Christmas is over

Christmas is over, and while everything is back to "normality", I can show you what I did for Christmas present.
This year I decided to have many simple and lovely presents, I also wanted to buy much handmade!!

La Tenaglia Impazzita is run by an Italian artist. Giulio is specialized in mosaics, amongs his marvellous masterpiece there are some beautiful objects that are much more affordable for my pockets. I chose a photo frame. It was the marvellous present for a family, and they really appreciated the artistic touch of this simple object.

One of my dearest friend is an avid reader of Jane Austen novels. On Etsy I found the perfect shop for her present from now on!! Pemberley Pond is run by Laura and Luisa Lodetti, two Italian illustrators. They hand-decorate marvellous notebooks, posters and bookmarks. recently Austenians chocolate is available in her shop. And I can assure the taste is fabolous!!

Christmas is also a time for remembering of ourselves, to have time to relax and every year I make myself a present. Wnadering etsy's marvellous shops I stopped by RickyandNina in UK, to buy a beautiful vintage box of stamps. They arrive in perfect time, in a safe package.
I hope my next sale come soon, in order to use them to decorate packaging.

Thinking about stamps I decided to give a stamp to my sister too. She liked them quite as much as I do, but I wanted something particular for her, so I asked to a French artist to make something special for me. Aurélie made a particular stamp shaped as a bassoon in very short time.
I wanted a Bassoon because my sister plays that peculiar instrument. t is not very popular, and so anytime she finds anything related to it she is enthusiastic!! And she loved the stamp at first sight!

Buying handmade you can be sure that your presents are unique. You also say to those who receive it that you care for them.

Another great advantage is buying online: few moments to decide what you want and you'll get it without any effort!
I'm very happy that etsy made me in contact with these extraordinary word full of extraordinary people.
Christmas is over, and my present are full of life!!

Back from holiday

Italian lessons start again after holiday and to report the days spent on the mountain or the seaside...

Dove sei stato in vacanza?: where have you spent you holiday?
Ho passato le vacanze (ferie): I've spent my holiday

in montagna: on the mountain
al mare: on the seaside

Ferie/Vacanze: it is almost the same thing, the only difference (not always underlined) is that usually the word Ferie is used to indicate a pause during work.

Andare in vacanza:to go on holiday



The picture I've taken is from Lago di Ledro, a very nice place not far from Garda Lake, near the Alps. I really love mountain, probably because I live quite near the sea and when here it is very hot, all I can desire is a bit of cold breeze...

leave you with a song, hope you've enjoyed your holiday!

sources and words

Writing academic essays in English, I've sometimes found it difficult to translate technical words. I mean those words that refers to a very specific meaning but sounds like other words. I'll make an example to be sure you can understand. Last week I was wondering how to translate "sensibile" from Italian to English, but I didn't mean the adjective (sensitive), but the substantive that indicates a particular musical note that in a scale risolves to a note one semitone higher. Putting just 'sensibile' on google translate or any other online translator I could not find the word I meant.

The solution is easy, anyway. If you don't have a specialized dictionary (which is a very good way to solve the problem, but it is quite difficult to have one specific for each and every semantic field!!) you can just go on wikipedia, and search in your own language the word you are interested in. Then, you can click on the list of languages on the left and what you get is the corresponding entry in English, so your perfect translation. Moreover, the complete entry makes you certain to be perfectly right.

Senza Fiato

Dolores O'riordan is one of the best voice ever. I love her interpretation, the energy she can show in her singing. Giuliano is the leader of an Italian Group: Negramaro.
This song really leave you breathless.

listen to the music....

I'm working quite hard, and I have little time to write... But I'm not only studying... the 7th of March I will have a concert, so my sister and I are studying, or at least trying!!

We'll perform a very particular duet: bassoon and guitar! we'll play this Paçoca, among many other works of Brazilian authors. I particularly like Brazilian music, and so to make you forgive my absence I post this video, obviously a flute and a bassoon are very different, but I hope you'll enjoy!