Friday 31 January 2014

Tiny Beautiful Things Of The Week

Yesterday I finally finished my exams at Uni and I'm so relieved!!!:)
It was a nightmare to reach the department with my friend because there was high water in Venice and we didn't have our gumboots. However we didn't get discouraged and we bought some plastic bags in a supermarket to put on our shoes to keep them dry and we arrived on time, even if a little bit wet!
The exam went really well, so we reached our favourite patisserie to eat a delicious pastry with almonds and drink a boiling coffee!We always need something sweet to gratify us!!!
When I came back home I found Minù which was waiting for me in my bedroom...
 ...and also a gift from my parents for my name-day that made me really happy!

I
I really like this lovely photo album and I'm looking forward to fill it up with the pictures of my last holiday in Cambridge and Oxford!

After all the rain that dropped in the last few days, I want to leave you with this quote of  Mahatma Gandhi...
                                                                         Martina
                                                  xoxo
Sunday 26 January 2014

Sunday's Outfit

 
Today has been a sunny and bright day and this morning I decided to wear this black dress with birds that I bought on sale two weeks ago:) When I saw it months ago It was love at the first sight, so I have been really glad to buy it half price!!!:)
To stay warm I put over the dress this wooly cardigan, which is beige like the birds, and I wore a pair of furry slippers, that are perfect on a chilly day!!!
And this is one of my favourite necklaces!I think it's perfect with this dress but I also wear it with sweaters and cardigans to beautify them!!!
                                                          I hope you all had a nice day!!!
                                                  Martina
                                                    xoxo
Saturday 25 January 2014

Tiny Beautiful Things Of The Week

This week has been really demanding and stressful because of the study for the University exams, but I also had some beautiful moments with my family and my friends!
On Tuesday I had an exam so I spent the day in Venice with my best friend Giulia..it was a sunny day and we went in a tiny restaurant near Rialto's Bridge to eat delicious fried fish!!!:)

It was exactly what we needed!!!

After lunch we went in a little shop, called "Marco Polo",  which sells second hand books, where I bought two books that I really want to read: " When God was a Rabbit" by Sarah Winman and "The daylight gate" by Jeanette Winterson.

                                   Has anyone read these books?

I met Jeanette Winterson three years ago during a cultural event organised by the University of Cà Foscari and I really like her books. My favourite is "Oranges are not the only fruit" but I read also " Lighthousekeeping", " The Powerbook" and " Written on the body". She has an extraordinary imagination and her writing is humorous, funny and intense at the same time!

I want to leave you with a quote from "Oranges are not the only fruit", simple words which mean a lot for me because they express what I really want and what I will research in my life:

" I want someone who is fierce and will love me until death and know that love is as strong as death, and be on my side for ever and ever...There are many forms of love and affection, some people can spend their whole lives together without knowing each other's names. Naming is a difficult and time-consuming process; it concern essences and it means power. But on the wild nights who can call you home? Only the one who knows your name."
 
 Have a good weekend!!!
        Martina
          xoxo
Tuesday 21 January 2014

I need your help...

After few months of writing my blog I don't feel completely satisfied about it.It's hard to express myself with the graphic rules of this page..so I think it's the right moment to create my own website!What do you think about it? The only problem is that I really have no idea of how to do it!:( Can you help me? I would be really grateful!!!! Thankyou very much!!!     Kisses Martina
Saturday 18 January 2014

...Yesterday I ...

Yesterday I finally made a Lemon Drizzle Cake!!!
I absolutely love making cakes and this is one of my favourites!!! The scent of lemon invades the house when it's in the oven,and it's really easy to prepare!
While I was making the cake I listened "Shake it out " of Florence+the Machine...in these days I'm in love with this song..it makes me feel happy and stronger :)!


Cloe was really interested on what i was doing and she stayed on the chair next to me all the time, smelling the air intrigued!!!
She is very greedy and is always trying to receive something good to eat!!!

Here's the recipe that I found in a marvellous blog: " Attic24".

LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
125g butter
175g caster sugar
Grated rind and juice 2 lemons
2 beaten eggs
175g self-raising flour
A little milk
50g granulated sugar

  • Cream butter, caster sugar and lemon rind until fluffy
  • Gradually beat in eggs
  • Mix in flour and add about 4tbs of milk
  • Grease a 1kg/2lb loaf time
  • Bake in moderate oven gas 4/350F/180C for 45 to 50 mins until risen and golden, firm on top.
  • Just before cake comes out of oven, prepare lemon syrup: heat lemon juice and granulated sugar gently until sugar has dissolved (45 secs in microwave and a good stir)
  • As soon as cake is out of oven, while still in tin, stab it all over top with a skewer..pour over the lemon syrup.
  • Leave cake in tin until cold (The cake will soak up all the syrup). 
...But yesterday was also the day I...changed my hair color!!! :)
 
After many years of meches and dyes to be blond I decided to get back to my natural color,a sort of light brown which is similar to the color of my eyebrows!
I'm really happy with the result, the color is bright and i think that it suits my complexion very well! :)

What do you think? :)


...and the day I... bought my new camera: Samsung NX1100
I'm sooooo excited and I can't wait to receive it and take many many pictures!!!
                               I wish you a beautiful Sunday!!!
                                          Martina
                                             xoxo
Monday 13 January 2014

...Burning my first Yankee Candle...

Last Saturday I bought my first yankee candles and yesterday I tried one of them, whose name is " Soft Blanket".
I really loved its soft and sweet scent so much!The notes of citrus, vanilla and amber filled up my bedroom and made me feel wrapped in sweet dreams!
I'm looking forward to try the other one called "Paradise Spice".
                                                xoxo
                                              Martina
Sunday 12 January 2014

... Prosecco and Elderflower...Prosecco e Fiori di sambuco...

Ciao bellezze!
Ieri sera sono stata con due amiche in un posticino delizioso in provincia di Vicenza..erano mesi che sognavo di andarci e non vedevo l'ora di assaggiare le innumerevoli prelibatezze!!!

Hello beauties!
Last night I was with two friends of mine in a lovely little place in the province of Vicenza.. I dreamed of going there for months and I couldn't wait to sample the many delights!

Quando siamo arrivate sono stata immediatamente colpita dalla piacevole atmosfera dell'interno: il fuoco ardeva nel caminetto e le decorazioni natalizie rendevano l'ambiente ancora più accogliente! Il locale é a conduzione famigliare e le due figlie ci hanno accolto gentilmente e ci hanno accompagnate al nostro tavolo al piano superiore.

When we arrived I was immediately struck by the pleasant atmosphere of the place: the fire was burning in the fireplace and Christmas decorations made ​​the environment more welcoming! It is a family run restaurant and the two daughters greeted us kindly and accompanied us to our table upstairs.

Dopo esserci accomodate abbiamo ordinato l'aperitivo della casa a base di prosecco e fiori di sambuco...sublime...i sapori si sposavano alla perfezione!
Then we sat and ordered three aperitifs based on prosecco and elderflower ... sublime ... the flavors married themselves perfectly!
Calice alla mano abbiamo iniziato a consultare il menù...una selezione di bruschette dagli ingredienti più deliziosi!
With the chalices in our hands we began to see the menu ... a selection of toasted bread with the most delicious ingredients!
  Ci sembravano tutte golosissime ed é stato davvero difficile scegliere...ma alla fine abbiamo optato per queste tre:
1.Pane nero di segale,pomodoro,insalatina di pinoli tostati, cipolla glassata e uva fragola con carpaccio di trota.
2.Pane bianco,formaggio,pomodorini essicati, julienne di sedano e rapa,salame e capperi canditi.
3.Pane nero di segale, formaggio,scaglie di tartufo, chicchi di melograno e speck.

Them all looked yummy and it was really hard to choose ... but in the end we settled on these three:
1.Black rye bread, tomato, salad and toasted pine nuts, candied onions, grapes and carpaccio of trout.
2.White bread, cheese, dried tomatoes, julienne of celery and celeriac, salami and candied capers.
3.Black rye bread, cheese, shaved truffles, pomegranate seeds and bacon.
Non potevamo fare scelta migliore... una goduria per il palato!!!
We couldn't have made ​​a better choice ... a pleasure for the palate!!
 
 E per finire in bellezza...gelato artigianale ai frutti di bosco e al pistacchio...
And last but not least ... homemade ice cream with berries and pistachio ....
 
....e per me una tisana con liquerizia, camomilla, finocchio e anice...accompagnata da un'assortimento di biscottini e meringhe...
Non potevo desiderare di passare una serata migliore!!!

...and for me ....an herbal tea with licorice, chamomile, fennel and anise ... accompanied by an assortment of cookies and meringues ...
I couldn't  wish to spend a better evening!!!
xoxo
Martina
Thursday 9 January 2014

...Changes....



Anno nuovo...Vita nuova.
La prima settimana di gennaio ha letteralmente rivoluzionato la mia vita, e mi sono ritrovata a dover salutare una persona che avrei creduto sarebbe rimasta accanto a me per sempre.
In questi giorni tristi, in cui cerco di capire come ripartire da sola, senza di lui a tenermi per mano, leggere questo libro mi dato una bella carica di energia positiva e tanta fiducia nel futuro! 

New year ... New life.
The first week of January has literally revolutionized my life, and I found myself having to say goodbye to a person that I believed would remain with me forever.In these sad days I'm trying to figure out how to start again on my own, without him holding my hand, and reading this book gave me a real boost of positive energy and a lot of confidence in the future!
Ho adorato questo libro dalla prima all'ultima pagina! La storia é divertente, romantica e avvincente ed é perfetta sia come lettura durante il periodo natalizio che in qualsiasi tempo dell'anno!!!

Quando Alex Munro scopre che l'amore della sua vita si stà per sposare con un'altra ragazza, tutto quello che desidera è restare da sola,e il più lontano possibile da Edimburgo. Una volta trasferitasi in un cottage in Cornovaglia, in cui si ritrova costretta a convivere con il cane piú sudicio del mondo, Alex scopre che i suoi nuovi vicini sono determinati a  coinvolgerla nei loro folli eventi natalizi. L'incontro con il suo sexy vicino di casa Ruan fa cambiare del tutto idea ad Alex,che improvvisamente non vuole più  essere sola a Natale...ma, dopo aver perso una fidanzata, Ruan non ha alcuna intenzione di lasciare che qualcuno si avvicini dinuovo a lui...
 
I loved this book from the first page to the last! The story is fun, exciting and romantic and it is a perfect read during Christmas time but also at any time of the year!!!

When Alex Munro discovers that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone, and as far away from Edinburgh as possible. Moving to a Cornish cottage, which comes complete with the scruffiest dog in the world, Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities. Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan, and somehow Alex doesn't want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost a girlfriend, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again...

Love, Martina
   xoxo
        
Sunday 5 January 2014

A special cake for Epiphany :)


Wednesday 1 January 2014

Happy New Year!!!!


Ciao a tutte!!!:) Tanti Auguri di Buon Anno!!!
Voglio condividere con voi qualche fotina scattata in questi ultimi giorni del 2013, mentre ero in montagna con Daniele e i nostri più cari amici.
Ci trovavamo in una casetta deliziosa, costruita nei primi del 1900 e arredata utilizzando il legno degli alberi della proprietà, al limitare di un incantevole bosco di betulle, dove abbiamo passato il tempo a cucinare manicaretti deliziosi, chiacchierare, fare lunghe passeggiate, leggere, guardare film, giocare a carte e...studiare accanto alla stufa a legna ( purtroppo gli esami si avvicinano e non c'é tempo da perdere;)).
Non poteva esserci modo migliore per trascorrere gli ultimi giorni dell'anno e festeggiare l'arrivo del 2014!!!



































Hello everybody!!!:)Happy New Year!!!
I want to share with you some pictures taken in these last few days of 2013, while I was in the mountains with Daniel and our dearest friends.
We were in a lovely little house, built in the early 1900's and furnished using the wood of trees of the property at the edge of a beautiful birch forest, where we spent time preparing delicious dishes, chatting, taking long walks, reading, watching movies, playing cards and ... studying next to the wood stove (unfortunately exams are in January and there is no time to lose;)).
There would be no better way to spend the last days of the year and celebrate the arrival of 2014!


La nostra colazione...Our breakfast!!!
 

Daniele intento a preparare il "vin brulé"...Daniele preparing "mulled wine" 
Kisses 
Martina