Weekly Gratitude - Expanded!

Considering my current blogging presence, this is most likely my last post this year. So let me make the most of it! Therefore, I'm not expressing my weekly gratitude this time, I'll expand it into the entire year's worth. So, some of the things I've been grateful for this year:

- my family, the immediate and the expanded one, and the fact that we've all reached the end of the year (relatively) healthy
- the fact that oh so many years ago (23!) I found my soulmate and best friend, my husband
- the wonderful period in our lives, seeing our two children grow up from day to day (sometimes they're too smart for their own good, if you ask me...)
- the first half of the year when I had more time to be creative and managed to spend more time on my blog
- the second half of the year which brought many challenging tasks - and they were all mastered with flying colours!
- our new home - I felt cosy and really at home in our house the very first night we slept here
- all of you, again, my dear blogging friends - you allow me to travel the world without actually leaving the house (even though, every now and then, I wouldn't mind having a cup of tea with you in person... in your living room, perhaps...?)
- the fact that my husband & I actually managed to leave the house and flew to London for the weekend back in June; it felt great to be 'home' again
- our lazy and peaceful Christmas, with my two children singing at our local church - so sweet!
- my little girl's first solo performance - goodness me, she was so proud!
- once again, our friends - I'm really looking forward to spending New Year's Eve with them!

P.S.: In case this really is my last post this year - in 2012 I wish you much love and health and happiness and pretty little things to make your hearts sing... and for myself, I sincerely wish to have some more blogging opportunities! See you next year, then!

Weekly Gratitude

This week, my dear friends, I'm really grateful for:

- the fact that I can find at least one evening a week to visit my own blog and actually write something
- my little girl's 'Open Door Day' at her ballet class
- my boy's upcoming piano recitals (two in a row!)
- my husband working from home every now and then
- last Friday's Christmas shopping with my Mum
- the most wonderful Christmas crafting book (thank you so much for the idea, Lucy!)

Weekly Gratitude

This week I'm very much grateful for:

- woolly scarves and mittens and gloves and hats, great for fighting the cold
- our busy, busy lives - we can manage everything as long as we're healthy!
- pretty little things (again) that make our busy lives easier to manage
- my crochet cushion covers, finally finished after several months...
- my darling new little grey coat with bright red buttons (an early birthday present from me to me, found in Bratislava; pictures to follow!)

Weekly Gratitude

Well, it appears that my Monday gratitude posts are the only thing left I can actually manage on my blog. What is happening? Where did I find the time for (almost) daily posts not so very long ago? These days I'm jumping with joy if I can actually read some of your blogs, I'm totally extatic if there's a second available to write a short comment, and that's about it. Does this happen when you're a month and a day away from forty? Do share, please... And may I add how happy I am to read all your comments on my random thoughts!

So, today I'm totally and utterly and completely grateful for:

Photo source: Wikipedia

- four days spent in Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, where our choir attended a festival of advent music
- the rather unexpected SILVER medal won at the said festival!!!!!
- the absolutely fabulous time we had in Bratislava
- all my friends at the choir, lovely people and great party animals...
- the delicious Slovak food (am I allowed to mention the drink as well? I'm grateful for that too...)
- the beautiful sights we got to see, despite the lousy weather, including this unbelievable Blue Church
- the fact that my beloved husband joined the party as well (his joining the choir was his early gift for my 40th birthday!)

Weekly Gratitude

Yay, it's Monday again, and this week I'm saying thank you for:

- books (in general)
- languages (English in particular, I absolutely adore it)
- being able to work from home (again)
- the lovely sunny day today, despite the cold
- small mercies, like morning school walks with my girl!

Blossoms & Tweed & Cheep-Cheep

The last one from the old-outfit lot. Oooold! Still at our flat, which was over a month ago (and let's be honest, for an outfit to be blogged about, that's old). I liked it, though, and wanted to share it.

I'm wearing:

- shoes - Slovenian brand, bought at the local shoe shop about fifteen years ago; the shoe shop no longer exists...
- (double) tights - local store
- dress - Benetton
- rollneck - Dorothy Perkins
- jacket - InWear
- scarf - Benetton
- bird brooch - hand-made by my friend Marysia

A very happy Thanksgiving to all American bloggers!

Weekly Gratitude

This week, my dear blogging friends, I'm grateful for:

Picture: source

- you!
- my upcoming meeting with best friend
- celebrating my friend's 40th birthday last Friday (we watched 'Johnny English 2'!)
- my friends' phone calls
- friendly strangers

Nothing But Favourites

Another favourite! From a few weeks ago, sorry, but what with all my working projects it took me a while to get round to posting it. Apart from the photo below, featured in one of my gratitude posts...

I absolutely adore this outfit. The textures, the colours, the accessories, the lot. I love the thick black tights and the chic flats. I love my old jeans skirt and black roll-neck (can't be seen, actually). I love my tweedy jacket and Harris Tweed bag. And, last but not least, I loooove my Mum's Laura Ashley scarf, my pink beret and my birdie brooch!

I'm wearing:

- flats - local boutique
- tights - local supermarket
- skirt - ek jeans
- roll-neck - Dorothy Perkins
- jacket - InWear
- scarf - Laura Ashley (borrowed from my Mum)
- beret - Seeberger
- bag - BlackHouse bags
- brooch - hand-made by Marysia

Oh, and I love the sun!

Weekly Gratitude

On this sunny yet incredibly cold November Monday I'm extremely grateful for:

- the prettiest bird in the world, Bibury, which 'flew in' from Britain last week; thank you so much, Gretel!
- my new favourite brooch, from Britain, of course; thank you so much, Vanessa!
- parties, parties and more parties last weekend; thank you, friends!
- my lovely neighbours, always ready to help; thank you, Marysia!
- any housework I manage to do these days; thank you, Time!

Alison's Gift

I'm about two months behind the whole thing but since I did say thank you at the time I guess it's not too late to present this lovely surprise from my dear blogging friend Alison.

This lovely surprise package couldn't have reached me at a more appropriate time - my husband had just broken his both arms and I was caught in the middle of an extensive and demanding translating project.

So what can be better than a packet of precious Harris Tweedy goodies all the way from Scotland? Not much, if you ask me! Add a little dress-up doll and some Liberty fabric on top and you've got me!

Just look at all these lovely colours and patterns - and the crafting possibilities, endless!

As I'd already purchased two similar dolls from Alison she kindly decided to send me another one so that I can dress her myself. Being the kindest person there is, she provided the clothing material as well. So, ta-dah...

Quite fancy, don't you think?

I've already managed to make some other little projects with the Harris Tweed scraps, but that's for another post. Until then! And thank you so much once again, Alison!

An Outfit (Well, Two, Actually)

At long last an outfit (two outfits!) post again. You can tell it's from ages ago because
a) it's taken at our flat, and we moved three and a half weeks ago, and
b) I'm not wearing as much as I am these days - it's getting so cooold!

This is an awful lot of pictures, but I like picking out details these days, so bear with me, please.

I love grey even though it seems boring and sad at first. With a few shots of pink and green, I think it's a happy colour! Well, almost anything pink and green is happy in my book...

I found these grey flats at our local shoe shop which I don't wander into very often, but every now and then there's a delightful pair of footwear waiting just for me! Or so I like to believe :)

I'm wearing:

- flats - local boutique
- tights - NKD
- skirt - Boden
- grey top - H&M
- pink top - Mexx
skinny leather belt - H&M
- jacket - InWear
- scarf - local boutique
- corsage - H&M
- leather bag - Zara

Another picture of my blog title - Angels & Blossoms...

And here's outfit number two!

She knows what to do in front of the camera,
she's seen Mummy too many times, oh dear...

Oh, how I love this girl! And her big brother, of course!

My girl is wearing:

- boots - H&M
- tights - local supermarket
- dress - Benetton (birthday present!)
- cardigan - H&M

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Weekly Gratitude

This week, my friends, I'm grateful for small mercies:

- our first weeks in the house together as a family (today my husband started work again after three months away - summer holiday plus sick-leave - or better put: broken-arms-leave)
- my health (no small mercy, actually)
- our family trip to the capital last Saturday
- lovely weather last weekend, even though only so slightly unusual for the beginning of November
- colourful leaves
- my walk & jog today

Fancy A Giveaway?

Not here at my blog, unfortunately (hopefully soon, though!), but there are two absolutely wonderful giveaways hosted out in the blogosphere, by two lovely ladies and my dear blogging friends, Alison and Jenny.

I realise I'm slightly behind time, as the giveaways were announced a few days ago, but they're still open, so do take your chance - even though mine are decreasing by this announcement...

I really, really love the goodies to be won, and a selfless person that I am, I'm spreading the word! So, do check Alison's and Jenny's blog and leave a comment! And keep your fingers crossed!!!

Current Reading & Favourite Books

Hi, everyone, it's been a long time! Another translating job done, hopefully I'll have some time for myself now... :) As I've mentioned in my last Gratitude Post I do follow your blogs regularly, I just don't invest much time into comments when I have deadlines to meet.

I've just checked Franca's blog and her topic really appealed to me - reading! I've told you before that I can't imagine life without books and I'm always ready to share my current bedside (and any other side, for that matter) read. As a voracious reader, I have a list of favourite books as well, naturally. So, here goes:

- at the moment I'm reading 'The Miracle of Grace' by the contemporary Irish author Kate Kerrigan. It's a brilliant book about mother-daughter relationship, highly recommended for all mums and daughters out there!

- before 'Grace' I again spent a considerable amount of time re-reading Agatha Christie's books. What can I say? I'm a fan.

- another great book which I read about a year ago (at the time when my husband lost his Dad) was a breath-taking novel by Brian J. Gail, 'Fatherless', about a Catholic priest and his parishioners dealing with Life.

- I totally adore novels by Louise Harwood, my two favourites being 'Calling On Lily' and 'Six Reasons to Stay a Virgin' - I know, chic lit, but really irresistible.

- one of my all-time favourite authors must be Ian McEwan - every time he publishes a book I literally devour it, and am always hungry for more...

- another member of the above-mentioned category is definitely the British author David Lodge, his books practically read themselves once you open them...

- I really enjoyed 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows that I read a while ago - do have a look!

- books that I've re-read countless times include 'Pride & Prejudice' by Jane Austen (I bet you've never heard of her!), my Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary (yes, I'm afraid I'm the sort of person who enjoys reading dictionaries...), and DK's Eyewitness Travel 'Back Roads Great Britain' - yes, I read travel guides for pleasure as well. I'm that weird.

- plus there's a book I'm really looking forward to reading as soon as I finish 'Grace', it's a study on modern Britain by Danny Dorling called 'So You Think You Know About Britain?' - I was told it was tremendously enjoyable. Can't wait!

What are your favourite books and what are you reading at the moment? Do share, please!