13.6.13

details and a recipe

I have a lot to learn.

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I make this simple soup when I don't feel much hungry but still I need nourishment:

1 cup of boiling water, 1tbs white miso paste, firm tofu, few dried shiitake mushrooms,
1 finely sliced spring onion, Japanese soy sauce, sesame seeds.

Grab your favourite bowl, mix the miso paste with a spoon or two of water, add the boiling water, stir, add the mushrooms, cut the tofu in cubes ( I use 1/3 of a confection of 250gr) then add it to the soup along with a dash of soy sauce, spring onion and sesame seeds. (*All the ingredients I use are organic).

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Have a nice weekend!










10.6.13

one average monday morning

Double coffee for me this monday morning, it's dull, grey and cold, but, it's the 10 of june!

I like:

Kinfolk volume 8
this image
this home and photographs
this hammock
this film (seems promising, though I don't like vampires)
this collection 
this cooking book

I'd love to go to Ana Ventura workshop 

Have a nice monday!




6.6.13

Hello

I just had an haircut.
it is strange to see the wrinkles that gradually appears in my face and how my expression and eyes have changed as life goes by...I'm trying to embrace middle age in a graceful way.
Anyway, this is me at 44, soon 45 yo.

Have a nice week end all!



3.6.13

Doing, making and mending

Howdy! I haven't blogged for 10 days, in blog time seems a month!
The reason why, the school holidays or mid term as it's called here. 
I spent most of my time with my daughter, we tried to finish few incomplete projects we started a while ago, like her photographs album I was meant to do a couple of years ago (!). 
It's such a relief to see stuff done!
Then I decided that it was time to put my sewing machine at work. 
I finished this top, made a pair of pj trousers with Liberty fabric I bought a long time ago, a simple top ( my favourite japanese pattern), a linen skirt ( no pattern used, made a mess then got it right in the end), cut a dress and made it into a skirt and started a simple jacket that I will show you when finished.
I've been complaining now and then, here and there, that I don't own an "overlocker machine", so, with the purpose of looking for one I started a search on internet and found an interesting forum which made me decide that I don't need one! when an experienced seamstress pointed out that 'haute couture' garments are not finished with an overlock machine but by hand or using different techniques such as "French seams" or "Hong Kong seams"...overlock finishing are used mainly for high street clothes. So I thought of my grand mothers (both seamstresses) and asked myself how did they do it? Having put time and effort on my handmade clothes I decided to follow their steps and take the slow approach... though not so sure an overlocker is faster really as I read on forums many people complaints of the time it takes to thread them...what do you think? do you have an overlock? 

WEAR is my style board





23.5.13

my mood board

I made a new mood board today...longing for the seaside...and lots of cuteness!
Have a nice weekend :)



 

At swim two birds

Untitled by At Swim-Two-Birds
Untitled, a photo by At Swim-Two-Birds on Flickr.
The beautiful At swim-two-birds cushions by Renilde  are now in the shop!

20.5.13

testing stuff

I recently started a new board on my pinterest, it's about green DIY projects and products.
My concerns about the environment started many years ago, but when my daughter was born they became amplified. As time goes by my concern grows.
So I started to look for ideas and products that will help me to do more about it, and now I think I'm ready to share them with those of you who have the same concerns.
Plastic: plastic is everywhere, if you go to a beach, you will find many tiny coloured particles mixed to the sand...that is plastic! it won't degrade for centuries. Fishes are eating it and so birds, it has entered in our food chain, and that is scary as we don't know about the consequences.
Supermarkets make me totally frustrated since I can't find a vegetable that isn't wrapped in plastic!
For these reasons and more I'm very keen to make of "alternatives" the routine. 
I made this board, which is the easiest part and I've started to test those ideas I've pinned, to see if they are any good.
To start with, I tried this project. Let me tell you that it is a great way to recycle old t-shirts, but, make sure your t-shirts have no seams on the sides, because if they do, this method is not good at all.
Think about the project you want to make based on the number of t-shirts you have to recycle. I'd like to make a bathroom rug, crocheted (I find it hard to knit this kind of yarn). For my project I crocheted a chain of 23 stitches, with a n8 crochet hook. So far I obtained 4 1/2 rows with one t-shirt, which is roughly 9cm, to finish this project I need in total 5 t-shirts. I quite like the result...I think it's worth it if you want to avoid to send your stained, full of holes t-shirts to landfill.

//
The next project I tested is this one.
Using cheap garden twine and some wool filling, I made a scrub a bit larger and I knitted two rectangles rather than a folded one, then I sewn them together.
I tested it on the breakfast washing this morning and I must say that it worked perfectly.
I'll stick to these scrubs and I'll try with different natural materials and sizes.


//
Last I tested this one
...Yep! I gave it a go, because I'm keen to avoid plastic bottles as much as possible. 
I've been using expensive organic products for more than a decade, but the plastic bottles that come with them are bothering me. I've tried many of them but still, my hair gets dry and heavy, sometimes my scalp irritated, not to mention that I really spend a fortune on shampoos and conditioners! I had nothing to loose so I've tried this recipe last night, as soon as I washed my hair with bicarbonate of soda ( baking soda is exactly the same product) I got really worried because they felt like fuzzy wool! then I added the apple cyder vinegar and the feeling changed completely, thank goodness it worked, the scalp felt clean and my hair looks fine! I'll stick to this recipe for a while then I'll do a recap with you to let you know if I have lost all my hair or not! ;^)

Ok, sorry for the long post, I hope I haven't bored you, instead somehow managed to inspire you.

Next I'm onto soap making...

PS: just so you know, I don't get any compensation to pin those products on my board, I've chosen those shops or images for ethical and aesthetic reasons, also because I have some of those products at home (hence I tested them) I've been using them for a while and I think they are well worth it.  I don't suggest much where to buy it, but what to look for if you too want to avoid plastic and nasty stuff and need some tips.

Have  a nice beginning of the week

Oh and this is my 500th post!