The Bella necklace...

I created this necklace as a result of two needs: first, to give my Mother a black and white/monochrome piece; second, to create a necklace which was inspired by Bella, our black and white Wicklow Collie...

She seems to have approved the results. I have used here lots of Czech glass beads with a black and white "Dalmatian" pattern and several cute shapes: square, sphere, disc, oblongs, swirly, flowery and polka dotty etc. I bought them in a lovely shop in Prague some years ago - whose name I can't recall right now. I also used Swarovski crystal cubes, Swarovski black separators with embedded strass chatons, black obsidian round beads, clear polished glass beads and more of my little Japanese treasures: several black glass beads with millefiori pattern from the 50's ( made in Osaka) and a beautiful Tonbodama by Japanese bead artist Naomi.

Below, some details of the Czech glass beads that are so "Bella"...

The Japanese millefiori are adorable, small and cute. I have them in several colours. Again, click on the picture to magnify and appreciate the details...

The big tonbodama represents Bella's heart, flowers, nature, grass, some kibble maybe, all little things that make her happy.  Black and white were used not only because she is black and white, but also to convey the way she sees the world: not much colours, a bit faded, but still full of joy. The millefiori are cute, because Bella is... cute! That was it. Simple as that.

Bella and I

Some pictures Mark took of us, some day last week... When I look at them, I realiseI desperately need a haircut.

 

 

Bella's Hallowe'en

A bit late maybe, but here are some pictures of Baby Bella on Hallowe'en. She was not scared of the fireworks outside, which is great. OK. But she has that unreasonable fear of motorbikes, which drive her nuts and out of control instead. Anyway, nothing is perfect!

She did not want to wear her Witch's hat. She just wanted to chew it. So, she went outside with her little Spooky Scrunchy and everybody loved it. We also had some kids coming to the house with their freaky costumes, but she was scared of them, ha ha!

Don't forget to click on the pics to maximise it!

These are my cat ears. It's a fluffy headband, which she actually managed to take off me twice! She went nuts when she saw me with them. In truth, whenever someone is wearing a hat or anything on their heads, she finds a way to take it off and just wants to chew it.

And this is the witch hat that she refused to wear! She is pretty much like me! I also don't like having stuff in my head...

Papi is putting the scrunchy on Bella. You can see how sulky she looks! Like she is saying: "no, I don't want it!". I love the way she looks at the camera here!

And finally here she is, walking with Mark outside, always very proud of herself!

Bella with insomnia

Last week Mark was travelling abroad, to either Atlanta or Montreal (he does that quite often, so I always get confused with dates and locations). I, of course, stayed alone with Bella. She behaved OK in general, and my brother-in-law even took her for runs and so on. So, she was fine.

The night before Mark's arrival though, she got completely insomniac. Restless. Whimpering and walking around and jumping and throwing her toys everywhere. For two or more times she wanted to go outside to the back garden. And it was already LATE. Past midnight. Being outside, there was an almost full moon, which made me dread that she would soon start howling because she was walking around, wagging her tail and looking very impatient.

This predicament lasted and lasted. At one stage I Skyped my Mom, who saw Bella playing and jumping like a little mad thing in the webcam: "Andrea, isn't there a way to give her some beer or something???"... Of course not. Restless she was. I even forgot about using some lavender to calm her down. That usually works.

Anyway, when it was almost 4h30am I was exhausted and decided to bring her to bed, using a little chewy bone as a bait. She came to bed with me, I laid down, but still she would not stop. Jumping all over me, biting my ear, grunting like a little pig. Until I had the idea of holding her and have her laying down beside me. I kept holding her, cuddling. And I started to sing lullabies! Brazilian lullabies ("O Cravo Brigou com a Rosa", "Sapo Cururú", and some songs, making up lyrics and even melodies). I noticed that when I paused, she wouls scratch my arm with her little paw as if saying "Continue, please"... OK, sing, sing, sing... After 15 or 20 minutes she was fast asleep. And stayed so until the morning when Mark arrived!

So, lullabies really relax! My Mother said the next day I should get some CDs ready for her (what??? Okaaay...). Anyway, here's one little picture I took on that night. That's how she was behaving!

Bella loves Murakami...

I received my Takashi Murakami pillow two days ago! It's so adorable. Bella however, thought it was for her of course! Whenever something arrives with the postman, she thinks it belongs to her. In this case, the pillow is soft, cuddly, clourful and warm. Just the way she loves it!

I took some lovely pictures of her trying to have it...

The Tudors

Bella with her new scrunchie! These are supposed to go on her neck, but we tried to make her look like a little Tudor lady here!

St. Francis of Assisi

OK. I am not a Catholic, or have any religions (at the moment at least - it may change again one day though!). I mean, I don't follow anything, I am there for no magical, supernatural powers, maybe because I already had my part on it when I was younger and less cynical. In the other hand, I am all for mythologies and studying religious manifestations and the sort. I love magical things, symbols and beautiful legends. Point made.

Now that I have a dog, I've been thinking a lot about St. Francis of Assisi. He loved animals, and treated them as brothers and sisters. And protected them. Then I reminded his Prayer, or the famous prayer that is to him attributed. I used to love it when I was a kid. Actually, it was the only prayer with which I identified myself somehow, even knowing it by heart. I think it's really beautiful, albeit very simple and straightforward.

Even not being a believer, or a mildly religious person nowadays, here it is for you as well to appreciate it in its very own understated beauty...

The Prayer of Saint Francis

"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light, and
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved
as to love; for it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."

(Credit - the beautiful illustration above was found on a very interesting blog, from writer Nancy Imperiale, based in Florida. Like her, I also tried to find out the source for that, but could not find it. Thanks to Nancy for having discovered it, and to the unknown artist for such a delicate piece!)

Baby Bella and the Waves

Here is Bella today, in Mullingar, looking at the lake. She was on her way down to Ballina with Pappy Mark. He sent this to me via mobile and said: "Bella is fascinated by the waves, but also nervous, not trying to jump in the water, not that I would let her anyway!"

Bella's Picture of the Day!

I used a sepia treatment on this one. Love the way she looks and the blur caused by her moving, making it look a bit like a dream... Her eyes look like little beads as well!

Joys of having a dog...

I always say that having Bella has changed my life for better. She is adorable, and a big motivation too. She cheers me up. I must admit lately I haven't been feeling my best, but having her around makes me a happier, less negative person. Anyway, she is our little "baby" now!

Yesterday we were out a lot. She was a bit hyper though. Her main problem is that she still pulls quite a bit, even with her Lupi harness - which used to be quite good when we started using it.

Latest trick she learnt is called "Find the Bickie". I carry a bag of dog treats with me. When I feel she is getting hyper, I make her sit. Then I grab one bickie and hide it in one of my hands while she is sitting down, observing (and drooling). I cross my hands in front of me and say: " Bella, where is the bickie?" She comes, sniffs my hands and then uses her paw to touch the hand where the bickie is hiding. She never misses of course, since her sense of smell is amazing, but... The beauty of it is that, before, she used to do the same but using her nose, pushing the hand where the bickie was. Now, without me teaching, she decided to use her paw. Well, may seems a bit silly for anyone else alright, but I see it as a progress in her training and that makes me really happy. And she looks lovely when she does that!

Bella and her Pappy

Bella's Snap of the Day...

Pillow says...
"Life without friends is like a garden without flowers"

(Click to magnify...)

Her Name is Bella...

Long time without blogging, it seems! Mostly because I went to Rio by the end of the year and, when I arrived back, was feeling a bit depressed and down. The usual! I will try and re-start writing (once again!).

But the big news is... We finally have a dog now! I was resisting a lot to that idea, since I tend to get way too attached to them and, when it's time to say goodbye, I really get way too sad. But thanks to Mark's insistence, I gave it in. And it was the best thing that could have happened to me.


We adopted her from Dogs Trust. Bella is her name. A border collie cross, although some people say she is a "Wicklow Collie", whatever a Wicklow Collie means (apart from coming from Wicklow, of course). Black and white little bundle of joy, more or less 2 years old. She was very skinny when she came to us, but gained almost 4 kgs already. She is lovely and house-trained, and also very sociable and a quick-learner. We love her to bits!

Some more pictures of our 4-legged furry Baby... And more will follow, of course! :)