieces that I'm lucky to own are below. The first is the bracelet inspired by the Fita do Bomfim, the amulet made of fabric that you must get tied on your wrist if ever in Salvador, Bahia. The legend goes that three knots tied on the bracelet each represent a wish that will only come true once the bracelet falls off on its own. I got a red one with good luck charms that include a mini-horseshoe. I wear it every time I have a gig! The other is the thick cuff from the Rio de Janeiro collection that captures the Rio skyline. I love this piece and get questions about it every time I wear it.

The other designer I love is Maria Oiticica. She calls her pieces biojóias or bio-jewels as all her designs incorporate raw materials from Brazil's Amazon rainforest. Last year, Macy's launched a Brazil-inspired market that featured some of her designs but to be honest, the pieces they chose weren't my favorites. Earlier this year, I bought the necklace below made of dried açaí seeds and fio de tucum, a rope made from the Tucumã palm tree. One of this designer's fans also happens to be one of my favorite samba singers, Nilze Carvalho, who can be seen wearing the açaí seed necklace on the cover of her latest CD.

Casa

They say the road to hell is paved with the best intentions and I can say with certainty that this is true. My plan had been to start this blog after I came back from Brazil, more focused, with more time. But I was hasty and started it without knowing if I'd have time to commit. I didn't and the result was three months of no posts. But I'm going to give it another shot, inspired in part by the fact that I got an e-mail from CB2 today announcing decorative elements inspired by Brazil.

One of the things that I dream about for my living space, a small apartment on Chicago's north side, is outfitting it with furniture and furnishings that remind me of Rio. From my travels to Brasil, which as I mentioned consists mostly of trips to Rio, I've noticed some key things that many Brazilians have in their homes.

White couches -- I've encountered this in many homes and while I've never thought myself the kind of person who can have a white couch, I've seen families with toddlers keep their white couches gleaming. Perhaps it's the availability of cheap household labor or just the result of a very high standard of cleanliness that I've encountered among almost all Brazilians. Finding a messy Brazilian is about as easy as finding a French person who doesn't like wine. They like their white furniture and combined with the use of color in accessories, it looks elegant and casual at the same time.

Rattan/wicker/natural elements -- I use to equate rattan and wicker with Golden Girls/Miami Beach retiree decor. But no more. Thanks to Rio (and places like Crate & Barrel), wicker has graduated to must-have in my interior design choices. It gives any space a beachy feel, precisely the mood that Rio apartments convey. In the U.S., lots of outdoor furniture is made of these natural materials. In Rio, the line between indoor and outdoor is blurred as many apartments have living rooms that extend into terraces so there aren't rules about what materials you can use where.

White concrete wall -- I tried looking online for a sample picture of what this looks like but many apartments in Rio have a wall, usually between the kitchen and the area just off the kitchen reserved for either a washer/dryer, clothes hanging or a maid's quarters. It's concrete with pretty cut outs in various geometric shapes. Since it exposes the indoor area to outside elements, it makes you remember that Rio is definitely tropical and temperatures hardly go below a comfortable number.

Plans for changing my living space this summer include receiving my new couch from Crate & Barrel (I thought of white but settled for denim in Coffee). I will finally mount the canvas painting that I bought at the Feira Hippie in Ipanema. The Feira Hippie is a touristy but delightful crafts fair that takes place every Sunday in Copacabana's Praça General Osório. They have everything from cute t-shirts and musical instruments (I bought my first pandeiro here) to statues of Iemanjá and soap to prevent evil eye. In the center near the fountain, there are lots of art vendors. In 2012, I bought a painting that features a scene where the Arcos da Lapa are the backdrop to a cute samba club that has patrons dancing downstairs and kissing upstairs.

I think I may have to add to my list after looking at CB2's new Novogratz Brasil Collection. Designed by Bob and Cortney Novogratz who own a home in Trancoso in dreamy Porto Seguro, Bahia, the collection does harken to the tropical feel that isn't quite Miami or Caribbean. My favorites:

The Brasil Pillow - It's made of a natural material (shital pati plant material) and it's lined with a pretty chartreuse.

The Boa Sorte Backgammon set - I don't know if they play backgammon in Brazil but as a lover of all things Brazilian, I go crazy for anything in Brazilian flag colors. This is a muted version of the flag colors and it will go well with the chartreuse on the pillows.

My least favorites: The Luli monkey lamp and the Quadrado rug. I know there are monkeys in Brazil but I've never seen any and don't really think of them as inspiring me to think about the country. When I think monkeys, I think India and Gibraltar, not Brazil. The Quadrado rug looks Native American.

If you go on the CB2 website, you can enter to win a contest to win a trip to Brazil. You can also enter here.