Friday 29 March 2013

Shoes sale in Milan! 80% off!


One of my favourite shoes shops in Milan - Les Chaussures Mon Amour is having a super sale! up to 80% off to all collection! Saw this in a shop window while walking home and couldn't resist not entering! Must say shoes are cute, colourful and adorable and everyone will find something for their taste, so while in Milano check out the place. The address is on poster and metro stop is Pagano. Or just drop me a line. Have fun shopping!
 
 P.s.Italian quality and real leather! Do I need to say more? :)

Thursday 28 March 2013

Easter Inspiration: DIY, Recipes, Decoration

I have always loved Easter feeling, because it is all about colors, coloring, DYIs, games, eggs, holidays and bunnies!! :) when I was kid we used to wake up on Easter morning to go searcing in the garden where the Easter bunny has left eggs+gifts to us with our name tags on it. it was always so exciting. than later the day you have a nice breakfast with family with some typical easter desserts and egg fights and than you hit the city to participate in differetn activities around. markets, contests, games, dancing performances etc. than is
the tea time and family and relative meeting..ahh memories,memories. anyway, this entry is nto about memories but about Inspiration and ideas how to create a cute Easter weekend and make your house around you look a little nicer.
I usually color eggs with a natural colors (like onions - blue and brown, tea, red beets, raspberry brunches, etc to get differetn colors) and weeds, flowers and herbs as well as rise and grains to make differetn patterns.
here are some pictures taken by my brother (he is really good at this) with my mom's creations. she is a master, but I try to keep up.

so thisSaturday I will be trying to make something like this as well. (if need an advice - drop me a line).
As today feeling inspired than will try to make some Easter sweets as well. and I found this awesome chick cupcakes.
How to make healthy muffins you can see here . The other idea for Easter chick-cupcakes would be with grated lemon topping and chocolate.
than I found how to make Easter pretzels :) at stoplookingetcookin.  isn't this fun? :)

for some real egg decoration could make something like this:
really simple and looks great.
 for a table decoration all you need is some colorful cutlery and napkins and string and you can create art! :)
than if creation finds you, can make your ownbunny-napkins. check out the tutorial of Natalie here .
continuing with creations check out this awesome tutorial by Fashion Diva here.

to make some decorations of egg shells all you need to do is to have some ideas, colors, nail polishes and you can go Easter-wild.
to make some "snacks" for the bunny or a candy carrot bag like this check out the tutorial of Clare here
and don't forget about cards this year as well. Check out these vintage, Easter postcards and tags.
to download postcards and tags click here.
and for soem CUTE-CUTE tags check out the Babalisme's blog here.
Love the E and bunny tag. E is not only for Easter but also for Egi :) heheh (feeling cheerful and silly today).
so let's create, share and have  a Happy Easter full of cupcakes, bunny biscuits,
 tea time with friends,
 smiley moments, nice dresses (remember this spring is all about floral patterns and pastel colors) and bunnies! :)




Wednesday 27 March 2013

Free Givaway: Handmade, Romantic Italian jewellery

Hello lovelies! it is time to win some hand made, unique jewellery from Luli Art Bijoux in a free giveaway! and who doesn't want a free, handmade, adorable piece of jewellery!?!

And all you have to do is to take a snapshot of your favourite accessories and post them to Instagram.
Check out the rules by clicking here! :) or see summary below!


 the time is limited (till 25th April), so hurry up!
 I also tried to participate and even set up (finally) my Instagram account. so these are my participant pictures.
 To make it more romantic and arty I added some flowers to my picture :)
Cupcake necklace
so let's participate! and if not yourself - pass it to your girl-friends! they will appreciate! so: share,share,share! :)
p.s. Participate can whoever wants and from whatever country! it's international! :)
 

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Recipe: Apple and Oat Muffins

lately I have a turned to my baking-instinct and let it go wild baking sweet stuff. This time I tried to make my first muffins - low sugar and no butter with a healthy touch! :)
so why don't you give a try as well?! here is the recipe to bring your own home-made muffins on the Easter table. (how to decorate them will follow up in next entries ) :)
My inspiration
(This cupcake-towel hanger on the kitchen wall was my inspiration of this muffin-try-out).
so here we go!

You will need:

1 egg
1 glass of oat flakes (I didn't use the whole ones)
1 glass of milk
2 glasses of flour
3 tb.spoons of olive oil
2 tb.spoons of room-temperature water (boiled)
0,5 glass of brown sugar
1 apple
1,5glasses of rasins
0,5 d.spoon of cinnamon
1 d.spoon of baking powder
0,5 d.spoon of salt
0,5 d.spoon of baking soda

PREPARATION:
 
 
 
1. peel the apple and chop in small pieces.
2. wash the raisins and once done soak them in boiled water for 15minutes. to get them soft. than get rid of the water
3. in a mixing bowl mix together all the ingredients



4. mix in well the raisins and apple pieces
5. warm up the oven to 200°C and meanwhile put in the muffin baking form the muffin papers-forms (I used them so it is easier to get out of the pan afterwards and looks nicer as well)

6. fill in the mixture in forms covering just 2/3 therefore leaving a space them to grow
7. put baking for 20minutes (do not open the oven at all or at least first 15minutes, otherwise they won't grow due to the temperature change).
to check weather is ready (getting deliciously brown) use a match or a wooden stick to test if the pastry is not sticking to it. If it is - still need to bake some more.
 

 
 Voilà! and we are done! :)

home made, healthy muffins
Well than I tried to little bit experiment and made 2 muffins with a cream topping and coconuts and 1 with chocolate sprinkles (for my chocolate-loving Tester - aka boyfriend ^_^)
Coconut + cream topping
 
Coconut + chocolate topping
 
 next time will try cupcakes with real toppings and coatings :)
 
so go ahead and try them at home :) also perfect addition for Easter afternoon tea with your friends, relatives or family.

Monday 25 March 2013

Photo Shooting and Being a Stylist Part II

YES! it has happened! I have received the pictures from the photoshooting where I was a stylist! :)
I must say, I was pretty excited to see the result, because - she looks fabulous! :)

check it out! :) actually was playing around with the colors and flowers, because this Spring to me is all about the mixing-up the things and making life a little bit less serious :)
 and have a nice Monday! ^_^




 

Thursday 21 March 2013

Bangs and glasses - Part I - before

it comes a time to every girls life to think about pros and cons to get bangs. will I look good? and if yes - what kind of bangs should I get? and so on,and on. than ypou just flip through the magazines by checkign out models and celebs to see how they look like and think that you can pull that off just need a courage to do it.
My case is even more complicated :D I need a sight glasses ( yes, with the age comes also this :( ) and now thinking if I can have both - bangs and glasses! :)so
yesterday I found an awesome look for my next bangs :)
aren't these the coolest bangs EVER?! :D heheheh
just kidding, more thinking of swept bangs, something like this


AND hopefully will look like this :) :

and also have found some cool frames, specially loved Tom Fords Cat-Eyes
Check them out here.

so this is the end of part I - DREAMING and the desired outcome :D the real one - yet still to come :) stay tuned :) and if have suggestions or comments (or want to talk me out of this little experiment) - drop me a line. all help needed and welcome :)

Wednesday 20 March 2013

DIY: Vernazza Vase Project

One of my favorite places on the world is Vernazza (one of the Cinque Terre little fishermen towns) - a paradise at Italian Riviera. (can check out some of my pictures from Vernazza here or on my pintrest page).

On 25 October 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding and mudslides that left the town buried in over 4 metres of mud and debris, causing over 100 million euro worth of damage. The town was evacuated and remained in a continued state of emergency. it was terrible time for the lovely vilalge, but it were reconstructed and got back on its feet again.
So when I was there last August I saw these lovely, colorful peebles and shatters and splitnes of different ceramics, vases, walls,etc.  along all the coast - as remines of all Vernazza, I decided to "put them back together" creating something dedicated to this lovely place and memories - something lasting,i picked them up and  made a mosaic, which I glued on my plain,white vase for Orchidea to make it more pretty.
So now I have my own, unique, colorful vase from Vernazza which carries the charm and story of the town and makes me dream of Summer, beach and the sun every time I see it :)

colorful peebles from Vernazza
voilà - colorful flower pot


Tuesday 19 March 2013

DIY: let's bake Latvian cookies!

There are no kid in Latvia who wouldn't remember what is a austiņa - little ear (because of the form that reminds of an ear). as my bro'  wrote that he tried to make them and passed me recipe, than I decided to make them as well and share with you the recipe to try your own, homemade, easy biscuit recipe.
You will need:
  • Flour - 500gr
  • Butter 300gr
  • 1 egg
  • Water - 160ml
  • Sugar - 1 glass ( I used brown and white sugar - mixing them together)
  • Salt - ½ tea spoon
  • Lemon juice 1 tea spoon ( I used fresh lemon for better flavour)
Preparing: ~ 1h (baking for 2 plates x20 min. 200-210 C°

 
1. In the bowl pour flour and salt. Grate in cold butter on a "roughest-biggest whole" side while constantly "soak it" in flour in order to prevent from sticking together.

2. after butter has been mixed in, add egg, cold water and the tea spoon of lemon juice.

3. Knead the dough quickly before the butter has gotten warm.
4. Make a "brick" from the pastry and put in the plastic bag and put in a fridge for 1h.
5.sprinkle the flour on the surface where you plan to put the pastry (make sure it is not wet and big enough)and use rolling pin to stretch it in a rectangular form.


 6. try to make it as thin as possible (the thinner it is the more layers the "ears" will have).
7. pout the half glass of sugar of the surface


 8. roll in from both sides equally - like a book cover

 9. put it back in a fridge for 15min.
10. meanwhile warm up the own to 200-201 degrees.
11. cut the long roll in half to easier to operate. and cut into pieces - around 12. or at least 1-1,5 cm thick
12. Put on the table -source sugar and put each piece in it.
13. than take the rolling pin and make it flat from both sides. as much as sugar sticks- that's the right amount.
14. put on the pan the baking paper and biscuits and put baking for 20min. in 200C° meanwhile put the rest of "ears" back in fridge.
15. I put them in the top part of the own to get them browner and also switches sides of the pan as well as turned them around to get them more brown.
16. and voilà - that's the result. and tastes great! :)
they are perfect with afternoon tea and gossiping with your girls,breakfast or just as a snack.  :)

if you try them as well- let me know how was it! :)

p.s. some of the pictures are not mine, as didn't have good light to make close ups, but the result was the same :)