DECEMBER

This is my december, one picture a day.
Petit moments of joy, small fragments I decided to photograph [because they seemed beatiful, or interesting, or intense, or just precious in a small way] and share them with others on Instagram, following the lovely idea of Camilla. I will miss this project now that is finished. 
Which of my december days do you like the most?

Can't believe it is finished, yes this year is living us. 
Welcome 2013.

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A SECOND LIFE

I love the idea or recycling things, it is always rewarding giving an object a second life, all the more at times like nowadays.
It is amazing what you can do with left-overs of wool, scraps of fabric and old [usually unwanted] pieces of furniture. I absolutely love nr3, and promised myself to make one like it. My plan for next year anyway is to post more about the subject of recycling.

Are you also organizing a dinner for tonight and have more guest than your home is used to? maybe these ideas can come handy :-)
And if there's still room for extra Christmas decorations, have a look at Marta ideas here, here, here and here. She has transformed the simplest of everyday "left-overs" into beautiful things for festive days.

What will you do tonight? I will stay home with a few friends. There still a lot to prepare so I better get going. Have a lovely evening.

x

x x x

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TOP 10 OF 2012

+ As we approach the end of the year I would like to present its-nice-here readers’ favorite content. This is what has been clicked most, and probably most liked.

++ This year has been all about chosing and developing content and things I wanted to share the most. It is still an on-going project, that I enjoy much and that is rewarding for me.

Thank you all for popping by, for the kind words and for returning.

Regarding myself: trough this blog I met very interesting and special people, something not to take for granted. Can't wait to see what more 2013 will bring.

1.  ana juan

2.  happy birthday giveaway

3.  healthy may

4.  mOVie friDAy.10 | LOST IN TRANSLATION

5.  2 cute handbags

6.  mad about you

7.  waiting for christmas

8.  tea is ready

9.  happiness is not a bike

10. movie friday.13 | TUTTI I SANTI GIORNI

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INSIDE, OUTSIDE

Outside. Inside.
Sometimes the atmosphere inside and outside mirror eachother. Like today. There was an happy warm glow, in and out. Erik and I had a visit from our friends. We really enjoyed the day. Lots of play for the small ones, and lots of talk time for the big ones.

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THE LINE IN BETWEEN

inside

outside.


I love frost and I love snow. 
Sometimes I wake up early and it looks all white and peaceful.
Sometimes I can even forget time exists (just for a split second).

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INSIDE, OUTSIDE

,

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WAITING FOR CHRISTMAS

Just the 2 of us, waiting for Christmas and Santa to visit.
A very hectic day, food shopping, clearing and cleaning, attempting to make some fresh cut pine tree decorations in house, watched many Xmas themed cartoons on telly and finally surprise my little boy with a super RED table and a fish meal.
He was so brave, tasted everything and actually was very happy. Isn' it wonderful?
{ Actually Erik said that scallops and sushi are terrible, but hey, nobody's perfect }
The best thing was listening to his little voice saying buon natale mamma!

Well, few minutes to midnight now. Erik is in bed happily sleeping. The house is dressed in silence. I am going to play Santa and put presents under the tree for tomorrow. I am also cooking the special soup for the traditional tortellini (fresh filled pasta).
Then it will be finally relax time.

Wish you all to enjoy this night and the coming days to the full.

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A TINY PREVIEW

1. Many things are happening here. Last weeks has been full of home craft time and it's great to see maybe little E has got something from mum (not yet the patience I am afraid). This picture was taken by the husband and I love it.
2. Cards. I love writing/sending real paper so the idea is trying to keep Christmas tradition of sending card alive. Well, I wrote many and still am writing, which means some of you will get yours a little late [sorry] but I wrote them with love.
3. Lovely delicious surprise from my friends next door. Sardinian home baked sweets filled with grape must. Aren't they lovely? It looks like they're smiling, and so was I after tasting them.
4. It's time for presents and surprises, so we thought our birds in the garden also deserve special treets. We will let them have a special breakfast tomorrow morning.
5. The book Cicale by Marta Iorio arrived by mail. This was my very special prize=surprise this year. I did not read it yet but just browsing it looks like a little pearl and it deserves a dedicated post, so come back and read some more about it soon.



{ psst: my plans are not to take a break for Christmas, at least I hope to post as much I initially planned. If all goes well this post is a little preview for some of what's to come. Not always easy when little E is on school holiday for the whole week }

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mOVie friDAy.13 | TUTTI I SANTI GIORNI

I saw this film about 10 days ago. It was one of those much treasured moment where I sit in front of a big screen -if you're following me for a while you know I love going to the cinema.

Tutti i santi giorni [Every single day] it's a 2012 production and it is still showing, so if you get the chance i definitely recomend it. 
As previous work by director Paolo Virzì  this one did not disappoint me. Moreover it made me discover the beautiful voice and songs of Thony (art name of Federica Vittoria Caiozzo), a sicilian songwriter playing amazingly well the role of Antonia despite not being a professional actress and having never acted before.
With soft, elegant tones the film is of clear introspective intent. I loved it because of its complex portrait of a young couple, Guido and Antonia, moving between expressions of the special love for each other and the life experience of not-at-all-special days.

+ Guido (played by talented Luca Marinelli) is a nice person, gentle, gallant, a touch unreal as if he were a knight from the past. Born in Tuscany, he is passionate about literature and ancient history, with a mania for hagiography and works as a hotel porter. Deeply in love with Antonia, returning from his night job wakes her up every single day with coffee, two tablespoons of love and the holy picture of the saint of the day. 

++ Antonia is a Sicilian girl of strong character, full of energy but also very demanding and at time difficult. After a past in the punk scene she currently works in a car rental but continues to compose songs in the hope of returning to sing in public. They had met at her concert in a bar in Rome, the city where they now live.

Precarious balance in life, but not in their feelings, Antonia and Guido spend their days   sharing joys, sorrows and a garden with suburban sub-culture couch potato neighbors that are plenty of children and totally different from them. What never arrives, instead, is their child, sought persistently. The film in facts unfolds around their desire to have children which will lead them to try various streets and confront radically different environments and people.

They do all they possible can in order to have a child: from following theraphy suggested by catholic luminaries, to new-age groups, to progressive gynecologists, to assisted in vitro fertilization. 

Their personal fight, the desire of being parents and the pain of not being able to, will tear them progressively apart. Antonia and Guido will lose themselves and start all over again showing how two very different people can 'save' eachother as well as survive sorrow.

Written six hands with Francesco Bruni and Simone Lenzi, author of the novel on which the film is loosely based, Tutti i santi giorni is a beautiful 'human' comedy, wisely directed. 

Virzì himself (in picture above) said it is a film "in which everything is in its place, for its tone as well as spontaneity. Through dialogues and situations it tells a potentially heavy and dramatic story with extreme lightness. It is not a masterpiece, it's a good movie. One of those in a few months you will want to see again".
I believe I'll like to do that, some time soon actually.

+++ Here below the song Quick steps perfomed life by Thony at Sunset Sessions, in Rome.
Enjoy.

{  all photos source  }

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PORTRAIT GALLERY NEW DRAW

Remember HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY? Nearly a month later I did not hear from the previous winner, so I decided to re-draw a new one.

                        THE WINNER IS... M a r t a.

                                                          c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s !

Marta please contact me at itsnicemail@gmail.com for further details.

. If I get no news within 1 week time from today, a new winner will be drawn again.

I've heard from someone that it was not possible to leave a comment, so for them as well as the nice people partecipating last time as well as anyone new, the news is: provided someone will play along, I'd like to continue this game next year.

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HOLIDAYS REHEARSALS

A week ago Theo and I decided to have a little Christmas rehearsal, so we took Erik to see the beautiful Bolzano's Christmas Markets. All ingredients we wished for were there: bright [cold] sunny day, wonderful fairy lights, excellent apple strudel, mulled wine, brezen bread, hot chocolate, unexpected harp concert, and high quality mum-child-dad time. 
It was really fun and it surely provided happy memories to cherish when on actual Christmas day this year -due to unfriendly work schedules- the 3 of us won't celebrate together. Mission accomplished I would say.

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