My little bench

23 Nov

I’ve mentioned in the past how much I love the Mercatini Usati here in Italy.  Every time I visit one of the few second hand shops I come home with some sort of treasure.  I bought this little bench at a shop a few years ago for 5 euro.  It was old and dusty and an ugly varnished brown.  But look what a coat of white paint and a little handmade quilt can do!  I painted the inside a bright blue which gives it a bit of life when opened.  It’s at our front door so when all the various children come in with their various hats/scarves/gloves it’s really the perfect place to put it all.  And I use it as a place to collapse every now and then.  And then the kids just dump all their belongings on my lap instead of in the bench.  In any case…I’m very fond of this little bench.

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Astuccio

22 Nov

I’m feeling better today.  Thanks to Lemsip Max for another beautiful sleep.  I was even feeling well enough to host our weekly sewing class here this morning.  We made 2 more zippered pouches (all using different techniques).  My previous zipper fear is almost gone.  Almost.  Here’s what we did today…

I’ll be making more of the green and blue one for sure.  The pouch with the buttons and visible zipper is a little too fussy for my taste though.  I’m happy I learned how to do it but I’m not sure I’ll be producing too many of them for Christmas gifts.

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Russian painted eggs

21 Nov

Aren’t these hand painted eggs beautiful?  I bought them last year at a local market and I admire them on a daily basis.

They’re made from wood and just brighten up any room they happen to be in.

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Lemsip Max

21 Nov

Mama is sick and it ain’t pretty.  Aside from the headache, fever, stuffed up nose and sore throat, I haven’t tasted in at least 4 days.  A few friends told me that I look like I have a really bad headache so that can’t be saying much for my physical appearance at the moment.  Luckily a British friend gave me a medicated lemon drink called Lemsip Max and since I’ve been taking it I can’t even remember my name.  It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy.  I passed out at 9pm last night and woke up this morning at 9am.  Even with this awful cold/flu I’ve managed to sleep longer than I have since I started doing this whole mothering thing almost a decade ago.  It’s bliss.  So anyone out there who has a cold/flu (or just needs a good night’s sleep) go buy a truckload of Lemsip Max. 

Wrap it up

20 Nov

Yes.  I’m one of those people who prepares for things way in advance.  I start thinking of Christmas gifts when it’s warm enough to wear flip flops.  So even though it’s only mid November I have actually already wrapped several Christmas gifts for friends and family.  This year I’ve decided to use this great Japanese masking tape that a good friend of mine sent me from Germany.  My mother-in-law also bought me some so I have a pretty good collection of it building.  I also bought some cheap electrical tape at the local Fai Da Te (DIY shop) and I mix that with the Japanese tape.

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I Felt it

20 Nov

I don’t think I can see another piece of felt in my life.  I have spent the last weeks cutting out little round pieces of felt and sewing them into garlands.  Originally I wanted to sew a few for our tree.  In the end I have enough to decorate the entire town where I live.  I have a burning pain that resonates up my right arm from all the scissoring I’ve been doing.  But I’d say it was worth it.

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Fast Forward Drawing:The Chair

19 Nov

A sweet little film made by one of my daughters…

 

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Portrait of a chicken

18 Nov

Today I went and bought yet another lens cap.  I seem to lose them on a weekly basis lately.  This time the shop owner convinced me to buy the white balance lens cap.  He says it makes using the custom WB feature a breeze because you don’t have to cart around a gray card.  Sounded good to me.  You just snap a photo with the lens on and set it.  I tried it this afternoon for the first time and this is the result.Doesn’t seem very accurate in terms of colour and light to me.  But I actually like the effect. It gives Chrysanthemum a very surreal, Alfred Hitchcock look.   Here’s one using the gray card method. Colours are more realistic.  Creepy chicken though.

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Iceland

18 Nov

I’m someone who hates the cold.  I really despise it.  I escaped Canada due to the arctic, snowy winters to come to the Mediterranean climate of Italy.  And I have to admit that it has come to the point that even Italy is too cold for me.  It doesn’t matter that I have palm trees in my garden and we experience summers with 40 degree weather.  In the winter it has become COLD.  A decade ago when we arrived in Italy the winters were mild and almost spring-like.  Fast forward 10 years and now, by law, we have to put winter tires on our cars due to the ever increasing snowstorms.   And it doesn’t help that the houses aren’t well insulated and are full of stone and marble (you don’t even want to see what get-ups I wear in my house to keep warm…or our monthly gas bill).  So obviously when we go on vacation we tend to go to places that are warm and semi-tropical.  BUT…this following video is so dang cool that it has made even me want to visit, of all places, ICELAND.

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Spare time

17 Nov

What do I do in my spare time?  Ironing for my family of five?  Mopping floors?  Reading one of the classics?  Cleaning out the chicken coop?  The answer to all of these should be an obvious yes.  But this is what I’ve been doing lately. Somebody help me.

At least you see in this photo that I’m not exclusively spending all my time painting acorns.  Notice the homemade applesauce spice muffins, mini brownies and bagels!

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