Too many words

and not a single one fits. After three days of condolences and helpful advice I'm just about ready to round up every single word that has been spoken and delete them permanently from the hard drive that is my mind. Like a corrupt file.

Franzi, the balcony gnome

Today my step dad would have turned 66 except he never made it. He died on Friday. Unexpectedly. From a heart attack.

His legacy: a garden full of orphaned gnomes. Many of them still in his workshop too. Waiting for a coat of paint or a few finishing touches.

The cats miss him. So do mum and me. 

Don't imitate

The 9th Wonder of the Modern World: the Internet. The almighty, all powerful, all seeing, all knowing Internet. My fascination with this creature of electrons and wires is known to all my readers and I think I periodically return to this subject.
Today from another point of view: a rather provocative question if you will: Do you believe the Internet is helping or hindering the creative potential of mankind?
On the one hand, the World has gotten infinitesimally smaller. We are now able to exchange ideas with people from across the Planet in seconds. Which certainly promotes multiculturalism and does have the power to advance the human innovative potential.
On the other hand it is making us lazy. Why go to the library, or look up a word in the dictionary when you can Google it instead. Why develop a pattern for a dress, an idea for a story? Google it! Someone, somewhere out there has done it already. So we can just take their idea, copy paste it on our Facebook wall and for a minute or two we'll even appear profound or ingenious. And then somebody else will paste it on their wall till it becomes just another chain letter sort of conversation filler.

Until next time I leave you with this, sans caption and I'm very interested in your opinion on creativity as well as the young man in the video:

The shopping ban is lifted

I've been on a self imposed shopping ban since last August with a strict no admittance to any fabric store policy. But lately I've completed a few sewing projects and my fabric stash though still handsome by any standards has begun to dwindle.
Oh we can't have that said I and Mr. C agreed. Of course. So in a recent splurge I bought the cherry print microfiber fabric that's just begging to be turned into a retro shirt for the summer.

 

But best of all the cherries are an exact match to a cotton twill fabric that's been patiently waiting in my collection of fabrics. So I'm thinking of going all out retro with high waisted pants and a shirt to match, wedges and a canvas bag for the perfect take on a summer causal ensemble that will work for office as well as leisure time.

Another wedding, another outfit

Another wedding, another opportunity for getting all dressed up!
Yesterday our friends tied the knot on a beautiful if a bit hot day in Ljubljana. The bride and groom looked lovely and very much in love.
As always, you'll have to settle for my word on this, instead a couple of pics of the outfit I decided to wear.

This was a last minute decision because I didn't have anything to pair with the dress. So the scarf and the clutch were a last minute purchase. And by last minute, I do mean last minute: while Mr. C was taking the gift to the florist's to get it gift wrapped I hopped into H&M and found both.

What do you think?

In related news: Mr. C caught the garter belt which according to tradition means we're next. Hmmm....

Outfit post

It isn't really my thing to do outfit posts on my blog. However this pic Mr. C took while we were returning home from work today worked out really well and I decided to share it with you. The reason Mr. C took the photo in the first place was because we were testing our new memory card.
The other thing that might be interesting is getting your feedback on the appropriateness of this outfit for a work environment. As is very obvious from my choice of clothing I work in a very relaxed environment where my outfit doesn't stand out or is considered inappropriate. But I do dress much more formally on days when we have business meetings scheduled. I've also been considering the possibility of keeping some neutral business clothes just in case.

A perfect day for a wedding

Bistra Castle

This Wednesday Mr. C's dad and his fiancée tied the knot! A small private affair without the unnecessary hoo-ha which I personally find so tedious.  The ceremony took place at Ljubljana Castle (where I had my birthday party last year) and it was very touching and elegant.

From Ljubljana we headed on to Bistra, yet another castle. This one is turned into a Technical museum.
Slovenia is ripe with castles and beautiful old places perfect for taking wedding pictures.

Ducks performing their midday bathing routine

Mr. Beaver doing the same

The garden was spectacular. All of the animals went about their day as usual and were completely unfazed by the large number of visitors running and shouting about. Even the two buses full of high school students that must have been there on a field trip didn't bother them.
What can I say? Cool animals!

Mr. C and me perfectly colour coordinated. Not on purpose.

River Bistra

From Bistra Castle we went on to Ponvica, a restaurant with a most whisical name that literally means Little pan.

Wedding cake

As you know it's my blog policy never to include pictures of anone other than me and Mr. C. A rule I firmly abide by but I thought showing you the bride's wedding ring would be quite okay.

Here we are gathered round the bride admiring the ring. You can even tell which one is me (hint: pointy shoes).

Instant happy

Burda Magazine 02/2012

People who know me well can tell you that there are very few things in life that make me as blissfully happy in an instant as the fact that something fits neatly or that something is stored away in a perfect most functional way. I'm just that way I guess.

This morning I woke up to the sight of a completely clean and cleared up kitchen table. I can't imagine a  more perfect start of a weekday and the sight of  a clean apartment fills with a sort of quiet resolve that gives me strength to face the week. That and a cup of coffee!
The other thing that made my day was that the dress featured in the pictures I've been sewing came together so perfectly well, all the seams are aligned and the drape and fit are really spot on even if I say so myself.

Foolishly I didn't check my supplies before starting this project only to realize at the most inopportune time that I don't have a matching zipper. It was last Tuesday, national holiday and all the stores were closed of course .Yikes! Once more my cousin came to the rescue and provided me with a zipper that matches the colour of the fabric perfectly.

And then on Saturday we made a little trip to Graz (pictures to come) and Ikea. Mr. C found some small containers that are made to be mounted on a wall and are ideal for storing bits and pieces. It's just what we've been looking for for our kitchen cabinet with the dishwasher where we also store all of the spare light bulbs and a few tools. It used to drive me mad having it all sort of piled up behind the organic waste dustbin.

As I sit here sipping my evening coffee, surfing the Internet, reading posts from my favourite bloggers and listening to Mr. C laughing as he watches an old film I feel another kind of happy altogether.
Wishing everyone a peaceful weekday!

Awards, accolades and plaque

my new toothbrush

We've become a society of superlatives: everything is wrapped in neat shiny packages where something as mundane as a waitress serving tables at the local diner becomes a highly skilled professional capable of maintaining customer satisfaction while simultaneously organizing and managing food preparation process i.e. grilling sandwich in a toaster while pouring coffee?!

These days people don't miss any opportunities to brag about their accomplishments, special skills and achievements.

Today I went to get my teeth cleaned. Quite an unusual experience. The dentist went on and on how great my teeth were and how rare it was to see such even distribution of roots or something and no cavities especially counting in the fact that I hadn't seen a dentist in over a decade. But that's a whole different story. It took me ten minutes to realize this person wasn't exaggerating or trying to soothe my ego but he was genuinely astounded..
Should I be flattered by the fact that my teeth are perfect? I'd say that's pretty silly, because I had absolutely zero influence on the matter, I have only my parents to thank for good genes.

Tomorrow I will be attending a formal ceremony at my former Law school where I'll be awarded with a special plaque for an outstanding thesis. Yet another excellent opportunity for bragging. While I do understand that this is an immense honor and I'm certainly feeling proud and elated. On the other hand telling people about it has been difficult: no matter how I approach the subject it feels like bragging.

How do you feel about talking about your accomplishments?

Today I covet...

Moped by Mohop

It would seem I always covet either shoes or bags which is starting to remind of the film In her shoes, where the lead character buys shoes to deal with issues of insecurity, low body image and loneliness.
What is it about shoes? I confess I haven't figured out the right amount of shoe boxes in my closet, I always seem to lack a certain type of footwear on the other hand I've got too many pretty shoes meant for special occasions only.
These vegan flat sandals by Mohop are something that's definitely lacking in my closet, I need one pair of flat sandals for the coming summer season.

Do you have too many or too little pairs of shoes in your closet?

Bits of wisdom

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

I'm so tired of being constantly afraid, I simply ran out of energy to be afraid. And the funniest thing about it is that in every which way I look at it, I'm better off than I was 6 months ago. When I analyze the things I'm afraid of it all comes down to the things I read in the newspapers, about people being laid off, how terrible it is in Greece and all over Europe...
But in reality? I have a job, so does Mr. C. We're both busy with our other projects: DIY, volunteer work, spending time with family and friends.
So really, what am I so afraid of? Enough already.
(I'm cancelling all of my newspaper subscriptions.)

What are you afraid of? Does the widespread panic propagated by the media affect you?