Katie Barberi interview & Mariposa Katie giveaway

“I’ve been lucky enough to travel from a young age,” says actress and jewelry designer Katie Barberi. “I’ve grown up seeing so much diversity and beauty in different cultures. I draw inspiration from that all the time.”

And So This Is Christmas

To this day, when I see a bag of M&M’s, it reminds me of a time when it was difficult being the new kid who couldn’t speak English, who had no idea what was going on and who desperately wanted to go back home to Seoul. I hope that Santa enjoys the cookies and M&M’s my son left out for him tonight. And I hope that you all have a very happy holiday season.

Go Away With … Idris Elba

Idris Elba is famous for his acting. Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his starring role in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” Elba is also known for playing Russell “Stringer” Bell on HBO’s “The Wire.” He’ll next be seen reprising his role of Heimdall in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” But it was his role playing Nelson Mandela that spurred him on to record “mi Mandela.”

Pics ‘n’ Props

If there are some of you who have yet to order your cards, I would like to share this tip. Order more than you need. Not only will they come in handy when you rush to mail out last-minute cards to people you’ve forgotten about (oops!), but they’ll be really fun to send out in the upcoming years. One day, when our children are no longer small and adorable, they may not want to pose for cute holiday card photos. In fact, they may look downright surly. And let’s face it — when kids are surly at 3, 4 or 5 — they’re still pretty darned sweet looking. At 16 or 17, not so much.

Go Away With … Reggie Lee

Born in the Philippines and raised in Ohio, Reggie Lee currently splits his time between Los Angeles and Portland, where he has a co-starring role as Sgt. Wu on the NBC hit series “Grimm.” Lee’s film credits include “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Fast and the Furious “ and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” Lee says he loves shooting on location in Oregon, but he’s looking forward to doing some traveling soon. “I generally like to stay home and be with family for the holidays. But, right after Christmas, I’m headed to London and then Paris for New Year’s.”