Baking Cakes to Un-Worry

When I was little, there were three things I considered being when I grew up; "maker of desserts," photographer and psychic (in the realms of cartomancy and palmistry preferably). None of those panned out, obviously, although I seriously thought I had a future in reading the future!!

I've loved baking and making sweet things since I was little, and I remember with fondness a "petite chef" course I did with my cousin, and the desserts I tried to sell to my mother's friends.
Now that I'm a "bit" older, I make cakes to un-worry, (is that a word?).  I also love reading recipes and finding easy ones on magazines, thinking I'll make it one of these days.
Such has been the case; I've been worried and therefore started baking some easy recipes I found in The Simple Things magazine.

By a majority consensus here in the house the Lemon Almond Cake -issue 8- won the prize as yummiest cake so far. The other ones; Pineapple Honey Cake -issue 2 , and Bread Pudding Cake -issue 9- were OK, but didn't quite make the cut. One out of three ain't that bad don't you think?

I'm much less worried. Now I'm just worried about the next cake I'm going to bake, and I hope it is as good as that lemon one!!

Today (very, very early) I'll be heading towards Berlin for The Hive Blogging Conference. I'm very excited and nervous at the same time.
What will you be up to this weekend? Anything exciting that you might want to share?
Hope it is a good one!
Until next week!
Giova

Getting Local

Today you can find me over at Joy's beautiful blog Frock Files. Sharing my favorite spot here in Amsterdam on her "Let's get Local" series.
Here is a hint of my favorite place: It is one of the oldest in the world.

I'm getting packed and ready to go to Berlin for this years The Hive. I'm super excited to see again some of the people I met there last year, and to meet some new ones!! So hopefully next week I'll tell you all about it!

Have a great day.

Giova

Snail Mail Goodness

I want to thank you all who participated and left such wonderful comments. Reading why you like snail mail so much made this past few days so much brighter! And for this, I've offered to write a letter to each and everyone of you! You don't have to write me back, just leave me your address on my email and I promise a letter will be sent!

It is really amazing how one letter in a mailbox can make a day brighter, cheer up, inspire, and just for the minutes (or maybe hours) you're with a letter everything is simply "much better."

When I was little, some 30 years ago, I used to wish for a pen pal,  I waited and waited for that someone who would write me letters. Boy did I have to wait!! I was 17 when I finally met someone who loved writing letters and beautiful papers as much as I did. She lived in the UK and I in Colombia. Those letters took a month, sometimes more to reach its destinations, but we kept at it. That is the trick to a good pen -palship, I think; "to keep at it."

O.K, the reason why you are here, (drum roll please.....)

Congratulations mi+ed, these two packages will be on your way soon!
P.S: Also Dinastia Chow Fan, I have an extra set of cards and I will give them to you so you can win that girl. A man does need nice paper to write poems to his loved one, I think!
P.S.S: Please if you would like for me to send you that letter that I promised, send me your address (my email is on the right side of the blog).

Thank you again everyone for such cool comments.
Have a wonderful day!
Giova

A String of Joy

Obviously it is inspired by Dottie Angel and her "have a heart" string (which can be found in her book), but in my case what brings me joy is paper, mail, and stamps. And what a better thing than to have all of them together in another of my favorite things, a garland!
   
           
      GATHER: (basically what you heart desires, but this is what I got)

• all the nice scraps of paper you have lying around
• stickers
• stamps
• squeeze punch scalloped circle from Fiskars
• hole punch from Martha Stewart

I've sewn mine (which is what I do with everything lately), but you can just get a long piece of thread and attach the stamps to the scalloped rounds with either glue, washi-tape or stickers.
Oh, and don't forget to decorate both sides if your sending it to your pen pal (you don't know where it will hang so better to have both sides covered)!!

Have a happy Monday, and don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY full of snail mail goodies, plus if you don't end up a winner I will send you a handwritten letter (I promise)!!!

Giova.

A Snail Mail Giveaway

I've been thinking of doing this giveaway for awhile now - not sure why I didn't. But in any case here it is; mostly it's things I got at Target (my favorite store in the US), and a note card set I got from my other favorite store, Anthropologie. The washi-tape and pens are from Hema (my favorite store here in Amsterdam).
Things for snail mail are the best. Even if you are an avid and long time snail mailer or just joined in the fun, I'm pretty sure you'll want to add this to your collection.
I will also send the winner a surprise package of things I've made for the Flat Project.
If you are looking for pen pals these are good places to start: Letter Writers Alliance and Postal Society.

Alphabet stickers and rubber stamps, tags, post-it notes, pens, wash-tape, ribbons, and 2 sets of cards with envelopes, plus a surprise packet with handmade things by me!!

• Open to all
• Until May 21st, 2013, 9:00pm (my time, european something, something)
• Leave a comment saying why snail mail is so very cool (you could also just leave your name and email, so I can contact you in case you win).
• Share it if you like, that would be kinda nice.
• And that's about it, you don't have to like us here and there, but it would be kinda nice as well.

Have a brilliant day. Happy mailings and to infinity and beyond!!
Giova

Spring Garden Market

This weekend we ventured out in the rain to a "spring market" organized by Sissy-Boy (a home and clothing store here in Holland - very popular by the way). Filled with organic products, plants, home accessories, a very nice barber (yes you read correctly, a barber), bicycles and many other exciting things. The rain was making everything damp, but not the visitor's spirits. It was quite a very nice atmosphere, especially if you got to enjoy, ahem! the barber, or you got to get your face painted as Spiderman!

Grey days, make for grey pictures. But I like them any way, not always though. The grey days, not the grey pictures!!
Did you see the barber doing his magic on my husband? Well, he now has my husband under his spell. A spell of scented potions, warm towels and perfect beard!

Hoping that the sun is shinning wherever you are!
Giova

Accordion Envelope Using Paper Bags

I think I should change the name of my flat project to the envelope project. For some reason I keep coming up with envelopes, but I must admit that envelopes are a weakness. More so, than the actual writing paper. 

This is a very easy and simple project. It is a little folder where you can fit almost anything flat that you wish to send to your pen pal. And you have a nice envelope made up with all those leftover paper bags (I'm assuming you have leftover bags, but I think if you only have the brown paper kind, they will look very nice too).

Here is what you'll need:

• paper bags, any kind (I got mine at Paper Presentation, and St. Augustine Paper Co.) 
• glue stick
• washi-tape if you want to re-enforce the lower part
• scissors or x-acto knife
• nice paper for the back (the bird one is from Sukie, the red chevron is from Igloo letterpress)

The glue goes in 2 places: On the lower part of each bag so they get stuck together, and on the last bag which a piece of paper will be glued to make the flap of the envelope.

I haven't sent out one yet, but I don't think it needs extra protection. Seal it with wash-tape instead of the twine and you'll be set.

Wishing you a lovely and crafty weekend.
Giova.