Unemployed on Wednesday - Develop a Drinking Habit Pt. II

So last Wednesday I tried to convince you to start drinking more water. And then I thought of another liquid. And another push.
Milk! 

This one more colourful.

 

And more decadent, in a way.

Think bones, muscles, teeth.

 

 Recommended by the 20-year-old-baby/prop eater.

Inspiration for Your Tuesday - Being True

I believe that no matter what you do, you should start your journey by being and staying true to yourself, as it emphasizes and blesses your work with recognizability and a personal stamp that others like you find easy to relate to, and to find you, and you in particular, in the crowd.

Suddenly Last Summer

I created this post to commemorate one of the greatest actresses of our time, Elizabeth Taylor.
I haven't heard of this movie before, but I liked the zesty green and how vivacious she looked here, generally.
Suddenly Last Summer, from 1959...

 and here, so beautiful...

 and my version of this outfit

Kooky Thursday - Breakfast Bruschetta

This is one of the simplest, most delicious things I ever made. And by delicious I don't even mean trying the food, but watching my dahling eat it.

You start with bread. 

 

I got best results with bread toasted in a grill skillet - no grease, crusty bottom, soft top.

The tomato sauce is the same one I used in this post.

We make it with feta and ham (also toasted).

You can add some parsley (always a plus!) or other herbs, and olives.

It's great as a full meal, but it serves well as an appetizer, too.

Unemployed on Wednesday - Develop a Drinking Habit

No matter what you thought after reading the title, it's only about water.
The famous 6 to 8 glasses a day can be a little boring and I've always been looking for ways to make the drinking more interesting. The water itself is super fun, and I love everything it has to do with, but the conventional glasses bore me.
So I created this little push for you and for me.

Straws! Perfect for the inner child, sipping is more fun than regular drinking.

 

This glass bottle was around for a while, I've been thinking about using it as a vase, but the emerging health freak prevailed. 

These droplets give it a serious look.

And look, if you drink enough water, you'll be as fresh as a flower.

Inspiration for Your Tuesday - Living

Hello on this lovely, sunny Tuesday. I don't have too much to say, except: read this, turn your computer off and go out.

Love in the Afternoon

It's been all about love lately :) Actually, it's always been.
This 1957 movie features... wait for it... Audrey Hepburn! And it's the longest awaited welcome to spring. And it embodies all I've been yearning to see and do.

This one, too...

And here's what she could wear today. Hippie, flowy, with just enough colour to wake you up. And then some. To make you meadow-jump and act not nearly your age. Perfect.

Introducing the Weekend Travelogue

As the weather has been improving lately, I've been spending most of my weekends outdoors. Is there anything better than capturing the change of seasons around you? Spring is surely my favourite time of the year (Argentina, anyone?), but I've been thinking that you might even turn winter for the better if you filled it with fun activities. For the most part of my life, I'd spent late autumn and winter holding my breath and waiting for 'it to pass'.
Anyhow, this year promises to burst with activities and so far it's been marked with short but sweet field trips, hikes, photographing and general conviviality.
So without further ado, I'll be introducing the weekend travelogue, recording natural, architectural and culinary delights I encounter.
I'm sure I'll be doing this for the next couple of months, and if all goes well, turn it into a regular feature.

The beautiful, recently renovated Orthodox monastery in a nearby village. I loved its Mediterranean feel and have never felt so peaceful in my life.

Detail of its wall. I'm a very tactile person and I had to touch it.

 Yours truly, taking in the view.

Look at this beauty! It's a window of a house from the Ottoman period. It almost felt staged. And I'd take these props on any day.

Spring blossoms... Literally stopped to smell them.
BTW, this is my homework for the Blogging Your Way e-course :)

Let's Make a Wish Together Pt. II

As I promised on Wednesday, I made my first paper crane.

 I like that this surface makes it look like it's floating in the universe...

This one so gracious...

And this one fierce and willing to fight.


I've never done it before, but I'm thinking about turning origami-making into a habit. Why? It involves your hands and your mind, but in a completely calming manner. That's something we could all use, especially having in mind that it's for a good cause.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patty's to all who celebrate!
I'm neither Irish, nor much of a beer-drinker, but I enjoy green and the general hype around this holiday.
My obsession with Ireland goes back to high school, resulting in my graduation thesis covering all things Irish. My boyfriend and I even contemplate moving there at some point :)
I've grown to love this day even more since meeting my American Literature professor. She was Irish, moved here for love (!) and had this radiant personality that affected everything she did. To sort of return the favour, my friend and I made everyone in our year wear their green, we made a shamrock garland, Irish soda bread and shamrock-shaped butter cookies = one of my fondest memories.

So to treat myself and you, I got several green things I absolutely adore. Here goes.

A green T-shirt that reads 'Everyone Loves an Irish Girl'. Bought it second-hand last summer. I love second-hand clothes. See how perfectly lived-in and shabby the shamrock is?

The pale green curtain in my bedroom.

I love how wrinkly and flowy it is.

This jar. I couldn't resist its vibrant colour.

I know where I'll keep it, but have no idea what I'll keep in it. Oh well. Green rests the eyes, right?

Kooky Thursday - Tanya, Tanya, my Little Lasagna*

I hadn't had a lasagna until my early twenties, and when I did, I didn't like it.
Only when I decided to make it myself, did it become tasty and juicy.
I love it. It's a full meal, healthy if you make it that way, and a true feast. What I like as much as its layery composition is the fact that I approach it gradually as well.
First I'll make the Bolognese sauce,

then the Bechamel sauce,

and then tear the mozzarella

and add the grated Parmigiano.

Each step is done carefully and with a feeling of calm, I guess I enjoy some structure from time to time.
To cut my waxing poetic, here's the recipe that I use. I don't use the Ricotta, but  follow the recipe otherwise.

I use the ceramic dishes that fit the size of the lasagna noodle perfectly. Actually, I like to do everything I do as festively as I can. Some call it complicated, I call it staying true to the original.

I also like to cover the lasagna with some aluminum foil while baking, as it keeps it nice and moist, and prevents the cheese from burning.
* Hope you don't mind the 'Who's the Boss?' pun :)

Unemployed on Wednesday - Let's Make a Wish Together

Dear readers & fellow bloggers, I've had an aha-moment a while ago and I wanted to tell you about it. Having in mind the horrendous line of events in Japan, and the fact that there is little to be done from afar, I'd like to suggest that we make a wish together. It is a Japanese tradition to make one thousand paper cranes in order to have a wish granted. I say let's make one thousand origami cranes as a symbolic gesture towards the well-being of Japanese people. You can reblog this post (I'd be grateful if you did), e-mail me with the photo of the crane you made or send me a link to the post, just so I know how far along we are. You can find the instructions here. Thank you all in advance if you decide to participate.
I'll start tomorrow by sharing my first crane.
* click on image for source

Connecting the Dots

Since Tuesday is the day to get inspired and I had another idea for you (suggested by my boyfriend), I decided to post it right away and not wait until next Tuesday - the Commencement Speech held by Steve Jobs for the Stanford University graduates in 2005.
It differs slightly in form from what I usually post, but the contents don't - it is a well of inspiration on so many levels no matter where you are in life. It's about connecting the dots, not settling for less and living a full, satisfying life, the only life worth living, basically.
Watch the entire speech here and read the transcript here.

Inspiration for Your Tuesday - Let Go

This song chorus has such a soothing and calming effect on me, I thought it might do the same for you in this sad moment for the humanity.

Love Story

I've only seen Love Story for the first time a few years ago. Sometimes I'm just in the mood to watch something sad and weepy for some cathartic relief. This outfit is big and bold, and it's a farewell to winter of sorts. Looking forward to some fresh, springy inspiration next week :)
Until then, Ali MacGraw in 1970...

 

and another one...

and an all bundled-up look of today

Inspiration for Your Tuesday - Worthy Deeds

This might become my mantra as I often get overwhelmed by the many things that I want. Not just things - experiences, events, existential issues, as well. So to walk the fine line between procrastination and overdoing, I'm taking this quote. And as I'm not a cheapskate, I'm sharing it with you ;)

Roman Holiday

It's been so long since I created a post dedicated to movie looks. This one is from Roman Holiday, and I've enjoyed gathering the items that would be fit for Audrey.
So here's Audrey in 1953... (this is the only colour illustration I could find, just so you don't think I made up the colours :)

and this one seems to epitomise her...

and lastly, here is what I found, fit for a modern princess...

* click on image for source