WHAT'S IN MY HEAD?

Hi Everyone! I was writing/thinking about lists as a method to get organized and ready for busy life {my previous post is here if you missed it} and there I find something that is just perfect to complement my story, it's the other side of it. 
What's in my head? was in Camilla's lovely blog.
I am following here for quite a while now, and i recommend this read as it's a place buzzing with ideas, fun projects, good writing, energy and warmth.
Some of you might remember I joined her on the photographic project Petit december 2012. Anyway, this time I felt she put in such nice words exactly how I feel.

Here above you see Camilla herself {pictures published here with her kind permission}.
She imagines if she could just take everything that's in her head and lay it down nicely as if they were objects taken out from her bag. Take a look at them and maybe a picture.
So many things! As she says:  a galaxy of papers, unexpressed ideas and huge dreams.
She even mentions many parallel lives she fantasizes whilst travelling by metro everyday... what an exciting universe.

Will a life time be long enough to accomplish everything? She asks.
Oh boy, I just feel so much the same. I just did not make such nice self portraits to tell this story. 

When I wrote her that we wear pretty much the same shoes and i feel like her, she told me happily "when I think at the 'a lot of too much' going on in my head I know it could be much worse, it could have been 'a lot of too little'. It might depend on perspective on which we look at things, but I confess you this thought makes me feel happy"
Well, I could not agree more with her after all, having too much going on is definitely better than having too little  :-)

Curious? Visit Zelda was a writer to read in details about the 10 things Camilla drew on her picture {google translate might help in case you don't know Italian}. You might be caught in her beautiful world and stay, like I did.
About the things in my head, I guess I'd like to play the same game, pull them out and take a picture of them for you to see. 
... and what about what's in your head? Your dreams? Wanna play along and share?

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BUY THE MILK

Do you write lists?
In times like today, when we feel we have too little time to manage our life, finding a way to be efficient and organized seems to be the only key to sanity success. What about lists making? Do you think it helps or do you feel stressed about writing them down?
I am definitely one for lists and notes.
Here you can see a selection of lists/memos I scatter around the house (mostly in my study room). There is actually more than this, the kitchen has a fridge and a note board both full of magnets and little notes of all kind. My personal diary is full of what needs to be done daily. Next plan is painting the inside of the entrance door with a chalkboard paint area so I can draw my last-minutes to-do notes there and not forget my errands.
Lets say, if my notes are colorful and visually catchy they work best for me, it means I'll look at them easily and wont forget to buy the milk -so to speak.

If you live with someone and maybe share a working area at home, having little papers ready with some kind of identity can be fun.
I had this idea when playing with my little boy making confetti few days ago. I used some cute punchers with a litte girl and a little boy.
I prepared colored paper notes with cut-outs of mini-me and mini-him or mini-us so that we can see -at a glance- who needs to do what like in a family planner.  This kind of memos are placed all together on the side of the desk that I sometimes share with my husband. I think they are cute, they make me smile.

I talked with people I know about this subject. Most of them tend to rely on list making to get things going. It was kind of interesting to find out I am not the only list-crazy person around, and to discover the variety of subjects people write lists about.
Film to watch + shopping lists + new years wishes + 2do lists + goal setting + what to take on holiday + diy propositions... you name it. It is possible to make list for anything.

According to list makers, the important positive outcomes of using them on regular basis are:
+ clarity in your head about what needs to be done and when
+ it helps prioritising
+ it helps you remembering everything
+ it gives a track of what yo accomplished and what not, so maybe next time you can develop a better strategy, maybe decide what to delegate or use your resources differently.
I'd say: crossing something out of a list gives you a great feeling! The more lines you'll see adding up the more you'll feel productive and efficient. I love it ( aehm, when it happens that is. I have lists that remain untouched for weeks and months).
What do you think yourself? If you write lists, what are they for and does this system work for you?

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WINTER SUNDAY

As predicted by the weatherman, lots of snow fell over the weekend. This is not canada, not northern Europe, just 112 mt altitude, so 60cm snow is a lot for us. 

We are still fighting flu over here, so we have been indoors for far too long. This means lots of playtime with little E and not much work done at all. I am beyond late with all my deadlines - but this is another story.

Today the sun did finally shine again. I decided to go out for a very short walk and a little fresh air. Such a shame not being able to play more in this soft, light, beautiful snow.
How's your sunday going?

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A PORTRAIT A WEEK 8/52

A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013

In E's universe one can find a lot of stars, plus signs, moons, planets, rockets and sometimes an austronaut too!

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SOME PLACES

Some places stick to your heart from the first moment you see them. It's love at first sight, sort of thing.
It happened for me with Brasserie Vliegerhuis, in Zwolle- NL. Maybe it was the high ceilings, the white big doors and big vases with amazing flower arrangements.
Or maybe it was the big u-shaped wooden table where one can sit and brows a variety of magazines and newspaper while sipping a drink. Maybe it was the art at the walls (every time I go it's a different artist, and very often someone I would buy a piece from). Or the excellent waffles with whipped cream, the fresh mint tea, the lovely details in the choice of cutlery and plates. I just loved the place!

Here you can see pictures of different times when we have been there (I regret a few were taken in poor light conditions and not with my beloved miss Canon). At Brasserie Vliegerhuis I usually went for a coffee break with delicious home-made apple pie or lunch. Did not yet have a 4-course dinner, but it is possible over there. There is also a nice beer garden for warmer days, a variety of rooms for different occasions: ceremonies or high tea with friends as you can see here. If you happen to be in the area, have a look for yourself.

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CAROSELLO

Hi everyone!
I have news for all Italian/living in Italy readers: Carosello is back!
You can read more about this tv program from the 1960's and 70's here, if you do not know   it. Carosello will be broadcasted again starting coming march -I have heard.

Will it be as special and followed as the original one was? Surely I have a special connection to this tv show. It was the last one Italian children where allowed to see before bed time. I felt very grown up being able to watch tv with my parents after supper time. I especially have very nice memories about it for its lovely characters that easily entered my imaginary world. 

I post a few of the ones that for me were the cutest ones. Which one did you like the most? Please let me know if you like me were watching every evening this show. 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

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MISSING YOU

When can I start the countdown?
Waiting for mr T to come home. 

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A PORTRAIT A WEEK 7/52

A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2013

Winter time means sometimes flu and lots of indoors activities. Sitting at his blackboard and playing with his colored chalks in new ways was a good game for a while.

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NIMBUS

H0w wonderful is it to enter a gallery and find a real cloud! This is the great work of Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde, who creates clouds using a smoke machine, combined with indoor moisture and dramatic lighting. The indoor cloud effect is perfect, and totally fascinating. 

Smilde said about his inspiration on this project: "I imagined walking into a classical museum hall with just empty walls. There was nothing to see except for a rain cloud hanging around in the room"


I hope to see it for real one day. Only few people have seen the clouds in person, they can consider themselves very lucky. Each cloud only exists for a moment before dissipating. The photograph, Smilde says, is a ‘document’, the only proof of its existence if a viewer misses it. The first exhibit featuring indoor clouds, called Nimbus, was created by Smilde in 2010.

This post is not inspired by weather, as we have beautiful shining sun today :-) Wish you all a lovely weekend.


1  Nimbus II, 2012 | Hotel MariaKapel, Hoorn | photo: Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk

2  Nimbus, 2010 | Cloud in room | Probe#6, Suze May Sho, Arnhem

3  Nimbus D'Aspremont, 2012 | Kasteel D'Aspremont-Lynden, Rekem, BE | photo: Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk

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EAT, DRINK, BE HAPPY!

Here is another post about Sweden, this time it's a restaurant in Stockholm, Pontus.
A visit to this gorgeous restaurant was part of the same work trip I wrote about not so long ago, when I stayed at the Möckelsnäs Herrgård hotel.

What can I say? One can eat, drink and be happy at Pontus! The place is visually stunning - for someone in love with books as I am - and I have heard it is now even more gorgeous after extensive refurbishment and extension.

Everywhere you look around, you can stear at a books wallpaper for hours, enjoy the intimate curved couches and stunning pictures by great Australian photographer Vee Speers. The food was excellent (I had fish but the others having meat were equally happy) and so were wines and service. 

I had pictures of my own which unfortunately can not find right now, so I am posting some found on the internet [ 1 | 2 | 3 ]. To appreciate it to the full though, please do navigate inside this great place following this link.
If you ever go there, let me know how it was.

This series of posts about Sweden were inspired by Judith of JOELIX, who's also posting about this great city. Thank you Judith.

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EVERY TUESDAY

*drawing by Octavia Monaco


Something very nice is happening every tuesday around here. I started a course run by talented illustrator Octavia Monaco. So what you see in the pictures is where we meet every week, for two hours in the evening. It has become one of my favorite places to be, right now. I wait for tuesdays with trepidation each time.
I love everything about it, from the course itself made so interesting by Octavia herself whom I really admire, to the fact it's located in the old city center where its lovely to wonder at night time.
It's a treat to have these 2 precious hours for myself, to learn from Octavia, to meet a nice bunch of other illustrators, to draw, discuss things, start all over again, learn some more, question myself about my style, my technique, about everything.
Starting from the beginning again it's refreshing and daunting at the same time.

A book project will be the outcome of this, which is very exciting. An illustrated book was a goal I set for myself recently. At the moment I am still in the process of catching up with the group, as I was kindly allowed in the course later compared with the rest who started in november. I will tell you more about it when it all develops further. The course will end in june. Stay tuned.

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