♥ new year is approaching

The 2009 last days are leaving and I need of some days of vacation, I'm draining of work, stress and efforts spent in my new home. I'm off next few days, see you next year with lots of new things to talk about.
Have you though about your new year's Resolution?
Here my top5!

♥ Learn English properly! To do this I hope to spend 3 month in London maybe in the Spring
♥ Tame the bulge, my goal is 50x30! I mean I'd like losing some kilo before my 30th birthday!!!
♥ Quite drinking during weekly days
♥ Save more money
♥ Spend more time helping others and also ... just with myself

Will I be able to do these?? We will see ...

Have a super New Year's Eve!! See youuuuuu

Questo sarà il mio capodanno: ignorare l'orologio, mescolare il dolce con il salato, rimpire bicchieri e sentire già la primavera sotto pelle che spintona.

♥ HAVE A SUPER XMAS

♥ lovely packages

As the holidays quickly approach here in Italy, I was looking for something holiday to inspire me on the net for today's steer for adorning your holiday gifts. Ok, I want to show you some of my xmas handmade packages. Today I am super excited to share my little gifts just wrapping. They look fabulous and absolutely easy!
Try wrapping smaller gifts with paper and add some cute ribbons, edges and bows.

Have a pleasant happy Christmas if you celebrate it and a peacefilled New year wherever you are visiting from.

♥ diy: mini knitted Christmas stockings

I've just bumped into these amazing Xmas decorations and I can't miss posting them in my blog, they are too beautiful. I found them in this really adorable and lovely blog littlecottonrabbits .

Iknow it's quite late to do them for this Christmas but they are so gorgeous I couldn't keep them just for myself!! I had to spread the words!!!

I definitely decide I'll do them for next Xmas and I use them to wrap up my presents and decorate my Xmas tree (it'll be surely so cute). into the blog you can find all directions to make properly these little red socks. Julie explains properly every steps, it seems quite easy to make, i will let you know!! She sell her goods on Etsy, they all are lovely, I suggest you to check here mainly her divine cupcakes.
These socks give any room a hip, vintage, romance, clean feel. They would also make such a unique and refreshing gift!

♥ Cooking School: anolini

Last Saturday was so freezing I decided to cook broth just to warm up myself! Outside it was totally white because it was a big snowfall during the past night, the city is so beautiful today, the atmosphere you can breathe is amazing, supermerry, cute and so paceful & relaxing. Anyway ... I can miss eating the broth with anolini, the traditional and local stuffed pasta. to do them you need of the right shape to cut them, if you don't have chance to get it you can use some circle shapewith diameter of 2 cm.

Here my granmother's recipe:

♥ Pasta

500 g flour

5 eggs

♥ Stuffing

400 gr grated parmesan cheese

150 gr grated dried bread

souce of overcooked meat

a bit of nutmeg

a bit of pepper

4 eggs

Buon appetito!!!

PS: if you need more details please don't hesitate to ask me.

♥ Cooking School: tiramisù

Here just for you a really yummy recipe to "warm up" yourself a bit in these very freezing days.
Tiramisù usually is quite heavy and seems fat, well, this recipe is very light and tempting. My guests usually ask me for one more slice and this makes me happy of course!!
About savoiardi: you can find them in all Italian food shops or in a lot of markets.

Ingredients - Serves 84 eggs
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
500 grams of mascarpone
1 cup italian coffee
300 grams of savoiardi (biscuits)
1 bunch bitter cocoa

Directions:1.Beat yolk eggs with sugar, when they will be swollen add the mascarpone mixing very well.
2.Whisk 2 white eggs with the mixerand add it to the mixture. Please keep attention at this step!!! Fold in gently.
3.Put the coffee in a plate, sugar it and add 3 tablespoons of water. Dip into the coffee the savoiardo just 2 seconds (it must be soaked but not full of liquid!!) and put it into the pan. Do the same with all other savoiardos and make a layer on the bottom of the pan.
4.Add half of the cream on the first layer of biscuits and cover againg with another layer of soaked savoirados. Cover with the rest of the cream.
5.Dust on the top with bitter cocoa and put on the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
6.Now taste it and let me know!!! it's amazing, promise!!!

Tiramisù is a quintessential recipe in italian cuisine. Try it with a glass of PASSITO wine... All too perfect!

♥ after a total white weekend

I have learnt some things:

♥ Without the net there are so many things to do
♥ Luch can become so long .... (from 12.30 am to 7.45 pm) ... jesus!!!!!
♥ My friends from university are brilliants, brave, ambitous and ...really amusing too!
♥ Love walking in the snow with boots and a warm woolen hat
♥ Take snaps
♥ Have a hot cappuccino heating up hands
♥ I love to wrap up the present but I'm so bungler writting the greeting cards!!
♥ Knitting, I definitely love it!!

♥ my all time faves - 10 things I adore...

I'm so close with these things I can't live without them. They identify me and I love them, they are part of me because I use or do them daily. Here the list:

1. Burlington Socks
2. Moleskine diary
3. Tiffany necklace
4. Huge bag with all my stuff into (surely black pen, water, hand cream, molenskine, beauty)
5. Pearl earrings
6. Flannel plaid pajamas
7. Male slips
8. Coffee in the morning
9. A glass of white wine after work
10. The art of table setting

♥ things to do getting ready for Xmas - round 1

I've just found this website thank to ame(mi)piace, one of my favorite Italian blogs! It's so delicate and so catchy...

♥ from London

Every time I go to London I love it more and more, Actually nothing special happened (maybe one happened but this is my secret!) I did just lots of Xmas shopping with my friend Cecilia and it was quite excited and really fun, running through many shops, streets, stalls and big chains! But we have reached our goal: to find all Xmas presents!!!

We went to Anthropologies like Suze suggested me in the past days and all things into this shop are so cool and definitely divine! At first the layout is great, so cute and so particular, they take care of everything. The home accessorises are so sweet, lovely and delicate I’d like to buy everything and about dresses? Ah, they are heavenly and dreamy! His style is a perfect mix of country, vintage, cute, French flavor with an accurate pinch of new. It has gone straightly in the top5 of my favorite shops in London.

Where did I find other Xmas presents?
• Cat Kids Bridgewater
• Mark&Spencer
• Papercase
• Selfridges
• Muji
• Agnes b.
• Lots of shop in Lamb’s Conduit Street
• Lots of shop in Angel area

Just a tip and steer about Japan Centre. Their take away shop has moved from Piccadilly to 14-16 Regent Street (SW1Y 4PH) you can eat there on some big wooded tables or you can take away of course, they are still the best sushi in London. Everything cost 50% less after 9 pm. Hurry up!!
This time I had dinner in an Italian restaurant just to get a taste of Italy: I went to Ciao Bella and I had a pizza more tasty than the last pizza I ate in Italy!!! If you missed Italy you would be there. I snoped this very hidden bar whee you can grap a drink after dinner and I promise I drank the most delicious, tasty and grat drink in London, of couse the owner is italian, Tony. He does lots of different and innovative cocktails mixing several and rare flavors such as rose, violet and something similar the perfume channel n°5!! We tasted 3 drinks and all of them was great! A really cool place in Angel, a tiny space, with a capacity of only 40 people, will be identifiable only by a lantern and have no name at all. you can find it looking for 69, the civic number of the street where it is (69 Colebrooke Row (N18AA). Don’t miss it!
At least I’m already planning my next trip to London! It’s better to be addict of London than addict of drugs…

♥ It's so weird to wake up and see snowing

Actually I LOVE it!

♥ XMAS SHOPPING IN LONDON ♥

I'll be back to you soon!!!! Any suggestion for my odd shopping in London??

PS: here it's snowing, gosh!!! ... hope to leave, I can't miss my flight!!

Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

♥ luxury eco picnic set

I LOVE eco and green and I definitely hate the plastic dishes. This is truly a brilliant idea and very cool too!!

Are you going to organize a party in the park? You are right maybe better an houseparty through this season (actually pic nic is my passion)!

Here you go and it will be really impressive just using them!!

On the left you can see some snaps about the pic nic pack but they sell also other pack for all type of party: the eco-friendly party pack!

They are 100% biodegradable so it doesn’t leave it’s mark on the environment. All stuff are contained in an easy-to-carry, recycled cardboard box that contains all the essentials for a gorgeous, eco-friendly bash and is available in a range of sizes to cater for as many people as you care to gather.

Finally this lovely eco packs are:

Biodegradable
Compostable
Sustainably-Sourced
Recycled
UK-Handmade
Organic
Fairly Traded
FSC Certified

It's definitely mine, I always look for the beauty!

♥ xmas printables

It's the Christmas period and I'm definitly in trouble with the Xmas presents and of course with their packs! I LOVE to find the appropriate present for all friends of mine and I LOVE also to wrap them handmade (DIY always). This years I found lots of blogs where you can download some cute, pretty, sweet, terrific free printables. You can find all sorts of pretty gift tags in many variety of shapes, sizes, model and colour as well. My favorite images are the vintage one or the set with some cute animals just in a single colour such as red or black, very easy.

I have to say thank you to Suze and her cozy blog, she suggest me some of these divine blogs:

♥ paper crave

♥ creature

♥ two peans in a bucket

♥ a print a day

♥ whipup

On the net there are a lots of other blogs like them, if you ahve some amazing ones please suggest me!!

♥ unfortunately ... it's time to say goodbye

Someone stole my lovely and handmade LVbike! Rubbish people!!!!

♥ my seasonal faves

They are some pics about my cozy home during some friends evenings. I LOVE my Xmas tree, it's so divine and sweet, plenty of red and wool hearts (DIY: I made them last years using an old pull). I really need of a Christmas tree rug just to put below it, this is my next task, I'll find it! Anyway I've finally got my tree and decorations sprinkled about the house. It's a good start and is enough to make me feel festive this year!!

I definitely don't like the plastic dishes but I found some really nice paper dishes and finally they look lovely. About my House Warming Party? I had an easy breakfast with some girl friends of mine last Sunday, it was really good time! I prepared some sweets: apple cake, cookies, jam cake, jam with bread and lots of different tea and coffee.

Have fun like me!!

♥ city guide: Sevilla by polaroids

I am very excited I'm just back from Sevilla and I definitely love it! It's a great Spanish City! I chose to show you my trip by some polaroids I took there. I think this is an unconvetional concept to show my journey, hope you also enjoy this!

♥ Here my polariods' city guide:

The first hightlight of Seville is definitely the oranges! Every corners of Seville are full of citrus trees, and of course I had some really yummy and delicious orange jiuce. All Sevilla's palaces and buildings are white such as a southen city. The second one is Azulejos: a kind of ceramic tile, hands-worked and plenty of nice colours. They remind the Morocco's culture.



A few highlights, tourist bits:

• The Giralda and the Cathedral are great, are beautiful
masterpieces,
• The barrio judio, the old jewish quarter, is nice for a walk round and very atmospheric
• Plaza de espana – some people don’t like it, but I think it is worth a look
• The Alcazar Palace - the gardens etc are fantastic

Overall, Seville is about walking around, its such nice and relaxing, its just enjoyable to be outside and surrounded by nice buildings and the smell of food!

♥ Food:

Overall, the food in Seville is great. I would recommend the following places to you:

taberna coloniales: my favourites – great food, very cheap, and very popular with the locals. It is quite central and worth the wait – I recommend you try the “solomillo al castellano”, but its all great really.

estrella: another great place, does really good Spanish food and in the old jewish part. Good value also

Some more without websites:

El Patio de San Eloy, c/ San Eloy 9: as typical a Sevillian atmosphere as you can get once inside. The lower level is large and open, with ceramic tile benches/bleachers in the back where you can sit down and munch on olives or little sandwiches (montaditos). A large number of these montaditos and sandwiches are sacked high behind the bar, ready to be heated up and served (though one wonders about the freshness without refrigeration). Surrounding the bar are several groups of tables. Upstairs there is a dining area, but no real dining goes on in this place. In fact, I really recommend this as a place for a cold beer. The waiters always seem friendly enough, but after having seen them pull the bad part of a piece of jamón off a montadito before heating it up (more than a few times), I'm not too "keen" on eating much aside from the olives.

Sierra Mayor, Joachin Guichot 5: A great place to go for a variety of famous jamón and cured meats such as chorizo, caña de lomo...you name it: if it's cured pig, it's in Sierra Mayor. The fuentes (platters) give you a chance to try a little bit of everything, although it can be a little expensive. Tapas range from 1,80 - 3,00€. A large bar area with a number of tables generally mean there is plenty of space. The tables outside tend to go first on a nice night. During the holidays they hang little pig ornaments with a Santa hat on them: the front shows the typical smiling pig. The back-side appropriately shows his butt.
• fuente de sierra mayor (a little of everything in the cured meat department)
• fuente de queso (many cheeses)
• croquetas de espinaca (spinach croquettes)
• tostada o pan de la casa (various breads/toast with choice of toppings)

El Rincón del Pulpo Gallego, Harinas 21: Great Galician bar. This is the sweeter type of sidra. My tapa favorites are chorizo criollo, mejillones al vapor and of course the pulpo. Tapas range in price from 1,75 - 2,75€. Look for the purple octopus on the sign outside and you're there. Damn! They took away the purple pulpo. So just look for the sign.
• empanada de atún (tuna empanada - accept no other)
• pulpo gallego (octopus served with boiled potatoes)
• mejillones al vapor (steamed mussels)
• berberechos al vapor (steamed clams, or similar to clams)
• bacalao a la gallega (fish with a few veggies)
• chorizo criollo (homemade sausage served with sauce)
• sidra (cider)

Also, make sure oyu try a good breakfast somewhere – you should try tostada con jamon, aceite y tomate, its very good!! All bars should offer this.


♥ Nightime:

Ok, this is quite tricky, because as you surely know Spanish people like to go out quite late, and different areas are busy are different times – generally speaking, the best areas to go out are:
• Calle Betis (Triana) – right by the river, some good bars and always lots of people
• Plaza Alfalfa – lots of smallish bars close together, I found it very popular with the locals
• Plaza Salvador – good for early evening drink especially Saturday lunchtime – good tapas place nearby as well, called “Universal”, just seen not tried!!
• Triana in general is fun to go out
• For some flamenco ... actually I don't love flamenco, sorry i didn't go to see it!!

Sevilla is good for ♥ shopping as well, the shops are in the centre so you can really miss them.

Guys..have fun in Sevilla!!

+26.5*°