{Another shor weekend}

Another weekend ended... Tomorrow is Monday again! We all would love to have longer weekend to do all the stuff we can't do during the week but, if they were longer don't you think they would be as a normal day of the week?

Isn't one of the characteristics of the weekend? They aren't short but we always feel that Saturday and Sunday "fly away" really fast and they have the same 24 hours of monday or thuesday! We would like to have more time because we enjoy every single moment of the weekend...

The weekend is dedicated to clean the house and do the shopping to "refill" the refrigerator but also to meet friends, organize short trip away, dinner out, a movie or whatever we can't do during the week because, then, the day after we have to get up early to go to work or to take the kids at school!

The holidays have the same problem... Always too short!!! Isn't it?







I love weekend because I'm free to dedicate most of my time to what I love: bake, photos, friends. The rest of the time is all for Mr. B... We are looking for our first house, so we'll have much more time to spend toghether!

Today is his birthday... we had a lunch with all his family at their home in the country, where I took all the pics! I love the country side and this year it's seems that the leaves are much more colored compared to the last years or maybe it's just me that pay more attention on it!


Foggy day today, magic atmoshpere but the colours aren't bright as they are supposed to be!
Fall has all the colours I love the most, purple, green, yellow, brown in all the nuances...


This is Ettore, a black labrador! It's a tornado!





Yesterday evening we celebrated by our selves with a dinner. I gave him his gifts that I bought after a difficult search! We have everything and after almost 8 years it's hard to surprise him with a special gift! Fortunately, he loved everything! I didn't bake a cake for him... He doesn't ate cakes... He's a sportsman and it's very very strict with food... Lovely boring but it's why I love him!

so... how was your weekend! What have you done?

I almost forgot to tell you that WE MADE OUR CHRISTMAS THREE. We have to finish to decorate all the house and soon I'll show you some pics!!! I know you think we are crazy (yes we are!) but every year we start really early to enjoy the three and to "smell" the Christmas Atmosphere that lasts not for so long!

Christmas makes me so happy!!!

Have a great Monday!

P.s. don't forget to send me an email if you wanna be featured o my Etsy project or if you want me to host a giveaway contest for you! Send me an e-mail at gaia.borzicchi@gmail.com

{Etsy favourite store of the week: PaintedByRenee's }

When I started this "project" I thought that, the most difficult things, it would have been to visit daily etsy to choose my faves stores... Fortunately, I'm still doing my research on etsy but, till now, I've received your emails with your description of your etsy stores and the pics of your objects.
I'm so happy about that because it means that you follow me and you appreciate my blog: that's the most important things to me!

I'm delighted to have you as my one day's Guest Star on my world!

This week my Etsy store is "PaintedByRenee's"


Renee wrote me a sweet email about her store and she ended it with " I don't think you'll be disappointed" and she was totally right!!!

Her letter was so passionate, she described her life and her job with so much love that you could feel her enthusiasm for what she does. Thank you Renee! You have been really kind to me!

She's native Californian, a self-taught artist, wife, mother, grandmother... She has been creating and painting for over 40 years ... but she's still a beauty young Lady!

Renee's world, Painted by Renee, is made of lovely French paper goods including French Art Tags, Bridal Party favors, Custom Design Works and much more!

French Manequin note cards


Haindpainted petite mini journals

Horse and carriage cards and tags set

Bonjour Marie Antoinette -Large Tags

Christmas Tags

... and many other more! She has the perfect gift for christmas don't you think!?
I'd love some tags and cards...

Discover it!

If you desire to be featured in my Etsy project feel free to send me an email at gaia.borzicchi@gmail.com

My next step... I'd like to be the Host for your giveaway... send me an email if you want!It would be an honour for me!

I don't know if I'll be able to write another post within Sunday... Tomorrow I take a train for visiting a friend that lives 3 hours from my city and I'll be back Saturday afternoon just in time to celebrate Mr B.'s Birthday, I'll give him all the presents! I hope he'll like them!
Sunday lunch with his family and in the afternoon I hope to see my friends for a cup of the and some good chat and maybe I'll come to visit you!

For now... Have a great weekend! See you on monday!

p.s.: this evening I've participated to the book presentation of Steve McCurry a famous photographer... He is also a National geography photographer. One of his most famous image his the one of the afghan girl...

Fantastic! What an experience! You should visit his website!

Goodnight and have a terrific weekend!

Don't forget to Stop by Renee's etsy store...

{What if...}

Hi ladies...good belated morning, good belated afternoon and good night! How was your monday? Mine has been not good in the morning but defenitely better in the afternoon...

At 5 pm I've received an e-mail . The object was: "You are a winner"... Monika from Splendid Willow wrote me to inform me that I was one of the winner of her giveaway.

I was totally surprised 'cause I left a comment to win yesterday evening really late... .... I'm really happy! Totally unexpected! I can't wait to receive my gift, 8 thin German Glitter Peace Sign Ornaments from Pottery Barn! just in time for Christmas!!!

Thank you Monika!
you defenitely made my day!

She has a great blog about design! Go visit it and leave a comment, she will be happy!

Then, I've received the most touching email I've ever received since I've started writing the blog... "One day, .... I run into your magnificent blog. Since then I'm a huge fan and have been reading it consistently. Actually, your amazing blog gave me the inspiration to start writing again. " and so on and on...

Thank you Sigal for what you have written to me.... her blog is www.sigalnicethings.com ... It's in hebrew... I still don't speak hebrew!

What do you think about my new header and backgound? I've decided to change it but if you don't like it I'll get back to the old style... Tell me what do you think...

the old one

Isn't it good to change some time or do you think it's better to stay always in the same way? Are you brave or not? What have you done that you think it's a big change for yourself? It could be anything: home moving, quit your job to follow your dreams... What?

I have long long hair and I'm thinking to cut them or to change the color... I'd love to but at the end I feel secure with my long hair and with my color... I'm not that brave... I'd love to have short hair that are defenitely more practice and easy to treat especially in winter and , actually, I had it for few years but now I can't. Long hair are my strenght as for Samson in the Greek mythology (do you know the history?)!

*if you know where that pic come from, please let me know*

What about you?

{Friday's Home Bakery}

I spent all the afternoon baking cakes, cookies, breads...
Now you know that I love to bake and to take pics... I'm obsessed ( in a positive way) with that!

I've a lot of books bought on Amazon with interesting and yummy receipes to try.

So... today I've made a Poppy Seeds Vanilla Bread...


I'm not a lover of poppy seeds but this bread is great and it's fantastic for the morning breakfast with a cup of hot coffee or a glass of milk!





The next loaf/bread/cake it's my glory. I've made a Chocolate Babka. I've found the receipe in one of my favorite food blog "Cavoletto di Bruxelles". It's not really complicate but needs a lot of time of preparation. The dough need to be rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours and then another hour!



I'm so proud...It's soft, sweet and spicy ! I cut the loaf in little slices and put them in bags in the refrigerator so I'll have my babka everytime I want and it will be fresh as I've just made it!

I've made a mono portion of Babka for my friend...



Classic Extreme Chocolate cookies... for sad and lonely moments...




Don't you feel just better when you eat chocolate?

My last experiments was "Red Velvet Cupcake"...


It's a cocoa cup cake but RED! I had it last year in New York and I've always wanted to bake my red velvet cupcake to give to friends that couldn't go to NYC and couldn't taste such a delight!




The receipe is really easy and fast. For the frosting I've used a Cream Cheese and I've decorate them with candies!





what do you think? do you love the pics! I need a macro lens...

Now it's time to go to bed! I'm just thinking that I love so much to bake that maybe ....

goodnight ladies!

Have a terrific weekend!

LOVE YOU!

P.S.: don't worry! All the cakes/cookies/cupakes are in the regrigerator! I won't eat everything by myself!

{Etsy favourite store of the week: Garden Adornments}

Sorry Ladies, last week I didn't make the weekly post about my Etsy favourite store.

For this week, I've chosen Aimee's Etsy Store.


She's from California and I know her 'cause I follow her blog (that I love). I asked her if she was interested on being featured in my Etsy project. She wrote me back right away and this is what she said about her, her family, her work and her projects!

"My name is Aimee Boschet. I am 36 years old and I have been married for 15 years (tomorrow) and my Husband and I have been together for 20 years and have two children. I have always had a passion for design. I remember as a child constantly rearranging my room and moving around my furniture. I started going to thrift shops when I was 16 and have always had a love for antique and vintage finds. I then started designing jewelry and selling to boutiques in Los Angeles when I was 18. When I was 23 I went to school for Interior Design and then when I was 34 I obtained my certificate for Home Staging and started my online Home & Garden boutique. All of my business ventures have always taken a creative edge because that is what I enjoy in life. I am constantly trying to come up with new and unique ideas to keep me inspired.

I have always found myself shopping for beautiful and unique finds at antique stores, estate sales and architectural salvage stores. I am drawn to the beauty of French style, which I find so elegant and charming. That is what lead me to design my French Inspired Collection of home accessories. My goal is to have a beautiful, unique and cohesive collection. Located just outside of Los Angeles, California, my studio is where I create all of my designs. My inspirations are drawn from architectural scrollwork's, floral imagery, antique French text and European textile designs. All of my items are hand silk-screened individually, giving each piece a high-quality and high-end look with a soft to the touch feeling. My professional sewing team then turns my designs into beautifully completed products. All designs are ©Aimee Boschet Designs/Garden Adornments. Products may vary slightly due to each one being handmade. My items are available to purchase retail in my French Etsy Boutique and they are also available wholesale to high-end boutiques world wide. I also just recently started my Vintage Etsy boutique where you will find beautiful vintage treasures that compliment my line of French home accessories"

Here what you can find on her French Etsy Boutique:

The French Crown pillow I think , if possible(!!!), it's my favourite!



She has also a Vintage Etsy store, where she sell what she find at the antiqus market as a compliments to her pillows.



She "only design and sell items that I would buy myself"

You can find Aime here, here, here and here. Go visit her! She's great! I think when I'll open my store I'll ask her to sell her product in Italy too!!!

Goodnight!

If you desire to be featured in my Etsy project feel free to send me an email at gaia.borzicchi@gmail.com

{November}

I know...I'm late, always late... Thank you for the Birthday and Halloween wishes...

The problem is that I've so many things to do that I begin 100 things all toghether and at the end I realize that I've done nothing at all!
I've to learn to do one thing at the time and to keep the commitments! In this period I feel so enthusiastic for what I'm doing.... Bake, photos, projects, ideas that I've left aside my blog and your comments and I didn't visit you as I used to do... That's bad... You are my daily inspiration!

So this is a summary of my last week...

My birthday... October 28... I'm 35 old enough to be called Madam but young enough to feel free, alive and with a lot of opportunies to catch!

I've celebrated till sunday! With family and friends!







Then I've baked a lot... all my birthday's cakes and Halloween's cake and cookies! I love to bake and I'm so satisfied when I do something good ... In the past weeks I've made macarons, I've decorated my birthday cake, I've made blueberry cookies and lately a chocolate "monster" halloween cake and "booh" cookies! Everything came out so yummy! You have to trust me... I do not have any evidences left...

Chocolate sponge cake with raspberry cream cheese and covered with royal icing and decorated with chocolate!

Halloween cake ... sorry for the bad pic but I was late for dinner that day ...



and my cinnamon halloween cookies!


We had a great Halloween/Birthday dinner with friends at my best friend's house!

On Sunday we went to Tuscany for visiting my relatives and to stay with my granny. It was a great day... sunny and warm but with fall colors! I love this period of the year, don't you?



This is it! My last week... Now it's time to go to bed! See you tomorrow!

{Booh!}

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN.... SCARY NIGHT!

GIRLS YOU'VE MADE MY WEEk, DAY...EVERYTHING!

I hope you'll be so patient to wait for the next week for new posts, pics, idea... I've been so busy this week!!!

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Can't wait to read all of your bog and see what have you done for Halloween!

I'm on a hurry...gotta gooo!