Presentes de Natal...

I am really enjoying being in my studio, savouring each moment, creating the albums above that i would like to receive for christmas! I will not decorate either my home or my mom's  this year as i haven't last year, time is short between work and the studio and i need at least a full week to decorate both houses in a very american way with almost every corner full of angels, candles etc.... it has always been pure excitement so i come up with this crazy idea (if my mother is ok? ) i will decorate the christmas tree in january and store them in her the garage, we will be ready for 2011! In the meantime, she and her friends will do the honours this years again!
By the end of october, i start thinking in cool gifts to offer and now that i'm creating them the question, will they like it,  will they treasure it, arises. It so easy to offer another scarf or perfume for aunt Lili the same sweater for Dad...know the feeling searching for a different present, something that really matches with the person...that has to be different each year!
Have a good week
I will post more  and cross my fingers that it won't rain saturday
Have fun
Xo

Christmas presents

This is for you

 Feira "Craft and Design"
4/5 and 11/12 december  

jardim da estrela

Come and enjoy

        

Looking back

L'avenir

Dream big

Once upon a time...

Just made this new album that i truly love. Love the real nest found under a tree in a friend's house (merci Emanuelle), love the old buttons of the typing machine, love the vintage pages made out of resin ( my father is a quemical engineer worked his whole life with different kinds of resin so i guess it's in my DNA) love the wool pocket handmade by my mom who's a real knitter, love the door knob found in the oldest Lisbon flea market "feira da ladra, love the vintage photos that i have already used in others albums who have this nostalgia energy...LOVE my "Once upon a time" album. Hope you'll like it too, i sense he will leave me soon as being so special and unique.

Started my day with another session of therapy, who's going very well , i can already feel the small changes and am comitted to make the huge ones, each day at the time. One of my dearest friend who's  abroad for the moment, ask me what is ok to write in a blog page? I guess it various on the country and culture, for example i love the openness of my americans friends, they exposed themselves which I believe to be brave but receive it as a valuable gift, I sense that here in Portugal mabe my authenticity may be too much not to speak in distant Japan (but i guess i don't have much japanese fan's!) I won't write about my marriage for instance as my husband is concerned, it's not just about me but about us yet sharing that i'm on a therapy may represent a lot for certain people, who don't believe in it or think it's for nuts or.......The point is i write what feels ok to me and mostly what i like to read in others blogs, LIFE  with all is ups and downs, sharing fears,  hopes,  victories,  blessings, joys. I don't have any power on others peoples beliefs and thoughts, my goal is to relate to ohters, sensing that i'm in my modest way i too belong to the craft and art world, wow! I'M HAPPY WITH THAT and HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE READERS AND FOLLOWERS. 
THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME and lightens my day so many times when i'm jet lagged and feeling too tired just to get into the studio.

Enjoy your sunday
Xo

On passion

I read all the biographies about Amadeo Modigliani. His intense and tragic life has all the ingredients of a major hollywood film. There was this film with Andy Garcia and the french actress Elza Zylberstein who held the role of Jeanne who loved him so much that she commit suicide a few hours after Modi's death and she was nine months pregnant. What a tragedy, him dying at the age of 35, so young, so full of life and creativity, and she out of despair killing herself.
He was beautiful
He was tormented
He had an enormous talent
He was starving and must today return on his grave after this naked painting being sold 69 millions dollars! Is the world going nuts? 
He was a courageous man unlike the arrogant Picasso though extremely talented of course!
I had a huge crush on Modigliani in my youth...seing myself as Jeanne, living in Montmartre but their reality was not a pleasant one as alcohol and drugs were their close friends.  

He lead a tormented life filled with doubts about himself, about his huge talent, about how to love, how to give... He was a perfectionist never happy with his drawings, paintings, eager for learning, throwing away, starting all over....in a vicious circle of unhappiness which lead him to die too early.
Have a good week end...I am on holidays cool...still jet lagged but i will be for the next 15 years till retirement
xo

Dream big

Dream Big...I cherish the idea to be able to dream not to surrender to the pessimism that currently lies everywhere. I know there is a major crisis, we all have relatives and friends touched by unemployment,  drastic cuts in salaries but to dream and to feel deep inside that the wheel will ultimately turn out for the best, that there is a solution, that we will find the way no matter how difficult it seems is what i choose to believe everyday.
Life is a struggle, we all have one moment or the other major issues to deal with, how we choose to face them is our own personal choice some will become bitter others will still smile to life an remain Happy. My last flight was an example, i flew with a stewardess in her thirties who from Paris till Delhi spit out all her rage, anger, deception and frustration...towards her employee, the world.....
Do i consider it to be rudeness?
 Are we punching balls?
 Are the world responsible for her problems?
 How come if good things happened to us we feel responsible?
 How come if bad things happened to us God or the world is responsible?

It was a very instructive flight as I kept thinking" hopefully I will never turn out that way" but there was no way I could escape from it either. I imagine when you have to work every day, year after year, with  toxic people the effect it has on your nerves and mood. 

Yesterday, light some candles, Al Stewart ...... dancing with my love 

It was a great evening!

Remember to dream big

Have a good wek-end

Heading to Hong-Kong 

XO