A Spring-like Update

Happy Sunday my loveliest!

I'm writing this post with the windows opened, letting the fresh air of this glorious sunny day to come in and shake the curtains of my bedroom.

On the bedside table there is a burning candle, "Midnight Jasmine" of Yankee Candle, a very relaxing scent of water jasmine, sweet honeysuckle, neroli and mandarin blossom, which is perfect to celebrate this little moment of my own.

The last couple of months have really flown and my job has practically swallowed me, but there were some lovely things that are really worth being remembered...

1. Strawberries and chocolate on toast. There's nothing that can put me in a good mood like having a yummy breakfast! Last week I was craving for something sweet and tasty, so I went for a combination that really amazed me: the most creamy and delicious dark chocolate spread on toast with fresh organic strawberries: PARADISIAC!

2. Stripes. I simply adore them! I've been wearing this black t-shirt with white stripes in every occasion and I think it goes perfectly with every kind of outfit (a pair of skinny jeans, my favourite dungarees, my black leather jacket) and it makes me feel a little bit " glamour", expecially if I'm wearing a veil of red lipstick, which is something I thought I would have never been able to do!

3. Blue skies and windy walks. Spring is for the most stunning strolls in the countryside, where the meadows are showing all their glory, with their bright green grass, the colorful flowers and the lapping of the creek. Fingers crossed for more and more of these gorgeous days, for these running clouds which seem whipped cream and make me feel like I was in Ireland again, reducing a little the nostalgy for this isle of emerald!

4. Northanger Abbey. During the month of April I've been reading this classic, which is my first Jane Austen's book, and I throughly enjoyed it! It's a very quick and fun read and I would reccomend it to any lover of classics or to anyone who hasn't delved into this peerless writer yet!

5. Venice. How could I end up this post without mentioning Venice?!? You know how much I love this charming city and the feeling of happiness, peace and well-being I feel when I'm scampering around and about its tiny streets. 

April and May gave me some idyllic moments there with my friends and family, of whom I savoured every single moment hoping for more to come!

Love

xxx

Martina

Scented Vibrations...

Happy Monday my lovely ladies!!!

After a glorious sunny week, today the weather is grey and rainy, so I've thought it was the right moment to visit this little place of mine that I've neglected for so much time!!! So, here I am, ready to write an ode to spring with some flowering pictures, to suggest you a new recipe and a book that I'm loving right now.

As you can see, I truly love daffodils: their yellow and white blooms, swaying in the breeze, announce with joy the arrival of spring, bringing a lively note on the banks of the rivers and in the green grass of the meadows.

Everytime I see them, during my little daily walks in the countryside, the poem of William Wordsworth comes in my mind, and brings with itself  the same emotion that I felt the first time I heard these verses in my last year of High School.

Yesterday we celebrated Easter, so I tried a new recipe of a dairy-free "colomba", a traditional Easter cake in form of a dove... it's very easy to do, but the outcome is amazing! Fluffy and tasty, with a note of almond, lemon and orange zest... try it and you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients: 3 eggs, 350g of flour, 90g of sunflower oil, 170g of milk, 150 g of sugar, the zest of an orange and of a lemon, 1 vial of almond flavoring, 1 tablespoon  of yeast for pies, almonds and granulated sugar to decorate.

And, last but not the least, the book I'm currently reading: " The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair", by Joel Dicker, a gripping story about love, sadness, books and hidden pasts.

Love

xxx

Martina

Just A Minute In January...

Goodevening my lovelies!!!

Is there anyone still around here? I’m so sorry for the never ending absence from this precious little place of mine and I’m so glad that I’m finally back!!!

The reason why I 've decided to break this period of silence with this “ just a minute” post is that this short time seems to be the only one I can take during this period of craziness.

The new job is absolutely satisfying and captivating, but sometimes I feel like I’ve got on a running train that is not going to stop!!! 

So this evening, after more than a month, I’m curled up in my bed, under a fluffy blanket, with a boiling cup of hot chocolate and a hot water bottle on my feet, enjoying the simple pleasure of being alone with my lovely memories.

The big resolution I made for this brand new year was to try to find the genuine happiness in myself but also the strength I needed to break free of a relationship that, instead of giving me serenity, was stealing my joy of life and was filling myself with insecurities and sadness. 

So, January hasn’t started in an easy way, but, unexpectedly, it has also brought some beautiful emotions!!!

Unfortunately I didn’t do anything particularly exciting in the past couple of weeks, but I want to show you some of the pictures I took on Sunday morning when I went exploring the frosty woods near home with Cloe, mum and dad! 

It has been amazing to walk in the chilly air, among the crunching leaves, listening to the chirping of the birds and the lapping of the creek.

For a couple of hours I felt literally carried  through the pages of the wonderful book I'm reading, “The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady” by Edith Holden, a diary which starts in the month of January 1906, and  includes the favourite poems, the personal thoughts and the observations on the wildlife surrounding the village of the writer in the Warwickshire

Sometimes the contact with nature and its enchanting beauty it’s all that we need to feel alive again, regenerated in body and soul.

Love

Martina

A Day Trip To The Wicklow Mountains

Hi lovelies!!!

I'm so glad to be back in this little place of mine...life in Dublin has been really busy last month and I really needed some time for myself to share all my adventures with you!

The first weekend of July, less then a week after leaving Italy, I decided to join my new japanese friend Chikako, who works with me at the university, to a day trip to the Wicklow Mountains.

Being a girl from the countryside I couldn't wait to discover the surroundings of Dublin, a city that, despite being small and very cute, could be absolutely crowded, especially during the weekend.

Having been warned by the locals that in Ireland you can experience all the four seasons just in one day, I was well equipped against the bad weather, happy and excited about all the amazing places that I was about to visit!!!

As you know, I'm a great fan of the film " Ps: I love you", a romantic comedy with Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler, so you could imagine my happiness when I discovered that the trip included some of the most important places shown during the story...it was also funny to listen to our guide, a middle-aged irish man, when he tried to tell the plot of the movie, trying to seem as excited as the women of the group when we reached the salient points.

The day started with a very nice walking in an enchanting wood somewhere in the Wicklow Mountains, where we could see some of the oldest oaks of the country, a key part of the natural and human irish heritage.

In Ireland in fact the oak tree was traditionally a symbol of strength, kingship, endurance and fertility and is often considered the King of Trees.

It's unbelievable that a place so close to Dublin can be so wild, green, quiet and stunning! The city is just around the corner but you can feel the power of the nature, and enjoy the smell of the moss and the wet leaves, admiring the gorgeous colours of the countryside.

At lunch time we stopped in Enniskerry, a little village where we found an organic restaurant which served a delicious dairy free vegetable soup ...exactly what I desired to warm me up a bit! And after the soup we went straight in a lovely coffee shop, called "Kennedy's" where we spent half an hour sipping an amazing cappuccino with soy milk.

The last stop of the trip was Glendalough, one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. It's a wonderful place, crossed by a small river and surrounded by hills and woods, with its cemetery, the round tower, the cathedral in ruins and the little church, which give it an air of mystery.

I really can't imagine a better way to begin my adventure in Ireland, because I'm totally convinced that the beauty and the essence of this island is not stuck in the cities, but in its green meadows, in the scents of the fuchsias, in its deep blue water, in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean and in the running clouds of its skies.

Love
Martina

An Enchanted Forest And A Dairy-Free Apple Cake

Hello ladies!!!
I took these pictures two Sundays ago, but the past couple of weeks have been so busy I couldn't find the time to write even a little post about them.
Finally this evening seems to be the right one and I'm enjoying my free time, curled up in bed, with a cinnamon scented candle lit , a soft woollen blanket, my laptop, and a cup of steamy hot chocolate!!!

This month, in Italy, has given us a lot of sunny days so, especially during the weekends, I've taken the chance to spent some time walking in the woods, admiring the nature in its autumnal shades, eating wild apples and picking up the yellowed leaves.

 

 

A Sunday I've decided to reach a place, not far from home, where I used to go with my father and my grandfather when I was a little girl, especially before Christmas, to pick up the moss for the nativity scene we created at home during the Advent.

The place is absolutely stunning: the lush trees, the sound of the waterfall, the crystal clear water and the soft light that filters through the foliage... it seems to be in an enchanted forest!!!

 

 

 

 

To get there you have to cross a wooden bridge, rather tatty so, when I was little, I felt like being on the set of Indiana Jones and even now, at the age of 26, the feeling hasn't changed at all !!!

It has been regenerating to be there and, once at home, I wanted to end the morning with a bang, preparing this delicious cake with red apples, hazelnuts and cinnamon custard, which was totally dairy-free and really fabulous with a cup of lemon and ginger tea (I'll give you the recipe as soon as possible)!

 

 

Love

xoxo

Martina

A perfect Saturday morning!!!

Last week my parents were on holiday in Tuscany, so I stayed at home with my sister, Cloe and Minù!!!:)

The days have flown between work, study, houseworks and evenings with friends and the weekend has arrived in a flash!
On Friday night I went with my sister to our favourite Chinese restaurant and we spent some beautiful hours together, chatting, eating yummy things and laughing!!!

 

 

But my favourite moment of the entire week has been the Saturday morning!!!
We slept like angels until nine o' clock and, still in our pajamas, we prepared pancakes with chocolate and honey, orange juice and coffee to start the day with the smile in our faces!!!

 

 

 

After breakfast we went out for a walk in the countryside with Cloe..it was warm and sunny and the air smelled of flowers!!!

 

 

I really needed a morning like this to regenerate my body and my mind!!!

 

 

How was your weekend?

 

Love

xoxo

Martina



Spring-flowering!!!

 

"The snowdrop and primrose

Our woodlands adorn

And violets bathe mid the wet

o' the morn"

      -Burns-

 

Ohhh I love spring so much!!! I was so tired of wearing heavy coats, gloves and woolen scarves to go out, of the freezing weather and of the darkness that came at five in the afternoon!!!
Now days are getting longer, it's not so cold anymore and the air smells of flowers!!!

Last weekend when I opened my wardrobe I realised that I really needed something colorful and flowered, to completely immerse myself in the spring atmosphere!!!

So on Saturday morning I went in Vicenza with my mother to do some shopping and I found what I was looking for:

 

 

This lovely jacket and a soft scarf with flowers

 

 

A blouse with light blue roses

 

 

And  a mint-colored dress, on which are laid these beautiful butterflies!!!

 

What have been your purchases of spring? :)

 Tell me..I'm so curious!!!

Love

xoxo

Martina