What I Do

Coffee

2011-05-18T19:25:00.002-05:00

The problem with coffee is that it exists; however, there would also be a problem if it didn't.

coffee cup, Bialetti espresso maker

Coffee or more specifically caffeine is most defiantly a drug. Proof of this can be felt when I drink a cup. Maybe it only affects me but I'm pretty sure the feeling of conquering the world that follows shortly after the small cup of espresso is felt by all. Suddenly my mind starts racing and I can think of a hundred things that I want and can do that day. After about ten minutes the feeling fades and I'm left a two page To Do List that almost never gets completed. This is followed by the overwhelming feeling of being lazy... that is until my next up.

Bialetti Moka Express working its magic

It's amazing to me that anything gets done in this country (Italy), or maybe that is specifically why nothing gets done. Coffee has been a huge part of the culture since the 1600s and before, but coffee houses and cafe's don't really exist much. Italians drink their coffee at the bar and rarely sit- unless it's a local place and a sitting fee isn't demanded. It's a small cup and you don't need much time to drink the espresso-- just enough to melt some sugar if you like and then gulp it down. This may actually be perfect since the caffeine surge will hit a few moments later and the drinker is already on his/her way to do something productive. The task must be more likely to be completed under the influence of caffeine and once you start the project of sorts it's a waste to stop. Alright I've got the secret now.... off to get that list down to one page!!!

Making Things

2011-03-10T05:01:00.000-06:00

I think about 3 months is a general gap that I leave when I post on here. I'm actually going to try to post some interesting things about Italy and Florence and whatnot soon.. I hope. I guess this could turn into a travel blog again, but maybe it will just be informational. Enough about that! This post was supposed to be about what I have been making these past weeks; not about what the nature of this blog is to be in the future.

My Purse!

I've been needing a new purse; a cross body type purse, but not always. I'd looked online and found some beautiful purses, but with my measly income I somehow thought it would be more economical to make the purse myself. Also this way I could make it as I liked. So I did just that. I may have spent too much on fabric BUT I can make pillows now too or something else. So here's my happy purse with an inside zip pocket, 3 open pockets, and dual option carrying straps.

Books/Albums

I've been working hard on some smaller albums that were requested as baby gifts. I also wanted to do an exposed spine binding again b/c it has been WAY too long since I have done one of those. Lately it's been all about leather bindings, so it was fun to do the paper covers and detailed stitching on the spine.

leather bound baby album

exposed spine

2011 agenda in italian. photo: back and inside

Ok I think that'll do for now. I'm updating my website as well and new photos with info will be up soon. Since I'm working out details for a new layout I think it maybe be next week before it is finally ALL online. I will do some small updates today though.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T20:00:00.000-06:00

Pocket Getaway Journals- The Newest Edition!

2010-12-01T09:57:00.002-06:00

I've been really busy the past few days making these fantastic pocket sized journals. They are perfect for a weekend or week long trip and have a pocket in the back to keep your passport and all those mementos you collect on your journey. Here are a few photos...

P.S. They make GREAT stocking stuffers!

visit My Shop or My Etsy for more information!

New Happenings

2010-10-18T17:25:00.002-05:00

Well it has been a while since I have posted on here, but I hope I can keep that type of time gap from occurring again. I am officially back in Florence, Italy- Yippy! I've been here for a few weeks, and have been getting things set up and organized. I have also been happily bookbinding, updating my website, facebook, flickr and etsy page, and getting more supplies. Here are a few things that I have completed along with one very special item that is for sale. Be sure to visit the website- It's finally coming together!

5 year journal: approx. 5.5x4.5 inches. Navy Tuscan leather bound with 'confetti' bead detail and wrap around closer. Inside pocket. Each page is headed with the date and followed by 5 sections for each year to have a journal entry.

Blank Journal: approx. 5.5x4.5 inches. Brown leather bound with woven wrap around closer. 96 acid free pages.

Blank Journal: approx. 5.5x4.5 inches. Purple Tuscan leather bound with bead detail and wrap around closer. 96 acid free pages.

Blank Journal: approx. 5.5x4.5 inches. Brown leather bound with large 'embossed' cords and wrap around closer. 96 acid free pages.

Italian Wedding Album

Light brown Tuscan leather covered 12x12 inch wedding album. With custom leather 'embossing' on cover and spine. Blue and cream Florentine paper inside front and back cover. 50 white pages with interleaved glassine sheets to protect your photos.

For Sale

I'll be back soon with more!

Tiny Town Tour

2010-04-12T08:45:00.000-05:00

As it turns out I have neglected to update in a couple of months, but not only that, I have also not written a single word about moving to the mountain. Perfect timing for me to finally write considering I will be moving back down to the valley in the next couple of days. In my defense I would like to state that sunny days were spent outside, snowy days didn’t always have functioning internet, and I have been updating on Facebook a little. None of those are very good reasons for not writing, but I can’t do anything about that now. So here we go. I will introduce you to the small village on a mountain in the Italian Alps the way I got to know it.

(If I mention ‘we’ and haven’t said another name then you can assume that it is me and Jess- an au pair and friend from VT.)

Snow Academy- Scuola Italiana Sci e Snowboard
At the beginning of the season a lot of days were spent here hanging out and getting my balancing act together. The sun would set early (as most of you know this happens in the winter) so it was too cold to stay outside. The ski school is great and even better if you intend on learning to ski- since that is what they do best! I was prepared to teach English a couple of times but since it was the first year to have language/ski lessons not many people knew about it. Next year I’m sure it will be full of participants.

me in one of the ski school jackets - Jess playing on the board

Peter’s Coffee House
Hot Chocolate heaven. Let’s start from the beginning. Peter’s isn’t your average cafe in Italy. It is def. more of a coffee house feeling. Back to the hot chocolate. Some of you may remember my descriptions of hot chocolate in Italy and how wonderful it is. For those of you who haven’t heard… Italian hot chocolate is like warm pudding/soup but chocolate so already this is the best thing ever. Then at Peter’s Coffee House Peter himself makes fresh whipped cream. Although I think he may have angels in the back whipping it up for him because it is heavenly. Yes, I know I used ‘heaven/ly’ as a description a lot in this paragraph but it is true and I don’t feel like using a thesaurus to find another word that means the same thing so deal.

The front of Peter's Coffee House - my have finished hot chocolate

Sporting Pub
Many evenings were spent here for a glass of wine or a beer. It is fun to look back and see how we progressed from having to pay when we got our drinks and full price to the night we could pay at the bar and started getting a discount. Jess: we’re regulars now! There was one night in the middle where our server obviously didn’t know who we were and we had to suffer the full price for the last time. Since that night we have only sat at the bar which happens to be nicer anyway. Usually the Pub was a stop after a night of skiing. I would walk down since I could ski home (and I didn’t want to wear ski boots to walk home) and Jess would walk up from the ski school and we’d meet for a drink. The best nights were of course when others would buy them for us... we met Paolo Meneguzzi (opening act for Ricky Martin) one Friday night while he was here to perform the next day, and the DJ from Radio 105 out of Milan took a liking to us (ok me) but that was a little awkward. Once spring arrived we would meet at Sporting with with others for aperitivo and sit in the sun for as long as possible before going home for dinner.

birthday drink - first night at the pub with wine, beer, and pizza

The Crai
Prato Nevoso’s ‘super’ market. This tiny little market was a walk down the one street in town, around the parking lot, and up a small hill. We would frequent the Crai a couple of times a week. Usually for coca cola light, wine, gummies, ritz or maybe fruit-- no, nothing italian except for the wine. We have even gone to the Crai dressed for carnival-- for me that included wings a wig. After Jess participated in MangiaSki (mangia = eat) -- should be BeveSki (beve = drink) since eating is the least of what takes place-- the last stop on the path was next to the market and we needed supplies for the evening soooo in her condition there was nothing to do but cheers a guy... in the Crai- champagne and all!
Jess: Cheers! Guy: Cin! Cin! (Italian version of cheers) Jess: No, Cheers!
This is probably my favorite memory of the Crai.

dressed up for carnival at the Crai

Pratolandia
This could be the most hilarious place on the mountain. Please remember that we are in Prato Nevoso so this is translated as Prato Land! This wonderful patch of snow is for the kids... and me and Jess. Mattia could get in b/c it was included in his ski group so we took advantage of this on several occasions. My first trip was just me and Mattia and we jumped around in one of the big blow up balloons and of course down the dino slide. There are sleds and all kinds of things to do-- at least to a 3 year old! I later found out that I probably wasn’t supposed to be on the toys but honestly no one else was around so it would have just been Mattia jumping by himself and it looked like too much fun so I joined in. Later we would go with Jess and Beatrice too (she is 1) and have a blast!

Mattia on the Dino slide

Pizza I Metri
Jess and I enjoyed afternoons in the sun being ‘townies’. The trouble with being a townie in Italy is you must first find a place such as a bench to sit on. There are a lack of benches in Italy; unless you are in a park or maybe piazza (although even there they are scarce) you will find it hard to come by a place to sit and enjoy life for free. We were thrilled to find a bench perfectly situated in the sun outside of a ‘pizza by the meter’ place. We would occasionally buy a piece of focaccia and enjoy the afternoon. One day I noticed that something had been written on our bench. A little notice in blue permanent marker saying that the bench was reserved for clients only. Luckily on this day I wanted to be a client but we were a little disappointed that we were no longer welcome to sit on the bench without buying some bread. It was on this bench that we were first invited to aperitivo at Brucaliffo…..

Brucaliffo!!
One afternoon/evening as Jess and I were relaxing in the sun at Pizza I Metri some of the ski instructors were headed next door to Brucaliffo for aperitivo. Andrea mentioned that they usually came after work and we should come. Life got better after that. Glass of wine and light snacks before dinner is the way to go. Our first day was initiated by breaking a bottle of wine (that was hidden in Jess’s coat) and making a nice mess all over the floor although there is a chance they don’t know who it was. Fede and his handle bar mustache made Brucaliffo awesome not to mention we got a discount which was fantastic as well. On cooler days we would sit inside, then the more recent sunny days were spent outside on the couch by the front door or the patio visiting with friends. The best days involved live music but everyday was in good company.

wall inside - couch outside - patio the last night it was open.. live music and all

Snow Fever
There may be two ‘clubs’ in Prato Nevoso but we were frequent visitors of Snow Fever. I must say that my first trip to Snow Fever was anything but special. So boring in fact that we left Snow Fever and went back to the Pub; probably in part because of the numerous teenagers that decided to show up that night. Since then Snow Fever has had it’s ups and downs depending on day of course but we always made it fun. There were days where we started the party and then I’m pretty sure Jess even shut it down another night. The music was usually good and at times way too random but luckily it was in english so as old as the song might be we could always sing and dance along. A few songs from the season are: Stereo Love, No Stress, In the House, and Candy on the Dance Floor. Of course there were others but these in particular meant that no matter where we were we must get to the dance floor pronto.
Hitchhiking was always apart of evenings out. Living on a mountain means that when you hit the wee hours of the morning the last thing you want to do is walk up to your house. Also living in this village means you can generally trust just about everyone and so we did. Jess was the thumb-- I just couldn’t do it. There were very few nights when we didn’t get a ride home and later on we even started getting rides down. Our most proud nights were getting a ride down and then in between locations and then a ride home. To top the 3 rides in one night was if the driver was willing to stop at Jess’s house and then again at mine… we had our regulars by the end of the season and then a few who would just stop and know. It’s a shame you can’t do this everywhere.

me and Jess at Snow Fever - PRATOLANDIA (the guy) - dancing ski instructors

Malanotte/Verde
Malanotte is the top of the mountain.. I had no idea this place existed until one day I was riding in the car with Mattia and Nonno Nanni (his grandfather) and we went to Verde and Malanotte. I never knew how high the mountain went past our house either and wondered if we would ever make it up there. The view from the top is spectacular. On the left you can see Cuneo (the bigger city around) and on the right you can see Mondovi. On each side of Prato Nevoso there is another ski resort and both are someone visible from Malanotte. Verde is on the opposite side of the mountain from where I am. We drove here too but I have walked to both places a couple of times. Verde is down my street/mountain around and up and then as the road wraps around the mountain some more you can finally get there--- the 6 man chair lift. It isn’t really too far away but it’s long enough when large hills are involved. On a nice spring day you couldn’t ask for better places to walk.

mount viso - mount viso - ruins on the way to Verde - Mts. from Malanotte - Sunset from Malanotte

Jess and I are fairly certain that we are the only Americans (along with her sister who visited) to ever set foot in Prato Nevoso, but if you would like to be the next you can visit the website online. Getting here is a little difficult but the skiing is nice.... I will write more about both of these in the next post. Enjoy!

Christmas time in the City & Countryside

2010-01-20T11:52:00.002-06:00

So my internet is not working today and I have already had a nap which means I can finally not be distracted by everything else and write a long overdue update. After I went to Rome I headed to Florence and Prato of course. I spent most of my time in the countryside and outside the city center but really enjoyed visiting with horses and other animals.

One of my favorite things in Florence is Christmas time well and Spring time… but it was Christmas season when I was there. The streets are all decorated with lights, the street artists have chalk drawings of Santa and other holiday scenes, and the store shops are decorated too. Ok it sounds like plenty of towns in the USA and everywhere else but you have to understand my love for Florence to begin with. I also like to visit the German Christmas Market in Piazza Santa Croce. Here there are booths of herbs and spices, so many booths of foods like strudel, pretzels, brats, french fries, beer, cheeses, meats, and of course the booths with gifts to buy for friends and family. I saw a few neat things but either didn’t have the money or the space to bring it back with me. I did however have plenty of time and money to stand in line and get a brat with sauerkraut, french fries, and a beer. I think Ritvan even enjoyed it. Usually around Christmas time it is rather cold and gelato would make one freeze, but the beauty of it is that it doesn’t melt; although normally I would get a hot chocolate and savor its thick soupy goodness with whipped cream on top, but I can get those in Prato Nevoso- so I opted for the gelato and didn’t regret it one bit! (I think that sentence is far too long.. oh well I’ve already typed it so no sense in changing it now)

Another fun adventure I went on included a kebab… best kebab I’ve ever had-- it was a panino form and the bread was made at the shop. I don’t know where this heavenly place is but I know it is Prato. Oops I was actually meaning to write about the horse race I went to but I had just remembered the kebab. Really it was divine (if you like kebabs that is). So the horse race was exciting. Apparently there are two tracks in the park that I used to live near-- this is a park that I would visit frequently and some how I never knew about the horses. Oh well, I do now! It was a rainy/sunny day, the clouds were fighting with the sun but in the end he sun won. Please excuse my lack of knowledge about the technical terms of what kind of racing this is but it is the one where the jockey sits behind the horse- not chariot b/c they aren’t standing or maybe it is but a newer form. It was neat to see since I have only been to the races in Hot Springs. I will say that I am not a big fan of all the gear the horses have to wear but it doesn’t seem to hurt them too much and they don’t wear it for too long. I would love to say that the horse I know came in 1st place but something happened and it messed up so it didn’t get to finish. Maybe next time!

WOAH this is a short post… but actually Christmas should be it’s own so I’ll let you all go for now and I’ll be back with a Christmas update and My New Home update. Hope everyone is doing well

Pasta without Wine is like a Day without Sun.... (translated)

2009-12-27T07:57:00.000-06:00

wet leaves on the bridge to a small island in Rome

I would go into extreme detail about what I have been doing for the past few weeks but not only would that take forever it would also bore you and myself. Plus all I really want to do right now is take a nap along with everyone else in this house. Of course with the bit of quiet and time it is also perfect for writing a little about my trip to Rome. This may be a little different than previous posts because I am tired of the day-to-day writing. I would rather mention different events in particular or observations I have made-- such as how there should be a heavy fine for anyone that has an urge to sing on a train and goes through with it! This fine can be wavered if it is one of those times where most everyone is involved or maybe it is a small group of people in their own cabin and not bothering anyone else. If it is anything like what I endured I don’t know if a fine is enough. I was enjoying my train ride to Rome (a day late but more on that in a min.) and toward the end wanted to save some battery in my phone for calls when I arrived- I had been using it for music and needed to get ahold of my cousin upon my arrival in Rome. At this point one of the other occupants in my cabin on the train found this to be the perfect time put on headphones and rock with her cd player. The beauty of headphones is generally no one else is forced to listen to what you are listening to, but when the person wearing them decides to sing along with the music you are not only forced to listen to it but depending on who is doing the singing you may lose your hearing. I was blessed with a voice that couldn’t manage to hit the right notes and a person who couldn’t manage to catch all of the words. She went from humming to all of the sudden a burst of emotion as she could sing along with the chorus. Instead of getting angry though all I could do was hide my laughter and try to record it.

down a Roman street

Now had I been able to get on my other train I wouldn’t have had this entertainment but I would have had extra time in Rome. The day before I arrived in Genova with Simona and Mattia for the night. I got to the train station with about 20-30 min of time before my desired train so I would have plenty of time to get a ticket and get settled before heading south. There quite a long line at the ticket office so I headed to one of the ticket machines (I used to use these all the time and they are quite wonderful….well). First machine wasn’t working so I went to another but passed it because of the line. I spent at least 10 min trying to buy a ticket at another machine that wouldn’t process my payment. Finally I went to the only one that seemed to be working and a lady approached and said would be out of order for a few min since she needed to reload the money inside. I tried another machine… it didn’t work. I ran to the platform and asked if it would be possible to buy a ticket on the train with a response of ‘yes but it will cost you 50 euro extra’ HA I can’t afford that! There must be another train. I waited in line at the ticket office-- next train is at midnight. I spent the night in Genova and left the next morning.

Pantheon-- one of my favorite buildings-- I have yet to figure out why.

I was on an Intercity Train (they don’t stop quite as often as some)-- this is where I had the cabin on the train. Anytime someone left they would say bye or good day. Even the afternoon singer saluted everyone when she left. I’ve been on trains where people occasionally offer to share some of their food with other members of the cabin but I had never heard everyone say bye. Of course it is harder when there are a whole car full of people so sometimes it is just a small remark to someone you had a conversation with, but even in the cabins I hadn’t heard much from other passengers. It was a nice addition to the journey.

Christmas market in Rome

Finally I arrived in Rome. I was able to stay with my cousin and her roommates so that was nice. Leann and I went out for a walk and met her boyfriend for an apertivo (drink and snack before dinner) followed by a nice Roman meal at the house that evening with some of their roommates and friends.
The next day Leann and I explored part of Rome from a walking tour that I had printed out-- we kind of followed it then we just started to wander. We wanted to wander toward the Pantheon and some good food but were having a bit of trouble with both. We decided that when we would just know when we found the right place to eat. After checking a few menus we finally turned a corner and spotted the perfect place. There wasn’t a menu in the window or very many tables inside. You could see a man and his wife were the only ones running the place and she was cooking in the back. We were greeted by him and asked if we would like red or white wine with our meal. Red of course. After a few minutes our pasta arrived- simple and delicious! Next question was if we would like chicken, veal or meat (red meat)- I went with the chicken and Leann opted for veal. Dessert came later and it was slightly sweet biscotti (not what you buy at starbucks) these were round with a hole in the center -- just little cookies but wonderful. Our wine ran low so we were brought some more and then after we snuck a few of the cookies in a bag to take with us (yes we are american) he brought a couple more so we finished the wine and grabbed a cookie to eat on the way out. A splendid meal! Shortly after we found the Pantheon and it started to rain. Time for a coffee. We paid for the coffee then ordered and had some water to wash it down. Then we were surprised with a treat-- some sort of coffee ice shake poured into our empty cups. Who is going to turn that down? We thanked the bar tender and headed out. We had a long walk and some crazy traffic to bypass to get to the San Lorenzo area for dinner-- Pizza! Since most Italians are generally late we had a beer and watched the traffic on a Friday night. Our pizza and appetizers were wonderful and followed by drinks at Blow. From there we got a ride home from some friends.

roasted chestnuts in the market

Saturday was nice with the sun shining (finally) and a walk through the park before my train to Florence. That story will be another day-- I think this is plenty long for now.

in piazza del pantheon

Buon Natale!!

2009-12-18T06:08:00.001-06:00

I hope you all have the most wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas and many wishes (tanti auguri) for the new year! Miss you all! Love, Meghan [100% made in Italy]

here is my Christmas card to all of you. I would send real ones but that would require a large sum of money that is not in my possession, but I promise that I made this one with each of you in mind. It is even made out of Florentine papers so here is sending a little Italy to you this Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone and I promise I'll write about my trip to Rome soon.

Day to Day

2009-12-02T04:42:00.000-06:00

Amazingly it hasn’t been too terribly long since my last post. You all should be thrilled!
Tuesday the 24th I went for a walk into town- it was a nice day so I took some pictures of windows and things to draw when I got to the park. I would draw them from life but it would be rather uncomfortable and there wasn’t much that interested me around the park. I picked up Mattia from school and then got my iPhone back that night! I was so excited.

Chopping limbs off the tree that had fallen over in the forest.

Wednesday I went to Prato Nevoso and helped chop limbs off a tree to use as garlands over the shops in part of the village. Well I didn’t do any chopping but I did carry the limbs around. I was happy to have something to do instead of feeling useless while everyone else worked around the office. I also went to meet another girl who is a nanny for one of Simona’s friends. She is from Germany but has been working in the States for the past couple of years. We had a coffee and chatted for a bit. I think we will be meeting up with the kiddos from time to time so they can play together a bit in the snow and we can have someone else to talk to. I know another girl from Vermont is getting here this weekend so it will be good to meet her too.

View of Prato Nevoso from the Bar/Cafe - View from the bottom of the slopes

Thursday- We went to Mondovi to do a couple of things and while we were parked there was a Gelateria near by named ‘Sweet Balls’ -- this is by far my favorite thing that has happened all week. I laughed for the longest time and took one photo from the car but HAD to get out and take one up close. (you can note my previous post for more information) Also probably the most ‘I’m American’ I could have done.. oh well it made me happy! So the other reason to go to town was to meet another girl who is working near by. She is here from England and is Megan too. We chatted over tea and hot chocolate then went to find out more information about the busses. Now I know how to get to Mondovi without having to ask Simona to drive me or wait until she is going. I just need a bus ticket (not too hard to come by). OH yeah it’s Thanksgiving.. I made an apple pie! The crust wasn’t as flaky as it should be but it was still good.. I had to use all kinds of different conversions to get the ingredients right. I had dinner here but downstairs at Gian’s parents house b/c Simona went out for work. Fresh pasta and sauce. Then I waited until around 10:00pm so I could be skyped in to Thanksgiving Dinner at home with the family. It was nice. Maybe we can do the same for Christmas too-- that is if they don’t mind eating a little early again.

Apples! - Apple pie..

Saturday we went back to Prato Nevoso and I saw a Saint Bernard in person-- HUGE!!! I don’t think I had ever seen one in person before.. it was awesome. We took care of a few things at the house there and then had lunch. Later Mattia and I played in the new Ski School office--- a lot of playing. And sometime in the middle we went for cake and hot chocolate.. the cake was wonderful-- tart like with jam in the middle and my hot chocolate was divine-- the whipped cream was homemade. Then more playing: spinning in circles and playing with flashing lights= a good time! During dinner Mattia asked me if I would like a mandarin (he had just given his mom a piece of his) so I said yes of course thank you and he said that I could go and get one from the bowl. It was hilarious… and he didn’t ask if I wanted part of his -- my assumption.

Light toy we played with for hours - my hot chocolate with cream looked better before I drank half of it.

Sunday- I didn’t feel so well and woke up too late to go to Prato Nevoso again so I watched a movie here and did some laundry. It was yucky outside so it was nice to lounge a little bit. Mattia and I played when he got home-- my water bottle squirts water so that was pretty fun.

New hiding place!

Monday- cleaned and planned for my upcoming trip to Rome and Florence. I leave Wednesday for Rome to visit my cousin there. I haven’t seen her in about a year and a half when I left her in Rome- so it’s perfect really. Then back to Florence because I like it there and to do a few things I didn’t get to do the time before PLUS I can do some Christmas shopping in the markets. I’ll write more about that later but for now I have to go… someone is coming for dinner and I should probably clear out my stuff from the kitchen!

p.s. I'm sorry but I am lazy and have not edited any of the photos...

Sweet Balls

2009-11-30T11:51:00.000-06:00

It always brings a smile to my face when I read bad translations. Well unless I am trying to get actual information. If it is just a menu or shop name and the translation from Italian to English is a bit off or very literal it can be the funniest thing in the world. Like this shop. A Gelateria-- Sweet Balls! Scoops of ice cream are indeed sweet and ball shaped, however naming your shop Sweet Balls may not be the best idea. Made me laugh for a good while and still brings a smile to my face so maybe I should thank them. I think I even have my new favorite cuss word (not really cussing but fun to say when trying to edit out bad words) Here is a photo so you know what I saw was real! I hope it brightens your day as well! Ciao!

Snow & Chocolate

2009-11-21T05:35:00.001-06:00

I was thinking last night while I couldn’t go to sleep… last year when I got home from Florence I was sleeping one night and suddenly in the morning I was awoken. My immediate response was ‘What the f*%k is that noise?!?’ I came to realize that it was nature outside my window- birds and crickets. I had gotten used to the sound of cars and scooters buzzing in the street below along and occasionally my rude neighbor that enjoyed the late night phone call and sharing the conversation with the neighborhood by standing in the street while talking, but birds and crickets I hadn’t heard in over 6 months. Where on earth did this come from you ask.. well I may live in the country here-- it smelled like cows this morning when I went out side, but there aren’t birds chirping in the morning or crickets talking all night (thank God). There is a rooster that i occasionally hear in the afternoon (I think he might be from the States and still hasn’t grown accustomed to the time difference), but at night it is silent except for the very random car driving by. It’s kind of strange… so I came to the realization I am ok with traffic noise or no noise.

Mattia playing with my luggage stickers

Wow all of that and I haven’t even told you what I have been up to. I left last time ending with my trip to Florence. I will skip a couple of days. Saturday the 14th Mattia and I spent most of the day together playing. He has gotten in a pretty good habit of taking a nap.. oh excuse me .. going camping after his afternoon cartoons. Camping seemed like a much better way to take a nap in the afternoon. We climb in his igloo and bundle up on pillows and under blankets and sometimes tell stories or just lay there until finally he falls asleep and I am about to. Since there are several other things occupying space in the igloo I generally am only half of the way inside and with the sheet over the top to make a door over the front i think it is a pretty strange sight from anyone coming into the house.

The ski lift, lights for night skiing, and the snowy mountain. - Mattia trying on a new hat at the store

On Sunday we went to PratoNevoso - the ski instructors went skiing for some photos for the website. It was fun to see the villages. We went to Gian’s parent’s for lunch (they have a tiny flat above the shop in Prato for the winter)-- lunch was great and I saved the garlic. Apparently none one likes to eat cooked garlic so they keep it in whole cloves and just take it out of the dish when they are serving. They eat it raw, which I have never tried, but not cooked.. so it works out well b/c I don’t have to share!

The fog in PratoNevoso. - A very happy 'juice box' for grownups!- espresso and chocolate with a straw

Monday I took a walk into town since sadly hadn’t been before. Cute and tiny- most shops were closed b/c it was Monday but I got to take a few photos.

ivy on the wall in beautiful fall colors. - I really like this door/balcony- both from my walk into town

Tuesday I finished the hat I was knitting- it’s too small, but it looks good! At least now I know I can knit a hat. Simona took me to a yarn shop in Mondovi so that I could get some supplies for my next project. (this next portion of the story is taken from another message I sent please bare with me) I had the most awful time at the yarn shop. I didn’t know all of the words but tried to use the ones that I did know and pointing. Well the lady apparently didn't appreciate me trying. A girl walked in and she was like 'you know some english right? this girl only speaks english and I can't understand her.' I only used like 2 english words while I was in there and I understood exactly what she was telling everyone else! Which is how I can tell you what she said. So I tried to talk to her again and by now I am nervous then another lady comes in and she asks her if she can help b/c she took an english class once. Ok if you take an english class you probably didn't learn knitting terms if you did then I would probably know them in Italian by now and we wouldn't be in this mess!!!! Finally after I got my needles (which i don't need half of them now and the other isn't quite right which I told her I needed a longer circle needle but she didn't believe me) I asked about some cotton yarn and asked in Italian.. she showed me where it was but it was behind the counter so I didn't think I could go back there. She went to help someone else. I just bought some wool/lama yarn instead. Next time I will take a list with me and make sure everything is right in advance. It was good for me to try. The lady at the pharmacy the day before was much more helpful- patient and understanding. Oh well everyone is different.

beautiful mounds of chocolate and all the wonderful flavor-creamy goodness but at a discounted price!

Wednesday I went to a wonderful place called Mondovicino-- vicino= close, Modovi is a the town near by and this place is near Modovi. Also if you don’t know that it is near Mondovi- mondo= world so the world is close. The place is a shopping outlet! Very clever people made the name I think although they had a good base to start with. They have all kinds of shops (not high end designers but that is fine b/c this is more affordable), nike, puma, bialetti, lindt!, and many more. There were piles PILES of chocolate in the Lindt shop-- don’t worry I included a photo for your enjoyment. OO speaking of chocolate we now have a 5 kilo jar of Nutella, that equals about 11 pounds of chocolately goodness. The date on the top says we have less than a year to eat all of it but I was told that it won’t be a problem.

5 kilos of Nutella- please keep in mind that the fork is the average adult size and I think the jar looks smaller on here.

The lifts at in Prato opened this weekend so I picked up Mattia from school yesterday and we walked home (he wanted to walk!! we were offered a ride from a friend going in our direction)-- we talked about how it smelled like cows, and there was a big tractor that drove by, and we made sure to stand really close to the buildings when a car came near. It was a good walk. While he was camping Simona’s parents got here-- they are helping out this weekend since she and Gian are busy with work-- opening weekend means Prato goes from 30 people to probably a few hundred… I hear it gets into the thousands during the holidays. Anyway they brought focaccia from Genova (since that’s where the good stuff is) which made me quite happy!
Thanksgiving is this coming week and it generally isn’t celebrated here for obvious reasons. I actually am not a big fan of Thanksgiving dinner- I like the theatrics that go along with it (from the family all being together) a bit more. I am, however, going to try to bake an apple pie. I really hope it works-- it’s my favorite part of the meal anyway. OH… humm I got called away and now I have forgotten what I was going to say. What are your holiday plans? Anyone have a favorite dish they want to share? I hope this finds you doing well and I love hearing from all of you!

From the Sea to the Center- Genova, Modena, Florence, Prato

2009-11-12T11:46:00.001-06:00

I am going to start by skipping a couple of days partly because I don’t remember what happened and also because I think the weekend was probably more exciting. On Thursday the 29th of October I headed to Genova with Simona and Mattia. We went to stay with her parents for the weekend in the famous port city. Friday I went down to the Dinghy Club by the sea with Mattia and his grandfather.

Rocks on the Beach, Big Rock in the water where I sat, Sunset and birds, Not sure but it's pretty

Mattia and I played on the beach and tried to find all the little pieces of glass. The beach is composed of what in the States is considered ‘River Rock’, the smooth tumbled stones and in this case marble and glass too. Later that day I went for a walk by the sea and took some pictures. On my way back I sat on a giant group of rocks in the water and watched the sunset for a little bit but it was getting chilly and I wasn’t dressed like everyone else (in a heavy coat and hat because it wasn’t nearly that cold) so I headed back to the house.

Ski slope, Bikes, Me trying to ski

Saturday I went with Simona and another ski instructor to a Ski Expo in Modena. It seemed like everyone in the region was there and the traffic was a little complicated so we got turned around. It was quite worth it once we got inside though. There were 4 sections. The largest was for skiing, then there was a shopping section (didn’t go in that one), and outdoor section for biking, skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, and lots of loud music, and then the snowboarding section inside which also comprised of lots of loud music and some skating. It was fun to go from the more ‘refined’ skiing section where the music was a little calmer and people were dressed rather well to the snowboarding section with the loud music, crazy hair, probably people who hadn’t bathed in days… def. a party area. While we were in there we went around and visited with a bunch of people Simona knew so that was fun and then I went skiing which was hilariously embarrassing. Great day.

House of Christopher Columbus, Narrow streets, View from the harbor.

Sunday Simona showed me the city center of Genova which was great. It was a holiday and a Sunday so everything was closed. The streets are narrow and the buildings are tall--- I think it is probably more friendly when the shops are open but I still wouldn’t travel around at night by myself. Some parts aren’t very safe but the city is beautiful. We went out on one of the docks and could see the main section of the city from the harbor view. After dinner and we headed back home. I just realized that i didn’t mention anything about food which is very unlike me. Well it was good-- tortellini in broth, fish cooked with carrots and potatoes, pesto (perfect since it is from Genova), plenty of focaccia which is also from Genova. And then there was the learning of a new word: ‘Belin’ a word that can be used with everything- good and bad, used in pauses or just added in the sentence. It’s used by everyone… well almost. The older ladies tend to refrain from saying it. Oh and it’s literal translation: penis.

The fall colors, Dandelion, Cat in a tree in the garden, Pear tree on my walk, Down the street, The goose that yelled at me while I tried to see the goats.

Monday I spent the day with Mattia and we had a wonderful time playing, drawing and ‘pretending’ to sleep. Tuesday I went to Cuneo with Simona and we shopped in the market a little. I even tried on some clothes which i never thought I would do- the dressing room was in the back of a van. And I got two dresses on sale!! Mom should be proud. Wednesday I made lasagna and it was pretty good. I was told it was better than Lala’s which I figure is a pretty big deal since she is the one who loves to cook around here. Obviously no one will mention this to Lala.

Jane Fortune speaking about her book Invisible Women, The Duomo, DaVinci museum invention, DaVinci journal page and sketches

Friday Florence. I headed to Florence and it only took about 6 hours… The trip was fine and one of my friends met me at the train station so that was nice. There was a speaker that I wanted to see at the Uffizi Library. Jane Fontana is the author of Invisible Women a book she wrote after doing research in Florence about the female artists that we never see. There are so many and it is her quest to restore the works of art and make them seen. I bought a copy of the book of course and will read it soon. If you would like to read more about her or the book visit The Florentine. I stopped in the a favorite restaurant of mine and they gave me and Rit. a coffee then we went to dinner and of course had some gelato. Saturday was nice at first and great during lunch at Il Porcospino. Then it rained. We took a vespa out to Gigli a mall type of place just outside Florence-- nice place but I didn’t feel well so I went to bed early. Sunday was nice with pizza and then watched a soccer game and a movie. The theater was awesome. Each room holds about 500 people and they give you a seat number so you are sure to get one… you can request a general area so that’s nice too. We watched Public Enemies with Johnny Depp. I understood most of it- not word for word but basically everything. I was really tired too so I fell asleep for a few min. (SPOILER maybe) The last line was in English and was kind of the punch line. I totally understood the reference.. it seemed like everyone else was confused -- I could overhear their conversations when I was leaving the theatre. It was in Italian, I took a nap and I still knew what was going on. It was kind of funny. I had to explain that it had to do with a song earlier in the movie to the two people I was with.

Rit & Me in the San Lorenzo Market, River Rat eating, Pizza w/Hot Dog on top (at the movie), Picnic in the park

Anyway, Monday was beautiful and I had a picnic in the park then Rit took me to Prato b/c he lives there and we walked around the center for a few min., I got to see the chinese area. It’s so strange. The addresses are in Italian but everything is in Chinese and I am sure I stood out even with a helmet on on a scooter. Then we went out to where he works and visited the horses! Lots of horses!! Everywhere I wanted to go that night was closed so finally for dinner we ended up with Kebabs and on sushi roll and some leftover wine from lunch.

Duomo in Prato, Cat on a scooter, Horses in the stable, Me and a horse

I left Tuesday morning for Genova. Simona picked me up at the train station to drive back home. It was faster and since she had a meeting it worked out really well. I don’t have many photos from Florence b/c, well, it rained. Also I used my film camera so those are still a mystery. You will have to deal with the ones I took with my little camera. I’m back home now and there is snow all over the mountains… the lifts at the ski resort are opening early so there is a lot going on around here. I should go so you all don’t hate me for the length of this post. A presto!

2010 Calendar For Sale!

2009-11-04T10:33:00.000-06:00

I know I said that I would be considering selling a calendar for 2011 BUT I have the one for 2010 printed and ready to go. visit my Etsy page for more details. You can also read my previous post if you'd like. By the way this makes the perfect Christmas gift- it lasts for the whole year!

Lots of Food

2009-10-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

Sunday was great! Mattia and I played in the afternoon for a while and then went on a walk with his great aunt-- the one that LOVES to talk about food. We walked through the countryside for awhile and Fofi (the dog) followed us-- it was quite an ordeal since she wanted to talk to the other dogs. Anyway the countryside was beautiful and exactly what you would expect- old buildings, mountains in the distance, green fields and some muddy ones since the corn was harvested, houses with large gardens with so many kinds of fruits (kiwi too) and veggies, and winding roads through it all. We stopped to talk to everyone we passed-- I’m pretty sure Lala knew them all not that there were many people but we didn’t leave anyone out.

Once we got back we went to Lala’s flat to make pasta for the family dinner-- well Mattia helped make it and I watched. It turns out that folding the pieces after rolling them out makes the pasta softer and then you roll them again. While we were working (or rather they were working) the cows came down from the mountain. They live on one of the mountains during the summer b/c the grass doesn’t grow as well down here then. They were coming through the streets and we watched from the balcony. Not long after Lala’s husband (his name escapes me right now) came in to get us to go see the cows-- they were in a field across the street and seemed quite happy. There is one photo of a baby-- it was born the day before. We didn’t touch the cows or anything, just watched them for a few min.

I rested for a bit after that and before dinner. Dinner was across the courtyard at one of the cousin’s houses. Beautiful house! I was told it was where the three sisters grew up but Alessia (the daughter of one of the sisters and cousin I mentioned) renovated it when she got married and now it is a wonderful mix of old and modern. The table downstairs was big enough for 21 I think is what they said. We started the meal with thinly sliced pork (I think) and a mayo tuna sauce and carpaccio (raw beef I believe) with truffles and oil on top. Then we had little cheese tarts-- more truffles [note: someone had a truffle and it was going to go bad in a week or two so we put it on nearly everything that night). On to the pasta- this was the pasta that Mattia helped make-- it was so delicious and had a light meat sauce on top. Then we had pork that was cooked in a cream sauce with mushrooms and probably more truffles. I had a bit of wine at some point-- it was red wine but a little sweet and slightly sparkly then I switched to water and was commanded to finish the water for more wine -- well not really commanded but I couldn’t say no. After the meat course came the cheese. I thought there was only one cheese and I could hardly eat anything anyway but I looked up again and there were four or five more cheeses that had appeared. I tried a bit of one on some bread but couldn’t eat anything else. I sipped on my wine and then dessert came. Dessert was a combination of about 5 different things and they asked if I would like some and I couldn’t say no and i did want to try a little. A different wine was served for dessert and I was getting mixed instructions about what to do with the wine I had-- drink it, toss it down the drain-- but soon a new glass appeared with the Moscato (homemade I might add) and I was now able to drink both… still with mixed instructions of what to do with the red wine. I think I was the only one who didn’t finish my dessert but I did eat a little of each one. Aside from the food the family was great-- the kids were running around and playing under the table and everywhere. It was loud and everyone was having a great time. I was happy I could understand some of what people were saying and I watched the kids some too. I am a little sad that family dinner is only about 2 times a year. After all of that I went to bed I was full and exhausted but fell asleep happy.

Monday was nice but I woke up early b/c the time changed here. In the mornings Mattia goes to preschool so it is quiet around here. I went with Simona to Mondovi (it is about 5 min from here) because she had a meeting and so I walked around town and looked in the shops. The town is known for it’s sundials so I saw a bunch of them on buildings. It was pretty cool. Everything was closed so I got to take a lot of pictures and not worry about too many people staring at me like I’m a tourist. I kept Mattia in the afternoon but he was so tired from the night before and waking up early that we didn’t have the best time. He fell asleep during dinner and then I went to bed early as well.

Today (Tuesday) I woke up a little later and edited some photos. Mattia and I played in the courtyard this afternoon and moved a giant pile of fire wood from one person’s pile to another.. it was all moved back when we came back from town. I saw the mountains turn pink and purple tonight-- it was beautiful. I don’t know if it shows up in the photos though so I may not be able to share but I’ll try. Ok I think this is long enough for now. A Presto!

No Pants

2009-10-24T16:39:00.001-05:00

[Photos: 1. view in the morning 2. the plane they expected me to get on in Munich to Torino-- it has propellers WTF? 3. The view before we landed.. note the mountains :) ]
I finally made it to Italy! The hurricane in Mexico messed up my flights and then Chicago decided capture my luggage, but it should be here soon. Oh and I must say that Lufthansa is by far the best company to fly with. They even had real silverware for meals and the food was rather tasty. My flights went through Munich instead of Frankfurt but I had a pretzel anyway and juice instead of beer.

Everything here is great. I live upstairs from the family and have my own room and bath which is wonderful oh and sitting area too. So they are downstairs and then the rest of the family lives here too! That part I was unaware of before I got here, but the WHOLE family lives in the house-- well it is like 5 houses all connected together and the 3 older sisters are in charge (which was expected). I met some of the family today but will meet the rest tomorrow at the family dinner. I'm pretty excited.

[4. my morning view 5. to the right of my morning view]

A little more about today-- I woke up late :) and then got ready and had lunch with the fam.-- pasta with truffles.. not the normal thing but someone in the family had one that was going to go bad (perk of living with the whole family). Then I tried to get my phone to work which it doesn't want to-- stupid phone, but I will not give up! After a while we went down to the courtyard and met some of the family. I got to see the garden and eat some grapes (they were great). Mattia and I played with a ball for a bit and one of his cousins brought her English book down for me to see. Then to one of the 3 sister's houses for a snack and coffee. After that we went to Cuneo to a sporting store to get a couple of things and to an electronics store to get a hairdryer and see if they could help with my phone. Yes to the hairdryer and no to the phone... so we tried another store that sells everything Apple (also saw a sushi restaurant so I am excited to go there). I saw the new 27" iMac and magic mouse and fell in love. Then home for dinner... Soup and bread and cheese... and playtime after dinner...good day!

[6. basket of grapes in the garden 7. Mattia eating grapes on the tractor]

Now I am off to bed... I will be with Mattia tomorrow while his parents go out followed by a family dinner so I will need my rest!

Where I'll Be...

2009-10-22T08:57:00.001-05:00

I leave today! I can't really believe that I am actually leaving today- I've been so preoccupied with so many other things that I have pretty much just been in denial about actually leaving. Probably why I haven't been as sad as I would normally be about missing everyone. Oh and packing was nearly a disaster-- I think all of my things are now in every room in the house (sorry mom and dad). I kept wondering how I had too much stuff when it looked about the same as when I traveled before and then I remembered... they changed the weight limit last year from 70lbs per bag to 50lbs. That is a total of 40lbs!!!! and the suitcases tend to weigh so much that you usually only get about 50-75% of that weight in actual things that you need. Thankfully I had some light weight suitcases and a helpful set of parents. Narrowed everything down over and over again. So now I am all packed and probably over the limit a little, but I am hoping for sympathetic people at the airline desk. Anyway, I'm headed to a teeny tiny town in northwestern Italy (about an hour south of Torino/Turin) and by teeny tiny I mean about half the size of Arkadelphia! I tend to forget that you can get smaller than this but I will be reminded soon. I will be an au pair/nanny for a family there with one 4 year old boy. I think we'll have a pretty good time playing and learning (both of us). I am supposed to be helping him and his family with their English but since no one else in town really knows any my Italian should finally get better! I should have more information soon so I'll update when I get there. A Presto!

2010 Calendar

2009-10-08T14:53:00.002-05:00

Some of you may know how much I love buying a new calendar every year. Last year it was my letterpress calendar from Paper Source and the year before I bought a couple from a tourist shop in Florence. Well, this year there were too many calendars to choose from and I really needed to save my money since I am leaving soon. SO I decided that I could make my own considering I have taken quite a few photos that I enjoy and plenty to fill up a year. After a little bit of time and effort in deciding on a layout I have come up with this:

The text is in Italian but generally it is pretty easy to read since the months go in the same order and the days just start on Monday. Next year I will make a new one and find a good printer so I can sell copies on Etsy.

A Moleskine Year

2009-09-22T12:35:00.001-05:00

I saw this last weekend at a bookstore and fell completely in love. The Moleskine 2010 Color a Month Daily Planner. I was instantly sad that I had already bought my 18 Month planner back in June, but then realized that the Color a Month Planner wouldn't be very practical for me right now. It would take up quite a bit of space when packing and the new year doesn't start for few months. I still have time if I find it necessary. But for those of you who aren't planning on moving to another country right away-- who wouldn't want a planner that changes colors every month. Perfect for planning events, noting different appointments, and if you like the idea of keeping a small journal this is great for that too!

Product Description:
January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010
An individual Volant daily planner for each month of the year. Light and practical to carry, easy to collect. The 12 months are packed in a gift box that protects,organizes, and preserves.

Schmap

2009-08-31T18:07:00.006-05:00

You may notice that I haven't updated in a rather long time. All of that is about to change and starting now. I am headed back to Italy and this time will have internet access so posting won't be quite so difficult. My adventures, photos and other ramblings will all be written about here instead of my usual mass emails.
But for today- there is now a little Schmap widget next to my posts. This widget has found it's way onto my blog, because Schmap has included one of my photos in it's 8th edition of the Florence Guide. If you look for the Piazzale Michelangleo photos (or click here)you will find one that is credited by me! I am pretty excited. Also for those of you who travel you can get a Schmap app for your phone so check that out.
I'll be back with more later and be sure to check out my website and flickr, because I will be posting pictures there as well!

Finally a 'Real' Website!

2008-12-23T19:29:00.003-06:00

visit me @ www.meghanhawkes.com
see you there!

Paper Giveaway!!!

2008-12-16T21:06:00.003-06:00

The Paper Place is giving awaythe an ultimate Chiyogami sample pack, an 8.5x11” sheet of every Chiyogami paper they offer in their online store– 637 patterns in total (retail value $1911.00). All you have to do is comment on their page for a chance to win. Deadline is December 31st at midnight. Visit their website for more details and of course a chance to WIN!

Recycle and Save this Christmas. project 1

2008-11-21T21:06:00.003-06:00

Christmas Card Gift Tags -- great for all ages but little kids will need some help. Fun to do with family and share stories!

Supplies:
-Front of old Christmas Cards (make sure the back is blank)
-Scissors- fancy and/or regular
-Ribbon
-Hole puncher
-Pen
-Optional: Glitter and Glue

*Cut around desired image on the card. ex: star, snowman, writing
*Punch hole near any corner.
*Cut ribbon about 4 or 5 inches long and tie through the hole with loose ends. Later tie on a bow or ribbon on a wrapped package or on the handle of a bag.
*Write a message on the back and be sure to write who the gift is for and who it is from!!
*Add glitter if you wish, if not on the front then on the back.
*Most of all HAVE FUN!

Dresser Dressing

2008-10-21T20:33:00.005-05:00

Before: green walls, purple trim, and silver dresser with blue/silver fabric over the drawers.

After: pale blue walls, cream trim, and white canvas covered dresser.

Supplies: spray adhesive, un-primed canvas (drop cloth will work), primer, polyurethane, scissors, and paint brush.

How to:
spray the surface with adhesive and the back of strips of canvas-- small portions at a time. Adhere the canvas to the dresser. Once the dresser is covered prime the canvas. After everything is dry coat the dresser with polyurethane and maybe two coats on top. I used a liquid but you can also use a spray and the color may not be quite as yellow.

Cost: $0 for me but very low if you don't already have all of the supplies.

2009

2008-10-01T15:42:00.005-05:00

I just bought my 2009 calendar... well one of the 2009 calendars. I tend to have more than one. It was featured in an email I got from Paper Source today. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful letterpressed designs. Seems a little early to be buying calendars for next year especially since time seems to go by so fast anyway there isn't much of a need to speed it up, but I couldn't wait until December. I might break a rule and glance at each image before next year but then save them after that for their specific month. Enjoy.

Apples

2008-09-26T10:48:00.003-05:00

Some of you may know about my love (obsession) for apples, well, I just bit in to my first apple of the fall. And it was FABULOUS! I actually can't remember the last time I ate and apple which is about to upset me, but since they are in season again I won't worry about it too much. I don't know exactly where my love of apples came from.. it could have been picking them in the orchards in Michigan when I was little, the apple pies and apple butter that came afterwards, the sticky mess of caramel apples at the fair, the stories my grandfather told about being dropped off at college with a basket of apples to make friends, or my own stories of making friends because of apples. Most of all the flavor is probably what I love most but the memories of everything else makes them so much better. My favorite time to eat an apple would have to be on a cool crisp day with the warmth from the sun beaming down through the colorful fall leaves while walking down the sidewalk through the crunchy leaves that have already fallen. Perfect.

Website

2008-08-18T01:36:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since I have actually 'done' something to post considering the blog is called 'what I do'. Anyway, I couldn't sleep last night (or apparently tonight either) and I made a new website. This one will do for the mean time since I am still waiting for the one from Italy to be completed. Hope you enjoy... (click the image to take you there)

p.s. tell your friends

I Hope This Will Do...

2008-07-10T09:49:00.003-05:00

This I sent to my loving mother earlier today (she has also been upset that I haven't posted much lately so I hope this will do):

so I have arrived upon a conclusion. You are ignoring me. how you might ask have I decided this. Well I will let you know that it was through much thought and problem solving. Here we go...

When I was younger my mom told me that she knew everything...'I'm the mom I know all'

well if my mom knows everything then she knows I am trying to talk to her

if she isn't there to talk to me and knows that I am trying to talk to her and isn't doing much about it then the only conclusion available is that she is ignoring me

Photos Are Up!

2008-06-09T10:10:00.001-05:00

I'm not too sure if anyone still reads this but I did put up a bunch of photos from the past few months. Go to my flickr page to see them. The link is to the left.

Roma

2008-04-11T06:01:00.003-05:00

A few pictures I took while in one of the most wonderful cities I've ever been to. I hope you enjoy them. They haven't been edited b/c I've been busy learning Italian so you will have to forgive me for that. I might write more later but for now you can just look.

A Little Book Review

2008-03-12T08:50:00.007-05:00

As I was searching the shelves of a bookstore that I frequently go to for an Italian verb book I saw a small pocket sized book that listed that it would explain the Mafia. Oh my goodness... not the Mafia. Yes, the Mafia indeed. I have been a little interested in this organization (not in a scary I am going to become part of the team kind of way) since I saw 'The Godfather' the first time. Also the Italian history in the family made me kind of wish my that my Grandpa was part of it, however Erin and I realized that his name didn't fit so well and it just couldn't be. 'Mafia Explained to Tourists' by Augusto Cavadi, let me know upon reading the second sentence that 'The Godfather' is a :highly romanticized, fictional view of the phenomenon makes for excellent entertainment.: Apparently the real Mafia is more complex. Suddenly I was relieved that my grandfather had nothing to do with the Mafia. This 55 page pocket book does a brief overview of the Mafia and answers questions that I am sure we have all asked. Cavadi also lists a bibliography in case you are wanting to do more in depth reading on the topic. It was interesting to read that this 150 year old establishment will eventually end as all things human do. When??? thats what no one knows. But for now the streets of Palermo are probably safer than the streets of London, New York, or Madrid since it is less likely to be killed there (in Palermo) than in a terrorist attack elsewhere. Also good news since I have been wanting to visit Sicily for a few years now.

Firenze

2008-02-23T10:28:00.004-06:00

Florence is wonderful as it should be. I skipped class once but with good reason... my roommates and I took a nice walk from Piazza Michelangelo down through the countryside and then back home. Piazza Michelangelo is one of the best places in Florence to go and get pictures of the city. I think the entire walk was supposed to take an hour but we took a bus to the piazza from our apartment which was nice and then the walk back to the Ponte Vecchio took maybe 3 hours. We stopped a lot to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. The first half of the walk was along a semi-busy street but with beautiful views, and the second part was a wonderful curvy cobblestone road lined with brightly painted old houses that made you forget that you were in the city at all.

The Run Down

2008-02-15T11:57:00.003-06:00

Little Rock to Chicago and a hot dog
Chicago to Heathrow--- London and meat pies
Extended stay
Felt up by security in London
London to Barcelona several hours later
plane to bus to train to metro to hotel
walk on around town
food market, juice, chocolate, Picasso, soap, chocolate, Gaudi building, tapas, icebarcelona, catwalk, bed
antique market, food market, juice, sandwich, chocolate, british boys 'CHALLENGE', Gaudi park, olympic park, Gaudi building, chicago pizza....
Two taxis, empty ferry dock, walk in the rain, two taxies, ferry check in, no bus, security car and broken van to ferry, Antonino, A Room With A View, 20 hours at sea, Livorno, big taxi in the rain, taxi to Florence, circle Florence, wrong apartment, another taxi in Florence, right apartment no key, new taxi, GE represnitive's apartment, doner kabab, sleep, school, taxi to apartment, move in!

When I Leave

2008-01-30T10:50:00.000-06:00

I wasn't planning on posting again before I left town. I didn't really have much to say, and figured the posts after getting to Europe would be much more entertaining. Turns out I was wrong. Last time I left for Italy was in August of 2005 and that week the Beehive (a little shop in town) burned down... first up and then down. The whole strip of businesses had smoke damage and a partner business moved across the street. This partner is a wonderful little restaurant called the Honeycomb. Get it... beehive and honeycomb. Yeah anyway, Mom and I went to the Honeycomb yesterday for lunch and had a nice little time, the power went out but it was really windy out so no one really thought anything of it. Shortly after we left the the roof on the Honeycomb blew off. Talk about a windy day... apparently there was cold front coming through. Heaven forbid I ever leave town for good. I really don't think either of these events had anything to do with me leaving but it is rather amusing that they both happened right before my departure.

Wine Tasting

2008-01-12T13:21:00.000-06:00

Last night I had the most wonderful going away party with wonderful friends, food, and wine. Bruce Cochran who lives here in Arkansas came to the party to share 6 fantastic wines from different regions in Italy. Since I just started to really like wine in the past two years (thanks to spending some time in Italy two years ago), I usually like to stick with white wines... a Pinot Grigio or while in Italy just the white house wine. I was happily surprised that each wine I tried I enjoyed. Traditionally in tasting you need to start with the lighter wines and get darker... the reds are more complex in flavor, and then end with a dessert wine of some kind. The wines we tried in order:Pinot Grigio from Trentino. Ferra & Perini (white)
Malvasia from Emilia-Romagna. Giannelli de Maris, Vigna Case Rotti 2005 (white)
Barbera from Piedmont. Ferra & Perini (red)
Chianti Classico from Tuscany. Ruffino Aziano 2005 (red)
Nero D'Avola from Sicilia. Nu Har, tentua rapitala (red)
Malvasia Dolce Frizzante from Emilia-Romagna. Rosa di Bianca (white semi-sparkling dessert)
It wasn't a wine tasting where you sip the wine, find all of the flavors and spit it out. It was relaxed and as we sipped our wine, Bruce shared with us the region the wine came from, the grapes, and the difference between a $100.00 bottle of wine and a $10.00 bottle of wine. As much as I love to spit good wine into a jar, I really would rather just sit in good company, drink good wine, and have good conversation. And because of that, last night was perfect.

(the picture is of each wine in order that it was tasted)

I Have A Home

2008-01-09T09:30:00.000-06:00

Most of you know that I will be leaving for Italy in a couple of weeks and live there for 6 months while I study. While I am living/traveling in Europe my blog will be mostly about that experience but will of course include really neat things that I find. I will share shops, restaurants, and sites to see.
The best news is-- I finally got the information about where I am going to be spending those 6 months. I am in Florence (which was the plan) and in the residential area but only a 20 min walk from school. I'm so excited to learn about a new area in town. Last time I was there I was living in the historical center I had the most amazing view of the Duomo from my bedroom window, and was so close to everything. This time I will be in an area that will have more residents than tourists, yet everything that people come to Florence for is just a walk away. I will get to walk along the Arno River everyday on my way to class and see the hills surrounding the city. Another perk-- I have my own bathroom. I was planning on my own room along with 2 others for the two friends I am living with, but a shared bathroom. First floor apartment so less stairs than last time and really my own space!

Snap-A-Party

2007-12-31T13:44:00.000-06:00

I have found quite a few amazing things today thanks to Loft Party, but this is really just a lot of fun. For those of you that liked making model airplanes as a kid; you can now snap apart your dining set. Snap-A-Party comes in white, green, and pink and includes everything you need at a party - knife, fork, spoon, plate, chopsticks, toothpick, even a napkin ring - all ready to snap- apart and put to use. This is a picnic must-- no more worrying about lost pieces to the place settings.

Smell Good.

2007-12-20T09:56:00.000-06:00

Capri Blue by Aspen Bay

Size 3.25" Burn Time: Approx. 40+ Hours

-Aloha Orchid Capri Blue Jar Candle -- Freshly picked orchids, jasmine, gardenia, and other white blossoms, all entwined in a delicate Hawaiian lei
-Boho-Luxe Capri Blue Jar Candle -- Top notes of citrus, bergamot and coriander, with a middle of white florals, raspberry and peach, and a vanilla, musk and sandalwood dry down
-Freesia Plumeria Capri Jar Candle -- Crisp and clean florals of white freesia and plumeria with a background of fresh nectarines and green apples
-Hibiscus Flower Capri Blue Jar Candle -- Reminiscent of a warm and breezy tropical night, laden with the fragrance of wild red hibiscus flowers growing on the trees along the beach
-Paris Capri Blue Jar Candle -- A top of bergamot, white tea, lemon zest and ginger, the heart, a bouquet of jasmine, lavender, leafy greens, and ripe berries; the base, wild violets, white musk, soft cashmere and vanilla
-Peeled Naval Orange Capri Blue Candle -- Sweet essence of a fresh peeled navel orange with a tart zest of rind
-Rain Capri Blue Jar Candle -- Asian dark floral scent smoothed with light ozone and rain nuances
-Tuscan Sun Capri Blue Jar Candle -- A fragrant stroll through a Tuscan vineyard, with sweet grape complemented by red currant above a delicate accord of jasmine and vines
-Volcano Capri Blue Jar Candle -- Tropical fruits, sugared oranges, lemons, and limes, redolent with lightly exotic mountain greens
-Wind Capri Blue Jar Candle -- Exotic mixed florals with a light lift of spring rain and wind, with light tones of woods and spice

Along with coming in the small tins pictured above they also are sold in glass jars, room spray and diffusers.

My favorite thus far is Volcano, but that is mostly because I have yet to smell the other fragrances. Someday.

A special thanks to Caldrea, Archipelago Botanicals for the scent descriptions and to Earth Essences for their great prices and the image above.

Wrap It Up!

2007-12-04T14:34:00.000-06:00

I have always loved wrapping Christmas packages with wrapping paper. Mom would use bags and tissue with beautiful bows, but I remember learning how to wrap gifts just right with paper... there was a sense of accomplishment when the finished present was under the tree. All of those folds are probably what made Mom like using bags so much. I love the challenge of wrapping the gifts; sometimes they aren't quite perfect, but it doesn't really matter. If I wanted all of them to be perfect I would make sure each was in a box before I started wrapping, then I wouldn't have an excuse. All of that brings me to tell you that this year I am making my own wrapping paper! I love what you can buy in stores and a select few offer discounts up to 50%, but I haven't made it to those places yet. The homemade wrapping paper gives the gift even more of a personal touch and lets people know that you care. I would suggest doing something that represents you or the holiday and if possible both!
If any of you know me very well you will know that I love books, so much so that I make them and have a huge love for poppies as well. I like the tread instead of ribbon (although either will do) since it was more convenient at the time plus I do a little sewing on occasion... usually in a painting. And the typewriter was not only perfect for the tags but I love them just as much as the other elements in the paper. Of course I didn't exactly thing through what I was going to use before I started, each piece came to me as I went along but all for good reason.
I used pages from and old book and glued them together. It helps if the gift is near by so you can measure what size the paper will need to be. I then stamped poppies all over the paper with red paint (or ink will do) to add more texture. Made a bow with a pieces of red thread and added a tag. The tags are left over paper from a book I made so they are tea stained, and I have used the typewriter to add names. After cutting a small hole in the tag I tied it onto the bow and set them under the Christmas Tree to await Christmas morning! I hope I have inspired someone out there to do a little more hand-made work for the Holiday Season!

Going RED

2007-12-02T12:39:00.001-06:00

On the note of Moleskines I broke down last night and bought my new planner for 2008. I was hoping to wait until Christmas and keep it on my list, but I was overcome by excitement when I actually saw it in the store. Several of you may have heard about the limited time Red Moleskines. I wasn't sure if I would really like to break away from the traditional and sleek black ones that I was introduced to, but upon review of the little book I couldn't help myself. It is a planner/notebook so just like the one I have been using it has space to take notes. It also comes with stickers for labeling and an extra tabbed pamphlet for keeping up with websites, dreams, hotels, blogs, movies, or anything else you can think of. A Moleskine has a specific feel to it when you hold it in your hand and this one has all of that and a vibrant color! I have already filled in upcoming dates with travel information, birthdays and parties. It is going to be a great companion this spring as I travel through Europe and mostly Italy. But wait! For all those of you out there that really wanted to get a Moleskine for me for Christmas - don't fret - there are still a few that would look great under the Christmas tree!

Sliced Bread

2007-10-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

This is probably the most exciting thing since... well, since sliced bread. Though this news may only generate an 'oh that's neat' from some, I was pretty ecstatic because of it. Some of you may know just how much I love Moleskine Notebooks. Moleskine the legendary notebook has been starting a line of city notebooks. These notebooks are for key cities around the world: Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, New York, and many more. New books have been released this fall as well. In these amazing notebooks you will find maps to the city, area and detail, metro maps, pages for notes and budgeting, tabs so that what matters most is easy to find AND translucent sticky sheets so you can keep track of where you have been or want to go without permanently marking on the map. I think I may get one for every city I can when I travel in Europe this Spring. If you aren't planning on traveling their diaries/planners are great for everyday schedules too, or check out all of the other notebooks they offer. They have something for everyone!

Oh and be sure to see what others have done with their Moleskines in Exhibitions!

Bits and Pieces Everywhere

2007-10-12T00:20:00.000-05:00

I have decided to sell 'Bits and Pieces'. It is a collection of 48 photos that are matted and measure 5x5 inches each (they are sold as individuals). The pictures were taken in film of details from a beautiful old house that is now being renovated. The prints are all hand done using an alternative process: Vandyke Brown. I love this process because I get to be involved in every step: developing the film, selecting the images, and coating the paper for printing in the sun light. Each image is matted and covered in plexiglass with 4 screws, one in each corner, as a frame. I like the brown bolts, they add to the architecture theme.

Each photograph is $25.00 and there is a bit of a deal if you buy a few of them. You can find them at my Etsy shop: www.megzrhys.etsy.com

Above is an image of the whole collection. Below I selected three photographs from the collection to give you a larger image to view.

Now Featuring!

2007-10-02T15:42:00.000-05:00

Judea Jackson from Joe and Tony's

Tell a little about yourself:

-"I love ice cream and coffee, and my guilty pleasure is playing video and computer games."

How long have you been doing this art/craft and how did you get started?

-"Ever since I was out of the womb, I come from a very crafty/artsy family and I think my mom probably handed me a crayons when I was than 6 months old to shut me up. My family called me rambette because I would destroy anything in path."

Where does your inspiration come from?

-"Everywhere, I really like to tell a story. As one of my freshman professors once said to me 'Your all about the narrative, aren't you?' I really like unexpected pairings like natural textures and clean graphic lines, or baroque architecture and mod materials or colors. Lately I have been into mythology and philosophy and religion and exploring themes there in unexpected ways. My work tends to be very thing and people oriented. I don't do a lot of abstract ideas."

What do you get out of making your work?

-"I guess just the satisfaction of completing something, or telling a story. I think art is supposed to be interactive, so the best part is when other people can take part too."

Do you have any tools of the trade?

-"I think everything is a tool, if you let it be. I guess the ones I frequently use are my hands, photoshop, my camera, and any kind of fabric. I also do a lot of painting on wood and construction materials like the stuff they use to cover counter tops. I also really LOVE tissue paper, it's so versatile!"

Please share a couple of the main stores or websites you use for supplies.

-"I'm a big 'Michaels' fan, and every once in a while I will order something from dicblick, but my fave store is the $1 stores. They often have a lot of really great finds, especially in papers and basics like glue."

What are your websites? (also list etsy page)

-"Okay I have a few... my etsy is joeandtony.etsy.com, my music site is simply www.judeajackson.com (although I will probably add art and photography as well later) and most of my art and photography is up at judybooty.deviantart.com although I am changing over to Humblevoice.com where you can find me under 'Judeajackson'

Personal or not so personal quote:

-"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."-William Wordsworth

-"Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation." -Aristotle

Amazing Layers

2007-09-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

From Etsy seller michellemoode.There are many more beautiful works in the shop. I love the layers and stitching along with the colors and textures. Definitely going on my Christmas list!

Doesn't Quite Fit

2007-09-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

So this post is definitely one of those posts under the category of 'things i want to share'. A friend sent me a link to this commercial and I decided that it is too funny not to share with the world. Hope you enjoy.
Best Comercial

Finding Feet

2007-09-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

Aside from being an Artist I also get to take care of a charming baby boy by the name of Will. About 2 1/2 days a week we play, laugh and sometimes cry together. The other day the weather was awesome so Will and I had a photo shoot... more like I took pictures while he played with his feet. Still a very good thing when a baby realizes that he has more than hands to play with. Here are a few pictures of Will.

Going Big or Medium

2007-09-13T18:04:00.000-05:00

I bought a new camera last week. Well, it isn't exactly new, it is pretty old but new to me. I won a Minolta Autocord on eBay for the awesome price of $74.00 plus shipping. So not only did I get a camera I got the satisfaction of beating everyone else's bids. I am excited to get to know my new medium format camera and to take some awesome pictures. The picture posted is the one from eBay because I am too lazy right now to take one myself. (I know pretty pathetic seeing as I just bought a camera and I don't want to take a picture.) Oh and it did come in its original leather case as well.

Onions and Potatoes

2007-09-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

This doesn't have anything to do books or photography.. at least not yet, although I probably won't do anything with it in either of those mediums. I found out today that potatoes and onions both have a very long life; sadly I don't remember exactly how long, but I did learn that you will cut that life span in half by storing the two together. I don't know why this is but Michael Chiarello mentioned it on his show on the Food Network: Easy Entertaining. Just a bit of info that I thought I should pass on to everyone.

Short Stories

2007-09-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

I have been a little busy the past couple of days. I made two mini books 'Short Stories' if you will. Each has a well known short story for its contents. The stories were taken from one of my college literature books. The pages are upside-down and backwards... basically all mixed up but the whole story is there. I would like to thank Hawthorne for his 'Young Goodman Brown' and Oates for her 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?' Both books are covered in Van Dyke Brown prints and measure to be about 1.75" x 2.25"

I Found Something Really Cool

2007-08-30T23:19:00.001-05:00

I found a new website today: Talas. I am sure it has been around for quite some time but it is new to me. Anyway they have the best selection of bookbinding supplies I have seen thus far. Really Amazing! I'm really excited about this. They have beautiful papers, lots of awls, leather working tools, and tons of books for learning. Oh and I really want this:

Peachey Minature Bookbinding Tool Set
This set of 15 miniature tools are all hand crafted by master craftsman Jeff Peachey. All tools in the set are 1/4 scale in size, and are made from the same materials as the full size versions. Unbelievably cute and accurate. The set includes an English paring knife, a Peachey paring knife, a French knife, a Peachey style French knife, a backing hammer, an engineers square, a triangle, a bone folder, a wood handled scalpel, a large and small lifting knife, a cord wrapped paste brush, a pallet, a heart finishing tool and a strop. A must for any lover, maker, or collector of miniature books. Makes a great gift!
AND it is only $650.00... I know a little expensive but kind of worth it... maybe someday.

'Look what I can do'

2007-08-29T11:55:00.000-05:00

Lisa sent me some amazing leather so that I could make her a portfolio. I really just wanted to wrap up in the leather.. it was so soft and smelled good too, but I promised a portfolio and so I made one. It is 18.5 x 11.75 with cream paste downs. This is it:

The Front (and it is actually square but I couldn't stand on top of it when taking the picture)

Inside front cover and first protector. I kept the deckle edge on the paper.

The spine... yeah I even covered it!

And a view from the top.

Alright, I'm out!

First Post

2007-08-27T15:06:00.001-05:00

I got my Moo cards today! And one can be your very own when you buy a book from my Etsy page.