Pixie Blossoms

Friday, May 16, 2008

Cars, lady bugs and links...

Little kids always have tons of questions, hu?

We walk my oldest son to school every day and nearby lives a neighbor that has 2 cars. One is red and another one is yellow. Vintage cars. Bebezinho always stop in front of their house to ask why those cars are the way they are. Why those cars are small mom? Are they for small people? What kind of cars are these? I usually don't have the greatest answers. I suck, speacially when I am moody. Ha, another day the small yellow car was inside the garage, the garage's door was open all the way up. The red one was parked outside. Little one asked again and I had fast answers at that time:

Him: Mom, why that yellow car is inside the garage?

Me: Resting, taking a nap.

Him: And why the red one is outside?

Me: sun bathing.

I know, it's probably silly. I am a mom, you know? So, these are my stories.

BTW, we saw a bunch of lady bugs without the dots (I don't know why some of them don't have the black dots) on the way home and we thought that they were dead. We brought some home and alas, they were all alive. We placed them with my succulents. A bit of watching and taking photos and we let them go back to nature where they belong.

I like succulents a lot. I have 5 different kinds in the office, by the window. It's the best spot for them (that particular window). All I can grow indoors are succulents, orchids, kalanchoes and mini roses. Everything else I tried to grow, did not survive. I don't bother with gardening outside. We got snow another day and it killed what I've planted. I give it up. We are going to a long trip soon and I can't watch my flowers. All I have indoors will be sent to my father in law, including the cats. I am afraid he doesn't really know about this yet!!!

Have you seen the snow we got here another day? Tomorrow it's going to be warm, up to 80 degrees or so. Crazy, but finally a bit of heat. One day is cold, super cold...the another day is warm!

As for our trip...I really hope that at this time, we can go to Brazil. I don't have the dates yet. We might even cancel this trip one more time. Because of that, I am doing a sale over my Etsy shop and the only thing that I will upload these days is the set of postcards. When I come back, I will decide about making things for sale or not. For now I have some gifts to make. I am thinking about dying some natural linen, printing fabric with my own designs, try some new embroidery, use my vintage camera I got several weeks ago, to make some ttv photos...

I am not being too crafty or creative lately. As I said, I've enjoyed home and kids. I think I will be blogging once a week, since I am not making stuff all the time. I think I am already blogging once a week for quite sometime, hu? I don't even know! I do want to focus this blog on the handmade by me thing. I can't force myself on making new things every week just to keep up with this blog. Wow, when I think about what I have done in the past to keep a blog...going to sleep after 1 am, skipping important things in life just to belong online...really people, loneliness stinks. I don't even like to remember. I promised to myself to manage my time, to cut half of my computer time and I don't regret it. I wanted to say hello to everyone, I wanted to visit all the blogs, I wanted to see what people were doing. Enough.

My son's room is getting nice, I think. I like to search for vintage items to decorate their room. I got that globe for 12 bucks in an antique shop. Those on the wall were pages of vintage kids books. I have more to frame. I really like vintage illustrations for children! The vintage quilt I got last year. It was a great find for a lovely price!!

I've learned a lot, it's true. This is a great thing. I never though that one day I would sew bags and make websites. I have stopped with the web design (hohoho, no I don't consider myself a designer or whatsoever) mania a long time due my new time management. I just know enough to put a simple website together and play a bit with Photoshop graphics, textures, layers, brushes...

As for sewing...oh my gosh, 5 years ago, I could not even think about it. Sewing for me was not possible. All right, I knew a little bit, because as everybody else, mom and grandma tried to teach me when I was a kid, but I wasn't interested. I wanted to climb on the trees and play cars. Kinda tomboy. When I tried to sew curtains for my son in 2003 I gave it up. I kept my brand new sewing machine (the one I use now) in the closet for 3 years and in 2006 I started from nada. Destroying fabric, making tons of mistakes...I still don't have the best skills, but I get there. I don't feel like going further with web design though. All those codes...nah...too much for my brain. I just wanna learn enough to make my own websites (if I need one). That's it.

I almost forgot some links that I kept on my favorites and I would like to share with you...

Brazil: Now I find this delicious açai (blended with other fruits) drink and coffe available in town. Also, Havaianas are being sold at the local Dillards. Yay!

Kids: Cool craft projects for kids over Bloesem (super cool blog for all things children, I love it!!!).

Crafts: fabric covered button tutorial, dying linen and thumbtack tutorial.

Inspiration + Window Shopping: Decorative Country Living, Flutter, Taj (love the song that plays too...haaaa!), House Doctor, Design for Mankind.

No more...you guys have a great weekend!!

Labels: Brazil, Corners of My Home, Links, personal

Saturday, April 5, 2008

United Colors of Brazil

Unlike last year, April starts windy and cold. Sunny, at least. I should stop drinking so much coffe and waisting my time with not so important things. I think I have migraines. Tomorrow I promise, it will be different. I hope for a warmer day and no headaches. I've been to excited lately! I am not telling...

The photos above were taken in Brazil in 2004. It was my last visit to my country. I was pregnant of my second son. Summers in the Northeast of Brazil are the best ever. The light is wonderful, the colors are just amazing. How about all those fruits? Some of them I haven't seen in US yet, like those greenish ones laid on a triangle shape behind the big bowl of beans. It's called "fruta do conde" or "pinha" like my dad calls it and it's delicious. Super sweet. The red bags of acerolas, it's high in vitamin C. I love papayas too and avocado smoothie that I do with a fast and simple recipe, you can try it: milk, a bit of condensed milk, 2 small avocados and wheat germ. Oooooh!!! Not for everyone though!

I miss these street markets. I took my husband to visit couple of times and he was always amazed by the variety and size of the vegetables. He still talks about the humongous avocados he saw once...yes, they were big...like 12 feet long! Blab...it's Saturday night and I am writing about huge avocados...this is getting serious!!! Giggles!!! I blame my migraines!!

Good night!

Labels: Brazil, photography

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

At home and so far away...

I've been using the 60mm macro lens on my camera lately.

The only thing I don't really like is the need of a tripod most of the time. I knew that when I purchased this lens, but I enjoy the photos, I don't go far to take photographs as before...aaaah, before. The delights of a single life. I am remembering the time I went to a photo school and we (teacher and class mates) would gather on Saturdays to go somewhere to shoot and talk about our favorite subject: photography. Darn it, I moved to US and I don't know where I put the negatives of that time. They could be lost, they could be still in Brazil, but mom doesn't have a clue. I am sure I packed them when I moved...all I found were the slides. Photos taken with an old Canon Rebel (no digitals that time and no Photoshop) and with Kodachromes. I still heart films. I think everyone that is starting to learn Photography should learn about lab and film. I loved to be in the lab. I was 20 years old and processing photos on paper was an addiction!!! It's funny to think that our hobbies change all the time. Although I like Photography very much I would not work shooting weddings or parties. It's hard to communicate with people and make them to understand certain things. Kinda boring. One day I thought that I would like to work as a photographer, today...I don't think so. I still think about going back to school one of these days. I like Art. Nothing else. Well, while little one is little, haha, I don't think about jobs at all, just because my paycheck will be given to a preschool. I prefer to give my time to him and see him growing. I don't like the idea of tossing my kid in a not so nice place just to meet other people and have a social life. I would, if I had to. As for going to school...it depends on my gpa and tests...I doubt they would let me in! I could try it.

This girl was a model that I shot in 1995. I wanted to do a portfolio and I had a tight budget. I offered her photos for free and she posed for me. I can't remember her name!

These photos were taken in the Northeast of Brazil. I lived there for about one year.

Now I am remembering the time I was a sales person in Rio. Horrible. I used to work in a boutique, not cheap clothing at all. We were 5 girls, the cashier and the manager in the store. We had to sell good to make better salary by the end of the month. Some people would drive me nuts. They would ask me to try everything, make me all sorts of questions, spend 2 hours in the fitting room and leave without buying a single belt. Aaarrrght!!! And the manager would say..."oooh you have to talk more, be pushy..." What? Some sellers would be really mean. You could clearly see that the particular skirt was awful on certain client, but they had to say.."it's perfect..." Eeeew. Not to mention sellers bullying on each other. Not for me. No patience for that. Depressive.

Olinda, a historic city in Pernambuco brings me great memories! So much culture and traditions!

The sun, the beaches, the people, the culture, our heritage, our treasures, the music...because Brazil is not only samba, soccer and naked butts. Unfortunately the media is so bad about that!

I miss Rio. A lot. Today I had a bad dream that made me sweat. My little one was kidnapped and I spent the whole dream trying to get him back. I woke up with him touching my arm and saying..."mom, it's morning time, can you get up?" It was a relief. Sooo, yes I am still afraid of going to Rio. It's my city and I feel so ashamed of being afraid of my own city, because living there, I wasn't so afraid like now. But yes, it's dangerous. But its beauty, its accent, its mood make me forget about its perils. It's all about my children. They are not "cariocas" and I am sure they will catch attention from people. Because unfortunately, people still think that in America we are all riches. Ok, I won't compare country and people, it's not fair! It's not my intention to do so. The obvious is out there. I don't blog to make it sure.

Itacuruçá Island, Rio de Janeiro.

Last, my grandpa holding my dad's guitar. He is not alive anymore and I am glad that this image was really appreciated by my mentors, 13 years ago...

I stil remember that day. It was September 1994. Sunny, royal blue sky. Contrary to all the teachings about shooting after 4 pm (because you get better light), this one I took by noon!!! No Photoshop, the way it is...

All right, enough for today. Time to cook....eeeeew and take kids to the park, aaaaaawww!

Labels: Brazil, personal, photography

Zee ♥ mom of 2 little boys, wife, cats, photography, Photoshop, crafts, sewing, handmade things, Rio de Janeiro, Arizona...
hey, my mother language is portuguese!
If you like what you see, get a cup of tea and enjoy! Thanks!

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