happy leap day

as opportunities like this don't happen everyday (but every four years), i had to leave a couple of lines bearing the date 29 february. my thought goes to all the people born today, an almost non-existing day... it has been another long week with some news - i got promoted to senior publishing editor with associated pay-rise. nice. but i am also changing role - i was offered a new position which is rather different: more operational, technical and developmental... therefore more stressful? this remains to be seen. one thing is sure: i'll be v. busy in the next three weeks carrying on two jobs at the same time and trying to progress with the fashion project (Jana Project). we are still at creative/brainstorming stage, so all i am doing at the moment on the fashion front is sketching models for our collection, reading and collecting everything from magazines and blogs that is stylish and ME. But the next step will be the draft of a business plan... business business business everywhere... at least we have a name/label/brand already! i am off to my tights now. sleep tight.

Terracotta Army

i went to see them. and now i want to go to mexico.

the terracotta army is one of the biggest archeology discovery and the most recent one. in 1974 a farmer accidentally found a terracotta head while digging in the ground. after that, thousands of terracotta men were discovered around the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, the same emperor who unified china and directed the erection of the Great Wall.

the tomb complex is located under a hill/mountain, symbol of power and strength. as all the megalomaniac emperors, he was obsessed with death and tried a series of herbal potions to fight mortality. the role of this army, composed by warriors, horses and acrobats, was to help him rule the empire in his afterlife.

what is truly sensational is that each of them is different, or at least non-identical, implying great creativity and an enormous amount of work. as for the pyramids, many slaves passed away while working on them. unfortunately only a handful of terracotta soldiers was on dispaly at the british museum, but i was utterly fascinated by their beauty and intrigued by the secrets the untouched emperor's tomb hides. archaeologists fear to damage it, so they have been making hypothesis on its perimeter and interiors. they hope that technological progress will help them uncover the content in an unobtrusive way, but it will not probably be in this lifetime...

why mexico? well, after the coliseum, the pyramids and the soldiers, i'd like to carry on my new 7 wonders tour by visiting the complex of Chichén Itzá.


other 80 treasures around the world are listed here. please note how often italy comes up in this selection!

THE RING

i have got an engagement ring, at last! actually, i have been wearing it for the past three weeks, so it has been already put on trial and, after much deliberation, research and doubts, it is certainly the right choice. it perfectly fits my small hands.

as you can see, we opted for a full eternity ring with quality diamonds set on platinum. the diamonds are of different size and casually scattered around a very thin band. it is a classical piece with a contemporary design. i like that it sparkles but not that much, as it is not as crowded as other eternity rings i tried on, and i like that i could wear it also as a wedding band (2 in 1) - what i call *versatile*, very important quality for someone who is in constant style evolution.

hope you like it.

80th Academy Awards

While the Hollywood stars are resting, here I am to reminisce about the 80th Academy Awards just passed, which has been a truly international success this year. Apart from The Austrian film the Counterfeiters who was awarded for Best Foreign Film, to my joy, French actress Marion Cotillard and Spanish actor Javier Bardem (first Spanish actor to win the Oscar) were crowned King and Queen of the night, next to a nonchalant Daniel Day-Lewis and an algid Tilda Swinton.

Possibly due to the US economic recession and writers’ strike, the red carpet was rather contained this year: many blacks, reds and strapless gowns patronned the event. The most opulent one was undoubtedly Heide Klum’s Dior dress, which was commissioned to Galliano for the Oscars and promised to charity auction soon after.

Expecting women sparkled on the red carpet: Cate Blanchet left her metallic choices for a wearable and soft navy blue dress with emerald embellishments on the neckline. Nicole Kidman was rather modest in her black dress and chandelier diamond collier. Jessica Alba was the shiniestbumpy lady in her aubergine Marchesa dress.

In Marchesa was also Anne Hathaway, whose deep red gown complemented very well her pale skin, as Superqueen rightly observed.


It is not a mystery that I am a fan of French actresses. Names such as Charlotte Gainsbourg (half English half French), Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (half Italian half French), and Eva Green (half Swedish half French and bi-lingual English/French) have all featured at some point in my blog. Marion Cotillard is not exception. Known to favour French designers on the red carpet, Cotillard, who modelled a white and silver prince frock by Chanel at the Baftas, rocked a stunning mermaid dress by Jean-Paul Gualtier at the Oscars and exuded confidence and regal deportment. Her smile and lyrical thank-you speech made her Star of the Night.

“Thank you life, thank you love, and it is true, there is some angels in this city."

Although Cavalli is my anti-hero, Diablo Coldy, winner for best orginal screenplay of Juno, looked striking in leopard print both at the Baftas, in cavalli, and at the 80th Academy Awards, in Dior. In this occasion she paired the dress with flat pumps defying all the Oscar etiquettes. To be noted is also her LAMU-style tattoo. Although I enjoyed Juno as a cunning comedy, my mention of her is homage to the fact that she is a blogger as well as a scriptwriter.

Allow me to drift away with my imagination for a moment. If I could have designed an Oscar gown (mind you – I did not say “if I could have worn an Oscar frock”), I would have chosen a green shade similar to Alberta Ferretti’s, sported by the young Atonement protagonist, Saoirse Ronan. The tint would have matched the colour of a green-eyed actress and it would have been made up of a structured bodice, to enhance a superb décolleté, and a toe-long high-waist skirt covered with light fringes and contrasted with some black touches: a black belt, black opaque tights and black platform shoes. It would have been feathery and a bold statement at the same time. In other words, it would have been an art-deco-inspired piece injected with a contemporary feel and softness. I would have coupled it up either with icing diamonds and bright red lipstick or warm yellow gold with rubies and cherry nail polish… depending on who was going to wear it, of course. ; )

You can admire a wider selection here and here.

60 seconds reviews

apart from my usual trips to the yoga centre and some other sporadic outings, which i will briefly record here, i have spent most of my time indoors, watching movies and... doing research. i have been offered to participate to an exciting fashion project, and i am seriously considering it. for obvious reasons, i cannot say much about it now, but it is very likely you will see more fashion-orientated posts in the near future. but in the meantime, i want to share with you the following 60 seconds reviews:

Only Yesterday

Director: Isao Takahata
Writer: Isao Takahata

This is a delicate and lyrical story of the bitter/sweet memories of infancy, which are universal despite being rooted in the '60s japan. it is certainly the most realistic japanese production i watched since Candy Candy, but without the intrigues and dramas of the latter. its verisimilitude and *intimist* approach makes this film a psychological analysis of the coming-to-age reality.


My Neighours the Yamadas

Director: Isao Takahata
Writers: Isao Takahata (writer), Leo ChuEric Garcia (English language adaptation), Hisaichi Ishii (comic)

My Neighours the Yamadas, by the same director of Only Yesterday, likewise offers watercolour sketches of japanese suburban life, with understated humour and irony. there is the working father who thinks he wear the trousers, the caring, if lazy, stay-at-home mum, the live-in savvy and direct grandmother, the fat son constantly inflicting irony and self-irony and the pretty daughter, each with specific features their more (in)famous american counterparts such as the simpsons and griffins. but, unlike them, there are far less cultural references and eccentricities here. although the Yamadas occasionally fly into a surreal dream, their life stays rooted in their everyday routine, and i believe this is the magic of this anime.

My Neighbour Totoro
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Writer: Hayao Miyazaki

this is japanese animation at its best - a lovely family cartoon with the fantasy element left suspended between the girls' imagination and the mysteries of the forest.

two over-excited girls (Satzuko and Mei) move into a derelict country house with their intellectual daddy, who is extremely positive and relaxed, to stay closer to their hospitalised mum. this element of drama in the background cast a shade into this otherwise idyllic scenario in which Satzuko and Mei - who reminded us our nieces Juliette and Ilsa for their expressiveness and comic behaviour – explore the surroundings until they come into contact with the spirits of the nearby forest. totoro, despite being a huge troll, is an enormous puff of sweetness and magnanimity and his *rain-dance* is the evidence of his regenerating powers. here it is a comic scene with its uplifting soundtrack:

my deco~ravelry~oblivious yogina~bad foot~juno

my deco

two interesting discoveries: the first is not a real discovery as my brother-in-law-to-be sent me this link. it's a portal that gathers together highstreet and designer online furniture shops! i had a hard time looking for something quirky and yet affordable until i browsed this. in less than a morning, i got three new pendant lamps for my tall flat, a floor light for our studio area and a cheap coffee table. little touches to improve our living space. next will be a new basin because i managed to break it! don't ask me why - i am not that strong but i am that clumsy.

ravelry
second discovery - a facebook-type community for knitters! it is not live yet, but i already registered to be in first line.

bad foot
i have a foot-ache which started in belgium. it is an on/off pain, whose origin is hard to identify. so, i booked a reflexology session next week, as well as my annual dentist appointment. it seems like february will be *check-up month*, so i may well visit also my doctor for a routine blood test. bring on the hypochondria that it's in me.

oblivious yogina

my yoga centre is magic - i keep forgetting things there and i keep finding them again. tonight i left on the yoga studio's floor my mum's yellow gold ring with ruby and realised about it only at the bus station. [digression - this is the engaged girl who is about to receive an expensive ring!] i ran back swearing to myself that i will no longer take it out. an angel had handed it in at the reception. previous to this, i lost and found there a pair of Dior glasses, my wallet, my credit card.

juno
tomorrow i am seeing sian, an ex-colleague of mine, and i want to propose to go and watch juno, which was presented at the london film festival and received incredibly good reviews despite the unoriginal theme. it is described as cunning, humorous and with cast talented actors. we'll see if it lives up to my pumped expectations.

28 levels of me

i got this game from lovelysalome's blog... it is an intriguing way of knowing details you ignored about your friend's past...

Level 1

(x) Smoked a cigarette.

(x) Smoked a cigar.

(x) Kissed a member of the same sex.

(x) Drank alcohol.

Level 2

(x) Are/been in love.

(x) Been dumped.

(x) Shoplifted.

(x) Been fired.

(x) Been in a fist fight.

Level 3

(x) Had a crush on an older person.

(x) Skipped school – just once!

( ) Slept with a classmate.

( ) Seen someone/something die.

Level 4

( ) Had/have a crush on one of your friends who is now on Facebook.

(x) Been to Paris.

(x) Been to Spain.

(x) Been on a plane.

(x) Thrown up from drinking.

Level 5

(x) Eaten sushi.

( ) Been snowboarding.

( ) Met someone BECAUSE of Facebook – technically, this is impossible! On facebook you are supposed to be linked only to your real friends!

( ) Been in a mosh pit.

Level 6

( ) Been in an abusive relationship.

(x) Taken pain killers.

(x) Love/loved someone who you can’t have.

(x) Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by.

( ) Made a snow angel.

Level 7

( ) Had a tea party.

(x) Flown a kite.

(x) Built a sand castle.

(x) Gone mudding (offroading).

(x) Played dress up.Level 8

(x) Jumped into a pile of leaves.

(x) Gone sledging (sledding).

(x) Cheated while playing a game.

(x) Been lonely.

(x) Fallen asleep at work/school - at a conference, on my professor's shoulder!

Level 9

(x) Watched the sun set.

(x) Felt an earthquake.

( ) Killed a snake.

Level 10

(x) Been tickled.

(x) Been robbed/vandalized.

(x) Been cheated on.

(x) Been misunderstood.

Level 11

(x) Won a contest - skiing competition

(x) Been suspended from school.

( ) Had detention.

(x) Been in a car/motorcycle accident.

Level 12

(x) Had/have braces.

(x) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night.

(x) Danced in the moonlight.

Level 13

(x) Hated the way you look.

(x) Witnessed a crime.

( ) Pole danced.

(x) Questioned your heart.

(x) Been obsessed with post-it-notes.

Level 14

( ) Squished barefoot through the mud.

(x) Been lost.

( ) Been to the opposite side of the world.

(x) Swam in the ocean.

(x) Felt like you were dying.

Level 15

(x) Cried yourself to sleep.

(x) Played cops and robbers.

(x) Recently colored with crayons/colored pencils/markers.

(x) Sang karaoke.

(x) Paid for a meal with only coins.

Level 16

(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.

(x) Made prank phone calls.

( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.

(x) Kissed in the rain.

Level 17

(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus.

(x) Watched the sun set/sun rise with someone you care/cared about.

(x) Blown bubbles.

(x) Made a bonfire on the beach or anywhere.

Level 18

(x) Crashed a party.

(x) Have travelled more than 5 days with a car full of people.

(x) Gone rollerskating/blading.

(x) Had a wish come true.

( ) Slept with a member of the same sex.

Level 19

(x) Worn pearls.

( ) Jumped off a bridge.

( ) Screamed "penis" or vagina".

( ) Swam with dolphins.

Level 20

(x) Got your tongue stuck to a pole/freezer/ice cube.

( ) Kissed a fish.

(x) Worn the opposite sex's clothes.

(x) Sat on a roof top.

Level 21

(x) Screamed at the top of your lungs.

(x) Done/attempted a one-handed cartwheel.

( ) Talked on the phone for more than six hours (in one day).

(x) Recently stayed up for a while talking to someone you care about.

Level 22

(x) Picked and ate an apple right off the tree.

(x) Climbed a tree.

(x) Had/been in a tree house.

(x) Been scared to watch scary movies alone.

Level 23

(x) Believed in ghosts.

(x) Have had more than thirty pairs of shoes (not necessarily all at once).

( ) Gone streaking.

( ) Visited jail.

Level 24

( ) Played chicken - ???

(x) Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on.

(x) Been told you're hot by a complete stranger.

( ) Broken a bone.

(x) Been easily amused.

Level 25

(x) Caught a fish then ate it later.

( ) Made a porn video.

(x) Caught a butterfly.

(x) Laughed so hard you cried.

(x) Cried so hard you laughed.

Level 26

(x) Mooned/flashed someone.

(x) Had someone moon/flash you.

(x) Cheated on a test.

(x) Forgotten someone's name.

(x) French braided someone's hair.

(x) Gone skinny dipping.

(x) Been kicked out of your house - not physically as i was in germany as an Erasmus student, but i was still paying my rent in Perugia.

(x) Tried to hurt yourself.

Level 27

(x) Rode a roller coaster.

(x) Went scuba-diving/snorkeling.

(x) Had a cavity.

( ) Black-mailed someone.

(x) Been black mailed.

Level 28

(x) Been used.

(x) Fell going up the stairs.

( ) Licked a cat.

( ) Bitten someone.

(x) Licked someone--not in private places...

A Beautiful Message

this is one of the most beautiful messages i have ever received and i want to record it here. it was delivered in a card and came from valentina:

"I am so happy for both of you!!
You'll make a nice family together and I cannot wait to babysit your little silvina + loftino! I want many of them!!!!
This union makes me believe there are people who still believe in the concept of honest and respectful love... So all I can say is keep it up please and love each other also through the bad times.

All my love
Valentina"

random

i have been a bit absent lately in the blogsphere, and i am trying to catch up in most comprehensive way possible. i tried to load the photos of my last trip to belgium and share with you some funny, some painful, some sad, some exciting moments of this past week, but we will have to wait that blogspot resumes its full technical capacities.

***

after this second break of the month, february will be much quieter. i may have a couple of business lunches and one very important meeting. i may go to the russian exhibit at the royal academy of arts and to a bridal fashion show, but that's about it.

***

yesterday i went to the presentation of a new italian book, mangiamore, at the italian bookshop. it was an interesting sociological experience. i was surrounded by stale museum pieces, with voluminous wigs, stony rings and evil looks. i was told most of them were from the circle of the italian embassy, in other words the representatives of the so-called high society of italians in london. the presentation in itself was boring because one of the two authors present at the launch was rather boring. her interviewer, also manager of the italian bookshop where the event took place, was spontaneous and informal, which i liked. whereas i was not impressed by the author's puritan attitude and plain remarks on her writing, style and inspiration. the novel is set in an idealised london, something you would expect from someone who has never lived here and embellish the most blatant stereotypes that usually float in the imagery of tourists and alike. i flicked through the table of contents and found far-fetched names of british plates intended to sound inventive and original. the book apparently plays also with the language and its phonetics, but again i did not find anything innovative in it. it may well be that my acrimonious critic is unfounded since i haven't read the book, but if its blurb and presentation did not trigger any intellectual or personal curiosity in me, it is not a good sign.

***

tonight we are going to celebrate steve's birthday at the turnmills. the night will offer tapas and some good live music, as well as the company of an intimate group of friends.

***

i have not a ring yet... we have been looking and looking. i even met the designer of eva green's love knot in the last james bond's film to come up with an original piece. she was cool and relaxed, a hippy type, i would say. the trouble is that i have changed my mind twice since. i am going to see a few more tomorrow in hatton gardens, the heaven of shiny things...

***

i put kundera on a side to finish miranda july's short stories collection (see on the right bar). i am not sure whether i will be able to review it as it is alway difficult to review antologies, but i can certainly spend some words on her style and writing and will post some quotes that i found cleverly funny and wished i had written.

***

we renewed our picturehouse subscription, which was the best spent money in 2007: for £50 we got six free tickets and a high number of free previews. speaking of films, steve and i have been mad at twin peaks. i got him the first series for xmas. we watched it in less than a week and downloaded the second one from the internet ~ which took two days. we are half way through it and there is no night without at least an episode. steve finds it the best tele-film ever. i am not so sure about it. there are some scenes i would happily erase for their incoherence, i find some characters incredibly annoying and pathetic, but i keep watching it with eeriness and eagerness as i want to go to the bottom of it and let's admit it, the script is at times pure genius and the music, well, the music has become legendary. i watched it for the first time this year and i am still sure that i would not have been able in any way to watch it in my teens, by myself, in my bedroom for two reasons: some scenes are really freaky, especially in the second series where things turn into the realm of weirdness; and i would have lost patience with one episode a week. it's great watch series in DVD as you can set the pace as you wish.

***

after a frantic search for a montgomery or duffle coat, i found out that pretty much all the high street shops of london had a version of it but they are all gone now that we are in post-clearance time. i wonder: how did i manage to miss it? the answer is that i stopped shopping in the high street in favour of the occasional independent boutique or of the comfort of the online connection. i am starting having very demanding expectations on clothes as there is so much crap laying around these days. cut, fabric and tailoring have become my priority, and i tend to favour classic and versatile pieces. in brussels i found the nearly perfect coat that is the closest version to a duffle coat. it's by a moroccan designer based in paris, labelled "sandro". it's in navy blue combed wool, above kneed length, with a detachable hood, three quarters length sleeves, trapezoid shape and a sherlok holmes style cape attached to the back. cute.