la nostra "ricetta" per un Natale felice - our "recipe" for a Merry Christmas

Per prima cosa, cercate dentro voi stessi la "ricetta" che abbia i giusti "ingredienti" che danno un significato vero al vostro Natale.

First of all, search the "recipe" inside yourself that has the right ingredients for a meaningful Christmas.

Una volta identificati, si comincia a mettergli insieme...
Once you find them, start adding them up

ALLEGRIA a volontà
CHEERFULNESS to your heart's content

Mescolatela insieme alla CONDIVISIONE
Mix together with some SHARING

Mettete sopra la vostra RIFLESSIONE
Put some CONSIDERATION on top of it

Stendetela bene insieme alla vostra FEDE
Apply your FAITH to it

Aggiungete un pizzico di SPONTANEITA'
Add some SPONTANEITY 

E unitela alla SERENITA'
And combine it to SERENITY

Cospargete tutto con pò di GIOIA
Sprinkle with some JOY

Preparate a parte la PARTECIPAZIONE 
Prepare aside some INVOLVEMENT

E alla fine aggiungete l'ingrediente segreto in grande quantità: L'AMORE.
Lastly, add plenty of the secret ingredient: LOVE.

Ed ecco la nostra ricette per un Natale Felice. Qual'é la vostra ricetta invece?
So here you have our recipe for a Merry Christmas. What's yours?

Tanti auguri di un splendido Natale a tutti voi, pieno di gioia, amore e pace!
We wish you all a very Happy Christmas, full of joy, love and peace!

autumn emotion

"A venit toamna, acopera-mi inima cu ceva
Cu umbra unui copac sau mai bine cu umbra ta

Mă tem că n-am să te mai văd, uneori,
că or să-mi crească aripi ascuţite până la nori,
că ai să te ascunzi într-un ochi străin,
şi el o să se-nchidă cu o frunză de pelin.

Şi-atunci mă apropii de pietre şi tac,
iau cuvintele şi le-nec în mare.
Şuier luna şi o răsar şi o prefac
într-o dragoste mare "

 Nichita Stanescu, Emotie de toamna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKlxWA3xEgE

A trecut mai bine de o luna de cand incerc sa scriu acest post...intre timp a venit iarna dar nu am uitat acea zi minunata de Noiembrie. In timp ce ma plimbam in parc cu frumoasa Vio imi tot rasuna in minte melodia lui Nicu Alifantis pe versurile sublime ale lui Nichita ...As asculta-o iar si iar...A fost o zi de care imi voi aduce mereu aminte si sunt sigura ca si ea o va pastra in suflet, cred ca a semnat intr-un fel pasajul catre o alta etapa in drumul ei...
A fi impreuna cu o persoana cu calitati morale deosebite si plina de creativitate in acea zi superba...ce altceva as mai fi putut sa cer in acea zi? cred ca fotografiile de mai jos pot exprima acest lucru mult mai bine decat cuvintele.



The verses above belong to one of the most talented Romanian writer, Nichita Stanescu who molded words with love and tragedy. The poem is called "Autumn emotion" and it's one of my favorite love poems ever!! The song that has been created afterwards belongs to Nicu Alifantis...it says something like this  

"Autumn came so please cover my heart with the
Tree shade—or yours so it won’t wither.
I fear that perhaps I won’t see you sometimes
That I'’ll grow sharp wings up to the skies
That you’ll hide within a foreign eye...
Which will close with a bitter good-bye.
And then I go near the rocks and shut up.
Take the words and drown them in the sea.
I whistle the moon and rise it and turn it
Into a big love."


The translation is relative and I think it can't touch your heart as the original poem in Romanian.

It has passed a month or so since I've been trying to write this post and in the meantime winter came ;o) however I didn't forget that beautiful November day, as while walking along with gorgeous Vio this song was keep coming through my head...I would listen it again and again. I'll always remember that day and I'm sure she will keep it in her heart too, I think it somehow signed a milestone in her life. She's a special girl, spontaneous and creative. The whether was amazing as you can see in my photos so I couldn't ask for more that day as you can tell from my shots below

 

 

 

Photo Challenge

I'm participating to "I Heart Faces" photo challenge and the theme is "Orange"...it's the first time that I'm using my photos to any photo contest so wish me luck ;o)

me and you

I often try to spend some time with my eldest son, just the 2 of us... we have a walk in the park, run together and have fun. It's true as they say mother-son it's a unique, special relationship...as least it is in our case. These moments are too precious and time goes by too quickly. He was a sweet little baby that I was holding and soothing in my arms just the other day and he will be a grown boy going to school just in few days from now...he will feel ashamed of giving me a kiss in front of his school mates.

I wish I could have him this small forever. I know it's not possible so I'm trying to take as many photographs as possible that could help me later on remember him like this...

Cerco piu spesso che posso di passare del tempo con il maschietto di casa, solo noi 2...ci facciamo una bella passeggiata al parco, corriamo insieme e ci divertiamo. E vero quello che dicono che il rapporto mamma-figlio é unico e speciale, almeno lo é nel nostro caso. Questi momenti sono troppo preziosi e il tempo passa troppo in fretta. Solo l'altro giorno era un tenero neonato che tenevo stretto fra le braccia mentre lo cullavo con tanto amore e solo fra qualche giorno diventerà il ragazzino che andrà a scuola e si vergognerà di dare un bacetto alla sua mamma davanti ai suoi amichetti.

Vorrei poter averlo cosi piccolo per sempre. Lo so che ciò non é possibile e quindi cerco ti fare piu foto possibile per ricordarmelo sempre cosi...

  

 

a typical day in Campo di Fiori

I've recently met Andrea and Colin a wonderful couple who has lived in Rome for a couple of years and now decided to leave and start a new life in Nicaragua...I really admire their courage and enthusiasm. We walked together (their friendly nice dog has joined us too) through their characteristic neighbour in the heart of the "eternal city". We hit some of the places they liked to hang out... I'm sure they'll miss some of Roman habits ;o) Isn't Andrea's smile so charming?
Wish you best of good luck guys with your new projects and hope to see you on the beautiful Nicaraguan beach some day...

Ho incontrato di recente una bella coppia, Andrea e Colin, che hanno vissuto per un paio di anni a Roma e che hanno deciso di partire per una nuova vita in Nicaragua...li ammiro per il loro coraggio e entusiasmo. Abbiamo passeggiato insieme (il loro amichevole cane ci ha accompagnato) per il loro quartiere nel cuore della città, raggiungendo alcuni posti che hanno frequentato durante la loro permanenza. Sono sicura che li mancherano alcune delle abitudini romane ;o) Andrea ha un bellissimo soriso, siete d'accordo?
Ragazzi, vi auguro buona fortuna per il vostro progetto e spero di rivedervi su una delle belle spiagge in Nicaragua...

feelings

As one of my friends noticed, babies are so authentic, so real.. their expression is an immediate reaction to their feelings and they are not afraid of showing them. Here's a collage of my my sweet baby who just turned 2 months yesterday...a little present for her and for us to always remember these cute funny faces

pure sweetness

Here we are, my little sweet pie is 12 days old and we've already had our first photo session...how exciting! I'm at the beginning of newborn photography and I'm pretty satisfied with the result...it wasn't easy as her little brother was joining us, bugging me to read him a book while I was taking the photos...
Isn't she gorgeous?


Eccoci qui, il nostro tesoro ha compiuto 12 giorni e abbiamo già avuto il nostro  primo "incontro" fotografico...che emozione! E' il mio primo approccio alla fotografia dei neonati e sono abbastanza soddisfatta del risultato...non é stato facile, dato che il fratellino é stato presente, chiedendomi di leggerli un libro mentro scattavo...
Non é dolcissima?

Gorgeous mommy

While I was pregnant, I met Alessandra by chance and we kept in touch as we were sharing a beautiful moment of our lives. She's a beautiful Sicilian girl who has been living in Rome for years. I offered her I should take some photos of her belly as my self portraits aren't enough for my creative phase I'm in now ;o) so we met on the Fregene beach (I know...a disputable location, more like a compromise considering our health condition) in a nice June day. She was fantastic and she gave a great contribution to the shots.
She seems to live her pregnancy with great joy, not being worried about the big change in her life once her little baby will be born...I think she'll be a good mommy and I can't wait to meet her sweet little girl. Wish you all the best Ale!

Mentre ero incinta ho conosciuto per caso Alessandra, una bella ragazza siciliana che vive a Roma da anni e siamo rimaste in contatto visto il bel momento condiviso. Le ho proposto di fare un servizio fotografico e cosi ci siamo trovate insieme sulla spiaggia di Fregane in un bella giornata di giugno. E stata bravissima, ha collaborato molto mettendo del suo nei vari momenti immortalati. Mi è sembrato che vivesse questo momento con grande gioia e che nn fosse piu di tanto preoccupata per i cambiamenti che portera l’arrivo della sua piccina…credo che sarà una bravissima mammina e non vedo l’ora do conoscere la sua piccola. Auguri Ale!!!

back to the roots...again

As much as you are able to adapt and live in a new country, your birthplace will always excite you and charge your batteries with powerful and positive energy. Once again, I realized I miss my countryside scenes where life flows slowly far from the hectic rhytm of the city life.

People in the village aren't in a rush, they stop and chat in peace when meet each other, without being worried they might miss the train or bus or that they might be late for an appointment...they still have the ancestral relationship with nature which influence their wake up and bedtime as well as daily works they need to do and that are based on the whether and farm animals they keep.