Christmas Cards Swap 2016

We are all ready to start the countdown to Christmas, aren't we?!?

During the last two years one of the things I was most excited about, around the Christmas time, a part from all the decorations, the christmas gifts to buy for the loved ones, the delicious food and the scent of mulled wine, was the arrival of the Christmas cards from “ The Christmas Cards Swap”, organized by the lovely Jenny.

I waited for all the month of November, hoping for the merry post to come, but unfortunately it didn't, so I thought : “ Why don't I organize one?!?!”. 

 Receiving them always put a smile on my face, so I thought it would be a pity to miss this reason of happiness!!! Do you want to join me?!?!

If you miss it too or you just want to receive a bunch of lovely christmas cards from new friends around the world, you just have to send me an email with your name, surname, adress, and wait for more easy instructions to come!

Thanks to this swap I had the wonderful opportunity to meet some lovely ladies, and some of them have become dear friends!!!

Are you ready to join this merry gang?!!? In addition I thought of a special surprise that will give a yummy touch to this swap!!! Let's subscribe here and invite all of your friends: sweetie.tulip88@gmail.com

The deadline will be the 4^th of December so that all the cards will arrive in time!!!

Love 

Martina

Wonderful Wednesday # 6

Goodevening my darling ladies!!!

I'm really sorry to be late again to this merry weekly date, but life has been quite chaotic during the last few days, so here I am, at the end of the day, writing my happy list, glad that I have managed to take some time for myself even today!

Last week my family went through the sudden loss of the dearest aunt of my mother, who was like a granny for me and my sister. We are never ready for such kind of things so, today more than ever, I need to focus on the little pills of happiness that life brought me in the past two weeks to cheer me up a bit:

1. Spending time with my cousin. Last weekend my cousin Francesca came to visit me for a couple of days; she's two years younger than me, but since we were little girls we've always been very close and attached, even if she lived in Florence and we didin't meet very often. Fortunately she's now studying in Venice, which is not too far from where I live, so I've been super happy to host her in my new flat for the first time! We spent the days sharing our secrets, reading the old letters she sent me when we were teens ( which were hilarious!!!), sipping several cups of hot chocolate, eating too many christmas cookies, chatting about life and dreams and watching "Becoming Jane", a movie about the life of Jane Austen. Time flies when you have fun!

2. Wearing my blue beret. It's finally time to pull it out from the closet, hooray!!! One day, while I was wandering around the tiny streets of Venice, I found the perfect hat, the only one that really suits me: a blue woolly beret!

I love wearing it with the misty rain, instead of opening the umbrella, it makes me feel very sophisticated and it gives me a "parisian" look, especially with a touch of red lipstick!

3. Homemade pralines. I'm totally mad about chocolate, especially the dark one, with its rich flavour and its intense aroma! My mother knows me very well and she adores to tempt my tastebuds, so she made some little pralines with dark chocolate and hazels, which were divine! We enjoyed them on Sunday, with the coffee, and the combination was absolutely perfect! Sometimes no one can do things better than a mum!

4. The perfect autumn/winter lipstick. This weekend I took some time to reorganise my make up products so, with the help of a friend who is really into the world of beauty, I tried all of my lipsticks to decide what to keep and what to throw away! It was a big fun and, as always after a big clean up, I felt very pleased and satisfied and I decided that I deserved a treat for my good job!Luckily my cousin Francesca came at the right moment, wearing a wonderful berry lipstick with a pinkish-red undertone! It was love at the first glance so you can imagine my happiness when I tried it and I discovered that it looked amazing on my lips too!!!In addition it was super creamy, soft and comfortable to wear so, as you probably imagine, the day after that lipstick was already mine!

Even only the fact of writing this little list of lovely things has brightened my day, so please don't hesitate to let me know what put a smile on your face last week, because your comments always make my day!!!

Here all the amazing WW ladies:

Sally, Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El, Mimmi, Kerri.

Love

Martina

Wonderful Wednessday # 5

Goodmorning beautiful ladies and Wonderful Wednesday!

How's your week going so far? Mine started with a Monday blues, due to a long stressful Sunday at work, that didn't allow me to take the break I needed! I cured it with a cup of green tea and a huge slice of strudel my father made for me with the secret recipe of my granny's mother ( she was from Austria, that's why this cake is so delicious!), so today I feel really better! Fill my belly with comfort food is always the best way to cheer me up!!!

Last week was full of lovely things, so it's better to stop my rambling speech and start with the merry list:

1. A new blanket. During the weekend my mother surprised me with the most adorable of the gifts: a colorful woolly knitted blanket, she made with the wools we bought at the Yarndale Festival of Skipton two years ago.
   I remember that I was so in love with that blanket that I carried the balls of yarn all day long, even during our walk in the woods; I had no idea she was finishing it, so you can imagine my happiness when I unwrapped the package and I found the blanket of my dreams, ready to keep me warm during the long winter nights!
2. “ We've always lived in the castle” by Shirley Jackson. This is a bizarre, sinister, chillingly, terrifying story, that leaves you with a growing sense of unease. I barely devoured this little book because I really couldn't put it down! Pages after pages it kept me hooked with its plain creepy atmosphere! Here the first lines:
   “ My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all, I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same lenght, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the deathcup mushroom. Everyone else in our family is dead”.
3. An afternoon to the cinema to see “ The girl on the train”. Last Saturday it was cold and rainy, the perfect kind of weather for a trip to the cinema, to be conforted by a good movie!
   I was looking forward to see “ The girl on the train”, based on a book, wrote by Paula Hawkins, that I read and loved last year when I was in Dublin, so I decided to buy the tickets and enjoy it with one of my favourite ladies! What I liked the most about the book was the atmosphere of suspance, the idea of looking out from the window of a train and imagine the life of the people you see passing by, which is something that I used to do when I took the train to go back and forth from the uni.
   Despite the fact that the movie is set in the USA instead of in the UK, which in my opinion was a big mistake, it's a very good film, with an Emily Blunt's terrific performance and a nice underlying mistery throughout.
4. Colorful tights. Dark green, burgundy, navy-blue, ochre, brick-red, purple, petroleum-blue ...my chest of drawers is full of adorable tights so, during autumn and winter time, I can indulge on matching them with all my dresses! The simple fact of wearing this kind of outfit make me feel happier and brighter, since the first glance in the mirror. Today I went for a checkered burgundy, blue and ochre dress, with navy-blue tights, brown leather ankle boots and my little hedgehog brooch that I adore!
5. Dried cramberries. I must confess that I started to enjoy these little sweet treats to prevent urinary tract infections which I suffer from, especially when I'm super busy and stressed out, but I easily became addicted to them because, in addition to their surprising health benefits, they're also delicious! I add them to the yogurt and muesli in the morning, I eat them when I'm running from a place to another at work and I feel starving, but they're also perfect to be tasted like chips, one after another, when I'm relaxing on the sofa! It's always time for crambierries, isn't it?!?!

Receiving your lovely comments is something that truly make my day!!!

Please let me know all the beautiful things that have put a smile on your face during this week!

Here all the amazing WW ladies:

Sally, Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El, Mimmi, Kerri.

Love

Martina

Wonderful Wednesday # 4

Come said the wind to the

leaves one day,

Come over the meadows and

we will play.

Put on your dress

Scarlet and Gold

For Summer is gone and

the days grow cold.

-George Eliot-

Wonderful Wednesday my lovely ladies and Welcome November, with your foggy mornings, your rainy days, the cosy woolly blankets, the hand-knitted pullovers, the steaming cups of tea, the hot chocolates, the last crunchy leaves and the lovely nights-in with a good book, or your favourite tv series.

Time flies, expecially the last two months, and I'm trying to enjoy every single moment of this Autumn, doing long walks in the wood with the dog, savoring all its beauty, looking up to the sky, filling my eyes with the bright colors of the trees.

Here the little things that made me feel happier this week:

1. Saturday's breakfast in my favourite café. Waking up on Saturday morning and going to my favourite café in town for a yummy breakfast is something that I love!

I usually go for a croissant with vegan custard and a cappuccino with soy milk, which is my favourite combination, all seasoned with lots of little talks with my sister Linda or a dear friend.

I think this little ritual is the best way to slow down and enjoy the tranquillity of the weekend, especially after busy days at work that seem to never end!!!

2. A brilliant Graduation Day. Last Wednesday one of my favourite ladies gratuated in medicine with honours!!! Seeing her discussing her thesis, after months and months of hard work, was very exciting and I felt full of pride! She studied in Ferrara, a tiny lovely city two hours from my hometown and, in the north of Italy, we have a nice way to celebrate the graduation day: friends and family write a " Papiro", which is a poster with the caricature of the person who graduates and the funny story of her life, full of ridiculous anecdotes that make everyone laugh. To read the " papiro" we dressed her up like a geisha, because she's really into Japan, and we had so much fun together, before going to a gorgeous restaurant to end the day with an amazing dinner.

3. "Winter Charm" Ahamad Tea. A caffeine-free blend of apple, cinnamon and cloves with zesty orange peel, perfectly balanced to create a truly warm and festive aromatic infusion. I know, it seems a little bit too much christmassy, but I really deserved a treat and this one seemed the perfect one! I can't wait to enjoy it with some cinnamon biscuits just came out from the oven, so I think this will be one of my plans for the weekend ahead.

4. Taking time to read a book. I've always been a booklover! There are plenty of pictures of me, at the age of 3-4 years old, all focused to turn the colorful pages of my favourite book of fairy tales and books were my dearest friends during winter time, when it was too cold to play outside. Although nowadays the time to read is little, dedicate at least half an hour a day to such a pleasant activity is something they I'm really determined to enter into my routine! This week I started a book that was in my bookcase from the first year of the university and that I rediscovered during the move: The New Yorkers, by Cathleen Schine, a brilliantly funny novel that revolves around one city block in Manhattan. In this book, as in life, canine companions compel their masters to go outside of themselves, to take part in the community they live in, to make friends, and, sometimes, to fall in love. I thought it was the perfect book to celebrate the start of my new life, and I hope it will bring me luck!!!

Receiving your lovely comments was something that truly filled my heart with happiness! It's amazing to have such a beautiful date with you every week, spreading joy all around!

Here all the brilliant WW ladies that will put a smile on your face with their optimism and positivity:

Sally, Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El, Mimmi, Kerri.

Love

Martina

Wonderful Wednesday # 3

" Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

    I took the one less traveled by,

    And that has made all the difference."

Wonderful Wednesday my lovely ladies!!! Here I am, beginning this post, which I was looking forward to write, with one of the quotes I love the most and make me feel all the autumn vibes! This is my favourite verse of a Frost's poem my father used to repeat  when me and my little sister were little girls and we went walking in the woods together, picking up chestnuts and drinking hot chocolate from a thermos brought from home!It's a gift to have such good memories! 
Happiness comes suddenly, when you least expect it..for me it was on Monday night when, opening my blog, I discovered with joy some of the most adorable comments I've ever received from some of the ladies of this merry gang!!! Kate, Cat and Kerri..if you are reading this..the warmest of the hugs is all for you..you truly made my day!!! 

So, now let's go straight to the point:

1. Cooking dinner with my mum. Last Saturday two of my favourite girls came for dinner for the first time in my new house, so I decided to prepare something special ( we usually go for a pizza) to celebrate the beginning of my independance. After a quick trip to the sumermarket, my mum decided to help me so we planned the menu and started to cook together; we had so much fun preparing a starter of swivels of puff pastry with cheese, ham and grilled zucchini, a pumpkin and potato soup with chopped walnuts and the most fragrant of the apple pies! Living in my own flat means that the moments I spend with the family become unique and precious, away from the small disagreements of the daily life.

2. Jane Eyre. Autumn is Jane Eyre's time of the year, isn't it?! Rainy days, dark clouds, fallen leaves, the early morning frost, steaming cups of tea.. everything reminds me the mysterious atmosphere of Thornfield Hall. 
Having said that, you can imagine my excitement when, during my last trip to the local library, I found out that I could rent the first movie of the book, which I was looking forward to watch! It was such a pleasure to spend a cosy night in, enjoying that passionate and anguished love story, that never fails to move me. 

3. Cuddles with the little boy of a friend. Even though I've always had a sweet nature and a passion for kids, I really need to find a frog to kiss and turn into a prince before being ready to become a mum.. and I suppose it will take some time. However last Friday I went to my friend's house to visit her lovely newborn, a chubby little boy, with deep blue eyes and a soft skin, which smelled of babypowder. It was so nice to cuddle him and make him smile and giggle, but moreover to see my dear friend being such a brilliant mother.

4. Buying tickets for three plays at the theatre ( "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie is among them). One of the things I love the most about living in this new little city is the old theatre, renovated some years ago, which is just four steps from home. Going to the opening of the theater season on Saturday morning and buying tickets for three of the plays in the programme made me feel like a sophisticated lady! I know that is just a little theatre of a tiny provincial town, but the idea to spruce me up for an elegant night with my besties is thrilling!

5. Morning ritual. Since when I moved house, every morning I try to leave the bed at least half an hour earlier than usual in order to eat my large bowl of muesli and soy yougurt ( this week I'm all about the strawberry one) and sip my coffee on the sofa, wrapped up in my woolly blanket, warming my hands around the steaming cup. It's a morning ritual that I'm appreciating every day more, the perfect way to start a new day slowly, enjoying the silence, the pleasure to be alone with my thoughts and the beauty of the town that wakes up.

Despite the fog that wraps the town, I wish you a lovely day my darlings and I'm really curious to know what has made your week a beautiful one! Your comments are gifts that fill my heart with pure joy!!!
Here all the fabulous WW ladies which I must thank fo all the positivity and optimism they gave me in all these months:

Sally, Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El, Mimmi, Kerri.

Love

Martina

Wonderful Wednesday # 2

"I'm late. I'm late. For a very important date. No time to say " Hello, Goodbye". I'm late. I'm late. I'm late."

This evening I feel like the White Rabbit of Alice in Wonderland but, despite the complete lack of time of the past few days, I really really wanted to write this happy post, so here I am, wishing you the most wonderful of the Wednesday evenings!
How was your week so far? Mine has been full of new beginnings.. I finally left "the nest" last Saturday to move in my new tiny, lovely, cosy apartment which, I must say, looks exactly as I've always dreamt of. 
So this evening, for the first time in my life, I'm curled up on the sofa, under the woolly blanket I used when I was a little girl in the nursery school, sipping a chai tea latte and writing this list of happiness:

1. Pumpkin. Is there anything in the world more autumnal than pumpkin??!! Just thinking about all the yummy things that you can made by it makes me drool: spiced muffins with pumpkin and chocolate chips, pumpkin and potatoes soup with a sprinkle of cinnamon,  pumpkin's potato dumplings flavored with butter and sage, risotto with pumpkin and mushrooms or pumpkin and rosmary... I could go on forever! Maybe it's just because I'm waiting for my dinner to be ready and all that I can think is about something delicious to fill my belly with, but I swear I do love pumpkin so much!

2.  Going to the cinema. After months and months, I went to the cinema for two Mondays in a row and it was really the perfect way to fight the Monday blues!
I had forgotten how nice was to sink into a confortable seat, with popcorn and some of my favourite ladies to laugh or cry with!

3. Crispy leaves. Walking on a carpet of leaves, surrounded by the trees of the wood which are turning into yellow, orange and red, cheered by the squeak of the squirrels and the humming of the little birds is something that fills my hearth with joy. 
Last Sunday I decided to go for a walk with my dad, along a path  I discovered in my new town; we spent two hours in complete bliss, rejoicing of each other's company, telling stories, laughing and collecting the most beautiful crispy leaves, as it were lucky charms for my new little house.

4. Afternoon tea. To be precise, my new favourite pastel pink mug full of lady grey tea, with a sip of milk and a slice of the yummiest, scented and easy to bake lemon cake just came out from the oven..paradise! Coming home from work yesterday, after a busy,rainy day, and giving myself this little treat was one of the best idea ever..we deserve a goody like this sometimes, don't we?!?

I wish you a lovely night my darlings and, please, let me know what made your week a wonderful one...your comments always made my day!!!
Here all the fabulous WW ladies which I must thank for all the positivity and optimism they gave me in all these months: Sally, Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El and Kerri.

                                                        Love
                                                       Martina

Wonderful Wednesday # 1

It's a late September Tuesday evening, I'm curled up in bed, with the window open, the sweet  scent of vanilla of my favourite candle is in the air, and the first cup of hot chocolate is in my hands. I'm bloody excited my lovely ladies, because, after months and months of hesitation, I'm finally entering on tiptoe in this faboulous world of Wonderful Wednesday!

Since when I discovered the gorgeous blog of Sally, a couple of years ago, these weekly dates full of happiness and positivity have become an essential part of my routine, and I'm always waiting for them with trepidation.

So, what a joy that this merry community is getting bigger and bigger!

It's amazing how discovering the little daily joys, considering them as a gift and greeting them can help you living in happiness.

Being in a crucial moment of my life, when I'm finally " leaving the nest" and days are full of packing and unpacking, I feel it's the right time to start a new chapter also in this little place of mine, that is so dear to my hearth.

So, withouth any further procastinations, let's talk happy things...

1. Moving house. Oh my goodness! I'm very excited!!! I still can't believe it, but last Friday I signed my first contract for the renting of an house of my own and I received the bunch of keys!Hooray!!!It's a cute little flat on the top of an historic building in the centre of a lovely town. When I saw it for the first time it was love at the first sight..I think the feeling was pretty similar to the one the brides say they have felt when they've found the right wedding dress! I'm looking forward to start my new life within those walls, which seem already so familiar!

2. Figs & almonds jam. I received a jar of this jummy jam some weeks ago when I went to Florence for the weekend to visit my grandma, and I must admit I have become completely addicted to it! It's the perfect treat after an healty dinner, just to full your mouth with a spoon of delight, or to spread it on a slice of warm bread..it's enough to feel in paradise!

3. A new book: "Harry Potter and the cursed child". I grew up with Harry Potter! When I started reading the first book of the series I was eleven and, year after year, my excitation for the coming out of the sequels has been stronger and stronger! I received this book some days ago but, instead of throwing myself headlong into reading, I decided to save it for the fìrst nights alone in my new flat..I think there couldn't be a better way to kick off my new house!

4. Apples. One of the things I love the most about Autumn! Small, red, sweet and succulent little joys, delicious to taste at any time you're craving for something sugary and fragrant. I love them cooked in the oven, with a sprinkle of cinnamon and icing sugar..but also with the crumble and a spoon of vanilla ice-cream..Glorious! I'm a gready girl, I know, I know;)!

Last Saturday I went with my mum to a farm-house which sells organic products and I filled my basket with a new quality of apples called " crimson crisp"..you must try them..they're the perfect combination of sweetness and crunchiness and the yummiest I've ever tasted!

I wish you the Happiest of the Wednesdays my darlings and, please, do let me know what made your week a wonderful one..your comments always make my day!!!

Here all the fabulous WW ladies which I must thank for all the positivity and optimism they gave me in all these months: Sally, Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El and Kerri.

Lots of love

Martina