Venezuela!

Well friends, thanks for being so patient as I was travelling to Venezuela. I arrived safely after a long and expensive trip from New York to Toronto and finally Caracas. I got here at about 11:05pm Monday night and my Dad and Aunt were waiting for me at the door. I met two wonderful Venezuelans while at the airport in Canada and got into Venezuela quite smoothly! The main difference that I noticed right away was the heatwave that they're having in comparison to the cold early Spring rain storms we were having in the Northeast. It is very hot down here and we are in the middle of a drought so there is a lot of rationing of water and some rationing of electricity (Venezuela uses mostly hydroelectric power so if the river is not full....well, you get the picture). Here where my grandma lives thankfully the electricity is not being rationed but right now during Holy Week the government has decreed that all business take the week off to save energy so we'll see how long that lasts.

I love Caracas and hope that next week (since Holy Week is pretty much a deadzone here, most people go to the beaches during Semana Santa) I will be able to look around more and check out some more shops and things for crafting ideas. Yesterday I would have had a tutorial for you all except that I am not yet fully settled here and am still trying to get back into the swing of things. I did, however, find a small piece of a string of faux blue pearls that I think I might keep around for some kind of future project. Here they are:

I still have a ton of people to see and reconnect with, yesterday I visited with my friend Maria Mercedes and her girls, I also visited with my friend Merlyn and of course I went out with my parents walking around a bit. Being the Wednesday of Holy Week all grocery stores are packed because tomorrow everything closes for the weekend so I can't really tell you much about the shopping for today but I promise that next week will be a normal posting week!

Thanks so much for reading!

Cheers!

Fantastic Friday: Socks for Happy People and more...

Spring Poppies by Susan Hazard

Today is the official launch date of Socks for Happy People's 3 lines of fantastic socks and I can't wait to hear how their first day went! Having been communicating with Tom and Rich since last September (when I met them on Twitter) I've been excited about this moment and now it is here, upon us and the excitement just keeps growing! Check out this video of their fantastic What Lies Beneath Line:

What do you think? I love all of the socks in this first launch collection and can't wait to get a pair on my feet!

Still working on my packing, I have about 2-3 days left to do it all and I've not been very successful of late. I was however able to get a CD notebook and finally take that load of heavy plastic cases off and will be leaving the frightfully large CD carrier for my Dad to enjoy!

Other than packing and getting a few last minute things here and there I've been enjoying my sweet little nieces and trying to give them as much love and affection as I can before I leave. I am going to miss them both a lot!

Cheers!

Why another two day hiatus?

Hello friends and fellow readers! I know I've not posted anything in a couple of days and I feel terrible about that but I've been busy packing for a move. On Monday, March 29th I will be embarking on yet another journey to Venezuela. I was there last year for about 4 months, from the end of March to a little past mid-July 2009. As much as it hurts to leave the United States, I believe this move is the best thing for me at this point in my life and when opportunity knocks you've got to grab it by the horns, so to speak. I am not saying good-bye but saying I'll keep in touch from way over there!

I will continue to bring you tutorials, consumer reviews and all the other things I've posted to you about just that I will be in Caracas instead of NY. In the meantime, my room looks like a tornado ripped through it because I have stuff strewn around while I pack (my method is a bit odd but it works for me). I am waiting for a movie I bought from Amazon.com to come in yet (I hope it gets here either today or tomorrow, they said Friday at the latest) and I need to reorganize a few things. The movie I bought is called Blame It on Fidel and it is such a great film! I had the good fortune of watching it on the Sundance Channel in January and really wanted to share it with my friends and family.

The film really makes you think about your own values and where they lie. It's thought provoking and informative. I am really happy to own it on DVD and the fact that I am going to be able to share it with my parents when I arrive in Venezuela is a plus, I'd been telling them about it because I really wanted them to see it. Anyway, a couple of other films I bought previously need special mention here as they too are quite good; Because I Said So (Widescreen Edition) and Sideways (Widescreen Edition). I'm a huge fan of Diane Keaton and a movie all about California wine country can't be bad, right? Watching Sideways always puts me in a mood for good wine!

So, in short, I've a lot of packing to do yet and still have "work" to do taking care of my nieces. Somehow it will all work itself out and I will be ready! LOL!

Until tomorrow!

Fantastic Fridays: Socks for Happy People announces product launch!

Hello friends! Sorry for the two day hiatus, been busy cleaning and packing for my next big move but wanted to bring you all this news which is something I've been waiting to hear for some time and am really excited about! Socks for Happy People has just yesterday announced the launch of their line of eco-friendly happy socks! The website and the ability to buy socks from this fun company will begin on Friday the 26th of March. Tom Minter and Rich Taylor are great friends of mine and I am so happy to announce this launch on my own blog in hopes that you too, if you haven't already, will join in the fun and celebration of this much anticipated product.

Besides going to the website to enter to win the entire collection, which I recommend you do as the contest is still open, you can join the party on facebook on the Socks for Happy People Fan page, follow them on Twitter: @Socks4HappyPPL, check out the Flickr group: The World's Largest Collection of Sock Pics, and of course, you HAVE to check out the blog which is where you will see for the next few days the products revealed starting with today's Affirmation Sock post!

So, stop hesitating and go already! Check it all out and feast your eyes on the coolest socks around!

Have a happy weekend!

New, New, New! I ♥ New Things!

Just a quick post because today was a very long day and there was no time to do any tutorials! The blog has yet another brand new look! I found this blog background after visiting my friend Jenny's blog: Coffee and Cream. She got her background from The Cutest Blog on the Block's website and I just had to peruse their themes! Since I've been loving the woodland themes I chose this little brown and pink birdy one!

A few other new things I'm loving today:

Cannelle et Vanille: a blog by Aran, a Basque Expat who makes some delicious sweet treats and has incredible styling talents and did I mention her photos are amazing??

Color never looked as good as it does on DoreDoris, a Swedish blog by an incredibly vintage family! I love the stuff they find!

The different variety of crafts in Venezuela is really great! I found this blog, Manualidades, while searching for some craft magazines I'd seen the last time I was there!

I always enjoy finding new blogs to leaf through and the like! One more that is new and I love: Poppytalk is a Canadian blog based in Vancouver, BC and is one of the most gorgeous blogs I have ever seen.

Check them out and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Monday Musings: Favorite Crafting Supplies

When it comes to crafting there are some supplies that I really believe I could not live without and I long for the day when I can get my collection of supplies out of storage and back in my hands for proper use! A few years ago I bought a set of pens that I absolutely love and do not know how I ever got along without them! The Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pens are perfect for journaling which is why I originally bought them. The pack I got comes with 20 colors:

Their fine point is great for detailed doodles as well. Also from Staedtler, the ergosoft coloured pencil set is a great choice for coloring in doodles or small embellishments for scrapbooking or journaling. This is the set I bought at Arte Real in Venezuela:

I use pretty much whatever I can get my hands on when crafting and since I am environmentally conscious I try to reuse as many things as possible, from yogurt cups to cereal boxes and right down to the empty toilet paper rolls (I once used toilet paper rolls to wrap loose strands of ribbon on them to keep them from getting tangled). Another thing I love to use when crafting is wrapping paper. Some papers have such gorgeous designs that are perfect for embellishing.

Stickers are of course part of my supply list as is ribbon, cardstock, glues, other adhesives, paints, and much more! I use old expired catalogs for inspiration and sometimes even to cut things out from. A simple gum wrapper to me has much potential. Another of my favorite supplies is Mod Podge:

I absolultey love that stuff! When I am in the US that is what I use, when in Venezuela the equivalent is OroColor's OroPeg:

Another thing I often use for crafting is tissue paper and whenever I get a gift which has tissue paper in the wrapping I save that stuff for later use! It is handy in so many ways! What are some of your favorite crafting supplies?

Fantastic Friday: Photography I ♥ thee!

January 17th/Day 11,
originally uploaded by Nadia Marie.

I took this photo of the Stella McCartney boutique when I was last in Manhattan. I was already wanting to write a post about photography when I opened my Flickr account and found I had a message. I thought it was from one of my friend's so went to open the message and saw that it was Amanda Brooks from the Schmap New York Guide letting me know that my Stella McCartney boutique photo was chosen for the April 2010 edition of the Schmap Guide's short-list. This does not mean that it will necessarily be in the final edition of the guide but the fact that it is even being considered is a huge honor for me, so I had to share, of course!

I do hope that the photo will make the final cut but if it doesn't I am still honored to have been considered. ☺ I hope to soon be letting you know that it was included in the Guide!

Cheers,

Nadia

PS: Click on the link below the photo for a better view as seen on my Flickr page.

50th Post!!!

Hurray! This is a great milestone for me! It is the first time that I have been able to be consistent with a blog so I count my 50th post as a huge success! I love bringing interesting things and topics to you guys and am happy to continue to do so in the coming months! This blog has brought me so much joy and has led me to form some really great friendships so today's post is dedicated to those who have encouraged me in my writing and have been there for me since I began the blog! You guys rock! This is for ALL my readers but I'd love to give some special shout outs!

To Tom Minter and Rich Taylor:

YOU SOCK-TERRIFIC GUYS ARE SO DEAR TO MY ♥! I am so happy to have met you guys and come across you through Twitter! I love you guys and feel that you are part of my larger than life extended family! Thanks so much for your constant encouragement and your all-around happy attitude! I ♥ U!

To Laura Hillman:

I am so glad we became friends! You are an inspiring woman and a great encouragement to me as well! I cannot wait until we get to meet, whenever that might be! We'll have to go dancing! ;-) I ♥ U!

To Marianne Baird, Debra Cincioni, and Blanca Raygoza:

My sisters for life! You ladies are so awesome and there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of you! You have brought zest to my life and joy to my heart! We are sisters forever! Love you!!

To Stacy Gandy, Megzy, Chelsea Fuss and Mary Green:

Words cannot describe the joy I get from the creativity that hails from these wonderful ladies! It is so much fun to see their creative genius! I enjoy the blogs, the photos, the creations, everything you ladies have to offer and for that I am truly grateful! You inspire me daily! Thank you!

To Margaret McDermott:

Thanks for being so supportive of my blog and allowing me to be supportive of yours! Though I may not always comment I have to say that I love your blog and am so happy to call you friend and to have met you in college! I love you, mama!

To Lalia Helmer:

You are such a joy to receive comments and tweets from! I am so glad to have met you through Socks for Happy People and hope that our friendship will continue to grow! I hope you are enjoying Spain and England and cannot wait to hear all about your trip! Hugs and kisses!

To Jennifer and Laura:

You ladies are such a joy and inspiration to me! Your friendship means a lot and your continued loyalty even more! I love you girls! Hugs and kisses as well!

To everyone else:

There are so many of you who have made this blog possible and I am so grateful for you! I enjoy your comments, your encouragement and I hope that you enjoy the content of this blog. Thanks for making the first 50 posts worth writing! I hope the next 50 will be even better! From my heart to yours!

Love and blessings,

Nadia Marie

Une belle surprise! Kate Moss for Longchamp...

I have been a fan of Longchamp ever since they brought the Ceci est un it bag purse! Looking for an image of this bag I found a blog that mentioned it and provided a link to Longchamp's online store and voilà! I found the new Kate Moss for Longchamp collection and fell in love! I still want to find one of those "IT BAG"s but wanted to share this collection with you. Here are a few images from the website and an interview with Kate Moss, all from LONGCHAMP PARIS.

Logo for Kate Moss Collection

The collection is exquisitely beautiful yet modern. The site boasts a downloadable music playlist created by Kate and Queens of Noize which is fun, including tunes such as "Tainted Love" and "You Really Got Me" among other greats. You can also create your own moodboard à la Kate! It's fun and enters you into a contest to win a Gloucester Travelling Bag signed by Kate herself. I created my little board and entered in the drawing! Wish me luck!

Below is what Kate has to say about Longchamp:

from Longchamp Paris, all rights reserved

My Kate Moss Moodboard...

Aren't these gorgeous? I'd love to see everyone else's moodboards! Go ahead and create one!

Cheers!

Let's Connect...

I am not sure what title to give to today's entry, being that it is rather late in coming and I have not even really figured out what I will share this evening, it is more likely that I shall have a title by the end of the post rather than at the beginning. It's Tuesday and normally I would bring you some kind of tutorial but sometimes it is good to break from routine and write something more heartfelt.

Perhaps it is the music I am listening to (Love is Free by 101 Strings Orchestra Sampler) or the fact that I finally watched Julie & Julia in it's entirety but I'm a bit nostalgic this evening. I've had a lot on my mind these days. I am a firm believer in that thinking too much is dangerous so tonight I just want to talk, to share with you in the hopes that you too will share something with me. The movie was great! I think it was just lovely. It made me want to cook French food, drink Bordeaux and eat chocolate! It also reminded me that I really ought to continue my français lessons on livemocha.

I bought a little composition notebook at the Dollar Tree which I plan on decorating and keeping as a French book. I had started one before leaving Florida but it too is packed away in a storage unit in New Jersey, wondering when it will come out of the dark and back into the light. I am extremely used to moving and every time I move into a new place and open my boxes it's like Christmas. I know it may sound weird but I enjoy moving...it is how I have come to know so many wonderful places and wonderful people. I am in transition at present and God only knows where I will end up but I do so much hope to one day live a year in France, another in Italy and maybe even in India some day!

I miss my friends as well but I thank God for the internet! I relish letters but can reconcile myself to receiving e-mails or wall posts on facebook. I am nearly thirty but feel fifteen and somehow I think this will not change anytime soon. I was recently looking through photos I'd taken a about 3-5 years ago while living in Cheney, WA and found a few of my earliest crafts which I love! I have this composition notebook turned into cookbook project that I've been working on for several years now and it is one of my favorite things in the world. Here is a page from it:

Tea cookie recipe from a magazine...

This notebook is like a scrapbook of recipes from magazines, old recipe cards my mom had in a little box, school recipe papers from home-ec class and the like. That is what I love about it. It's very personal and unique. Another photo I found is one I took of a notebook I had decorated with my friend Melissa Mason. I'd been inspired by a scrapbooking magazine to decorate a journal and thought it would be something fun for both she and I to do together and I hope she still has hers. Here is mine:

Melissa and I being silly, as was our custom...

There was never a boring moment when hanging out with Melissa! I miss her and all of my friends in Spokane very much. Still, I would not trade the time I get to spend with my nieces right now for anything else in this world. They are adorable and I love being with them. Lord, I feel like I am confessing tonight! Anyway, I think this next photo is something worth getting a good laugh at. My sad attempt at making a guitar cake as per Betty Crocker:

Melissa loved her cake and it is the thought that counts...

I think that rather strange looking blob next to the cake was supposed to be a guitar pick fashioned from one of the left-over cut-outs of the assembling of the guitar itself. I'm not a cake decorating artist but I do believe this cake was not a total loss and it tasted quite good! For a first attempt I think it was not so bad! Definitely could be better but oh well!

One other thing I miss about Spokane, Jane Austen Tea Parties with my friends Johanna Darnall and Lynn Swanbom. I have very few other friends who enjoy Jane Austen as much as I do. When watching Emma on PBS I could think of nothing but them. I miss them so much!. Here is one of my favorites from one such event:

Tea being poured into my cup...

I've enjoyed sharing these things with you and I hope that you have enjoyed reading! Thanks for being there! I hope to hear from you all. Let me know how you are doing and what is making you smile this week! Have a brilliant Wednesday!

Cheers!

PS: I finally found a title! ;-)

Monday Musings: All Things Irish

from Why Ireland?

St. Patrick's Day is soon upon us and PBS has been bringing out the Irish wonders left and right. I just finished watching Out of Ireland with Patricia O'Reilly and after watching the news from RTE she showcased PBS' latest documentary the Music of Ireland: Welcome Home. The two part documentary airs this month across the country and centers on the history of contemporary Irish music. It features music and interviews from some of Irelands best and most well-known artists as well as some lesser known artists but just as great, including: The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers, U2, The Dubliners, Riverdance, Bob Geldof, Ronan Tynan, and Sinead O'Connor.

I am eager to see this documentary as one of my favorite bands, U2, is mentioned and there is even a great interview with Bono! I can't wait! My 2009 Christmas gift to myself was U2's latest album! I am also excited to see more of Ireland's best. I love celtic music and I think it has had a huge influence in contemporary music even beyond Ireland so it should be a great series. If you go to the Music of Ireland homepage there is a tab entitled Broadcast where you can see if and when it will be aired in your area!

U2 photo from billboard.com

I hope to be able to make my traditional Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick's Day this year! If you haven't already, check out the Spotted Dog I made last September, similar to Irish Soda Bread, it is an Irish version of the British Spotted Dick. Check it out in my post The Things I've Made. A few Irish goodies I found on Etsy in preparation for St. Patrick's Day, check them out:

Cute little Irish Boy hat by daisymaehats $12

Gorgeous Lucky Shamrock Scarf by Ayca, $35

Kiss Me I'm Irish Shamrock Cookies from Holiday Candy Lane, $29

I leave you with some beautiful photos of Ireland:

from the dailygreen.com

from grouptraveldiscounts

Glendalough, Ireland

Cheers!

Fantastic Friday: Dreaming of France, Peanut Butter Bread and Free Music

A finer Friday I could not have asked for! I love having exceptionally good days because when you're having a not-so-great day they are the days you can draw inspiration from and remind yourself that there's always a rainbow after the biggest of storms. So, I've had all things French on my mind, so much so that I actually did a little bit of my French lessons on Livemocha.com. I was watching Julie & Julia last night and although I wasn't able to finish (the DVD was not working very well) I was already loving it and think I may just have to purchase it! I think I may also purchase that cookbook of Julia's and tackle those recipes myself (Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a cookbook that has always intimidated me but now that I am older I think I might be able to handle it).

I woke up from a brilliant dream about being in France and was happy to find the sun shining through my window and was even happier to come downstairs and drink a cup of coffee accompanying it with some toast with Nutella spread. After feeding Gianna and making sure Alyssa had some food, I sat down to watch the Gilmore Girls and then caught Paula Deen on the Food Network. Her recipes today were delicious as she had decided to "Go nutz!" The episode, Goin' Nutz! was full of great food and a nice little "tip" at the end. She made this very good looking Peanut Butter bread which I of course had to try! So I made it, although the reviews were not so great, but mine turned out wonderfully! Here it is:

Peanut Butter Bread using Paula Deen's recipe

I think the trick to the bread was baking it for about 30-35 minutes instead of the 50 minutes suggested by the recipe (I inserted a toothpick and when it came out clean took the bread out which was well before the 50 minutes). Also, adding more like 1/2 a cup to 3/4 cups of sugar instead of 1/3 cup will make it a bit better although adding honey to it when it is still warm makes it taste pretty good too! Here is the recipe. Just click on the boldfaced word to access the link!

I listened to the House of Soul sampler I got from iTunes as I was cooking and while waiting for the bread to cool some, I got on facebook to see that there was an NPR sampler available for download so I got that. Looking for more music I found samplers for free on Amazon and I want to share that link with you: Amazon Samplers. I love to listen to music as I cook or craft and even more when it is an ecclectic mixture of good tunes! So, I leave you now with some gorgeous photos of Paris, La Ville-Lumière, the City of Light since that's what I've been dreaming of lately:

{Tour Eiffel, Paris France by Philip Rood Photography}

{Collage by ..Agnes.. on polyvore.com}

{Photo from Paris Perfect}

{Mini Eiffel Tower Grater from wishingfish.com}

Ok, so that last one isn't exactly a photo of Paris but I thought it was cute and really want one! Hope you've enjoyed today's post!

Cheers!

Awareness Thursday: A Whale of a Tale

Looking through my long list of e-mails for some inspiration I came across a message sent by Greenpeace which is a disturbing to me. Apparently, the United States is embarking on a deal that poses a huge threat to whales worldwide, the largest threat since the 1986 moraturium to commercial whaling was established. Why anyone would want to hunt these beautiful creatures of the sea is beyond me as they create part of the balance of our eco-system and whaling cause a very big threat to that harmony and that trickles down to the overall threat on humanity itself.

According to Greenpeace, this deal would permit whaling even in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary (wouldn't be much of a sanctuary then, would it?). It's ridiculous and outrageous what the United States is wanting to be a part of. We need to stop this action before it becomes a major hazard to the safety of whales. Take action here --> Obama, Say No to commericial whaling. Join me in taking action today against whaling. Once again, the whales need our help for their safety and the safe-guarding of the delicate balance of our eco-system. Let's not let them down!

Here's a reminder of what whaling looks like:

Image from Greenpeace UK

Japanese whaling photo courtesy of the blog

Whale Wars.

A bloody battle, photo courtesy of the Sidney Morning Herald

Gruesome, aren't they? I do not want to see our oceans turning red because of corporate greed. Stop and think about the whales and how long we fought for them in the 80s. I leave you with a nicer photo:

Humpback whales from exzooberhance.com

Let's save the whales once more!

Conscious Shopping Wednesday: I ♥ Etsy Shops!

I love Etsy shops and am happy to say that I've already made three purchases from three different shops in the past couple of months and am very satisfied (well, I am with the first purchase and sure I will be with the most recent two purchases I've made). The best thing about Etsy shops is that you can find all sorts of handmade items, vintage items and eco-friendly at that! Etsy is such a popular site for selling goods that even a few friends of mine have their own shops. Among them are Khursten Cornwall (owner of Jane Bags), Stacy Gandy (owner of Sewbutterfly), and my dear friend Megzy whose shop is called MegzyTred (both Megzy and Stacy's stores are on vacation right now but you can see some of their wonderful things anyway). These ladies create gorgeous things! First, let's take a look at Stacy's beautiful items:

Adorable buttercream cupcake pin cushion

Gorgeous Floral Tote Bag

Beautiful cobbler apron

Aren't these beauitful? Unfortunately, all of the above items are not available as they have already been sold and as I mentioned before, Stacy's shop is on vacation but this gives you an idea of the things she sells.

Next up, Megzy's little shop! She has gorgeous hand-painted flower pots and she also has an Arfire shop with her gorgeous photography for sale! She is extremely talented and very crafty, I am very glad to feature her here as well! Here are a few of my favorite's from Megzy's shop (items have all been previously sold and there are currently no new items as the shop is also on vacation):

Wintertree my MegzyTred

Will you be my sweetheart pot by MegzyTred

Let's Fall in Love pot by MegzyTred

Those are so gorgeous I think I may have just fallen in love with them! Megzy does some really great work! I love it! Now, last but certainly not least we have Khursten's beautiful handmade bags and custom made bags! I am so eager to see the one that she is making me but in the meantime I wish to show you some of the ones she already made! These are deliciously beautiful!

Beautiful messenger bag custom made for Tiffany Carbaugh

Purse/Bag for Emily by JaneBags

Fabric Cash Envelope Wallet by JaneBags

Aren't Khursten's creations absolutely gorgeous? I love them! And while we are on the subject of Etsy, as I was writing this post my other purchase came in! I was expecting it tomorrow but it got here today, all the way from Texas! I bought a few stickers and a little stamp set from Pretty Tape. Owner Glenda is so nice! She has beautiful stickers, tapes and embellishments from China, Japan, Korea and more! Here are the photos I took of the package I received from Glenda:

The package as it came in the envelope, complete

with note from Glenda!

The sweet note from Glenda! I love how she

personalizes her packaging!

Three packs of stickers! One is message diary sticker

set, the other two are Anne's Euro Travel sticker set,

and Pretty transparent diary deco pack.

C'est moi with the stickers!

Cute Paris stamp set that I got as well!

Inside the little box! Thanks, Glenda!!

I love Etsy and hope you do too! Go check out all there is out there at http://www.etsy.com/. I guarantee you'll love it! There are so many things to see! You can check out my profile and check out some of my favorite sellers by clicking here: CraftyNanny28. Check out my other post about etsy: Can I Have These, Please?

Well, I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Check these sellers out and hopefully you'll find something you like and buy it!

Cheers!