Valentine's wreath!

Hello my  friends,

The weather has been very cold and grey in Greece for the last month and winter has certainly justified its name and reputation this year!

But though gloomy and frozen the landscape might be, the anticipation of warmer days and the abundance of Spring   blooms and greenery is omnipresent.

I bought a small bunch of anemones the other day, which are ‘February flowers’ and remind me of long walks in the country picking wildflowers and having picnics under almond trees in full bloom, when I was a little girl. I love anemones and all the lovely memories that bring with them!

February is around the corner  and apart from dreams for the resurrection of mother Nature and  trees full of  tiny buds and leaves, it’s the time  that hearts and deep red colour  appear  again everywhere around the  city , and  Valentines get ready for their celebration.

So, today’s little make I want to share with you is a Valentine’s  wreath , which can be used all year round if you have a sentimental heart J.

It is very easy to make and costs almost nothing.

First you cut out  pieces of cardboard  in heart shapes.  Cut out different sizes so that the wreath looks better.

 Wrap wool around the heart shaped cardboard  and  make a fluffy woolen heart .

Stick the hearts on a wreath which you have adorned with some ribbon and bows made of wool . I used three colours for my wreath: light pink, ‘salmon pink’ and ‘purple pink’.

 Make as many hearts as you like and scatter them around the table where you will have your Valentine’s meal.

 You can also put them in a bowl or little tray to decorate your sofa table or you can stick them on   a wooden frame with a picture of you and your loved ones.

Anyway, just play as much as possible with the wooly hearts and have the best of times  during the whole month of February!!

My love to all,

Tina xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

His first snow!

My wish came true and snowed again last night! I was playing with the baby inside, when I took a look out of the window to discern the bluish white of the snow  on the rooftops and gardens of the surrounding houses under a dark, evening sky!

Oh how  happy I was! No other sound was heard apart from the soft, reassuring   sound of the falling snow. I felt so good to be inside a warm house.

 Today morning ,I got up early and ventured  outside on the balcony, still in my pyjamas and  a heavy coat on  ,to look at  the snow covered neighbourhood and take some pictures of the white landscape. I was cold but decided to capture the moment!

 Later in the day, the sun reappeared and the snow started to melt . Everything was  bright and sparkling, but slowly disappearing like a palace made of snow in a fairy tale.

  I decided  on the spot that I wanted to share the beauty of snow with my baby, 

 but I couldn’t take him out to the bitter cold. So, I brought some snow in , on a plate!

 We sat down on the floor of his room and he touched the snow for the first time and made his first tiny snowball that soon started to melt in his little hand. Oh my little darling, I liked his reactions when he touched the cold thing and then, when he squeezed it between his little fingers .

   It’s amazing and moving to realize how  a little person makes his first ‘steps’ in life and has his  first experiences  of things we adults take for granted , but for him , I suppose , everything is an exciting ,new experience, an  adventure which will help him grow faster and better .

 I want to create many  exciting ‘experiences’ for him  every day and see him evolve through and by them.

After this first encounter with the fluffy snow in a plate, our little fingers were cold so we desperately needed to snuggle under a crochet blanket and feel cosy and warm like all little and  not so little creatures  wish to feel on a cold snowy winter day!

My love to all,

Tina xxx

Happy 2017!!!!!!!!

Happy 2017 to all of us, dear friends!!!

 I hope you are all well and enjoying these very first days of the brand new year .Today it is bitter cold ,  but we have no snow in Athens,

though we had some  just after Christmas  , which was a nice,much expected,winter surprise for us!

  We had a good time over the holidays spent with family and friends and I’m glad to say I managed to rest a bit and recharge my batteries.

Apart from cooking some festive meals and visiting people we love ,

 I also found the  time to  do some little ‘creative’ , crafty  things.

Every year I’m happy to receive or buy lucky charms not just for good luck but also because I like looking at them and remember  that years   come and go very fast and we'd better try to make the most out of them .

 This year, I made two charms using   material I had at home , the only thing I bought were the two tiny, golden 'houses' with  the number 2017 on them.

 I kept  one and offered the other one to my sister . I quite like them ,especially the one with the little bird on.

I’m also very happy to announce that the baby’s room is almost ready and he is already spending lots of fun play time in it, hiding under his little, white table and scattering his colourful toys all around. 

I made the curtains for the room myself , plus a cushion  using the same fabric ,which I like, because it features a silly looking  giraffe sailing   on a boat ,

staring at his friend floating in the sky,hanging  from a blue balloon! I like its bright yellow colour and  its ‘happy mood’.

Well, that’s all for now dear friends, I will leave you  for the time being with warm wishes for many happy , creative  moments and days  throughout  this new  year!!!!!!!

My love,

Tina xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx