WILD [my word of the year 2017]

Hi everyone!

Yes, I'm still alive!

Very very busy at the moment, but full of strenght and ready to start the new year with good energy!

In these first days of 2017 I dedicated part of my free time to find my word of the year 2017.

A lot of people in the world are doing it and I find it very inspirational for my daily life, my job and my creative journey.

I followed the (free!) course by Susannah Conway. 

It's a 5 days path, full of ideas and good advices to find the right word.

To be honest, I was so busy (for my jobs) that I needed 10 days to complete the course. At day 3 I started to feel a bit confused, because a big amount of words was rolling here and there in my brain.

But at day 4... an epiphany! 
I was 100% sure about my word for 2017.

My word of the year 2017 is WILD!

I started to brainstorm in the last pages of my Moleskine journal the meaning of "wild" (to me, of course). 

I wrote in italian, but I'd like to translate something for you.

WILD means:

- to be close to nature, animals and plants

- to be in contact with instinct and inner energies

- to live a simple and basic life

- to live respecting nature's rules and the cicle of seasons

- courage

- defense of territory

- to explore

- to take care of the nest

- to avoid all is artefact and empty social convention

- to take care of the herd

- cold, hot, hunger, dirt

- green, brown, blue

- freedom

- to roar, to howl, to purr

- to go hunting

- to leave footprints

Oh, it's so inspiring and full of meaning to me!!!

There's in this list something in common to being a little fox, but something more, too!

And now?

How to bring the word of the year into real life?

The first thing I've done is this little painted pebble:

I've decorated it with a black marker and nail polish in different colours (+ transparent to finish the surface).

Now it's into my wallet, among coins.

I use coins everyday, expecially to buy fresh bread (you know, I'm italian).

So I'm sure to have a lot of opportunities to see this little pebble and my word! I think it's a good idea to remember it during busy day, when you start to be a bit "disconnected".

I'd like to find other creative ways to have my word with me. Are you interested? I could write a post about them (next week).

In the meantime you can look for the hashtag #woty2017 to discover something about other people' word of the year and their ways to make them live into their daily life.

I'd like to know if you have a word of the year for 2017 or not. 

Share it with me in the comments!

Any suggestions for my next post?

Christmas ornaments for introverts

I know, the title sounds a bit crazy, but it reflects some of my thoughts of this period. 

In my (rare) spare time I'm dedicating myself to get my shop ready for Christmas and so I've worked on new photos of my handmade ornaments (and also prepared a coupon code to have them with a 15% discount).

My ornaments
They are little and simple ornaments. Totally my style!

Some are made of cornastarch clay (stars and snowflakes) painted by me in white. Some others are made of recycled materials. My favourite are the felt embroidered stars.

They are different but all of them are rustic, nature inspired, traditional and small.

But, the most important thing, they are not too much eye-catching.

And so I said in my mind: "Hey, they are for people like me! These ornaments are for introverts!".

What about Christmas if you are introvert?

I'm not a very "Christmas person". Oh, no, I'm not the Grinch, I'm only and introvert girl! Proud of my introversion.

You can hear introverts saying that:

• They don't like the wastefulness and the confusion of Christmas time
• They don't feel great at crowded parties (even when only close family is involved)
• They don't like to go out and spend entire afternoons looking for the right gift
• They don't like bulky home decoration which steal part of their living space

I know that, probably, introvert people during Christmas time like better to:

• spend a full afternoon at home, on the sofa, watching a good Xmas movie
• cooking alone Xmas dishes for very "private" christmas lunches / dinners
• avoid too much noisy things (like those Santa's puppets mechanically saying "OhOhOh")
• enjoy some time of rest at home, dedicating themselves to hobbies and quiet activities
• buy gifts on-line and not in real shops after hours and hours of wandering in crowded shopping centers
• decorate their nest with gentle and not too much eye-catching ornaments

And it's probably because I'm introvert that I like to make all the little and "kind" Christmas ornaments you can find in my shop.

They don't occupy too much living space. 

They don't make noise or bling-blings of any kinds. 

You can buy them on-line if you want to offer a little gift to someone special (a very selected one, I presume).

They are perfect for a quiet, resting, loner and silent Christmas time in our precious cave, ehm, nest! :)

What do you think?
Does my post sound odd, annoyng, Grinch-style? 
Is there something familiar for you in the introvert Christmas I depicted in this post?
(wait, are you introvert or extrovert? a free test for you) 

Study the topic a bit more with this posts I found recently: 

Gift guide for introverts by Untidygrace
What introverts can give during the holidays by Holley Gerth
Ideas to survive the holidays if you are introvert by IntrovertSpring

5 new (to me) amazing zines to read

More than three years have gone from my last post about zines! 

Can you believe it?

I was addicted to zines reading in the past and, though I still love this kind of self-expression form, I haven't bought (and reviewed) one in years.

I was surfing Etsy some days ago and I had the idea to look for some zines that appeal to me (you know, I need something to read this summer, expecially because I've recently discovered that I love to read near the sea).

I found a lot of new (to me) zines I like. 

Five of them are amazing, in my opinion, for their topic, or the style, or the quality of the illustrations.

I haven't bought them yet, because I'm still doing some researches, but I decided to tell you something about them, just to spread the zine love :)

These zines are about some of my favourite topics:

• plants
• cats
• being a woman
• being an introvert

Want to know something more? I'm introducing them to you!

1. Winter wild, a zine about plants life in winter, by Kriski

I love the topic, but most of all, the style of drawing and lettering. So tidy and organized, but funny and modern.

The colours too are lovely, among my favourites!

And it's a big zine: 20 pages to look and read!

Kristyna Baczynsky, the author, says in the description: this book is a blend of writing, research, drawings and comics about ten different plant specimens; all drawn in detail for identification. An illustrated selection of historical, scientific and mythological facts.

It sounds good!

2. Self love zine, by LollieWorley

First of all, you can download it in .pdf, if you like!

Very good! Expecially for people who don't like to waste paper and like eco-friendly solutions like these.

The topic is amazing: self-love, a thing a lot of people need to work on.

Inside it has a cut&paste style I really like: it gives to the zine a handmade look, very well arranged here.

3. Illustrated women in history, by Apalelandscape

The one with the most professional look in this selection.

It looks so well organized and rich in text! It's more similar to a printed book than to a zine, but I appreciate it the same, because I like to read other women's stories and to be inspired by them!

21 biographies of talented women inside!

And (shame on me!) I know only a few of them.

4. Cat state of mind, by Nathalie Moore

I love cats! Not only mine, all cats!

And I also do my best, here and then, to draw their lovely faces and tails and paws, but I'm not so good in cats' drawing! -___- 

(I go on and go on filling my Moleskine with flowers!)

So it's very interesting for me that in this zine there are 20 pages of doodles about cats' world to be inspired by. And the title is quite funny for all people who know cats and do their best to read into their mysterious minds.

The author is Nathalie Moore (click to go on her blog).

5. Creativity for introverts, by BusyWeekends

This one is part of a serie of zines dedicated to creativity into the life of introvert people (like me). You can start from here or from other zines of the serie.

Great idea + cut&paste style I love + very interesting topic.

Don't you think they are lovely?

All these zines have english text.

I'd really like to found interesting zines in italian, too, but I haven't found nothing remarkable yet. Zine making is not common in Italy, probably because we have been too busy in making different kinds of art for centuries, ahaha :)

Let me know in the comments if you know italian good zines

AND/OR

if you have zines to suggest me (you know what I like to read: crafts, books, nature, art, eco-friendly life, travelling, growing as a woman).

A place for my pens! [Recycling + crocheting]

Oh, yes, of course, I'm still alive!

:)

I had a lot do far for the blog and also my crafty life is a bit neglected right now, but all is ok. 

I'm fine, I'm happy, I'm still walking in my self-expressione journey!

I'm dedicating myself to some quick and easy projects these days.

A lot of crocheting involved in them!

Mum visited me in the first days of april and crocheted some Moleskine covers and pencil cases for my shop and I've completed them with fabric, zippers and/or buttons (if you are curious... peach Moleskine case with floral flap - red Moleskine cover with gingham flap - red pencil case).

But I was also feeling the urge to crochet something by myself (I looooove to crochet!!! So relaxing!) and I decided to make something useful for my bedside table, always covered by my things (do you remember it in 2012?).

This is what I did:

• saved from the trash can a little glass bottle (it was for black pepper and I like its shape) 
• removed the plastic dispenser from the top
• washed
• covered with three stripes of crocheted yarn in colors I like

Ta-daaa, finished!

:)

Now the pens I use to write with while I'm in bed have a nice place where to stay! Nothing so important, but pretty!
You know, I like covered bottles!

I also finished some sewing projects recently.
The only one I've photographed is the bag I've made for Vera's birthday!

Vera bought two of my bags in the past, the sand tulip bag (pattern by me, altered a bit) and the grey tote (designed by me on her needs).

She liked my work so much, that her boyfriend decided to order me another one, totally new, designed by me.

He was in love with two Ikea fabrics, so I mixed them to make something unique for my sweet friend. 

I know she appreciated; this is the most important part of my work :)

*     *     *

Bags are not quick and easy projects like covering a tiny bottle, but I enjoy a lot the process.

I have a long list (in my brain) of new bags to make soon, mostly using recycled fabrics. And of course I want to sew other bags like the one I've made for Vera, because I like the result and having a new pattern designed by yourself, you know, is amazing! :)

But I still need some quick and easy to fill those 15 minutes I have here and then in my busy days.

Probably I'm going to find new projects in my Pinterest boards "things to try" and "inspirations".

But first I'd like to hear from you: what do you make/do if you have no time for big projects, but feel the urge to create?

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!!!

5 Pinterest boards to follow: modern rustic style

Since my madness for Pinterest is growing day after day, I decided to share with you some amazing boards to follow. 
Beauty and great ideas are things you can't hide, you have to show them to other people!

I've grouped the boards I like into some themes and today I'm suggesting you 5 of them about modern rustic style.

It's a style I really like, I feel like it's for me.

It speaks about nature, simple life and pleasures, animal and plants, life outdoor, wood and natural materials and textures, pale colours with some bright accents now and then, minimalist decorations, love for traditional shapes.

I think it's my style.

Modern rustic is not country, shabby or retro. It's all about a simple rural life  and about enjoying the simple things Mother Nature offers us.

I'm collecting inspirations about this style in my Pinterest board "Rustic+romantic":

If you like this style and you are finding some inspirations to give it a space in your life, take a glance to the following 5 boards.

Rustic, love it by Sara Pacciarella
Beautiful images about outdoor living, gardening, cottages, rustic home decor.

Rustic modern by Danielle Colding
Inpirations about modern rustic interior design. Love this minimal and rustic living room!

Go outside by Jenny Frith
All about spending time outdoor, in the wild nature, and enjoying it! This board remembers me how much I miss camping and other adventures I was used to in the past.

Adèle By Adreamofleaves
This board is about a woman who loves modern rustic style and uses it in her life. Clothes, jewels, furniture and more.

Modern botanics journal by Modern botanics 
Botanic inspirations for a minimalistic design.

If you have boards like these to share with me, please, leave me the link in the comments.
I'm constantly looking for some modern rustic eye candies to look at! :)