Happy 2019!!!

Hello and season’s greetings to all of you !!!

I haven’t posted anything for ages , although I really wished I had the time to do so.

Anyway, today I will share with you some - a few actually – pictures of my days during the festive season .

You know I love decorating and Christmas  is the best  time of the year to go a bit over the top!!

These are my handmade cards !!! I love them.

I also like to bake my gingerbread men and stars  and I really make a whole army of them . I like to give them away as presents  to friends and family, along with something else. Adults seem to appreciate them , though most  children don’t   like their spicy taste. I love them and eat  more than I should,  during the holidays.

After schools closed , we spent some days in our little country house. Although our stay there was rather short, I took out this little tree and put on fairy lights and lots of red and white ornaments. 

The pictures that follow are from a day trip to an island in a lagoon which I visited for the first time. I was impressed by the abundance of birds on the water.

Coming back home , we are getting ready for welcoming the New Year , buying some presents for the family and wrapping them up before we place them under the tree. In Greece the tradition has it that Santa Claus (Agios Vassilis) comes on New Year’s Day. So, most families exchange their presents on that day and not on Christmas Day.

2019 already , then . Time seems to fly . I’m glad that among all the things that I do, I find the time to keep this little blog alive. It means a lot to me . It is a photo  album and a diary and  I am that kind of person who loves and writes  diaries.

I hope to have lots of   lovely things to share with you next year and to be  as creative and enthusiastic about  new horizons and projects , as possible.  My best wishes to all. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

                                                                         Tina xxxxxxxxxxx

My 'new' little kitchen

Hello , hello, everybody!!!!!
I'm thrilled to be back after such a long absence from blogland.

All these years  I've been posting  in this little cyberspace , I've tried to write only when I've something  of interest to share with you , though sometimes I also feel the urge to open my little cyber window to you , just to say 'hello'.

Today , after so many days of being away from my blog, I felt this urge to post ,share some snippets from  my world with you and say 'happy autumn to all'.
Well, today's post will be about some liitle decorative changes  I've made to my kitchen and balcony during  summer months which I'm very happy with.
During summer time , I'm used to spending  most of my time, during morning hours , either in my little kitchen or on my balcony and it is so good to feel cosy and pleased with the sitting arrangements and decorations. The ritual of morning coffee becomes a luxury to me when my  surroundings are pretty , calm and colourful. I love colour in everything and adore colour combinations.
I prefer pastel colours and mainly hues of  light red and pink, yellow, grey, light blue and burgundy. Colours can make my day and the  lack of them in a room can make me feel uneasy and depressed.

For my 'balcony project' I used chalk paint to restore an old and neglected piece of furniture.  I also added some details using stencils to give it a more professional look. I actually made the colours myself using different chalk paints and acrylic colours. I'm excited with the outcome!!

I  added some decorative details to make this space more appealling : a wreath I made last spring, handmade bunding , candles and colourful cushions for  my director's chairs. I really enjoy having coffee and spending some quiet 'me' time. there. It is such a bright and cosy little space , perfect for breakfast and afternoon refreshments.

 The next plan which was successfully completed this summer was to make my little kitchen seem and feel larger, by adding a sitting-dining  area with a bench and special lighting.
I've been dreaming of this addition to my kitchen for ages, but  I couldn't find the appropriate piece of furniture. When I came across some IKEA hacks in Pinterest and saw how nice a KALLAX bookcase looks as a bench , I decided to give it a try.Well, I can honestly tell you  I'm really very , very happy with the outcome!! I opted for cushions in off-white and beize colours that suit my curtains and colours of tiles and TA-DAH!!!

I also bought a white , very simple but pretty lampshade and hung it directly above the table for some extra light at the dining area and also to 'separate' this space from the rest of the kitchen .

I added some decorative details : a new clock, a tea and coffee bar area , some  tiny pots with fake flowers that look real , candles etc. I spent very little money for a big change and an even  bigger satisfaction for a little dream coming true!!

I will leave you here my friends with a last colourful shot from another room of my house , which is full of colour and energy and where I spend lots of time with my little one who's growing very fast!!

  Have a good Sunday and a lovely autumn!

                                                                                My love,
     
                                                                               Tina xxx

Summertime crafts!!

Hi, hello, γειά σας!!!

I'm back today with lots of things to share with you on the craft and art front!

I'm so glad I finally got my creative mojo back  and made time to indulge into what makes me smile and happy! I will very fast describe what I have made and then let you get a clearer  idea through my pictures.

 I bought some wreaths which I embellished with ribbons, string, lace and sea shells ,  to offer them as little presents to my little one's nursery school teachers. They really liked them and I was extremely pleased.
On the whole, I have been using items that I had at home to upcycle them and give them a summery look.
I'm always very happy to give new life to old and neglected things that can prove handy and pretty ,as well.
Here take a look at what I have made.
                        

  I transformed two glass jars I had in store, into tea light holders. I used lace ribbons, string, ribbons in the colour of the sand and added some lavender, to make a nice little decorative item for my 'summer kitchen'.

 This is another wreath which I made some years ago and 'updated' it with some navy ribbons.

 Then ,I stuck  the little 'rattan bowls' where the sea shells were in when I bought them, on a small piece of wood. I added tea lights and some sea shells .

 I use this tea light holder on a table on my balcony and light the candles every night. I'm very pleased with this easy little make, which cost me absolutely nothing.

 Last but not least ,I was huuuuugely pleased to transform part of our study room into my little one's play and study corner.
That's how this wall looked at first . We bought a bookcase-storing case for the little one's toys and books and a tiny table and chair, but I thought something was missing.

So I decided to make a blackboard in the shape of a house . I traced the house using paper tape and then painted it with blackboard paint. When it was ready, we added a wooden frame to make it look more professional and avoid the  writing on the rest of the wall.

 Then, I put all the furniture and toys together and this is the result.

  We are all very happy with it and my boy wasted no time! You can see him here creating his masterpiece in chalk!!!

That's all for now. Take care and enjoy your summer days and nights.
My love to all. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️♡♡♡♡♡♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Tina xxx