I need your (little) help

Hello!

How are you?

Things are going very well here. 

I've just come back from a week spent in beautiful Ireland (take a look in my Flickr album) and now I'm ready to start the last part of 2015 (autumn? already??? °__°).

Before starting with my usual show&tell about sewing and creativity, I'm here today to ask you a little help.

I'm taking part in a photo contest called #vistidallalto. The game consists on uploading snapshots of Sicilian places taken from above. The prize? Two books about Sicily!

You can help me leaving a "like" to my photo on the contest's facebook page. Thank you in advance for you help!

About my photo...

... it captures a medieval church in the little town of Calatabiano, seen from the castle on top of the hill.

I wrote a post about this place and its traditions here.

Have a good day!

Simple happy things - July 2015

Last year I worked on a little project and documented every single day of July (I've called it "July in 31 photos").

Not the same, this year. 

July is very hot, I feel like I'm very down on batteries and I am not doing special things to capture with my camera (although I think that there's something special for us everyday and that happyness is hidden into simple things). 

But of course I took some snapshots here and there.

They make a sort of visual diary of this month. Simple things in my life.

Critters around the house...

A super secret project I can't wait to share with you...

Some hard and satisfying work at the sewing machine...

(completed this month: 5 bags + 2 wallets + 1 moleskine cover)

(bags 1 e 2 uploaded in my esty shop)

Summer yumminess...

Important birthdays and lovely birthday gifts by the kids...

Testing new tools (rivets!)...

Sicilian spring

Sicilian sunny spring is here!

Mount Etna is still covered by snow and smoking, but the sky is blue blue blue and the fields are green and yellow.

So many yellow flowers everywhere!

They are the home of tiny snails sometimes!

Animals are happy and needs some snuggles.

Others give birth to their children, because spring is the time for love and new families.

April is probably my favourite month.

I'm happy to be and april girl. I'm turning 38 the next week (on wednesdey) and I hope the day will be sunny and warm.

I work at school as a teacher everyday. I teach italian, history and geography (+ legislation of tourism some afternoons).

I'm busy and often tired, so I'm neglecting a bit this blog and my creative journey (my list of things to try is growing, waiting for some free time).

But I'm still taking pictures to document my life.

I reach my school by feet and I'm noticing here and there some wild flowers I like. They are very small but strong. Some of them look like orchids.

My life is full of beautiful things and today I can't resist in show you some of them.

Happy Sunday!!!

The privilege to live in Sicily

One of the privileges to live in Sicily is that amazing places to visit are very close to you. Like Agrigento and its "Valle dei templi" ("temples valley"), with the (oh, so beautiful!) ruins of the old greek city af Akragas.

A beautiful sight even in a dark, rainy and cold day!

(Oh, yes, this is me with my tourist guide pass)

Even the goats have something special here!

And almonds trees are blooming!

I feel so lucky to live in this beautiful region!

Advent signs

At mum's home in the North for some holiday days.

The sky is so grey and gloomy here (100% usual for this part of Italy in december) that I feel a bit like I have dark clouds in my brain. But my heart is singing, like under a happy sun.

I'm spending special days with mum, AuntFran, brother, big cousins and friends!

Also enjoying the advent atmosphere.

I can't believe december is here. Again. 2014 is going to the end. Really???

I'm having fun capturing advent signs here and there with my camera.

Not those showy Christmas decorations that are everywhere right now, but all the little things that make my frugal Christmas.
Let me show them with you.

 

A couple of cute tiny angels for my Christmas tree I bought yesterday at "L'artigiano in fiera" (a big fair in Milan):

 

 

They come from Lithuania and I can't wait to show them to S.

 

Other angels I photographed visiting the fair. They are made of crocheted cotton and wooden spheres for the heads.

 

 

A recycled paper nativity I bought for mum in a craft fair  last november (look where S. and I have been in a sunny november sunday!).

It's now part of her collection.

 

 

Mum loved it at first sight. I'm happy her collection is growing with my contribute, too!

 

Some advent craft: I'm making new synthetic felt ornaments. Not only embroidered stars! These are for cat lovers (like me).

 

 

Pam's ornament for mum is in its place: mum decided to hang it to her kitchen's door, so she can see it everyday!

 

 

I'm updating my Pinterest boards almost everyday, filling them with ideas for a rustic Christmas or for all people who like snowflakes (like me!) as winter symbol. They are full of other advent inpirations, take a look!

Simple happy things: late summer edition

Although almost all of you are probably into a very autumnal mood, here in Sicily we are enojoying the last days of mediterranean summer.

Yes, we are still wearing t-shirts and sandals. It's still summer, but fresh air and some rain here and there are announcing that autumn is coming soon.

So this edition of "simple happy things" is about late summer, like last year in october.

I've collected some photos of little beautiful things that make me happy recently and I want to share them with you.

My favourite snapshot: this tiny bird called "african stonechat" ("saltimpalo" in italian). It lives in the (still dry) fields behind my home.

Tiny (but very hot) peppers S. grew in our garden:

Acorns! S. picked them up during our last trip to Selinunte archeological park: 

If you want, you can look in my Flickr album at some snapshot I took in the western part of our region we travelled some weeks ago (Greek temples, Palermo, great panoramas from Erice ... you have to scroll down to the bottom to see them).

This acorns were green, but I wasn't enough fast in taking a photo, so now they are dry and brown.

A handmade paper rose S. brought to me after work (a colleague made it):

My first crochet-covered bottle is a good place for it, isn't it?

Books about craft bussiness on "patchwork pillowcase n.2":

Now that I'm out of work, I'm working to improve some aspects of my shop, but I'm also reading a very big novel by Ken Follett ("Winter of the world").

I'd like to listen something about your simple happy things in this period of the year. Leave a comment! :)

July in 31 photos: day 1-5

I started the new month with a new project in my mind.

Following my growing need to document my daily life, I decided to take one photo (at the least) everyday for the whole July and to publish it here and in my Flickr album.

It's a great way to see how the month is going and to sum up my summer (I'm starting with July, but my plans are to go on in august, too). 

You know that I have big expectations for this summer and I hope to see beautiful snaps speaking about fun, nature and summer happiness.

Would you join me in this project?
I've called it "July in 31 photos" (I'm not very creative with names)

If you wanto to have fun with me, the only things you have to do are: 

- capture an image of your day, everyday

- publish it where you like best (Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, your blog, ....)

- let me know in the comment where I can see your photos

I'd like to take a glance in your summer :)

I'll probably publish my photos by grouping them, because I haven't the day to edit and blog every day.

Today I'm sharing with you my first 5 days.

Day 1: S. transplanted some succulents (+ another unknown little plant) in our acid green pot:

Day 2: a mysterious little light in our lawn (a firefly, I suppose)

Day 3: olive plants took frangipani's place in front of our main door - from a tropical corner to a very mediterranean one

Day 4: new shoes for me!

Day 5: typicall sicilian breakfast for summer: bread and granita (granita is made of almonds, sugar, milk, ice and cinnamon... very refreshing)

And 5 days have gone!

What I've been busy on

I'm not sure the title is written in correct english, but this is what jumped in my mind this morning when I decided to write a blog post after more than a month.

I've been busy on several (happy) things recently and blogging hasn't been on top of my list of priorities.

50% I missed it and 50% not. 

This pause is letting me pondering about my being on line, but, hey, this is not that kind of post.

I'm here because, after some very hectic weeks I started to take photos and documenting my life again. And blogging is part of the process, together with writing in my moleskine journal.

I need to share the things that took me busy between May and June.

Work work work

I'm super happy because I'm going to work everyday till the end of July. Money in my wallet and valid experiences on my curriculum vitae. Yay!

Study study study

I've helped S. to study for his exams. They went great, of course! :P

Enjoying summer

Last year summer went oh, so wrong :(

My dad's illness and death captured all my thoughts, of course, and I was so sad and worried that I couldn't enjoy summer things.

I've decided to have a great summer this year and I'm running to do more things possible.

S. and I started to:

- planning some afternoons at the seaside

- having walks after dinner (fresh air!!!)

- going with friends to outdoor concerts

- preserving food for winter (apricot jam, this time):

- explore Sicily and look to sicilian tradition:

And I:

- indulged in some summer shopping (haven't finished yet, eh eh):

(this is for my cousin's wedding, I don't wear this kind of clothes daily)

- painted my nails and bought new nail polish (glitter, gold and magnolia pink)

- wrote a list of books I want to read this summer

- had a new haircut

Working for our home

A lot of time is going to complete the furniture of our home.

We bought and put together a beautiful white desk (so laaaarge) for my sewing room, with three drawers and two new chairs. 

Now we need shelves for the books.

We are visiting several shops to decide how to fill the living room (still empty!).

Lot of gardening, too!

Sewing

I've carved out some time for sewing.

I've completed a t-shirt with dusty blue knit fabric (not photographed) and now I'm refashioning some summer clothes, so I can use them this year, too.

I've also completed four tableclothes for my kitchen:

Fabric bought last may. I'm still in love with them.

I'm not sure it's all.

The important thing is I'm here again and I'm going to re-start blogging.

Maybe :)

Life recently

Life became a bit hectic recently!

My attemps to find a job had success and I found... 3 jobs!

Yes, 3!

They are temporary offices as a teacher in three different schools and I think all will finish at the end of June (more or less).

I have very little time for crafting, blogging and follow my creative path, but I'm very happy the same.

I'm trying to enjoy all the little things that make me happy and soften the fatigue.

Lovely birds around our house.

 A funny cat constantly looking for snuggles and sleeping in crazy poses.

A great trip on my birthday, exploring Sicily and taking photos of almost everythin (our island is so beautiful, even when it's raining).

Happiness :)