[com]mission cuteness

Sharing is caring and for my entrance  back into the blogging world I thought I'd let you in on what I've been up to - getting paint in my nails has been one of these beautiful time-fillers.

I was commissioned to do something cute, and cute I did (I reckon). [com]mission cuteness is one of my works in the making. This cutie pie will soon be a part of a series of four framed watercolour pieces for my dear friend and her tiny tot's nursery.

m xo

What I've been up to

Totally blissed to our eyeballs, smooches and all, we've just stepped out of some wickedly-sweet happenings (daylight and post-sunset). This time, my list of happenings is doubling as a list of gratitude:

1. Date night dinners all weekend with my cute-as-pie guy.
2. Wine-sipping and cheese-plate-nibbling at our newly-stamped-haunt
3. Slowing down 
4. I did say all-weekend-date-nights? Chopsticking at the brilliant nosh from Golden Boy was part of the deal; swooned off my tush by their new fit out! 
5. Bikram yoga. I told you about how good this stuff is, right.
6. Under a clear midnight sky we listened to this man
7. Beach running in deliciously sweet rays
8. Eating blueberries
9. Taking paint to canvas with etudes in the air
10. Separating (slowly) the glue between my digits and my iPhone

Hope you've had some sweet things fill your days. Write them down - does your soul a tonne of good. Maria x

From Cyprus, with love

28th Birthday celebrations with my love.

We're back! Cyprus treated us with open-armed-love and kissed us with the sweetest rays; I spent my 28th Birthday in finger-locks with my love, overlooking the purest crystal waters, amongst the joy and warmth of family...pinching myself for such blessed and simply sweet days, people and love. I'm now finding my feet again on home ground, getting back into the brilliant stuff filling my days - including your blogs.

Here's a snoop into our stunner getaway; from beach parties to mountain views, political disrupt, to a precious insight into generations of family history.

 

 

For anyone that knows the political situation in Cyprus, seeing the Greek flag flying with pride (on every street corner, at every Tavern, on boats, balconies and street side graffiti) filled my senses with the passion and patriotism that lives on - left me speechless.

The essentiasl: Love-lock holds and Aesop.

Thank you to those who left wishes for our engagement - you filled my heart with so much warmth. It's a strange but wonderful place, this blogging world; most of us have never met but have shared our journeys and gotten to know one another in amazing ways over years of story-telling-posts. I have a beautiful group of blogging buddies I couldn't do without. Your wishes tickle me pink xx

What I've been up to

I've felt a little out of the blogging loop lately and there's pretty good explanation why; I've been a tad busy. The other thing is, a new iphone has meant instagram is now working for me again - I've been following you all on that! Follow me.

Without much more ramble, here's what I've been up to.

1. Tea and Debussy's Passepied until midnight hours.
2. Dreaming about pedicures! My ballet exams are on; 1 down, 1 to go. Thought I'd insert my battle wounds for proof, dead toenails and all.
3. Spending time with friends that energise me. In pretty spaces.
4. Thank you for the beautiful leather, Nutsa Modebadze.
4. Ring-a-ding-ding. Accessorizing my digits.
5. Lunch runs (when I can make it). Krystal from Village, you'd be mighty proud!
6. Figuring out how I'm wired.
7. Practice makes perfect (and for a healthy, happy body). You know you can get your own basic "ballet" workout here or here.

#AugustChallenge anyone?

training...and training...and training...

6 months, 5 pairs of pointes, 2 tubes of voltaren = productivity at its best!

Anyone keen to get an #AugustChallenge started?

I'm tackling a few this month (ballet training whether I like it or not); it'll be my heaviest month of training and shape-shifting:

#AugustWhole30 is on, for the next 30 days. Follow my Whole30 Wednesdays for support.
A #LunchRun will be taking priority a few times a week to detox my cluttered mind.
#MorningBallet sessions will have me training before the stars fade away. Every day.

ballet wake-up calls

Can't wait. Let me know if you're tackling a challenge of your own.

By the way, although (very) late jumping on board, I'm on twitter (I know). Let's link and #AugustChallenge the month away.

Have a great week guys.  Maria x

It is what it is

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Life is one sweet ride.

A few magical days spent in Melbourne's wine-drenched countryside; stung with love and smothered in forehead-smooches from my guy. x

Rays of loveshine

via my pc.

Sometimes you get those moments where your no-time-for-anything complaints get a kick in the guts with a sweet ol' reality check of "things are great, you fool. Shut it!" Although I do make a point of smiling about all my so-blessed-to-have-thems (daily), I do admit to getting caught up and missing the point; the point being, I should be aching from ear-to-ears every minute of every day. My most recent days have played host to just enough light bulb moments to knock some smiling-sense back into me. Want to know why?

1. A few moments filled me with arms-up-in-the-air-style thanks for the indescribably, brilliantly, glowing rays of sunshine (aka people) I have wrapped snugly in my life. Really. One of those moments was an unplanned phone link-up with a beautiful friend. A few minutes were layered with the simplest laughs and brief catch ups on happenings - we live in different states.

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2. Adelaide, known as this little "sleepy town" is shaking that tired, old name off its back. Finally. The young folk of town are setting up shop, determined to beat that crappiness to a pulp. And they're doing a pretty fine job. Minestra was my gold nugget find over the weekend - I spent the good part of daylight hours sipping and munching time away with my girlfriend. A touch Melbourne-inspired and a pinch of Sydney's style, these guys have filled the old corner store with charm, good coffee and organically home-grown produce...only!

3. A "turning point" handed me even rosier coloured specks to peep through. Last Sunday sunset, the boy and I got together and seated ourselves to yet another impressive Adelaide find - restaurant The Pot, just off the city's main bustle. That's not the only good thing. Aside from devouring the hands-down best food served to us in a long time, our dinner date for two went through a 'turning point.' You get those moments in every relationship. Things grow, sometimes they fall. Whatever they do, they do it with reason and purpose. Our thing (a 15 year old story), just got sweeter and I'm a giddy girl all over again.

4. Gotta love where you're at and that's what I'm living. Genuine passions my bones ache for are in my days - every second of them; beautiful winter sun makes me smile ridiculously; playing with colours and formatted font...and calling it my day job; surrounding myself with my wonderful friends and family that have proven their genuine selves by being there, always, through thick or thin - honest, loyal, brilliant people; good food, good health, piano tunes and ballet shoes - all the right ingredients. It feels good to rattle off your made-me-smile list once in a while. Try it.

Oh, Odette

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Swan Lake is in town kids! I'm thrilled to bits to be able to see the Australian Ballet's show in Adelaide; my ticket to their closing night sits proudly on my dresser. The best bit is, last night I got news I'm in the Masterclass with Australian Ballet's Lisa Bolte; to put a few of us through our paces to this solo from SL Act 2 - Odette. Pinch me now and (try) pin me down.

What I've been up to

Its been a tail chaser week for me and I've met Friday without any of my usual Friday Finds. What I do have, though, is an update on all that's been going on in my world this past little while...just excuse my iPhone's camera quality.

  

1. Wearing red. 
2. Smiles. I know, I know...I tend to repeat myself but the smiles I wear thanks to the hand-picked-folk in my world are tops.
3. Heading out of town. Winter rain. Misty grey beauty.
4. A winter's night with a hearty, spiced chicken soup, fresh bread, a good red and my guy to enjoy it with.
5. Drinking this sublime tea.
6. Switching from my summer essential Byredo to some winter notes.
7. Translating poetry to unveil Liszt's musical inspiration. Playing things like this makes practice a pleasure...

The Poem:

Francesco Petrarca CANZONE CXXXIV
Pace non trovo
Pace non trovo, e non ho da far guerra,
E temo, e spero, ed ardo, e son un ghiaccio:
E volo sopra ‘l cielo, e giaccio in terra;
E nulla stringo, e tutto ‘l mondo abbraccio.
Tal m’ha in priggion, che non m’apre, né serra,
Né per suo mi ritien, né scioglie il laccio,
E non m’uccide Amor, e non mi sferra;
Né mi vuol vivo, né mi trahe d’impaccio.
Veggio senz’occhi; e non ho lingua e grido;
E bramo di perir, e cheggio aita;
Ed ho in odio me stesso, ed amo altrui:
Pascomi di dolor; piangendo rido;
Egualmente mi spiace morte e vita.
In questo stato son, Donna, per Voi.

I find no peace, but for war am not inclined;  
I fear, yet hope; I burn, yet am turned to ice; 
I soar in the heavens, but lie upon the ground; 
I hold nothing, though I embrace the whole world. 

Love has me in a prison which he neither opens nor shuts fast; 
he neither claims me for his own nor loosens my halter; 
he neither slays nor unshackles me; 
he would not have me live, yet leaves me with my torment. 

Eyeless I gaze, and tongueless I cry out; 
I long to perish, yet plead for succor; 
I hate myself, but love another. 
I feed on grief, yet weeping, laugh; 
death and life alike repel me; 
and to this state I am come, my lady, because of you. 

Boost me!

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It's been all a bit too much "humph" for me this past week. You know the times when you've driven yourself into the ground by tackling maybe a touch too much? That's me. Problem is, I'm struggling to get out of it. I've tried coffee, sleep, herbal tea, putting my feet up, getting my heart rate up, painting to Bach, playing through some Bach pieces, hot showers, fresh foods, soothing soups and a lot more coffee...nothing is working.

What's your tonic for re-loading your step with a spring and getting that glint in your eye again?

Maria xo

P.s. Through my Whole30 challenge, I was the total opposite. It's interesting to realise that the introduction of more toxins and non-Whole30 foods may have a huge part to play to the crash and burn of my energy and mood.

Friday's Finds / story time

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Clouds are hiding the sun and rain drops are falling in my scrunched up hair - that's how I'm greeting this weekend and things couldn't be better. Coming to the end of a bumper week has me with a summer-type spring in my step, and for good reason; two days lie ahead to indulging in my favourites (more about that in a sec). Before we kick off into weekend games (and a story about my weekend plans below), here are the few finds I saved for today.



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1. Hecker Guthrie is back on my blog but this time spilling secrets on all things leather. 

Told you these guys are gold.

 

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2. A bloody good (dance) tumblr.

 

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3. One of my girlfriends and I have gone all neutrally-toned in the makeup department. You too? Here are some tricks to nail the look.

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As I was about to say, I've become good at the 'busy' thing and have expertly packed a weekend of  just about every little thing I love. I know you're on the edge of your seats hanging to hear just what I've got up my sleeve (you are, right?). My heart is skipping beats I'm so darn excited. So bloody excited I'm going to list them for you (this list is as organised as I've been in a long time):

1. Fine-tuning my piano skills (did someone say diploma?) has got me like a fat kid with cake. Why, you ask? I have this stupid thing I like to drown in called self-doubt. Years ago I had the whole thing down pat it held me back from everything my bones yearned for. My point is, I've finally shaken that rotten old blanket of doubt from my shoulders. Finally. Turns out I was actually half OK at my piano thing and my teacher has planted my into finishing my Dip. Performance.

2. You may recall me mentioning something about a 'new canvas' and how I'm ready to get painting again. Well, that canvas is still very, very new with not a drop of inspiration staining it. This weekend is changing all that...stay tuned.



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3. Most of you know me pretty well by now. If I'm not baking, I'm painting; if I'm not painting, I'm drinking coffee; if I'm not drinking coffee, I'm sipping wine with the boy; if I'm not indulging in that, I'm at ballet training. And this weekend is a big ballet weekend. I have a few hours booked with my original ballet teacher to put my skills before her critical eye in the stunning (massive) ballroom of her home. I'm a sucker for punishment (and big, open dance spaces) and she's the master of the art.  She's known me since I was a 3yo bambino; she knows my excuses, she knows my cop-outs and knows just the right pitch of 'scream' to get my butt moving! I. Cannot. Wait.

If you're still reading, you're absolutely all-kinds-of-wonderful. Thank you. Take a deep breath, there's no more story telling from me. Just a quick happy-weekend wish! Are you up to anything fun? xo

What I've been up to / Autumn gatherings

baked eggs, brekky salad, fresh baked pain d'epi, homemade butter and a fresh brew of coffee.

brekky salad of avocado halves, crisp prosciutto, fresh ricotta and snow pea sprouts.

tablecloth - butchers paper with scribbled menu

I'm a total sucker for the experience of wining and dining in aesthetically-pleasingly-perfect surrounds. But it's not only about picking some fine nosh and wine. The happenings around our table matter too, if not more - the moments, the laughs, discussions and memories made.  Last Sunday's autumn (Mother's Day) gathering was spent in rustic brilliance...if I may say so myself. I pulled my Pain D'Epi loaf from the oven to accompany two versions of baked organic eggs and teamed it all with made-from-scratch ricotta over a brekky salad with a side of homemade butter (yes, jar-shaken with a pinch of salt). If you're gonna do things right, you may as well make your own butter!

The sweetest part of this gathering for a few was bringing together the food I believe in with a perfectly mismatched table setting and having everyone enjoy it as much as I did prepping it.

Recipes if you're interested:
Ricotta in 15 minutes
Pain D'Epi sea salt and olive oil French bread