Holy Snapping Duck Do!

Holy Snapping Duck Do! I just climbed out from under my rock and realised I have not updated this since the last week of the last month... You would not believe it only hurts when I laugh. Please don't abandon me!.

I am totally and utterly flat out with setting fire to people wearing Crocs, being distracted by the shiny, just generally being a pain to my partner, my day seems to be a litany of stuff and giggles from the light through yonder window breaks to way past dusk. I am plotting and planning. it will be fun fun fun till they take my TBird away.

I absolutely, positively promise I will write something that makes sense soon. I promise! I really, truly promise!

AmicaYogilla

I have inaugurated a new yoga page, Amica Yogilla, a sort of brand extension to record my practice in the months before the beginning of my teaching training... It is something I do for myself, but it would be cool if I could make it interesting, attractive and useful...

-100

Adriano Dos Santos Tempestini

the happiest man in the planet and his cutie-pie

Do I look uncomfortable?

Does he look uncomfortable?

FOOD FEAST

I was missing blogging and now I can't stop. Ah ah ah. I have got so much to catch up that I will not tell stories in a chronological way. Everything will be told as it springs to my mind. And here some delicious meaty food for your watering mouths:

Homemade pizza

Savoury pancake for Pancake's Day!

Meat feast

OSSO BUCO

Giant salmon nigiri prepared by uber-stylish Nippo-friend Hisano

Delicious Japanese dumplings courtesy of Hisano

I am off to cook risotto with prawns, mint and asparagus until the next post. Ah ah ah.

Busy from here to the eternity

Have a look at the notice board on the left... My agenda is filling up so quickly that I am busy from here to the end of May, or from here to the eternity, as my friend joked. I blocked out June as I will be away for 5 weeks otherwise I am sure I would find things to do in June as well, when UK flourishes with music festivals. Add to the long list two visits from Italy (my bridesmaids and my cousin) and two parties (Hhisano and Francesco's engagement/30th birthday party and Spring party).

I did not actively arranged most of the listed activities. They mainly came as an invitation from my friends. This is London. This is why time flies by and seven years later you are still here without being sure if this is what you wanted. But, I am personally loving it (at the moment) so will try to enjoy life, the best distraction from the credit crunch and my distant wedding arrangements, which, by the way, are going so far so good. I have arranged music, photos, outfits, honeymoon, menu, invitations and have got ideas for those things I cannot sort out out of loco. My main concern is the bridesmaids dresses as it is not easy to fit four ladies with different shapes and different personalities into the same dress. The other *problem* I have is with the order of service. I cannot translate the service with an official translation as the English rite is still the old one. Very annoying as I feel rather uncomfortable in translating religious text from Italian into English. Let's face it. It's not everyday language. I hope the rebel priest will be able to help me. The other question mark is the opening chant. Our organist would like to play the Wagner march, but I don't want it for two reasons: it is too banal and Wagner was a Nazi. Any suggestions? What did you play at your wedding or what would you wish to be played (if you have ever considered it)?

BTW, I kept saying I I I in relation to the wedding arrangements because I am dealing with most of it, but without the consultation and approval of my half apple. ; )

Shining Star

Did I say that I spent the night awake watching the Oscars on Monday? And even if I had watched only one of the nominated (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) I enjoyed every minute of it, from the red carpet to the show to the awards - all well deserved, even though I didn't watch their performances. Some fashion bloggers have commented that this year the red carpet was nothing special, and maybe with some exceptions is true, but then the recession had to play a role of image as well. Kate Winslet was the star of the night. What better way of shining next to a legend and a French rose:

@ Vanity Fair

Carmen ~ 60 seconds review

I feel out of space reviewing this performance seeing my *operatic* ignorance and reluctance to learn enjoying it at its fullest (with some exceptions of the likes of Pavarotti's and Maria Callas' voices and lives. But then, who would not love them?). However, when Ale offered me a ticket a for Christmas, I decided to give it another go.

The centre-staged scenography of the Royal Albert Hall replaced the stalls creating an involving setting. The gipsy costumes were cool and, thanks to Steve's cool binoculars, I got intimate close-ups. Being able to see the facial expressions as well as listen to the voices made a huge difference in empathising with the character's emotions. And sensuality.

The music was flawless to my amateuristic ear but too *familiar*. The songs have been so commercialised that my mind kept associating them with advertisements and products. To my shame, I didn't even realise that Carmen was performed by a soprano and a mezzo soprano, and so Micalea's role.

The biggest disappointment was the language: it was in English! Ale still can't get to terms with the unaware choice of having booked it in translation. "Which country does need to translate opera?!", She wondered. I welcomed dialogic parts in lieu of recitals, as I can't stand the latter, but in English I felt like being at a musical more than the opera.

Engaged Girl in a not-so-engaged world

Here some photos from my engagement party, just a few to show you my kimono-style dress in relation to my post below. We did not take many photos and I am not happy with those I took. I think I need to refine and polish my photographic skills...

We had an afternoon tea in a contemporary hotel along the Thames river followed by a night out at one of the funkiest, quirkiest, surprising (art) clubs in London. It has been my (and my girlfriends') favourite early- and late-night hangout since Halloween, which was without shadow of doubt the best public party I went to.

2009 Oscars

The long-awaited Oscar red carpet is in full swing, and I am glued to the telly ready to steal a glance of cinema stars and their attire before the show commences.

The first (very young) lady to catch my eye was Miley Cyrus, nominated for best animated film, in a gown by the lebanese designer Zuhair Murad. The dress did not impress me only for its undeniable beauty. What surprised me is that from the waist down it is the exact copy(cat) of the monumental Junon by Dior, a wonderful dress sported by Ann Theophane Graham, an iconic model from the fifties. Look and judge by yourself:

Junon by Dior, Metropolitan Museum

And now two more authentic Dior Haute Coutures:

kimono style dresses are flattering on you!

kimono style dresses are sexy and airy. they combine the sophisticated look worth of a 40something art collector type of woman with the bohemian and exotic feel of a younger girl. i like their versitility - being them a tunic or a wrap can be worn directly on skin with heeled sandals, or dressed down with wolly tights and turtle-neck tops.

my friend's friend got this on sunday in Columbia Road Flower Market. it is a Diane Von Fustenberg piece. it was so perfect on her french body.

i love this kimono. the colour blocks could resemble a Matisse painting.

a very graphic design by Buddhist Punk.

Temperley is unbeatable for retro-style tunics with bold colours and eccentric prints.

Antonio Marras, ah Marras, we are all looking forward to land into your affordable Isola Marras.

fabolous, a brand loved by Californian celebrities.

to conclude this catwalk of delicacies, the cherry on the cake: a William Matthewson kimono extravaganza.

i am going to slip into a similar style (with a much cheaper label) on saturday for my engagement party, but i will not disclose the model till then... : P

without knowing how big snake prints were this forthcoming spring (see Loboutin and Jimmy Choo below), i have just ordered a pair of made-to-measure silver fish sandals. they are proper dance shoes, which are by definition soft and flexible, in one word comfortable. it's the same idea that repetto had: turn technical shoes into everyday/fashionable items.