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...

Le Petit Prince

"The Little Prince" was one of my favourite books when I was young. And still is.  Of course, I still remember seeing Gene Wilder playing the Fox in the 1974 Stanley Donen's production. Beautiful.
And being a big fan of SuperPoke Pets, I decorated my very own Little Prince's habitat starring my dragon Ryu-chan! Here it is...

"If for example, you came at four o'clock in the afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as  the hour advances. At four o'clock, I shall be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am!

But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is ready to greet you..

One must observe the proper rites. . ."

 

(Antoine de St. Exupéry, "The Little Prince")

Late again... And a new necklace (はなび)

Again, I spent too much time without blogging. This is a shame, since it's something I enjoy and feel it's important to me somehow. But I've always been known by the lack of "continuity" in most of the things I do. Unfortunately. I try to change that from time to time, but it is hard and frustrating. Again, and again, I will try it. Maybe one day I will elaborate a bit more about it but, right now, I need to do more and perhaps think a bit less!

Since my last post and today, I made another necklace. Or perhaps I made it before, not sure right now. Somehow, I forgot to post it, I don't know why. I mean, I probably had some lapses of memory during that time, involved as I was with all the colds and flus that never cease to get inflicted on me, ha ha! Seriously though... Lately it's all about colds and flus (and a diet), and my pretty Bella!

I decided to call it Hanabi －はなび。The word means literally, "fireworks" and it was given to the piece because of its colours. Reds and golds and deep night, ultramarine blue, very much like the night sky where fireworks during Summer festivities occur.　

Here's what I used for Hanabi...

- 1 large and quite heavy oblong Murano glass bead in gold foil with speckles of red, green and blue coloured glass and two round ones with the same kind of work;
- 2 medium round Chinese vintage Cloisonnée beads in the same shades and with a flower motif in shades of pale pink;
- Several, several, several Swarovski bicones in different sizes, shades and effects;
- My usual signature stardust antique gold plated small round beads near the clasp;
- Ten antique gold, plated bead caps around the cloisonée and Murano main beads;
- Tibetan gold plated hook clasp.

And here are the pictures...

Some details of the necklace are shown below. On the next two pictures we can see the details of the focal Murano bead. It measures approximately 40mm and showcases a different style of glass work, very similar to molten enamel...

Follow the auxiliary Murano beads, round and smaller, but with the same kind of finishing... Note as well, the Swarovski bicones and the stardust spacers...

In the next screenshots, we can view the cloisonée beads, and hook clasp in more detail. These cloisonée are very pretty, heavy and hard to find nowadays. The contemporary ones are normally quite light and look very hollow indeed, and the artwork is not nearly as detailed. I love the fact that the colours are so delicate and displaying midtones, like a real painting...

As I mentioned before, the Muranos feel quite heavy. However in the overall result, the necklace itself feels very light and looks quite delicate, oddly enough. I might try and take other pictures since these are a bit too dark and the colours don't seem quite right. The final piece is much nicer in real life though!

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!