lunedì 31 agosto 2009

Late Summer blooming

It's still Summer here...sunny days and heat...after about 2 weeks with temperatures till 38°-40° most of my flowers looked weak and dry...watering everyday wasn't enough!
But now something happened and the garden is giving me a new blooming...
















...my new Daboecia Snowdrift has lovely bell little flowers...I didn't know it was a variety of heather...

















...the white Bacopa is giving me new blossoms...














...I don't remember the name of this little plant...














...solanum...














...busy days...LC will go to the market on Sunday!

giovedì 27 agosto 2009

Vintage suitcase!

We have some old suitecases...the cardboard ones the emigrants used to follow the dream of a new and better life...those which inspired movies of the neorelism and some songs of the first decades of the last century...

...new life...white paint outside...

















...a stenciled laurel wreath and monograms...

















...grey paint inside...

















..stenciled wreath and fleur de lis ...

















...a new item for LC and for the market we are going to make on September!

lunedì 24 agosto 2009

Enamelware collection

I gather all the enamelware together...most of these objects are on sale on my web-shop, a part from the two old tea-pots which belonged to my grand-grandmother...I could't sell family memories!

















I find them so lovely and decorative with their nice and delicate colours...I usually hunt for them at the flea-markets, but they're often expensive...

















I like when they're a bit chipped...that means they've an history...

Today I'm back to work...holidays are over but it's still very very hot...Autumn seems to be still so far! I'm lazy with this temperature...LC will have a stall at the following market in Lucca and we have to prepare all the items we'd like to show...and sell...I hope! So I've to be active again...bye bye laziness!!!!

venerdì 21 agosto 2009

Treasures in the loft

Hunting in the loft, I found some little treasures...
...the kitchen robot was a wedding gift of my mother...1962..

















...it's very funny now but it was very modern at that time...


















...the old beer bottles bought at a flea market in Czechoslovakia...

















...now I've to find a place for these new but old finds...

























Please don't tell me that the robot is old...I was born the year after and I don't like to think to be a "period" find!

martedì 18 agosto 2009

New finds!

Here they are the last finds at the Sarzana antique markets! I told you the prices are high, but Paola and I bought this little enamel dustpan....






















...and some metal placemarks for LC ...I think they're lovely for the table setting...

















...we're always hunting for new items, but during the Summer it's more difficult to find them...sun, hot and evebody on holidays!

venerdì 14 agosto 2009

La soffitta nella strada!

Every year on August an antique market takes place around the streets and squares of the ancien town of Sarzana. For 2 weeks from 5 p.m. to midnight, lots of stalls show old and ancient pieces of furniture, fabric, glass, china, jewels....

...garden acessories...

















...some deckchairs...

















...a nice old palace painted in black and white stripes...


















...old fabrics and linen...

















...old hat-boxes and cases...

















...the window of a lovely shop...

























The prices are high, but it's a very nice place for a walk or nice food...lots of lovely restaurants and lively atmosphere! I'll show you what I bought in the next post!

I'm not very active in the blogland in these days...I'm always on the beach and I like to spend my time outside! But I'm always thinking about you!!!
Enjoy a great week end!

lunedì 10 agosto 2009

Summer garden!

Now that I'm on holiday I've more time to spend in the garden...before leaving to the beach, when I come back, and to dinner in the hot evenings...













During the day is often too hot to be able to stay here...

















...because of the high temperature plants and flowers need extra cares...

















...the white pelargoniuns seem not suffering because of the heat...

















...my garden looks a bit too green...next year I've to buy more flowers!

venerdì 7 agosto 2009

La vie en rose

I'm not ver fond of colours...I often wear black clothes, I prefer natural shades at home and I adore white flowers...

















...I'd like to give some colours to my life...

























...a Cath Kidston tablecloth for the garden and pink candles for the new glass jar lanterns I made for LC

























Wish you all to see "la vie en rose"!

martedì 4 agosto 2009

New gravel

Finally I put some gravel in a part of the garden where no grass grows! Yesterday I went to buy it...it has been very tiring for me to transport and settle it, but I'm now very happy of the result and because I made it by myself!

























I bought a magazine and I enjoyed the shadow after coming back from the sunny beach!

venerdì 31 luglio 2009

Sunset on the beach!

I took some photos of the beach where I've been spending my Summer for more than 30 years....sun, an aperitive with friends...music, food, drinks and fun!

































Today it has been my last day at work...I'm on holiday!!!
Wish you all a very nice and sunny week end!

martedì 28 luglio 2009

Etched bottles!

New bottles for the LC...I etched ornaments and the script "Eau froide" on it....

























...and "Eau fraiche"...

























...here it's the result! The photos aren't very clear...I've always problems to take pictures of etched glass! Have you any suggestions???

venerdì 24 luglio 2009

Laundry time!

Doing the laundry is not one of my favourite activity...but it's so hot now that everyday there are lots of things to be washed! I like the fragrance of Marseille soap and of the laundry dried under the sun...

























...a nice surprise this morning....LC has been tagged by my friend Dreamgirl! She has two very nice blogs, Sweeter homes and Sweeter living! She is a very sunny girl and she shares her joy of life!
Thank you for this nice award! You make me happy!!!












I should give this award to 15 blogfriends, but I cannot choose! I've met so many faboulous blogs and wonderful friends that I'd give the award to everybody...and that's what I do! I give it to you all my dear friends!
I'm still working and I'm very busy...it's so hot that I dream some days of...nothing! Only beach, friends, relaxing time and fun!
Have a nice week end!

martedì 21 luglio 2009

Hand-made lanterns

I made some lanterns...I used little glass jars and some wire...

















...I etched some words on them...fleur...bugie...

















...jardin...amour...

























..and voilà! Some new lanterns to be hung in the garden and on sale on LC!

I've recived two awards in the last days!

Thank you Tanja from Tanja's Homestyle for this nice award! I'm honoured to received it from you! You're a creative girl!












...thanks to my dear friend Margie from Margies' Crafts....I like the way you share your life with us and you're a very talented girl!











As you know, I cannot choose only some blogs to be tagged! So I give these two awards to all of you, old and new friends!!!

venerdì 17 luglio 2009

Garde manger

It's a very long time we (Paola and me) have this "garde-manger"...we bought it for LC at a flea market in Antibes last year but I've decided to work on it only few days ago...






















...I've replaced the metal net and repainted it...grey and white patina!

















The final look is shabby...holes and cracks make it charming and show its history...I adore imperfection!
Have a nice week end!

giovedì 16 luglio 2009

I won!

Thanks to my friend Dreamgirl I won her giveway! A subscription to Country Living magazine! I usually buy this magazine so now I can wait for my issues at home!
Dreamgirl has two lovely blogs....Sweeter Living and Sweeter Homes and she is a very nice and sunny girl!















I'm a bit surprised...I never won something in my life and now??? Twice in a week!
I'm very happy!

lunedì 13 luglio 2009

Summer vegetables...fresh food!

I love vegetables and specially in the hot days of Summer, I like fresh and light food...















...nothing better than the country products...they are tasty and as beatiful as flowers...

















...tomatos, onions, cucumbers, salads, zucchini, green and white beans, aubergines....


















...it's easy to be creative with such ingretients...an iced gazpacho for me tonight!

venerdì 10 luglio 2009

Biscuits receipes

Some of you asked me for the biscuits recipes of my previous post...

























...here they are!

Lavander buscuits

50gr of sugar
• 60gr of butter softened at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 80gr flour 00
• 2-3 teaspoons of dried or fresh lavender flowers
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla yeast
• 1 pinch of salt

Mix in a bowl the butter and sugar, then add other ingredients and work the dough well.
Give it the shape of a cylinder of a few centimeters in diameter and place in freezer for half an hour wrapped in a little film. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and quickly cut into thin rounds of a half a centimeter thick, then put them on a oven tray covered with greaseproof paper a few centimeters away from each other.
Bake in pre-heated oven to 170 ° C for 15 minutes.

Parmesan and rosemary biscuits

100 g freshly grated Parmesan
180 g flour
pepper
120 g butter at room temperature
2 egg yolks
2 pinch of salt

Mix the Parmesan with the butter in a bowl.
Add flour, pepper and two pinches of salt.
Stir and add the first egg yolk, then the second one.
Knead quickly, without much work. The dough must be omogeneous.
Give it the shape of a cylinder of a few centimeters in diameter and place in freezer for half an hour wrapped in a little film.
15 minutes before cooking shortbread, preheat oven to 200 ° C.
Remove the film around the dough and cut each sausage into slices about 8mm thick.
Place them on a oven tray covered with greaseproof paper and cook in oven 15 minutes: cookies should be golden.
Let them cool completely.

Wish you all a sweet week end!!!

giovedì 9 luglio 2009

My first win!

For the first time in my life I won! Thanks to Lisa and her competition!
Lisa has a very nice blog and a gorgeous web-shop...lovely and romantic stuffs!
Yesterday I received this parcel from Sweden...

















...look at the nice charm on the parcel...
















...and this is my win! A lovely candle holder...


















I didn't make anything to deserve it...it's only luck! But I think it's a good luck sign! Italians are often superstitious! Thank you Lisa!
Have a nice week end!!!