{ Ready for the Holidays? }

 Christmas is nearly here. 

If I'm not wrong just 37 days left (I'm not good on math!) and there are always too many things to think about.

Decorations, gifts, menu for the dinners, bake sweets for friends, what to wear at Christmas eve...

Natale è quasi alle porte.

Se non sbaglio mancano solo 37 giorni (non sono molto brava in matematica!) e ci sono sempre troppe cose a cui pensare.

Le decorazioni, i regali, preparare dolcetti per gli amici, il menu per la cena di Natale, cosa indossare .... 

Luckily there are so many inspirations around the web

to help us, 'cause if the things to think about are too many

time is never enough

Fortunatamente sul web si possono trovare tante ispirazioni che ci possono aiutare, 

perchè se le cose da fare sono tante 

il tempo non è mai abbastanza

Are you ready for some glam inspiration?

Siete pronte per un po' di ispirazione glam?

Ban.do is always perfect when it comes to parties!

I love all the looks they propose

I don't have too many occasions to dress up for parties

but sometime I'd love to exaggerate... 

just like a Ban.do shooting

Ban.do è sempre perfetto quando si tratta di feste!

Mi piacciono tutti i look che propongono di volta in volta.

Non ho molte occasioni per agghindarmi per qualche festa

ma qualche volta mi piacerebbe esagerare ...

proprio come in uno shooting Ban.do!

(credits)

I would love it...

some kilos less...

Lo adorerei...

magari con qualche kilo in meno!

 (credits)

I'm thinking to prepare Christmas Inspiration posts

for me and for you...

Any particular requests?

Have a fantastic day!!!

Sto pensando di preparare qualche post a tema natalizio

per aiutarmi ed aiutarvi a trovare qualche bella idea!!!

Avete delle richieste particolari?

Buona giornata ragazze!!!! 

{ Summer look }

Let's play a game...

You decide to spend a weekend at the beach but you can't bring all the clothes that you have in your closet...

What would you put in your luggage?

Facciamo un gioco...

Decidete di fare un fine settimana al mare ma non potete portare tutto l'armadio con voi...

Cosa mettete in valigia?

Here is what I've chosen...
Ecco cosa ho scelto....

1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8

1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7


So pack your things and enjoy the weekend!

{ Inspiration Board }

This is for my friend Miss Divine....

(credits)

and more has to come...

so many ideas and things to realize for her special day...and I'll be there!

Can't wait!

{ Life }

Life is strange.

We choose our destiny (more or less, but at least we try) but we cannot control what does not belong to us.

La vita è strana.

Scegliamo il nostro destino ( più o meno, ma almeno ci proviamo) ma non possiamo controllare quello che non ci appartiene.

We run everyday in search of the happiness and we forget what is really important

Corriamo tutti i giorni alla ricerca della felicità e ci dimentichiamo cosa invece sia veramente importante.

It's only when something terrible happens that we stop to think about it.

E' solo quando ci succede qualcosa di brutto che ci fermiamo a pensare.

The love for/of our family

L'amore per e della nostra famiglia.

(credits)

Friendship.

L'amicizia.

Children, our future.

I bambini, il nostro futuro.

Simple things with no tricks

Cose semplici senza artefizi

Dreams

I Sogni

Don't forget to

smile

laugh

cry

enjoy

dance

sing

play

say good morning and goodnight

say I love you

be honest, loyal and respectful

be yourself

make that call

call your grandparents

don't forget to live

"Life is a gift

Never take it for granted"

{Sweet Switch}

Today I will do a different post and (only for today) I will write also in italian (please forgive me for my translation!).

I've "met" Sarah few months ago. Actually her blog, Shabby Chic Interior, was one of the blog I followed from the beginning. I don't even remember when and how we started talking "outside" the blog. Now we talk almost every day and we became more & more confidential.

Il post di oggi sarà differente dai miei soliti post e (solo per oggi) scriverò anche in italiano. Ho "incontrato" Sarah qualche mese fa. Anzi, a dire il vero, il suo blog, Shabby Chic Interior, è uno di quelli che seguo sin da quando mi sono affacciata per la prima volta nella blogosfera. Non mi ricordo nemmeno quando e come abbiamo inziato a parlare "al di fuori" dal blog. Adesso parliamo all'incirca ogni giorno, e le nostre chiaccherate diventano ogni giorno più "intime".

Sarah asked me if I wanted to answer to some questions, then she proposed me to make a blog switch for a day.  It's not a guest post. We just decided to answer to the same questions. I'm posting her answers to introduce her to my followers and she'll do the same on her blog.

Sarah, mi ha chiesto di rispondere a qualche domanda e subito dopo mi ha proposto di fare uno scambio di blog. Non è un "Guest post". Abbiamo deciso semplicemente  di rispondere alle stesse domande. Io pubblico qui le sue risposte  per "introdurla", "presentarla" ai miei "lettori" e lei farà lo stesso nel suo blog .

I'm sure you'll enjoy it and please take your time to visit her blog. She's a "Shabby Soul" and you'll like her!

Thank you Sarah!!!

Nome/Name: Sarah

Blog: Shabby Chic Interiors

Quando è nato il blog/When did you started to blog:
Ho deciso di aprire questo blog circa due anni fa. La mia passione per l’arredamento e soprattutto per lo stile shabby mi ha spinto a farlo. Da allora sono cambiate tante cose, ma non l’amore che dedico a questo piccolo spazio virtuale dove ho conosciuto un sacco di persone e scoperto tante nuove amicizie.

Thanks to my passion for furnitures and interior decorations, and in particular for Shabby style, I've decided to open my blog two years ago. Since then many things have changed but not the love and passion that I dedicate to my virtual place where I've met a lot of people and found new friends!



Colore preferito:
Mmm…fammi pensare, allora nell’abbigliamento, senza ombra di dubbio il mio colore preferito è il verde: verde scuro, verde smeraldo, verde turchese, verde bosco, lo adoro. Nell’arredamento invece tendo ad utilizzare i colori neutri: avorio, grigio, tortora… mi piace creare un ambiente dove predominano i toni chiari e dove la luce trova spazio per diffondersi maggiormente. In ogni locale della casa comunque, cerco di dare un tocco di carattere con un colore più deciso che enfatizzi ancora di più il candore dei colori neutri e renda originale ogni stanza.

Mhmmm.... Let me think. Well, in fashion I have no doubt at all. My fav color is green: dark green, emerald-green, wood-green... I love all the green palette! In home decoration I tend to use neutral colors: ivory, grey, dove-coloured. I love to decor all the rooms with neutral colors and let the light to spread all over. I like to add a touch of color to emphasize the candor of the neutral colors and to give a unique personality to every single room.






Fiore preferito/ Fav flower:
Da bambina mio nonno, mi portava sempre per campi a raccogliere violette così mi ha fatto innamorare di questo piccolo fiorellino. Ma il profumo dei lillà, l’eleganza delle peonie e la freschezza dei tulipani, sono indiscutibilmente al secondo posto e vincono a pari merito la medaglia d’argento.

When I was a child, I use to walk on the fields with my grandpa that introduced me to violets and since then I have a passion for that cozy little flower.






Libro preferito/Fav book:
Il libro che più in assoluto mi ha fatto sognare ad occhi aperti è “Un anno in Provenza” di Peter Mayle. Descrive le proprie avventure e disavventure durante tutto il primo anno della sua nuova vita…dalla fredda e umida Inghilterra decide di trasferirsi insieme alla moglie in Provenza. Fra disastri rurali, buffe vicende ed altre sorprese, il tempo vola leggendo questo libro. Lo consiglio a tutti.

My fav book ever, that made me dream, is " A year in Provence", a Peter Mayle's book. It describes his adventures and misadventures on the first year of his new life. From the cold England he moved with his wif to Provence. It's a very nice book. I recommend it!


Cibo preferito/Fav food:
Da buona emiliana, adoro mangiare e quando dico mangiare intendo mangiare bene: cappelletti, tortelli, lasagne, melanzane alla parmigiana, gnocchi alla romana e poi sono amante della carne. Datemi una bella bistecca (con l’osso grazie) e sono a posto per tutta la vita. Ma una buon gustaia come me, non po’ certo farsi mancare il dolcetto. E qual è il dolce che preferisco? La cioccolata! Calda, fredda, al latte, bianca, fondente, nutella, gelato, budino, torte, soufflè, basta sentire il profumo di cacao e vado in tilt!

I'm Emiliana and I love to eat and when I say "EAT" I mean good food: "cappelletti, tortelli, lasagne, parmesan eggplants, gnocchi alla romana" and I'm a Meat lover! Just give me a good large beef steak (with bone) and I'm just fine! As a foodie, I can't miss the cake. I adore chocolate! Hot, cold, milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark, ice cream, cakes, soufflè...Only the flavour make me go crazy!




Stile di arredamento preferito/Favourite Home Decor Style:
Parecchi anni fa, quando cominciai a comprare riviste straniere specializzate in arredamento, venni a conoscenza dello stile shabby. Fu amore a prima vista. Da allora tutto ciò che è shabby lo adoro. Ma non farei mai una casa solo in questo stile, mi piace mischiare. Sicuramente prediligo i mobili d’epoca con una storia da raccontare alle spalle: non vorrei mai in casa mobili moderni o sofisticati. Direi che la semplicità unita al buon gusto per il vintage, formano il mio stile.



Many years ago, when I started reading foreigner Home Decor magazines I come across to the Shabby Style and it was love at first sight. Since then, Shabby it's everything I love. To be honest I wouldn't decorate my home, entirely, in that style. I like to mix different styles. I love antique furnitures that have an history to tell. I don't like sofisticated and modern furnitures. I'd say that my style is a combination between semplicity and a good taste for vintage furnitures.



Viaggio dei tuoi sogni/Dream Trip:
Dato che mi piace sognare in grande, ultimamente mi perdo a fantasticare un bel giro attorno al mondo con la tribù al completo. Sarebbe fantastico poter far vivere questa avventura assieme alle bimbe. Desidero con tutto il cuore che questo sogno si avveri. Darei qualsiasi cosa poter vedere quel luccichio negli occhi, che hanno solo i bambini, quando per la prima volta vedono qualcosa che finora hanno visto solo alla televisione. E poi sarebbe un’esperienza stupenda da vivere in maniera del tutto naturale e selvaggia. Poche cose in valigia e tanta voglia di avventura.

I like to dream and my dream are always "big, fantastic dreams". Lately, I found myself thinking about to a world tour with all my family! It would be fantastic to live that amazing adventure with my little girls. I wish so hard that my dream come true!
I could do anything to see that sparkle in their eyes, that only children have, when they see something new and that since then they've seen it only on tv!
I'd live it naturally. Just few things on the luggage and lot of spirit of adventure!

Vacanza dei tuoi sogni/Dream Holiday:
La vacanza dei miei sogni è potermene stare a casa e godermi appieno la quotidianità senza la fretta, senza il tempo che ogni giorno ti sta alle calcagna. Svegliarsi con calma, preparare una buona colazione, sfogliare una bella rivista sdraiati sul divano e non doversi sentire in colpa se la fila dei piatti da lavare cresce sempre di più. Tanto tempo libero per i miei hobby e la possibilità di fare tante cose assieme a tutta la famiglia. In questi giorni, la vacanza dei sogni, sarebbe poter passare qualche giorno sulle lunghe spiagge della Toscana con tutte la tribù!


I wish I could stay home, relaxing, living the daily life with no hurry, this would be my Dream Holiday! I'd love to have time to wake up, have a nice breakfast, reading my fav magazines on the sofa and not feeling guilty for the tower of dishes to  wash that grow day after day!
I'd love to have time for my hobbies and to do things with my family. 
Lately in those days I'm dreaming of spending some days on the beach in Tuscany with my "tribe"

Mare o montagna/Sea or Mountain:
Posso scegliere il mare di Giugno e la montagna di Agosto?

Can I choose Sea in June and mountain in August?

So ladies...what do you think about my friend? Isn't she amazing?

I'm in Tuscany  and I'm gonna meet Irene. I'm so excited and nervous...what about if she didn't like me?

Have a great day !

{It's time ...}

Home Sweet Home... finally!

Tomorrow it will be the first day in my new house. I won't sleep there till the weekend or at least next week when I'll move defenitely...

Till then I have too many things to do...tomorrow I'll go clean carefully everything, then I'll wait for the carrier that has to deliver all the appliances and then all the furnitures and all the hundreds and hundreds of packs! I'M SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T BREATHHHH!!!!

I'm kidding, obviously! I'm so happy! It will be magic and fabulous! I know everything will be fine!


Do you remember her? Maybe I didn't introduce her to you!

It was a Saturday, two weeks ago! She was all alone in the streets near the garbage can, leaning against a three. We met in the morning, I was in the car with Mr B... As soon as we saw her we decided to take her home with us. She made a big smile, and it was immediately love!

I made her a new dress. She deserve it. Do you remember when , in Dirty Dancing Patrick said " Nobody puts baby in a corner!"? Well, I did the same! I don't think it's fair to use things and then throw them away without even trying to fix them!




It was simple, easy and fast! I've cleaned her with a wet cloth and then with acetone to take off all the traces of glue and grease.

Before to use water paint ( not acrylic!) I've used a white primer paint. Preparation is fundamental. The right choice of primer or undercoat is key to achieving the best results. I've let it dry for 4 hours and then I've chosen a white/grey to paint the chair, let her dry for 4 hours and then painted again.


I've made my own stencil mask to decorate it. A laurel crown and a crown with our initial "B"



I'm really satisfied with the result and I'm proud for what I've done. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you but, please, forgive me... I can't stop smiling!

What do you think of my new "friend"?

Wish me luck my dear friend! My new life begin tomorrow...

{Back from Sweden with love}

White, grey, brightness... Those are the first 3 things that come immediately to my mind when it's about interiors and homes in Sweden and in general in North Europe.




Large windows all around allow the light to inundate the house.



They know how to perfectly decor all the rooms. They don't fill every corner. They don't overwhelm the spaces with furnitures. They let breath the walls, not covered entirely with painting (that is more a french or english characteristic!) .

The white floor is something that make me crazy! Large wood board in a vintage/shabby style it's my favorite ever!

I think they are great in details, they give strong personality to the house using amazing details. Can you see the swing hanging in the middle of the living room? Isn't it funny?

Ok , they can do it because they have big rooms but I think they would do their best even in a tiny studio!

*credits*

Wouldn't be great to spend the weekend doing nothing but reading, have dinner with friends in a cozy place like this?


Don't forget to enter my Easter Giveaway!

{Feeling happy...}

Finally the weekend!

It's almost 2 weeks that I'm working non stop all day long to my new house!
I don't feel tired, just a bit stressed maybe but not tired 'cause it's really something that makes me happy! So, to me, the weekend won't be relax!


As I've already told you, I've chosen the palette color for the entire house... A bit of white, a bit of grey (2 greys) and a bit of ecru all over! The office/2nd room will be more in the shade of ecru, the striped curtains are made in linen as well as part of the pillows!


I'm doing almost everything I can with the precious help of my mom: paint, sew, fix old furnitures, create my pillows, the curtains, think to the disposition of the furnitures and organizing the move!

(my mom's hands)

Mr B is very helpful almost in all the bureaucratics matter! I'm the "artist", more creative and he loves how I'm working and how I'v trasformed the old wardrobe in a new sideboard or the bed in a sofa!I will show you everything...promis!



Those old buttons will fill my jars!



This is the old sewing machine I use! It's my granny's ! I have a modern machine too, but the old is fantastic! i'm not as good as my mom, she's more accurate that's why she does the dirty jobs, like to sew by hand ! I'm not good at all!

(photos by me)

So, my weekend won't be relaxing but I'm too happy to complain about it!

I'm going to Tuscany to celebrate the Queen of My Heart (in the pics she's the one with the red lipstick) 'cause it's her birthday and to take chairs, lights, fabrics, and more things for the my nest!

Have a great weekend ladies! I look forward to hear how are you, what will you do, any particular news! Write me I'm happy to read your nice comment!

p.s.: my giveaway it's just postponed!

pp.s: don't forget to visit Dreamy Whites and to enter "The Well-Dressed Home Giveaway"

Love you ... just the way you are!

{This is my Habitat}

Habitat is a UK-based international home furnishing retailer with its own retail operations in the UK, in France , in Spain (5 stores), and in Germany. I remember that few years ago there was a store near where I live and it was the first furniture store, even before Ikea!




Habitat recently launched a pan-European brand campaign featuring Helena Christensen, Bjorn Borg, and other selected personalities and shot by Todd Selby (I've already talked about him here)

(behind the scene - click on the pic)

Here are some layouts from the Habitat Fall 2009 "this is my habitat" ad campaign that The Selby shot in London.

Todd Selby said "The concept for the campaign was to show the Habitat furniture in a new way, one that was more realistic and felt less polished than your typical furniture ad. Helena Christensen and Bjorn Borg both appeared in the campaign as well as a bunch of cool Londoners that we rounded up. I really like the Habitat product, too bad they don't ship to the US!" .

(behind the scene - click on the pic)

(behind the scene - click on the pic)

Helena Christensen, famous Top Model from Copenaghen, describe herself has a "...collector because I love finding pieces on my travels and putting them into my home. I don't know if there's a specific style to my place exactly. People have said it's eclectic but I've always felt it's important to make your home like you are." "Whether it's my home or my clothes I don't like things that match too well toghether. I like a touch of imperfection and imbalance. After all nobody's perfect!"

How beautiful is she? And what a strong personality..

this is her behind the scene...

(more here)

(behind the scene - click on the pic)

I love people and home with personality! Difficult to find them but they exist and they are unique! I don't like common things, easy to find. Now I'm looking for some jars and 'till I didn't find them I'm not satisfied!

My latest finds took me a while, search online and at the antique, I've even asked to my friend that live in Madrid to take a look at the antique if maybe you couldn't find it! At the end I've found them and you can imagine how happy I was ...



They are the old (around 1860!) marmelade porcelaine jars... I simply love them!

Don't forget to enter "The Gildeed Bee's Giveaway"

Have a great week!